There were countless fervent supporters of the Confederacy in the South before, during, and after the Civil War, but perhaps none were as ardent or influential as the so-called fire-eaters, who worked in Southern communities to sway them toward secession. The South's Forgotten Fire-Eater details the life and activism of David Hubbard, an Alabama fire-eater who did much to turn northern Alabama for the Confederacy. His is a cautionary tale of radical politics, told brilliantly by historian Chris McIlwain.