Court CarneyOs Reckoning with the Devil grapples with the troubled, complex legacy of Nathan Bedford Forresta slave trader, Confederate general, and prominent Klansman. More than a century after his death, ForrestOs image continues to resonate with certain groups and bear varied interpretations, reflecting the intricate interplay of history, memory, and a contested past. Carney explores how historical omissions and erasures continually reshape perceptions of Forrest as well as the Civil War.Central to ForrestOs narrative is his involvement in the slave trade, a key to his ascent in the southern social hierarchy. Carney traces ForrestOs trajectory from a prosperous slave trader in Memphis to a politician and eventual military leader in the Confederacy during the Civil War. ForrestOs postwar years reveal his struggle to rebuild his life, leading him to engage in various economic ventures and eventually join the Ku Klux Klan. Carney argues that the slave trade, the Fort Pillow massacre, and his Klan affiliation were the fundamental elements shaping ForrestOs image. Those elements, although steeped in racism and white supremacy, were marked by an ambiguity and malleability that allowed Forrest to attract admirers as well as detractors as his image was memorialized in postwar white southern culture.Carney covers distinct phases of ForrestOs memorialization, from the unveiling of statues in Memphis in 1905 to his representation in literature and media and the controversies surrounding his monuments in the 2010s. That history culminates with the removal of the Memphis statue in 2017, reflecting the evolving societal perspectives on symbols tied to racism. ForrestOs significance lies in his capacity to encompass conflicting narrativeshero and villain, rebel and patriot. Carney contends that understanding ForrestOs legacy is essential for comprehending the intricacies of the southern past and its enduring impact on American society. By exploring the fluidity of ForrestOs image, CarneyOs work illuminates the nuanced interplay of history, memory, and the ongoing struggle to reckon with a tumultuous past.