Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2026-07-28
Books mentioned on #499 – Gary Gallagher: American Civil War, Slavery, Lincoln, Grant & Lee
Gary Gallagher is a historian of the American Civil War. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin is an influential anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in the nineteenth century.
Discussed“You have Uncle Tom's Cabin earlier in the decade in 18-- and what... And the impact that that had on attitudes towards slavery.”
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Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler is an autobiographical manifesto outlining the author's political ideology and future plans for Germany.
Discussed“We should read Mein Kampf.”
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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is Mark Twain's masterpiece following a young boy and an escaped slave on a raft journey down the Mississippi River, exploring themes of freedom, morality, and American society.
Discussed“that I assigned in the class was Huckleberry Finn. And a lot of the students said they wouldn't read Huckleberry Finn”
Other mentions in this episode (8) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing The Confederate War
“The Confederate War (book): https://amzn.to/4yletel”
Passing The Union War
“The Union War (book): https://amzn.to/3QT1jED”
“Lee and His Generals in War and Memory (book): https://amzn.to/4fdrbD5”
Passing Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten
“Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten (book): https://amzn.to/4wFxk1X”
“The Myth of the Lost Cause and Civil War History (book): https://amzn.to/4vsAogU”
Passing The Civil War
“The Myth of the Lost Cause and Civil War History (book): https://amzn.to/4vsAogU”
Passing MOBY-DICK; or, THE WHALE
“I did Moby Dick that way.”
Passing War and Peace
“But I've never read War and Peace, and I don't think I ever will. I think... I would've done it by now if I was going to.”