Georgia Books

The best word I can think of to describe this writing is punchy. Spencer artfully packs so much into quick and lovely sentences. His stories evoked much thought for me about his characters. I wasn't always sure I liked them (the characters), but they were always real. I'd definitely recommend this book.

No one writes with more pathos about modern life than Darrell Spencer. His characters are brave but muddled, and the troubles about which they must be brave are generally too absurd (the sign painter whose employee misspells "entertainment" and provokes a cranky Las Vegas mob boss, or the ex-Mormon jogger whose devout neighbor wants to pray for his hamstring in the temple) to find much comfort--or nobility--in their lives. What's remarkable about Spencer, though, is that he finds nobility in the mundane, mostly by giving voice to the perplexed Mormons (and faithless but still looking-for-faith Mormons), puzzled husbands, fabric store clerks, trailer park host, and deaf people who suffer, joke, and survive in these stories. If you like short stories, you absolutely must read "Late-Night TV" and "It's a Lot Scarier if You Take Jesus Out."

What a wonderful book! It is written in such a way that anyone from a novice history lover to a professional historian will walk away with a better understanding of the Battle and its implications in the rest of the Civil War. A true treasure, photographs and all!

One picture being worth a thousand words may be a trite expression, but it is also often true. Such is the case with Roger Linton's unique photographic guide to the Chickamauga battlefield.

Brilliant full-color illustrations capture scenes that many have visited only through printed words in a history text or in their imaginations. Featured with over 100 photographs are 30 key sites in and around Chickamauga.

Students and history buffs will remember that the Battle of Chickamauga in the fall of 1863 was one of the most devastating battles in an incredibly bloody war. Confederate troops led by Braxton Bragg fell before Union forces under the command of William Rosecrans. Commemorating this confrontation is the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, the largest of our country's Civil War battlefields.

With this book in hand one can drive through the park experiencing again those landmark days. True enthusiasts may even want to think about tactics used by the opposing forces.
A succinct text and captions make plain changes to the landscape since 1863.

This is a valuable addition to the libraries of historians, students, and Civil War buffs.

- Gail Cooke

John Tallmadge is one of the country's finest writers, widely acclaimed for his work on the wilderness. This new book creates a long-overdue synthesis between the natural world and what we ordinarily view as the artificial world of the city. Read it and understand your environment (and your humanity)in a startlingly new light.

Nature educators have a way of getting young people to look more intently at the natural world. They place a circle of string -- or even a hula hoop -- on the ground, and ask students to inventory just that enclosed part of the yard. The lesson is that even such a small patch will reveal more life than one might expect, and that what one finds there is a symbolic microcosm of Earth's entire environment. In "The Cincinnati Arch," John Tallmadge has thrown an invisible hula hoop around a city that he never expected to call home and one where he never expected to find Nature or the wild. He takes to heart Thoreau's admonition that "In Wildness is the preservation of the world," and he's surprised to find wildness in this new urban setting. It's not the wild of Minnesota's Boundary Waters or John Muir's Yosemite, of course, but it is Nature unleashed, albeit in small parcels.

What he discovers can be translated to any other urban or suburban environment. After a brief treatise on civilization's focus on time, money, and work, Tallmadge gets down to the dichotomies of nature study: indoor life and outdoor life; wildness and wilderness "out there" and "right here;" stewardship / husbandry and dominion; wildness and landscape restoration; old growth and succession; night and day; water and pollution; war and peace; and our relationship with nature and with other human beings. His observations include such succinct statements as "My backyard is still wilder than most of Europe," (p. 62), and "[W]e are the preeminent alien species." (p. 109) In typical Thoreauvian fashion, Tallmadge sometimes dissects words in order to study their original meanings, before we attached diluted definitions to them. In some discussions, he deftly includes both biblical legends and scientific explanations (like evolution), thus seamlessly covering both camps without favoring or insulting either one. He even approaches the idea of an afterlife, concluding that "One day we may wake up to discover that we have been living in heaven all along." (p. 215) In Cincinnati? Who knew?

In the middle of the book, Tallmadge interrupts his city study to take a side trip with a class of adult students to the Escalante region of Utah. The western canyonland is about as far as you can get from the concrete streets of Cincinnati, and the diversion offers a respite for the readers as well. We and the travelers have time to think about the concepts of beauty, our connectedness to the earth, and what it takes to really KNOW a place. Good lessons, all.

Another side trip is in the offing when Tallmadge visits his family-owned 40-acre woodlot in New Hampshire, intending to make the big decision: to keep it and preserve it, or to sell its resources to a logging company. His commitment to a place of his ancestral roots is admirable, as is his verdict: "[W]hat we do with the land always matters, even if we merely let it alone. We cannot escape playing a part in the story. All we can do is try to understand our choices and then choose as wisely and as responsibly as we can." (p. 182) That sentiment should be sent to every legislator and politician in America today.

I began reading a library copy of this book but soon realized I would have to buy my own so I could underline and savor the best passages. The writings of John Tallmadge belong on the natural history shelves between those of Gary Snyder and Henry David Thoreau. Or if you're filing books by title, put "The Cincinnati Arch" right next to "Desert Solitaire." This volume deserves more attention than it's gotten. Share it with your environmental friends and every nature-blind city-dweller you know.

I really enjoyed this book. I think that it is very important for us to recover what we've "forgotten" about the civil rights movement and how that impacts us today.

Numerous books have been written on American Civil Rights history: The Civil Rights Movement In American History differs in its blend of overview of events and how the movement is currently being remembered in American politics and culture. This dual focus offers a wider-ranging survey than most, blending memories of the movement with surveys of how it's being remembered, through museums, exhibits, film, TV and more. From heroic icons to methods of display and memory, this holds important lessons on how we incorporate culture change as a whole.

Unfortuantely, I have only seen Codename Greenkil's chapter 4 regarding the "CWP's role" in the organization of the Brown Lung Association. I can speak to this with certainty and state that this chapter is on the money.

Some current CWP veterans claim that they organized the first chapter of the BLA in Greensboro, NC. This simply is not true. The hard work of organizing, i.e. facing down the fear factor of what Cone Mills might do, door knocking, building leadership, coordinating meetings/events, etc, was done by social activists with no affiliation with the individuals who later formed the CWP.

However, those individuals who later became the CWP did contribute invaluable medical roles in helping workers become identified as "possible" victims of brown lung disease, a critical first step in getting eligible for compensation and one that rarely occured in the Carolina's before 1974. In spite of the fact of expert physician estimates of 30-40,000 brown lung cases in the Carolinas, only some 80 had received workers' compensation before 1974.

I lived in Greensboro, NC when the the events in this book took place. Ms. Wheaton has done a remarkable job of research, in addition to naming names and defining the racist nature of the actions and the cover up. So sadly, it was no surprise that these events took place in my former city. It was also no surprise that the collaboration between the police/Klan/lawyers/
city officials convinced the 'jury' that the so-called officials had acted properly. In this year it perhaps becomes a more important read than when it was first published.

I really wish that some pepole out there would focus more on Mr. Toomer's writing talents and not on this whole "was he or was'nt he" about his racial background. I believe that Jean Toomer's words are powerful and universal for all people! His imagery is so amazing it's almost visual, and he is able to make the political deeply personal and not preachy. The works of this brilliant writer is far more important to me than the tiresome, trivial, and unfortunate pettiness of some individuals who want to argue about a subject that is designed to be derisive and distracting in a time when "Rome is Burning!"

This book is greatly recommened! Please add it to your library.

Jean Toomer should not be classified as "African American." He rejected that racist "one drop" classification and deserves praise and admiration for doing so. Toomer's parents and grandparents were not "black middle class" but looked whiter than many Americans who call themselves "white."Passing for Who You Really Are

This publication provides a pictorial history of African Americans in Columbus, Georgia. It is one of the first publications of its kind, pertaining to African Americans in Columbus, Georgia. It is comprised of photographs depicting the history of a people and the places where historical events occurred. This document places emphapsis on a racial group that had not been depicted as an intregal part of the history of Columbus nor the history of Georgia.
The information contained in this publication can be used as a supplement to the study of Georgia History, African American History, Social Studies and or Cultural Studies.

The Black American Series- Columbus Ga. is an excellent source of information regarding life for the African American in the rural south.I am from Columbus,Ga. and thought that I knew a lot regarding the African Americans history in this city.Judith Grants book makes you cry,laugh and at the same time do alot of soul searching about a people who's history is so rich but yet still ignored.It challenges you to examine futher the lives of people like Dr.Thomas Brewer and Elizabeth Lunsford who were champions in the struggle for their people but unknown to many today.I highly recomend this work to all people but especially to young African Americans who need to see how their ancestor struggled and still suceeded despite all the odds stacked against them.

Coming Home opens with informative introductory essays which discuss firstly the inspiration for the collection, and subsequently the art of the period 1930-1950 and the conditions under which it was produced and the attitudes which prevailed at the time. Following the catalogue the book concludes with an extensive artist specific bibliography.

The bulk of the volume, from page 41 to page 319 comprises the catalogue. Each painting is allotted a double page spread, the image on the left hand page with a brief biography of the artist and comments about the painting on the facing page. Occasionally the comments extend to two pages followed by a full page bleed illustration of a detail of the painting. There are about one hundred and forty full colour plates in all.

This is a well produced work, with an attractive page layout and imaginative typography. While I have not seen the original works in flesh the colour reproduction here seems to be a little subdued, an impression not helped (or perhaps created by) by the large amount of white space surrounding each image. It is perhaps unfortunate that the bulk of the pictures here are landscape in format whilst the book itself is portrait, combined with the wide side margins this results in the image occupying less than half the total page area, sometimes considerably less than that; by contrast the few full page bleed illustrations appear bright and vibrant.

The Schoen Collection contains a fascinating and varied selection of paintings, and this handsome volume, which despite being a paperback has a feeling of quality, is well worth having.

This is a beautiful, large-ish, soft-cover book. I ordered it online and was surpised at it's oversize (sorry...no ruler handy for that info). It's an acceptable size for display and browse, even though I bought it thinking it would be more in-depth and textbook sized.

The choice of realist artists was diverse yet kept to a very American mid-century view. I particularly found the African-American imagery compelling. These are the children of the Ashcan school artists, and some of the works (and accompanying short-page, but concise explanations)are generally unknown. Many are of stiking social commentary.

If you are ready to go beyond Edward Hopper for mid-century American Realism you will greatly enjoy this book. It's really lovely and has drawn some comment and interest even with some teens who paged through it.

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.

The Southern Foodways Alliance was founded to celebrate, teach, preserve, and promote the food cultures of the American South. Cornbread Nation 4: The Best of Southern Food Writing is a collection of stories, poems, and essays about the foodways of the mountain South. It is one of a continuing series which includes Cornbread Nation 1: The Best of Southern Food Writing, Cornbread Nation 2: The United States of Barbecue, and Cornbread Nation 3: Foods of the Mountain South. Don't set your calendar by their appearance (four have appeared in six years), but each edition will whet you appetite and your sense of adventure.

The editors have taken these offerings from symposiums held by the Southern Foodways Alliance and newspapers, magazines, journals, and books. Like its predecessors, the book is something of a homemade quilt, with contents of varying levels of content.

The opening essay is from the wonderful Edna Lewis and sets a very high standard. She writes of her love for the wonders of spring: baby calves, pigs and lambs; a breakfast of shad, skillet potatoes, and batter bread; wild greens and lettuce salads; wild strawberries and cream. If this book does nothing else, gaining an introduction to Edna Lewis is worth the full purchase price.

There's an order of sorts based on themes, but I enjoyed jumping around more. Highlights include:

The history of Tabasco--invented in Louisiana after the Civil War.

Boudin (sausage made of pork, rice and gravy) accompanied by coffee "black as Louisiana sweet crude oil".

Rick Brooks on ordinary people seeking family recipes lost in the floodwaters of Katrina, recipes for bread pudding, sweet-potato casserole, jambalaya, and doberge cake, an eight-layer yellow cake, filled with dark-chocolate frosting and encased in chocolate ganache.

The Colleton family of South Carolina and their for 40 of red rice, she-crab soup, butter beans, chicken purloo (a baked rice dish), fried blue crab, garlic crab, oysters and grits. Buckshot Colleton is asked about the yellow gunk inside crab -- "It's the fat of the crab." And in Gullah? "Buckshot's trademark smile curls onto his face. `We call that the fat of the crab'".

A North Carolinian on cornmeal dumplings: "My grandma made'm when the thrashers came. She would pat'm out and lay'm in the pot and when she took'm out and put'm on your plate they had her fingerprints on top".

I've taken my title from Jessica B. Harris's "Living North/Eating South": "My passport may be stamped Yankee, but there's no denying that my stomach and culinary soul and those of many others like me are pure Dixie."

The editors write: "We've closed the book with a benediction. By a preacher. Very Southern, to be sure. Maybe it should have come at the beginning, and we could have called it grace". Starting with Edna Lewis was graceful enough for this reader; the entire series is well worth seeking out and savoring and this volume is no exception.

Robert C. Ross 2008


PS: If you you haven't met Edna Lewis, it's my great pleasure to introduce you. Bob

Being Southern, I enjoy reading stories and accounts of the Southern experience ... especially as it relates to food. Cornbread Nation Vol. IV (with an emphasis on Louisiana foods) is a delightful compilation of food stories from and about the South. I recommend it to non-Southerners as well so they can come to know us beyond the stereotypical "hillbilly" image.