Tennessee Books

The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic that Shaped Our History

Molly Caldwell Crosby

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this account, a journalist traces the course of yellow fever, stopping in 1878 Memphis to "vividly [evoke] the Faulkner-meets-'Dawn of the Dead' horrors,"*-and moving on to today's strain of the killer virus.

Over the course of history, yellow fever has paralyzed governments, halted commerce, quarantined cities, moved the U.S. capital, and altered the outcome of wars. During a single summer in Memphis alone, it cost more lives than the Chicago fire, the San Francisco earthquake, and the Johnstown flood combined.

In 1900, the U.S. sent three doctors to Cuba to discover how yellow fever was spread. There, they launched one of history's most controversial human studies. Compelling and terrifying, The American Plague depicts the story of yellow fever and its reign in this country-and in Africa, where even today it strikes thousands every year. With "arresting tales of heroism,"** it is a story as much about the nature of human beings as it is about the nature of disease.

Company Aytch

Samuel R. Watkins

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Respectable Piece of Civil War Literature 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book was written by a Confederate private who served in the Army of Tennessee for nearly the entirety of the Civil War. Published in serial form after the war (one reviewer suggested that his material was written during the war, such as a diary would have been; however, that reviewer is simply incorrect, and the distinction is important enough to warrant mention) and then in book form in 1880, this memoir of civil war experiences from a private's perspective is priceless in terms of primary source material. Watkins is frank and unapologetic, a quality that provides the historian with unique material in terms of dealing with the sentiments that the non-elite confederates often held.

Watkin's candor is probably the most important feature of this work. His hatred of Yankees and often equally strong hatred of some of the Confederate command suggests an individual who probably defies current simple notions of Yankee/Rebel mentality. Watkins is often witty, especially when reflecting upon feelings that we would now understand as being imbedded in "class struggle". Of course, Watkin's frankness extends to his views of blacks and slaves, illuminating an individual who was both racist and yet not in the generally held stereotypical manner.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the Confederate experience from the perspective of the non-elitist point of view. This book would be great for a high school curriculum covering the Civil War era, and would also be a good part of any similar college-level syllabus. This is a relatively quick read (especially when compared to such works as "Mary Chesnut's Civil War" or "The Diary of Edmund Ruffin"), which makes it ideal for those just beginning their exposure to the Civil War or more specifically to the Confederate experience.

Editorial Review:

Among the plethora of books about the Civil War Company Aytch stands out for its uniquely personal view of the events as related by a most engaging writer -- a man with Twain-like talents who served as a foot soldier for four long years in the Confederate army. Originally published in 1881 as a series of articles in the Columbia, Tennessee, Herald, Sam Watkins's account has long been recognized by historians as one of the most lively and witty accounts of the war. Parallels between this text and The Red Badge of Courage suggest that Stephen Crane was also among Private Watkins's readers.

Blood and Whiskey: The Life and Times of Jack Daniel

Peter Krass

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The first-ever biography of the man who created America's most famous whiskey
Born in Lynchburg, Tennessee, in 1850, Jack Daniel became a legendary moonshiner at age 15 before launching a legitimate distillery ten years later. By the time he died in 1911, he was an American legend-and his Old No. 7 Tennessee sipping whiskey was an international sensation, the winner of gold medals at the St. Louis World's Fair and the Liege International Exposition in Belgium. Blood and Whiskey captures Daniel's indomitable rise in the rough-edged world of the nineteenth-century whiskey trade-and shows how his commitment to quality (his whiskey was always charcoal-filtered) and his flair for marketing and packaging (he launched his distinctive square bottle in 189-5) helped create one of America's most venerable and recognizable brands.
Peter Krass (Hanover, NH) is the author of Carnegie (0-471-46883-5), cited by Barron's as the "definitive" biography and selected by Library Journal as one of the best biography/business books of 2002.

The State Line Mob: A True Story of Murder and Intrigue

W. R. Morris

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Still walked tall 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

W.R. Morris was Buford Pusser's authorized biographer, he wrote the best selling "The Twelth of August" however in 1973 he told People Magazine, "Buford can be a really nice guy one day and the next day he's barely civilized. I thread delecitly in the book." Did Pusser and Morris have a falling out or did Morris' research cause him to have a change of oppinion on the hero?

Regardless, this book is the origins of the loose mob that Pusser destroyed. The crime element along the Tenn and Mississippi border was the result of a government crackdown on the illegal activities in Phenix City, Ga in the late 40's. The displaced con artists and prostitutes settled on the stateline of Tn/Miss on highway 45. Morris provides a fasinating discription of the self destructive lives of this murderous group. It seems that Alcorn County, Miss is the hot bed of much of the criminal activity-yet McNairy County, Tn got the title of "Murder County USA" due to it being the dumping ground of many of the unsuspecting victims of the so-called "state line mob." One of these victims was a young Buford Pusser, who had the guts to go back and rob the robbers.

The ring leaders of the mob have an amazing ability to avoid long term jail sentences. They are soon challanged by a new sheriff- Buford Pusser, who has an amazing ability so withstand knife wounds and gunshots. Pusser believed in "fighting fire with fire" a true unconventional law enforcement warrior. Shortly after taking office he picked up a mob leader and took him out to the swamps and beat him up for three hours. Morris, as well as the author of "Mississippi Mud" believe that Pusser knew who was behind the ambush that killed his wife, but he kept the information from the authorities only to track down and kill, or hire to kill, the men himself. The result of this book is that Buford Pusser may have been a flawed and tragic hero, but in the end he got the bastards- and walked damn tall doing it, even if outside the law.

Editorial Review:

From the man whose first book inspired the movie Walking Tall now comes this startling, true account of ruthless criminals who reigned for decades.

Miss Mary Bobo's Boarding House Cookbook: A Celebration of Traditional Southern Dishes that Made Miss Mary Bobo's--An American Legend

Pat Mitchamore, Lynne Tolley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Sinfully Good Eating 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Once upon a time when folks made the trip to Lynchburg to visit that famous distillery, they had to stop at Mary Bobo's boarding house, because to pass up one of her home-cooked meals if your were so close would be nothing short of a mortal sin. Mary lived to be a hundred and one, leaving us in Nineteen Eighty-three, but you can still sample her delicious home-cooked fare by faithfully following the recipes in this book.

However, this is more than just a cookbook. There are many wonderful boarding house stories housed within these covers, so you can read a bit about Miss Mary Evans and her Beau during her courting days, or learn a bit about porch sitting, or even see a picture of Al Gore with Mary on her 99th birthday.

Last night I made up Miz Crutcher's Convent Pudding, which is a whole lot like the Macaroni Pie you can get anywhere in Trinidad. It's delicious and easy to make. In the book it explains that this was served a lot during WW II, because of shortages and the fact that people didn't have very much. Well it's still being served in the Caribbean, probably for the same reasons.

I've also done Mary Bobo's Baked Turkey with Cornbread Dreassing and let me tell you, scrumptious. Don't be lookin' for low fat, fancy dancy, new age cooking here, but what the heck, once and a while you just have to have an old-fashioned, down home, doggone good, sinful meal. And if that's what you're looking for, look no further. Five stars from me for this super book.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

Editorial Review:

This collection of over 300 recipes is a celebration of the traditional southern cooking that made this Lynchburg, Tennessee boarding house a legend. Many recipes use Jack Daniel's whiskey. Illustrated and indexed.

Co. Aytch: A Confederate Memoir of the Civil War

Sam R. Watkins

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Total reviews: 60 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

"The Fancies of Imagination in Forgetful Reverie" 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Interest in this particular Civil War memoir increased due to its being frequently quoted and referred to in the documentary series on "The Civil War" that aired on PBS stations almost twenty years ago. Thankfully, the success of the series caused "Company Aytch, or a Side Show of the Big Show" to be reprinted.

As a narrative device, film maker Ken Burns compared and contrasted the recollections of Samuel R. Watkins, a Confederate soldier who served in the Western theater of operations (principally in Tennessee and Georgia), with the diary entries of Elisha Hunt Rhodes, a Union soldier from Rhode Island. Both men saw significant combat action and both survived the war.

Although Rhodes recorded his immediate observations, Watkins began his memoirs after the war had ended and his book was published seventeen years after the Army of the Tennessee had surrendered. He had the advantage of being able to meditate on his experiences and I found his book to be of greater interest as a result.

I have read both "All for the Union" (Rhodes) and "Company Aytch" (Watkins). While both books have much to recommend them, I am partial to the latter. As a writer, Watkins produced more profound opinions. There seemed to be more color, humor, poetry and reflection in his prose. Rhodes seemed dull and factual in his summaries which often culminated with the slogan "All for the Union." I do not mean to diminish Rhodes or his military service in any manner, but Watkins is simply a better writer.

The conclusion of Watkins book is quite moving. It was memorable when broadcast on television and it is no less memorable when read from the printed page.

Editorial Review:

Early in May 1861, twenty-one-year-old Sam R. Watkins of Columbia, Tennessee, joined the First Tennessee Regiment, Company H, to fight for the Confederacy. Of the 120 original recruits in his company, Watkins was one of only seven to survive every one of its battles, from Shiloh to Nashville. Twenty years later, with a "house full of young 'rebels' clustering around my knees and bumping about my elbows," he wrote this remarkable account of "Co. Aytch" -- its common foot soldiers, its commanders, its Yankee enemies, its victories and defeats, and its ultimate surrender on April 26, 1865.

Co. Aytch is the work of a natural storyteller who balances the horror of war with an irrepressible sense of humor and a sharp eye for the lighter side of battle. Among Civil War memoirs, it is considered a classic -- a living testament to one man's enduring humanity, courage, and wisdom in the midst of death and destruction.

The Long Haul: An Autobiography

Myles Horton, Judith Kohl, Herbert Kohl

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Changed my thinking 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I was first introduced to THE LONG HAUL as a consequence of teaching a community organization course for which I had not been assigned for over 20 years. I felt I was out of my element. In seeking to prep myself for this course, I consulted key people in the US and my local community. I was prodded to read THE LONG HAUL. I must admit I was not enthusiastic. BIG MISTAKE!

After 30 years of reading social science research monographs, research proposals, dissertations, MSW theses, and textbooks, I would say that THE LONG HAUL is one of the most (and perhaps the most) profoundly important piece of literature I have read addressing the social service arena. Although it is an autobiography, it offers critical insight into the failure of social service delivery. Prior to reading THE LONG HAUL, I believed that the major failure of sociology and social work was the inability to construct a meaningful theory of cultural diversity. Social work's failure to shepherd recipients off of TANF is associated with a lack of cultural understanding. Clearly, what we need is a theory for guidance.

In his autobiography, Myles Horton takes us to the threshold of theory construction. Much of what "works" is counterintuitive. For example, if the police are monitoring Horton's actions because the authorities fear he will instigate a communist upraising, Horton will seek out the police. He would thank them for escorting him to his destination and explain to them his plans. The police move into a state of utter confusion. They are put in a position where they must walk with him rather then concealing themselves. Clearly, he knows what he is doing, but is unable to explain his actions that would enable readers to generalize these actions. The capacity of generalize and to use this generalization for an alternative environment is the heart of sociological theory. We learn how society functions by identifying patterns and see if they exist (or work) in other arenas.

Perhaps theory construction is not possible. Perhaps cultural influences are so uniquely situated that a generalization from one arena to another is not possible. What is the common theme found in all of Horton's successes? I think the answer is LISTENING. However, Horton's form of listening is not the type of listening I was taught nor the kind of listening I read in cutting edge research and respected textbooks. It is, in fact, NOT the empathic listening. I do not believe that words exists which capture the essence of this type of Horton's listening, but I believe the concept of "blind" listening comes close. In addition, sociological frameworks such as Interactionalism and Phenomenology employ terms like "bracketing." Bracketing comes close, but does not hit the bull's eye. Social workers must spend more time understanding Horton's methodology of listening, analyzing what he heard, and acting upon his analysis.

I do not recall reading any book that had such a profound effect on my thinking. This autobiography is not merely the story of Myles Horton's life but rather a roadmap for improved social service delivery and empowerment. Every social worker should read this book -- even clinicians. In fact, I would say that any social work student who does not thoroughly enjoy this book, needs to change majors.

Editorial Review:

Studs Terkel, Bill Moyer, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King, Jr. are among the many who have recognized the unique influence Myles Horton has had on American social and educational history. Horton tells in his own simple, moving language how his vision was realized in the creation of the Highlander Folk School for adults in Tennessee. 35 photographs.

Confederate Struggle For Command: General James Longstreet and the First Corps in the West (Texas A&M University Military History Series)

Alexander Mendoza

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Was Lt. Gen. James Longstreet a lackluster, indecisive leader or a victim of political circumstances?Though traditionally saddled with much of the blame for the Confederate loss at Gettysburg, Longstreet was actually a capable, resourceful, and brave commander, argues historian Alexander Mendoza. "Confederate Struggle for Command" offers a comprehensive analysis of Longstreet's leadership during his seven-month assignment in the Tennessee theater of operations. Mendoza concludes that the obstacles to effective command faced by Longstreet had at least as much to do with longstanding grievances and politically motivated prejudices as they did with any personal or military shortcomings of Longstreet's.Longstreet's First Corps parted company with Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia in September 1863. Subsequently, the First Corps contributed decisively to the Confederate victory at Chickamauga. But when Longstreet then joined a group of disaffected generals in denouncing Braxton Bragg, the commanding general of the Army of Tennessee, the resulting imbroglio hampered the effectiveness of the entire First Corps." Confederate Struggle for Command" adds an important layer of nuanced understanding to the career and legacy of Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, and will be an enjoyable and informative source for Civil War buffs, military historians, and interested general readers.

Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King's Last Campaign

Michael K. Honey

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Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Measure of the Men 5 out of 5 stars.
17 of 18 people found this review helpful.

This might be the finest book written on Martin Luther King: it certainly is the best one that I have read about him. Honey is a splendid writer, with a style that I find more accessible than Taylor Branch's. No doubt that Branch has written the seminal history of King and his times, but his writing can become tedious due to too much detail and meandering sentences.

Honey is an award-winning historian who has written two previous excellent books that demonstrate his skill as an oral historian. The outstanding feature of this book is the numerous interviews he conducted with important figures, which keep the book always absorbing.

King receives much attention, but Honey shows that the Memphis strike was led by local workers and union officials who were fighting to escape the living hell of dangerous working conditions (the strike grew out of the deaths of two sanitation workers who were mangled in a malfunctioning garbage truck when they sought shelter from a rainstorm).

In addition to the stories about the local workers and organizers, King is portrayed as an important influence who was struggling with internal fighting among black civil rights groups, includng the NAACP, the Urban League, SCLC, and SNCC, the FBI, Lyndon Johnson, who was angered by King's anti-war proclamations, and most whites who thought King was moving too fast. Any reader who questions King's leadership and selflessness, needs to read this book to have those views dispelled.

Ultimately, the Memphis strike paved the way for labor improvements throughout the South.

This superb book should be considered for all major book prizes. For King scholars, it is essential and for all other informed readers, it is an excellent narrative of King and his times.

Editorial Review:

"The definitive appreciation of the Memphis garbage strike, one of the pivotal human-rights moments in late twentieth-century America."—David Levering Lewis

Memphis in 1968 was ruled by a paternalistic "plantation mentality" embodied in its good-old-boy mayor, Henry Loeb. Wretched conditions, abusive white supervisors, poor education, and low wages locked most black workers into poverty. Then two sanitation workers were chewed up in the back of a faulty truck, igniting a months-long public-employee strike that would shake the nation. With novelistic drama and rich scholarly detail, this "first-rate chronicle" (Seattle Times) relates the riveting story of the 1968 strike that shook Memphis—and claimed Martin Luther King's life. 16 pages of illustrations.

The Jew Store: A Family Memoir

Stella Suberman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 38 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

For a real bargain, while you're making a living, you should make also a life.--Aaron Bronson. In 1920, in small town America, the ubiquitous dry goods store--suits and coats, shoes and hats, work clothes and school clothes, yard goods and notions--was usually owned by Jews and often referred to as "the Jew store." That's how Stella Suberman's father's store, Bronson's Low-Priced Store, in Concordia, Tennessee, was known locally. The Bronsons were the first Jews to ever live in that tiny town (1920 population: 5,318) of one main street, one bank, one drugstore, one picture show, one feed and seed, one hardware, one barber shop, one beauty parlor, one blacksmith, and many Christian churches. Aaron Bronson moved his family all the way from New York City to that remote corner of northwest Tennessee to prove himself a born salesman--and much more. Told by Aaron's youngest child, THE JEW STORE is that rare thing--an intimate family story that sheds new light on a piece of American history. Here is ONE MAN'S FAMILY with a twist--a Jew, born into poverty in prerevolutionary Russia and orphaned from birth, finds his way to America, finds a trade, finds a wife, and sets out to find his fortune in a place where Jews are unwelcome. With a novelist's sense of scene, suspense, and above all, characterization, Stella Suberman turns the clock back to a time when rural America was more peaceful but no less prejudiced, when educated liberals were suspect, and when the Klan was threatening to outsiders. In that setting, she brings to life her remarkable father, a man whose own brand of success proves that intelligence, empathy, liberality, and decency can build a home anywhere. THE JEW STORE is a heartwarming--even inspiring--story.