Alabama Books

This book was an amazing read ,and suprisingly keeps you wanting to read more. At first glance you might not think that the history of a small town in Alabama would be the most riveting piece of writing, but the way the history of the town develops will keep you reading hours into the night. Charles Adamas does a wonderful job of bringing the history of Blocton to you in a way that brings out a sense of pride in anyone who is from a small town.It may look like double-diamond difficulty in the length catagory, but so many great books are. If you want a book that reminds you of the amazing history behind every community in America, big and small, then check this one out.

Charles Adams has written a history that everyone who grew up in a small town wishes that someone would write about his or her home town -- a nostalgic journey back in time to the way it was. But Blocton was no ordinary small town. Adams captures the essence of a backwoods boomtown at the turn of the last century -- a colorful and detailed account of an unusual piece of Americana in rural Alabama that was as diverse in its ethnic makeup and its vitality as the melting pot of New York City was at the time. Adams documents an interesting story of a little known and out-of-the-way place where Polish and Italian miners and the Jewish merchants who served them created a community that alternately went boom and bust, that survived strikes and a fire that leveled the town, and then prospered again until the closing of the mines and the Great Depression finally turned it into a sleepy but still proud little town that attracts little attention today.

The book is well documented and is illustrated with many photographs and documents. It favorably reflects the many years of research and effort by its author to capture the substance and spirit of his home town, and it accurately tells an unusual story, because Blocton was not your ordinary little town.

The book has been in the making for over 20 years. It accurately represents the life and times of a small coal mining town. It goes from boom time through the decline of the town and to the rebuilding of its future. I am very proud to have helped with the book and also proud of its author, Charles adams. I feel that anyone wanting to read a very accurate and realisitic historical saga would benifit greatly in the reading this book.

This was the first book that I read from Sheila JOhnson entitled Blood Highway about a madman who kills his pregnant girlfriend, Patricia Ann Booher, and drives with her body to ALabama. There I remember his crimes as awful, the book is memorable because the author writes about the bizarre nature of his crimes which includes killing two beloved pets that were more like children to the owners. I just finished reading a recent true crime book from the same author entitled Blood Lust which I thought was more interesting than Blood Highway. Regardless the crime against Patricia Ann Booher, the major victim, is one that I will never forget. From what I remembered reading this book, she had a difficult childhood and was finally happy on becoming a mother and looked forward to it. The senseless tragedy regarding her murder and the loss of her unborn child is something that I won't forget soon. The author does give a lot of background to both the vicious murderer but not as much while she does write about Patty in a loving, caring manner. Patty's loss was a waste of valuable life! May she find peace and love in the afterlife.

Very well writen. Very detailed but with a tone of respect for the victims. Great first book for this author, hope she does more.

Tragically truthful heartbreaking story of a young girl who just wanted to be loved. I do consider the book a tribute to Patty (victim) and feel Sheila (author) did a wonderful job in telling of this unacceptable crime. I truly do commend the author for the compassion shown for Patty.
-- L.Rogers

The author did a fine job of recounting the history of the Chattahoochee Valley as well as the railroad. I grew up there and it was so nice to be reminded of pleasant times and wonderful people. My dad was R.J. Morton. He used to take the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts on excursions on the Central Park. Some of rode on the red caboose, too. It had a pot belly stove inside and was caked with soot.
Mr. McCoy played the whistle on the 21 like it was some kind of musical instrument.
Does anyone know how to get in touch with Mr. Gallo? He did a very good thing for us and I would like to thank him. Some, not all of the pictures of Gordon Neal are actually my father.
I took great delight in the book. I wish all the railroads could come back. It might solve a lot of problems for a country so dependent on cars and trucks.
Best wishes,
Nancy Morton Daniels

If you've ever dreamed of a model railroad of the CHV, like me, this book will be an invaluable companion in that endeavor. Lots of great pictures, from the earliest steam power and passenger equipment, to the last months of the CHV in 1992. I would have liked to see some color pictures. Especially of the beautiful "Cotton for the looms of West point" box car paint scheme. Other than that, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the CHV.

An excellent reference on the CV! I have been looking forpictures like these for years. I remember the yellow engines and yardfull of boxcars in front of Cohen's that I saw as a kid. If I ever get around to building a model railroad of the CV, the pictures in this book and the track drawings available at the Archives will be my complete guide.

If you like RR's, and you're from the Valley, you will definitely like this book.

The Clan of the Flapdragon is a fun book of short essays. Each one concerns the history of some word or phrase, but quickly veers off in unexpected directions. The word is "weenie" in "Weenie Roasts and Ecotage" but before long Dr. chrapnel has managed to slur environmentalists, the Buffalo Bills, Sarasota county commissioners and Oscar Meyer. This is not light reading, a book to be kept on the nightstand to induce drowsiness. Read Dr. Schrapnel carefully and you will be awed by his insight, revolted by his pomposity and floored by his wit...sometimes all in one sentence. Often, as in the excellent piece "Hoodunit" you may wonder whether Schrapnel has done some outstanding research or just made the whole thing up. Unlike Dave Barry, he never tells. But in the end it doesn't matter..."Hoodunit" is fun to read in either case. This book is best enjoyed like a box of chocolates: one or two a day. Okay, maybe a third, but save some for tomorrow.

I am aghast. Never have I read a book that is so annoying, erudite, and hilarious all at the same time. Schrapnel's method of using discussions of word origins as springboards into rants on everything from literature to poontang to wild leeks is quite the satirical hoot. Particularly of interest are his parodies on poetry criticism by way of essays on a dead poet named Toulouse Mars, who was also a licensed proctologist. Schrapnel takes a radical stance on environmental activism implying that the green movement is not violent enough. Also amusing and enlightening is his piece on writer rejection slips. Finally, the author's discriminating comparison of the words WISDOM and CYNICISM is a smart reminder that so many writers and supposed thinkers of the day are often little more than third-rate wisecrackers pretending to be philosophical and learned. Then there are the letters from supposedly irate readers of Schrapnel, which verify the theory put forth in the Preface that the book can also be read as an epistolary novel. There is so much going on here in the way of zany, sophisticated satire that I guess I'll have to read it again and again.

One thing can be said for sure about The Clan of the Flapdragon and Other Adventures in Etymology, by B.M.W. Schrapnel, Ph.D.: There has never been another book quite like it. It almost defies description. It's part serious etymology, part semi-serious satire and part, as mentioned on the book jacket, "dementia."

Technically the book is a collection of thirty short pieces on a wild variety of topics. Three titles give you an idea of the range of Schrapnel's interests: "The Protean Obscenity and His Sister," "Romanticism Now and Then," and "Ted Nugent Must Die!"

Almost every article is followed by letters purportedly written in response to the piece in question. This feature is called "Cleopatra's Basket," and I suspect many readers, like me, will find it the funniest part of the book. It's filled with classic spoofs of the kind of missives sent in by readers of serious literary magazines.

It's hard to pin down exactly where Dr. Schrapnel stands on the numerous political, artistic, academic and cultural issues he rants about. He's an equal opportunity satirist, as every good satirist should be. For instance, he spends a lot of time skewering people like the "slime-cake politician who's on the secret payroll of big industry and rampant development at any cost." But just when you have him pegged as a tree-hugger, you come across something like, "Most environmental organizations are a crock of wormy fools who get off watching itsy-bitsy birds, or identifying pukey-colored butterflies, while the habitat near and around them goes down at a more methodical and embarrassing rate every year, sort of like your Buffalo Bills at the Super Bowl."

Or take feminism. The ultras of that persuasion come in for their share of lampooning, but even the curmudgeonly Dr. Schrapnel must have his Alan Alda side, for in one of the letters in Cleopatra's Basket a California member of NOW writes: "The Feminist Community commends you for an essay finally devoid of any slurs aimed at us. This doesn't mean that we have removed your name from our top ten list of degenerate chauvinist swine--once a pig, always a pig--but we do encourage you to continue on an artistic path that has no cultural or spiritual potholes."

I hope he stays right where he is, wherever that is.

A CONQUERING SPIRIT, Fort Mims and the Redstick War of 1813-1813, by Gregory A. Waselkov, The University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa (2006), 414 pages.

This must be lucidly the ne plus ultra for this fascinating conflict. The research is indefatigable, thorough, and multi-faceted. The author has utilized the skills of historian, archaeologist, anthropologist, ethnologist, and genealogist. It is only after his melding these elements all together that the trees become clearly delineated from the woods. His explication of family relationships and interactions sheds light on otherwise difficult to understand actions by the participants. His explanation of the clan and kinship systems used by the Creeks and the inevitable cultural conflicts that arose with the Americans are invaluable.

Probably few Americans grasp that the Ft. Mims Massacre of 30 August 1813 was presumably the greatest massacre of cultural non-Indians of the many Indian Wars in our four hundred years of history. Even fewer grasp that of the hundreds killed, many were not white but included large numbers of cross-breeds of Indian and white (the author interestingly refers to them as métis which is a French derived word for "mixed" similar to the Spanish mestizo) and blacks - not to mention that these included numerous women and children. Ultimately the fight descended into a massacre of civilians by the Creek Indians many of whom themselves were métis and therefore related to those whom they were killing. There is great academic debate on exactly how many were killed but most historians agree that the number is between 350 and 530. It was not pretty.

This exhaustively endnoted volume details the story of this fierce fight at the fortified plantation home of Samuel Mims in the Tensaw District in what is today Baldwin County, Alabama, north of Mobile. Essentially this massacre triggered the Creek War of 1813-1814 that had been incubating for some time with the many social forces that conflated to spark the massacre and war. Ultimately it was Andrew Jackson that terminated this sanguinary war with his historic victory at Horseshoe Bend. The Creeks never really recovered after this war that they initiated with the great massacre at Samuel Mims plantation.

This magnus opus of the Ft. Mims massacre in the Redstick War is strongly recommended. It presents the many different perspectives of the protagonists with equity.

I read almost everything I can find on America history and especially that which investigates (with documentation)Indian culture and history. This book is beautifully written and profoundly moving. It's close and detailed look at the Creek, Africans, whites and mixed-bloods living in what would become the state of Alabama, centered around the "massacre" at Ft. Mims is second to none. For some readers the book will be tedious, but it's all wroth it to get a meaty understanding of the history's complexity. I highly recommend this book as well as another favorite book of mine: Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears, by Jerry Ellis. It's about his 900 mile walk along the Trail of Tears and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award.

Finally someone has written a modern study of the "Creek War" and my favorite history period in one complete package.

The early history of the migration of Americans into the Mississippi Territory and the conflicts this created is covered. Wonderfully detailed with illustrations, pictures of artifacts, notes and additional details not normally covered in this period of history. Mr. Waselkov includes the only detailed account of every known participant of the attack on Fort Mims. Great for those tracing their genealogical history in this area and period of time.

This book covers the periods leading up to the attack, the details of the attack, the expanded war it created and the political outcomes in more detail than has ever been published. This is the best detail and depth of information on the Creek culture and its relation to the causes of the "Creek War" I've ever read. Outstanding!

If you grew up loving movies and books about Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone and fiction like the "Last of the Mohicans" then this true history of the conflict between Southern Indian tribes and the American Pioneers is for you. The many personalities involved in this terrible tragedy that can be described as "heroes" on both sides. It is a wonder that noone has made a movie of this history.

Cabeza de Vaca, the Conquistador who came to know Indians as people, died impoverished after being imprisoned for his attempts to treat Native Americans as humanely and justly as his time understood those notions. We know of Cabeza de Vaca from the Narrations of his sojourn among the Indians of Texas and Mexico (A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca : The Extraordinary Tale of a Shipwrecked Spaniard Who Walked Across America in the Sixteenth Century), Gary Snyder's complementary references to him, and a movie which popularizes his claimed healing powers. He is a personality of enduring interest. Seeing Indians by living with them in their world, he was able to blend some of his Conquistador goals of bringing civilization and Christianity to the heathen with the Christian idea that Indians deserved to be treated as Christians and exploited no more than peasants in Spain.

This was a far cry from the rapacious greed of most other Conquistadors which focused on obtaining fabulous wealth, unbridled power and uncontrolled sexual dominance. Here we have a theme which repeats itself over and over again in the histories of imperial dominance. That the king, some legal authorities, and the Church in Spain wanted to develop their conquests consistent with contemporary values clashed with the fact that both Conquistadors and colonists found themselves masters of peoples to whom they could do what they wanted because there was no real authority other than their force of arms. When Cabeza de Vaca returned to the New World as governor of the Rio del Plata he was able to show that his treatment of natives worked in a limited way. He successfully made it hundreds of miles across Native territory without conflict. In curbing the excesses of the colonists he also roused their ire and they responded by imprisoning and returning him to Spain. Such limits were impossible to impose until most of the native were subdued. Spain could no more control its New World colonists than the English and later the Federalists could keep those who eventually became Jeffersonian democrats from crossing the Alleghenies and heading westward annihilating North American natives.

Howard's book is a very interesting one. It cannot match the drama of Cabeza de Vaca's grand journey but it does put his life in greater perspective. If he had once been a healer, he was no longer one in Paraguay. That brings me to question how much of his healing episodes in his Narrations were a convenient way of dramatizing to a Spanish public and court the miracle of his survival. It might be more palatable than a description of what he really lived. It is odd that his being a healer is no longer mentioned. Certainly the Indians of the Rio de la Plata deserved it as much as those of Texas. Then there is gold and silver. The author points out that Cabeza de Vaca maintained that goal as crucial to his enterprise. So maybe he demurred on sex, used power when needed, but did seek wealth, just not unbridled and at any cost.

Howard also points out that indigenous promiscuity (at least as we would now label it) and slavery fit well with the colonists desires. In contravening these Cabeza de Vaca also trod on Indian values. As for cannibalism, all the Europeans condemned it and it was a convenient excuse for attacking Indians who resisted or were needed for slaves. One can ask whether Cabeza de Vaca's strategy would have succeeded. Our author abstains from speculating leaving it to other investigators of imperialism to answer the question. From the story that Howard tells it seems to me that the answer is no. When Cabeza de Vaca goes on his search for wealth, he encounters natives who will not assist him with food and actively resist. Cabeza de Vaca uses his limited means of force to compel them. It seems they had heard through the grapevine of Spanish and Portuguese depredations and wanted none of it. Submission, under humane circumstances or otherwise, meant the end of their power and way of life. Cabeza de Vaca may have been forced to escalate to achieve his goals no matter what his feeling were. Even unto the rubber trade of the late 19th and early 20th century the natives were subjected to violent exploitation until they were no longer needed or died out. The Cabeza de Vaca's of the world have to contend with forces they can not control, be it colonists or Neo cons killing hundred of thousands in Iraq, who have reigns of power that can not be wrenched away from them. It is a sad commentary on the human condition.
Charlie Fisher, author of Dismantling Discontent: Buddha's Way Through Darwin's World

I had to read this book for my Latin American History course that I took with Dr. David A. Howard himself. I was a little nervous at first, because I knew I would have to write a book review on it for class, and I didn't want to have to write that I didn't like it. I loved the book! It is an excellent read both academically and for personal enjoyment. I will definitely keep it in my library to go back and enjoy in the future.

David A. Howard has written an excellent book for both academic purposes and casual reading. This insightful and provocative look at the life and times of Cabeza De Vaca should supplement any course that strives to thoroughly explore Latin American history. I highly recommend this text for not only people who are searching for historical truths but also for those interested in reading a genuinely captivating chronicle.

Jeannette Steele McCall's purpose in writing this book was to document the heroes that had the foresight to invest in the education of young black children. She has used photos and documents to demonstrate the history she writes about.

Ms McCall discusses land purchases and governing boards. I was really struck by her description of the bombing of Miller's Ferry Mission. I could hear the screams and cries of the people as they realized all was gone including their bible. The founding of mission schools was much needed. Many areas of life were taught including nursing and work ethics.

The discipline of the schools was one of "no tolerance". Corporal punishment was used as well as other methods that we might want to consider using today; such as planting trees. Memorizing poetry was considered a character building process. I enjoyed reading the poems she included in her book. Effort by Esther Lee Carter was very touching.

This book is well documented discussing heating systems, recreation to graduations. Ms McCall is very successful in stating the history of six black mission schools in Wilcox County, Alabama. I would recommend this book to those who are studying black history, Alabama history or the history of schools.

THE FIRST AND LAST BELL is a magnanimous story which focuses on major accomplishments, in the field of education, in Wilcox County, Alabama after the Civil War. It shares the history of six mission schools, operated under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church. Jeannette Steele, the gracious author, follows the course of Wilcox County's mission schools and churches and lends the stories with pride, dignity and an overwhelming historical resonance. The initial bell rang for the first mission school, Miller's Ferry Normal and Industrial School, in 1884 and the doors were closed, and the last bell rang in 1971.

Establishing missions to educate black boys and girls in a very rural county in the southern part of Alabama area was a great endeavor. The schools taught grades one through twelve, followed a standard school curriculum, and always stayed focused on the biblical foundation of the missions. These schools represented hundreds of similar institutions across the South which help direct African-Americans out of illiteracy and supplied them with an enormous sense of pride in the communities they served.

THE FIRST and LAST BELL is a compelling page from the history books of education in America, and for me, an almost melancholic look at what was lost as we acquiesced toward 'equality'. This book also shares a pictorial history of teachers, principals, pastors, and buildings. Success stories of some of the mission's illustrious graduates, and copies of actual documents; bills, tuition payments, school inventories, and student's names are included.

The back cover of the book encapsulates so much of the spirit of Jeannette Steele McCall and her purpose for writing this book. Excellent read!

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

In Wilcox County, Alabama several mission schools were started by the Freedmen's Board of the United Presbyterian Church of North America. This is a collection of the stories of six of those schools. It includes lots of pictures, copies of documents, and descriptions of the schools, student population, activities and leadership. Written in a typical historical document style, The First and Last Bell will appeal strongly to those who are interested in the history of Wilcox County, the United Presbyterian Church, or black history.

Nice follow-up to "Fields and Pastures New". As a Rural Southerner I particularly appreciated the way he delt with the issue of hunting. He is able to get away with "poking fun" at the rural South because he does so in a honest and respectful manner. You can tell he has "been there, done that".

I loved this book. I am an animal lover and John McCormacks detication to his work just amazed me. I loved a Friend of the Flock, and it made a great topic for the essay I had to write for my english class. I hope more people are able to read it. I also hope my review is helpful to them.

I was raised about 60 miles from Choctaw county, Alabama. As a practicing veterinarian, I found so many of Dr. John's experiences similar to my own. This is a facinating profession and it is wonderful to see that it is the same most everywhere. Dr. McCormack seems to find the humor in most all situations that would be at the least frustrating for the rest of us. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good belly laugh. It pokes fun at the rural South, but I can say from experience, he doesn't exaggerate all that much!!!

I found this book on my book shelf and I'm not really sure where it came from but opened it and was very interested when I saw that it was written in my state's capitol and published in my very own town. I enjoyed it and finished it in record time. Worth your time!

I enjoyed this book very much & hated for it to end. I was very aggravated with Callie from time to time & wanted to shake her but at the same time she is a very likeable character. I loved the time period & the author did a fantastic job writing about the South. I hope that the author gives us more like this book. Read it!! If you like books about the south & romance you will like this one.

A mother of grown children who writes a superlative first novel deserves being celebrated, which is the case of Julia Oliver and her GOODBYE TO THE BUTTERMILK SKY.

The rural south of the '30's, with its clabber, scuppernongs, tree frogs, and croker sacks, is as tangible as 20-year-old Callie, her depressed husband, and the blue-eyed stranger who leads Callie to fulfillment. Suspense steadily tightens throughout this tale of illicit love, a libidinous minister, rape, and murder, and culminates in an unexpectedly satisfying ending.

Fair warning: meet Callie on page 1, and you, like her, can't resist going all the way.

This book is an excellent read for those interested in the brigades of Lee's army. If you get a copy it will be easy to see that Penny and Laine did an enormous amount of research to piece their narrative together. Infomation on Lee's brigades is hard to come by and it takes time to acquire all the sources necessary to write a book like this. These gentlemen did an excellent job researching, writing and editing their work.

The book provides the reader witha ll kinds if interesting stories from the common soldiers, to the leaders of the brigade and so on. It offers a great narrative on the issues that tore General James Longstreets Corps apart after Gettysburg. The other thing that makes this book so good is it uses as many primary sources as possible which is very important in publishing a good Civil War work. Too often, writers rely on secondary sources to prove points and construct a narrative. Penny and Laine pull from primary sources and you can really tell this as you read the text. They also don't get stuck in a rut by talking about battles but provide some of the human element that is needed. Its a great read and it is highly recommended.

Thoroughly researched and clearly presented, Law's Alabama Brigade is a valuable addition to the historical body of ACW unit histories. This is clearly a study that is first rate in its historical method. This work distinguishes itself with its attention to detail in describing the evolution of unit politics (which persisted throughout - and even after - the war) and the personal histories of men who served in this brigade. The descriptions of the battles engaged by these five regiments prior to their consolidation as an all-Alabama brigade under Evander Law is disappointing (especially Gaines Mill, Second Manassas and Antietam). However, the passage concerning the approach and assault on Devil's Den and Little Round Top on the second day at Gettysburg is superb. The treatment of the brigade's battles at Chickamauga and in the Wilderness is also excellent. Of great interest is the relation of events surrounding the political and personal feud between Evander Law and James Longstreet (both South Carolinians but evidently not compatriots) which was never resolved. Insight into Longstreet's political nature (foreshadowing his conduct after the war) and Lee's allegiance to Longstreet (despite his personal misgivings) is offered in convincing fashion. Penny and Laine do not possess the literary skills to make their work into a compelling story for the average reader, but for students of the ACW, this is a first rate work and a fascinating read.

Gary Laine and Morris Penny have written an outstanding book about Law's Alabama Brigade. This hard fought brigade fought in some very bloody battles from First Manassas (Bull Run), Sharpsburg (Antietam), Gettysburg, Chickamauga to General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. Organized in Alabama in 1861, this brigade made up of men from Montgomery to Mobile and every small town, farm, and corner of Alabama.

Led by the brilliant yet controversial leader Evander Law, this brigade endured disease, severe weather, struggles within the brigades leadership. Yet they always answered the call of their superiors in bravery and determination.

This brigade was always under the "baptism of fire" in violent and bloody battles. Every Civil War buff, historian, or enthusiast knows about Law's Brigade at Gettysburg. Especially the brave 15th Alabama Regiment (part of Law's Brigade" that fought valliently at Gettysburg on Little Round Top on July 2, 1863. This regiment fought hand to hand against General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlains 20th Maine and nearly turned the tide of the battle of Gettysburg. Controversy surrounds General Evander Law at Gettysburg and other battles due to accusations of not being at the right place at the right time, as well as his well known anomosity with General James Longstreet. It is ashame that these two excellent leaders had quarrels with each other at all since they were a vital part of the Army of Northern Virginia.

After Gettysburg, Law's Brigade was transferred to the Western Theatre of the Civil War. Again, Law's Brigade was involved in bloody and violent battles such as Chickamauga, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and the sieges of Richmond and Petersberg, which ultimately led the brigade back to Virginia and General Lee's surrender.

The author's not only tell about the battles that Law's Brigade played a role in, they describe the "ordinary" soldiers and officers that were in the brigade. Camp life, everyday duty, and friendships and leaderships struggles are also told in a clearly written manner that make this book an interesting and important read to anyone who is interested in learning more about a Confederate Brigade.

I highly recommend this book to any serious Civil War enthusiast who wants to know more about a valiant brigade who fought in many major battles of the Civil War. Even General Lee commented about the bravery of Law's Brigade, and that is high praise indeed.

Highly Recommended!