North Carolina Books

This is a romantic historical novel about hero Adam Rutlege's growth from a North Carolina planter actively disinterested in entering politics in the mid-1760's to a devoted participant in the American Revolutionary cause who both loves his native North Carolina and loves the new country as a whole, as well as some of the western lands it will someday include. This is also a love story about Adam Rutledge and his neighbor, Mary Warden, who keeps her love secret from most people, as Adam keeps it secret for a long time even from himself, because of Adam's loyalty to his invalid wife and Mary's to the much older husband she married--apparently in name only--before meeting Adam. Adam and Mary's story, the early subplot involvign the Regulator movement that draws Adam into politics by giving him a specific group of people's problems to care about (a group that Fletcher deals with in _The Wind in the Forest_, where Adam and Mary make appearances), and the author's careful attention to details that appeal to the reader's senses, all kept me reading long stretches of this novel, sometimes when I knew that I should be reading other things for my college classes; it was only with difficulty that I made myself postpone reading the second half until catching up on class reading. I have since reread _Raleigh's Eden_ and again enjoyed it.

Everything you wanted to know about rape in early America but were afraid to ask. Where did the colonists draw the line between consensual and coerced sex? Where did they draw the line between coerced sex and the crime of rape? In answering these questions, Sharon Block shows how race and class determined the power that men had to avoid prosecution, and the power that women had to seek protection. She knows that study of the legal records is necessary but not sufficient, so she explores how early Americans wrote about rape in diaries, fiction, political propaganda, travel writing, and humor. In short: a brilliant book.

Melendez's research in this fascinating book highlights the dinamic nature of cultural identity construction of the colonial subject and explores the elements of race and gender as components of the author's own colonial agenda (15). The first chapter of the book provides an overview of the book's contents and a detailed look at Carrio de la Vandera's life. The second examines the author's view of the indigenous peoples' otherness, which Melendez argues, is exploited by a discourse that underlines the indians' sexual deviance and lack of language mastery. The third chapter focuses on the author's assessment of the "sistema de correos" between Buenos Aires and Peru and how that assessment is overshadowed by a critique (and subsequent reformatory proposal) of the indigenous people observed during the journey. The fourth chapter focuses on the social and cultural anxiety caused by the African slaves and how the author attempts to eliminate social uneasiness through linguistic maneuvers that underline their inferior nature. The final chapter is devoted to the narrators' view of colonial women as social disruptors (threats to colonial order). I found myself reading the entire book over a period of four days. I recommend it to any reader who is interested in literature of the Spanish-American Colonial period. Footnote: Mariselle Melendez was a professor of mine at Purdue University several years ago, and every publication of hers that I have read has been outstanding.

This book offers the reader an evaluation of the early years of football and the press' role in popularizing football for the American consumer. A must-read for anyone who loves football.

Manly Wade Wellman did an immense amount of research to fit this book together so well. It's based on the stories of 5 men: George Wills, Cary Whitaker, Sim Whitaker, Johnny Beavens, and Billy Beavens; kinsman, who enlisted in the Confederate Army to fight for what they believed. Where did they go? How did they feel? What did they do day to day? What did they see? How did they live and die? It's all in there. My original interest in the book was because these men are my kinsman. A good deal of information was taken from letters that my Great-great-great Uncle George wrote to his sister, my great-great grandmother, Lucy Wills Hunter. (She's listed in the index along with bookoodles of other people who were sources of information.) I'm not a history fan but Wellman helped me to get to know these men, my kinsman. Pulling from his vast resources, he was able to fill in the gaps that are often left in history books. If this book peaked my interest in history, it's got to be good! Hey, it was nominated for a Pulitzer in 1956!

When I received Clarissa Thomasson's sequel, "Reconstructing Hillsborough", once again I finished it in one sitting. I found it to be a delightful, warm story, full of love and compassion. I anxiously look forward to future novels by Ms. Thomasson.

The ubject of the slave trade has been written about before but this bookcovers the more interesting topic of the Protuguese trade in the 15th-18th century, and particularly its affects on Africans and the relationship between the church and the slaves, as well as 'others'. This book is scholarly and perhaps slightly dry, but not startinly so, in fact it is also readable and interesting, refreshing and original.

Surely this book adds scholarship to the period, espcially illuminating the relationship between slaves, brazilian society and the church in both Brazil and Portugal. Of particular interest is the work regarding the inqusitions attempts to snuff out tribal religons that remained among slaves brought to the new world.

Seth J. Frantzman

So many women's issues attracted public attention in the 1889-1939 era, yet the world political backdrop did not consistently support these agenda items. This is an excellent overview of an important intellectual history age, and the appraisals offered by this volume add to our modern understandings, too. Highly recommend.

Patrick Barr-Melej was a professor of mine during my undergraduate studies. His approach to Latin American history inspired me to be a history teacher. I would recommend any of his books. His passion for his subject matter is as well articulated as it is engaging.

They sent a great book, perfect condition and great delivery timing!
Thanks a bunch!!