Tag Archives: American South

Confederates in the Attic

Posted on April 3, 2014 by smellincoffee

Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War© 1999 Tony Hortwitz432 pages           For most of the United States, the Civil War is like any other entry in the history books, of interest but not very consequential. . … Continue reading →

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I’ll Take My Stand

Posted on March 29, 2014 by smellincoffee

I’ll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition © 1930 various authors. 410 pages  “There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called The Old South…Here in this pretty world Gallantry took its last bow…Here was the … Continue reading →

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Sycamore Row

Posted on March 20, 2014 by smellincoffee

Sycamore Row© 2013 John Grisham 464 pages  I have been less than impressed with John Grisham’s books in recent years; The Racketeer made me suspect Grisham or his publishers were merely milking the success of his name.  Sycamore Row, however, … Continue reading →

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The Redneck Manifesto

Posted on March 17, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Redneck Manifesto: How Hicks, Hillbillies, and White Trash Became Amerca’s Scapegoats© 1998 Jim Goad272 pages Rednecks of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your bills.   Jim Goad’s The Redneck Manifesto is a raucous mixture of southern … Continue reading →

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Look Away!

Posted on February 26, 2014 by smellincoffee

Look Away! A History of the Confederate States of America© 2003 William C. Davis496 pages While most Civil War histories concentrate on military campaigns, Look Away! chronicles the history of the Confederacy from a political and social perspective. Its attempt … Continue reading →

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Poor But Proud

Posted on February 1, 2014 by smellincoffee

Poor but Proud: Alabama’s Poor Whites© 2001 Wayne Flynt488 pages We might be poor but we’re proud And we’re living the best way we know how We don’t have much but we don’t look for pity Cause we’re country poor … Continue reading →

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Hannah Coulter

Posted on August 3, 2013 by smellincoffee

Hannah Coulter© 2005 Wendell Berry190 pages This is the story of my life, that while I lived it weighed upon me and pressed against me and filled all my senses to overflowing and is now like a dream dreamed. […] … Continue reading →

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Jayber Crow

Posted on July 3, 2013 by smellincoffee

Jayber Crow: the Life Story of Jayber Crow, Barber of the Port William Membership, As Written by Himself© 2000363 pages “Telling a story is like reaching into a granary full of wheat and drawing out a handful. There is always … Continue reading →

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Selma

Posted on February 25, 2013 by smellincoffee

Selma: A Novel of the Civil War© 2008 Val McGee396 pages On the cover: Sturdivant Hall, a local home-turned-museum. Today, Selma, Alabama is a small town on the Alabama river, largely forgotten save for its role in the Civil Rights … Continue reading →

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Bitterly Divided

Posted on October 26, 2012 by smellincoffee

Bitterly Divided: the South’s Inner Civil War© 2008 David Williams310 pages Why did the South lose the Civil War? Was it the strengths of the Union — a better rail network, a superior manufacturing base, more soldiers? David Williams doesn’t … Continue reading →

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