Georgia Books

I am a vocal instructor in So. California. My students are musical theater people. Georgia's collection was worth the wait. Having seen her in concert, I've been dying to get may hands on the sheet music. Her songs touch the heart, and are a gift to any performer who wants to showcase themselves as a singer/actor. I love her music and would highly recommend discovering the music of Georgia Stitt!

Once you've seen Georgia Stitt in concert and listened to her CD it should be a given that you add the songbook to your collection. Now instead of just listening to "I get to show you the Ocean" I can sit at the piano with the music it and play it to my little girl. It is a must for your music library!

Though 9/11 events were the inspiration for this book, it can be cherished by anyone who has experienced a set-back or loss. I strongly recommend "This Place I Know" as a sympathy gift or as a resource for someone who is hurting.

A former teacher gave this book to me recently as a gift of comfort-- my mom died a few months ago of cancer. At first I was skeptical- how could a book written for young children who witnessed 9/11 help me deal with my situation? But then I opened it and started reading. I was extremely moved. Ms. Heard has done an incredible job of putting together some very high-quality poems and finding the right people to illustrate them (the pictures are also beautiful). The best part for me is that the book includes poems which look at greif from all angles: from words about crying and despair to lines about the fact that there is hope and not everything is lost. I would recommend this book highly to ANYONE dealing with any type of major loss/trauma, or anyone who simply enjoys good poetry and illustration.

Any class involving antebellum African-American History ought to integrate this utterly fundamental work into its selected readings list. A syllabus lacking this work would provide for an incomplete and skewed discussion of American Slavery.

Hudson has addressed several key questions in an effort to expand on our knowledge of the life of the American slave outside of the daily brutalities that sometimes overshadow understanding of microcosmic economic conditions, family life, and personal property. It is not that Hudson dismisses the horrors of slavery, but rather he expands on the story of the "humanity, endeavor and creativity of the enslaved" (p. xiii). To Have and to Hold is a fundamental work for the study of American slavery; a backbone on which all further study of slavery will build and be judged against.

This book is a rare insight into not only the strategic actions but a personal portrait of the men of a heretofore major but undocumented Georgia Confederate fighting unit. Most Civil War histories are written from the Union perspective. Not this one.

The Phillips Georgia Legion (including the cavalry regiment) was formed shortly after secession and fought in nearly every major engagement on the Eastern Front, including the dreadful Wilderness campaign and the inevitable surrender at Appomatox. Although not stated directly, it is sad to note how pitifully depleted and desperate the Phillips infantry was at the end of the war.

Coffman and Graham have done their homework, obviously expending considerable effort in footnoting and in reconstructing chronologically the battles and movements of the Phillips infantry battalion. There are plenty of maps and explanations to go with them.

What makes this a superb history is not just its ease of reading, but the interspersion of the many contemporary diary entries and letters of the soldiers who were there on the front lines. There are plenty of photos and biosketches of many of the soldiers. To make it even better, Coffman and Graham also interviewed some soldiers' descendents. Their narrative flows in a style worthy of Foote and Catton -- only this time the history comes from the South.

The second half of the book is devoted to the unit rosters, including the hundreds of names and the official records of each of the men and some of their post-war lives. It's all nicely documented for anyone who is into genealogy.

One other note: The Phillips Legion consisted of both an infantry and a cavalry battalion. This book is limited to only the history of the infantry. I can only suppose that a separate volume on the history of the cavalry will follow.

This book is written especially from the Confederate viewpoint. You won't find another history book like this one. I predict it will be in print for a long, long time.

Frederick V. Malmstrom, Ph.D.
U.S. Air Force Academy

This book is an excellent effort to detail the life and times of the men of the Georgia Phillip's Legion. It is easy to forget the difficulties which the Confederate soldiers had as individuals. We get caught up in battles and forget the men. This history examines the long contribution of this Legion to the war effort and also lists as much information as is known about the individuals who fought in each company. Kurt Graham continues to update the information on his website so this printed effort is the beginning of an ongoing effort to make as complete a history of this legion as possible. I applaud the authors' efforts.

This guy knows how to write, how to live, how to be a poet.

An outstanding portrayal of the immigrants' dilemmas. But the immigrants in "Two Cities" have nothing to do with the United States. They are exiled from Lvov, an ancient Polish town incorporated to the Soviet Union as a result of World War II, and sent to the post-German city of Gliwice in southern Poland. Everything that comes from Lvov or reminds them of Lvov is sacred while everything else is worthless. A child growing in the dual world of imaginary Lvov and real Gliwice has trouble finding his identity. He returns to the past, examines and questions the drama of the war, and struggles to reconcile his life with the semi-imaginative world that surrounds him. Two Cities as well as other short stories included in this book are true masterpieces but must be read with some minimum background on post-war Poland.

This book is a fascinating, eye-opening account of a group of civil rights activists that have been mainly "invisible" in most accounts of the happenings in and around Atlanta from the mid-50s to the mid-60s. The story is interwoven with factual descriptions, media accounts and recollections of the actual women (and men). As a Spelman alumna (class of 1984), I am proud of these women and ashamed that I did not know more of the astounding part my sisters played in this "drama". This book is a MUST READ. For those who don't know: the fight is not over. You need only read this book for real inspiration and rejuvenation for the ongoing battle. Dr. Lefever, a masterful writer, has done a wonderful job of writing this; it's a real page-turner!

Undaunted by the Fight is a 21st century documentation and reflection on the U. S. Civil Rights Movement and the Spelman College women who played key roles in helping to make it happen. It pays tribute to some of the unsung Spelman (s)heroes of this Movement, while at the same time providing the reader with a generous overview of the significant events that took place across the country during this critical time. Detailed at times, the book gives the reader a sense of "being there" and getting to know, honor, and respect those involved in the Movement; and it does so in such a way as to not invade the personal lives of these individuals, as some books are known to do. It is a beautiful, scholarly presentation of an ugly time in U. S. history, with just the right amount of humor to keep the reader moving forward instead of getting stuck in anger or guilt about the details of what happened when the Movement was most prominent. The U. S. Civil Rights Movement, though at times appearing stagnant, is indeed an "ongoing" event that has influenced local, national, and global politics. This book makes those connections. It is inspiring and motivational, and it leaves the reader with the questions of, "Where--and how--do we go from here?". I praise Dr. Lefever for this book. It is a timely piece for the new millennium for those of us who wish to remain "undaunted by the fight".

Dr. Leeds has completed a work that has long been missing. Her book is scholarly and insightful. I highly recommend it. Let's hope we see more books from Dr. Leeds.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in the history of the Cherokee Nation. Dr. Leed's love and understanding of the Cherokee's is obvious upon reading this book. I found this book interesting and well written.

Bought this for my dad, what a great book. It contains an amazing history
of UGA football and has fun tidbits tucked inside like a scrapbook.
I'd recommend this for any UGA fan that "has everything". This is one item they are sure to love.

What do you keep in a vault? Treasures? Well, this vault contains treasures for the Bulldog fan! I bought three of these and the recipients were very happy with the gift! Loren Smith is a well-known Georgia 'landmark' and has been Larry Munson's sideline sidekick for years. I can still hear Larry Munson saying, "How about it, Loren?" He has compiled a wonderful collection to bring the history of Georgia football alive for all who read it. Thanks, Loren!

As a child, J. J. Haverty witnessed the burning of Atlanta; as an adult, he played a key role in creating its enduring icons. Haverty Furniture Company, Atlanta's High Museum, the Cathedral of Christ the King, and the giant carving the side of Stone Mountain (to name just a few) can all be traced back to his vision and efforts. Villa Clare tells the story of Haverty's life, with emphasis on his love for art, his vision for Atlanta as an art center, and the seeds he planted that brought his vision to life. William Rawson Smith brings this story to life with an objective, but warm-hearted look at how Haverty rose from a child left homeless by war to one of Atlanta's great historical figures. Anyone with an interest in the history of Haverty Furniture Company, the Haverty family or Atlanta's art community should add this book to their "must read" list.

This is not an old boring history book. It's a good, interesting book. You will love it.

Kromer's account of homelessness is so accurate and insightful that the reader is thrown into the despairing life of the narrator with nothing to hold onto. The mysterious and faceless narrator serves as the most useful tool in conveying the hopeless existance of the "hobo." Written using the slang true to his featured characters, Kromer has painted a truly acurate and at times disturbing portrait of life as a railriding begger. Take time to read his biographical information and decide for yourself if this novel is indeed fiction or not. I could say so much more, having studied and re-read the book for years, but space is limited.

Kromer's writing is impressive, in that it fully exposes the atmosphere of a "stiff" struggling to eat, sleep, not get caught and whisked away to jail. The vignettes of Waiting for Nothing are absorbing and keep you feeling cold and waiting for nothing with him. I highly recommend this book as a supplement to the history of the depression. It truly makes it more real.