Mississippi Books

This is one of Wilson's earlier works and far removed from his later scientifically themed books. It's standard by the book mystery/thriller fare with stereotypical characters involved in a somewhat intriguing plot. The cop couple both do and say preposterous things and the twists are fairly predictable and the true murderer isn't too surprising. Wilson stalls his suspense quotient however with too much pandering dialogue. Not a bad book, but not a great one either.

The book is about a serial killer that has killed many victims in the south, ranging from Lousianna to Mobile. When Brett finds out that the killer has killed one of his old girlfriends he feels compelled to get to the bottom of the case. While searching for the killer, Brett and Paige find themselves in a situation that may eventually cost them their lives.

This was an excellent book. I actually found it in a dollar store, but by the end of the story, I was feeling like I had cheated Wilson out of a few bucks--it was that good.

Underrated (and somewhat unknown) Charles Wilson has done it again! "When We First Deceive" is a superior novel about a small Mississippi town's attempt to hunt down and stop a serial killer that taunts police with mysterious clues. When one of the deaths turns out to be the former lover of the town's young police lieutenant, things heat up fast!

Husband and wife law officers, Lt. Brett and Officer Paige Dunnigan, are the central characters in this pot boiler. Wilson, however, does a fantastic job of developing other characters quickly and effectively in this extremely fast "read". You find yourself almost meshing into the storyline because you get to know these people so well!

Not being one to give away much of a plot when I write these reviews, let me suffice to say that this book will have you scratching your head throughout. Just when it appears that the crime will be solved, another "twist in the road" appears. Who is it that's really responsible for the deaths; the local cororer, the FBI agent, the sheriff, or perhaps even Brett Dunnigan himself?

If you've read any other books by Charles Wilson then you already know that he's a master storyteller. If this is your first Wilson book, then you're in for a great treat and you'll quickly find yourself looking for some of his other works as soon as you're finished. Especially recommended would be "Nightwatcher"!

This story is about a serial killer and maybe another killer. Brett & Paige are Officers of one of the Law enforcement agencies tasked with dealing with this serial killer. They find themselves vicitims of this serial killer in a way you would not believe. The truth must prevail. There are plot - subplots and more subplots in this book. It is exciting, thrillings and keeps you guessing. One thing you will do after reading this book, is, re-evaluate who your real friends are ?

I recently learned that there are some "sanitized" versions of "Tom Sawyer" out there and almost blew a gasket. YOO-HOO, SOMEBODY!! ONE DOES NOT "SANITIZE" MARK TWAIN! Putting out a bowdlerized version of Tom Sawyer is an abomination on the level of "colorizing" vintage films. "Tom Sawyer" is a classic that should be read uncut and uncontaminated. Twain is an American legend, who created in his eponymous hero an American icon, and as if Tom himself were not enough, Twain went even further and introduced us in these pages to the incomparable Huckleberry Finn. Is there anyone who has read "Tom Sawyer" who hasn't on some level identified with its hero? Tom is a lovable rogue, an incurable romantic who has to deal with his loving and nagging Aunt Polly, chafes under the constraints of school and its tyrannical headmaster, cons his friends into whitewashing Aunt Polly's fence (probably the best loved chapter in the book), runs away with Huck and turns up safe and sound at his own funeral, saves a condemned man's life, and like every other red-blooded American boy, searches for buried treasure (and unlike any other red-blooded American boy, actually finds it.) Twain created some unforgettable secondary characters; Tom's Aunt Polly, his smarmy little cousin Sid, Becky Thatcher who loves/loathes Tom by turns, and the wicked Injun Joe all stand out, but in Tom and Huck, Twain created two of the best loved figures in American literature, of their own time, our time and all time. The book deserves to be appreciated in all its unsanitized glory; this is the version to read.

Can your remember when you were younger and your Grandfather would tell you stories of his childhood? Well if he did, it probably wouldn't sound like Tom sawyer's childhood. The story The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the story of a boy named Tom Sawyer and the adventures and problems he faces with his friends. Whether it was his first love or trespassing and getting caught by adults he faces all kinds of childhood problems. The story also includes his family Aunt Polly and his half brother Sid. The other characters who are in the story are Becky Hatcher and Huck Finn. The author Mark Twain included parts of his own childhood into the story. He also used most of the characters to show personalities of his own family.
I would recommend this book to readers who are in sixth grade or higher. while most of the content in the book is appropriate, some of the slang term they used would not be understandable to younger readers. For example, the word "lick" appears many times in the story. The word has many meanings like to beat up or to call oneself. It shows that in some quotes like " I'll lick you good" or "that's the name they lick me by"
Overall, This was a great book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in adventure or comedy genre of books. i hope this review helped you out and i also hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

This is a great work of literature that we enjoyed a lot. Though it is an especially good book for younger ages, we think it could also be good reading for adults. The southern dialect may be hard to read sometimes but it is still enjoyable. It is a great adventure story that was worderfully written by Mark Twain. There is much suspense that will keep your eyes glued to the pages. We hope you will read this book and enjoy it.

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER would receive four stars instead of three--IF Mark Twain didn't put romance in it. Tom skips school and has some incredible times with his friends Huck Finn and Joe Harper.
Some of these adventures are re-enacted fantasy (such as playing pirates) and some are real (such as witnessing a murder). Kids of all ages will therefore like how they head to an island for their piracy. Of course they have so long a fun-time there that they are presumed dead--only to return in time for their own funeral!
The murder is bad news but discovering treasure is good news--beyond their wildest dreams. Twain was quite the dreamer himself so I recommend this book for ages 8 & up. Younger kids can "fast-forward" past Tom's engagement at age 13!

I read an awesome book called The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. If you read this book you will get sucked in like a vacuum. Its about a boy who gets in trouble a lot. His favorite thing to eat is an apple. My favorite part is when Tom gets lost in the cave. When they were lost Tom found the...... You will have to find out so read the book.

This book is one of those that combines clear fact, with interesting narrative and extremely useful maps. The book quickly sets the stage and highlights some of the more unknown aspects of the early years of the war for control of the north central Mississippi River. The reader quickly learns the importance of Cairo, Illinois to the course of the war as well as the CSA defenses in Columbus, Kentucky (which is one of the few remaining areas of the original battle that one can visit).

And of course, this is U.S. Grant's debut. He conducts a pretty tight little campaign until victory in the CSA camp causes his troops to run amok (Jubal Early would experience a similar problem at Cedar Creek). The quick reinforcement of fresh Confederates from the Kentucky side puts Grant to rout back to his small flotilla and back to Cairo.

The Battle of Belmont is a fascinating study of combined arms, logistics and some pretty good tactical movements. Certainly, there aren't too many battles in the Civil War where both sides win and lose and where both land troops from the river.

Ultimately this is an engaging and interesting read about a little known battle that taught some valuable lessons to U.S. Grant.

For the more serious Civil War buffs, it is also one of the first excursions of the union gun boats, Lexington and Tyler, both of which will see more well remembered service at Shiloh.

Armies have to learn to fight as more than an armed mob. Officers have to learn how to fight their command too. Missing these classes makes all the drill worhless and a defeate possible. US Grant understood this and Belmont is his first training class for himself and his army. This small battle is either overlooked, ignored or used as an example of Grant being beaten on the field. All of those ideas are the wrong approach to understanding this battle. Was it important to the war? Not really. Was it important for giving semi-trained troops a taste of combat and instilling in them the habit of victory? Yesand this was Grant's objective. When he had accomplished his objective, he pulled back. Did everything go well? No, some officers didn't control their men, some men went off on tangents, orders were missed and a series of small problems made for a harder day than planned.

All of the above makes for a good story and Nathaniel Hughes Jr. tells it well. After laying a good foundation, he takes us through each phase of the battle telling us what is going well and what isn't. Move and counter move occupy the book as Polk & Pillow, move to first stop and then try to destroy the Union invader.

A series of good well placed maps allow us to follow the action. A series of illustrations place faces to the names. Coupled with good clear writting make this an enjoyable and informative reading experience. This is a very good book about one of the small battle of the Civil War.

This book offers the reader a well researched and presented account of the Battle of Belmont, the first battle in the Western Theatre and one of the first battles fought by Ulysses S. Grant. The book covers Grants attack on the Southern forces under the command of Leonidas Polk and Gideon Pillow at Belmont on the Mississippi River in Missouri on the 7th of November 1861. The maps in the book are easy to understand and guide the reader through the fighting, the narrative runs smoothly and offers a good overview of this battle. There is extensive notes and bibliography to assist the reader with further studies. Overall a decent book covering this battle of the American Civil War. An enjoyable read.

This is an excellent synopsis of the Battle of Belmont. Belmont was a relatively small battle on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. Though small, Belmont was important, partly because it was the first battle fought by General Grant. The writing style of the book is clear and easy to follow. There are 10 high quality maps, 7 that cover the battle itself. It is easy to correlate the maps and the text to keep track of units and their movements.

Hughes writes in an interesting style. Instead of describing the battle from start to finish in a linear fashion, he switches back and forth between the Union and Confederate perspective. That is, he covers one part of the battle from the Federal point of view, then switches to the Confederate point of view and describes the events again. This approach could easily have come across poorly or been confusing. Instead, it leads to a very balanced and in depth account of the battle. I highly recommend this book to Civil War enthusiasts.

For many Americans the Civil War consisted of battles at Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Manassas, Antietam, Shiloh and a few other major battles. What is often overlooked are the smaller engagements than provide the glue that strings together the major battles. It is also in early small battles that generals like Grant, Lee and Jackson learn valuable lessons that pay dividends in subsequent battles.
The Battle of Belmont is one such battle. As the other reviewers have noted this battle is best known as Grant's first battle of the war. It would prove a training ground for Grant and his men. Grant learned much from this battle.
In some ways, Belmont is a smaller version of Shiloh with the sides reversed. Like at Shiloh, an army was surprised and their camps captured while the men fled to cover along the river bank. Like at Shiloh the attackers failed to drive the defenders into the river and win a clear cut victory. Like at Shiloh the defenders then went on the offensive and drove the attackers back.
Given the similarities between these two battles, what did Grant learn at Belmont that would help him at Shiloh? 1) Grant learned that being caught by surprise and being pushed back to a river did not necessarily mean defeat. 2) Grant learned the importance of rallying your troops and counter attacking. 3) Grant learned the importance of following up on an initial success and aggressively pursuing your opponent. These lessons would serve Grant well at Shiloh and future battles as he continued to learn from his mistakes. However, Grant did not learn all the lessons that could have been learned at Belmont - eg. his surprise at Shiloh.
Mr. Hughes has written a fine book that makes sense out of the chaos of combat. The text is easy to read and there are helpful maps.

This book is filled with beautiful photographs that show a profound respect for the dignity of each person photographed--rich or poor, black or white, old or young. Eudora Welty was truly a woman ahead of her time. As a current resident of Mississippi, the pictures have a special resonance.

Welty's tallent with the unspoken is clear as one turns each page. This book is as beautiful as it is haunting. I am originally from the delta, which makes these pages seem like a part of me. It is wonderful to see what Welty saw -- the folks who inspired her stories.

Most of us know Eudora Welty as a writer of Southern fiction, marked by regional dialect, mysterious characters, and absorbing stories. Ms. Welty's photography is another reflection of her sensitive, intuitive nature. She captures in images the essence of life in Mississippi just as she captured it later in her writings. The reproduction is not superlative, but one does get an adequate representation of her work and its intent. Those who know photography intimately and those with a passing interest will all find this book immensely satisfying.

This collection of photographs vibrantly brings to life a bygone era in Mississippi. As a former resident of the state Ms. Welty photographed, I found this book to be an indispensible document of a life now gone (for better and worse). The simplicity and beauty of the featured photographs move me almost as much as the author's fiction. While we do not remember Eudora Welty for her photographs, I find it hard to be disappointed with them; alas, I can only find fault with the volume's brevity. This book would be a wonderful addition to any collection.

This collection of photographs vibrantly brings to life a bygone era in Mississippi. As a former resident of the state Ms. Welty photographed, I found this book to be an indispensible document of a life now gone (for better and worse). The simplicity and beauty of the featured photographs move me almost as much as the author's fiction. While we do not remember Eudora Welty for her photographs, I find it hard to be disappointed with them. I can only find fault with the volume's brevity. This book would be a wonderful addition to any collection.

This book deserved much more notice than it received when it came out. Ralph Eubanks left Mississippi many years ago, but Mississippi never left him. For decades, he harbored the desire to understand his home state's strange fascination, and the release in 1998 of the records of the state's Sovereignty Commission, which was designed to keep segregation in effect, gave him an opportunity to look back at his past.

Eubanks always knew that his parents intentionally shielded him from the ugliness and the violence of Mississippi in the 1950s and 1960s, but until he began to delve into the commission's records, he did not know how much shielding had actually gone on. He and his three sisters enjoyed a close family life and nurtured a sense of pride, even superiority, to the white people around him -- even while Klansmen and their supporters were targeting "outside agitators" and "communists," their names for whites and blacks who wanted to end segregation.

Eubanks writes in a clear, straightforward style, mixing memory with present reality. He avoids cliches and brings to life a time long past.

This is an excellent memoir. It combines memories of a childhood in Mount Olive, Mississippi, with current historical research concerning the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Mr. Eubanks is now Director of Publications for the Library of Congress. His account of three years spent trying to reconcile his recollections of growing up in Mississippi with the stark reality of the history of that era makes for great reading. Mr. Eubanks final synthesis is both positive and compassionate. This is a book that every Mississippian who lived through that era should enjoy.

First, I am a native Mississippian who has lived out of the South for about 10 years. Coincidently, I went to Ole Miss and lived in the same dorm as the author but a year earlier. I did not know Mr. Eubanks but may have had classes with him. Ever is a Long Time is a great look back on activities of both sides of the civil rights movement. The Mississippi Sovereignty Commission spied on all citizens of the state and had 87,000 names in its files including Mr. Eubanks' parents. I have found the names of parents of several very good friends; Parents who were on both sides of the segregation question. It is a troubling story for a Mississippian to read and has led to phone calls and extended discussions with old friends. It has also increased my awareness of the times, our abilities to do mindless things, and to find the better way. There are some poignant interviews with past Sovereignty officials, a past member of the KKK, as well as leaders of the civil rights movement. These wonderfully display the frailty of humans, the need to cope, the darker side of man, and the ability to change. The passages about his children that open and close the work are among my favorites. The book is an honest, worthwhile read about cultural changes and the history of yesterday. (My copy did not have any pictures beyond the cover). Mississippi carries a brutal stigma regarding racial history. My time in other parts of the country have convinced me that the emotions of the 50's and 60's were not limited to Mississippi but rather widely held across the country. Mississippi, like other southern states, got the label and historical coverage and will always carry the stigma. It is a fading stigma that should have been widely shared across our healing nation. My heart gives it 5 stars, but objectivity demands 4 stars.

Eubank's autobiography is fascinating. The segues between his childhood, his investigation into the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission, his trip back to Mount Olive and the historical pieces about the Civil Rights movement in Mississippi are sometimes missing or confusing. I also caught a couple editorial mistakes (duplicate words or funny gramatical stuff) that should have been caught by the editor.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading the book and feel I am coming away from it having learned a great deal about a time and place in history I am personally quite removed from. I read it just after having heard the NPR All Things Considered 5 part piece on the Brown vs. Board of Education decission so Eubank's memoir provided an interesting counterpoint.

Rarely one reads a book that causes the reader to feel love for its author. I had that experience reading "Ever Is a Long Time." W. Ralph Eubanks' memoir depicts the struggles white supremacy thrust upon him and his family, from his white grandfather, who married a black woman, on down to his own children, whom he must introduce to their father's Mississippi.

Mississippi in the 1950s and 60s -- one imagines lynchings, injustice, heroism, sacrifice, history writ in blood.

Eubanks' memoir, though, is suprising in its quite and restraint. Eubanks's childhood was, in many ways, "idyllic," he reports. His parents were pillars of the community. He grew up on an eighty acre farm. He went fishing and climbed trees.

White supremacy, though, was an unavoidable evil. His father, a college educated professional, was denied simple toilet facilities at his work place. The family did not pave their driveway, so that if an uninvited guest brought trouble, the crunch of gravel would announce his presence. Eubanks' white grandfather's photograph was kept in the closet, lest it rouse questions, and trouble.

Eubanks grew up, and moved away. His sons' questions about Mississippi caused him to go back. In going back, he investigated the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission, a state-sponsored spying agency that kept records of 87,000 of Mississippi's just over two million citizens. Its goal was to thwart civil rights workers and federal integration efforts. Eubanks' parents were included on that list of names.

Eubanks meets with a former Klan member, so torn by his own membership in that evil society that he breaks into tears after their meeting. Eubanks also meets with an unrepetent member of the MSC. Eubanks discovers that people he knew, liked, and trusted, including African Americans, were informants.

It was Eubanks' voice that was most attractive for me in this work. I never thought I'd read a memoir of life in the Jim Crow South, written by a black man, that was so affectionate, and so forgiving, of that South, while expressing appropriate rage and grief.

Eubanks comes through strongly as a very decent man. His book caused me to feel great respect and affection for his father.

It was a very worthy experience to encounter simple human goodness in a memoir of such terrible wrong.

Eubanks is to be thanked for this work.

Theresa Cameron doesn't provide any real insights into the problems or solutions associated with foster care, and gives us little more than a rant in complaining about "the system." Far from having found her way through the anger that spills out onto those around her, she is these days unemployed. In her widely publicized case, she was fired from her teaching position at an Arizona school, where her superiors found her belligerent and impossible to work with. While this book offers some insights into the relationship between the foster care and anger, it offers little insight into possible remedies, and Ms. Cameron falls short as a role model.

I am very touched by the events that the author of this book had to share. She is indeed a very strong person. The average person could not survive the various pitfalls and bouts of discouragement that she had to suffer. She was placed in foster care at very young age. Although she felt bitter, she later discovered that it was better then being with her real mother. This young lady searched and found her mother, by way of the grapevine network within the black community. To her disappointment she did not find a loving mother. She found a discouraging woman living in confusion and poverty.

This was not the stopping point for the young lady in the book. She pushed herself. She even worked and saved her money. With the help of a kind social worker, she was able to go to college. I'm so proud of her.
The foster care system, is often one void of real love. As a parent and one who loves children, I take the care of children personally. Any child placed in my home for whatever reason is my child. I feel like it's up to me to love and protect that child. The elements of life are harsh enough. Children have day to day challanges just like adults. Foster parents your young charges need you. You are their guardians. LOVE THEM, PROTECT THEM, TREAT THEM LIKE YOUR OWN CHILDREN.

I was a bit surprised to find out how racially bias Buffalo, New York was. But the wonderful, wonderful thing is the good and positive life that the writer of this book is reaping. Hats Off to her. Keep On Pushing!

This book reveals the emotional impact of life in the foster care system for a black girl who was bounced from one foster home to another from birth until the age of 18. Except for the nationally publicized case of Baby Jessica, who was forcibly removed from her adoptive family at the age of two to be reunited with her birth mother and father, it is rare that the public gets a glimpse of the emotional damage done to the child. This book should be MUST reading for everyone involved in foster care.

Theresa Cameron's difficult odyssey began when her biological mother did not make decisions with her daughter's best interests in mind. As difficult as it might have been for the mother to admit that adoption was the best route for her to follow, she simply abandoned a beautiful child and left her at the mercy of an inadequate system. As strong as Ms Cameron obviously is, as an unwilling participant in the foster care system, her childhood was unnecessarily harsh and often cruel. Rarely can we says such a story has meaning in all our lives. I recommend this book for all who face the irreversible decision of creating a child.

This is a heartfelt, painfully true story of how one child can be forgotten in the "system". Even the cover itself is revealing...the only photograph the author has from her childhood and it does not even show her face.

By far my favorite book of alltime. I recommend it to all socialworkers, teachers, counselors, mothers, fathers, ministers, politicians, EVERYONE! It is well-written and easy to read, although it caused me to lose sleep at night knowing children are out there--alone, forgotten by their caseworkers, and lacking the basic needs such as touch, hugs, encouragement, or even a smile from those whose care they are in.

How Ms.Cameron did what she did all alone is beyond me. She is simply amazing.

After reading this book I wanted to reach out and hug Ms. Cameron.
She has made me a better mother.

Well written, and easy to read,. The historical data is incredible and more than I learned in school, but written to make one want to learn more and ask questions at the end.

Truly insighful book written with compassion and caring of the Delta people .

I read every word of this interesting and timely book, which was chock full of information and history. I was excited to see the book come out as I believe our country is hurt by losing touch with its agrarian roots, and agricultural policy is being made now by people disconnected from production. Before I read it I had visions of sending it to policy makers and New Yorkers and others who need to know. I still may do that, but I was a bit disappointed that the author makes the farmer look like a bit of dolt.

Farmers who survive today, and there are far fewer then there were a generation ago, need to be among the shrewdest, most technologically and scientifically savvy managers of assets in the world, adept at managing people, machines, technology, balance sheets, politics, community relations, and the weather. This book goes a long way to showing the truth of that, but in my view falls short of its promise by making farmers look more stoic than smart.

"High Cotton" follows a Mississippi cotton farmer through a year of planting, growing, and harvesting cotton. Along the way readers learn of how new technology is used, decisions made about seed choices, herbicides and pesticides, etc., as well as considerable background about cotton in the U.S.

Even today, without slavery, the U.S. remains the world's leading exporter of cotton, claiming 40% of the world's market. Absent this single crop and its demand for slave labor, the past 200 years of American life would have been unimaginably different.

Today's growers no longer face the frequent threat of raging flood waters, and the federal government assumes much of the risk in growing cotton. Sophisticated machinery and potent chemicals perform work once done by humans - as a result, the Delta has been losing population for nearly a century. Even the cotton plant itself has been genetically modified to resist pests and herbicides.

In the Mississippi Delta (a misnomer - actually located in the state's Northwest corner), topsoil deposited over the millennia ranges up to 350 feet deep. The river itself descends an average 3" per mile, is over a mile wide in places, and up to 100 feet deep. The Mississippi carries 5 tons of silt per second to the Gulf of Mexico.

Helferich follows a relative (Zach) for a year as he cultivates 1,000 acres of cotton. Two bales/acre is the average in the Delta; Zach got 3 last year (1,250 lbs.) Some years suffer from too much rain, lowering the quality to a level where the cotton is only suitable for stuffing furniture. The average farm in the area now grows 4,000 acres. Prices are lower than 25 years ago, while costs have risen (land rents for an average of $100/acre). Cotton farmers are aided by $4 billion/year in federal subsidies - money that h as become the target of those wanting to reduce federal spending as well as foreign cotton sources.

"High Cotton" tells us that Zach can work his land now with 2 full-time and 2 part-time employees, instead of the dozens that would have been needed 100 years ago. His tractors provide 250 h.p., cost $125,000, weigh up to 10 tons, and have 15 forward gears. Zach's prior experience as a John Deere mechanic is invaluable in getting through a typical day.

A slave could pick an average of 200 lbs. of cotton/day, or alternatively provide 1 pound of cleaned cotton (seeds represent 2/3 of its initial weight). Then the new cotton gins with three workers and a horse could process 1,000 lbs./day, creating 300 lbs. of usable fiber. (Patent disputes left little net gain for inventor Eli Whitney; he later achieved economic success through standardizing and simplifying the manufacture of muskets - possibly an even greater long-term contribution to the U.S.)

Genetically-modified seed costs about $72/acre, and Zach can plant 150 acres/day, the depth depending on the type of soil and its moisture content.

Slaves generally represented the bulk of antebellum plantation-owners' wealth. "Roundup" replaces manual hoeing for weeds, and adds about $2/lb. to seed costs; while effective now, users worry about weed mutation rendering it increasingly ineffective. Today's herbicides break down faster and are applied at much lower rates - 1-2 ounces/acre, vs. a former 1-2 lbs.

Aerial spraying service costs $3/acre, and is used when the ground is waterlogged. The planes costs about $650,000, with $350,000 of that for its light, reliable turboprop engine. GPS systems are used to remember where they've already sprayed. Power lines are the greatest danger - pilots therefore stay close to home (familiar areas) and keep maps taped in the cockpit with power lines clearly marked. A plane can spray 2,000 acres/day.

Pivot irrigation systems cost up to $100,000 each; their diesel pump motors use about 5 gallons fuel/your, and the arms can take up to 100 hours to complete a circuit. These are used when a field doesn't have enough grade to use pipe irrigation.

About 15 different insects attack cotton, creating a need for $75-$100/acre in spraying and extra-cost bollworm resistant seeds. (Organic cotton produces only about half the yield.) DDT had been used to kill bollworms, but they evolved an immunity and required increasingly heavy doses - up to 2 lbs./week. Malathion now has proven effective and less dangerous, without an immunity developing (so far). Cotton farmers also spray their fields to reduce growth beyond a certain point, thereby limiting boll rot and bringing faster ripening.

Zach pays about $30/acre for an outside combine harvesting service - a month is required to finish Zach's fields. Each cotton module that is set out on a field weighs about 8,000 lbs. Cotton is graded prior to being sold. Most employees at the gin Zach uses are Mexicans - employers see them as more reliable and better workers.

"High Cotton" reports that more American textile jobs have been lost to automation than exported, but fails to also realize that if the automation had not occurred the jobs would have been exported anyway.

Only about 1/3 the 1929 U.S. land planted in cotton is still used for cotton today; however, the total production is about the same.

At the end of the year Zach ends up losing money on his cotton crop despite his expertise, hard work, and investments (though he makes up at least some of this through subsidies), decides to partner with his sons, and sells most of his equipment. It's a hard life.

High Cotton is a fine book, enjoyable and interesting reading. It is hard to believe a non-fiction description of cotton planting could be recreational reading but the author pulls off the feat; blending descriptions of the actual farming activities, flash-backs to the role of cotton in American history, the financial pressure planters deal with, to the after-work social activities of the planter. You feel you know the people, feel the hot sun, hear the equipment, ride in the truck and taste the cold beer when the planters take a day off.

This is a powerful and moving book. Shallow people see it as a book about cotton farming or the tragedy of small farmers or as another opportunity to say stupid things about a place they have never
been. As a person who is offended by revisionist histories about the South, but who was deeply rooted in the Delta, I can tell you that if you think William Faulkner was a regional author, don't read it. It is gently written and tells a story of a good man in a struggle with fate and destiny. There is no villan, no antagonist to shoulder blame and guilt. This is not a story of Biblical Job or of virtue. It is however an account of people like anyone who run a small honest business, who strive and are defeated by circumstance. There is no one to hate and few to pity. I suppose some aberrant people will be offended by the racial issues they may read into it, but to assume there are any is a figment. Simply put, they aren't there unless not showing up for work after being stabbed with a pair of scissors is racist. Many people, liberal arts types, are not well enough educated to read this book with compassion. Pity them. The prose is relaxed, the historical facts well done and eclectic. The author has produced an American Classic comparable to Steinbeck and yes, Faulkner.

I didn't know if I would like this series, it was the first series I ever read and it was about history in WWII so i wasn't sure but I had read all the authors other book and loved her work so I started in and before long i hated to put it down and was so glad i didn't let the history or the fact that it was a series stop me, know I read series all the time, i even help a local author with her final edit on her large mystery series.

I have always found World War II wildly romantic. I especially enjoy reading about the love stories from that era. Maybe because they dared to look for hope and love in a horror filled time.

I really enjoyed the Faith on the Home Front series by Penelope Stokes. You will fall in love with the characters. You'll cry when their loved ones are sent to war, when the fated telegrams arrive, and when they are reunited. You'll read about amazing growth, struggles and triumph over fear. Get lost in the romance and watch the characters grow spiritually. Definitely a must read.
Don't forget to read the next two books in the trilogy.

I received all 3 books as a birthday gift & finally got around to reading them this summer. Once I started, I couldn't stop! The characters are so real & believeable that I felt like I knew them. The changes they evolve through with life's circumstances are admirable because they seem like real folks going through real trials. Loved the plot between Mabel Rae & Drew....

Not only did I love this book but I felt almost as I was apart of this family that went through trails and tribulations. It was wonderful! Insprirational! If you read this one you must read the other two.

What a touching story! The fact that this series is based upon actual events makes you believe that love can conquer all. Kudos to Ms. Stokes and her family for letting their story be told in such a wonderful way! Thanks!!! DON'T miss the other two books in this series.

I found the referances to news articals and the record of the trial to make the make the sory very moving. If anyone would like to "feel" what it was like during that time the is a great read.

I purchased this book under the thought that it was a story about the black people that inherited the land from the sisters but it was more about the people that made up that area. It was too long in explanations and backgrounds.

It was not what I expected. I can not recommend it.

The author is obviously passionate about this true story about a southern jury during the days of Jim Crow which ruled in favor of a black family which was willed 800 acres of land by two white women. It reflects honestly what life was like, the patronizing attitudes of white people who considered themselves friends of black, and the integrity of a rural community which was not influenced by the prejudices prevalent in society at that time. Great read!

A writing teacher and former reporter puts together all of the elements of good fiction into an extremely well- researched factual account of events that rip a community and intra-family relationships apart. Racial tension and a trial that doesn't turn out like anyone would have predicted climax a detailed study that is anthropologically dissected in plain English. It is not what one would expect to read about a rural North Carolina community in the time period between the Civil War and the 1920s but it did happen and that's the fascination of this book.

Many people who live outside the south think all southern white people treat their "darkies" as slaves, even years following the War of Agression. Little do they know just how well the relationship between whites and blacks has been because very few yankees ever heard of facts that told just how well the situations were and are. This book tells the story of just how well that regard is and was. This book needs to be read by all schoolchildren and their parents all over the United States to point out that racism is not just a thing of the south, but is more rampant everywhere as well as in the yankee north than one would suppose. Why did not the northern newspapers outside of North Carolina pick up this story when it was reported almost daily in 1921 by the Charlotte Observer during the trial? I suppose it was way too painful for the northern states to be faced with the fact that their forebears had been so very wrong about the way black men had been treated by the southerners. Oh, yes! Slavery of any one is wrong, but the yankees took it to extremes. And yes, there was bad treatment by many southern slaveholders, but not all. And to fight a war, killing thousands because of it, many in cold blood, was also wrong.
This book is an excellent read and one that should be read by all, young and old, black and white alike.
I had the privilege of attending the book signing in the very same courthouse in the very same courtroom in Monroe, NC where the trial was held. Afterwards, I had the distinct pleasure of touring the very same house owned by the Ross sisters, pictured on the cover of the book, (not on any tour). The house has been bought and is being restored by the great granddaughter of the builder of the house.
I highly recommend that you buy and read this book and offer it to your teenage children to also read and then discuss it with them. Anne Medlin Sendgikoski, Cartersville, GA

This book is a good start on studying how the aids virus came about. This along with Dr. David Horowitz's Emerging Viruses: AIDS & Ebola--Nature, Accident or Intentional? should be enough to suggest that AIDS is man-made disease. For those of you who barf at the possiblity that it was targeted towards blacks and gays I urge you to go do your homework and see what percentage of those infected are black or gay or both. The numbers alone speak for themselves.

Look, I've been nosing around this epidemic for decades, and anyone out there who DARES to think that all is not kosher in the world of research and drug money, well... read on.

This is no raving fringe lunatic writing a screed.

This is terrifying, and should come as no surprise to anyone who knows about previous and similar clinical trials foisted upon unsuspecting minorities.

I was overwhelmed by Dr. Cantwell's courageous and controversial research, as well as that of his colleague Dr. Robert Strecker. This is the first book I've read that details the epidemic in such stunning clarity. I am convinced that Cantwell has discovered the abominable origin of this man-made epidemic. I only hope the Orwellian "doctors" from institutes of "higher learning" who created this hell on Earth (by casually tossing aside their Hippocratic oath), suffer the first-hand experience of a loved one afflicted with this devastating disease. If that's what it takes to inspire them to "heal". . .

In the past 3 months, I have been doing research on theories about the origin of AIDS and HIV. Upon finding different beliefs, Dr. Alan Cantwell's proposal that AIDS is a man-made disease startled me significantly. I was totally stunned, however, I was very impressed with his examples and his courage, to publish such a controversial book. In this book, Cantwell presents the idea that HIV was created in a lab, which later spread into humans through the early hepatitis B vaccines in the 1970's.
As one of his arguments, he discusses about the early virus experiments that occurred in the 1960's. During this time, many famous researchers and scientists, such as Max Essex, Peter Duesberg, and Robert Gallo, were involved in developing a cancer-like virus that had the ability to create deficiency in the immune system. These tests were practiced on many different animals, including monkeys. With some success, they were able to create viruses that was immuno-supressive. Occasionally, these animals would be shipped from one laboratory to another one, and also some were eventually let back into the wild. One could infer that Cantwell believed that the virus developed in the lab and slowly introduced into the wild. However, Cantwell did not go into further detail about what happened after the release of these infected-animals, nor does he have any record of these animals. Therefore the possibility of this hypothesis is very slim, but could be possible.
Cantwell then later discussed about the possible outbreak of AIDS into society through hepatitis B vaccination, which was directed on gays. He argued that AIDS developed right after the vaccination, which was during the early 1980's. He also pointed out that the vaccinations took place in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City and contrasted these facts to the evidence that AIDS started in the same cities. Therefore, Cantwell came to a conclusion that HIV was created in laboratories and used on gays to develop the outbreak of AIDS.
Cantwell's proposal that HIV was man-made and that AIDS was introduced into the human population through the hepatitis B vaccination, is a very interesting and amusing theory. His claims seem to be very radical because his beliefs were based on assumptions. He has no real evidence that suggests and can prove that AIDS was man-made. This makes the first part of his argument questionable. He also wasn't able to prove that hepatitis B vaccinations caused AIDS, which makes the reader question the credibility of his argument. However, his claim cannot be looked down upon either because his arguments were reasonable. In other words, his arguments cannot be proven; however, it provides information that leads the reader into believing the cliché, "anything can happen." Therefore, I think that it is a good book to read for those who are interested, but it shouldn't be taken to seriously.
Overall, I recommend this book to readers who are open-minded, since the topics discussed are very controversial and resemble the science fiction novels. It's a good book to increase ones knowledge about the various theories on AIDS and the ongoing virus experiments that occurred in the 1960's. However, for those hard-core-evidence audience, the zoonosis theory seems to be more appropriate. Don't believe what I say, find out for yourself!

I haven't read this book. It was referred to me by a friend. However, I would just like to point out that Dr. Robert Strecker's brother Ted, was found dead in his home from a gunshot wound. This was ruled a suicide even though there was no note or goodbye message of any kind. In addition, an Illinois state Rep. named Douglas Huff who was really pushing to get the state legislature to look into Dr. Strecker's work, was found in his home dead of an apparent overdose of cocaine and heroin. His death was officially ruled a stroke. Make of that what you will.