South Carolina Books

As an avid popcorn fan, I must say this is an indispensable volume--the complete history of popcorn, with so many good recipes (some I've never even heard of!), etc. It takes some reading, but is highly enjoyable--the history told is similar to The Popcorn Book, with many, many details that are interesting to read.

Popcorn lovers--get this book!

"Popcorn is America's gift to the world, and what a wonderful, fun-filled bequest it is."

Such is the very last line in the narrative section of POPPED CULTURE: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF POPCORN IN AMERICA. This very informative volume by Andrew Smith describes every aspect of this snack food, from its evolution on the cob in pre-historical Central and South America to 20th century "gourmet popcorn" in microwave bags.

While the book's title states this is a "social history", it seemed to me more a chronicle of the popcorn industry, especially in the United States, where popcorn was "invented", i.e. reached the citizenry's mass consciousness, in the first half of the 19th century. Smith has extensively researched every element of the saga: growers, processors, vendors, entrepreneurs, popping devices, packaging, flavoring, advertising, and target markets (both children and adults, at home and at the "movies").

Because so much of this book is a detailed narrative of the biz, it's not particularly fun, but rather like popcorn without butter and salt. There are too many passages like the following:

"... Wyandot (Popcorn Company) was sold to Vogel Popcorn, a division of Golden Valley. Golden Valley is now owned by ConAgra. ConAgra had previously purchased Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn during the mid 1970s. Jiffy Pop was sold in 1962 to American Home Products. In 1996 American Home Products was acquired by Hick, Muse, Tate and Furst, an investment firm, and it food industry management affiliate, C. Dean Metropoulos. Today Jiffy Pop and Franklin Crunch `N' Munch are part of International Home Foods, Inc., of Parsippany , New Jersey."

Why would any but the most obsessive of popcorn lovers, or business students, care?

POPPED CULTURE includes a small section of illustrations, and extensive sections dedicated to Notes and Bibliography/Resources. It also incorporates a 48-page chapter on historical recipes. Anyone for macaroni and popcorn, prune and popcorn pudding, popcorn omelet, popcorn macaroons, popcorn stuffed dates, popcorn soup, popcorn scrapple, popcorn and parsnips, popcorn and bacon, popcorn hash, popcorn with ice cream, or popcorn trifle? Uh, no. I think I'll just have the large tub ... with extra butter.

If you think that popcorn has always been at the local multiplexes, think again. In Popped Culutre you will learn the history behind popcorn and its very history as that American of snack foods. When it arrived in the movie houses and how it all came to be. But not only do you get the complete history of popcorn, but you get some neat ways to make popcorn a fascinating snack.

Expand your horizons and bring some excitement into your culinary life with popcorn recipes in salads, vegetables and omelets. Broaden your candy eating base with Smiths' "Popped Culture" suggestions. Andrew Smith writes well and illustrates how much popcorn is a part of our everday lives either watching movies in a theatre or at home on TV.Reading about the mania of TV popcorn in the 1950's or going back to its beginnings in the mid-19th Century is a study in American culture at its best.

This book is an entertaining addition to culinary history, debunking myths about popcorn and contributing much to the reader's knowledge with meticulously documented research. (Was popcorn served at the first Thanksgiving, or is that just popcorn lore?) It is interesting to follow the rise in the popularity of popcorn in the larger context of American social history to become a movie staple, TV companion, and microwave gourmet food. Though not intended as a cookbook, a particularly interesting section contains over 160 popcorn recipes published before 1924, including some for biscuits, bricks, stuffing, sandwiches, and more than 25 for popcorn balls alone. Anyone for a bowl of popcorn soup? Other popcorn related products are included in the history, including a significant amount of Cracker Jack coverage. It seems that Mr. Smith has left no kernel of popcorn information unpopped. Warning: It would be difficult to read this book cover to cover without stopping more than a few times to pop up a batch of popcorn; but salt and butter are optional, so enjoy devouring it in good health.

this little book is full of details of Elizabethan life and personality as well as the story of the Roanoke colony. It's not possible to learn everything there is to know from one book, but Karen Kupperman has packed a lot of information and food for thought into a logical and easy to read volume.
You might also like to read "Roanoke, Solving the Mystery of the Lost Colony". The two books compliment each other.

The prose is dry, and the book didn't provide any insights you couldn't get from just asking someone on the street -- no new material, no interesting conclusions.

This is an excellent review of all topics related to the preparations, settlement, and ultimate failure of America's first English colony. The egotistical players (Ralegh, Greenville, Lane) are studied along with the realistic forward thinkers (both Richard Hakluyts, White, Harriot) and the Indians who were encroached upon to result in a fair and balanced account of the political, social, religious and cultural reasons for the failure of the "Lost Colony".

The subtitle, "The Abandoned Colony" is remarkably insightful and appropriate and the book explains in clear and specific terms why this attempt at colonization was destined for failure from the outset. The author is clear in her logic and in her explanations of what took place. Each chapter leads the reader from the back-story toward the ultimate reasons for the deserted colony.

This capitalist effort was a corporate subsidized suicide mission and the facts supporting such a thesis are, regrettably for those who history will now vilify, all to clear.

The book reads surprisingly like a work of fiction; the story of the people, their interactions, motivations and personalities, all laid out like a strange tale resulting in a Steven King like disaster (King did reference the "Lost Colony" in his screenplay "The Storm of the Century"). The fact that this colony resulted in failure is no shock looking back. But Karen Ordahl Kupperman gives great detail to the climate of the times which resulted in such a seemingly obvious disaster waiting to happen. Obviously, the colonists and the leaders did not forsee disaster, but the book reads like a thriller in which we know the outcome but not how the final chapter is reached.

What is most interesting about this book is the depth of study devoted to the Carolina Algonquians, the Indians that were most commonly in contact with the failed colony. As stated by the author, there is probably no greater study of 16th century Indian life than that which was provided by the colonists of Roanoke Island. We are given in a concise and easy read, what was drawn from a large pool of non-fiction and personal interviews, a view of Indian life both before and after English contact.

The fact that the Roanoke Colony remains a question today is astounding considering that historians and archaeologists are able to piece together so much with modern scientific tools. This only further adds to the incredible mystery of the colony.

There are now, in the area of the colony (no one knows precisely where the colonists settled) studies involving DNA that may point to a possible solution to the riddle of the "Lost Colony". Until we have that solution, this book is an excellent source of all information available and it is presented by one of America's best authorities on early Indian interaction with European settlers.

A must read for anyone that is interested in the history of America. This is the first attempt by the English to settle the "New World" and this was a major stepping stone which led to the settlement of Jamestown, North America's first permanent colony.

There are some flaws in the text that are justified by the fact that this work was published in 1984; somwehat confusing is the fact that this work is a second edition and, therefore, update should have included omission of outdated information, but the majority of this is not on the topic of the colony, rather on the origins of the Indian population of North America and thus easily overlooked.

A highly recommended resource.

Well written, researched and documented. A fascinating mystery told in a great way.

I'm not certain why, but books on the "lost" colony of Roanoke seemed to catch my eye, so I added several to my wish list. I selected Karen O. Kupperman's volume as the first to read and found it interesting and insightful.

Roanoke, the Abandoned Colony is a little old and reflects it's 1984 vintage. Settlement of the North and South American continents is described as having occurred by way of a "land bridge" during the glacial epic 10,000 to 40,000 years ago. Native people are depicted as having followed their game animals across the Bering Strait into the Americas. Today this is considered somewhat less likely than it was prior to the 1990s, and alternative possibilities are usually given in more recent works on the topic.

Once beyond the background history of the native population, however, the author is on firmer ground. The ample documentation of early English settlement provides her with evidence for a thorough discussion of the period. Much of her background information, however, is taken from secondary rather than primary sources. The notes to the edition contain references to works written in the 1960s, 70s, and 80's about Roanoke, Raleigh, the Southeastern Indians, and so on, rather than documents by early explorers, although she consults those doing original research with primary sources or with archaeological field data.

I had rather expected a more sensational approach to the topic; most of us who know anything at all about Roanoke simply know of the mysterious disappearance of its colonists and the name Virginia Dare. Neglected beyond that introduction by most high school American history courses-in fact many college courses-the average reader is left with a lacuna in his/her understanding of the colonial era.

Ms Kupperman ably fills that breach. Her discussion of Indian culture and politics during the age is very insightful. When I studied American colonial history years ago, the Indian people were hardly considered at all, and then mostly as "background noise," sort of part of the flora and fauna of the continent. That they had political acumen, let alone a political agenda, was not even considered, a lapse that made the history of the period lopsided and confusing. The academic perspective at the time-prior to the establishment of American Indian Studies programs in colleges and universities-was no doubt an outgrowth of the European point of view. Historians and like minded individuals in US society saw the expression of expansionism and the displacement and even extermination of native peoples as part of its "manifest destiny." So integral is this perspective to society's concept of itself even now, that it requires works like Roanoke to remove the cultural blinders. Through it all, though, the author neither blames nor excuses. Like a good journalist, she describes and explains what occurred, giving cultural background information on all parties that helps clarify interactions. Her discussion of 16th century English policy with respect to Ireland is especially relevant.

One of the most interesting facets of the book, but definitely one that took me a while to appreciate, was the degree to which it involved the history of Elizabethan England and the life of Sir Walter Raliegh and other English explorers. In fact this period of North American history from the perspective of its European heritage is pretty much about England and its relations with others: its international fortune, its social structure and social outlook, and so on.

While the story of Roanoke is part of US history, understanding its experience and demise only makes sense when placed in the context of what was going on world wide at the time. In fact, it's possible that the history of no specific place on the globe ever makes complete sense without referring to world context.

Overall the book gives a very detailed and informative account of early English experience in North America. With the above caveats, it would make an excellent source book for high school history and a good addition to a school library.

I found Dr. Gordon's account of the South Carolina campaign to be well written and a pleasure to read (unlike some military histories). I've had an occasion to study military operational art under Dr. Gordon at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College this past year. He has an keen intellect and a command of military subjects that is rare these days. Not only a scholar, Colonel Gordon is a combat veteran who brings several decades of experience as a Marine Corps officer to the table.

Of course none of this would be particularly relevant if this book were the poorly written "breezy account" that a previous reviewer suggested it was. As a military officer I've read more than my fair share of military histories over the past few decades, and I can tell you this is one of the better books I've read.

I found Dr. Gordon's assertions that "South Carolina was more a civil war than the one formally called that eighty years later" and "it was fought also to settle old scores or to best rivals" to be of particular interest given our current involvement abroad (every generation likes to think it is facing unprecedented challenges.)

Dr. Gordon's account of the Cherokee involvement on the British side and the long term damage it did to the loyalist cause was especially informative. It showed the dangers of making common cause with the wrong allies and the importance of perception when waging a counter-insurgency.

My advice - if you are looking for an interesting book on the part played by South Carolina during the revolution...don't skip it.

This is a breezy, poorly-written account that over-emphasizes SC's importance during the late stages of the war, at the expense of Naval affairs and the Yorktown campaign. VERY little original research done for this book (if any) and author resorts to all sorts of fables and myths that have been debunked years ago.
Advice: skip it.

Despite having its' origin in Massachusetts, its first major victory in New York (along with numerous defeats), the many traipses across New Jersey, and its conclusion in Virginia, more Revolutionary combat actions occurred in South Carolina than in any other state. Often, when Americans think of the Revolution, visions of minute men at Lexington and Concord, Washington crossing the Delaware, or even the first victory at Saratoga come to mind. With his book, SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, John W. Gordon seeks to change all that and bring to the forefront, the importance of the campaigns and skirmishes that kept South Carolina in turmoil for nearly eight years.

Even in the southern campaign, knowledge is often limited to the major events such as Cowpens and the siege of Charleston. Gordon lends meticulous insight and detail to countless lesser known events of the south. Closely examined here are details concerning the three fronts of attack in South Carolina; British Naval forces in the east, Cherokee Indians in the west, and Tory loyalists throughout the state.

If you are a southern campaign enthusiast, I believe this book gives the best overall insight to the South Carolina battles of all the endless array of books previously written on the subject. Gordon writes with a fluidity often missing from battlefield narratives. The book flows extremely well and even learned students of the southern campaign will gain an abundance of information from this fine work.

This is far more than simply a reference guide to South Carolina battles, though it serves that purpose well also. Gordon goes on to present his arguments in rich detail and substantiate those arguments with well defined critical factual elements. As you would expect from a book of this magnitude, there is also a wonderful bibliography and footnotes for enhanced further study.

Monty Rainey
[...]

Five Star Plus Rating: This is a classic book about one of the most pivotal components of America's Revolutionary War victory. The author's style and knowledge of his subject and Carolina geography makes this one of those books you will find hard to put down before reading it from cover to cover
A "hard cover" book, beautifully stitched and bound with gold embossed spine.
The 16 illustrations, and 17 maps aid in making this a book you will want to have with you if and when you have an opportunity to visit and travel to Charleston or to the many other South Carolina Revolutionary battle sites. The 13 page Introduction delivers an insight into the mighty British Navy as well as the background and organization of our early militia. The author also provides excellent coverage and content of the naval and maritime operations which played such a key role in the British capture of Charleston by the British in 1780
This history moves in a fast-paced, flowing, linear time-line, pulling the reader forward in anticipation of the next page, or next battle-and there are many.
Mr. Gordon provides a wealth of interesting facts related to the many individual battles he so meticulously describes. One little known fact to look for is-- which field commander lost every battle he fought -- but won the war in South Carolina setting the stage for the British defeat and surrender at Yorktown. This is a Five Star Book. !

This book is an excellent source for anyone who likes to study the Revolution in general and the war in South Carolina in Specifics.

He covers all major and many smaller battles that occurred from 1775-1783. He also mentions loyalists and shows that they were more than a small force in the state. Which is gratifying for us who study Loyalists as the main focus.

If you like good military history, but do not mind several minor errors, this is a fine book for you. This book does not get much into the politics and stays on course with the soldiers who fought for and against Independence.

While the book was satisfactory ,I was severly disapointed in the FREE stuff that was supposed to come with it as per the add. NO where did the add say you would have to download them, We do not have high speed internet available where I live. And if I had known the free offers had to be downloaded I would not have ordered. I have tried several times to get them downloaded and have only succeeded on 2 of the files.

Loved the book. Provided an all encompassing view of many independent actions. A really smooth read over summer vacation.

Times of the Civil War is one of the most complete reference books on the American Civil War that I've ever seen. This book discusses in detail 384 of the Major Battles of the war. For ease of understanding, these battles are organized according to the five major theatres of fighting: Main Eastern; Main Western; Lower Seaboard and Gulf Approach; Trans-Mississippi; and Pacific Coast. Battles are written about in chronological order in each of these sections so that the reader can see the overall progression of the war in the various battle theatres.

The organization of this book really helps in understanding the complex nature of various regional battles into a more national context of the overall war. However, the aspect of this book that impresses me most is the actual individual battle sections. Each battle includes summaries that outline when and where each battle occurred as well as a list of principal commanders, forces engaged, estimated casualties, and a general description of the actual battle. Most of the sections also include replica illustrations, letters, and newspaper clippings associated with that particular battle. Reading about the war (and the debates going on off the battlefield) from those actually living the situation not only made the war come alive but also gave me extra insight into the actual issues of the war.

When I read Times of the Civil War I was struck by the sense of patriotism that the New York Times and the Charleston Mercury had for the Union cause and for the Confederacy, respectively. I realized that we don't see this in the press today. Perhaps that was what the author intended with Times of the Civil War, to take us back to another era when newspapers were as much a part of the national cause as was the army.

Don Bracken, the author, takes the reader into the battles of the past with the historical perspective of today, sandwiched in between the often opposing accounts of the Times and the Mercury. You get to see what the people of that era were led to believe, and what the reality actually was. It's a good book for the individual who wants a feel for the times and an overall understanding of the Civil War.

TIMES OF THE CIVIL WAR contains everything you could ever possibly want to know about the Civil War. When I first saw this book, it appeared to be more of a textbook or reference book rather than non-fiction reading material. Quite large with 644 pages (including index and bibliography), it details every campaign and skirmish during this troubling time and lets the reader actually see the war from both sides of the battlefield. It's concise, organized, and in many instances is written from a journalistic standpoint.

Don Bracken lists each battle in a summarizing inventory. Name of battle, other names, location, campaign, principal commanders, forces engaged, estimated casualties, and a description give in-depth detail to each. Some contain "results" of how the battle affected the war. The descriptions are mostly facts but a few have interesting tidbits tossed in that I found quite interesting.

What I found most fascinating were the journal/diary entries giving insight as to what the soldiers and commanders were thinking, the conditions that they endured, and a first hand account of what was happening. These also list the officers killed during the battles, and those wounded (specifying the wounds, e.g. "wounded in the abdomen", "wounded in the hand", etc.). These journal entries gave a human side of the battles. "It is impossible to form an accurate idea of the loss on either side, as the firing is still going on, rendering it extremely difficult to remove the killed and wounded." The descriptions of this bring images to mind that are more vivid than a faceless soldier enduring things unimaginable at times.

Also included are excerpts from newspapers with stories of the battles. You can see the various accounts and how slanted the reporting could be. The Enquirer and The Whig actually thought of General Lee as "noble and invincible". There are also various accounts from correspondents covering the war for a variety of newspapers. These cover everything from embalming the dead to intricate details of the various battles.

Having learned about the civil war in high school and again in college, reading TIMES OF THE CIVIL WAR, made me realize that I knew very little about that war. I never realized what factors played a role in the battles - things like weather, timely arrival of messages from Washington and other commanders in the field, the dispatching of surgeons and medical supplies, all added to the outcome.

There hasn't been another book written with as many facts and details about the Civil War as this book, so if you're interested in the Civil War, then this is the book for you. It's a must have for civil war enthusiasts, students in a civil war history class, and those who enjoy learning about the history of the United States.

A good book, but seemed to be a bit biased towards Jacob's home state of GA. They had the most comprehensive reviews and got more waters than others. To his credit, it is still a good read with some decent information on access points. I'd recommend a book more concentrated to the area you are going, but for all regions of Southern Appalachia, this is not bad considering there is not many books that cover this many miles of trout waters.

If Jimmy Jacobs has written a book on a subject of interest to you, buy it. His guide books on southern trout fishing are thorough, concise and leave the reader prepared to catch fish regardless of the destination. He gives you all the information you need to be in position to succeed...the rest is up to you.

The author's knowledge of the territory, exact locations and land marks is very helpful. He does not go in to much, if any, detail about insect life in the streams. Overall a very good book in rating streams, fishing quality, and helping you get there.

This book provides the most comprehensive guide to the fishing streams in North and South Carolina. It is a great resource and each description has a map number so each is very easy to locate.

Just spent three days fishing in the GSMNP in eastern Tennessee, and found Mr. Jacobs book to be right on target. A lot of the information can be found from local flyshops, but his book really helped plan our trip in advance. Coupling this book with local advice is a formula for success.

Mary Lee Settle has the gift of making a character come to life with just a snippet of dialogue or description. The title character, Addie, is Ms. Settle's grandmother. She is a beautiful, very religious girl of simple country stock. Terribly abused by her first husband, she is hiding from him in a tree, when Jesus comes to her and tells her that she doesn't have a lick of sense and hasn't she ever heard of divorce! She finally does leave her husband for the wealthiest bachelor in town, a member of the landed gentry. As a divorced woman she is the scandal of the town and is never accepted by her new husband's family. Addie preseveres but like most of us never has an entirely easy life. Her story is just the starting point for this very engaging memoir about a Southern family.

As one who has written several family histories, I am intrigued with the idea of writing autobiography and putting it into the family history by beginning a generation or so before birth of the subject. This makes for a firm foundational picture of what the subject is born into and must learn to live with. Mary Lee Settle did a masterful job of showing the conditioning that goes into survival in a West Virginia family based on the marriage of lower caste Addie, her grandmother, to upper caste Preston, her grandfather. It is a clear, telling picture of growing up in the grey area of the depression years.

Addie is the story that the author unearthed as she researched the life of her grandmother. Untangling fact from legend and downright lies, Ms. Settle tells the story of a woman trapped in an abusive marrage at the age of 15, who Jesus told to get divourse as she hid in a tree. Addie lived in Kanawha County W.Va.the story of her life, loves and defeats blended with the social history of the times and the coal fields of the region. The author writes with a wonderful use of the language that is tinged with a taste of the South. This is the sort of book we all would love to write about one of our grandmothers.

What a gift Ms. Settle has! I could smell the wash on the line and dream in the back porch hammock. How wonderfully she evokes childhood with our oh so literal evaluations of the mysterious adults. To paraphrase e.e. cummings,--down we forget as up we grow--.but not so with Ms. Settle. The author draws sharply defined characters except for her own mother, interestinly enough. I sense a lot of unresolved feelings where her own mother is concerned; she's angry but tries to be fair. Addie, the grandmother, is in bright relief in contrast to the sharp and shadowy mother. Addie's self-righteous neighbor snorted over the misbehavior of a certain attractive young women. Addie's response: "I guess if you're not pretty, you're not tempted." says volumes.

This was a very special personal find for me. I can't wait to read other books written by Ms. Settle. An excellent writer, researcher, storyteller. I know Cedar Grove well, the town where Miss Addie lived. The history, for anyone in the Kanawha Valley, alone is worth checking out this book. But I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading a story that flows so well that you can't wait to read the next page. The account of history, the personal relationships, the writer's command of the written word...not one line was wasted... and it makes one think about their own grandparents and those before them. I loved the book. I will definitely read Ms. Settle's eariler books.

Armies have to learn to fight as more than an armed mob. Officers have to learn how to fight their command too. Missing these classes makes all the drill worhless and a defeate possible. US Grant understood this and Belmont is his first training class for himself and his army. This small battle is either overlooked, ignored or used as an example of Grant being beaten on the field. All of those ideas are the wrong approach to understanding this battle. Was it important to the war? Not really. Was it important for giving semi-trained troops a taste of combat and instilling in them the habit of victory? Yesand this was Grant's objective. When he had accomplished his objective, he pulled back. Did everything go well? No, some officers didn't control their men, some men went off on tangents, orders were missed and a series of small problems made for a harder day than planned.

All of the above makes for a good story and Nathaniel Hughes Jr. tells it well. After laying a good foundation, he takes us through each phase of the battle telling us what is going well and what isn't. Move and counter move occupy the book as Polk & Pillow, move to first stop and then try to destroy the Union invader.

A series of good well placed maps allow us to follow the action. A series of illustrations place faces to the names. Coupled with good clear writting make this an enjoyable and informative reading experience. This is a very good book about one of the small battle of the Civil War.

This is an excellent synopsis of the Battle of Belmont. Belmont was a relatively small battle on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. Though small, Belmont was important, partly because it was the first battle fought by General Grant. The writing style of the book is clear and easy to follow. There are 10 high quality maps, 7 that cover the battle itself. It is easy to correlate the maps and the text to keep track of units and their movements.

Hughes writes in an interesting style. Instead of describing the battle from start to finish in a linear fashion, he switches back and forth between the Union and Confederate perspective. That is, he covers one part of the battle from the Federal point of view, then switches to the Confederate point of view and describes the events again. This approach could easily have come across poorly or been confusing. Instead, it leads to a very balanced and in depth account of the battle. I highly recommend this book to Civil War enthusiasts.

For many Americans the Civil War consisted of battles at Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Manassas, Antietam, Shiloh and a few other major battles. What is often overlooked are the smaller engagements than provide the glue that strings together the major battles. It is also in early small battles that generals like Grant, Lee and Jackson learn valuable lessons that pay dividends in subsequent battles.
The Battle of Belmont is one such battle. As the other reviewers have noted this battle is best known as Grant's first battle of the war. It would prove a training ground for Grant and his men. Grant learned much from this battle.
In some ways, Belmont is a smaller version of Shiloh with the sides reversed. Like at Shiloh, an army was surprised and their camps captured while the men fled to cover along the river bank. Like at Shiloh the attackers failed to drive the defenders into the river and win a clear cut victory. Like at Shiloh the defenders then went on the offensive and drove the attackers back.
Given the similarities between these two battles, what did Grant learn at Belmont that would help him at Shiloh? 1) Grant learned that being caught by surprise and being pushed back to a river did not necessarily mean defeat. 2) Grant learned the importance of rallying your troops and counter attacking. 3) Grant learned the importance of following up on an initial success and aggressively pursuing your opponent. These lessons would serve Grant well at Shiloh and future battles as he continued to learn from his mistakes. However, Grant did not learn all the lessons that could have been learned at Belmont - eg. his surprise at Shiloh.
Mr. Hughes has written a fine book that makes sense out of the chaos of combat. The text is easy to read and there are helpful maps.

This book is one of those that combines clear fact, with interesting narrative and extremely useful maps. The book quickly sets the stage and highlights some of the more unknown aspects of the early years of the war for control of the north central Mississippi River. The reader quickly learns the importance of Cairo, Illinois to the course of the war as well as the CSA defenses in Columbus, Kentucky (which is one of the few remaining areas of the original battle that one can visit).

And of course, this is U.S. Grant's debut. He conducts a pretty tight little campaign until victory in the CSA camp causes his troops to run amok (Jubal Early would experience a similar problem at Cedar Creek). The quick reinforcement of fresh Confederates from the Kentucky side puts Grant to rout back to his small flotilla and back to Cairo.

The Battle of Belmont is a fascinating study of combined arms, logistics and some pretty good tactical movements. Certainly, there aren't too many battles in the Civil War where both sides win and lose and where both land troops from the river.

Ultimately this is an engaging and interesting read about a little known battle that taught some valuable lessons to U.S. Grant.

For the more serious Civil War buffs, it is also one of the first excursions of the union gun boats, Lexington and Tyler, both of which will see more well remembered service at Shiloh.

This book offers the reader a well researched and presented account of the Battle of Belmont, the first battle in the Western Theatre and one of the first battles fought by Ulysses S. Grant. The book covers Grants attack on the Southern forces under the command of Leonidas Polk and Gideon Pillow at Belmont on the Mississippi River in Missouri on the 7th of November 1861. The maps in the book are easy to understand and guide the reader through the fighting, the narrative runs smoothly and offers a good overview of this battle. There is extensive notes and bibliography to assist the reader with further studies. Overall a decent book covering this battle of the American Civil War. An enjoyable read.

I've read the original South Carolina Volumes of the WPA Slave Narratives that this book was edited from. This book could have been a whole lot better. While the current editor did a good job of making the SC African-American dialect more accessible to lay readers (even she admits to having trouble with printed versions of this dialect), many of the better stories were either highly edited or left out, such as Elijah Green's Reconstruction Narrative that was heavily edited and Isreal Nesbitt's recollections of the Vesey Rebellion, which aren't included.

However, to the layman and non-historian, this is a good start in understanding slavery from the sources. Some interesting stories do remain, such as the Union County narrative about the Ku Klux Klan. So it's good for starters. The Tennessee and Georgia anthologies in this series are better, though.

This book was given to me by my social studies teacher as an extra credit reading assignment, so I read it just for the credit thinking that I would hate it. Little did I know how many metaphors and parallels to my life I would find. When I finished the book, I could not believe what some slaves had gone through. There were many theories that came out of this book, including that for many slaves, freedom was a two-edged sword. Yet to figure out what I mean by that, you will have to read the book yourself! I would strongly recommend this book to any 8th grade social studies teachers teaching the Civil War who want to make an impact on their students and wake them up to realize that history repeats itself and that the "killing of an old person is like the burning of a book in a library" - Mrs. Mahoney (my awesome 8th grade social studies teacher)!

A fantastic book that reveals the details of slave life through personal interviews of former slaves. Throw away the history books, forget what you learned in social studies, this is real. The book is printed using the dialects of the interviewees, so you almost feel as if you can hear the person speaking. A great read. Difficult to put it down once you pick it up.

Belinda Hurmence is a excilent editor. It was a great idea to have this book published. It describes a lot of interesting situations. If you like books on slavery buy this one You will learn alot on the subject.

This book was a very realistic view into the lives of slaves. I have gotten a better feel for the lives slaves through this book more than any other. It is well put together.

This novel should be read by more people. It was a great work of historical fiction that made my heart smile for the Africans working/fighting for freedom during the Civil War. Based on true events, this novel should make all Americans proud.

I found this story captivating. It is rare that any story intriques me like this, but I literally coundn't put it down. An excellent title for student reports

I found this story captivating. It is rare that any story intriques me like this, but I literally coundn't put it down. An excellent title for student reports

Fragments of the Ark is a novel that reminded me of the subject matter I had seen in the movies "Glory" and "The Autobiography from Miss Jane Pittman". Only this time, the author educates and enlightens the reader through the eyes of the lead character, Peter Mango. We journey from the Civil War Army and Navy skirmishes along coastal South Carolina to the political battles waged in the White House. The uniqueness of the tale is it is told from the African-American point of view and the author does a good job sticking to the facts and of divulging how former slaves and freedmen fought for their rights and freedom during a very tumultuous time.

The story opens with Mango, a riverboat pilot forced into service by the Confederate Navy, orchestrating a nighttime flight to freedom by impersonating the Captain of the Confederate gunboat and taking the slave crew and their families to freedom by surrendering the ship to the Union Navy. He becomes a war hero and serves with the Union eventually being promoted to Captain of the stolen ship. His adventures are shared and history is told with a colorful cast of characters-all of whom are virtually in the same situation but each individual deals uniquely with their emotions when human issues such as separation from family; reclamation of lost family; freedom from slavery; fear of recapture and return to slavery, the legacy of master/slave relationships, etc. surface throughout the novel. We also see Peter and the cast dealing with the confusion and unfairness of the Confederate and Union government's fluctuating policies and ordinances of the era. She really conveys the realism and anguish that the African Americans of the time must have felt as a result of the attitude and treatment toward black soldiers, Lincoln's positions regarding the slaves, and the politics of the antebellum South that severely disenfranchised former slaves.

Meriweather does not sugar-coat the atrocities of war and the inhumanity of slavery, instead she recounts documented history in such a way that the reader feels the fear that stems from the uncertainty, hatred, and anxiety of the slave character's environment. Laced with historical accounts, the novel substantiates the important role the black soldiers played in the Civil War and in American History. The reader also lifts from the pages the resolve and determination of an oppressed people--people who were tired of being abused, people who embraced freedom, people who were determined to prove their worth, people who sought justice and equality, and people who were willing to die to obtain it.

I couldn't put the book down and I ended up finishing the book within a week from receiving it from this website. I really got a taste of how it was back during the American Revolution between the North and South. Also, how the slaves were treated and how they escaped from the South to become cadets and fight for peace. I give Louise Meriwether much luck in her future books, if any, and I'll look out for them so I can read them as well.

Very good. Down to 4 stars because the info becomes dated very quickly. Look for newest edition.

I used one of Frommer's guides to Savannah and had a fabulous trip there. The same maps and reviews of hotels, restaurants, and sights to see are included in this guide. It also includes a bit of history and some travel tips. Great guides to make first time visits fun. I may buy one of local cities to see what might be interesting to see. Highly advised.

This small book fits easily into your purse so you can carry it around with you. Better information can be obtained for free from SC tourism web sites.

I found everything I was looking for and more in this small, easy-to carry guide. Not only did I find exact prices for hotels and restaurants, I also learned about low country cooking, the architecture in Charleston, and a brief history. All of this was in this little guide that I could fit in my purse!

I just returned from Charleston and used this book. It was a joy to use. Best little travel guide I've seen. It covers the major information for planning a trip and then it becomes a highly portable reference book while there. Highly recommend this book and "The Best Little Map Of Charleston". You need little else