Young has managed to combine many factors in this work. He cogently explains how costal planters could perceive themselves as paternalistic masters protecting their slaves while at the same time literally driving those slaves to death in the name of profit. Even more cleverly, he traces the spread of this paternalistic, anti-capitalist rhetoric of the planters through their growing network of commercial capitalism. A revealing read.

Mr. Young has outdone himself. His book not only offers well-argued insights on the subject matter, but his prose is sharp, funny and beautifully crafted. I recommend this book not only for historians, but for anyone looking to take an adventurous ride through our nation's earliest years. Mr. Young is clearly a young historian on the rise. I eagerly await his next work.

It's an excellent book that has great words to describe the story. It's good for visualization. The book makes you want to read more and more. I read five cahpters in one hour because it was so interesting.

This comments on the previous review. The title character whose name this reader has forgotten is unforgettable. Excuse me, did I miss something?

I hope that Larry Shriner publishes more! His book grabbed my attention on the first page and I couldn't stop turning the pages! I love his work.

This book should receive a lot of attention. Shriner has done his homework. It is refreshing to read a novel that does not fill space with four-letter words and sex. I hope to read more of his novels.

Most enlightening. I was able to track my ancestors as they traveled thru Georgia and Alabama. With the aid of a good map, one can pinpoint their exact route. Highly recommend for anyone doing research on their family that settled in Georgia or Alabama.

Enlarged beyond its earlier incarnation as an article in "The Alabama Review", this work has emerged as a highly valuable resource for readers and researchers of early Alabama history. Utilizing maps and exhaustive primary and secondary sources, the authors present evidence of the profound impact of the Federal Road upon the Alabama in its formative years. Here, the reader will learn that antebellum Alabama was far from a unified state, but rather a politically polarized collection of sectional counties, interspersed with tribal lands of the Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw. North Alabama, with a citizenry constituted largely of emigres of Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina, held political power from Alabama's Territorial period (1817-1818) and through early statehood (1819-1840). Entering Alabama at a point roughly near present-day Columbus, Georgia/Phenix City, Alabama, and proceeding southwesterly to New Orleans, the Federal Road accomodated the massive influx of settlers emanating from Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia. This book reveals how the surge in America's westward expansion affected the present-day formation of Alabama. With pent-up demand for land, and a sympathetic Andrew Jackson in the White House, the Federal Road became the venue through which the white combatants prevailed in the Creek War of 1836-37. The resultant final removal of Creek and Cherokee tribes to Oklahoma, caused such a rush of new settlers into South and Central Alabama that Alabama's political structure underwent a drastic and lasting transformation. The shift in legislative power to South Alabama and, particularly, the Black Belt of Central Alabama, resulted in the 1846 removal of the state capitol from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery. The rise of the "Bourbon Democrats" of this region was to shape the landscape of Alabama politics for over 140 years thereafter. The authors, through scholarly, annotated research, offer the reader an opportunity to attain a thorough understanding of the significance of the Federal Road as the single most important element in the formation of Alabama's geography, government, economy and sociology. This reviewer highly recommends this book as not only valuable, but essential for anyone seeking to attain a thorough understanding of Alabama history.

I'm standing in the Great Hall of one of Birmingham, Alabama's largest cathedrals, chatting amicably with two nicely-dressed white women who are pillars and patrons of their church. Wonder how it is possible that these two genteel ladies turned out to be so very, very different form their contemporary, Sara Mitchell Parsons.
These three women are Privileged White Class people, educated in the ways of the Old South, conversant with all-white country clubs, free from racial persecution of any kind.
What made Parsons reverse direction, give up social standing and become an Atlanta civil rights activist in a day and time when to do so was actually a life-endangering act?
Why did the other two women remain placid and content in their social roles and blatantly disdainful of all civil rights activities of black people, even to this day? "They (Those Black People) just aren't grateful. They don't appreciate the fact that we (White Folk) gave them good livings and brought them up from the savages they were."
This book is a plain-spoken narrative about a white person's journey through the confines of bigotry, racism, intolerance, hatred and concrete-solid Tradition. Parsons comes out on the other side feeling a lot better about herself and a lot less tolerant herself--intolerant toward the status quo of Southern White Bigotry.
Take a look at this modest book. It came out at a time when the McWhorter book about Birmingham got lots of well-deserved attention, occluding the release of smaller books like this. But this, too, deserves your notice. It tells a similar story, but without all the spice, lenghthy detail and scholarly overstatement. Both books should be issued together in a slipcase.
(For a copy of the entire review of this book, contact me at jimreedbooks.com)

Sara Perry was raised as the typical southern white lady. She was to assume the role of dutiful wife, devoted mother and hostess for her husband's social set. As Sara Mitchell she carried out her role of the southern house-wife which included a lovely home, Negro maid and status in the upper class community of Buckhead in Atlanta, GA.

All was going well for this southern white matron but the seeds of discontent stirred in her life. She wanted more out of life than a role. Slowly but surely a change was to occur which would change her life and the fabric of the world in which she grew up.

Contained in these pages in the memoir of a woman who had it all but made the step to get involved in the battle for civil rights regardless of the cost. Her battle ground was the Atlanta school board, her church, family and marriage. Caught up in the fervor of the Civil rights movement we see how a woman of privilege made the steps of becoming an activist.

Parsons' story is an eye-opener of the role southern white women played in the movement. Her being a part of the affluent class makes her story all the more remarkable due to the pressures she would endure. Her tale is one in which everyone should read to get an understanding of the thoughts and feelings of a woman who put her status at risk.

What I find most interesting concerning her tenure on the Atlanta school board are the issues she addresses concerning education in addition to the integration question. The issues she addressed in the 1960s are the same ones with us in the year 2000. You will get an idea about how "concerned" the majority of the board was with education.

This dynamic woman broke the rules of convention of her day. She of course is not a saint but an example to follow in having the courage and fortitude to step out for what is right. I highly recommend this as a primary text for those studying education, civil rights, and female empowerment.

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK IT TELLS ALL ABOUT OUR FAMILIY'S HISTORY. I REALLY LIKE IT BECAUSE IT SHOWS YOU WHO THE PEOPLE ARE SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY KNOW AND TEACH THE YOUNGER CHILDREN ABOUT THE FAMILY.

As an African-American who lives in Kennesaw, Georgia the book was a priceless gift about the history of where I live.

I hope Ms. Lassiter does a follow-up and soon.

Bruce Callner is the world's leading lawyer and author. This book gives the meaning to CASE FINDER.

This book saved my life. A must for anyone who practices law.

On returning to live in the DC area with two small children after having lived in another part of the country, I picked up this book and found a wealth of useful information about schools. The book not only gives practical information, but provides thoughtful and rare insight into the various strengths and weaknesses of each school, as well as valuable guidance on how to pick the best school for a particular child. I recommend this book highly.

Indispensable guide for Washington area parents considering public & private schools. Practical, Thoughtful & User Friendly.

For his volume on Georgia O'Keefe in the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series, Mike Venezia includes 17 of her paintings. Not only do we have O'Keefe paintings representing the two best known periods of work, first with the giant flowers such as "Petunia" and "Morning Glory with Black" in the 1920s and then with cow bones in the deserts of New Mexico as with "Cow's Skull with Calico Roses," and "Pelvis with the Distance" in the 1940s, but also a couple of examples from the brief time she lived in New York and painted powerful images of the city. You certainly get the feeling O'Keefe was rather unique as a painter, since unlike most volumes when Venezia includes other examples of modern art from Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse and Marsden Hartley, it has to do with how much Alfred Stieglitz, the well-known photographer who would become O'Keefe's husband, loved modern art. Actually, Venezia spends less time in this book talking about what defined O'Keefe as a great artist than he does on any of the the other volumes I have read in this series to date. Consequently, this book works more as a biography of the artist than providing young readers with a mini-art appreciation course. For young readers (or older ones) who find O'Keefe's work interesting, after you learn about her life from this volume you can go check out Roby Montana Turner's book "Georgia O'Keefe," which is part of the Portraits of Women Artists for Children series.

"Georgia often rearranged the natural things she saw, and simplified them", p. 8

The young reader will learn about O'Keeffe's young years on her family's big Wisconsin farm, her years in Texas teaching art and during her free moments painting, her years with Stieglitz in New York painting, and her years in New Mexico painting.

O'Keeffe's choice of enlarging objects in her paintings makes this a perfect choice for young children. Everything is larger than life for the young. If there is anyone who will have nearly an innate appreciation for O'Keeffe's style it will be the young. They will readily identify her objects. Her color choices in her paintings are few and therefore not busy and distracting. The young reader will be drawn in by her bold and bright selection of colors.

Venezia's illustrations are humorous. His narrative is delightfully entertaining. His approach brings the artist within reach of the young. His re-enactment of an opening at Stieglitz's gallery of new artists' paintings is precious.

The size of the book is perfect for smaller hands. It enables the young to have art within their grasp. Venezia gives the locations of the paintings and as result if the child lives near one of the museums or will be near one on vacation, she/he would be able to see the original.

This is the 15th in Venezia's "Getting to know the World's Greatest Artist" series. He also has similar series on composers. Venezia's back cover illustrations tie back to the subject. "Like O'Keeffe, Mike searches near his home for objects in their natural surroundings ...".

The price of the book is well worth paying. The book contains the following: O'Keeffe's Paintings - 18, Photos of O'Keeffe - 3, Venezia's Illustrations - 8, Others' paintings - 3.

I liked this journal because it was lined. The lined pages are good for those of us who can't write in a straight line when we're angry, excited, or upset.

This journal was perfect. Spiral bound is really nice when looking for a journal, then you can easily flip the pages. It's lined, which is great! And the paper is pretty thick, pens won't bleed through to the other side! I highly recommend this journal!