Tennessee Books

Considering I just found out about this book not long ago and yet my great, great, great, great grandfather was Christopher Haun, I certainly found this reading to be quite interesting, facinating and very sad. But a great addition to our family heritage.

Presents historical facts in a storytelling fashion. Excellent writing.

This book is for those interested specifically in the early part of the Civil War, when Union forces were just beginning their push into Confederate territory.

It follows the movemtents of the Army of the Tennesse and Army of the Ohio, providing specific details of what went on in various divisions.

The battles are logically, in chronological order, and the index (more than a dozen pages!) provides easy access to details.

As told by one who served under him.

Manning Force was an officer in the Union Army that moved south into Tennessee at the beginning of the Civil War. This army was involved in the fighting at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, the carnage at Shiloh, and finally entered Northern Mississippi at Corinth - which began the initial phase of the march on Vicksburg.

Force later went on to serve under Sherman at Atlanta, and during Hood's desperate counterattacks was gravely wounded. However he survived and later became a prominent judge and politician in his native Ohio.

Along with a number of other former Union Civil War officers, Force helped write the multi-volume "Campaigns of the Civil War" series in the early and mid-1880s. The series became extremely popular with that generation which was beginning to forget about the Civil War.

Even after over 20 years, General Force was able to provide his reads with a sense of the scope of Grant's plans in the spring of 1862. He also sheds light on the operations and generalship of John Pope, who was then a rising star in the Union Army by his successes at New Madrid, Island Number 10, and Corinth - only to fail fast when he went east to confront Bobby Lee later that year. Here Force shows that Pope was NOT the braggart or ne'er do well later Civil War histories made him out to be, as his campaigns along the Mississippi were just as successful as Grant's were, though he faced considerably less resistance.

Force honorably sheds light too, on Grant's opposite - the well-respected and reluctant Confederate Major General Albert Sidney Johnston, quoting much from the late General's son's biography. Forced south after the fall of Fort Donelson, Johnston turned around and surprised Grant at Shiloh Church (Pittsburg Landing) only to be mortally wounded in a description by Force that is pretty terse rather than the dramatic tales of how he could have lived had a tourniquet been applied. With Johnston's death, and the arrival of Union reinforcements, the Confederate surge collapsed - and the Union armies was able to clear western Tennessee and North Mississippi of their foe. With his military experience, General Force was able to illuminate much of the action and tactics involved during this major battle as well as the other campaigns mentioned in this work.

This reprint has the original tiny lettering and ink maps of the period, so it may be a bit difficult to read, as all of the books in this series are. Still, it is a major account of the Shiloh Campaign, and a wonderful addition by a former serving officer in the Civil War enthusiast's bookshelf.

Celebrating The Humanities: A Half-century Of The Search Course At Rhodes College is an intriguing look at the life-cycle of that college's renowned Humanities course, which has been in existence longer than at any other comparable liberal-arts institution. The book looks at the genesis for developing the course at Rhodes (then Southwestern) during the crucible of World War II and its evolution over the years. A number of individuals involved with "The Man Course" (as it was dubbed) contribute individual chapters that touch on their era of involvement touching on the curricula and the changes that came about. The course itself sounds utterly fascinating, incorporating some of the greatest literature of the modern world from the time of antiquity to the present, yet covering it in a colloquium style course setting. I would love to take this course, but to be honest the amount of reading that is covered in the short span of time is most daunting indeed!

Michael Nelson, the editor, does a good job of keeping the text coherent and cogent, which is frequently a problem with incorporating many different authors with varying styles of writing. The book is most gripping when covering the origins of the course and its early years but loses steam towards the middle. I had expected more dramatic tension when the book got into the era that encompassed the Civil Rights and Counter-Culture Revolution of the 1960s, but it was strangely unexciting, which is surprising considering the upheaval in Memphis during that era. It was again exciting towards the end when it gave a rather lively encapsulation of what it is like to take the course today that left me wondering why more universities aren't attempting the same thing. Celebrating the Humanities is a compelling argument for the bolstering of the Humanities at campuses everywhere and should be a rallying cry for this effort, yet my hunch is few outside of academia will ever read this, which is profoundly sad.

Mr. Nelson is god. One should read everything that he writes. In two thousand years people will be awaiting the second coming of Mike Nelson. Rhodes is a wonderful college, and I wish that I had been wise enough ( in my college days) to shun Yale for such a personalized undergraduate education

This is a most worthy men-at-arms series; like the book's description says, it shows the much more colorful side to the uniforms of the Confederate Army. One man depicted in the color plates for Volume One that I found particularly interesting was a soldier in the Union Light Infantry, a SC unit based on the British Black Watch (42nd Royal Highlanders).
The plates are pretty much the highlight of this series, and show realistic looking soldiers surrounded by beautiful women and scenery, and baring all their various weapons. The text, nonetheless, reveals numerous interesting details. This is an excellent source on the uniforms and appearances of the soldiers of the Confederacy.

Osprey Publishing has issued Volume 5 of their popular book, The Confederate Army 1861-65. A part of their sprawling Men-at-Arms series (this is book #441 in that series), this one covers the uniforms and arms of troops from Tennessee and North Carolina. Written by Ron Field and lavishly illustrated with Richard Hook's watercolors, this book is a worthy addition to the Osprey family. Retailing for $15.95 here in the USA ($21 in Canada), the book has 48 pages, nearly all of them with period photographs or full color drawings.

The new book focuses on each state's antebellum militia and the hastily organized volunteer regiments that were pressed into Confederate service in the initial stages of the war. Using contemporary newspaper accounts, letters, state and local records, and early photographs, Ron Field presents an extensive array of early war military units, their uniforms and accoutrements, drawing heavily upon primary descriptions. He also takes a cursory, but interesting look at how the transition occurred from locally supplied clothing and equipment (which often varied widely from company to company) to state-issued regulation Confederate uniforms, particularly in North Carolina, where, by the end of the war, the term "ragged Rebel" would be made obsolete from the vast stores of supplies held by the state.



Field starts with Tennessee, looking at the outfitting of the militia and early volunteers in 1861, and examines the role various ladies aid societies played in clothing the soldiers of the Volunteer State. He then discusses the role of the state's Military and Financial Board in taking over the administration and logistics of supplying the troops. Field then shifts his focus to North Carolina, again discussing and characterizing the antebellum militia and contrasting them to how the state later took charge and made its forces appear more uniform in appearance. He also briefly compares winter clothing to summer issue for troops from both states.



The book includes a select bibliography for readers wanting to dive a little deeper into the outfitting of Confederate troops from Tennessee and North Carolina. The index is comprehensive, as is the discussion that accompanies the Richard Hook's illustrations. All in all, The Confederate Army 1861-85 (5) Tennessee and North Carolina (ISBN: 9781846031878) maintains the tradition of excellence we have come to expect from Osprey, and is well worth the modest investment.

What is most striking about this book is its lack of sentimentality and incisive, sharp language. There has, indeed, been much written about Tennessee Williams, perhaps too much; the endless nonsense of his being a self-hating homosexual, the lurid tales of his promiscuity, the alleged Oedipal complexes, the temper tantrums and paranoia, and other such twaddle have all obfuscated many essential things about the genius who was Tennessee Williams. This excellent book stands out because it reminds us of Mr. Williams' power -as a person and a playwright- and at the same time it is not sycophantic nor is it cleverly bitchy. Smith, the author, meets Williams rather by accident and the unlikely friendship blossoms. I found the writing to be rather enthralling, evocative, and extremely well-crafted, which allows it to stand apart from many of the other (lesser) books on Williams. It is a memoir and does not purport to be anything but that, which allows the reader a keen insight into the life and work and humanity of the great Tennessee Williams. Because it is told from Smith's eyes the recounting of these stories is deeply personal and often effervescent with images and ideas; a far cry from the mawkish, self-consumed memoirs that pass as literature these days. I also liked the fact that Smith names some names and makes clear the case that the critics, PR people, and the various 'powers that be' in the theater and film worlds (i.e. agents, lawyers, producers) all played their part in Williams' miserable and protracted demise as much as the alcohol and pills did. And while Smith does not exculpate Williams from his vices he carefully explains why, he in fact, had them, and elucidates the nefarious forces constantly in conflict with the artist and his creative process.

Make no mistake this is Mr. Smith's story of his friendship with Tennessee, and thank goodness for its uniqueness, honesty, and edge. I think to truly appreciate this book one has to be familiar with serious writing (Eliot, Shaw) and not the Pop pap that sadly passes for publishable literature today. COSTLY PERFORMANCES and its author are both class acts and any writer or artist or person with a soul or fan of Tennessee Williams will love this book.


PS
The comment about grammatical errors is totally wrong and unfounded. And the Braun woman; who is she? "The author needed distance"? If she works in a library, how does she not know what a memoir is, and what the first person POV narrative offers the reader? These types of hit jobs are precisely the type of aforementioned `nefarious forces' to which I referred.

I am a young actor living in London where the plays of Tennesssee Williams are experiencing a great deal of interest within the entire theatre community: schools and universities; theatre companies; theatre media. All fans of his work are turning to background material on Williams and one of the most discussed -- and admired -- is Costly Performances/Tennessee Williams: The Last Stage by Bruce Smith. Mr Smith has, since writing this memoir, become actively involved in London's theatre world, saying he learned "at the master's hand" many enduring and valuable lessons re dramaturgy, play production and, more importantly, playwriting. His play 'Papal Gore' is scheduled for a West End staging. As well, his book about Mr. Williams is now being made into a major motion picture here in England. Real theatre people understand the sensitivity Mr. Smith brought to his portrayal of Mr Williams in his last, very difficult years and value it as a real contribution to 20th Century theatre history. It is highly literate but -- above all -- a very good read. This book, with Lyle Leverich's
The Unknown Tennessee Williams and the gossipy The Kindness of Strangers by Donald Spoto provide an indepth look at the author's life and times.

I would rate this book as a "must-have" for anyone cruising the Tennessee River. We've also used it to help transit the TennTom Waterway from the Tennessee River down to Mobile, and it was quite helpful there as well, although somewhat dated. When the TennTom portion of the book was written the waterway was quite new, and with the passage of 10-15 years some of the recommended anchorages have shoaled and become unusable for boats of anything but very shallow draft. Still, this guide helped us find more than one excellent anchorage that we likely would have missed otherwise.

Narrative cruising guide...but if you're really going to cruise it, use in conjunction with more detailed maps from:

US ARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT, MOBILE CORPS OF ENGINEERS
ATTN: LO-SR
PO BOX 2288
MOBILE, AL 36628

This is truly an all-inclusive "Encyclopedia" about those individuals who were instrumental in making Knoxville the happening place it was and is today as regards bands, writers, street people, clubs, etc.
I was lucky enough to have been interviewed for an article included in this book, as I was active in
the Knoxville rock scene in the '60's and '70's.
Jack Rentfro is the consummate writer/editor, and is to be commended for writing such a riveting,
unique, and complete book.

From a scruffy little town that is rich with good writers and great literature, the msuic scene finally gets its due! This is a wonderful comprehensive history of the music scene in Knoxville, TN. It's suprising how many truly great, well known musicians got their start in K-town. The writers, all of them local, provide plenty of wit and sarcasm, making this an enjoyable read.

A great read, full of Crocketism that I grew up with. Someone should make a proper movie of this book, similar to Last of the Mohicans, with a bit of grunt Disney might have got it right. Maybe Kevin Costner could change his Lincoln Green outfit to Buckskins and give it a go!

A great personal record of historical events in the early 1800's. Colorful language and a first hand look at such timely subjects as politics, politicians, women in the work place, Indians, war, and freedom; before the revisionists have a chance to make history politically correct.

This book is sending a message to investors and particularly small investors that a stock or mutual fund investment has no guarantee of going up. There are highs and lows in the market.

The message is sent in a folksy, homespun, satirical and entertaing manner. The messenger is a mythical hermatic type character who creates a story that mixes travels and rendevous' as the means of delivering the message.

This book is sending a message to investors and particularly small investors that a stock or mutual fund investment has no guarantee of going up. There are highs and lows in the market.

The message is sent in a folksy, homespun, satirical and entertaing manner. The messenger is a mythical hermatic type character who creates a story that mixes travels and rendevous' as the means of delivering the message.

Owens extensive research is always apparent in this work. A wonderful read. Provides great insight to Bierce's life as a solider. Is a great source of new lines of thinking regarding Bierce's work. Highly recommend to anyone interested in the Civil War or Ambrose Bierce.

The Devil's Topographer: Ambrose Bierce And The American War Story tells one who was billed 'the first writer of fiction ever to treat war realistically'. This realism came from Bierce's experiences as a Union soldier in the Civil War, where he moved from soldier to cartographer and saw major battles of the war. Any interested in Bierce's background must have The Devil's Topographer: it outlines an important part of his life and sets over twenty of his war stories chronologically according to the story's action.