Georgia Books

In this fascinating approach to the issue of gender in the Civil War era, Leeann Whites argues that the men of Augusta, Georgia (and presumably the rest of the South) were emasculated by their loss in that conflict. Through the efforts of white women confederate veterans were able to regain their sense of masculinity by the latter part of the 19th century. Whites argues that in antebellum Augusta, as in the rest of the South, that white men were free because they were not slaves. Their role encompassed protecting white women from outside influences and from those who were not free, obviously African Americans. In exchange for this protection, white women were subservient. When the Union emerged triumphant and slaves were freed, the white men of Augusta lost their pre-eminent position because they had failed in their duty to protect their women. Whites shows how in the years after the Civil War the white women of Augusta began a campaign to restore their men's sense of self-respect via activities such as honoring them through the building of memorials dedicated to the sacrifices of Confederate veterans. In doing so, they began to create the image of the Southern warrior fighting for their war of life against insurmountable odds. This was the Lost Cause that equired the valiant and honorable men of Augusta to take up arms. As a result of these efforts, men felt resurrected as they regained their sense of self, leading to their return to power after Reconstruction. Whites argument is fascinating, she uses numerous primary sources to support her views. Although one cannot come away from reading the book without agreeing that women did play a significant role in the return of men to power, she does ignore any efforts than men made on their own behalf. One has the impression that only the women of Augusta helped the men of Augusta return to their role as protectors. Although she makes a convincing argument that women made a significant contribution, it is only one factor discussed. Having said that, however, this work is essential for anyone studying gender relations, especially in the Civil War era. It is well-written and thorough Additionally, Whites makes a solid contribution to the field of collective memory as she shows how the memorial movement in Augusta changed the way in which Southerners remembered the war.

There have been numerous books on how American society was changed by the Civil War. But Wells' is the only one to hone in on how Americans' sense of time was changed, and the effects this had on many areas of society and how modernity developed in America. Basically, the sense of time changed from one that was attuned to nature and religion to one that was related to time as experienced on the battlefield or in relation to battles. "The war years introduced a new complicated time to the American people, as events on the battlefield impinged on, overrode, and rearranged antebellum schedules...A convoluted mixture of God's time, natural times, personal times, and clock times, battle time was a ruling time that created a temporal web within which soldiers fought." Not only soldiers in battle developed a different sense of time, but so did nurses in hospitals, for instance, as they waited for casualities to start coming in and when they did, engaged in intense efforts to treat their wounds in a time determined by events on the battlefield. The workplace freed blacks tried to enter in the post-War decades and the habits, skills, discipline, etc., required in it were formed largely by the new sense of time engendered in the masses of men who served as soldiers in the conflict. All of the soldiers' activities, from camp life to furloughs, was pervaded by recently-fought or coming battles. The pre-War sense of time that was esentially personal gave way to a sense of time that was both remote and more controlling, and in some ways more fateful. A fascinating study which brings to light much about American history, society, and culture since the Civil War by an assistant professor of history at the U. of Wyoming.

Leroy Davis is a briliant scholar and an excellent teacher. His depth of knowledge on John Hope is amazing, and the real man comes through in this great book.

-Adam Rothwell

This 142-page medium-large format book provides a great reference or keepsake about this charming city of Savannah, GA.

Focusing of historic houses in the city and the surrounding area, the lavish contemporary color photos of exteriors, interiors and gardens are juxtaposed with older black and white photos of the same houses and neighborhoods. This book rises beyond the coffee table/souvenir category because the author is a professional architectural historian.

Highly recommended for Savannah residents and visitors and anyone interested in historic Southern architecture.

Book Review

Brook, Stephen. Claws of the Crab: Georgia and Armenia in Crisis. Sinclair-Stevenson, 1992.

This is another treasure of a book about the Caucasus that I unearthed from the bowels of the Wandsworth Public Library system in south London. Only one other person had borrowed it, back in September 1999 when I was working in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. Reading this book, I discovered that Stephen Brook had got there before me when all the exciting stuff was happening at the start of the nineties. Independence from the Soviet Union, the overthrow of the tyrannical president Zviad Gamsakhurdia and the battles for Nagorno Karabakh - Brook was there or thereabouts. Studiedly sympathetic to the Armenians and guardedly admiring of the Georgians, Claws of the Crab is a rare eyewitness account of many of the events that made independent Georgia and Armenia what they are today. Suffice to say that there's been remarkably little change since the book's completion in 1992.

This excellent work of criticism and biography focuses on the works and the worlds of Harlem Renaissance poets Angelina Weld Grimke (1880-1956), Alice Dunbar-Nelson (1875-1935, and Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880-1966). Grimke was a published author of plays, short stories, and poetry. Dunbar-Nelson was an editor, poet, and journalist, and an important hostess to the famous and not-so-famous personalities of her time. Johnson was an educator, an assured formalist poet and a considerable social force with a memorable and important salon. Despite the minimization of Johnson's contributions in, for example the 1932 edition of "Who's Who in Colored America," in which she is listed as "housewife/writer," Dr. Hull is undaunted in her pursuit of the truthful meaning of these writers' full lives and contributions.

These writers led purposeful and productive writing and personal lives despite the fact that "at no point in their lives did anyone ever provide them with leisure to write." (p. 10). In addition, Dr. Hull asserts that black women participants' experience of the Harlem Renaissance had embedded in it the usual social tensions of caste and social class - plus the biggest handicap of all: femaleness. In most aspects, it was (not surprisingly) a man's world.

Dr. Hull has done something wonderful here. Photographs of each poet are included in the wealth of biographical material. The research is deep, as is the interpretation. Texts are excerpted. She has read letters, diaries, and a wealth of unpublished material. There is good historical and social context provided. This is a valuable, assured study. There are pages of notes, and a good index.

Definitely worth reading.

This book features photos of gorgeous Colorado gardens and interesting information about how each gardener planned, prepared, planted, etc. their garden. It has given me many ideas for my own flower garden, and it would make an ideal gift for any Colorado gardener -- or for anyone who is interested in how our gardening is different from other parts of the country.

From the front cover: "[The book] features seventy-two gardens singled out for their beauty and adherence to plants indicative of their area. ...Proctor's striking images depict the serenity and charm inherent in each garden...Geargia Garnsey, a Denver-based writer, provides lively profiles of each garden and the gardener who tends it."

Colors of Africa was Jim Kilgo's last book, he died from his cancer before publication. It is, perhaps, his best book and is truly a good and authoritative book. It is written in his inimitative style and soulds just as through he was talking to you. A great epitaph to a great writer.
R.L. Humphries

This easy read chronicles the reconsiderations of both spouses in the midst of a Dublin marriage. But don't let that fool you. This isn't a divorce book, or an angry book, or even a very sad book. Although it may be wistful, it is, at its core, a wonder book. Paul and Margeret, through their separation, rediscover the wonder in their lives, the wonder of their love, and the wondrous variety of life in Dublin.

Through their friends and acquaintances we see through to the heart of things, where sometimes there is kindness, sometimes there is hardness and greed, and sometimes there is something enduring and profound. These men and women illustrate the richness of the city and its neighborhoods, as they run the gamut from upper to lower classes, from conservative to liberal, from upright to criminal.

If you've been to Dublin, you'll see the character of the city in this text. If you've always wanted to go, you'll see the spirit of the place opening up to you. I just finished Roddy Doyle's _A Star Called Henry_ before I picked this up, and I'd say the two serve well together as Dublin bookends. Where Doyle is rough and dirty and biased toward the north side of the city, Adler is polished and quiet and more at home on the south side of the Liffey.

This collection of essays and articles is essential reading for anyone interested in America's architectural history. Classic articles on ways to examine architecture in relation to cultural geography are featured prominently in this volume. There are also important pieces of work that link architecture to the history of various ethnic groups, and I especially enjoyed articles that deal with contemporary forms of vernacular expression. This is an important book for anyone interested in the study of folklore, history, art history, and architecture. It could also be useful for practicing architects to read the essays for ideas to inspire their own designs.