Books Read

Below is a list (with descriptions/reviews) of works that I have read. The list includes non-fiction books, journal articles, novels, plays, short stories, and more. I am in the process of writing reviews of the fiction works at the end. Some reviews feature notes about other relevant books or articles that might be of interest. Usually these refer to other titles on these lists, but occasionally they have links to my own work on a subject.

At the very bottom of this page are several reading guides, which give book recommendations topic-by-topic. 

  1. Nonfiction Books
  2. Journal Articles
  3. Thesis or Dissertations
  4. Misc. Nonfiction
  5. Fiction Books and Plays
  6. Short Stories
  7. Poetry
  8. Reading Guides

Nonfiction Books

  • The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean
    • Sam Kean has written several excellent books blending science and history. This is the first book of his I read, and it was enough to get me hooked on the others. The Disappearing Spoon focuses on the elements of the Periodic Table and reveals the hidden history behind each. The title refers to a gallium spoon dissolving when placed in hot water. The book covers elements of science history, social history, and how different elements have been perceived and used over time. 
  • The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery by Sam Kean
    • The Tale of Dueling Neurosurgeons is devoted to both the brain and the history of neuroscience. The two dueling neurosurgeons are Amboise Pare and Andreus Vesalius. Like Kean’s other books, it mixes science and history to create an engaging narrative. The different regions of the brain are explored, along with neurological conditions and unusual brains from history.  
  • The Violinist’s Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean
    • The Violinist’s Thumb is similar to the books above and covers both genetics and the history of the study of genetics. The violinist in the title is Niccolò Paganini, who suffered from Marfan Syndrome. It is much closer in scope to The Tale of Dueling Neurosurgeons as human health and medicine plays a major role in the book. 
  • Caesar’s Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us by Sam Kean
    • This fourth book by Sam Kean is about the history of air. The history of both air in general and the components of air are discussed, much like in The Disappearing Spoon. While it is odd to think about, nuclear testing and industrial pollution have changed the very content of the air we breathe, and these changes are tracked throughout human history. Also highlighted is the story of our understanding of air, and how scientists have probed its nature and contents. 
  • The Greek Way by Edith Hamilton
    • Edith Hamilton’s translation of Greek mythology, Mythology, is still commonly used today in schools. In this book, Hamilton focuses on Athens’ history in the fourth century, considered the height of Greek culture. The Greek Way was published in the 1930s, and parts are tainted with the racial views of the era. The book also shows how Hamilton’s audience approached the Greeks and their work. To pick one example, Aristophanes is compared at length to Gilbert & Sullivan. While there are plenty of more recent books to choose from on the same theme, The Greek Way still offers interesting insight into the Athenians and how they were viewed in Hamilton’s day. 
  • Magnificent Machines by James May
    • Magnificent Machines covers the great technological developments of the 20th century, from the Model T to the Space Shuttle and the pacemaker. Each chapter shares the development of these important technologies and how they impacted our modern world. 
  • Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World and Liquid Rules: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives by Mark Miodownik
    • Stuff Matters covers ten important solids integral to modern life, from Chocolate to plastic. Each chapter is presented in a different way: while one chapter may focus on the history of a substance, another is written like a movie script. A sequel to Stuff Matters, Liquid Rules covers ten important liquids. The format of the book is similar, in that each chapter is approached in a slightly different way. Both of these books offer a unique blend of history and material science. 
  • SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
    • SPQR covers Rome’s history from the legends of Romulus to 212 AD. The book largely focuses on the city of Rome opposed to the Roman Empire. It is a gripping account of the rise of Republican Rome to the early emperors, and provides a great starting point for anyone wanting to learn more about Ancient Rome without being a cursory overview. The book is a nice companion to another of Beard’s, Twelve Caesars, focusing on the legacy of the Roman Empire. 
  • Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World by Dan Koeppel
    • Banana is a history of the banana, from ancient banana eaters to modern banana republics. Koeppel shows how the banana is not as constant as we might imagine, with countless varieties across the globe often ignored in favor of the Cavendish banana, found in supermarkets across America. Koeppel also sheds light on the questionable policies of major fruit corporations in Latin America over the last century that have led to war, economic instability, and lower standards of living. Lastly, the book talks about the future of the banana industry, and how our current banana may soon be extinct.
    • For a biography of United Fruit executive Sam Zemurray, see The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America’s Banana King by Rich Cohen. 
  • Brunel: The Man Who Built the World by Steven Brindle
    • With even just a cursory glance at his life, Isambard Kingdom Brunel stands out as a figure entirely unique in human history. An innovator, an industrialist, and a visionary, Brunel changed the world forever with his marvelous railroads and gigantic ships. Steven Brindle’s book goes much more in depth into the Victorian giant, covering not just his accomplishments but his character and family. Brindle also shares the stories behind Brunel’s most important works, and why they still matter today.
  • What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Monroe
    • What if? was written by Randall Monroe, a former NASA scientist. In this book, Monroe answers life’s important questions with science, including: “What would happen if you tried to fly a normal earth plane above different solar system bodies?” and “What would happen if you tried to pitch a baseball at 90 percent the speed of light?”
  • How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems by Randall Monroe
    • How To is the sequel to What If?, with even more unique questions. While the questions are simple, such as “how to decorate a tree,” the answers are taken to the extreme. 
  • Marco Polo: The Journey that Changed the World by John Man
    • During Marco Polo’s journey to China, he saw the lavish summer palace of Xanadu. Here Polo met Kublai Khan, the emperor of China and grandson of Genghis Khan. During his time in the country Polo would see many more wonders, but none were as grand as this summer palace. John Man’s Marco Polo retraces the route of the merchant from Italy to China. Along the way deserts and mountains are crossed, and some of the sites he visited can still be found today. Man does an excellent job of sharing what exactly Polo would have seen on his journey and how it rivaled anything Polo was familiar with in Europe.
  • Paper: Paging Through History by Mark Kurlansky
    • This book covers the history of paper, from Egyptian papyrus to modern wood-based paper. It also covers the history of the uses of paper, from scrolls to books to money.
  • Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
    • Salt is about the many uses of salt from across history. Like Paper, Kurlanksy is very detailed in his research of such a simple topic. Kurlanksy has also written books on the history of cod and a history of the oyster.
  • The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization by Vince Beiser
    • Like Salt, sand seems like too simple a topic to be the subject of a book. However, Beiser’s book covers the many uses of sand from construction to microchips. It also shares the stories of people who mine sand, including “sand pirates.”
  • Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang and Nate Pederson
    • Quackery covers the important medical missteps of the past, from radium cures to reusable laxatives. 
  • The Sawbones Book: The Hilarious, Horrifying Road to Modern Medicine by Justin McElroy and Sydnee McElroy
    • Similar to Quackery, this book covers the worst ideas from medical history. Major topics are covered in more detail than in Quackery. 
  • Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character by Adm. James G. Stavridis
    • In this book, Adm. Stavridis, a former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, documents the lives of ten important admirals from naval history, covering everyone from Francis Drake to Hyman Rickover. 
    • Admiral Horatio Nelson is one of the ten admirals in this book. For biographies of Nelson, see The Nelson Touch: The Life and Legend of Horatio Nelson by Terry Coleman and Nelson: A Personal History by Christopher Hibbert. 
  • Sea Power: The History and Geopolitics of the World’s Oceans by Adm. James G. Stavridis
    • Also written by Stavridis, this book covers the history of each ocean and how they influence modern global politics.
  • Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks by Ken Jennings
    • Maphead is about modern mapmaking and geography buffs. The book’s author, Ken Jennings, is best known for his 74-game record on Jeopardy!
  • Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U. S. Navy by Ian W. Toll
    • Ian Toll’s Six Frigates covers the early U.S. Navy, from the original six ships to the end of the War of 1812. Major naval leaders from this era, such as Stephen Decatur and William Bainbridge, are also discussed. It is a fascinating way to look at how America developed and grew between the US Constitution and the War of 1812, and it makes the details of naval history interesting and engaging. 
  • Erebus: One Ship, Two Epic Voyages, and the Greatest Naval Mystery of All Time by Michael Palin
    • Erebus documents the two voyages to the polar regions by the HMS Erebus, one trip to the Antarctic and one trip to the Arctic. The ship and her sister, the HMS Terror, mysteriously disappeared on their voyage to the Arctic. The author, Michael Palin, is best known as a part of Monty Python.
  • Heirs of the Founders: The Epic Rivalry of Henry Clay, John Calhoun and Daniel Webster, the Second Generation of American Giants by H. W. Brands
    • H. W. Brand’s Heirs of the Founders covers the overlapping lives of three of the most important people in pre-Civil War America: Clay, Calhoun, and Webster. The book covers these men’s simultaneous rise after the War of 1812, the early discussions over slavery, the Nullification Crisis, the various compromises over western states, and their deaths in the early 1850s. The book provides a comprehensive overview of national politics in these often-overlooked years of our country. It also shows the efforts made to delay the impending Civil War.
  • A Short History of England: The Glorious Story of a Rowdy Nation by Simon Jenkins
    • Simon Jenkins’ book covers the history of England, from the end of the Romans control of the region to the present day. This book does a wonderful job of sharing the history of England’s leaders, whether they be kings, queens, prime ministers, or lord protectors. Very little information is included on England’s shared history with the rest of the British Isles, or the British Empire. Despite this it was still an enjoyable book to read and greatly enhanced my knowledge of England’s past.
  • A History of the World in 12 Maps by Jerry Brotton
    • This book begins in Ancient Babylon and ends with Google Earth. Twelve major world maps are covered, in addition to the societies that produced them.
  • The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West by David McCullough
    • The Pioneers traces the story of the Northwest Territory (the present-day Midwest), from the debate over its creation to the Civil War. 
    • The Northwest Territory is also covered in Measuring America: How the United States was Shaped by the Greatest Land Sale in History by Andro Linklater. 
  • A People’s History of the Supreme Court: The Men and Women Whose Cases and Decisions Have Shaped our Constitution by Peter Irons
    • This magnificent book documents the history of the Supreme Court and constitutional law. Starting with the writing of the Constitution itself, Irons documents the founders’ efforts to create “a more perfect Union,” after the Articles of Confederation failed to serve the country. After the creation of the Constitution, A People’s History of Supreme Court begins in earnest the history of the Court. The book covers both notable rulings and important leaders. People such as John Marshall, Dred Scott, Homer Plessy, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., and Warren Berger provide a human view into our Constitution, both in how it is interpreted and how it is viewed. Peter Irons’ book masterfully shares the Supreme Court’s history, while also providing a view into the people it has influenced.
    • This book prompted me to read several books about Supreme Court justices. For more information, see my reviews of John Marshall: The Final Founder by Robert Strauss, John Marshall: The Man who Made the Supreme Court by Richard Brookhiser, The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America’s Judicial Hero by Peter J. Canellos, and  Oliver Wendell Holmes: A Life in War, Law, and Ideas by Stephen Budiansky. 
    • For more information on Plessy v. Ferguson, see Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America’s Journey from Slavery to Segregation by Steve Luxenberg.
  • Napoleon’s Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed the World by Penny Le Coutuer & Jay Burreson
    • This book covers seventeen molecules, and their important contributions to World History. The title refers to the tin buttons of Napoleon’s army, which may have led to his failure in Russia. 
  • John Quincy Adams: American Visionary by Fred Kaplan
    • This well-researched biography covers one of the most important and interesting forgotten presidents: John Quincy Adams. The book details many of the most interesting events of his life: his childhood adventures to Europe, his role in ending the War of 1812, his presidency, and his anti-slavery advocacy after he left office. Kaplan makes extensive use of Adam’s diaries, so while reading it is easy to get a sense of how Adams viewed his own life. This also means that the book is packed with unique details outside of his career, including his relationship with his famous father and his personal tastes. 
  • A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico by Amy S. Greenberg
    • The Mexican American War is not as widely respected compared to other major conflicts of the nineteenth century, and is often maligned due to its imperial ambitions. However, this war created the legacy of James K. Polk, expanded our nation’s borders, and made Zachary Taylor president. More darkly, it set the stage for the Civil War by reopening wounds long thought closed. This forgotten war greatly shaped our nation and Greenberg does an excellent job explaining its significance to the politics of the 1840s and beyond. 
    • For a book focusing on the military side of the war, see The Mexican War, 1846-1848 by K. Jack Bauer. 
    • For Greenberg’s examination of William Walker and the Filibusters of the 1850s, see “A Gray-Eyed Man: Character, Appearance, and Filibustering” by Amy S. Greenberg (Journal of the Early Republic, Vol. 20, No. 4). 
  • The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II by Nicholas Wapshott
    • As the Nazis rose to power in Europe, many recognized that war was inevitable. In the United States, many isolationists did not want to get involved in any overseas conflicts. The Sphinx documents FDR’s attempts to ready America for war and convince the public a second World War would greatly impact the nation. The book also documents the efforts of major isolationist figures like Joseph Kennedy, Charles Lindbergh, and Father Coughlin. “The Sphinx” excellently documents a unique part of Roosevelt’s time in office.
    • For a book about FDR vs. Charles Lindbergh, see America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War by H. W. Brands.
    • For a biography of FDR, see Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt by H. W. Brands and Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America by Douglas Brinkley. 
    • Father Coughlin (and Huey Long) are the subject of the dual biography Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and the Great Depression by Alan Brinkley.
    • Joseph Kennedy is the subject of The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy by David Nasaw
  • The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science by Sam Kean
    • Sam Kean has previously written four excellent books similar to The Icepick Surgeon; a book on the history of periodic table, a book on the history of genetics, a book on the history of neuroscience, and a book on the history of air. This newest book, as the title suggests, is all about fraudulent medicine. This book covers everything from ancient Egypt to the last decade and is filled with gory details of medicine’s history. Everything from botanist-pirates to murderers and grave robbers to petty paleontologists is found inside The Icepick Surgeon. If you are looking for a non-fiction fright for Halloween, this is the book I would suggest.
  • This Hallowed Ground: A History of the Civil War by Bruce Catton
    • Bruce Catton’s book covers the Union Army during the Civil War. The period from Bleeding Kansas to Appomattox is covered in detail. The book is considered a modern classic, and Catton is well known for his efforts in sharing the story of the Civil War.
  • Sea of Glory: America’s Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 by Nathaniel Philbrick
    • In 1838, an expedition set sail to the Pacific Ocean to document the unexplored area, much like Lewis and Clark’s journey on land decades before. The voyage enhanced our scientific understanding of the Pacific, but due to the actions of its egotistical captain was deemed a failure and became a footnote of history. This book by noted author Nathaniel Philbrick reexamines the U.S. Exploring Expedition and its captain and analyzes why this forgotten mission failed and the groundbreaking scientific knowledge that was gained.
  • Conquest: How Societies Overwhelm Others by David Day
    • If there is more than one way to skin a cat, there are also many ways to conquer. Day’s book covers many of the ways utilized over the centuries, from warfare to cultural assimilation. 
  • Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America’s Destiny by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yeager
    • As the title implies, this book covers the actions of Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812, particularly at the Battle of New Orleans. While the Battle of New Orleans was technically fought after the end of the war, it still greatly increased the morale of the young nation.
    • A full biography of Jackson can be found in Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times by H. W. Brands. 
  • The Governors of Georgia, 1754 – 2004 by James F. Cook
    • The Governors of Georgia gives brief biographical information about each person who has held the office of Governor of Georgia. The highlight of the book is the Three Governors Controversy, when three men claimed they were the Governor of Georgia. 
    • For a more detailed examination of the Three Governors Controversy, see The Three Governors Controversy: Skullduggery, Machinations, and the Decline of Georgia’s Progressive Politics by Charles S. Bullock III, Scott E. Buchanan, and Ronald Keith Gaddie.
    • This book was a major resource in researching the lives of governors buried at Atlanta’s Oakland Cemetery and in creating a research poster on the homes of Georgia’s governors.
    • Information on James Oglethorpe, Georgia’s founder, and his role in the abolition movement can be found in James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia: A Founder’s Journey from Slave Trader to Abolitionist by Michael L. Thurmond and Oglethorpe in America by Phinizy Spalding.
    • Royal Governor James Wright is the subject of From Empire to Revolution: Sir James Wright and the Price of Loyalty in Georgia by Greg Brooking. The role of Governor James Wright immediately before the revolution is covered in “‘No Stamps, No Riot Act’”: Governor James Wright and the Stamp Crisis of Georgia” by Greg Brooking (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVII, No. 3). 
    • Joseph E. Brown is a major figure in Modern Cronies: Southern Industrialism from the Gold Rush to Convict Labor, 1829-1894 by Kenneth Wheeler. 
    • Alexander Stephens is the subject of Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia: A Biography by Thomas E. Schott. The story of Harry and Eliza Stephens, the enslaved servants of Governor Alexander Stephens, is covered in “The House That Harry Stephens Built: How an Emancipated Family’s Home Was Hijacked for the Lost Cause” by Emily McClatchey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVIII, No. 1). 
    • John Marshall Slaton’s bold stance in commuting the sentence of Leo Frank is explored in And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank by Steve Oney. 
    • For a biography of governor Hoke Smith, see Hoke Smith and the Politics of the New South by Dewey W. Grantham Jr.
    • Cook explored Carl Sander’s life in more detail in Carl Sanders: Spokesman of the New South.
    • The County Unit System of electing governors that was in effect from 1917 to 1962 is covered in several articles: “The County Unit System of Georgia: Facts and Prospects” by William G. Cornelius (The Western Political Quarterly, Vol. 14, No. 4), “Georgia’s County Unit System of Election” by Albert B. Saye (The Journal of Politics, Vol. 12, No. 1), “The County Unit Vote in Maryland, Mississippi, and Georgia Elections” by Virginia Wood Hughes (The Georgia Review, Vol. 5, No. 4), “Georgia’s County Unit System, Fountainhead of Democratic Government” by Herman E. Talmadge (The Georgia Review, Vol. 5, No. 4), and “Georgia County Unit Vote” (Columbia Law Review, Vol. 47, No. 2). 
  • 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann
    • 1491 is about the great empires and cultures that dominated the Americas before Columbus. From the complex Iroquois Confederation to the powerful Aztecs, and the administrative Inca to the forgotten Amazonian empires, 1491 covers a wide variety of cultures, societies, and civilizations. 
    • The book’s sequel, 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created, is reviewed further down this list. 
  • A Brief History of the Age of Steam by Thomas Crump
    • This brief history covers the history of steam engines from their invention in the eighteenth century to the rise of internal combustion engines in the mid-twentieth century. The book discusses a wide variety of applications for the steam engine, from ships to trains.
  • Metropolis: A History of Mankind, Humankind’s Greatest Invention by Ben Wilson
    • Metropolis has a simple premise: what if our greatest human invention is not a device or gadget but the city. This book covers the creation of the city in Mesopotamia to modern metropolises like New York and Los Angeles. The book also discusses how cities have adapted to new societies and situations.
  • Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and Nelson’s Battle of Trafalgar by Adam Nicholson
    • Seize the Fire is about the Battle of Trafalgar, particularly the English leaders. Because of the leadership shown by Lord Nelson and his “band of brothers,” the naval aspect of the Napoleonic Wars was over a full ten years before the fighting on land was done. It is one of the pivotal moments in Napoleonic France, and set the stage for Britain’s naval supremacy over the next century. The image of Nelson at Trafalgar can be seen as a predecessor to the hagiography surrounding Britain’s later imperial heroes. 
    • For a biography of Horatio Nelson, see The Nelson Touch: The Life and Legend of Horatio Nelson by Terry Coleman and Nelson: A Personal History by Christopher Hibbert. 
    • The life of the average sailor is seen in Sons of the Waves: A History of the Common Sailor, 1740-1840 by Stephen Taylor. 
  • The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T. J. Stiles
    • This thorough and well-researched biography is about one of the most infamous businessmen in history: Cornelius Vanderbilt. The First Tycoon covers Vanderbilt from his humble upbringing to his death, and details how he became the most powerful and wealthy men in America. Many of his more well-known exploits, like Grand Central Station and the Erie War, are covered. It also shares many forgotten parts of life, like his attempts to build a canal across Nicaragua. Stiles’ biography gives a comprehensive look at a very interesting character, and I highly recommend reading it.
    • The filibuster William Walker, who derailed Vanderbilt’s plans in Nicaragua, is featured prominently in Manifest Destiny’s Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America by Robert E. May.
  • Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
    • Shackleton’s expedition is one of the most heroic and adventurous stories of the twentieth century, and since its publication in the 1950s Endurance has been the definitive book on the expedition. 
    • For more information on the expedition that found Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance, see The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance by Mensun Bound. 
  • The Vagabonds: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s Ten-Year Road Trip by Jeff Guinn
    • Starting in the mid-1910s, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, John Burroughs, and Harvey Firestone began taking summer road trips by automobile. For the next ten years they would visit remote parts of the country. At the same time the automobile was becoming more popular, and the Vagabond Trips coincided with the rise of the summer road trip in America. The Vagabonds is the story of these trips and how the public images of Ford and Edison changed during the decade they traveled.
  • Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome’s Greatest Politician by Anthony Everitt
    • Marcus Tullius Cicero is not a figure widely discussed today, but he played an important role in the final years of the Roman Republic. He was also known as an eloquent statesman and lover of public speaking, which added to his importance. Using letters written by Cicero to his friend Atticus, Anthony Everitt’s biography shares both the personal details of Cicero’s life and the empire-changing events taking place at the same time. This is a book I absolutely enjoyed reading, and I look forward to reading books from the same author.
    • The fall of the Roman Republic is also explored in Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland. 
  • The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books: Christopher Columbus, His Son, and the Quest to Build the World’s Greatest Library by Edward Wilson-Lee
    • Everyone has likely heard this limerick at least once: “In fourteen-hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Columbus would return to America three more times, including once with his illegitimate son Hernando. The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books is Hernando’s story. He worked to curate his father’s image and turn him into a major figure of world history, even despite Christopher Columbus’s legal difficulties with the Spanish crown. The longtime popular image of Columbus was created by Hernando.  Additionally, Hernando had a quest of his own: to build the world’s largest library. Since printing was still in its infancy, he hoped to collect one piece of every book or booklet ever printed. On this massive quest to create a proto-Google, Hernando Columbus would ultimately fail, but the story of his attempt is masterfully told here. 
  • John Marshall: The Final Founder by Robert Strauss
    • This biography of former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall tells his life’s story and how he influenced the nation. The book also argues that Marshall is the final founding father. The book attempts to show the influence of Marshall on American history, but it is a lackluster attempt. Seemingly every other chapter is on a topic tangentially related to John Marshall, with little insight into his actual life. This is a book I cannot recommend.
    • After reading this work, I decided to find another biography of John Marshall. See my review of Richard Brookhiser’s John Marshall: The Man who Made the Supreme Court for more information.
  • The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America’s Judicial Hero by Peter J. Canellos
    • In the infamous Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson, there was only one dissenter: John Marshall Harlan. The book focuses on how Harlan was ahead of his time in many of his dissenting opinions and how he was later vindicated. From his time fighting for the Union in Civil War-era Kentucky to his forward-thinking opinions on the Supreme Court, Harlan was once a maligned and is now a respected figure of our nation’s judicial past. 
    • For more information on Plessy v. Ferguson, see Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America’s Journey from Slavery to Segregation by Steve Luxenberg.
  • Oliver Wendell Holmes: A Life in War, Law, and Ideas by Stephen Budiansky
    • Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., like John Marshall and John Marshall Harlan, was a giant of Supreme Court history. Known for his witty sayings and easy to understand court opinions, Holmes also played a key role in how we understand the Constitution. 
  • City of Fortune: How Venice Won and Lost a Naval Empire by Roger Crowley
    • At one time, the Mediterranean Sea was the most important waterway in the western world. One power ruled over the mighty Mediterranean: Venice. Rising to power after the Fourth Crusade, Venice would remain in control of Europe’s water trade until the Fall of Constantinople and the discovery of the New World. City of Fortune shows how the city bridged the East and West, and often acted separately from the rest of Europe. It shows how Venice emerged as one of the world’s most important cities, and the factors that eventually led to its relative irrelevance in world affairs. 
    • The Fourth Crusade, that led to Venice’s rise to power, is also addressed in Crusaders: The Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands by Dan Jones. 
  • The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes
    • The Forgotten Man recounts the Great Depression from the Roaring Twenties to the start of World War II. The book focuses on major players, such as Franklin Roosevelt, Father Divine, Andrew Mellon, and Wendell Willkie. Crucially, Shlaes argues that a Willkie victory in 1940 would have been better for American society. 
    • For another perspective on the Great Depression, see The Great Depression: America, 1929-1941 by Robert S. McElvane.
  • The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister’s Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsey Fitzharris
    • At the start of the Victorian Era, surgery was unsanitary, bloody, gory, and painful, yet by the end of the century it would be clean and safe. This radical change was largely due to the efforts of one man: Joseph Lister. The Butchering Art is about both Joseph Lister and the story of modern medicine. It shares how the moment Lister recognized cleanliness was important in medicine changed hospitals forever. The rest of Lister’s life was devoted to cleaning up places that had previously been death traps. The Butchering Art is also filled with fun (and gory) anecdotes and stories from the rough-and-tumble world of nineteenth century medicine.
  • The Canal Builders: Making America’s Empire at the Panama Canal by Julie Greene
    • When the Panama Canal was built, thousands of workers flooded to Central America to work on the project. While some lived a life of luxury, others lived and worked in conditions now considered intolerable. The Canal Builders is the story of both the canal’s construction and the people who built it. 
  • Lightning Man: The Accursed Life of Samuel F. B. Morse by Kenneth Silverman
    • Few Americans have played a more critical role in the development of our modern world than Samuel F. B. Morse, who invented the American telegraph. At the same time, many do not know the details of Morse’s life. Lightning Man tells the story of this unique artist-turned-inventor and how his device revolutionized the world in his lifetime. It is a superb account of the life of a forgotten American.
  • Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts
    • This tome is about the life of one of history’s most debated figures: Napoleon Bonaparte. For over two centuries he has been a figure instantly recognizable, in large part because of the legends and myths which surround him. In this biography, Andrew Roberts seeks to clarify misconceptions and share the true story of the life of the French emperor. Along the way, he provides valuable insight into Napoleon and his contemporaries.
  • Scientifica Historica: How the World’s Great Science Books Chart the History of Knowledge by Brain Clegg
    • Clegg’s book is about the history of science in writing, from Aristotle and Galen to Stephen Hawking. Scientifica Historica is devoted to the great science works of the past several millennia and covers every scientific topic imaginable. The book covers around 100 books from all areas of science, but is not able to cover each book in depth. Instead, more attention is given to how these books relate to each other and influence research or the popular understanding of science. 
  • Barons of the Sea: And Their Race to Build the World’s Fastest Clipper Ship by Stephen Ujifusa
    • In the years between the American Revolution and the Civil War, American traders became a presence across the globe. To facilitate this change, a new type of ship had to be built to get goods to market faster. Called the “Clipper Ship,” the race to build faster and larger ships is the subject of “Barons of the Sea.” Ujifusa does a wonderful job of sharing the history of these ships and the people who built these leviathans. Covering the early voyages of the clippers to China to the end of the Civil War, Barons of the Sea is an excellent book about an underappreciated part of our nation’s history.
  • Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick
    • When the Pilgrims landed in 1620 they faced many hardships, but by 1621 they were celebrating Thanksgiving. While the story usually ends there, in the 1670s King Philip’s War would ravage New England. Mayflower provides more detail about the story of the Pilgrim’s crossing, and how their actions lead to a war fifty years later.
    • A much more humorous account of the Puritans can be found in The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell.
  • Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky
    • Since the Middle Ages cod has been one of the world’s most important sources of food, and Cod traces the history of cod and cod fishing since then. Cod is also about how Cod has been overfished and may soon be gone from our menus forever. 
  • The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shelf by Mark Kurlanksy
    • Since the earliest human settlements in New York harbor, the area has been known for its oysters. They became a business when the Dutch settled, an industry when the British took over, and an icon under the United States. The Big Oyster explains how the bivalve went from a world-renowned icon of New York City to a forgotten part of the history of the Big Apple. 
  • Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution by H. W. Brands
    • Our First Civil War is about the conflict which divided America into two warring factions: the American Revolution. Why did some people decide to create a new country? Why did others wish to stay allied with Great Britain? These questions are the theme of Our First Civil War. 
  • Conquistador: Hernán Cortés, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs by Buddy Levy
    • Conquistador is about the conqueror who took for Spain the world’s largest city: Hernán Cortés. At the time, Tenochtitlan was ten times larger than Europe’s largest city, and was the metropole of the massive Aztec Empire. Through firepower, diplomacy, and attrition, Cortés managed to capture the city for Spain. 
  • The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset of the Civil War by Michael F. Holt
    • Holt’s book documents the often forgotten and derided Whig Party. From its beginnings during Andrew Jackson’s presidency to its disintegration shortly before the Civil War, The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party seeks to answer questions about how the Whig party came into power and how and why it fell apart so soon. 
  • The Nelson Touch: The Life and Legend of Horatio Nelson by Terry Coleman
    • Lord Nelson has been viewed variously as a hero, a villain, a daring adventure, a tyrant, and a saint. The Nelson Touch is a biography of the Admiral that seeks to examine these various interpretations and how they formed during and after his life, all while sharing his life story. Though he could be deeply flawed, Nelson remains a hero unlike any other. Coleman does a good job balancing the flawed man, the imagined hero, and the complicated figure in-between.
    • For a detailed look at the Battle of Trafalgar, where Nelson died, see Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and Nelson’s Battle of Trafalgar by Adam Nicholson.
    • For an examination of why there is no American’s Nelson, see “Why Doesn’t America Have a Nelson? Does It Need One” by James Holmes (Naval War College Review, Vol. 58, No. 4).
    • For a look at Nelson’s leadership style, the Nelson Touch, see “Lord Nelson: Master of Command” by Michael A. Palmer (Naval War College Review, Vol. 41, No. 1). 
    • For an additional biography of Nelson, see Nelson: A Personal History by Christopher Hibbert. 
  • The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy by David Nasaw
    • Before his son was president, many expected his father Joe would become president. The Patriarch is about the rise, fall, and rise again of the patriarch of one of the nation’s most powerful political families;
  • Nothing Like It in the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-69 by Stephen E. Ambrose
    • In this book, Ambrose covers the birth and construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, one of the largest engineering feats of the nineteenth century. From its birth during the Mexican American War as a far-fetched dream to its realization after the Civil War, the railroad’s construction proves to be a fascinating story. 
  • Alexander the Great: His Life and His Mysterious Death by Anthony Everitt
    • The goal of Everitt’s biography is to show that Alexander still deserves the title of “the Great,” ages after he lived. Alexander’s military conquests created one the largest empires in the world, but it all came crashing down after his death. Everitt sifts through the life and legend of Alexander to find the reality about this often-mythologized figure. This is an excellent biography of a unique character from the ancient past. 
  • The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans by David Abulafia
    • The Boundless Sea is an ambitious history of the oceans, from the earliest voyagers who set out into the Pacific to the massive container ships of today. Several thousand years of maritime history are covered in the weighty tome. 
  • Conquering Gotham: Building Penn Station and Its Tunnels by Jill Jonnes
    • Pennsylvania Station was one of the grandest buildings of the twentieth century and was sadly demolished in the 1960s. “Conquering Gotham” is the story of the station’s planning and construction. Along the way, the stories of the individuals involved with Penn Station’s construction are shared, from railroad leader Alexander Cassatt to the architects of McKim, Mead, and White. Conquering Gotham does an excellent job of sharing both the story of a building but also of the people and city that surrounded its grand edifice.
  • Crusaders: The Epic History of the Wars for the Holy Lands by Dan Jones
    • Since the first crusade in the eleventh century, they have been idolized, vilified, and examined repeatedly. Crusaders seeks to share the story of the (many) Medieval crusades by providing overviews of their cause, leaders, battles, and effects on both sides of the conflict. Jones also seeks to show why the Crusades are still relevant in the twenty-first century. 
    • The Fourth Crusade is an important subject in City of Fortune: How Venice Won and Lost a Naval Empire by Roger Crowley.
    • Dan Jones’ The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God’s Holy Warriors offers a more detailed look at that organization and its role in the Crusades. 
  • All Blood Runs Red: The Legendary Life of Eugene Bullard-Boxer, Pilot, Soldier, Spy by Phil Keith with Tom Clavin
    • Eugene Bullard was a hero of France, serving in both world wars. He was a spy, helping the French as the Nazi’s overtook Europe. He was a boxer, who gained fame across the Old World. He was a nightclub owner, who was acquainted with everyone from Langston Hughes to Fred Astaire and Josephine Baker to Louis Armstrong. Most importantly, he was the first African American military pilot in history. All Blood Runs Red is the remarkable story of this often forgotten individual. 
  • American Republics: A Continental History of the United States, 1783-1850 by Alan Taylor
    • This history of early America is a stroll through the first 70 years of our country. It covers a variety of subjects that impacted the nation and is a great starting point for research into this period. Instead of being a chronological history, the story is grouped into categories, which makes it easier to learn about topics but harder to grasp a sense of continuity. 
  • Nathaniel’s Nutmeg: or, The True and Incredible Adventures of the Spice Trader who Changed the Course of History by Giles Milton
    • This somewhat short book covers the early history of the English East India Company and its rivalry with its Dutch counterpart. At the heart of the conflict is the Banda Islands, home of nutmeg trees. In the seventeenth century, nutmeg was almost as valuable as gold, and the English and Dutch fought for control of its only natural source. Eventually, the Dutch gave the English New Amsterdam  in exchange for one of the Banda Islands, Run. The English would go on to turn New Amsterdam into America’s most important city, while the Banda Islands are all but forgotten today. 
    • This book was read while researching the Dutch East India Company for a class paper. 
  • Roanoke: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Colony by Lee Miller
    • The mystery of Roanoke will likely never be solved. The colonists of England’s first New World settlement were last seen in 1587 and the colonists were never seen again. In this book on the colony, Miller proposes that Lord Walsingham hired spies to doom the expedition and that the colonists were sold into slavery in the middle of North Carolina. While the book does bounce around the island’s history, it still provides an entertaining read. This book covers in detail the many stories that culminated in the Roanoke colony, though the stories are not always in chronological order, making it hard to follow at some points. 
  • Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern by Mary Beard
    • The latest book by author and historian Mary Beard is a fascinating look at the Roman emperors. Since their reigns centuries ago, they have been figures who both inspire and frighten. From the crimes of Caligula and the death of Vitellius to Nero fiddling as Rome burned and Domitian’s torturing of flies, they are surrounded by legend. Twelve Caesars seeks to show how the Roman emperors have been depicted on coinage, in paintings, and in sculpture. This superb book covers over 2,000 years of history but is engaging throughout. At the heart of this excellent tale is a story of changing understandings of the emperor’s legacies.
  • John Marshall: The Man who Made the Supreme Court by Richard Brookhiser
    • John Marshall’s time on the Supreme Court changed our nation’s government forever. Regarded by some to be the final founding father, this biography by well-known author Richard Brookhiser is a good look at his life and legacy. However, it still leaves me wanting more about Marshall’s life. 
    • Of the two books about Marshall I have read, this one is the best. The biography I was not as fond of was John Marshall: The Final Founder by Robert Strauss. 
  • The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkinson
    • The desert’s of Egypt, even in the twenty-first century, are barren and inhospitable. How did one of the world’s longest lasting ancient civilizations grow and thrive in Egypt? What caused its fall? Wilkinson’s history of Ancient Egypt seeks to answer these questions while showing the pharaohs that reigned for over two thousand years. 
  • Mirage: Napoleon’s Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt by Nina Burleigh
    • When Napoleon arrived in Egypt in 1798 he entered an unknown, antique land. To study the wonders of Egypt he brought with him a group of scientists called the savants. Mirage is the story of these scientists’ studies with several looks at individual savants. 
  • The Keys of Egypt: The Obsession to Decipher Egyptian Hieroglyphs by Lesley and Roy Adkins
    • When the scientist’s of Napoleon returned to Egypt, they brought with them enough material from the expedition to start the field of egyptology. There was only one problem: no one could read hieroglyphics. The Keys of Egypt is both the story of the race to read hieroglyphics, and the story of the man who cracked the code, Jean-Francois Champillon.
  • The First World War by John Keegan
    • World War I changed the face of the Earth, literally and figuratively. The impact of the war can still be felt across the globe, from America to Europe and the Middle East to Africa. The First World War is the story of this conflict: how it started, how it was fought, and how it ended. Keegan provides a wonderful overview of “the war to end all wars.”
  • The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History by John M. Barry
    • The 1918-19 Influenza pandemic, which spread across the globe in the wake of World War I, remains the deadliest pandemic in history. This book covers the story of the American scientists working to stop the pandemic and the public who was faced with a menace unlike any seen before. It is not just a tale of a deadly pandemic but a story of America’s changing attitudes towards science a century ago.
  • General Patton: A Soldier’s Life by Stanley P. Hirshson
    • Patton is a figure of contradictions, and remains one of the best loved general’s of World War II. In this biography, Hirshson traces Patton’s life from his birth to his death, and finally his legacy. 
  • The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter
    • The Monuments Men, also called the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program, was a group of soldiers during World War II dedicated to preserving Europe’s cultural heritage. The Monuments Men tells the story of these brave soldiers and their quest to save the past for the future. 
  • The Three Governors Controversy: Skullduggery, Machinations, and the Decline of Georgia’s Progressive Politics by Charles S. Bullock III, Scott E. Buchanan, and Ronald Keith Gaddie
    • Georgia’s Three Governors Controversy, which took place in 1947, is easily the strangest event to ever take place in Georgia political history. During this time our state had not one, not two, but three men who claimed they were the Governor of Georgia. This book shares the story of and the people involved with that unique chapter of our history.
    • For a history of Georgia’s governors, see The Governors of Georgia, 1754 – 2004 by James F. Cook. 
    • Eugene Talmadge, whose death sparked the controversy, is explored in “The Ideology of Eugene Talmadge” by Sarah McCulloh Lemmon (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 38, No. 3). 
    • The 1946 primary was the only election in the state’s history where the candidate who won the popular vote lost to a candidate who won the county unit vote, Georgia’s controversial Electoral College-style system. More information on the County Unit System can be found in “The County Unit System of Georgia: Facts and Prospects” by William G. Cornelius (The Western Political Quarterly, Vol. 14, No. 4), “Georgia’s County Unit System of Election” by Albert B. Saye (The Journal of Politics, Vol. 12, No. 1), “The County Unit Vote in Maryland, Mississippi, and Georgia Elections” by Virginia Wood Hughes (The Georgia Review, Vol. 5, No. 4), “Georgia’s County Unit System, Fountainhead of Democratic Government” by Herman E. Talmadge (The Georgia Review, Vol. 5, No. 4), and “Georgia County Unit Vote” (Columbia Law Review, Vol. 47, No. 2).
    • See also “The Georgia Gubernatorial Primary of 1946” by William L. Belvin, Jr. (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 50, No. 1)
  • Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
    • David Starr Jordan was one of the best-known ichthyologists (fish scientists) of his time. His rows and rows of specimens represented decades of hard work. One day, during the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, his collection was destroyed entirely. Why Fish Don’t Exist is the story of Jordan, his collection, and how he rebuilt. Weaved into the story of Jordan is the author’s memoir of how she became fascinated by his collection of specimens. It is a very unique approach to biography, and a fascinating look at the single-minded determination of one man and how our understanding of what is right and wrong in science can shift over time.
  • All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward
    • All the President’s Men is considered a non-fiction classic. The book is about the investigations into Watergate, and was written by the reporters who first brought attention to the story. From burglary to the mysterious “Deep Throat,” All the President’s Men is an exciting tale of scandal and intrigue. 
  • Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price
    • The Vikings are some of the most enigmatic people in history, only because of their status as pop culture icons. Children of Ash and Elm seeks to show who the Vikings actually were: in society, in trade, and in war.
  • The Unexpected President: The Life and Times of Chester Arthur by Scott S. Greenberger
    • Few presidents are more forgotten than Chester Alan Arthur. Becoming our nation’s leader after the assassination of James A. Garfield, many viewed Arthur’s ascendancy with trepidation. He proved a capable leader, and The Unexpected President shows why Arthur should be remembered.  
    • Chester Arthur was a close ally of New York Senator Roscoe Conkling. For a biography of this ally, see The Gentleman from New York: A Life of Roscoe Conkling by Donald Barr Chidsey. 
  • The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen
    • Since the Library of Alexandria the library has been a place of learning, and a status symbol. The Library: A Fragile History traces the many rises and many falls of libraries in world history. From the Medieval monasteries to the large public libraries of today, The Library is both comprehensive and engaging. 
  • Land: How the Hunger for Ownership Shaped the Modern World by Simon Winchester
    • There is very little that is done in life that does not involve land. It makes up 25% of the globe, and a great deal more of our day-to-day lives. Land seeks to share the story of this asset: how it is viewed, how it is owned, and how it is fought over. Winchester, in this far-reaching book, seeks to show just how important land truly is. 
  • Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor by Russell S. Bonds
    • On April 12, 1862, the locomotive General was stolen, starting the Great Locomotive Chase. Stealing the General tells the story of this exciting adventure and the men who participated in it. Ultimately, the first Medals of Honor would be awarded to several of the “Andrews Raiders.”
    • I covered the legacy of the Great Locomotive Chase in an article for Atlanta’s Oakland Cemetery. The Great Locomotive Chase was mentioned several times in my articles for Around Kennesaw, most notably in my article on the Medal of Honor. 
  • Grant by Ron Chernow
    • Grant is not just the biography of a well-respected General, but the story of a forgotten President. Chernow seeks to show why Grant was one of the greatest Generals of the Civil War, and how his historical reputation has suffered because of his honesty and forward-thinking qualities. It is an excellent read, and provides valuable insight into the life of Ulysses S. Grant. 
    • For a review of another Chernow biography, see Washington: A Life below. 
  • Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
    • Considered a modern classic, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is about Savannah, the oldest city in Georgia. The book is filled with unique individuals and stories that highlight the uniqueness of the historic city. While technically non-fiction, the book reads like a novel. This book is enthralling, and several years after reading remains my favorite book. 
  • Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland
    • Rubicon tells the story from Sulla to Augustus, when the Roman Republic ended and was replaced by an empire. Along the way notable Romans like Caesar, Cicero, Pompey, Mark Antony, and Brutus are all introduced. This is a wonderful work about the first fall of Rome. 
    • The fall of the Roman Republic is seen through the eyes of Cicero in Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome’s Greatest Politician by Anthony Everitt. 
  • Sons of the Waves: A History of the Common Sailor, 1740-1840 by Stephen Taylor
    • Sons of the Waves was read in preparation for reading Master and Commander, and provides valuable insight into the life of historic sailors. From mutinies to shipwrecks to battles to exotic destinations, this book is truly remarkable in its scope. 
  • Visions of Science: Books and Readers at the Dawn of the Victorian Age by James A. Secord
    • The major scientific developments of the early 1800s are well documented, but how did people respond to these changes? Visions of Science tells the story of several of the most important scientific works that attempt to bring these changes to the masses. While some of the science was groundbreaking, other new fields like Phrenology are now rightfully frowned on today. Ultimately, Secord seeks to show how these novel scientific changes impacted individuals across the globe.
  • Cork Wars: Intrigue and Industry in World War II by David A. Taylor
    • One of the forgotten sagas of World War II is the role the cork industry played. In Cork Wars, David A. Taylor uncovers this hidden history through the eyes of people in the industry. The story of the Crown Cork & Seal Co., the main focus of the book, involves everything from espionage to horticulture. 
  • The Age of Wood: Our Most Useful Material and the Construction of Civilization by Roland Ennos
    • Wood at one time was ubiquitous in homes, buildings, and tools. This book is the story of wood as a material, and how we as a species have been changed by wood and how we have changed it in turn. Ennos seeks to show why wood has apparently gone away, and why we should resurrect it as the material of the future. 
  • Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy by Larry Tye
    • In this biography, Larry Tye seeks to show the true Joe McCarthy, good and bad. The common idea of Joe McCarthy as a bully is shown to be true and, in some cases, understated. Above all the book is a warning against future demagogues. 
  • Herbert Hoover: A Life by Glen Jeansonne
    • Herbert Hoover is an often maligned president, but what was he really like? This biography seeks to show, convincingly, that Hoover is in fact one of our more impressive presidents. During his life it is estimated he provided food to over 83 million individuals, and during his time in office was less complacent than commonly presented. This book is a fascinating portrait of a unique American. 
    • For information on the story of Hoover Dam, see Colossus: The Turbulent, Thrilling Saga of the Building of the Hoover Dam by Michael Hiltzik. 
  • Manifest Destiny’s Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America by Robert E. May
    • In the 1850s, Americans believed the future of the United States lay in South America. Individuals like John Quitman and William Walker sought to take over countries like Cuba and Nicaragua for the young republic.  Manifest Destiny’s Underworld is a history of these modern day pirates, and shows the importance they played in American politics and culture before the Civil War. 
    • Filibuster William Walker is covered in The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T. J. Stiles. He is also the focus of several journal articles I have read: “A Gray-Eyed Man: Character, Appearance, and Filibustering” by Amy S. Greenberg (Journal of the Early Republic, Vol. 20, No. 4); “William Walker and the Steamship Corporation in Nicaragua” by William Oscar Scroggs (American Historical Review, Vol. 10, No. 4); “William Walker” by John M. Bass (The American Historical Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 3) and “Review: William Walker and the History of Nicaragua in the Nineteenth Century” by Ralph Lee Woodward Jr. (Latin American Research Review, Vol. 15, No. 1).
    • More about filibusters can be found in “Young American Males and Filibustering in the Age of Manifest Destiny: The United States Army as a Cultural Mirror” by Robert E. May (The Journal of American History, Vol. 78, No. 3); “The Domestic Consequences of American Imperialism: Filibustering and Howard Pyle’s Pirates” by Robert E. May (American Studies, Vol. 46, No. 2) and “The Invention of Latin America: A Transnational History of Anti-Imperialism, Democracy, and Race” by Michel Gobat (The American Historical Review, Vol. 118, No. 5). 
  • A History of the Life and Death Virtues and Exploits of General George Washington by Mason Locke Weems
    • Also called The Life of Washington, this biography has had a greater impact on Washington’s legacy than any other book about the statesman. Sadly, the book is also famous for its made-up stories, exaggeration of the truth, and hyperbole. It is interesting as a piece of Washingtoniana, but not as a legitimate biography. 
  • Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
    • After reading Weems’ biography of our first president, I decided to read a book by an actual historian. In this story of Washington’s life, Ron Chernow shows how George Washington actually was a great man, but with a well-hidden temper and some contradictory views. Chernow shows how Washington became “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts in his countrymen.” Chernow is well-known for his large biographies of historical figures. The only book by him I had read previously is Grant, which I found a more engaging book (in part due to its subject). Washington was stoic with a mythological demeanor, so in Chernow’s account of his life it was harder to find a man behind the facts. Grant, on the other hand, had deeper flaws and a less stoic character, making him easier to identify with and to try to understand. 
    • For a look at Mary Ball Washington, and a young George, see Mary Ball Washington: The Untold Story of George Washington’s Mother by Craig Shirley.
  • Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times by H. W. Brands
    • Andrew Jackson is considered by some to be one of our greatest presidents, while others vilify him and believe he is not worthy of praise. What was his life like, and is he deserving of either reputation? H. W. Brands examines Jackson’s life, from his early exploits in the American Revolution, to his heroism at the Battle of New Orleans, to his presidency in the Jacksonian Era. Brands shows that he is well deserving of his reputation as a war hero, but he could also be temperamental and impulsive and he let this impact his presidency. 
    • For a detailed look at the Battle of New Orleans, see Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America’s Destiny by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yeager.
    • Andrew Jackson’s legacy is covered in The Age of Jackson by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
  • Theodore Roosevelt in the Field by Michael R. Canfield
    • Theodore Roosevelt is one of the most imposing presidents. His time as a soldier and a politician made him a formidable figure in his time, and still continue to impress those who study his life. Roosevelt also had a strong interest in natural history and in the outdoors, and in this biography Canfield seeks to share this facet of the president’s personality. Using original entries from Teddy’s diary, Theodore Roosevelt in the Field covers his small childhood museum to his time in the Dakota Badlands, all the way to his travels through Africa and the Amazon. 
    • For a further exploration of this book, check out my blog post on Theodore Roosevelt and nature. 
    • For a biography of Gifford Pinchot, a major conservation ally of Roosevelt, see Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism by Char Miller. 
  • Thaddeus Stevens: Civil War Revolutionary, Fighter for Racial Justice by Bruce Levine
    • During the Civil War, few Americans were as forward-thinking as Thaddeus Stevens. The leader of the “Radical Republicans,” Stevens fought for the rights of African Americans across the nation. After the war’s end, he set his sights on not reversing the progress that had been made after four years of struggle. This biography of Stevens covers his early life and political career, followed by his important role in one of the crucial periods of American history. 
  • Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire by Simon Winchester
    • After being the undisputed world leader for a century, the British Empire fell apart. Its colonies were lost, and the sun finally set on the once powerful imperial power. Except, it didn’t quite happen that way. Even today, Britain still has colonies strung across the world, from Bermuda to the Indian Ocean to Pitcairn Island, home of the Bounty’s mutineers. Outposts is the story of the British Empire in the 1980s, when Hong Kong was still an imperial possession. In the book, Simon Winchester shares the story of these colonies, how they became British, and why they continue to swear allegiance to the British Crown. 
  • Anything for a Vote: Dirty Tricks, Cheap Shots, and October Surprises in U.S. Presidential Campaigns by Joseph Cummins
    • Since the founding of our nation, political campaigns have been dirty. Anything for a Vote chronicles the tactics used over the centuries to win elections, from spreading false rumors to wiretapping offices.
  • A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America’s First Presidential Campaign by Edward J. Larson
    • For the first dozen years of our country, the presidential elections were tame affairs, and it was obvious who would win before voting began. During John Adams presidency, America began to further split into two parties fighting for control of the new nation. A Magnificent Catastrophe is the story of the first presidential election under this new partisan system, and how it helped create the idea of a modern presidential election. 
  • Fraud of the Century: Rutherford B. Hayes, Samuel Tilden, and the Stolen Election of 1876 by Roy Morris Jr.
    • The 1876 election is the most controversial in American history, yet is often overlooked. From election day until inauguration day, both sides claimed their candidate was the president-elect. This book shares the story of how both parties worked to make these individuals, Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden, the President of the United States.
  • If Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future by Jill Lepore
    • In If Then, Jill Lepore shares the forgotten story of the largely forgotten Simulmatics Corporation. Simulmatics and people connected to the company pioneered modern election campaigns, email, and even social media. In this book, Lepore shows how the groundwork for the modern age was laid in presidential elections and the Vietnam War. 
  • Knights of Spain, Warriors of the Sun: Hernando de Soto and the South’s Ancient Chiefdoms by Charles M. Hudson
    • When de Soto visited the Southeast during his 1539 – 1543 expedition, what did he see? In this book, Charles Hudson shows the great societies de Soto visited and the people he encountered. Along the way, Hudson shows where the places are today, and how to get a feel for what they were like centuries ago. 
  • Spectacular Rogue: Gaston B. Means by Edwin P. Hoyt
    • Gaston Means is considered one of the greatest con men in American history, yet few remembered his life today. This book tells his story, from a humble school master to one of the most talked about people in America. 
  • King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild
    • Unknown to many, one of the largest genocides in world history took place in the Congo. All of this was because of one man: King Leopold II of Belgium, who had sole control of the Congo Free State. King Leopold’s Ghost documents the atrocities caused by the Belgian king, and the efforts to stop his reckless destruction. 
    • For the Congo in fiction, see Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.
  • Capitalism in America: A History by Alan Greenspan and Adrian Wooldridge
    • This overview of America economic history begins shortly after the founding of our nation, and ends with the 2016 election. While the book does a good job explaining the millionaires and economic trends of the Gilded Age onwards, it does comparatively very little to explain the economy before the 1870s and 1880s. 
  • We Have Not a Government: The Articles of Confederation and the Road to the Constitution by George William Van Cleve
    • In the crucial years between the end of the American Revolution and the US Constitution, our nation’s guiding document was the Articles of Confederation. The Articles, which created a weak central government and gave almost all power to the states, was ineffectual. We Have Not a Government is the story of how this document came to be seen as inadequate, and why the United States ultimately settled on a more powerful sovereign federal government. 
  • Electric City: The Lost History of Ford and Edison’s American Utopia by Thomas Hager
    • In the 1920s, Muscle Shoals, Alabama, was one of the most talked-about locations in America. Henry Ford planned on creating a seventy-five-mile long city on the Tennessee River, with its focal point being a dam at the shoals. Electric City is about Ford’s dream city, why it failed, and how it was resurrected in the New Deal as the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). 
    • Southern hydroelectric power is put in the context of the New South in “Hitching the New South to ‘White Coal’: Water and Power, 1890-1930” by Christopher J. Manganiello (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. LXXVIII, No. 2). 
    • One of Henry Ford’s other attempts at city building is the focus of Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten Jungle City by Greg Grandin. 
    • Henry Ford’s Vagabond Trips with Thomas Edison are covered in The Vagabonds: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s Ten-Year Road Trip by Jeff Guinn. 
  • The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution by John Oller
    • Serving in South Carolina in the two years preceding Yorktown, Francis Marion is sometimes called the “Washington of the South.” In fact, Francis Marion has more places named for him than any other officer of the American Revolution, with the exception of Washington. The Swamp Fox is the story of Marion’s daring exploits during the war that made him an American hero.
  • Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg
    • What was Charles Lindbergh like? Was he an American hero or a Nazi sympathizer? Was he a grieving father or a despot when it came to his family? In this excellent biography, A. Scott Berg seeks to show the many sides of Charles Lindbergh, and how, in the end, he was a bit of all of the above. 
    • For a work just on Lindbergh and the isolationist movement, see America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War by H. W. Brands.
  • Ahkenaten: Egypt’s False Prophet by Nicholas Reeves
    • Of all the Pharaohs who ruled Egypt, none are today more debated than Ahkenaten. The father of Tutankhamun,  Ahkenaten turned Egypt into a monotheistic society. The question is, why? In Ahkenaten, Nicholas Reeves seeks to show the political and social changes at the heart of the radical departure from tradition. 
  • The Right To Vote: The Contested History Of Democracy In The United States by Alexander Keyssar
    • It is today easy to take universal suffrage for granted, but for most of our nation’s history many people were excluded from this fundamental right. The Right to Vote shares how people who don’t own property, African Americans, and women gained the right to vote, and why the path to universal suffrage was not always straight. The major changes you would expect – post-Civil War enfranchisement and the Nineteenth Amendment – are covered in depth, along with smaller changes that do not come to mind immediately, like the varied state of voting rights before Andrew Jackson and the rise of the secret ballot.
    • For more information on the women’s suffrage movement, see Suffrage: Women’s Long Battle for the Vote by Ellen Carol DuBois. 
  • James Monroe: A Life by Tim McGrath
    • Of the first five presidents, James Monroe is probably the one least-remembered. Unlike his predecessors, he was not an important figure during the American Revolution, but he does have the distinction of being the only person to serve as both Secretary of State and Secretary of War at the same time. This biography of Monroe illuminates his life, from his humble Virginia beginnings to his presidency and beyond. It is the story of two great wars, the debates about a new country, and a tale of how our Founding Fathers worked tirelessly to create a new country. 
    • In June 2025, I visited the site of Monroe’s Highland plantation. Photos can be found here.
    • One of Monroe’s most important legacies, the Monroe Doctrine, is the focus of The Monroe Doctrine: Empire and Nation in Nineteenth-Century America by Jay Sexton. 
  • Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City of the Incas by Mark Adams
    • Machu Picchu is one of the most enigmatic places on Earth. In this book, Mark Adams embarks on a trek across the Andes to learn about this lost city. As he ventures through remote mountains and ancient ruins, he shares the story of Hiram Bingham’s similar trips a century before. Part travelog and part historical narrative, Turn Right at Machu Picchu is a wonderful and unique way to learn about this important site. 
  • The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to Hadrian by Robin Lane Fox
    • In this sweeping history of the Classical World, Robin Lane Fox covers the history of the Greeks and Romans. From the birth of democracy in Athens to the despotic Roman emperors, Fox shows how varied the classical world could be. 
  • Lost and Found: Heinrich Schliemann and the Gold That Got Away by Caroline Moorehead
    • Heinrich Schliemann’s finding of “Troy” is one of the most important archaeological finds from the Greek bronze age, even if he was wrong. The German merchant-turned-archeologist and pathological liar found the correct site, but dug down too far past the Homeric city he was looking for. Regardless, the gold he found is considered a treasure. Lost and Found is the story of this unique archaeologist and how his gold was found, lost, and found again. 
  • Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West by Stephen E. Ambrose
    • While the basics of the Lewis and Clark story are familiar to many Americans, the details of their historic journey are unknown to many. This illuminating history of the trip covers the expedition from its beginnings with the Louisiana Purchase to its end years later. This story is placed within the context of the life and death of Meriwether Lewis, one of the expedition’s leaders.  It is a story of heroism and adventure, but with a sad end to Lewis’s story.
  • The Pursuit of Power: Europe 1815 – 1914 by Richard J. Evans
    • In the aftermath of Napoleon, the ancien régimes across Europe began to be replaced by more democratic governments. New advances in science and technology began to improve the quality of life (for some), while new artistic movements changed the cultural landscape of the continent. In this history, Richard J. Evans explores the story of Europe from after Napoleon to the start of World War I. Along the way, he shows the conflicts that led to the war and the reasons it was so catastrophic. 
  • Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson
    • Battle Cry of Freedom is considered to be the definitive one-volume history of the Civil War. Filled with detail, it is a masterpiece. Unlike some books on the topic, it provides a great deal of background information, and the Civil War does not begin until a quarter of the way through the book. Along the way, McPherson is able to share the stories of politics, battles, and leaders in a compelling and interesting way. 
  • The Zealot and the Emancipator: John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and the Struggle for American Freedom by H. W. Brands
    • John Brown, the leader of an abolitionist revolt, has gone down in history as a mysterious, controversial figure. At the same time of his exploits, young Illinois lawyer Abraham Lincoln was making a name for himself, and would eventually become president. This book is the story of how these two individuals both worked to fight slavery, one in battle and one in politics. 
  • Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
    • This biography tracks Abraham Lincoln and his integral cabinet secretaries: William Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edwin Stanton, Montgomery Blair, and Edward Bates. Each of these secretaries had presidential aspirations, and it was their rivalry which helped lead the Union war effort. By capitalizing on their strengths and meditating disputes, Lincoln was able to create an incredibly effective leadership team, all while remaining the nation’s leader. 
  • American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies by Michael W. Kaufmann
    • John Wilkes Booth is known as the man who killed Abraham Lincoln, but why did he do it? How did he plan it? Who were the others who joined him in the plan? This book chronicles all facets of the assassination, from the deed itself to the man who planned it, and his flight from justice to his companions’ execution. Throughout the book, Kaufmann brings to light the story of the actor-turned-killer.
  • The Republic for Which It Stands: The United States during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896 by Richard White
    • After the chaos of the Civil War, Americans began efforts to rebuild. While many hoped a “more perfect” society would emerge, it was still marked by conflict and inequality. In this book, a sequel to The Battle Cry of Freedom, Richard White seeks to show how these grand plans derailed, leaving with the complicated, fascinating period of the Gilded Age. 
  • Crazy Horse: A Life by Larry McMurtry
    • This biography is less than 150 pages, but the relative shortness of this book highlights how little we know about Crazy Horse. McMurtry is able to shed light on what we do know, and what we think we know, about a person viewed by some as a messianic figure. 
  • Iron Empires: Robber Barons, Railroads, and the Making of Modern America by Michael Hiltzik
    • During the Gilded Age it was the railroads that led the nation’s economy. No businesses of this scandal had ever been seen before in America, and they were financial drivers with the power to make or break the economy. In “Iron Empires,” the story of the financial leaders who led these railroads is shared. While some of them worked to create modern, efficient business, others only saw a chance to plunder. How these differing ideals converged is the hallmark of this detailed work. 
  • Custer’s Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America by T. J. Stiles
    • The dust jacket of Custer’s Trials refers to T. J. Stiles as “this generation’s finest biographer.” The book lives up to these high expectations. George Armstrong Custer is both an often remembered and easily forgotten figure. In this masterful biography, the life of Custer outside of Little Bighorn in full and stunning detail. 
  • New York Exposed: The Police Scandal That Shocked the Nation and Launched the Progressive Era by Daniel Czitrom
    • In the nineteenth century, it was an unspoken fact that the New York Police Department was corrupt. One man, Rev. Charles Parkhurst, sought to reform the city. New York Exposed is the story of his crusade to clean up Gotham, and how it spawned similar movements across the nation.
  • Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw
    • Of all the Gilded Age industrialists, Andrew Carnegie is the most controversial. Famously, after the Homestead Strike, he decided to give away his fortune to atone for his actions. In Andrew Carnegie, Nasaw shows how this story is fictitious, and that it was always Carnegie’s life goal to give back to the world the fortune he made. 
  • Johnstown Flood: The Incredible Story Behind One of the Most Devastating Disasters America Has Ever Known by David McCollough
    • The Johnstown Flood in 1889 shocked the nation: a dam, owned by a wealthy Pittsburgh millionaires club, burst in a rainstorm, destroying the towns and people of the valley below. In this volume, McCollough shares the stories of flood victims, how the flood came to be, and the efforts to recover from the disaster. 
    • For an exploration of Johnstown and disaster tourism, see “Disaster Tourism and the Melodrama of Authenticity: Revisiting the 1889 Johnstown Flood” by Emily Godbey (Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies, Vol. 73, No. 3)
  • Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense: The Courtroom Battle to Save His Legacy by Dan Abrams and David Fisher
    • Theodore Roosevelt, in 1915, accused New York political boss William Barnes of controlling the state’s government. This accusation spawned a whole trial that was set to upend Roosevelt’s legacy, by accusing the former president of being politically corrupt. Theodore Roosevelt for the Defense is the fascinating story of this trial, and how it almost ruined the legacy of one of our most important presidents. 
  • Charlatan: America’s Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam by Pope Brock
    • Dr. John R. Brinkley, the “goat-gland doctor” killed and injured countless individuals with his questionable medical procedure. Charlatan is the story of his dramatic rise and fall of his medical career, along with his political ambitions and radio station. It is a fascinating story of one of America’s most unique charlatans. 
  • The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst by David Nasaw
    • Citizen Kane has immortalized William Randolph Hearst as a genius promoter, controversial politician, and the lover of his actress-mistress. The Chief seeks to show the real Hearst, from his privileged beginning, stunning rise in newspapers, affair with Marion Davies, and his dramatic fall at the end of his career. Hearst’s complicated relationship with politics is examined, along with how he structured his empire and doomed it to bankruptcy. Famously, Hearst claimed to have started the Spanish-American War, but his newspapers also played a major role in shaping public sentiment during the World Wars. It is a story of a man who was once among the world’s most powerful individuals but has gone down in history as a parody of himself.
    • William Randolph Hearst and the Atlanta Georgian is the subject of an article of mine in the Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research.
  • The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of American Empire by Stephen Kinzer
    • The Spanish American War marked the first time the United States fought a war overseas. This momentous conflict was the result of several years of debate about America’s role in the world. The aftermath, including a war in the Philippines and Panama Canal, changed our nation’s connection to the rest of the world. This fascinating book takes a look at this period when U.S. foreign policy was altered forever. 
    • For a biography of William Randolph Hearst, who plays a major role in this book, see The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst by David Nasaw. 
    • For a detailed look at Roosevelt and his allies during this era, see First Great Triumph: How Five Americans Made Their Country a World Power by Warren Zimmerman. 
  • Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent
    • When a ban on alcohol was placed in the US Constitution, some expected the 1920s to be a dry decade. Instead, the illegal buying and selling of alcohol became one of its hallmarks. This history of Prohibition traces the origins of the Temperance Movement to the Eighteenth Amendment, along with the chaos that ensued. 
  • The Cold War: A New History by John Lewis Gaddis
    • The Cold War defined the globe in the second half of the twentieth century. At the time, it was unclear which side might prevail, if any. In this succinct history of the Cold War, John Lewis Gaddis argues that the Soviet Union was doomed to fall from the beginning, and that it was ultimately charismatic figures and unhappy masses that led to the fall of the USSR. Having not read much before about Cold War history, this book provided a good starting point for future reads. Gaddis masterfully guides the reader through foreign policy, ideology, and politics to provide a fascinating glimpse into what could have been the end of the world. 
  • We Shall Not Be Moved: The Desegregation of the University of Georgia by Robert A. Platt
    • Across Georgia, many were unhappy with Supreme Court rulings like Brown v. Board. As it became increasingly clear the University of Georgia would have to desegregate, many fought viciously to prevent progress. We Shall Not Be Moved is the story of three students who tried to enter UGA, and the efforts to stop them from integrating the state’s flagship school.
  • Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon by Craig Nelson
    • Looking back, the moon landing seems predetermined or like a natural course of events. It was anything but that. This fascinating history of Apollo 11 covers the earliest days of rocketry to the “one small step.” Along the way, the trials, pitfalls, and accidents of the program are shown and accentuate just how dangerous it was to try to send men to the moon, or beyond.
  • Richard B. Russell Jr., Senator from Georgia by Gilbert C. Fite
    • Richard B. Russell was at one time the most powerful man in the Senate. This biography covers his early life, rise through Georgia politics, and his eventual dominance of the halls of Congress. Also shown is his controversial views that stood in the way of progress. Russell is a complicated figure, and Fite covers him and all of his facets. 
    • As a Governor of Georgia, Russell’s life is covered in The Governors of Georgia, 1754 – 2004 by James F. Cook. 
  • 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann
    • The sequel to his best-selling book 1491, this volume covers the Columbian Exchange across the globe. Unlike its predecessor, this story is much more far reaching, covering everywhere from the Philippines to Virginia and Peru to Spain. It is a story of how the world has shrunk and globalized in the centuries since Columbus set sail. 
  • Arthur: God and Hero in Avalon by Christopher Fee
    • For centuries, Arthur, King of the Britons, has been a mysterious, heroic figure. In this survey of Arthurian Legend, Christopher Fee traces Arthur from the earliest accounts to the present day. Along the way, Fee shows how Arthur’s life and legend can illuminate our understanding of Ancient Britain. The legends of Arthur from the Middle Ages to modern film adaptations are covered, focusing on how Arthur’s story has shifted along the way. While the story may seem almost immovable, even some of the basic, well-known aspects of the legends have changed over the years. Modern adaptations rest on the shoulders of countless authors, and Arthur: God and Hero in Avalon sheds light on these sometimes forgotten tales. 
  • Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages by Frances Gies and Joseph Gies
    • The Middle Ages are often maligned, and rarely recognized for technical achievements. Yet this same period saw the rise of great cathedrals, new developments in bridges and castles, and improvements in farming techniques. Through a myriad of examples, the Gies are able to show just how much civilization advanced during these supposed “dark ages.”
    • For information of Chartres Cathedral, see Universe of Stone: Chartres Cathedral and the Invention of the Gothic by Phillip Ball. 
  • The Light Ages: The Surprising Story of Medieval Science by Seb Falk
    • The Light Ages takes a look at the fourteenth century through the eyes of John Westwyk, a monk and astronomer. This book focuses on the importance of astronomy to the medieval in the so-called “dark ages,” and seeks to show the progress that was made in the centuries after Rome fell. The book is full of marvelous inventions and complicated science that show just how much scientific knowledge we owe to monks spread across Europe. 
    • The book Universe of Stone: Chartres Cathedral and the Invention of the Gothic by Phillip Ball highlights how Medieval thought was translated into art and architecture. 
  • The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III by Andrew Roberts
    • King George III is America’s most hated monarch, but Andrew Roberts believes his infamy is not entirely deserved. While Roberts can be a bit too willing to offer praise to George III, he still manages to create a detailed biography of the controversial monarch. 
  • Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson
    • As a printer, scientist, statesman, and ambassador, Benjamin Franklin was an American renaissance man. This definitive biography tells the story of this sometimes underestimated figure that showed the world just what America could do. 
    • For information on the publication of Franklin’s collected works, see “William Temple Franklin and the Publication of Benjamin Franklin’s Works” by Richard B. Simmons (Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol, 118, No. 3). 
    • The relationship between Franklin and his son is explored in Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution by H. W. Brands. 
  • Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution by Mike Duncan
    • Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, was a leader of two of the great enlightenment revolutions. Through his military exploits and in the United States, Lafayette became a name known around the world. His subsequent efforts in France turned him into the “hero of two worlds,” though it also led to his downfall. Lafayette played a critical role in the upheavals after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, making him one of the most critical characters in the revolutions of that age. 
    • For a more light-hearted look at Lafayette’s time in the American Revolution, see Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell.
  • The Greek Revolution: 1821 and the Making of Modern Europe by Mark Mazower
    • Mainly remembered as the war where Byron died, the Greek Revolution was the only successful revolution in Europe in the wake of the American Revolution. A group of fighters from what is now Ukraine started the war, creating a massive conflict that destabilized the Ottoman Empire and changed European foreign affairs. This is the story of the men and women who fought for an independent Greece and changed the trajectory of their homeland forever. 
  • Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman
    • Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days remains a popular story, but few have heard of the daring adventurers who accepted Phileas Fogg’s challenge. The most famous of these travelers is Nellie Bly, a world-renowned reporter of the 1880s. As she raced around the world as a publicity stunt, another female traveler, Elizabeth Bisland, was attempting the same trip for a rival publication. Their trip brought them to the farthest reaches of the globe, and would change both of their lives for better or for worse.  
  • Danubia: A Personal History of Habsburg Europe by Simon Winder
    • Several great European families are synonymous with the countries they ruled: the Tudors, the Medici, the Bourbons, the Habsburgs, etc. The longest reigning of these was the Habsburgs, who served as emperors from the fourteenth century until World War I. Danubia is the story of the land’s they controlled, and how the Habsburg stamp was left and can still be seen across Eastern Europe.
  • Lotharingia: A Personal History of Europe’s Lost Country by Simon Winder
    • Charlamagne’s descendants split their empire three ways: France, Germany, and Lotharingia, which was nestled in the middle. Since that time, the other two nations have jostled for control of the region, and it is today split between several countries. Lotharingia is the story of the region, and how conflicts between France and Germany, Protestants and Catholics, and monarchies and republics created a unique part of Europe.
  • The Habsburgs: To Rule the World by Martyn Rady
    • Rising from relative obscurity at the Habsburg Castle, the House of Habsburg would eventually become one of Europe’s most powerful families. The Habsburgs: To Rule the World is the story of the rise and fall of this powerful family, and how they used their influence to uphold the Holy Roman Empire, stamp out Protestants, and gain (and lose) an empire stretching from Eastern Europe to Mexico City. 
  • Coolidge by Amity Shlaes
    • John Calvin Coolidge Jr. grew up in Vermont, became Governor of Massachusetts, and settled into his largely uneventful life as vice president. When Warren G. Harding died, Coolidge suddenly found himself the President of the United States. Coolidge is the story of his rise to the office of president, his quiet demeanor, and his efforts as president to bring prosperity to America. 
  • The Great Air Race: Glory, Tragedy, and the Dawn of American Aviation by John Lancaster
    • On the heels of World War I, the United States Army Air Corps organized a race to prove that airplanes could be easily used in civilian life. The race was simple: travel from one side of the country to the other. The Great Air Race is the story of this contest, the pilots who took on the daring task, and the destruction caused by this event. It is a unique tale of a forgotten moment in aviation history. 
  • Empires of the Sky: Zeppelins, Airplanes, and Two Men’s Epic Duel to Rule the World by Alexander Rose
    • Before the crash of the Hindenburg, it was unclear what technology would conquer the skies above the Atlantic. At the time, the Zeppelin seemed to be beating the airplane due to its safer track record and longer range. Hugo Eckener, a former reporter and protégé of Ferdinand von Zeppelin, led the company during the Nazi regime’s control of Germany. At the same time, Juan Paul Trippe of Pan Am decided it was the airplane’s time for domination. Empires of the Sky tells the story of the Zeppelin company, and the race versus Pan Am to become a part of everyday life.
    • His Majesty’s Airship: The Life and Tragic Death of the World’s Largest Flying Machine by S. C. Gwynne focuses on the R-101, Britain’s doomed answer to the Zeppelin. 
  • Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This? by Marion Meade
    • Dorothy Parker, with her wit and one-liners, was at the heart of the 1920’s literary circles. She was associated with everyone from Fitzgerald to Hemingway to Hammett, and left pithy observations about everyone. Her life was filled with difficulty, tragedy, and depression, and this biography on Parker sheds light on her genius and all of her flaws.
  • A Crack in the Edge of the World: America & the Great California Earthquake of 1906 by Simon Winchester
    • The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake lies at the heart of this book, but it is also an exploration of earthquakes themselves. Winchester examines the history of earthquake technology and major earthquakes around the globe in order to better understand what happened in San Francisco. If you are looking for details about the 1906 earthquake, other books might be more fulfilling, but Winchester is able to put the story in context in a unique way.
  • Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester
    • With both being about disasters, Krakatoa can easily be compared to Winchester’s work on the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. While A Crack in the Edge of the World often strays from the main story, Krakatoa is much more focused on the Indonesian volcano. It is a fascinating story of an explosion that, while famous, is rarely looked at on its own. 
  • Atlantic: Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms & a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories by Simon Winchester
    • For the past 500 years, many of human history’s major developments have taken place along the Atlantic Ocean. This work by Simon Winchester examines how the ocean has impacted Europe, the Americas, and Africa. This book makes a nice companion to David Abulafia’s The Boundless Sea. 
  • The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
    • The Oxford English Dictionary is one of the most important works about the English language, yet it hides a secret few know: It may not have been possible without a mentally ill murderer. Named Dr. Minor, the institutionalized Civil War veteran made valuable contributions to one of the world’s most respected works.   
  • John Adams by David McCollough
    • Sandwiched between Washington’s two terms and Jefferson’s two terms, the four years John Adams was president can seem inconsequential in comparison. John Adams is one of David McCollough’s best known works, and covers the revolutionary life of Adams. From his origins in New England to his time overseas and his years as president, John Adams lived one of the most varied lives of the Founding Fathers.
    • For information on John Adams’ legacy, see Remembering John Adams: The Second President in History, Memory and Popular Culture by Marianne Holdzkom. 
  • A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland by Troy Senik
    • Grover Cleveland is a forgotten president, most often remembered because his two non-consecutive terms are an overused trivia fact. In A Man of Iron, Troy Senik looks beyond the trivia to uncover what this Gilded Age president was really like. The only Democrat to serve between James Buchanan and Woodrow Wilson, Cleveland was an oddity among his contemporaries. This volume focuses on his honesty, integrity, and sometimes bizarre personal life. 
  • Wilson by A. Scott Berg
    • This biography of Wilson is a good summary of his life, but Berg does not quite look at Wilson with a critical eye, a skill that was more evident in his tome on Lindbergh. Regardless, Wilson’s unusual rise to the presidency still shines through, along with his leadership and diplomacy of World War I, and his sad final years.
    • For a more critical look at Wilson, I suggest Woodrow Wilson: A Life by John Milton Cooper. 
    • For my look at Wilson (through the lens of a 1944 biopic), see https://ajbramlett.com/2024/09/02/wilson-an-idealist-in-a-less-than-ideal-movie/. 
    • I shared the story of Wilson’s vice president, Thomas Marshall, once for Oakland Cemetery  and once for the Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research. 
    • The chaotic state of America during Wilson’s second term is covered in American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis by Adam Hochschild. 
  • Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt by H. W. Brands
    • The longest serving POTUS, Franklin Delano Roosevelt redefined the federal government in ways still felt today. Written by H. W. Brands, this biography of Roosevelt focuses on the myriad of difficult decisions faced by Roosevelt during his time in office. Perhaps the most insightful parts of the book focused on Roosevelt’s ability to be a politician, and his skills are still unrivaled in this area. 
    • For histories of the Great Depression, see The Great Depression: America, 1929-1941 by Robert S. McElvane and The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes. 
    • Douglas Brinkley’s Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America focuses on Roosevelt and conservation. 
    • Brands’ more recent book see America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War and The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II by Nicholas Wapshott both focus on Roosevelt and lead-up to World War II. 
  • Empire: How Spain Became a World Power, 1492-1763 by Henry Kamen
    • Once one of the world’s most powerful empires, much like the later British Empire the sun never set on Spain’s possessions. The dramatic rise of Spain’s imperial ambitions began in the wake of the Reconquista and Christopher Columbus, but gradually began to falter over the following centuries to become after the Seven Years War a shell of what it once had been. This volume traces the history of the Spanish empire during this time, from the hills of Italy to the jungles of South America.
  • The Mexican War, 1846-1848 by K. Jack Bauer
    • Two years ago, I reviewed Amy Greenberg’s A Wicked War, which told the story of the Mexican American War with a focus on its political significance. The Mexican War flips the formula, and elaborates on the military actions of the war. Soldiers that would later become significant figures of the Civil War – Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, George Thomas, and Winfield Scott, to name a few – originally made their mark in this war, and can be seen in these historic campaigns throughout Mexico. 
    • For a book that has a great focus on the political situation surrounding the war, see A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico by Amy S. Greenberg. 
  • La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West by Francis Parkman
    • As the English were creating new colonies on the East Coast, and Spain’s empire was at its zenith, the French were gaining control in modern Canada. While the Jesuits were making the largest progress in terms of exploration, Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle realized the commercial opportunities of the Midwest. Through his exploration of the Mississippi, he opened up vast swaths of land to commercial opportunities. Not all agreed with his vision, leading to his death thousands of miles from home. Francis Parkman’s account of the life and times of La Salle was first published in 1869, and is considered a classic work on the subject, even if his methodology has been criticized. 
  • The Company: The Rise and Fall of the Hudson’s Bay Empire by Stephen R. Bown
    • Born out of a charter in the 1670s, the Hudson’s Bay Company controlled at one time 8% of the world’s landmass. The Company is the story of its dramatic rise, fall, and many transitions. Initially treating First Peoples tribes with respect, the company gradually began to take a paternalistic or imperialistic view. This same era coincided with competition from the North West Company, leading to some of history’s bloodiest corporate warfare. The merger of the two corporations was a highpoint, and, while the Hudson’s Bay Company is still around today, it has never regained the power it once commanded. 
  • Indelible Ink: The Trial of John Peter Zenger and the Birth of America’s Free Press by Richard Kluger 
    • When publisher John Peter Zenger was sued for libel in 1730s New York, press freedom was legally treated very differently than today. Zenger’s lawyer made the then-novel case that an individual can not be convicted for telling the truth, and the jury agreed. In this recent study of the Zenger case, the politics of colonial New York and the veracity of the statements published in Zenger’s newspaper are examined. While the trial may not have had an immediate impact on America, it was an important stepping stone on the way to the Revolution.
  • 46 Pages: Tom Paine, Common Sense, And the Turning Point to Independence by Scott Liell
    • After reading 46 Pages, the reader is left with the impression that without Thomas Paine, the American Revolution might never have happened. While his impact may be overstated, it can not be ignored. Common Sense was the first American bestseller, and continues to inspire today. The story of its author is unusual, given his English roots, and the fact he had not stepped foot in America until a year before his pamphlet. Yet he is now considered an American founding father equal with Adams and Jefferson, as the power of his words helped bring our nation closer to conception. While this volume is short, it provides wonderful insight into this seminal document. 
  • The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson
    • The first book in a trilogy, and the only published as of 2023, The British Are Coming is an insightful look into the military actions of the first years of the Revolution, from a somewhat rag-tag group of soldiers to the organized army under Washington. Through the successes and failures of this era, the difficulty that it took to create our nation shines through. These pivotal years have made the almost 250 since possible. 
  • The Unknown American Revolution: The Unruly Birth of Democracy and the Struggle to Create America by Gary B. Nash
    • While the American Revolution is often spoken of in terms of a military struggle or a battle among political leaders, the average person played a major role in the Revolution’s success. This work chronicles the work of average Americans for and against the cause of America, along with sometimes overlooked groups who played major roles in the era’s political struggles. From the thorny debates over who was meant by “all men are created equal,” to Native American tribes who had to find new allies in a changing landscape, this work covers many overlooked facets of our nation’s founding. 
  • Mary Ball Washington: The Untold Story of George Washington’s Mother by Craig Shirley
    • Historical opinion of Mary Ball Washington ranges from a paragon of maternal virtue to a woman deeply opposed to her son’s success. In this volume, the evidence behind Mary Washington’s life is examined, along with the differing historical interpretations of her since her era. It is the story not just of Mary Ball Washington, but also the changing understanding of her and her famous son. 
    • For a biography of Mary Ball Washington’s famous son, see Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow. 
  • The Spanish Missions of Georgia by John Tate Lanning
    • While the history of Georgia is often thought of starting with Oglethorpe, the Georgia coast was home to the Spanish a century and a half before. These missions – led by Franciscan monks and Jesuit missionaries – were an extension of those further south in Florida. Due to mistreatment of the populations they were meant to serve, the missions left a trail of bloodshed and distrust. This book, published in the 1930s, is one of the only books available on the topic. 
    • I wrote an article about the Spanish missions for the Summer 2024 edition of Georgia Backroads magazine. 
  • Button Gwinnett, Signer of the Declaration of Independence by Charles Francis Jenkins
    • Georgia had three signers of the Declaration of Independence: George Walton, Lyman Hall, and Button Gwinnett. The last of these has entered the hallowed annals of Founding Father trivia due to his unfortunate death in a duel. Published first in the 1920s, in this work Charles Francis Jenkins explores the life and death of Gwinnett using the limited evidence about his life available. He is able to piece together the story of an English merchant who moves to Savannah, faces financial difficulties, but through his political conviction ends up a notable part of our state’s history. 
  • John Paul Jones, Maverick Hero by Frank Walker
    • Today considered the father of the US Navy, John Paul Jones was also a pirate, an actor, and fugitive from the law. This book focuses on his years serving America aboard the Ranger and the Bonhomme Richard. The book focuses very little on his early life, only alluding to his odd background. Jones comes across as a hero, once forgotten and then resurrected from history. 
  • How the Post Office Created America: A History by Winifred Gallagher
    • Once considered the most important part of the federal government, it is easy to forget today the influence the Post Office has wielded over the nation. Since the 1790s, it has influenced how and what Americans read, how we travel, and how we communicate. This history of the Post Office, once a department and now a government service, focuses on its transformative role in American life. This work takes the reader from urban centers of a young nation into the frontiers of the west, and the days of horse and buggy transport into modern electronic communication. 
  • Gouverneur Morris: Author, Statesman, and Man of the World by James J. Kirschke
    • The oddly named Gouverneur Morris, a New York senator, is considered the penman of the Constitution. He turned the rough articles of clauses of the Founding Fathers at the Constitutional Convention into an organized and potent document. This biography sheds light on his origins in New York and his college days, his support of the Patriot cause during the American Revolution, and his later service to the country overseas. Morris was peg-legged, a ladies man, and briefly worked for the British against the French, making him one of the oddest forgotten Founding Fathers. 
  • The Whiskey Rebellion: Frontier Epilogue to the American Revolution by Thomas P. Slaughter
    • Before the Revolution, excise (or internal) taxes caused the colonists to revolt in actions like the Boston Tea Party. After the Constitution, the Federal Government levied similar excise taxes on products, causing a similar uproar in the Frontier. The ensuing conflict tested the brand-new government, saw Washington lead troops again, and almost tore apart the nation. This volume covers the political and social context of the excise taxes, and gives a detailed account of the political debates before moving into the rebellion itself. It is a fascinating look at a forgotten conflict. 
  • Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor by Volker Ullrich
    • Perhaps the first leader of a Modern Germany, Bismarck cast a long shadow that could be seen in World War II. This short biography of a complicated man is only 120 pages, but packs in details from Bismarck’s long career as a statesman. For almost twenty years of his life, Bismarck ruled Germany like no individual before him. Through his complex diplomatic alliances, he was able to ensure the predominance of Prussia in the new Germany and the rise of a unified Germany on the world stage. He was a figure to be reckoned with, and this slim volume brings to life his impressive career. 
  • Measuring America: How the United States was Shaped by the Greatest Land Sale in History by Andro Linklater
    • Before the western frontier of America could be sold cheaply to settlers, it had to be surveyed. As America  grew westward, surveying became one of the most noticeable signs of the idea of Manifest Destiny. Measuring America is the story of American surveying, from the early colonial administration to the Northwest Territory and into the 20th century. Along the way, Linklater shows how the idea of land ownership has evolved since Jamestown into an important part of the Western world. 
    • The Northwest Territory is also covered in David McCollough’s final book, The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West. 
  • Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly, and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Scott Anderson
    • The genesis of the modern conflicts in the Middle East were laid in World War I, as the European powers divided up the remains of the Ottoman Empire. Central to the story of the Middle East in the Great War was T. E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia. This book places Lawrence at his heart, but also tells the stories of a variety of spies, Arab leaders, generals, and diplomats who also shaped the Middle East. The full saga of World War I in Arabia is uncovered, from times of triumph to defeats and bloodshed. It is a fascinating look at a sometimes undervalued part of the Great War. 
    • The last century of the Ottoman Empire is the focus of A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire by M. Şükrü Hanioğlu. 
  • The Debatable Land: A Sketch of the Anglo-Spanish Contest for the Georgia Country by Herbert E. Bolton and Mary E. Ross
    • As Spain grew north from Florida and England grew South from the Carolinas, they were bound to clash. In the middle of their conflicts was present-day Georgia, which both empires claimed. Though the Spanish were in Georgia first, it was ultimately the English who prevailed over their Iberian rivals. The story of this conflict, from the first Spanish settlement until the end of the French and Indian War, is the subject of this volume. While the book is not long, it does provide an excellent overview of this period of Georgia history. 
    • I wrote an article about the Spanish missions for the Summer 2024 edition of Georgia Backroads magazine. 
  • Benjamin Henry Latrobe by Talbot Hamlin
    • An architect, engineer, and artist, Benjamin Henry Latrobe passed away, almost penniless in New Orleans. His tragic end hides his long and distinguished career as America’s leading architect. Latrobe pioneered American bank design, worked on many major houses of the era, and most importantly helped to redesign the US Capitol. This Pulitzer Prize winning book covers Latrobe’s fascinating, tragic life from his origins in England to his demise in Louisiana. 
    • For a biography of Washington D.C.’s city planner, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, see Grand Avenues: The Story of the French Visionary Who Designed Washington D.C. by Scott W. Berg. 
  • He Almost Changed the World: The Life and Times of Thomas Riley Marshall by David J. Bennett
    • Thomas Marshall is not considered America’s best Vice President. In fact, he hated the job, once saying it was like being a caged monkey in a circus (with no one offering peanuts). However, when Woodrow Wilson fell ill after the Treaty of Versailles, Thomas Marshall almost assumed the powers of the President. He Almost Changed the World is the first biography of Marshall since the 1930s, and poses the idea that the world could have been forever changed by a Marshall presidency. 
    • I have written twice about Thomas Marshall, once for Oakland Cemetery  and once for the Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research. 
  • Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America’s First Frontier by Tom Clavin and Bob Drury
    • Daniel Boone has gone down in American mythology as the rugged hero of the frontier. Blood and Treasure shows just how true this image was, and how Boone was one of the first Europeans to truly explore the Appalachian Mountains. The book also highlights the competing Native American tribes in the mountains and the backdrop of the American Revolution, which plunged much of the American frontier into civil war during Boone’s life. 
  • Georgia’s Disputed Ruins, edited by E. Merton Coulter
    • Along Georgia’s coast, a variety of tabby ruins were once thought to be the remains of the lost Spanish missions. In this volume, E. Merton Coulter collected proof that there were nothing more than ruins from sugar mills. First in this compilation is a history of the sites by Marmaduke Floyd, which presents each ruin and why it could not be Spanish. Next comes a report from James Ford, a National Park Service archeologist who investigated the sites. Last is the text of an 1816 pamphlet on sugar production in Georgia, which describes how to build structures exactly like the “lost Spanish missions.” 
    • I wrote an article about the Spanish missions for the Summer 2024 edition of Georgia Backroads magazine. 
    • Coulter is the subject of “E. Merton Coulter, the Georgia Historical Quarterly, and the Struggle over Southern History” by Fred Arthur Bailey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 101, No. 3).
  • Talleyrand: A Biography by J. F. Bernard
    • Charles Maurice Talleyrand-Perigord was a leading figure of French politics from the era of Louis XVI until the 1830s. Through almost all of France’s political upheavals, Talleyrand managed to remain a mover and shaker and integral part of the government. In order to reach this point, however, he had to be cunning, scheming, and willing to turn against former allies. This biography of the diplomat examines his complicated personal life and the career he used to serve France. 
  • The Monroe Doctrine: Empire and Nation in Nineteenth-Century America by Jay Sexton
    • In 1823, James Monroe’s message to Congress (what we today call the State of the Union) changed foreign policy by promising a decline in influence of European Powers in the Americas. For the next century, politicians fought over what this meant. The Monroe Doctrine examines this powerful moment in American diplomatic history and its impacts on the people it was supposed to help. While the doctrine was only two or three paragraphs, it had a mountain of difference in the Americas. 
    • For a biography of James Monroe, see James Monroe: A Life by Tim McGrath. 
  • The 26 Letters by Oscar Ogg
    • This concise history of the alphabet tells the story of writing from the earliest cave paintings until the printing revolution. Along the way, the use of tools and their impact on writing and letter form is examined from Roman chisels to printed type. It is a short but fascinating look at language and how it has been impacted by the culture surrounding it. 
  • The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I by Douglas Brunt
    • While not as well known as other innovators of his era, Rudolf Diesel changed how ships, trains, and submarines were powered with his unique Diesel engine. In the years leading up to World War I, this made him a valuable asset for Germany. Diesel, however, distrusted the militarism of Germany in these years, so he also began to help other European nations. Suddenly, in 1913, Diesel disappeared aboard a steamship to England. This biography of Diesel examines his life and legacy, and attempts to solve his unusual death at sea. 
  • Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle
    • The title of this book might lead you to think it is just about the Trail of Tears: this is mistaken. It in fact covers the Cherokee from the US Constitution until their removal from Georgia in the 1830s. Along the way, a large cast of characters is introduced from across the Cherokee Nation. While the book is full of detail, it also uses a narrative approach when covering some events, most notably the Trail of Tears itself. It is an interesting and engaging read that conveys the suffering of the Cherokee in a fresh way.
    •  For information about the memorialization of Cherokee Removal, see “Remembering Cherokee Removal in Civil Rights–Era Georgia” by Andrew Denson (Southern Cultures, Vol. 14, No. 4). 
  • Indian Givers: How Native Americans Transformed the World by Jack Weatherford
    • While the title of this book may make you think it is about individuals, it is really about the Columbian Exchange and the influence of the New World on the Old. The early chapters of the book focus on cuisine, but make a less convincing case for Native Americans changing the world opposed to the Columbian Exchange. Further into the book, it focuses on Native American societal structures and the Age of Enlightenment, and it is here the book shines best. It is a short book with interesting insight, and covers similar ground compared to other books on the subject, most notably Charles Mann’s 1491. 
  • The Age of Jackson by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
    • This well-known work covers the era from Andrew Jackson until James Buchanan, and focuses on the early Democratic Party and its growth. Schlesinger shows how the party emerged as supporters of Jackson, but gradually began to move away from his frontier, reforming roots. As America inched closer to the Civil War, it gradually became the party of new immigrants and the South, and in 1860 split apart completely. 
  • Doo-dah!: Stephen Foster And The Rise Of American Popular Culture by Ken Emerson
    • While Stephen Foster is not necessarily a household name anymore, his songs are still easily recognizable. Doo-dah! is the story of Foster’s life as he attempted to become America’s first professional full-time songwriter. Along the way, the rise of American music is chronicled, especially the minstrel shows that made Foster popular and are rightly scorned today. 
  • The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch by Miles Harvey
    • When early Mormon leader Joseph Smith died, his followers traveled from Navuoo, Illinois, to Salt Lake City under the leadership of Brigham Young. Except, not all followed Young. Some followed a different prophet, James Strang, a con-man who proclaimed himself the Divine King of Heaven and Earth. The King of Confidence is the unusual tale of Strang’s rise, fall, and assassination and provides wonderful, sometimes quirky, insight into antebellum America. 
  • Pathfinder: John Charles Frémont and the Course of American Empire by Tom Chaffin
    • John C. Fremont’s treks through the American west made the trip to California seem much more real and tangible to would-be settlers. Unlike Lewis and Clark, who forged countless new trails, Fremont traveled on paths already traversed by other settlers. He played a crucial role in the founding of California, though his actions there also caused him to be court-martialed for mutiny. After this, Fremont’s life and reputation went into decline. Pathfinder is the story of his remarkable life and legacy in the West, though only gives glimpses of his later life as a presidential candidate and a Civil War figure.
  • Kearny’s March: The Epic Creation of the American West, 1846-1847 by Winston Groom
    • This book on Stephen Watts Kearny, and the events surrounding his time in the American West, was read immediately after a biography of John C. Fremont. The two were enemies, as each vied for control of the United States then-new possession: California. While Fremont claimed supremacy because he arrived first, Kearny had documents from Washington placing him in charge. After his long march across the Southwest he was not in the mood for a battle with the Pathfinder. Kearny’s March shares the story of how Kearny got to California, the event surrounding his trek, and the result of his conflict with Fremont. 
  • The Worst President – The Story of James Buchanan by Gary Boulard
    • James Buchanan is doomed to perpetually rank near the bottom of Presidential rankings, as his performance in the four years leading up to the Civil War is less than admirable. Buchanan was a shrewd politician, but this biography shows how he was the wrong man for the presidency when elected in 1856. His time in office caused the nation to view him as old, bumbling, inept, and a pawn of Southern leaders, which only helped to drive a wedge down the Mason-Dixon line. While this biography is not detailed, it does cover an often unexplored figure of Antebellum America. 
  • Fortune & Folly: The Weird and Wonderful Life of the South’s Most Eccentric Millionaire by Sara A. H. Butler
    • Asa Candler Jr., the son of Coca-Cola magnate, Asa Candler Sr., was fantastically wealthy and exactly the personality to put this money to use. “Buddie” Candler owned his own cemetery, the South’s largest laundry, a private zoo, multitudes of expensive cars, started his own racetrack, and worked on a variety of other bizarre and unusual schemes. Fortune & Folly is the first ever biography of this eccentric millionaire, and chronicles the roller-coaster-like ups and downs of Asa Candler Jr. 
    • Candler was at one time the owner of Westview Cemetery, covered in detail in Atlanta’s Historic Westview Cemetery by Jeff Clemmons.
    • My photos from Westview can be found here: https://ajbramlett.com/2024/10/06/trip-photos-westview-cemetery/ 
  • Woodrow Wilson: A Biography by John Milton Cooper Jr.
    • This is the second Wilson biography I have read, after A. Scott Berg’s Wilson. While both of these studies of Wilson’s life are detailed, Cooper’s is far more insightful. Woodrow Wilson would prove to be the last president of the Progressive Era, but this aspect of his time in office would be overshadowed by World War I. The America led by Taft and the America led by Harding were vastly different, and Wilson was the key link between these two periods. Cooper does an excellent job of showing both Wilson’s greatest achievements and deepest flaws, giving a much more complete look at his life than Berg achieves. 
    • For my look at Wilson (through the lens of a 1944 biopic), see https://ajbramlett.com/2024/09/02/wilson-an-idealist-in-a-less-than-ideal-movie/. 
    • I shared the story of Wilson’s vice president, Thomas Marshall, once for Oakland Cemetery  and once for the Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research. 
    • The chaotic state of America during Wilson’s second term is covered in American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis by Adam Hochschild. 
  • American Gothic: The Story of America’s Legendary Theatrical Family: Junius, Edwin, and John Wilkes Booth by Gene Smith
    • John Wilkes Booth has gone down in history as Lincoln’s assassin, but his family was once equally famous. American Gothic is the tale of the Booth family, starting with legendary, sometimes erratic actor, Junius Brutus Booth, and including John’s brother Edwin, considered one of the greatest actors to have ever appeared on stage. While the stories of Junius and Edwin are overshadowed by that of John Wilkes Booth, American Gothic is still a fascinating tale of a fascinating family. 
  • Churchill: A Biography by Roy Jenkins
    • Few individuals have changed the course of history like Winston Churchill. An endlessly studied figure, great emphasis on Churchill’s life is always put on World War II. This one-volume biography spends a lot more time earlier in Churchill’s career, and focuses on his life as one of England’s most influential politicians opposed to a wartime leader. Because of this, for someone like myself unfamiliar with British political institutions, parts of the book can be a harder read, but it remains an insightful look at this hallowed figure. 
  • The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York by Alex Palmer
    • At the turn of the century, the United States Postal Service was in an odd position when mailing letters to Santa. Because of his status as a fictitious individual, by law all letters to him had to be destroyed. This caused outrage, and eventually in the early 1910s the post office released Santa’s mail to societies dedicated to answering the letters of poor and needy children. John Duval Gluck Jr. started the largest of these organization, New York City’s Santa Claus Association. The Santa Claus Association did good work for the children of New York, but as Gluck gained more influence his practices became more and more questionable. Eventually, Gluck fell as quickly as he rose, and was revealed as a Christmastime con-man. The Santa Claus Man is the tale of Gluck’s unusual story from altruistic charity leader to a genuine Jazz Age fraud. 
  • The Hunt for Vulcan: …And How Albert Einstein Destroyed a Planet, Discovered Relativity, and Deciphered the Universe by Thomas Levenson
    • Building on the legacy of Isaac Newton, astronomers realized that some parts of the planets could not be explained. Uranus’s orbit was unexpected, but the discovery of Neptune soon remedied this problem. Mercury’s orbit had a similar problem, and astronomers began the hunt for its Neptune, dubbed Vulcan. The quixotic quest saw many notable figures of the nineteenth century try, and fail, to conclusively prove its existence. The coup de grace for the fictitious planet came from Albert Einstein, whose theory of relativity fixed the problem of Mercury’s strange orbit. This compact volume tells the story of this forgotten planet and its role in shaping our understanding of the universe. 
  • The Discoverers: A History of Man’s Search to Know His World and Himself by Daniel J. Boorstin
    • This sweeping book is based on the simple premise that humanity has always searched for knowledge. The Discoverers is massive in scope, exploring the topic of discovery from as many angles as possible. Geography, history, sociology, taxonomy, astronomy, exploration, and more are all covered. While the book is not always detailed on specific people or events, many times taking a more high-level approach, it is nonetheless a unique and fascinating look at the past two millennia. 
  • The Theodore Roosevelt trilogy (The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Rex, and Colonel Roosevelt) by Edmund Morris
    • The first in a trilogy, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt covers the life of Roosevelt from his birth to his short vice presidency. Released in 1979, the book has become the standard look at Roosevelt’s early career, and rightfully so. It is able to convey the sheer force of personality that Teddy embodied while also telling a fascinating story. 
    • Picking up where The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt ended, this volume covers his historic presidency. As one of the faces on Mount Rushmore, it is easy to argue Roosevelt has been recognized as one of our greatest presidents. Morris shows why this reputation is deserved, as during his almost eight years in office he became one of the nation’s most popular individuals. However, Morris does not shy away from the less appealing aspects of his presidency, like his handling of the Brownsville affair. Even with his missteps, Roosevelt still managed to have a dynamic and successful presidency unlike any other. 
    • At the end of the series is Colonel Roosevelt, which covers Roosevelt’s life from the White House to his passing ten years later. After two volumes of Roosevelt’s rise and status as an indisputable force of American politics, it is a bit somber to read of his life after the presidency. His life had several highlights in these years, including foreign treks and the creation of his own political party, but had an equal number of setbacks, including his loss in the 1912 election, nearly dying in the Amazon, his inability to fight in World War I, and his son’s death in the same war. It marks a sad end to this trilogy, yet through it all the power and force of his character shines through. While Theodore Roosevelt may not have been perfect, this trilogy shows there are many reasons to admire this “Bull Moose.” 
    • I Rose Like a Rocket: The Political Education of Theodore Roosevelt by Paul Grondahl and The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt both cover his life until the White House. Personally, I prefer Morris’ version. 
    • When Trumpets Call: Theodore Roosevelt After the White House by Patrica O’Toole covers the same time period as Colonel Roosevelt. Both are insightful looks at the years 1909 to 1919. 
  • Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945 by Max Hastings
    • For six years, the world was plunged into one of the most violent wars in human history. Inferno examines impacts of World War II on the average person – the civilians, the soldiers, the victims, and a mix of them all. Its personal look shows the true scope of the horrors of war, and brings to life the destruction across the world caused by the war. It is a detailed, unique look at a turning point of the world’s history.
    • For a unique look at the last months of the war, see April 1945: The Hinge of History by Craig Shirley. 
  • Bolivar: American Liberator by Marie Arana
    • Before reading this volume, I was largely unfamiliar with Simon Bolivar except for the most basic facts: South American revolutionary, threw off the Spanish yoke, still revered today. This volume was perfect for someone like myself unfamiliar with Bolivar’s life already. Arana paints a portrait of a well-intentioned liberator with an authoritarian streak. Bolivar was a complicated figure who claimed to represent the ideals of the Enlightenment while critics accused him of creating a new monarchy in South America. His noble traits, flaws, and contradictions all shine through in this work. 
  • Gutenberg: How One Man Remade the World with Words by John Man
    • Has any person ever had the same influence on history as Gutenberg? The inventor of moveable type printing made possible the last five hundred years of world history by making information easily accessible to all. Without this revolution, our modern age would not be possible or even conceivable. Despite his massive impact across the globe, Gutenberg himself remains a bit of a mysterious figure. While some of his life is well documented in court records, a lot of his story is shrouded in mystery. John Man lays out Gutenberg’s story very well, by making it very clear what is known fact, what is inference, and what parts of his story are flights of fancy. While not a long book, it is packed with detail that shows the true influence of Johannes Gutenberg.
  • The World of Gerard Mercator: The Mapmaker who Revolutionized Geography by Andrew Taylor
    • About a century after Gutenberg, Gerard Mercator represents the social changes that came in the wake of the printing press. Mercator’s goal was to create the most accurate maps he could of the world, setting himself apart from Medieval mapmakers focused on the meaning instead of the detail of cartography. As part of this, Mercator attempted to solve the problem of representing a sphere on a flat surface. While there is still debate about if he was successful, his Mercator Projection is undoubtedly a landmark. Unlike Gutenberg, for which there is little evidence about his life, Mercator is seen through a variety of sources, including letters that still survive from his day. The World of Gerhard Mercator reveals the life of a scholar on the hunt for knowledge that was not possible before his time.
  • Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World by Roger Crowley
    • In the sixteenth century, it was unclear whether the Mediterranean Sea – for centuries the heart of the Western world – would be under the control of Christian Europe or of the Ottoman Empire. Under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the long-standing Cold War turned into a violent struggle for the linchpins of the sea. Over the coming decades, the contest for sites like Malta gained worldwide significance. The final blow for the Ottomans came at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. While not widely discussed today, Lepanto was in its day the battle that decided Europe’s fate. This work, from the same author of City of Fortune, examines these contests and the role they played in settling Europe’s destiny. 
  • The Reformation: A History by Diarmaid MacCulloch
    • Even before Martin Luther, there were some thinkers in the Catholic Church who began to plan for a reformation, the most notable being Erasmus. Luther ushered in a new age of European religion, which plunged the continent into decades long conflicts over Christianity. Not only did Protestantism reshape Europe, but it inspired a reordering of the Catholic Church as it tried to stay in control. This history covers how the Reformation shaped Christianity across the globe, with a focus on the theological debates that took place in Europe. 
  • The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
    • One of the most famous religious groups in America was the Puritans, an often maligned set of individuals. The Wordy Shipmates is a humorous, but insightful, look at why this reputation is not quite deserved but still merits attention. The book focuses on the Puritans who founded Boston under the leadership of John Winthrop, instead of the more well-known group that arrived on the Mayflower. This is certainly the first book about the Puritans I have ever read that references everything from Dolly Parton to The Brady Bunch, but this unique look at the group is filled with witty commentary on the Puritan’s life and legacy, showing how they are still just as relevant today as they were centuries ago.
    • A more serious account of the Puritans can be found in Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick. 
    • For Vowell’s examination of Lafayette and the American Revolution, see Lafayette in the Somewhat United States. 
  • A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies by Bartolome de las Casas
    • The classic primary source about the Spanish in the Americas was written by Bartolome de las Casas, first a conquistador and then a critic of their policies. It is a tale of savage destruction, depopulated islands, and forced conversion, all written with the goal of humanizing the Spanish treatment of their native subjects. While, as the introduction of the edition I read pointed out, many of the tales and numbers are exaggerated for effect, the general idea of what he described was truthful. It is a short, but gory, story of brutality. 
  • The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down by Colin Woodward
    • Pirates are so heavily romanticized it is difficult to remember they were a real fixture of the Caribbean in the 1700s. The Republic of Pirates is the story of the last few decades of piracy’s hold on the Caribbean, including the most infamous and legendary pirate captain of all, Blackbeard. Surrounding the stories of the captains that ruled the waves are the last grasps of the Spanish empire and the rise of other European domains in what were once the most wealthy regions of the colonial world. To understand Europe’s colonialism in this era is vital to understand the pirates, and vice versa. 
  • De Gaulle by Julian Jackson
    • In a sense, reading about De Gaulle reminds me of Simon Bolivar. Both men fought for freedom, but many accused them of dictatorial sentiments. De Gaulle sought to be the embodiment of France – or his certain idea of it – and managed to become the most important politician in the nation for over twenty years. While this is a lengthy biography, it feels relatively fast paced. For someone unfamiliar with De Gaulle or France in the 1960s, this was a great way to begin exploring a personality and an era so intertwined. 
  • Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened Japan by Giles Milton
    • Before Japan was famously closed to the outside world for 200 years, there was a brief period when Western traders fought for control of this lucrative market. At the center of the story is William Adams, the first Englishman in Japan, who rose to the rank of Samurai. Using Adams’ life as a starting point and framework, in Samurai William author Giles Milton explores the West’s contact with Japan before its isolation. Along the way,  he is able to offer insight into the early entrepreneurs of Europe and to the complex culture and traditions of Japan. 
  • Teapot Dome: Oil and Politics of the 1920s by Burl Noggle
    • Considered the greatest scandal in America before Watergate, the Teapot Dome did not have long-lasting influences in politics but did create a storm of controversy. First published in the 1960s, this history of the scandal examines the major players of both parties who were complicit and those who sought to uncover the truth. Most importantly, Noggle shows its influence on the 1924 election, and its lack of influence in 1928. It is a short but interesting glimpse at the politicians and conservationists of the 1920s. 
  • The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia’s Founding by Robert Hughes
    • Founded as a British penal colony, Australia was one of the most sadistic places in the nineteenth century. In this well-known history of Australia’s convict system, Robert Hughes explores the motives behind the colony’s creation and the hardships faced by prisoners (and some civilians) from the 1780s into the 1860s. It is filled with tales of cruel prison wardens, but also stories of triumph in the face of hardship and of reformers cleaning up brutal places. 
  • A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire by M. Şükrü Hanioğlu
    • Starting with Napoleon in Egypt and ending with World War I, this work shows how the Ottoman Empire changed and adapted as it gradually fell apart. At the heart of the story is the rise of nationalism and the Ottoman’s gradual focus towards European culture. As Europe became the center of the world’s trade, the Ottoman Empire began to take on European books, schools, and a military based on European organization. The rise of different nationalist groups across the empire also caused it to fragment at the edges, and then closer to the center. This concise history of this period offers valuable insight into a sometimes overlooked part of Middle Eastern history. 
    • The role of World War I in the downfall of the Ottoman’s is explored in Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly, and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Scott Anderson. 
  • Lucius D. Clay: An American Life by Jean Edward Smith
    • General Lucius D. Clay was the military governor of Germany after World War II, and helped guide the country as it rebuilt. This biography of Clay focuses on his time overseas, but also addresses his life growing up in Marietta, Georgia, and his early career. After leaving Germany, Clay became a notable businessman and even returned to Germany to much fanfare in the 1960s. What makes this work unique is its use of transcripts from interviews with Clay to help illuminate his life and actions. 
  • Close-Up on Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder, Norma Desmond, and the Dark Hollywood Dream by Sam Staggs
    • Sunset Boulevard is an icon of American cinema. Part of what makes the move so fascinating is its connections to similar real-life stories of forgotten silent age stars. Close-Up on Sunset Boulevard is the story of how this masterpiece came about, and why after almost 75 years it remains so engaging and fresh. 
  • Beyond the Wall: A History of East Germany by Katja Hoyer
    • Germany’s almost fifty-year split was one of the most important divisions of the Cold War. The eastern GDR was always the smaller power, in terms of size, population, and economy. Historically, because of its communist government, it has also been seen as a bit of a Soviet puppet state. Beyond the Wall examines life in East Germany, along with the country’s complicated relationship with the Soviets. Everything from pop music to elections to workers strikes to espionage is covered. At the heart of the book is the idea of an East German identity that was forged out of this partition. 
  • Collapse: The Fall of the Soviet Union by Vladislav M. Zubok
    • In Zubok’s retelling of the Soviet Union’s fall, like many other narratives, Gorbachev stands at the heart. As explained in the introduction, what makes this work unique is the focus on the Soviet Union’s internal problems as the cause of its collapse, rather than western intervention. The first half of the book, covering the 1980s, is essentially a prologue to the more detailed second half, which focuses on the events of 1991. It is dense and packed with detail about a complicated decline of a major world power.
  • Tear Down This Wall: A City, A President, and the Speech that Ended the Cold War by Romesh Ratnesar
    • While Ronald Reagan’s speech at the Berlin Wall did not end the Cold War, it was a bellwether of changing times. In this book, reporter Romesh Ratnesar looks at why Reagan and his administration chose to make such a bold pronouncement in Berlin, and why no one anticipated how quickly the message would come true. It is a story both of an impactful speech and of the end of the Cold War. 
  • George Henry Thomas: As True as Steel by Brian Steel Wills
    • General Thomas served with distinction throughout the Civil War, and is considered one of the conflict’s best generals. Thomas was born and raised in the South, but served with the Union army instead of the Confederacy. Always methodical, Thomas was also successful in almost every battle he touched. This biography examines the life of this Southerner who fought for the North, and looks at why he is not as well known (or sometimes well remembered) today. The book is authored by Dr. Brian Wills, who I had as a professor at Kennesaw State University. 
    • One of Thomas’ foes at Chickamauga, James Longstreet, is the subject of Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South by Elizabeth R. Varon. 
  • Highbrows, Hillbillies & Hellfire: Public Entertainment in Atlanta, 1880-1930 by Steve Goodson
    • Atlanta after the Civil War attempted to shed its Southern identity while embracing the New South movement. This could be seen in Atlanta’s choice in public entertainment, from opera to early country music. This book chronicles the story of how Atlanta chose to pass the time, why certain forms of entertainment were prioritized over others, and what it says about Atlanta’s creation of an identity. 
  • Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War by Robert K. Massie
    • Great Britain’s king during World War I, George V, and Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm I were both grandsons of Queen Victoria, showing how closely allied the two nations once were. How, then, did they grow apart from each other before World War I? Dreadnought is the story of the diplomatic struggles faced by both nations leading to their split. Crucially, Great Britain became allies with France, its traditional foe for almost a thousand years. Dreadnought reveals the state of each country preceding World War I and the culture of military preparedness and arms races that made the “Great War” so terrible. 
  • Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, a Brave and Beautiful City by Harold E. Davis
    • Henry Grady, editor of the Atlanta Constitution, is remembered as the principal promoter of the New South Movement after the Civil War. In the 1880s, Grady became a nationally recognized figure and leader in Atlanta. This book examines how Grady’s New South ideology was tied to Atlanta, and how, ultimately, he was out to promote his city instead of the region. Davis examines Grady’s stances on the facets of the movement, from economic progress to racial differences to agriculture’s place in an industrialized South. 
    • Davis also looked at Grady’s role in politics in “Henry W. Grady, Master of the Atlanta Ring – 1880-1886” by Harold E. Davis (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 1) and “Henry Grady, the Atlanta Constitution, and the Politics of Farming in the 1880s” by Harold E. Davis (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 71, No. 4). 
    • Henry Grady’s connections to convict labor are addressed in the first chapter of Journalism and Jim Crow: White Supremacy and the Black Struggle for a New America edited by Kathy Roberts Forde and Sid Bedingfield. 
    • Grady is also the focus of The Birth of a New South: Sherman, Grady, and the Making of Atlanta by E. Culpepper Clark and Henry W. Grady: Spokesman for the New South by Raymond W. Nixon.
    • Grady and Tom Watson are compared in Henry Grady or Tom Watson?: The Rhetorical Struggle for the New South, 1880-1890 by Ferald J. Bryan. 
  • Hoke Smith and the Politics of the New South by Dewey W. Grantham Jr.
    • Hoke Smith was Governor of Georgia on two non-consecutive occasions, was editor of the Atlanta Journal, served in the Cleveland cabinet, and was in the Senate during Wilson’s presidency. During his career Smith was a Southern Progressives, and fought many political battles against Governor Joseph M. Brown, Atlanta Constitution editor Clark Howell, and demagogue Tom Watson. Smith was able to enact many progressive reforms, but also compromised his ideals many times on matters of patronage and antagonism to his states’ African American voters. He created much positive registration, but also was a sign of the darker sides of the South in his era. 
    • Hoke Smith’s gubernatorial campaign in 1906 was a contributing factor to the Atlanta Race Riots. For information on this event, see Negrophobia: A Race Riot in Atlanta, 1906 by Mark Bauerlein. 
    • For a look at other Southern progressives, see Southern Progressivism: The Reconciliation of Progress and Tradition by Dewey W. Grantham Jr.
    • My short biography of Hoke Smith for Oakland Cemetery, which utilized the work of Dewey Grantham, can be found here: https://ajbramlett.com/oakland-cemetery/ 
  • Liberalism in the New South: Southern Social Reformers and the Progressive Movement by Hugh C. Bailey
    • This work examines the Progressive reformers of the South, from the 1870s until World War I. Though the book is grouped by subject, several figures like Walter Hines Page, Booker T. Washington, and Alexander McKelway loom large. By examining the actions of Southern Progressives, Bailey is able to show that, while often behind their Northern counterparts on racial matters, in matters of agriculture, education, and child labor the South was just and outspoken as the rest of the country. 
    • For a look at the Progressive Movement among Southern senators, see “A Progressive Wind from the South, 1906-1913” by Anne Firor Scott (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 29, No. 1). 
    • See also Southern Progressivism: The Reconciliation of Progress and Tradition by Dewey W. Grantham Jr.
  • The Gentleman from New York: A Life of Roscoe Conkling by Donald Barr Chidsey
    • Roscoe Conkling of New York was a leader during Reconstruction, fighting for the equality of all Americans before the law. During this same period, he became one of the great Gilded Age bosses, controlling Republican New York politics as a counterpoint to the Democrat’s Tammany Hall. As the years progressed, New York’s most distinguished Senator became known for his ridicule of Civil Service Reform – which he famously called Snivel Service Reform. Conkling has become a classic Gilded Age villain with his defense of patronage, but was a figure with a more complicated legacy than this one issue. The Gentleman from New York was published in the 1930s, and is one of the few biographies of Conkling ever published. The book is written in the style of the adventure novels Chidsey was better known for writing, making it an engaging read. 
  • The Birth of a New South: Sherman, Grady, and the Making of Atlanta by E. Culpepper Clark
    • This work about the New South focuses on Henry Grady and his legacy, with General Sherman playing second fiddle. Compared to Harold Davis’ treatment of Grady, this work focuses a lot more on his legacy and tries to connect modern parallels. Divided into three main sections, the book addresses Grady’s political beliefs and how they relate and compare to contemporaries. The heart of the book is about how modern readers should view Henry Grady, and whether he was an idealist visionary for a sign of the racial struggle after his death. 
    • Henry Grady’s connections to convict labor are addressed in the first chapter of Journalism and Jim Crow: White Supremacy and the Black Struggle for a New America edited by Kathy Roberts Forde and Sid Bedingfield. 
    • Grady is also the subject of Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, a Brave and Beautiful City by Harold E. Davis and Henry W. Grady: Spokesman for the New South by Raymond W. Nixon.
    • Grady and Tom Watson are compared in Henry Grady or Tom Watson?: The Rhetorical Struggle for the New South, 1880-1890 by Ferald J. Bryan. 
  • Tom Watson: Agrarian Rebel by C. Vann Woodward
    • One of the most complicated politicians to ever come from Georgia, Thomas E. Watson led a life of contradiction. A believer in the agrarian Old South, Watson led the Populist movement against the forces of Henry Grady’s New South vision. Watson began preaching the gospel of democracy for all, but by the end of his life had become much better known for his white supremacist views. Watson allied with a variety of forces of the Democratic Party during his career, and gained the support of everyone from the businessman Joseph M. Brown to socialist Eugene V. Debs. Watson never kept an ally long, often turning on the men he helped to elect. Woodward’s 1938 biography of Watson is a fascinating look at this demagogue, and remains the standard biography of the “sage of Hickory Hill.” 
    • Watson and Henry Grady’s rhetorical style are compared in Henry Grady or Tom Watson?: The Rhetorical Struggle for the New South, 1880-1890 by Ferald J. Bryan. 
    • More information about Thomas E. Watson in World War I can be found in “Tom Watson and Resistance to Federal War Policies in Georgia during World War I” by Zachary Smith (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. LXXVIII, No. 2). 
    • Information about his role in Leo Frank’s lynching can be found in And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank by Steve Oney. 
    • A psychological examination of Watson can be found in “Troubled Tirader: A Psychobiographical Study of Tom Watson” by Janet Brenner Franzoni (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 57, No. 4).
    • Watson is compared to other Southern Demagogues in “Flowering of the Southern Demagogue” by Reinhard H. Luthin (The American Scholar, Vol. 20, No. 2)
  • A Very Different Age: Americans in the Progressive Era by Steven J. Diner
    • The Progressive Era can be seen as a time of transition from the Gilded Age into the twentieth century, with several major politicians taking center stage. This work focuses on what it was like to live in this era, examining the work of reformers, factory workers, farmers, educators, and more from the 1890s into World War I. Each of the chapters focuses on a particular theme or social group, but weaves together into a larger tale of social change and modernization. 
  • Origins of the New South, 1877-1913 by C. Vann Woodward
    • Written as part of a much larger series on Southern History, this book presents the story of the former Confederate states after Reconstruction. The South, in many ways, remained committed to its pre-War ways, but proponents of the New South wanted to see the area industrialize and grow like the North. Throughout these decades, New South crusaders and agrarian advocates clashed for control of the region. The South’s story in this era is often impacted by the legacy of the Civil War, so while it may have taken place before the book’s start it still looms large. This volume does a good job covering Southerners of all social classes and races, and of highlighting the political forces that sought to hold power. 
    • The New South era is also examined in The Promise of the New South: Life After Reconstruction by Edward L. Ayers. 
    • The New South movement is strongly connected to Henry W. Grady. For more info, see Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, a Brave and Beautiful City by Harold E. Davis, The Birth of a New South: Sherman, Grady, and the Making of Atlanta by E. Culpepper Clark, and the first chapter of Journalism and Jim Crow: White Supremacy and the Black Struggle for a New America edited by Kathy Roberts Forde and Sid Bedingfield. 
    • Reform movements led by Southern Progressives during the same era are covered in Liberalism in the New South: Southern Social Reformers and the Progressive Movement by Hugh C. Bailey.
    • The national perception of the South during this area is the focus of The Problem South: Region, Empire, and the New Liberal State, 1880-1930 by Natalie J. King. 
  • The Land that Never Was: Sir Gregor MacGregor and the Most Audacious Fraud in History by David Sinclair
    • In the 1820s, “Sir” Gregor MacGregor convinced much of Great Britain he was the leader of the Kingdom of Poyais, which was ready for settlement. Many conmen have created products for companies, but only the boldest, like MacGregor, have created countries out of thin air. Incredibly, much of the world believed the Scottish adventurer, in part because of his well-publicized exploits but also because of a fascination with South America. An admirer of South America’s General Miranda, MacGregor’s wife was a cousin of Bolivar himself. Ultimately, the Poyais plan collapsed around MacGregor, but he remained relatively unscathed. The story of MacGregor and Poyais is a study of both South American revolutions and the power a con man can hold over individuals.
  • The Rough Rider and the Professor: Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, and the Friendship that Changed American History by Laurence R. Jurdem
    • While Theodore Roosevelt is a household name, Henry Cabot Lodge is not. A Massachusetts senator, Lodge was Roosevelt’s closest ally and confidant. During Roosevelt’s early rise in national politics, many viewed him as Lodge’s apprentice. When the tables were turned and Roosevelt became President, some still contended his was under Lodge’s control. Though the two had disagreements around the 1912 election, they soon reconciled and began to fight Woodrow Wilson. This is a story of a very influential friendship between two titans of the Progressive Era, and does a good job of balancing the story of Roosevelt and Lodge. 
  • James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia: A Founder’s Journey from Slave Trader to Abolitionist by Michael L. Thurmond
    • James Oglethorpe is well remembered as Georgia’s founder, but his role in Great Britain’s abolition movement is not acknowledged as often. This is odd, as he played a major role in making the public aware of slavery’s horrors. This biography seeks to unearth this forgotten part of Oglethorpe’s legacy, and show how he helped to light the early sparks of abolition. The book also examines the history of slavery in Georgia, beginning with its illegal rise in the 1740s and ending with the Civil War and Reconstruction. 
    • Oglethorpe’s opposition to the Spanish is the subject of “Oglethorpe, Georgia, and the Spanish Threat” by Phinizy Spalding (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 78, No. 3).
    • His life in London at the time of the Revolution is the subject of “Glimpses of Oglethorpe in Boswell’s Life of Johnson” by Edward J. Cashin (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 88, No. 3).
    • Oglethorpe’s years undercover observing the Seven Years’ War is the focus of “Oglethorpe’s Missing Years” by Rodney M. Baine and Mary E. Williams (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 2). 
    • Oglethorpe is also examined in Oglethorpe in America by Phinizy Spalding. 
    • More information about colonial Georgia and slavery can be found in Slavery in Colonial Georgia, 1730-1775 by Betty Wood.
  • Negrophobia: A Race Riot in Atlanta, 1906 by Mark Bauerlein
    • Prior to 1906, Atlanta claimed to be the shining example of racial progress in the New South, but the Atlanta Race Riot upended this image. A frenzy of blood and violence spread throughout Downtown Atlanta, and the death count is still debated today. This work examines the political and social climate that led to the massacre, and how media reports added fuel to the fire. After 1906, Atlanta’s image took decades to recover, not becoming the “city too busy to hate” until the Civil Rights era. 
    • One of the contributing factors to the Race Riot was the 1906 gubernatorial campaign between Hoke Smith and Clark Howell. For a biography of Smith, see Hoke Smith and the Politics of the New South by Dewey W. Grantham Jr. 
    • A chapter in Journalism and Jim Crow: White Supremacy and the Black Struggle for a New America edited by Kathy Roberts Forde and Sid Bedingfield focuses on editor J. Max Barber and the Voice of the Negro, who is also covered in this book.
    • Thornwell Jacobs novel about the riot is the subject of “‘Immovable Folkways’: Thornwell Jacobs’s The Law of the White Circle and the Atlanta Race Riot of 1906” by Paul Stephen Hudson (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 83, No. 2). 
    • I touched on the Atlanta Race Riot in an article of mine in the Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research.
  • President McKinley: Architect of the American Century by Robert W. Merry
    • William McKinley can be defined as a mystery: Did he guide events, or did events guide him? This biography seeks to unravel this mystery, and lands squarely on the former option. The biography shows how McKinley guided events and was willing to change his policies based on reality. While it agrees he was no visionary, it tries to show how his policies led to America’s dominance in the 20th century. Notably absent from this tale is Mark Hanna, who appears but not as the scheming puppet master he is remembered as. McKinley is not a widely studied president, but Merry is able to show why he remains a keystone of the turn of the century. 
    • For an exploration of the McKinley assassination, see Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt’s America by Eric Rauchway.
    • McKinley’s time in the White House is the focus of The Presidency of William McKinley by Lewis L. Gould. 
  • The Spanish War: An American Epic, 1898 by G. J. A. O’Toole
    • While the Spanish American War lasted only six months, it was years in the making. O’Toole’s history of the war traces the United States relationship with Spain and Cuba from the early 1800s until war in 1898. Great attention is given to the critical events surrounding the USS Maine: Its mission to Havana, its sinking, and the resulting declaration of war. This work encompasses more than just the Cuban story, also highlighting the early actions in the Philippines and the resulting revolt. The war can be seen as a turning point in US foreign relations, and much of the next century cannot be understood without the context of this war. 
    • The campaign for Manilla is the subject of Admiral Dewey and the Manila Campaign compiled by Cmdr. Nathan Sargent.
    • Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders are covered in many books, especially The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. 
    • Recruitment of Southern soldiers is the subject of “A Voluntary War: The Spanish-American War, White Southern Manhood, and the Struggle to Recruit Volunteers in the South” by David C. Turpie (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 80, No. 4). 
    • For more exploration of the pro-expansion and anti-imperialist debates, see The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of American Empire by Stephen Kinzer and First Great Triumph: How Five Americans Made Their Country a World Power by Warren Zimmerman. 
  • The Lost World of Thomas Jefferson by Daniel J. Boorstin
    • Thomas Jefferson was an American intellectual leader, and this aspect of his life is explored in this fascinating work. It is not a biography of Jefferson or a history of his contemporaries. Instead, it explores intellectual ideas and philosophical questions Jefferson sought to answer. Boorstin goes through the works of Jefferson and the Jeffersonians to examine how they viewed the world around them, and this is contrasted with the opinions of other contemporary philosophical systems. It is a fascinating, detailed, and well-researched book that provides fascinating insight into Jefferson’s character. 
    • In July 2024, I visited Monticello, Poplar Forest, and the University of Virginia – three sites intimately connected to Jefferson. For information about this visit, see my blog post here: https://ajbramlett.com/2024/08/02/finding-thomas-jefferson/ 
  • The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
    • This collection of essays was written by John Green for a podcast, and is his first work of nonfiction. Though he is best-known for books like The Fault in Our Stars, he is also the creator of the Crash Course YouTube series with his brother. I fondly remember this series from when I was younger, so when I was assigned this book for a class I was excited to read it. The same wit, humor, and knowledge that Green is known for is present throughout the book, making it an engaging read, while it is also filled with much deeper and richer stories than his YouTube works. The topics reviewed include everything from Piggly Wiggly to staphylococcus bacteria. Every essay is just as interesting as the last, making it a wonderful book. 
  • The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey by Candice Millard
    • After losing the 1912 election, Theodore Roosevelt decided to take the bold step of exploring unknown regions of the Amazon Rainforest. The trip, made with his son Kermit and Brazilian hero Cândido Rondon, was the most difficult trip ever made by the well-traveled president. Because of this, it was also his last great expedition. Candice Millard’s account has become the definitive retelling of the story of Roosevelt on the River of Doubt, and it remains an exciting account of this part of Roosevelt’s life. 
  • The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek by Howard Markel
    • John Harvey Kellogg and Will K. Kellogg were two of the most famous brothers in America, and were household names: the former for his medical ability, the later for his cereal. While John Harvey Kellogg may have been famous first, it was Will Kellogg’s company that is still remembered today. The relationship between the two was anything but brotherly, with each trying to sabotage the other’s work. This account of the Kelloggs highlights the accomplishments and flaws of both brothers. The flaws of both men stand out prominently, in part because it impacted their relationship with each other and their family. Surrounding this story is the context of America’s burgeoning medical field, the Seventh Day Adventists, and changes in American society between the Gilded Age and World War II. 
  • The Age of Stonehenge by Colin Burgess
    • The Age of Stonehenge chronicles Great Britain from the year 3000 BC to 1000 BC. Packed with research, archaeological sites, and ancient findings, it is obviously a valuable resource on life in this time. However, for a layman like myself, this book could be hard to follow at times, and I think it is fair to say it was written for an audience already a bit familiar with this period.
  • The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, A Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History by Darrin Lunde
    • Part of what makes Teddy Roosevelt a compelling individual was his variety of activity. This is especially apparent in his time as a naturalist, making notes about the world around him from when he was a child until the last years of his life. This biography of Roosevelt’s life focuses on his naturalist activities, making it similar to Michael R. Canfield’s Theodore Roosevelt in the Field. While Canfield focuses more on Roosevelt’s diaries and notebooks, examining how he saw the world, Lunde seeks to place his activities in the broader context of the rise of American Natural History. 
    • For a further exploration of this book, check out my blog post at https://ajbramlett.com/2024/06/13/theodore-roosevelt-and-nature/. 
    • For a biography of Gifford Pinchot, a major conservation ally of Roosevelt, see Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism by Char Miller. 
  • The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance by Mensun Bound
    • Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance, lost in the Weddell Sea of Antarctica, was once the world’s most elusive shipwreck. Thanks to notes from the ship’s navigator, the world knew almost exactly where it could be found, but it was trapped underneath the ice that caused its sinking. In 2019, Mensun Bound tried, but did not succeed in finding the ship. On a second expedition two years later, the Endurance was found, exactly 100 years after Shackleton’s death. This memoir of these expeditions chronicles how the legendary ship was found, and why the hunt began in the first place. 
    • The definitive account of Shackleton’s voyage remains Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing.
  • Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt’s America by Eric Rauchway
    • William McKinley’s assassination ushered in the Progressive Era, and Eric Rauchway used this event to examine the attitudes of the turn of the century. In particular, the event is used to examine attitudes about ethnicity, race, and immigration. A large part of the book focuses on the trial of assassin Leon Czolgosz and resulting investigations into his life and sanity. Murdering McKinley, while short, offers a unique lens to look at the Progressive Era. 
    • For a biography of McKinley, see President McKinley: Architect of the American Century by Robert W. Merry.
    • McKinley’s time in the White House is the focus of The Presidency of William McKinley by Lewis L. Gould. 
    • For a biography of anarchist Emma Goldman, who inspired Czolgosz, see Emma Goldman: American Individualist by John Chalberg. 
  • Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo
    • Ellen and William Craft escaped slavery in Macon, Georgia, in 1848. Ellen was able to pass as a white gentleman, while William pretended to be the gentleman’s enslaved servant. The two were able to travel in disguise to Philadelphia and freedom. After reaching the North, the Crafts became major abolitionist speakers, and eventually moved to England. This riveting book reads like a novel, and uncovers a fascinating forgotten couple and their odyssey to freedom. 
  • The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin
    • Years before their opposition to each other in the 1912 election,  Roosevelt and Taft were some of Washington’s closest friends. This work chronicles the lives of these two Progressive Era giants, and focuses on how media helped their causes. The work of authors from McClure’s magazine are focused on in particular, many of whom have gone down in history as “muckrakers.” The book is packed with insight into Progressive thought and politics, particularly in the lead-up to 1912. The book ends with that year’s cataclysmic election, focusing on how Taft and Roosevelt went from best friends to political rivals. 
  • Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts: Twelve Journeys into the Medieval World by Christopher de Hamel
    • In these “interviews” with twelve significant manuscripts, Christopher de Hamel provides an engaging narrative combined with detailed examination. Each chapter describes the manuscript’s authorship, history, descriptive bibliography, and how it can be accessed today. The combination of detailed book history with information about rare book collections across the globe makes this a unique read I would highly recommend. While some parts are much more specialist, like including the manuscripts’ collational formulas, it still has value for both the rare book novice and an aficionado.
  • Leonard Wood: Rough Rider, Surgeon, Architect of American Imperialism by Jack McCallum
    • Leonard Wood helped capture Geronimo, served as the leader of Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, was placed in charge of Cuba and later the Philippines, and ran for president in 1920. With Roosevelt, he helped to turn America into a much more imperial force in former Spanish domains. He had a mixed career: he had massive success in Cuba, but in the Philippines he could be cruel and even heartless. The blend of Wood’s achievements and failures is highlighted in this biography of a forgotten, but important, soldier and doctor. 
  • S.S. Savannah: The Elegant Steam Ship by Frank O. Braynard
    • The SS Savannah was the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, and the last for almost two decades. Financial backers from its namesake city hoped it would inaugurate a new era of ocean travel, but passengers and shippers were concerned about the untested technology. While the voyage succeeded, the ship was a financial failure. This book examines the history of the short-lived ship, along with its captain Moses Rogers, engineers, and major backers. Because there are conflicting accounts, Braynard analyzes period reports about the Savannah to ascertain which can be trusted and what is mere myth. 
  • First Great Triumph: How Five Americans Made Their Country a World Power by Warren Zimmerman
    • This work examines the role of five important Americans in the lead-up to the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Revolt, and Theodore Roosevelt’s Presidency: Roosevelt himself, Henry Cabot Lodge, John Hay, Alfred Thayer Mahan, and Elihu Root. The book is quick to acknowledge that other individuals played equally important roles in early American empire building, but that these five were chosen for their specific talents. Root was a pioneer of international law, Lodge was a Congressional leader, Mahan promoted Naval armament, Hay guided diplomacy, and Roosevelt served as spearhead and chief promoter. First Great Triumph shares how these men had differing opinions about America’s future, but ultimately thanks to their efforts paved the way for the twentieth century. Through their successes and failures, they shaped the United States like few others of their era. 
  • Eiffel’s Tower: The Thrilling Story Behind Paris’s Beloved Monument and the Extraordinary World’s Fair that Introduced It by Jill Jonnes
    • The 1889 Paris World’s Fair had many wonders, but none has had a greater impact than what was then the world’s tallest structure, the Eiffel Tower. In Eiffel’s Tower, Jonnes focuses not just on the tower’s story, but on the story of the fair around it. The varied cast of characters includes everyone from Paul Gaugin to Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill. The fair’s impact can still be felt in France, often in unseen and little thought about ways. In an age of magnificent exhibitions, this may have been Europe’s greatest. 
  • Gone with the Glory: The Civil War in Cinema by Brian Steel Wills
    • Since the Civil War, historians, authors, and filmmakers have sought to analyze the conflict and bring it into popular culture. Civil War films have had quite a large impact on society, including controversial films like The Birth of a Nation and Gone with the Wind. Civil War films have also brought real stories of the war to the public eye, like Glory in 1989. Gone with the Glory looks at the major films covering the war since the medium’s creation, and examines what they say about the Civil War and the context these works were created in.
    • For a broader look at the legacy of the Civil War, see Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horowitz. 
  • The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi, 1857 by William Dalrymple
    • In 1857, an era ended in India. Bahadur Shah II (or Zafar) lost his title of Mughal Emperor, ending the centuries-long reign of the Timurid Dynasty. The event happened after a massive uprising that brought India into war against the colonial British of the East India Company. The uprising saw atrocities, massive death, and spelled the end for nominal independence in India. The Last Mughal shares the story of this critical year, and the last years of Zafar as he lost his influence. The book examines the uprising from both sides, and shows how the story is not as black and white as traditional narratives. It is a captivating look at Britain’s colonial power and the end of Mughal India. 
  • The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America by Douglas Brinkley
    • This biography of Theodore Roosevelt focuses on his role in the American conservation movement, and his tireless advocacy in protecting natural resources. Several themes run through the book, including Roosevelt’s views that seem to sometimes conflict, his abilities as a naturalist, and his love of birds. Unlike other books about Roosevelt and nature I have read, the work goes into much more detail about his role in land preservation, with National Parks, National Monuments, National Forests, and several other designations Roosevelt pioneered. His relationship with other scientists and conservationists is highlighted, and it includes more detail about him and his uncle Robert than I have seen in a Roosevelt biography before. The Wilderness Warrior does not cover all of Roosevelt’s life, as it starts with his birth and ends with him leaving office in 1909. 
    • For a further exploration of this book, check out my blog post at https://ajbramlett.com/2024/06/13/theodore-roosevelt-and-nature/. 
    • For a biography of Gifford Pinchot, a major conservation ally of Roosevelt, see Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism by Char Miller. 
  • The Whig Party in Georgia, 1825-1853 by Paul Murray
    • Between the 1820s and 1850s, the state political parties gradually began to become more closely aligned with national organizations. At the same time, candidates began to focus increasingly on national or sectional issues. The Whig Party in Georgia tracks this story, from the personality-driven politics of the 1820s, to an era of national issues in the 1830s and ‘40s, to the rise of sectionalism in the 1850s. The political careers of a variety of notable Georgians are tracked, from George Troup to Alexander Stephens. Also underpinning the story is how traditional descriptions of the Whigs do not always fit in the South, and how party lines could be fluid in an age of political change. 
    • For a history of the national Whig Party, see The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset of the Civil War by Michael F. Holt
  • Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America by Leila Phillips
    • Once dotting the landscape of America, due to fur trapping the beaver has significantly declined in population. However, thanks to conservation efforts, the beaver is seeing a comeback. Beaverland examines the beaver in America in the past, present, and future. The fur trading empires of early America are explored, along with modern fur trappers and conservationists. Beaverland also shares how the beaver can help make the world more sustainable, and how this simple, overlooked creature is one of the most important parts of many ecosystems. 
  • The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God’s Holy Warriors by Dan Jones
    • The Templars have gone down in history (and legend) as a shadowy warrior group, known for their fabulous wealth and mysterious practices. In this book, Dan Jones seeks to remove the shroud of mystery covering the Templars and examine their real history and exploits. The focus of the book is their military actions in the Middle East during the Crusades, while their banking powers are left unexplored in detail. The book culminates in the Templars’ fall at the hands of Phillip IV of France, who managed to end the powerful organization with paranoid trials and witch hunts. This book makes a nice companion to Jones’ Crusaders, which covers some of the same battles of the Crusades. 
  • Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America by Douglas Brinkley
    • Rightful Heritage is a spiritual sequel to The Wilderness Warrior by the same author: the former covered Theodore Roosevelt, the latter his cousin Franklin. During his presidency, the Great Depression proved to be a blessing in disguise for Roosevelt’s conservation plans, as it allowed him to create a “tree army” – the Civilian Conservation Corps – and other new agencies to manage America’s lands. Throughout his life, FDR helped to create countless national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and state parks across America. During World War II, he began to broaden his scope to global conservation, but he died before plans could be put into motion. A theme that underpins Rightful Heritage is the relationship between the public and public lands. FDR believed that everyone had a right to the outdoors, and emphasized the role of recreation in public spaces. His goal was for every American to be able to access nature, and his legacy in this regard can still be felt today.
    • For a biography of Roosevelt focusing on his life as a whole, see Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt by H. W. Brands.
  • Kennesaw Mountain: Sherman, Johnston, and the Atlanta Campaign by Earl J. Hess
    • The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain raged on June 27, 1864, very close to where I live. This book examines the lead-up to the battle, the nearby skirmish at Kolb’s Farm, the day of the battle itself, and the aftermath. A bulk of the book focuses on the day of the battle itself and the actions at Cheatham Hill. Hess’s work remains a solid source for information about Kennesaw Mountain, and draws extensively on the accounts of the average soldier. I have also heard this book recommended by rangers, so it remains an authoritative account of the battle.  
    • One of my presentations, Kennesaw Mountain: Beyond the War, focuses on the park’s story. More info can be found here: https://ajbramlett.com/presentations-and-series/ 
  • John Carter’s ABC for Book Collectors, Ninth Edition by John Carter, Nicholas Barker, and Simran Thadani
    • This reference work on book collecting is organized like a dictionary or encyclopedia, but remains very readable. Especially when talking about collecting habits, the ABC for Book Collectors can have very clear opinions sometimes expressed in humorous ways. As intended, the book also has given me a much bigger vocabulary when it comes to book topics. 
    • This book was part of the advance reading for my Summer 2024 Rare Book School course – The Printed Book in the West to 1800.
  • A Short History of the Printed Word (2nd edition) by Warren Chappell and Robert Bringhurst
    • In the 1970s, the first edition of this book was published by Warren Chappell, then one of the foremost master printers. The book draws extensively on Chappell’s intimate knowledge of the printing process to shed light on modern methods. This second edition brings the story into the digital age, showing how computers have revolutionized both printing and reading. From the first prints in China to modern inkjet printers, this book runs the gamut of printing history. Particular attention is given to typography and how it changed, evolved, and reacted to printings spread since Gutenberg. 
    • This book was part of the advance reading for my Summer 2024 Rare Book School course – The Printed Book in the West to 1800.
  • A History of Reading in the West edited by Guglielmo Cavallo and Robert Chartier
    • This book traces the history of reading from the Ancient Greeks into the modern era, focusing on how reading has changed and evolved, in practice and in society, over the past two thousand years. In that time, reading has gone from a public, oral practice to a private, silent one, and has become something reserved not just for the wealthy and well-educated. As reading has evolved, so has society, and many of the turning points in Western history can be seen reflected in the practice of reading. The book is composed of several chapters, each written by a different scholar, focusing on reading in different times, cultures, and traditions. 
    • A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel is a very different, but equally valuable, look at readership over time. 
    • This book was part of the advance reading for my Summer 2024 Rare Book School course – The Printed Book in the West to 1800.
  • The Fourth of July and the Founding of America by Peter de Bolla
    • Peter de Bolla, in this short study of the Fourth of July, posits that it is a holiday mired in hagiography. The historic signing of the Declaration of Independence did not happen on July 4, 1776, meaning that many point to the wrong event when celebrating. While de Bolla focuses on how it represents the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers, and the American spirit. Independence Day has moved far beyond its origins in Philadelphia to become a day dedicated to celebrating America. Examining the Fourth, and how it has been celebrated, is like turning a mirror to our nation. Inside the reflection is America’s version of itself. 
  • Studying Early Printed Books, 1450-1800: A Practical Guide by Sarah Werner
    • This guide covers the basic parts of books from the Hand Press Period, overlapping in coverage with John Carter’s ABC for Book Collectors but providing more in-depth detail. Also covered extensively is the process of printing a book during this era. The book’s focus is on researching and teaching using rare books, and it includes a helpful guide filled with questions to ask when examining a book of this period. 
    • This book was part of the advance reading for my Summer 2024 Rare Book School course – The Printed Book in the West to 1800.
  • Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham
    • Thomas Jefferson is a complicated, nuanced, endlessly debated figure. This biography of him runs to about 500 pages, but it still feels like it just scratches the surface of Jefferson’s life. The book focuses on the actions of Jefferson and those around him, and does not dwell much on Jefferson’s inner workings like Daniel J. Boorstin’s The Lost World of Thomas Jefferson. While this book is not of small length, it does feel like to do Jefferson’s life justice that multiple volumes are needed. With that being said, this work still offers a good overview of his life, and can open avenues for further reading. 
    • The Lost World of Thomas Jefferson by Daniel J. Boorstin is a fantastic look at Jefferson’s philosophy. 
    • In July 2024, I visited Monticello, Poplar Forest, and the University of Virginia – three sites intimately connected to Jefferson. For information about this visit, see my blog post here: https://ajbramlett.com/2024/08/02/finding-thomas-jefferson/ 
  • Saving Monticello: The Levy Family’s Epic Quest to Rescue the House that Jefferson Built by Marc Leepson
    • When you think Monticello, you think Jefferson. However, the Jefferson family sold Monticello to pay off debts in the 1830s, and for the next ninety years it was in private hands. For most of that time it was owned by two members of the Levy family, Uriah P. Levy and Jefferson Monroe Levy. The former was the first Jewish commodore of the US Navy, while the later was a wealthy banker. Both were devoted fans of Jefferson and worked to preserve his beloved home. However, because it was not open as a museum, some contemporary observers took a more sinister view of Levy’s ownership. For almost ten years, prominent Americans campaigned to take the home away from the Levy family and preserve it as a shrine to Thomas Jefferson. Saving Monticello is the complex story of a Monticello without Jefferson, and the national debates surrounding this cherished icon.
    • In July 2024, I visited Monticello, Poplar Forest, and the University of Virginia – three sites intimately connected to Jefferson. For information about this visit, see my blog post here: https://ajbramlett.com/2024/08/02/finding-thomas-jefferson/ 
    • For photos of my trip to Monticello, see:  https://ajbramlett.com/2024/07/17/trip-photos-monticello/ 
  • The Millionaire and the Bard: Henry Folger’s Obsessive Hunt for Shakespeare’s First Folio by Andrea Mays
    • Henry Folger and his wife Emily were among America’s most important collectors, yet for most of their lives they tried to keep their bibliophile passions secret. Henry Folger worked to amass a collection of Shakespeare’s first folios – the first authorized complete collection of the Bard’s works – along with a library of material on Elizabethan England. By the time of Henry Folger’s death, he had collected 82 of the around 250 folios in existence. The Millionaire and the Bard is the story of the creation of the first folio, the legacy of England’s most respected author, Henry Folger’s quest to collect Shakespeare’s work, and the creation of the Folger Shakespeare Library. Little known outside of the rare book world, Henry Folger’s collection makes him one of the most interesting industrialists of his era. 
  • Taking on Theodore Roosevelt: How One Senator Defied the President on Brownsville and Shook American Politics by Harry Lembeck
    • The Brownsville affair is the darkest spot on Theodore Roosevelt’s presidential record. After a bartender was killed and a policeman injured in Brownsville, Texas, blame was quickly assigned to soldiers of the 25th Infantry at Fort Brown, an African American regiment. No one could ever prove who caused the attack, and Roosevelt ordered every man in the regiment be discharged without honor. Taking on Theodore Roosevelt is about the Brownsville affair, Roosevelt’s reaction, and Senator Joseph Foraker’s fight for justice. The Brownsville Incident damaged Roosevelt’s national standing, and served to further divide two of America’s major Black leaders, Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois. 
  • Three Peoples, One King: Loyalists, Indians, and Slaves in the Revolutionary South, 1775-1782 by Jim Piecuch
    • While the popular image of the American Revolution is Washington fighting the British from Yorktown north, the war’s bloodiest fighting occurred in the South. In the South were many Americans loyal to the British, and the role of Native Americans and Blacks, freed and enslaved, was soon important to the British. Three Peoples, One King examines these elements of the Southern forces fighting against American Independence, and how they were underutilized by the British military.  The Loyalists play the largest role in the book, and the role of citizens and militia soldiers is examined. It is sometimes hard to forget that the American Revolution was a form of civil war, but these elements are on full display in this book. 
    • For an examination of the Revolution as a civil war, see H. W. Brands’ Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution.
    • Sir James Wright, who is mentioned several times in Piecuch’s book, is the subject of From Empire to Revolution: Sir James Wright and the Price of Loyalty in Georgia by Greg Brooking.
  • Atlanta’s Historic Westview Cemetery by Jeff Clemmons
    • Westview Cemetery (originally West View) is the largest civilian cemetery in the Southeast. Starting in the 1880s, it became the final resting place for many of the most important names in Atlanta history. For a period, it was also owned by Buddie Candler, the eccentric Coca-Cola heir. It was Candler who built what may be the cemetery’s most impressive feature, the Westview Abbey. This book by author (and now Westview Director of Administration) Jeff Clemmons examines the cemetery’s storied history and many of its most notable burials. It offers a glimpse at changing attitudes about life and death from the Victorian era to the present.
    • For a biography of the eccentric Buddie Candler, see Fortune & Folly: The Weird and Wonderful Life of the South’s Most Eccentric Millionaire by Sara A. H. Butler.
    • Westview resident Joel Chandler Harris is the subject of Joel Chandler Harris, Folklorist by Stella Brewer Brookes. 
    • My photos from Westview can be found here: https://ajbramlett.com/2024/10/06/trip-photos-westview-cemetery/   
  • The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War by James Bradley
    • Buried inside this book is likely the truth about Theodore Roosevelt’s imperial notions. His racial views would be out of touch today (though not as backward as Bradley suggests) and he was an avowed imperialist. However, the central argument of this book that Roosevelt is responsible for World War II in the Pacific feels misguided and vindictive. 
    • Bradley argues that during his presidency, particularly a 1905 voyage to Asia by William Howard Taft and Alice Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt created a culture of military expansion in Japan, encouraging the nation to formulate its own Asian Monroe Doctrine. Evidence against this can be found in the book itself: In the 1870s, Charles Le Gendre helped to shape Japanese foreign policy towards something resembling the Monroe Doctrine, and near the end of the book Bradley notes Roosevelt refused to endorse such a policy. If these ideas of expansion date to when Roosevelt was a young Harvard student, how is he solely responsible? Roosevelt may have played a key role, I concede, but his role here feels so inflated it is unbelievable. 
    • Perhaps worse is how the agency of Japan is ignored. America, focused on Roosevelt, is treated as a puppet master controlling world affairs. In Bradley’s telling, America encouraged Japanese expansionist policy, Japan began to expand, and this led to Pearl Harbor. While America did play a key role in Japanese foreign policy, the point is better made by focusing on Commodore Perry in the 1850s, not President Roosevelt decades later. By the time Roosevelt had entered office, the chain of events was already in motion. Worse, Bradley’s telling ignores Japanese politics and culture in favor of an American centric telling of the story, and the crucial years before Pearl Harbor are disregarded. 
    • I feel reassured that I am not the only reader with issues about this book. Roosevelt experts have also criticized it as a hit-piece against the president, and have noted factual inaccuracies in the narrative. No one denies that Roosevelt was not perfect, yet few concede he was this debased. The Imperial Cruise seems to have elements of truth, but a truth packaged and exaggerated to such an extent it is hard to parse from vindictiveness. 
    • For lengthier critiques of The Imperial Cruise, see “An Outrage Pure and SImple: a feature review of James Bradley, The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2009), 387 pp.” by William N. Tilchin (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XXXI, No. 4) and “Forgotten Fragments (#8): Really, Really Bad Books” by Tweed Roosevelt (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XXXI, No. 3). 
    • For a more nuanced, less heavy-handed take on Roosevelt and imperialism, see The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of American Empire by Stephen Kinzer.
  • And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank by Steve Oney
    • On April 26, 1913, young Mary Phagan of Marietta was murdered inside the National Pencil Company factory in Atlanta. Her death sparked a major investigation, unprecedented newspaper coverage, and massive outcry. This book is not the story of that murder. Instead, And the Dead Shall Rise is the story of that outcry, and how it eventually led to the conviction of Leo M. Frank, the Jewish factory superintendent, in a less than fair trial. Frank and his lawyers worked to exonerate him, while anti-Frank forces fanned anti-semitic flames. Though Frank’s sentence would be commuted, a mob stole him from the state prison in Milledegeville and lynched him in Marietta. The crime is one of the worst in Georgia history, and the details of the sordid affair are examined here in full detail.  
    • My biographies of Governor John Marshall Slaton, who commuted Frank’s sentence, and Joseph M. Brown, who led the mob that lynched Frank, can be found here: https://ajbramlett.com/oakland-cemetery/ 
    • Coverage of the Leo Frank trial was the subject of William Curran Rogers’ “A comparison of the coverage of the Leo Frank case by the Hearst-controlled Atlanta Georgian and the home-owned Atlanta journal, April 28, 1913-August 30, 1913.” (Master’s thesis, University of Georgia, 1950)
  • Admiral Dewey and the Manila Campaign compiled by Cmdr. Nathan Sargent
    • The capture of Manila was one of the great victories of the Spanish-American War, and Commodore (soon to be Admiral of the Navy) George Dewey orchestrated the operation. This very short book was written by a secretary of Dewey’s with help from the admiral, and serves as a detailed overview of the naval actions around Manila. Highlights of the book include the battle itself along with an underappreciated aspect of the war, the threats from the German Navy.
    • The full Spanish-American War is seen in The Spanish War: An American Epic, 1898 by G. J. A. O’Toole.
  • Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate over Science and Religion by Edward J. Larson
    • Easily one of the most famous trials in American history, the Scopes trial’s legacy and meaning continues to be debated. John Scopes, a Dayton, Tennessee teacher, was tried and convicted of teaching evolution in school. He was defended by several local lawyers and famous attorney Clarence Darrow, gaining national headlines. Leading the prosecution was William Jennings Bryan, the three-time presidential candidate. Summer for the Gods tells the story of the Scopes trial, but the focus is on the anti-evolution context surrounding the case. Larson shows how, while the lasting importance of the Scopes trial may be inflated, it is indicative of American attitudes of its day. The last chapter focuses on the resurgence of similar views in recent years, and how the story of Scopes is not yet over. 
    • For a biography of William Jennings Bryan, see A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan by Michael Kazin. 
    • Two Georgia newspapers’ coverage of the Scopes trial is examined in “Georgia Reporters at the Scopes Trial: A Comparison of Newspaper Coverage” by Gregory C. Lisby and Linda L. Harris (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 75, No. 4).
  • Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin G. Boyle
    • The Great Migration brought an influx of Black Americans into the North, creating vibrant communities like Harlem. At the same time, the North saw a rise of racist sentiment, leading to several major riots and pogroms, and the legalized restriction of where Black Americans could live in many urban centers. Detroit was no exception, which Dr. Ossian Sweet sought to combat. After moving into a house on a white street, the home was besieged by a mob, and those inside sought to defend themselves with guns. A bystander was killed, leading to Dr. Sweet and the others inside the home being tried for murder. The NAACP was able to make the Sweet case a cause célèbre, especially after Clarence Darrow, fresh off of the Scopes Trial, was hired as the defense attorney. Arc of Justice shares the story of the case, the culture of suspicion and violence that led to the mob attack, and the fascinating background of Dr. Sweet. 
  • Breaking the Heartland: The Civil War in Georgia edited by John D. Fowler and David B. Parker
    • This book is a collection of eleven essays about the Civil War in Georgia. Only one, a look at Generals Johnston and Hood in the Atlanta Campaign, focuses on the military side of the war. The other essays focus on the homefront: dissenting voices in the Confederacy, widows and orphans, escapes from slavery along the coast, Confederate textbooks, and more. This kaleidoscopic approach to the Civil War allows for greater focus on the average civilian in wartime, while offering different perspectives and opinions about the war and homefront. 
    • The home front in Georgia is examined in “The Women Rising”: Cotton, Class, and Confederate Georgia’s Rioting Women” by Teresa Crisp Williams and David Williams (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 86, No. 1). David Williams wrote a chapter in Breaking the Heartland. 
  • Thunder in the Mountains: Chief Joseph, Oliver Otis Howard, and the Nez Perce War by Daniel J. Sharfstein
    • Here, the Nez Perce War, one of the most important of the “Indian Wars,” is presented as a bridge between Reconstruction and the modern era. The war saw the US Army, led in large part by General Oliver Otis Howard, clash with a band of Nez Perce warriors led by Chief Joseph. Howard was hoping to revive his reputation after Reconstruction’s end, and hoped the policies that he championed as leader of the Freedmen’s Bureau would translate to the West. When they did not, war ensued. Part of what makes the story fascinating is how romanticized Chief Joseph became in American legend, while Howard was often denigrated. This was a unique reversal of the standard pattern of the Indian Wars, exemplified by Custer at Little Bighorn. Thunder in the Mountains is most interesting when broader parallels are drawn to Reconstruction and the end of the Gilded Age, placing the Nez Perce War in an expansive context. 
  • Remembering John Adams: The Second President in History, Memory and Popular Culture by Marianne Holdzkom
    • John Adams believed history would forget him. For decades, he was right, but renewed attention on the Founding Fathers during the bicentennial saw Adams return to the spotlight. In this overview of Adams since his death, Holdzkom shows how Adams is often treated as an anomaly: while a Founding Father, he is almost never deified, and he can often seem cantankerous and one dimensional. Holdzkom shows how these depictions are based in reality, but often only scratch the surface of John Adams life. 
    • For a biography of John Adams, see John Adams by David McCollough.
    • For a similar book on Theodore Roosevelt, see Theodore Roosevelt’s Ghost: The History and Memory of an American Icon by Michael Patrick Cullinane.
  • Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America’s Journey from Slavery to Segregation by Steve Luxenberg
    • Separate takes a very broad look at the context surrounding Plessy v. Ferguson. The book is divided into five sections, with Plessy’s arrest near the start of the fifth. The prior four are all about the main individuals involved in the case: Black Americans and Creoles of New Orleans, lone dissenter John Marshall Harlan, author of the majority opinion Henry Billings Brown, and attorney Albion Tourgee. Through their lives, Separate shows how America’s racial attitudes changed and evolved from the Antebellum period into the 1890s. This has its positives and negatives. On the one hand, it does place the court decision in a much larger context than the 1890s, while on the other hand it distracts from the story of the court case itself. It is a very holistic look at the case, and I think can be better understood as a history of racial attitudes in America from 1860 to 1896. 
    • More detail about lone dissenter John Marshall Harlan can be found in The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America’s Judicial Hero by Peter J. Canellos. 
    • Luxenberg’s overarching story is similar to those found in the first chapters of C. Vann Woodward’s The Strange Career of Jim Crow. 
  • Touched with Fire: Five Presidents and the Civil War Battles That Made Them by James M. Perry
    • This history focuses on the Civil War through five individuals: Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, and William McKinley. Each man would serve his country in the Civil War before going on to the presidency. The book sacrifices strict chronological order to tell these stories (for instance, Chickamauga is covered before Antietam). It also does not contain much detail behind the impact of the Civil War on their presidencies. That being said, it is a unique way to look at several of the major campaigns of the Civil War. 
    • For a Grant biography, see Grant by Ron Chernow.
    • For a biography of Garfield, see President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier by C. W. Goodyear.
    • For a biography of McKinley, see President McKinley: Architect of the American Century by Robert W. Merry. 
  • The Strange Career of Jim Crow by C. Vann Woodward
    • C. Vann Woodward was one of the most respected Southern historians of his day, and The Strange Career of Jim Crow remains his most important book. The basic thesis – that segregation was not inevitable after the Civil War – made it a critical history book of the Civil Rights era. The book is best when discussing Reconstruction and the New South Era, but it covers the full span of Southern history from the end of the Civil War until Brown v. Board. Modern historians have accused Woodward of generalizing and cherry-picking info here, but its importance to the Civil Rights movement makes it important nonetheless.
  • A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan by Michael Kazin
    • The legacy of William Jennings Bryan is overshadowed by the Scopes Trial, where he was made the laughingstock of the nation. Before that battle in 1925, Bryan had for decades been one of the most important men in American politics. A Godly Hero shows these parts of his life overshadowed by Scopes, including his three campaigns for the presidency and his time as Secretary of State. Part of what Kazin seeks to highlight is his followers: Who were they? What backgrounds did they come from? How did Bryan influence the next generation of politicians? A Godly Hero places Bryans at a crossroads in American history, presenting him as a predecessor of the New Deal that arrived a few years after his death. While a relatively short book, it is packed with insight into the “Great Commoner.”
    • For information about the Scopes Trial, see Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate over Science and Religion by Edward J. Larson.
  • The Problem South: Region, Empire, and the New Liberal State, 1880-1930 by Natalie J. King
    • While the South was economically an equal to the rest of the nation before the Civil War, the war upset this balance. The South would not recover for decades. The region became increasingly viewed as a problem for the whole nation to solve, which is the focus of this book. The Problem South reveals how the rest of America treated the “Southern Problem,” and the ways it was influenced by the nation’s growing imperialism in the wake of the Spanish-American War. It is a fascinating look at the South’s issues in this period and the reformers who sought to renovate the region. 
    • Reading this book was part of my research for an article of mine in the Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research.
  • President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier by C. W. Goodyear
    • James A. Garfield was president for six months before he was killed by an infection caused by an assassin’s bullet. For almost half of his presidency, he was in bed nearing death. Because of this, his presidency is not often studied or thought of. Because of this short time in office, President Garfield’s has much greater focus on his years in the US House of Representatives, and his time in the Civil War. Goodyear shows how Garfield allied himself with Radical Republicans during Reconstruction, and was one of the few Radicals still in Congress by the time he was elected president in 1880. However, he was not without his flaws, with the most prominent example being his implication in the Credit Mobilier scandal. Based on Goodyear’s work, it seems fair to say Garfield would have made a decent president. His life also serves as a bridge between the Civil War and the early years of the Gilded Age. 
    • More information about Garfield’s wartime experience can be found in Touched with Fire: Five Presidents and the Civil War Battles That Made Them by James M. Perry. 
    • Following Garfield’s death, Chester Arthur took office. Information about his life and presidency can be found in The Unexpected President: The Life and Times of Chester Arthur by Scott S. Greenberger. 
    • Garfield’s opponent in 1880 is the subject of Winfield Scott Hancock: A Soldier’s Life by David M. Jordan. 
  • Theodore Roosevelt’s Ghost: The History and Memory of an American Icon by Michael Patrick Cullinane
    • Theodore Roosevelt – his image, words, and accomplishments – have been co-opted by politicians from across the political spectrum. Because he does not fit easily into either modern American conservatism or liberalism, he can be cited as an influence by anyone. This book examines Roosevelt’s legacy, through monuments dedicated in his memory, books about his life, his depictions in film and tv, and the use of his life by politicians. Theodore Roosevelt’s Ghost also tracks how his reputation has ebbed and flowed, often reflecting broader societal trends and cultural changes. 
    • For a similar book on John Adams, see Remembering John Adams: The Second President in History, Memory and Popular Culture by Marianne Holdzkom. 
  • Suffrage: Women’s Long Battle for the Vote by Ellen Carol DuBois
    • This book chronicles the story of the suffrage movement, from the Seneca Falls Convention up until the Nineteenth Amendment. The focus is decidedly American, so earlier European inspirations are not covered in detail. The main theme of the book is the interconnectedness of suffrage with other major reform movements, like abolition and prohibition. The book shows both the battle for the vote and the fights between various competing interest groups hoping to accomplish similar goals. While it does not go in-depth into many historical figures, it does provide a comprehensive survey of the movement over the course of about 80 years. 
    • For more information on the history of voting rights, see The Right To Vote: The Contested History Of Democracy In The United States by Alexander Keyssar. 
  • Nelson: A Personal History by Christopher Hibbert
    • This biography of Nelson looks at his personal life, with less attention given to his major battles or naval service. This is not to say his role in the Royal Navy is not discussed, but major battles like Copenhagen or the Nile are only given a few pages and no battle maps (though Trafalgar is covered much more in depth). Because of this, the narrative is much more focused on his family relationships, especially that with his famous mistress Emma Hamilton. Because of this, I would say this book works best if you have already read about Nelson’s life at sea, and should not serve as an introduction to his career.
    • For a book with more detail about his life in the Royal Navy, see The Nelson Touch: The Life and Legend of Horatio Nelson by Terry Coleman. 
    • For a detailed look at the Battle of Trafalgar, where Nelson died, see Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and Nelson’s Battle of Trafalgar by Adam Nicholson.
    • For an examination of why there is no American’s Nelson, see “Why Doesn’t America Have a Nelson? Does It Need One” by James Holmes (Naval War College Review, Vol. 58, No. 4).
    • For a look at Nelson’s leadership style, the Nelson Touch, see “Lord Nelson: Master of Command” by Michael A. Palmer (Naval War College Review, Vol. 41, No. 1). 
  • The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles by Gary Krist
    • From 1900 to 1930, Los Angeles grew from a city of regional importance into one of the most talked-about cities in America. The Mirage Factory charts this growth through the lives of three figures: water engineer William Mulholland, film pioneer D. W. Griffith, and Pentecostal evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. Each had major success and collapsed in spectacular fashion in the 1920s. One of Mulholland’s dams burst, killing countless area residents. Griffith, years after his famously racist The Birth of a Nation, could not evolve with an ever-changing Hollywood. McPherson grew increasingly erratic and attention hungry, possibly staging her own kidnapping. The Mirage Factory offers a fascinating look at the early glamor of Los Angeles. 
    • My exhibit on the homes of movie stars – featuring some houses from the era of this book – can be found here: https://ajbramlett.com/exhibits/
    • Some of the later history of Los Angeles can be found in Metropolis: A History of Mankind, Humankind’s Greatest Invention by Ben Wilson.
  • American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis by Adam Hochschild
    • American Midnight is essentially a history of Woodrow Wilson’s second term, stretching from the US entering World War I (1917) to the inauguration of Warren G. Harding (1921). Hochschild, the author of King Leopold’s Ghost, shows how the war masked very dark oppression of civil liberties, dissident political thought, and several race riots. Hochschild posits that this is the closest America has come to losing democracy. While other authors have focused on A. Mitchell Palmer’s actions while Wilson was incapacitated, Hochschild shows that the president was much more complicit. 
  • Twilight Man: Love and Ruin in the Shadows of Hollywood and the Clark Empire by Liz Brown
    • William Andrews Clark Jr. was a scion of a wealthy Gilded Age family, and made a name for himself in Los Angeles. A founder of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Clark Library of UCLA. Twilight Man is partly the story of Clark’s life, but is more so the story of his longtime partner, Harrison Post. Post’s story is filled with Hollywood stars, false names, stolen inheritances, and even Nazi prison camps. This book highlights a forgotten, but fascinating, Hollywood tale of love and mystery. 
  • The Man Who Sold America: The Amazing (but True!) Story of Albert D. Lasker and the Creation of the Advertising Century by Jeffrey L. Cruikshank and Arthur W. Schultz
    • Albert D. Lasker is considered the father of modern advertising, but often preferred to work behind the scenes. The Man Who Sold America sheds light on this forgotten figure, showing how the advertising world evolved from Lasker’s first advertising work at the dawn of the twentieth century to his death in 1952. Lasker was involved in popularizing several legendary brands, including Sunkist, Palmolive, and Kleenex. He changed the way political campaigns were managed, worked to save the life of Leo Frank, was head of the Merchant Marines, and is the namesake of the Lasker Prize, the “American Nobel.” This is a fascinating, very engaging book with countless surprising twists and turns along the way. 
  • America First: Roosevelt vs. Lindbergh in the Shadow of War by H. W. Brands
    • H. W. Brands’ most recent book focuses on the lead-up to World War II. The book is well written, but a talk I heard Brands present at the Atlanta History Center places the book into much better context. Prior to World War II, a majority of Americans were what would come to be called Isolationists, believing that America should avoid “entangling alliances” with Europe the Founding Fathers warned against. World War I was an aberration, widely regarded as a mistake. Franklin Roosevelt, however, did not believe this was the case, and instead pushed for a more interventionist foreign policy. The most prominent public opposition figure was Charles Lindbergh, the pilot, who became a voice of the Isolationists. Lindbergh has been denounced as a Nazi, but Brands stays away from these accusations. Instead, he presents Lindbergh and his followers as honestly believing isolation was in America’s best interest. At the end of the book (and in his lecture), Brands shows how the story is relevant to today’s politics. Brands posits that 2024 is the first election since FDR where major party candidates have become clearly interventionist or isolationist. Whether or not the “Roosevelt Consensus” that dates to FDRs day will survive the next few decades is an unanswered question. 
    • For a book addressing a similar era, but with more of a focus on FDR, see The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II by Nicholas Wapshott. 
    • For Brands’ biography of FDR, see Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. 
    • For a biography of Lindbergh, see Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg.
    • Phillip Roth’s alternate history novel The Plot Against America takes place in an America where Lindbergh was elected president, and makes a nice companion to America First. 
  • The Great Depression: America, 1929-1941 by Robert S. McElvane
    • This look examines the Great Depression in its whole, with a focus on FDR and the New Deal. The book seeks to look at understanding how the Great Depression started, what was done to end it, and how the average American’s perceptions of the world changed and evolved during this decade. McElvane shows how FDR largely rode the tide of public opinion instead of forging a new trail, while seeking to preserve the American economy at the same time (a theme also explored in H. W. Brands’ Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt). This work was released in the 1980s, and offers valuable insight in comparing this decade with the 1930s. Because of this, McElvane offers both a good history of the Depression but also a unique assessment of the Reagan era. 
    • For another perspective on the Great Depression, see The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes. 
    • For information about the Dust Bowl, see The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan. 
  • Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and the Great Depression by Alan Brinkley
    • Huey Long and Father Coughlin were the two leading dissenters in FDR’s America, though both began as tenuous allies. This dual biography examines why they received so much support, and why they never successfully challenged Roosevelt. Huey Long was a homegrown dictator from Louisiana, and had he lived past his 1935 assassination it is not a stretch to imagine him becoming a Fascist leader nationally. Father Coughlin’s base of supporters was marshaled via the radio, and stretched beyond the Catholic Church. Both individuals are compared to the Populists of the 1880s and 90s, but reanimated with new technologies. 
    • Long and Coughlin are also explored in The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II by Nicholas Wapshott. 
    • Both individuals are strongly referenced or alluded to in Sinclar Lewis’ It Can’t Happen Here. 
    • For a comparison of Long and other Southern Demagogues, see “Flowering of the Southern Demagogue” by Reinhard H. Luthin (The American Scholar, Vol. 20, No. 2). 
  • The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
    • The Dust Bowl was a cataclysmic event, decimating the entire region of the country for a decade. Parts of Oklahoma and surrounding states have not recovered, even today. The Worst Hard Time illuminates the Dust Bowl in vivid detail, focusing on the lives of those in the Oklahoma panhandle. Through the lives of farmers, ranchers, newspaper promoters, and migrants, Egan captures the devastation and horror of the Dust Bowl. Crucially, the poor farming practices that created the disaster are also examined. It is a very visceral read, bringing to life in fascinating detail the lives of those impacted. Many lessons have been learned from the Dust Bowl, and the Great Plains will never look the same again.
    • FDR’s efforts to stop the Dust Bowl using a wall of trees is covered in The Worst Hard Time. Additional information can be found in Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America by Douglas Brinkley. 
  • Winchell: Gossip, Power and the Culture of Celebrity by Neal Gabler
    • Walter Winchell’s career stretched from vaudeville to television, offering a window into the constantly changing entertainment industry of his era. However, he was not a star in the traditional sense: Winchell gossip columns helped to break the barrier between the private and public life of celebrities, forever changing how we interact with fame. Gabler argues that Winchell is a father of infotainment, and it is hard to deny that conclusion. However, while Winchell may have once been a powerful force, in the 1950s his McCarthyist tendencies began his decline. Today, he is a little remembered figure. This biography shows his continued importance on American culture. 
  • Colossus: The Turbulent, Thrilling Saga of the Building of the Hoover Dam by Michael Hiltzik
    • The building of the Hoover Dam was one of the most potent symbols of the New Deal. However, planning for the project began decades earlier and was largely put into motion thanks to Herbert Hoover. Colossus is about the early efforts to build the dam, its role early in the Great Depression, and FDR’s appropriation of the dam as a New Deal symbol. The book is a nice balance between a look at the political and social forces surrounding the dam and the lives of workers on the ground during construction. Most importantly, Hiltzik shows that the dam’s construction was not as rosy as period promotion led many to believe. 
    • For a biography of Herbert Hoover, see Herbert Hoover: A Life by Glen Jeansonne. 
    • Images of Hoover Dam from my photo collection were posted on my blog in February 2025.
  • April 1945: The Hinge of History by Craig Shirley
    • While this book’s title implies it focuses on just one month, good attention is also given to January – March 1945. This is not a hindrance, as Shirley is able to paint a picture of America at the end of World War II. It does not have a clearly defined narrative – instead it reads more like brief news snippets coming across the radio. Because of this, it is a very unique reading experience, and for that fact alone I recommend the book. Through this approach, Shirley is able to show how the average American perceived the last days of World War II in a way I have never seen before. 
    • For a history of World War II, see Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945 by Max Hastings. 
  • Dewey Defeats Truman: The 1948 Election and the Battle for America’s Soul by A. J. Baime
    • After being elected to four terms as president, FDR passed away in 1945, leaving postwar America to Harry S. Truman. In 1948, Truman was on the ballot again, but after sixteen years of democratic presidents it remained unclear if they could maintain their hold on the White House. Truman had become unpopular, while his rival Thomas Dewey had gained massive nationwide support. Dewey Defeats Truman is the story of Truman’s unexpected victory, showing how unexpected important election victories can be. Truman and Dewey are the focus, but two other candidates (Henry Wallace of his new Progressive Party and Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond) are also covered. It is a fascinating look at a pivotal, and overlooked, election. 
  • A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel
    • This book may best be described as a paean to reading and the bibliosphere. It is not in chronological order, instead focusing on different reading styles, cultures, and actions in turn. In the introduction, and several times throughout the book, reference is made to the studious Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges (in fact, Manguel knew Borges). While Borges is best known for his fiction, the same erudition can be found in this work. While a nonfiction book, this History of Reading is very much a literary work as well. 
    • For a more academic and conventional history of reading, see A History of Reading in the West, edited by Guglielmo Cavallo and Robert Chartier. 
  • K Blows Top: A Cold War Comic Interlude, Starring Nikita Khrushchev, America’s Most Unlikely Tourist by Peter Carlson
    • Nikita Khrushchev made two visits to the United States. In his second, more famous visit, he used his shoe as a gavel on the floor of the UN, sparking international outrage. While that fateful trip is covered in this work, the focus is on his first trip across America. Khrushchev, on the heels of the famous kitchen debate with Nixon, met everyone from rural farmers to Marilyn Monroe, he managed to make headlines at every stop on his bizarre odyssey. From threats of nuclear war, to comic moments, to promises of peace, to a temper tantrum over Disneyland, Khrushchev managed to keep America on its toes in a way no other Soviet leader could. K Blows Top is a surreal read with interesting insight to the Cold War relationship between the US and USSR. 
  • Parting the Waters: Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement 1954-63 by Taylor Branch
    • The first in a three volume series on MLK and the Civil Rights movement, Parting the Waters covers the life of MLK from his birth until the assassination of JFK. Many of the most important events of the Civil Rights movement are covered in depth, from Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott to King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” and the March on Washington. King is the focus of the narrative, but other figures (both of the Civil Rights Movement and the US Government) play important roles. Overall, this volume shows how King transformed from the son of one of Black Atlanta’s most important preachers into a national figure with influence in the White House. 
  • The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America’s Banana King by Rich Cohen
    • Sam Zemurray, or “Sam the Banana Man,” was a titan of the banana world from the turn of the century until the Cold War. This biography looks at how Zemurray rose from a simple banana salesman into the king of the industry. At the same time, he managed to destabilize several Central American countries in the quest for profit. The father of several “banana republics,” Zemurray’s story highlights the darker side of US-Latin American relations. 
    • This book works well in tandem with Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World by Dan Koeppel.
  • Ornamentalism: How the British Saw Their Empire by David Cannadine
    • This work covers the British Empire from 1850 to 1950, focusing on the role of class and hierarchy in the empire. Cannadine argues that the Imperial leaders of England were less focused on racial superiority than class distinction, offering the same deference to the nobles of the empire as they would the equivalent nobles of Europe. Cannadine shows how this helped to bind the leaders of subjugated people to the Empire’s cause, but also helped to hasten its downfall as the British came to increasingly be seen as allies of established wealth. This work, while very short, offers many fascinating insights into the imperial mind. 
    • This was read as part of my research on author G. A. Henty. 
  • The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation by Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff
    • This Pulitzer Prize winning book examines the role of the press in the Civil Rights Movement. Both the white and Black press are covered, showing how their shedding light on the plight of Black Americans helped to catalyze change across the nation. At the same time, it shows the role of newspapers in reinforcing Southern attitudes against social change. The book begins just after World War II and largely comes in the mid-1960s. It is a fascinating look at the media’s role in shaping popular opinion, both for and against social progress. 
  • Plutopia: Nuclear Families, Atomic Cities, and the Great Soviet and American Plutonium Disasters by Kate Brown
    • Located on opposite ends of the world, the unassuming cities of Richland, Washington, and Oversk, Russia may at first glance seem hard to connect. However, both cities emerged in the 1940s and 50s due to large plutonium plants used to power the Cold War. In the process, both areas received heavy doses of radiation, providing an environmental danger to this day. Plutopia covers the fascinating twin stories of these towns: their early development, seemingly idyllic life, and poisonous environment.  Even today, it is still unclear exactly how dangerous these towns are. It is a vivid reminder of the dangers of the Cold War, even decades after its end. 
  • Struggle for Mastery: Disfranchisement in the South, 1888-1908 by Michael Perman
    • In the twenty year span, every Southern state managed to remove most African American voters from its voting rolls in a process collectively called Disfranchisement. However, every state took a slightly different approach, examined in depth in this account. Of particular note is how modern institutions that we now acknowledge help democracy (like the secret ballot and primary) emerged to carry out undemocratic ends. Also interesting is the focus on how the fears of the Republican and Populist parties motivated Democratic leaders to begin Disfranchment. Struggle for Mastery is a fascinating, and comprehensive, look at this complex topic. 
    • The role of the media in disfranchisement (particularly in Mississippi) is addressed in Journalism and Jim Crow: White Supremacy and the Black Struggle for a New America edited by Kathy Roberts Forde and Sid Bedingfield. 
  • Prohibition in Atlanta: Temperance, Tiger Kings & White Lightning by Ronald Smith and Mary O. Boyle
    • This short book covers the history of Prohibition in Atlanta, which is much longer than many realize. While national prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933, Atlanta briefly outlawed alcohol in the 1880s, and state prohibition lasted from 1907 to 1935. This book can feel a little bit disjointed at times, and is best described as a collection of stories related to the topic instead of one singular narrative. However, it still has many unique stories and forgotten shadowy figures of Atlanta. 
    • The movement for statewide prohibition before and in 1907 is the focus of “Demagogues and the Demon Drink: Newspapers and Revival of Prohibition in Georgia”  by Marek D. Steedman, in Statebuilding from the Margins: Between Reconstruction and the New Deal edited by Carol Nackenoff and Julie Novkov. 
  • Journalism and Jim Crow: White Supremacy and the Black Struggle for a New America edited by Kathy Roberts Forde and Sid Bedingfield
    • Each chapter of this book focuses on different media personalities across the South from the 1880s into the 1910s. The book highlights how white editors like Henry Grady and Josephus Daniels helped to fuel convict labor, segregation, and disfranchisement, while Black editors and journalists, including J. Max Barber, Alexander Manly, and Ida B. Wells pushed back against Jim Crow. The role of the media in shaping public opinion and molding the government is an overarching theme, along with the role of powerful corporations (particularly railroads) in controlling the white southern press. 
    • This book works well in tandem with The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation by Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff, which focuses on the press’s role in the Civil Rights Movement. 
    • The first chapter of this book deals extensively with Henry Grady, covered in Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, a Brave and Beautiful City by Harold E. Davis and The Birth of a New South: Sherman, Grady, and the Making of Atlanta by E. Culpepper Clark. 
    • The chapter on J. Max Barber’s The Voice of the Negro and Negrophobia: A Race Riot in Atlanta, 1906 by Mark Bauerlein address similar themes. 
    • More information on disfranchisement can be found in Struggle for Mastery: Disfranchisement in the South, 1888-1908 by Michael Perman. 
    • The role of Black editors and journalists in Georgia is the focus of “Black Newspapermen and the Black Community in Georgia, 1890-1930” by John M. Matthews (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 68, No. 3). 
  • The Promise of the New South: Life After Reconstruction by Edward L. Ayers
    • This book covers the South from the end of Reconstruction until the Progressive Era. Most of the book is not a chronological history, but instead a more kaleidoscopic look at daily life across the South. Families, stores, politics, race relations, religion, farms, and more are all examined using fascinating first hand accounts. Three chapters in the latter half of the book are much more narrative, focusing on the rise and fall of the Populist Movement. In The Promise of the New South, Ayers does a very good job showing the atmosphere and environment of the South during this pivotal part of its history. 
    • This book is very similar in scope to C. Vann Woodward’s Origins of the New South, 1877-1913. 
    • The New South movement is strongly connected to Henry W. Grady. For more info, see Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, a Brave and Beautiful City by Harold E. Davis, The Birth of a New South: Sherman, Grady, and the Making of Atlanta by E. Culpepper Clark, and the first chapter of Journalism and Jim Crow: White Supremacy and the Black Struggle for a New America edited by Kathy Roberts Forde and Sid Bedingfield. 
    • Reform movements led by Southern Progressives during the same era are covered in Liberalism in the New South: Southern Social Reformers and the Progressive Movement by Hugh C. Bailey.
    • The national perception of the South during this area is the focus of The Problem South: Region, Empire, and the New Liberal State, 1880-1930 by Natalie J. King. 
  • Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell
    • Like Vowell’s other works, this history of Lafayette is an often humorous take on an important part of American history. Vowell seamlessly blends modern popular culture and travel with the historical events and individuals that define our nation. The focus of this book is on Lafayette’s time in the American Revolution, the surprising discord of the Founding Fathers, and the young United States’ relationship with France. There are parts of the book where Lafayette can get lost in the narrative, but Vowell’s style brings enough clarity and wit to make it a fascinating read. 
    • For a more detailed biography of Lafayette, see Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution by Mike Duncan. 
    • For Vowell’s witty take on the Puritans, see The Wordy Shipmates. 
  • I Rose Like a Rocket: The Political Education of Theodore Roosevelt by Paul Grondahl
    • This book covers the life of Theodore Roosevelt from his birth until the presidency. This means it covers very similar territory as Edmund Morris’ classic The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, and has large shoes to fill. I should say that there is nothing wrong with I Rose Like a Rocket: it is well written, covers the breadth of Roosevelt’s early life, and has many great anecdotes. However, it did not quite live up to my expectations. Based on the title, I expected it to focus on the politicians and theorists that shaped Roosevelt’s career. However, it is more just a biography which does not dwell on the connections between young Roosevelt and the actions of his presidency. It is a quality work, just not for me. 
  • Universe of Stone: Chartres Cathedral and the Invention of the Gothic by Phillip Ball
    • Chartres Cathedral took a relatively short time to build: work commenced after a major fire in 1194 and was finished around 1220. Chartres would prove a model for later cathedrals, and was a turning point in European design. Universe of Stone is not just about the history and features of a cathedral. It is an exploration of the changes in the European mindset in the twelfth century and shows how these intellectual shifts were translated into the architecture of Chartres. Ball is able to provide a roadmap to understanding Medieval Europe and the architecture it created, all through the lens of an impressive edifice.    
    • For more information on cathedral construction, see Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages by Frances Gies and Joseph Gies. 
    • Chartres Cathedral is covered in my online exhibit on the cathedrals of Western Europe. 
  • Joel Chandler Harris, Folklorist by Stella Brewer Brookes
    • Joel Chandler Harris was once one of America’s most widely read authors, thanks to his stories of Uncle Remus. I was hoping that this book (by a professor at Clark University in Atlanta) was a biography, but only the critical facts of his life before the 1880s are shared. Instead, this is a look at Harris’ as a folklorist documenting traditional Black American and African stories. Topics of cultural appropriation and the ethics of his use of dialect are not covered, but given that this was published in 1950 that is not a surprise. It is an interesting, and rather short, look at the origins of Harris’ work. 
    • For more information on Harris and Henry Grady, see “Joel Chandler Harris, The Yeoman Tradition, and the New South Movement” by Wayne Mixon (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 61, No. 4).
    • Harris’ Georgia history textbook is covered in “The Textbooks of the ‘Lost Cause’: Censorship and the Creation of Southern State Histories” by Fred Arthur Bailey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 75, No. 3). 
    • Harris’ son Julian is the focus of Someone Had to be Hated: Julian LaRose Harris, A Biography by Gregory C. Lisby and William F. Mugleston.
    • Theodore Roosevelt’s love of Harris is addressed in “Theodore Roosevelt’s Lifelong Interest in Children’s Literature” by Mark I. West (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XLV, No. 4). 
    • Joel Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus stories were adapted by Disney into the film Song of the South. More information about that movie can be found in “Bedraggled Magnolias: Song of the South’s 1986 Return to Atlanta” by John Robert Smith (Journal of Film and Video, Vol. 77, No. 2). 
    • In October 2024, I visited Harris’ grave during a tour of Westview Cemetery.
  • Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker by Stacy A. Cordery
    • The eldest child of Theodore Roosevelt, Alice’s mother passed away shortly after her birth. Young Alice would become desperate for attention from her famous father, her sometimes difficult step-mother, and the public. Of all the Roosvelt children, Alice became the most famous for her antics and wit. This biography shows the impact of her unusual, often difficult childhood on her later life. It offers a fascinating window into an often misunderstood woman. Her life always revolved around men (her father, her philandering husband, or her lover), but one is left with the impression that in another era she could have been president. Witty, brilliant, and sometimes mean, Alice Roosevelt Longworth may be the most interesting presidential child in history. 
  • Rosebud: The Story of Orson Welles by David Thomson
    • Orson Welles was clearly a genius, though an egotistical one. From his “voodoo Macbeth” and War of the Worlds broadcast to Citizen Kane and The Third Man, as an actor and director he remains an icon. This biography charts Welles’ life much in the same way Welles describes Charles Foster Kane. A boy genius has titanic success, only to lose his focus and magic as he ages. I have an appreciation for when authors of nonfiction stray from traditional history storytelling by adding other literary devices. Thomson attempts the same, but something about it falls flat. It feels like he is trying too hard to tell the story that the storytelling gets in the way, and a clear narrative would suffice. It is not terrible, it just does not live up to its potential. 
  • The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed
    • Nothing in the life of Thomas Jefferson has proved more controversial than his relationship with Sally Hemings, his enslaved sister-in-law and mistress. This book sheds light on the Hemings family, and their complex relationship with the Jefferson family. Sally is, understandably, a major focus, but her mother and siblings also are given their own time in the spotlight. It is interesting to see just how much is known about the family, but at the same time The Hemings of Monticello highlights just how much of their lives are shrouded in mystery. 
  • The Explorers: A Story of Fearless Outcasts, Blundering Geniuses, and Impossible Success by Martin Dugard
    • On its surface, this book is about Sir Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke, two explorers who sought the source of the Nile and became professional rivals. This book covers the daring of their adventures, the trials they faced, the enmity they felt, and Speke’s mysterious demise. However, much of the book also contains examination of what makes explorers explore, and why they push further into the unknown. It makes a nice light read, and probably works best when read with other exploration biographies. 
  • Turner by Graham Reynolds
    • J. M. W. Turner was the master of English watercolor, creating grand historical works like the old masters and radical abstract paintings based on light and vibrant color. This biography relies heavily on illustrations, showing just how dynamic a painter Turner could be. While short, it offers very valuable insight into Turner’s work and makes it clear why he is still admired today. 
  • When Trumpets Call: Theodore Roosevelt After the White House by Patrica O’Toole
    • The time from when Roosevelt left the White House to his death was almost exactly one decade. After years spent as the most important man in America, Roosevelt found it hard to leave the spotlight. O’Toole presents Roosevelt as a figure who had trouble distinguishing what he saw as best for the public and his own personal ambition. This overlapping of priorities led to his clumsy fall in 1912, and his attacking of Woodrow Wilson during World War I. This is a fascinating period of Roosevelt’s life, including everything from an assassination attempt to a trek in the Amazon to his sons’ trials in World War I, which is all illuminated in rich detail by O’Toole. 
    • This book covers essentially the same timespan as Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris.
  • The Royal Road to Romance by Richard Halliburton
    • Just after his graduation from Princeton, Richard Halliburton had the itch to travel before he settled down, starting a seventeen month odyssey across the globe that he soon turned into a career. The Royal Road to Romance is his account of this first trip, starting in the Netherlands and ending in Japan. Halliburton’s adventures are certainly romantic, though often feel a bit too grand to be true. However, as a look at Americans’ views of the globe in the 1920s, it is certainly a fascinating document. 
  • The Ancient Historians by Michael Grant
    • This book looks at the major historians of Ancient Greece and Rome, and investigates their work, scope, style, biographies, biases, and more. As someone admittedly unfamiliar with these foundational figures, I found Grant’s descriptions illuminating. His analysis of these historian’s methods and work also offers insight into how to analyze authors and researchers from any era. Though not the focus of The Ancient Historians, the epilogue with information on the transmission and preservation of these surviving works was also interesting. 
  • Sea Monsters: A Voyage Around the World’s Most Beguilding Map by Joseph Nigg
    • Olaus Magnus’ 1539 map Carta marina depicts the North Sea and Scandinavia, along with all of its treacherous sea monsters. In this book, Nigg charts a voyage through the map and these dangers, showing the real creatures and history behind these maritime fables. 
  • Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South by Elizabeth R. Varon
    • James Longstreet was the “war horse” of Robert E. Lee, serving the Confederacy throughout the war. Once the war was over, however, he aligned himself with Lincoln’s Republican party and became the most prominent former Confederate to reject the Lost Cause. Longstreet’s post-war life and reputation is the focus of this book, shedding light on what set Longstreet apart from his contemporaries. Though he began to focus near the end of his life on reconciliation, he remains a somewhat vilified character among the Lost Cause’s most devoted followers. 
    • Longstreet’s foe at Chickamauga is the subject of George Henry Thomas: As True as Steel by Brian Steel Wills. 
    • Longstreet was an ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during the period covered in A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire by M. Şükrü Hanioğlu. 
    • Longstreet’s time as a hotel manager in Gainesville is examined in “‘A First Rate Summer Resort:’ Gainesville’s Mineral Springs and the New South” by Deanna M. Gillespie (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVII, No. 2). 
    • For a detailed look at the Georgia Republican Party in the era of the post-Reconstruction Redeemers, see “The Republican Party in Bourbon Georgia, 1872-1890” by Judson C. Ward (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 9, No. 2). The party is also examined in “A History of the Republican Party in Georgia” by Olive Hall Shadgett (The Georgia Review, Vol. 7, No. 4). 
    • The politics of his second wife, Ellen Dortch, are the subject of “Ellen Dortch and the Farmers’ Alliance” by William F. Holmes (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 2). 
  • Grand Avenues: The Story of the French Visionary Who Designed Washington D.C. by Scott W. Berg
    • Pierre Charles L’Enfant, in the 1790s, developed the plan for what would become Washington D.C. Born in France, he came to the United States to serve in the American Revolution, and quickly found himself devoted to George Washington. When planning the “Federal District,” as it was then known, it was L’Enfant who envisioned the swampland as a grand future metropolis. Stubborn and difficult to work with, L’Enfant was fired, and spent the remainder of his years forgotten and dejected. This biography focuses on his years planning Washington D.C., and shows how the heights of his genius and difficult personality clashed. 
    • For a biography of the US Capitol’s architect, see Benjamin Henry Latrobe by Talbot Hamlin. 
  • The Age of Smoke: Environmental Policy in Germany and the United States, 1880-1970 by Frank Uekoetter
    • The Clean Air Act of 1970 was a watershed moment in American environmental policy. This book looks at what similar efforts took place before its passage, both in the United States and in the environmentally minded Germany. During the Gilded Age, the crusade against the “Smoke Nuisance” emerged as a foundation of the modern environmental movement, with groups across both countries working to clear smog and soot from the air. I will admit that this book is not a page turner, but it does have fascinating insight into environmental history, especially when covering the United States.  
  • White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism by Kevin M. Kruse
    • White Flight tracks desegregation in Atlanta – the “city too busy to hate” – during the Civil Rights Era. While Atlanta was able to project a positive image as a moderate oasis in the South, Kruse shows that resentments lingered under the surface. Even in the South’s calmest metropolis, desegregation still caused social unrest among whites. Most of the focus is on the City of Atlanta, opposed to the suburbs, though the final chapter does a good job of capturing the suburb’s alienation from Atlanta after the 1960s. Kruse argues that the politics and rhetoric of White Flight led to modern conservatism: instead of Nixon’s Southern Strategy leading to the Republican South, Kruse takes a bottom-up approach to this political change. 
    • I first read this book in January 2025, and reread it for History of Georgia (HIST 3304) in November 2025. 
    • This book looks at the working and middle class reactions to Civil Rights in Atlanta. For the wealthy elite’s reaction, see Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn: A Saga of Race and Family by Gary Pomerantz. 
    • White Flight and Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta – and Atlanta Remade Professional Sports by Clayton Trutor were influential when I was writing my article on Cobb County’s baseball stadium dreams of the 1950s: https://atlantastudies.org/2025/10/20/cobb-out-front-in-bid-for-stadium-professional-baseball-and-the-rise-of-suburbia-1957-1962/ 
  • Mummies in Nineteenth Century America: Ancient Egyptians as Artifacts by S. J. Wolfe with Robert Singerman
    • Between the 1830s and 1900, America was shockingly overrun by mummies. Often traveling in exhibits across the country, some Ancient Egyptians were studied for scientific purposes, while others proved popular as spectacles. This book traces many of the early mummies in America and their wide variety of uses. From P. T. Barnum to religious movements to making paper, Mummies in Nineteenth Century America is a lively account of some sometimes odd, sometimes well-intentioned individuals. While choppy at points, it has great anecdotes from across the nineteenth century. 
  • The South and the New Deal by Roger Biles
    • The South saw major economic growth during World War II, which has been widely studied, but here Roger Biles effectively argues that the economy was already improving during the New Deal. Biles shows the wide variety of projects, administrations, public works construction, and conservation efforts that took place in the South, and shows how it laid the groundwork for later economic success. At the same time, the reluctance of Southerners to accept New Deal aid is shown. This book is short, but insightful. 
    • See also “The New Deal and the Modernization of the South” by Gavin Wright (Federal History, Issue 2). 
  • The City Beautiful Movement by William H. Wilson
    • From the 1890s until about 1910, urban planners across the nation subscribed to the City Beautiful movement. This philosophy of urban design promoted parks, broad streets, and neoclassical architecture as a way of solving society’s ills. While its birth is often placed at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Wilson argues it did not gain traction until later in the decade. This book uses several cities as case studies to show the rise and fall of the City Beautiful, including Dallas, Seattle, Harrisburg, Denver, Kansas City, and seeks to show that the movement had more success than is often acknowledged. 
  • History of the Progressive Party, 1912-1916 by Amos R. E. Pinchot
    • Amos R. E. Pinchot was a leader of Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive Party, but eventually turned against Roosevelt during World War I and against TR’s cousin and the New Deal. This history was written in the 1930s, and sadly never finished. It would not be published for two more decades. Because of this, the book has some blind spots, particularly in the period between the 1912 Republican National Convention and Election Day. Nevertheless, it remains an interesting account of the Bull Mooses from someone at its heart. 
    • For a biography of Pinchot’s brother, who also played an important role in 1912, see Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism by Char Miller. 
  • Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn: A Saga of Race and Family by Gary Pomerantz
    • This book traces the stories of two Atlanta families: the Dobbs and Allens. Ivan Allen and his descendants were some of the most influential businessmen and boosters in the city’s history, with Ivan Jr. serving as mayor in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement. John Wesley Dobbs was the unofficial leader of Auburn Avenue, the most influential Black Atlantan of his day, and the grandfather of mayor Maynard Jackson. Through the lives of these two families, the story of Atlanta is charted from the New South to the Olympics. 
    • Some of the same events and individuals of Civil Rights-era Atlanta are covered in White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism by Kevin M. Kruse. 
  • 1912: Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft & Debs – The Election that Changed the Country by James Chace
    • This book covers one of the momentous elections in US history: the 1912 contest between Woodrow Wilson, William Howard Taft, and Theodore Roosevelt. In this account, Chase also includes the story of Eugene Debs, though the Debs chapters feel almost like afterthoughts. Chace covers the basics of the election well, but does not dive deeply into the contrasting policies or how the election really changed the country. It is a fair account of the election, but leaves a lot to be desired. 
    • For a close look at the 1912 election results, see “Distribution of the Presidential Vote of 1912” by Edgar Eugene Robinson (American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 20, No. 1). 
    • Candidate Eugene Debs is the focus of Eugene V. Debs: Citizen and Socialist by Nick Salvator.
  • Four Hats in the Ring: The 1912 Election and the Birth of Modern American Politics by Lewis L. Gould
    • This book was published a few years after James Chace’s account of the 1912 election, and is significantly shorter. Despite this, it is a much more scholarly approach, so it offers much greater insight into the candidates of 1912. Additionally, Gould is able to better incorporate the story of Eugene Debs into his narrative. 
    • For a close look at the 1912 election results, see “Distribution of the Presidential Vote of 1912” by Edgar Eugene Robinson (American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 20, No. 1). 
    • For more information on Eugene Debs, see Eugene V. Debs: Citizen and Socialist by Nick Salvatore. 
  • Theodore Roosevelt, the Progressive Party, and the Transformation of American Democracy by Sidney M. Milkis
    • The year 1912 had one of the most interesting elections in American History, and of the books I have read about the 1912 campaign, this is by far the best. That year saw Theodore Roosevelt split from the Republican Party to create his own Progressive (or Bull Moose) Party. This book focuses exclusively on the Bull Moose campaign, its leader’s difficulties in forming a new party, and its reformer spirit. Milkis takes an in-depth look at the issues, and places the election in a very broad context. This book builds on George Mowry’s landmark study of the campaign in the 1940s. Like several other scholars of 1912, Milkis sees the Progressive Party as an augur of the New Deal two decades later. 
  • Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Movement by George E. Mowry
    • This book by George E. Mowry is one of the first scholarly looks at the Progressive Party in 1912, serving as the basis of the work of James Chace, Lewis L. Gould, and Sidney M. Milkis covered above. Instead of looking just at 1912, Mowry’s book traces the history of the Progressive wing of the Republican Party from 1900 until 1916, when the Bull Moose party collapsed. The last four years are the most crucial, as few other scholars have turned their attention to the Progressive Party after its 1912 defeat. 
  • Someone Had to be Hated: Julian LaRose Harris, A Biography by Gregory C. Lisby and William F. Mugleston
    • Julian LaRose Harris, the son of famed Georgian Joel Chandler Harris, entered the newspaper business like his father. The younger Harris and his wife, Julia, became known as something of an outspoken maverick, which came to the forefront in 1912 when he supported Roosevelt for president. In the 1920s, he became known for his fight against the Columbus KKK, which ultimately earned him the Pulitzer Prize. His outspoken positions made it harder to find work, and he died (somewhat forgotten) in the 1960s. Someone Had to be Hated is the only biography available about this fascinating and overlooked figure of Georgia history. 
    • Julian Harris is also featured in “Julian Harris, the Georgia Press, and the Ku Klux Klan” by William F. Mugleston (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 59, No. 3), “Julian Harris and the Ku Klux Klan” by Arnold Shankman (The Mississippi Quarterly, Vol. 28, No. 2),  and “Georgia Reporters at the Scopes Trial: A Comparison of Newspaper Coverage” by Gregory C. Lisby and Linda L. Harris (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 75, No. 4).
    • Julian’s father is the subject of Joel Chandler Harris, Folklorist by Stella Brewer Brookes. 
  • This Earthly Globe: A Venetian Geographer and his Quest to Map the World by Andrea di Robilant
    • This book is essentially a biography of Giovambattista Ramusio, a forgotten Venetian scholar and mapmaker. In the years after Columbus, Ramusio realized that much of the geographic knowledge inherited from the Greeks and Romans was flawed, and he began work on a massive collection to create a Renaissance atlas. Much of This Earthy Globe is dedicated to the explorers who discovered new lands, from Polo to Magellan, and how the news found its way to Venice and Ramusio. This is a short book but provides a nice, concise look at the Renaissance’s understanding of the globe.
  • Theodore Roosevelt: Many-Sided American edited by Natalie A. Naylor, Douglas Brinkley, and John Allen Gable
    • This volume is a series of papers presented at a 1991 conference on Theodore Roosevelt. The authors offer valuable insight into Theodore Roosevelt, from his personal life to his associates to his presidency. As described in the introduction, a focus of this work is Roosevelt’s multifaceted nature, and this volume does a marvelous job capturing that idea. From his Georgia and New York origins to his Latin American diplomacy, and his years as a cowboy to starting his own political party, this book runs the gamut of Roosevelt’s life. While I don’t suggest it as a starting point for Roosevelt reading, it would make a great book for someone already with a passion for anything Roosevelt. 
  • The Bull Moose Years: Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Party by John Allen Gable
    • Unlike other histories of the Bull Moose party (like George Mowry and Sidney M. Milkis excellent works), this book book 1). looks not just at the presidential campaign, but on the party as a whole and 2). looks past 1912. While Gable offers less context about why a new party was created in 1912, he presents a much clearer picture of how its leaders tried to create a functioning political organization instead of just a Roosevelt vehicle. It is this approach that makes Gable unique, and a valuable addition to “Bull Moose” studies. 
  • Rebecca Latimer Felton: Nine Stormy Decades by John E. Talmadge
    • This work, at only 160 pages, is the only book-length biography of the first female senator. Talmadge charts Felton’s life from her birth in the 1830s until her death after the start of the Great Depression, and does a good job charting her political allies and foes (though her political positions are not always as fleshed out as they could be). It is an interesting look at her life, but given its comparative brevity and the changes in historiography since its 1960 publication, a new biography of Felton is long overdue. 
    • Also see “Rebecca Latimer Felton” by Joan Conerly Hunter (Master’s thesis, University of Georgia, 1944), “Rebecca Latimer Felton, Political Independent” by Josephine Bone Floyd (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 30, No. 1), and Gender Matters: Race, Class and Sexuality in the Nineteenth-Century South by LeeAnn Whites. 
  • Southern Progressivism: The Reconciliation of Progress and Tradition by Dewey W. Grantham Jr.
    • Dewey Grantham (much like Hugh C. Bailey’s Liberalism in the New South addressed above) seeks to show the centrality of the South in the Progressive Era. Grantham cites the many progressive initiatives born in the South, showing how it was a transformative time for the region. Efforts at political change, new business regulation, education, farming, suffrage, and more are all covered. Grantham offers a very interesting window into how the South sought to rise above its stereotypes and become a dynamic, progressive region. 
    • For Grantham’s book on Hoke Smith, see Hoke Smith and the Politics of the New South. 
    • Liberalism in the New South: Southern Social Reformers and the Progressive Movement by Hugh C. Bailey and “The Progressive Movement in the South, 1870-1914” by Arthur S. Link (North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 23, No. 2) both address similar themes. 
    • For a look at the Progressive Movement among Southern senators, see “A Progressive Wind from the South, 1906-1913” by Anne Firor Scott (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 29, No. 1). 
  • Progressivism at Risk: Electing a President in 1912 by Frederick W. Broderick
    • Like several other books covered above, this work focuses on the 1912 election, one of the most important campaigns in American history. Broderick’s focus is on the major candidates, Roosevelt, Wilson, and Taft, and this book tends to marginalize other candidates who hoped to become nominees, including Oscar Underwood, Champ Clark, and Robert LaFollette. Broderick does, however, incorporate good information about socialist candidate Eugene V. Debs. 
    • The 1912 election is also the focus of 1912: Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft & Debs – The Election that Changed the Country by James Chace and Four Hats in the Ring: The 1912 Election and the Birth of Modern American Politics by Lewis L. Gould.
    • My favorite book about Roosevelt’s campaign is Theodore Roosevelt, the Progressive Party, and the Transformation of American Democracy by Sidney M. Milkis. 
    • For a close look at the 1912 election results, see “Distribution of the Presidential Vote of 1912” by Edgar Eugene Robinson (American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 20, No. 1). 
  • Republicans, Negroes, and Progressives in the South, 1912-1916 by Paul D. Casdorph
    • This book was fascinating, and its title does not do enough to reveal its topic. It covers the Southern Republican and Progressive parties from 1912 to 1916, showing how they split over Theodore Roosevelt and over race. It is one of the few published books to extensively deal with these consequential elections in the South. 
    • For more Georgia information, see “The 1912 Progressive Campaign in Georgia” by William F. Mugleston (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 61, No. 3)
    • For additional information on the racial split in the Southern progressive parties, see “Theodore Roosevelt and the South in 1912” by Arthur S. Link (The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 23, No, 3) and “The South and the Progressive Lily White Party of 1912” by George E. Mowry (The Journal of Southern History, Vol, 6, No. 2)
  • The Costa Rica Reader: History, Culture, Politics edited by Steven Palmer and Ivan Molina
    • In preparation for a trip to Costa Rica, I read this edited collection of primary sources and short articles on the history of Costa Rica. The editors focus on where national identity – especially how the country’s identity has been shaped by tourism. It covers a broad range of eras and themes, from the pre-colonial natives of Costa Rica to the Spanish conquest, independence and the filibusters, the rise of the modern Democratic state and the Civil War of the 1940s. The final few sections deal with modern Costa Rica, from its status as a tourist destination to its social problems and major political issues. 
    • The filibuster William Walker, who is featured in the sections of this book on the filibusters, is also addressed in Manifest Destiny’s Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America by Robert E. May.
  • The Georgia Peach: Culture, Agriculture, and Environment in the American South by Thomas Okie
    • Few symbols are more strongly associated with Georgia than the peach. Yet, Georgia ranks third in peach production nationwide. In this book, Dr. Okie of Kennesaw State examines how the peach was introduced to Georgia, how it was promoted, and why it became an icon. Through agriculture boosters, tenant farmers, botanical visionaries, environmental challenges, and economic issues, The Georgia Peach weaves together many disparate strands of the state’s history. It is a fascinating, engaging look at how the Georgia Peach came to be. 
    • For additional work on the social dimension of antebellum peaches, see “The Georgia Peach and the Southern Quest for Commercial Equity and Independence, 1843-1861” by John D. Fair (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. LXXXVI, No. 3). 
  • Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horowitz
    • In this classic work from the 1990s, Tony Horowitz seeks to examine why the Civil War continues to loom so large in the South (I believe it would be fair to call this a layman’s The Burden of Southern History). Horowitz travels across the South, to major battlefields, UDC meetings, Confederate shrines, reenactments, and schools to gain a better understanding of the Civil War’s legacy. He comes away with a very nuanced view. While the Civil War has been co-opted by many racist, bigoted groups, it does have devotees who seek to appreciate it with a balanced view and the benefits of hindsight. 
    • One chapter is devoted to the legacy of Gone with the Wind. For a look at the Civil War on film, see Gone with the Glory: The Civil War in Cinema by Brian Steel Wills. 
  • Drake’s Fortune: The Fabulous True Story of the World’s Greatest Confidence Artist by Richard Rayner
    • Oscar Hartzell managed, throughout the 1920s and 1930s, to convince countless Americans (mostly from the Midwest) that Sir Francis Drake’s estate was about to become his, and that for a small fee they could gain their share. With audacity and derring-do to rival Drake, Hartzell swindled farmers even in the middle of the Great Depression. This book tells the story of the Drake Fortune Scam before Hartzell, how Hartzell reinvented it and gained success, and how his small empire finally came crashing down. 
  • Black Georgia in the Progressive Era, 1900-1920 by John Dittmer
    • This short book examines Black life in Georgia from 1900 until the end of World War I, covering politics, violence, education, segregation, and more. Along the way, Black progressive reformers like John and Lugenia Hope, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Benjamin Davis are explored. It provides a fairly kaleidoscopic look at its subject, though at the same time Atlanta is a very important part of Dittmer’s work. 
    • The political dimensions of this same era are further explored in Republicans, Negroes, and Progressives in the South, 1912-1916 by Paul D. Casdorph. 
    • The Georgia Railroad “race strike” of 1909 is the subject of “The Georgia ‘Race Strike’ of 1909” by John Michael Matthews (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 40, No. 4).
    • More about Du Bois and suffrage can be found in “Votes for Women: Race, Gender, and W. E. B. Du Bois’s Advocacy of Woman Suffrage” by Valethia Watkins, Ph.D., J.D. (Phylon, Vol. 53, No. 2).  
  • Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten Jungle City by Greg Grandin
    • As Henry Ford aged, he became increasingly interested in America’s past. His bucolic version of rural America was largely undone by his own automobile, yet he clung to his vision of an American return to fundamentals. When the supply of rubber became unstable, his company built a massive rubber plantation in the heart of Brazil. Mirroring Ford’s beliefs, it was a model American town transplanted into the heart of the Amazon. Ford would promote the quixotic quest of rubber production from 1927 until World War II, far past the point it was obvious the plantation was unproductive and unprofitable. Fordlandia is both the tale of a forgotten small-town America in the middle of the jungle, and the story of an increasingly difficult Ford’s reign of his automotive empire. 
    • One of Ford’s other quixotic quests, the development of Muscle Shoals in Alabama, is the subject of Electric City: The Lost History of Ford and Edison’s American Utopia by Thomas Hager. 
    • Ford’s Vagabond Trips with Thomas Edison are covered in The Vagabonds: The Story of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison’s Ten-Year Road Trip by Jeff Guinn. 
  • The Italian Renaissance by J. H. Plumb
    • This book offers a very brief, cursory overview of the Italian Renaissance. Following about 160 pages of Plumb’s work, the remaining pages are essays by other authors on notable individuals of the era. This book captures some of the themes of the Renaissance well, but its lack of a chronological approach makes it harder to follow how one person/event/idea influenced another. This is a book that I think would work best when read with another, more strictly history book on the same subject. 
  • From Empire to Revolution: Sir James Wright and the Price of Loyalty in Georgia by Greg Brooking
    • James Wright would serve as the Royal Governor of Georgia for twenty years, longer than any other man. However, his time in office was tumultuous, with the Stamp Act Crisis taking place a few short years after his arrival, and the American Revolution erupting ten years later. Wright was a devoted British servant, and Brooking explores how he thought he could serve both his king and colony. Well-respected by the people of Georgia, the region and its governor became disillusioned with each other as the war progressed. Wright would leave Georgia as one of its last Loyalist leaders, with his finances in ruins and a pessimistic outlook. His death in 1785 ensured he would be largely forgotten. Brooking’s work is the first book-length biography of Wright to be published, and adds another dimension to the study of Revolutionary War-era Georgia. 
    • For Brooking’s article on James Wright’s leadership during the Stamp Crisis, see “‘No Stamps, No Riot Act’”: Governor James Wright and the Stamp Crisis of Georgia” by Greg Brooking (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVII, No. 3).
    • Loyalists in the South during the American Revolution are examined in Three Peoples, One King: Loyalists, Indians, and Slaves in the Revolutionary South, 1775-1782 by Jim Piecuch. 
    • A short biography of Wright can be found in The Governors of Georgia, 1754 – 2004 by James F. Cook. 
  • The Warrior and the Priest: Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt by John Milton Cooper Jr.
    • The debate between two progressive ideologies, Theodore Roosevelt’s New Nationalism and Woodrow Wilson’s New Freedom, animated the 1912 election. Each president had a clear vision for America, and it was more alike than either cared to admit. In this well-respected volume, John Milton Cooper looks at the similarities and differences between these two important presidents. Each remains relevant in the twenty-first century, and Cooper shows these two impressive individuals managed to become competing figures of history. 
    • Cooper also wrote a biography solely of Wilson, titled Woodrow Wilson: A Biography. 
    • “The Ideological Convergence of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson” by George R. Ruiz (Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 1) also explores the similarities and differences between these two men. 
  • A President in Our Midst: Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Georgia by Kaye Lanning Minchew
    • Franklin Delano Roosevelt, following his polio diagnosis, took refuge in Warm Springs, Georgia. Roosevelt would visit the small city from the 1920s up until the day he died on April 12, 1945. This coffee-table book explores his relationship with Warm Springs, what it was like when he was in town, and how Warm Springs influenced his landmark presidency. 
  • Unreasonable Men: Theodore Roosevelt and the Republican Rebels Who Created Progressive Politics by Michael Wolraich
    • Starting during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, two competing progressive factions formed in the Republican Party. Roosevelt led one, and was committed to reforming the party from within with a comparatively gradual approach to change. The other faction, led by Wisconsin’s “Fighting Bob” La Follette, sought to jolt America awake and shift the foundations of Progressive Era politics. These two factions would clash for over a decade, before both were largely exiled from the Republican Party in the 1912 election. Wolraich presents this as a turning point in American politics: the two major parties began to have clearer ideological divides, and the Republicans became the more conservative party. This book is not very academically probing, but remains an interesting read.  
  • Creating the Modern South: Millhands and Managers in Dalton, Georgia, 1884-1984 by Douglas Flamming
    • In this fascinating book, the Southern cotton mill is explored in-depth. As his subject, Flamming chose the Crown Cotton Mill of Dalton, Georgia. He traces the mill from its New South, booster-ish origins, to the rise of the mill village, the decline of child labor, the rise and fall of the mill union, and lastly the fall of the union itself. Flamming examines issues of unionization, farm-to-mill labor, and boosterism in Southern cotton mills, and it leaves me wanting to apply some of these methods to Cobb County’s industrial history. 
  • A New Introduction to Bibliography by Phillip Gaskell
    • This book (read as part of the advance reading for a Rare Book School course) covers book production from Incunabula until the 1950s. It is broken into three broad sections: 1500 to 1800, 1800 to 1950, and the practical applications of this knowledge. Gaskell examines each step of the book making process during these periods, along with a bit of discussion of how books were sold. The final section looks both at analytical bibliography and how book history can be used to inform the study of authors. 
  • The Most Delightful Country in the Universe: Promotional Literature of the Colony of Georgia, 1717-1734, introduction by Trevor Reese
    • Published in the early 1970s, this volume gathers together early pamphlets promoting settlement of what is now Georgia. The first pamphlet, which struck me as the most interesting, was Sir Robert Mountgomery’s 1717 plan for the Margravate of Azilia. Also included are descriptions of the Golden Isles, promotional literature by Oglethorpe, and a sermon with a message promoting Georgia. It is a fascinating window into the varying ways Georgia’s settlement was promoted to both settlers and investors. 
    • For a book focusing on Azilia, see The Most Delightful Golden Islands (The Most Delightful Golden Islands) by Sir Robert Montgomery, Colonel John Barnwell, and Kenneth Coleman (Introduction). 
  • Old Man River: The Mississippi River in North American History by Paul Schneider
    • This book looks at American history through the lens of the Mississippi River, starting with the continent’s earliest inhabitants and ending with modern flood control. The book, while interesting, I think has some flaws. Based on the title, I was hoping for more information about the Mark Twain-era of the river: the steamboats, charlatans, politics, economy, etc. In short, I was hoping this book would fall neatly into the genre of Southern history. Instead, it is much more wide-ranging in scope. While interesting, it is just not quite the book I was hoping to read. 
  • Understanding Thomas Jefferson by E. M. Halliday
    • In this short work, E. M. Halliday seeks to get inside the mind of Thomas Jefferson, and show why he was a much less contradictory figure than usually discussed. This leads to an odd fascination with Jefferson’s sex life, though his portrayal of Sally Hemings is admirable. The book glosses over much of Jefferson’s political career, especially his presidency. I believe this stems from Jefferson’s famous epitaph, which leaves out his two terms as president. While this book does have some redeeming qualities, it left me largely unsatisfied. 
    • In July 2024, I visited Monticello, Poplar Forest, and the University of Virginia – three sites intimately connected to Jefferson. For information about this visit, see my blog post here: https://ajbramlett.com/2024/08/02/finding-thomas-jefferson/ 
    • I found The Lost World of Thomas Jefferson by Daniel J. Boorstin to be much more insightful regarding Jefferson’s personal beliefs. 
    • Sally Hemings is best examined in The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed. 
  • Oglethorpe in America by Phinizy Spalding
    • James Oglethorpe’s time in Georgia is examined in this book by noted researcher Phinizy Spalding. Spalding makes it very clear he was not attempting to write a detailed history, focusing on broad themes and conclusions instead of the nitty-gritty. Spalding presents Oglethorpe as an idealist who suddenly found himself an administrator in a difficult situation. While Spalding is critical of the way Oglethorpe lacked the ability to delegate, he comes across as a caring and considerate person, surprisingly adept at diplomacy and colony building. This is a short, but admirable look at a fascinating figure of Georgia’s history. 
    • Spalding similarly examined Oglethorpe and the Spanish in “Oglethorpe, Georgia, and the Spanish Threat” by Phinizy Spalding (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 78, No. 3).
    • More information on Oglethorpe and slavery can be found in James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia: A Founder’s Journey from Slave Trader to Abolitionist by Michael L. Thurmond. 
    • A brief biography of Oglethorpe can be found in The Governors of Georgia, 1754 – 2004 by James F. Cook. 
    • More about Oglethorpe and Tomochichi can be found in “Bearing the Feathers of an Eagle: Tomochichi’s Trip to England” by Julie Anne Sweet (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. LXXXVI, No. 3). 
    • Oglethorpe’s town plan for Savannah has been explored by many authors. Articles on the subject include “Town Planning in Colonial Georgia” by John W. Reps (The Town Planning Review, Vol. 30, No. 4), “The Origin and Appreciation of Savannah, Georgia’s Historic City Squares” by Louis de Vorsey (Southeastern Geographer, Vol. 52, No. 1), “Oglethorpe’s Sources for the Savannah Plan” by Turpin C. Bannister (Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 20, No. 2), “Oglethorpe’s Plan of Savannah: Urban Design, Speculative Freemasonry, and Enlightenment Charity” by Mark Reinberger (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 81, No. 4), and “A New Theory on the Plan of Savannah” by Laura Palmer Bell (Georgia Historical Quarterly,Vol. 48, No. 2). 
  • The Fledgling Province: Social and Cultural Life in Colonial Georgia, 1733-1776 by Harold E. Davis
    • Between 1733 and 1776, Georgia was born, grew, and matured into a successful colony, albeit one on the verge of Revolution with Britain. The process, however, was never quite that simple. Until the 1750s, the Trustees controlled the colony, and sought to promote their high-minded ideals while dealing with less optimistic pragmatists. Davis’ work examines this tension, arguing that the Trustees were not as unsuccessful as their critics claimed, but these successes were undone when Georgia became a royal colony. 
  • Slavery in Colonial Georgia, 1730-1775 by Betty Wood
    • For the first twenty years of Georgia’s existence, slavery was banned outright. In the first half of this book, Wood explores why slavery was banned, and whether it was done to help white farmers industriousness or in opposition to the transatlantic slave trade. Wood also explores the pro-slavery forces that began to organize, and how they eventually succeeded in bringing in South Carolina-style slavery to Georgia. The second half of the book looks at how slavery laws changed in Georgia to become more like those of other colonies. It is a fascinating look at a complicated part of early Georgia’s story. 
    • James Oglethorpe’s relationship with slavery is the focus of James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia: A Founder’s Journey from Slave Trader to Abolitionist by Michael L. Thurmond. 
  • Sherman: A Soldier’s Life by Lee Kennett
    • General Sherman is one of the most debated figures of the Civil War; hallowed by some, condemned by others. This volume tries to see through these debates and look at Sherman’s life as a soldier: his time at West Point, his actions out West, his Civil War activities, and his post-war career. It provides an interesting overview of Sherman’s military career, but does not probe very deeply into why Sherman remains a debated leader to this day.
  • An Inquiry into the Nature of Certain Nineteenth Century Pamphlets by John Carter and Graham Pollard
    • John Carter and Graham Pollard, in the early 1930s, noticed something strange: early pamphlets of noted nineteenth century authors were starting to appear, and each proved to be first editions of famous works intended for private distribution. All of the copies were in pristine condition, and sold by one particular London book dealer and collector. Carter and Pollard suspected something was amiss, and revealed the pamphlets as forgeries. This book is essentially the first modern examination of forgeries, and laid the groundwork for future uncovering of forgers and their craft. 
  • Texfake: An Account of the Theft and Forgery of Early Texas Printed Documents by W. Thomas Taylor, introduction by Larry McMurtry
    • W. Thomas Taylor began investigating early Texas printed documents which he believed to be forged in the 1980s and 90s, and uncovered a variety of forgeries all connected to a limited number of booksellers. The forgeries were not fantastic, but were presented with enough confidence to be believable. In this slim volume, Taylor reveals how he uncovered the documents, and reveals both the forgery and theft of many important pieces of Texas history. 
  • The Restoration of Engravings, Drawings, Books, and Other Works on Paper by Max Schweidler (translated, edited, and with an appendix by Roy Perkinson)
    • This book was first published in German in 1938, and details the means for restoring and repairing prints, drawings, and almost anything else on paper. The introduction to this translation compares the author’s tone to that of a scolding schoolmaster, which I think is a fair comparison. The book is densely filled with information about best practices, and what made it most interesting was the editors notes and appendix. 
  • Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta – and Atlanta Remade Professional Sports by Clayton Trutor
    • In 1960, Atlanta had no major league teams; by the end of the decade, the city had four. Loserville looks at how Atlanta boosters – led by Ivan Allen Jr. – sought to bring professional sports to Atlanta and promote the “Major League City.” Once the teams arrived, however, they faced apathy from local fans, making it harder for professional sports to survive. Trutor looks at how municipal leaders at first embraced sports, but gradually came to rely on private funding for these ventures. While it may seem on its surface like a book of just sports history, it is actually a much broader study of civic boosterism, the rise of suburbia, white flight, urban development and redevelopment, and changing attitudes across Atlanta. 
    • Ivan Allen Jr. is also covered extensively in Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn: A Saga of Race and Family by Gary Pomerantz and White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism by Kevin M. Kruse. 
    • Loserville and White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism by Kevin M. Kruse were influential when I was writing my article on Cobb County’s baseball stadium dreams of the 1950s: https://atlantastudies.org/2025/10/20/cobb-out-front-in-bid-for-stadium-professional-baseball-and-the-rise-of-suburbia-1957-1962/ 
  • Old Books, New Technologies: The Representation, Conservation and Transformation of Books Since 1700 by David McKitterick
    • Old Books, New Technologies looks at how books have been copied and distributed from 1700 onwards. Paralleling the rise of the modern rare book trade was the rise of facsimiles (and forgeries), sometimes well-made and exact and other times shoddy. McKitterick looks at how these facsimiles were made and distributed, and how the history of books gradually became more accessible to the wider public. 
  • Henry Grady or Tom Watson?: The Rhetorical Struggle for the New South, 1880-1890 by Ferald J. Bryan
    • In the 1880s, Henry Grady and Tom Watson embodied two competing visions for the South. Grady looked forward to the New South, where industrialization would replace the agrarian South of the Civil War. Watson, on the other hand, saw that agrarian tradition as the cornerstone of all the South stood for. In this slim volume, Ferald Bryan places Grady and Watson in the long tradition of Southern orators, focusing on their use of metaphor to emphasize their arguments. Through this comparison, Bryan makes it clear where Grady and Watson’s competing visions diverged and how they came to embody opposing schools of Southern thought. 
    • For a biography of Tom Watson, see Tom Watson: Agrarian Rebel by C. Vann Woodward. 
    • For biographies of Henry W. Grady, see Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, a Brave and Beautiful City by Harold E. Davis, The Birth of a New South: Sherman, Grady, and the Making of Atlanta by E. Culpepper Clark, and Henry W. Grady: Spokesman for the New South by Raymond W. Nixon. 
  • Henry W. Grady: Spokesman for the New South by Raymond W. Nixon 
    • Written in the middle of World War II, this is the first full-length, scholarly biography of Henry W. Grady. Grady had long been recognized as an important figure in Atlanta history, and Nixon’s book is very complimentary of him and his achievements. When compared to later works, particularly the work of Harold E. Davis and in the book Journalism and Jim Crow, it is clear that Nixon glossed over what we now see as problematic in Grady’s life, and, in the case of Davis’ work on the Atlanta Ring, may not have been aware of Grady’s full involvement in Georgia politics. 
    • Grady and Tom Watson are compared in Henry Grady or Tom Watson?: The Rhetorical Struggle for the New South, 1880-1890 by Ferald J. Bryan. 
    • For other biographies of Grady, see Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, a Brave and Beautiful City by Harold E. Davis and The Birth of a New South: Sherman, Grady, and the Making of Atlanta by E. Culpepper Clark.
  • The History of a Hoax: Edmund Lester Pearson, John Cotton Dana, and The Old Librarian’s Almanack by Wayne A. Wiegand
    • It seems hardly fair to call this slim volume a book, but I included it here because it is bound as a single book. In 1909, to highlight fault lines in the American Library Association, Edmund Lester Pearson published the fake Old Librarian’s Alamanack from 1773 to satirize his contemporaries. The book quickly gained fame for its exceptional insights into the minds of past librarians, but was just as quickly recognized as a fraud. This book tells Pearson’s story, and includes a reproduction of the forged book. 
  • The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code by Margalit Fox
    • In 1900, mysterious tablets were found in the city of Knossos, on the island of Crete. There were two methods of writing – Linear A and Linear B – and they were very early on recognized as the earliest writing from the ancient Greeks. One problem remained: they were entirely indecipherable. This book tracks the efforts of three individuals to decipher Linear B: Archaeologist Arthur Evans, American classicist Alice Kober, and British architect Michael Ventris. While Kober came close to cracking the code, Ventris would ultimately solve the mystery in the early 1950s. Linear A – the earlier script – remains undecipherable. 
  • The New South Creed: A Study in Southern Mythmaking by Paul M. Gaston
    • The “New South” phrase is most often associated with Henry W. Grady, but it was a defining feature of southern oratory from the 1870s until World War II, and to a lesser extent to the present. Gaston looks at what the New South meant, focusing on the Civil War to 1900. He examines how, more than being a set idea, the “New South” became a broad term with a strong degree of malleability. He argues it became a part of Southern mythology, in the same vein as the Old South and Lost Cause. More than a simple political idea, it was a system of belief. 
  • Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? by James Shapiro
    • Who wrote the works of William Shakespeare? James Shapiro believes that the Bard wrote the plays attributed to him but is very interested in why people believe otherwise. Contested Will is the history of the Shakespeare authorship controversy, focusing on those who believe in Sir Francis Bacon and Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. It offers a fascinating glimpse into how readers have engaged with Shakespeare’s work since his death, providing insight into fame, legacy, and the role of imagination in writing.
  • Winfield Scott Hancock: A Soldier’s Life by David M. Jordan
    • Winfield Scott Hancock is not the best-known Union general in the Civil War, but was one of its most reliable officers. A veteran of the Mexican-American War and Pennsylvania native, Scott is today best remembered for his leadership role at the Battle of Gettysburg. General Hancock would serve in the army until his death in 1886, became prominent in the Democratic Party, and secured its presidential nomination in 1880. He was remembered in death, not as a politician, but as a capable soldier. While this book has detailed information about his war record, it does not ignore his political career, and the chapters on the 1880s are a highlight of this biography. 
    • Hancock’s opponent in 1880 is the subject of President Garfield: From Radical to Unifier by C. W. Goodyear. 
  • There’s Lots to See in Georgia: A Guide to Georgia’s State Historic Sites edited by Jennifer W. Dickey
    • Georgia is home to sixteen state historic sites, scattered across the state. This travel guide starts in the North Georgia Mountains and ends on the coast, and covers each site in-depth. Dickey and her students are not just focused on the sites themselves: instead, they share why these sites are historic and how they came to be preserved by the State of Georgia. Because of this approach, the book covers broad swaths of Georgia history, from the ancient Moundbuilders up until the present day. The book is also a reminder of how historic places are sometimes preserved haphazardly, and shows what contemporary historical interests guide what sites are preserved by the state government and what sites are not as lucky.  
    • One chapter is about New Echota and the Trail of Tears. For more information about memorialization of that event, see “Remembering Cherokee Removal in Civil Rights–Era Georgia” by Andrew Denson (Southern Cultures, Vol. 14, No. 4). 
    • For photos from the Chief Vann House, check out this post on my blog.
    • Alexander H. Stephens’ house, Liberty Hall, is the subject of one chapter. For more about his life, see Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia: A Biography by Thomas E. Schott. 
    • My article about two former state historic sites, Santo Domingo State Park and Santa Maria State Park, was in the Summer 2024 edition of Georgia Backroads magazine.
  • Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia: A Biography by Thomas E. Schott
    • Alexander H. Stephens is primarily remembered as the only Vice President of the Confederate States of America, a role he served in somewhat reluctantly. Because of his opposition to secession, he is remembered as someone who worked against the interests of Jefferson Davis’ government. Schott’s focus is largely in the lead-up to the war, where Stephens emerged as one of Georgia’s most important political leaders. While he opposed secession, Schott shows that his war-time activities were not in opposition to the Confederacy itself, but in opposition to Jeff Davis’ leadership. This is a fascinating look at the breadth of Stephens’ life, though his time as governor and his role as an enslaver is somewhat marginalized. 
    • The story of Harry and Eliza Stephens, the enslaved servants of Governor Alexander Stephens, is covered in “The House That Harry Stephens Built: How an Emancipated Family’s Home Was Hijacked for the Lost Cause” by Emily McClatchey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVIII, No. 1). 
  • The War of 1898: The United States and Cuba in History and Historiography by Louis A. Pérez Jr.
    • In 1898, the United States military found itself in its first major conflict since the Civil War. Often called the Spanish-American War, it lasted only six months but would significantly influence the following decades of American history. Pérez’s focus is in the historiography of the war, with a particular focus on how the role of Cuban soldiers and independence was pushed aside, even though it was ostensibly the reason for American involvement at the war’s start. The book largely revolves around the war in Cuba, with the story of the Philippine War left for future investigation. Pérez challenges many commonly-held and parroted beliefs about the war, making it a fascinating and insightful read. 
  • The Tacky South edited by Katharine A. Burnett and Monica Carol Miller
    • In this edited collection, each essay examines an aspect of tackiness and its manifestations, from the origins of the word to Dolly Parton, Nudie suits, red velvet cake, and more. Through the lens of tackiness, the authors explore class, race, and gender in the modern and historic South, showing how the South has been viewed both by those within and without the region. 
  • Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism by Char Miller
    • Gifford Pinchot was a leader of the conservation movement during the Progressive Era and was closely aligned with Theodore Roosevelt. His firing in 1910 was the catalyst for Roosevelt’s break with William Howard Taft, setting the stage for the 1912 election. However, as important as Pinchot was to the conservation movement, he is sometimes held up as a foil to John Muir because of their disagreement over the Hetch Hetchy project at Yellowstone. In the biography, Miller seeks to return Pinchot to his rightful place in the conservation canon while showing how his views evolved and changed over time. It is an insightful biography, but I wish it were more detailed in some areas, particularly in the coverage of his time under Roosevelt.
    • A brief biography of Pinchot’s brother, Amos, can be found in the introduction to History of the Progressive Party, 1912-1916 by Amos R. E. Pinchot. 
    • More about Roosevelt and the conservation movement can be found in Theodore Roosevelt in the Field by Michael R. Canfield, The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, A Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History by Darrin Lunde, and The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America by Douglas Brinkley.
  • Theodore Roosevelt and the American Political Tradition by Jean M. Yarbrough
    • In this biography of Roosevelt’s life, Yarbrough asks what his political philosophy actually was, and how it relates to the Founding Fathers he claimed to admire. Yarbrough shows how Roosevelt became gradually more progressive as time went on, and depicts him as straying farther and farther from the Founding Fathers’ vision. It is hard to discern what Yarbrough thinks of this: she seems to disparage his lack of reliance on precedent, while admiring some of his most important actions. Nevertheless, this work can be respected for how it blends a look at Roosevelt’s life with a deep dive into political theory and the constitution. 
  • The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease by Daniel Lieberman
    • This book is far away from what I normally read, but was assigned for an anthropology class. It is a very interesting look at how and why our bodies have evolved, and what circumstances they respond best to. Lieberman’s focus is how, while we evolved to be hunter-gatherers, most humans now live a drastically different lifestyle. The final section of the book is how we can cope with the problems this creates, though some of the suggestions (mostly regarding political theory) I think are unworkable. 
  • Emma Goldman: American Individualist by John Chalberg
    • Emma Goldman was known in her day as the “high priestess of anarchy,” and was widely seen as the public face of the movement. While this biography is short, the analysis is not sparse, and Charlberg is able to bring Goldman to life. From her immigration to the United States, her involvement in the anarchist movement, her complicated love life, and her eventual exile and return, Goldman is presented as a woman with a clear set of political beliefs, even if those beliefs are outside the mainstream both today and in her era. 
    • In 1901, Goldman was publicly associated with Leon Czolgosz and the McKinley assassination. For a deeper look at that event, see Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt’s America by Eric Rauchway.
  • His Majesty’s Airship: The Life and Tragic Death of the World’s Largest Flying Machine by S. C. Gwynne
    • The R-101 was England’s answer to the Zeppelin, and was intended to be a revolutionary flying machine capable of reaching the farthest corners of the British Empire. On its first flight to India, however, it crashed in a storm in France, killing almost everyone aboard. His Majesty’s Airship is the story of Zeppelins and the R-101, and why they were seen as the future when they were doomed to fail. Gwynne structures the book by using two simultaneous narratives, one about Zeppelin history, and the other about the R-101’s first flight, that only converge near the end of the book. It is an interesting story, but is hampered by Gwynne’s assumption from the start of the book that airships were a mistake, rather than using the story of major failures to let the reader reach that conclusion as well.
    • Empires of the Sky: Zeppelins, Airplanes, and Two Men’s Epic Duel to Rule the World by Alexander Rose focuses on the German side of Zeppelin development, along with the rivalry between Zeppelins and airplanes. 
  • To Deter and Publish: Global Collaboration Against Terrorism in the 1970s by Silke Zoller
    • Prior to 1968, terrorism was treated somewhat haphazardly by western governments, with some activity (like highjacking) being largely dismissed in the media as a fun diversion. However, after 1968, the United States began to lead efforts at punishing terrorists as criminals. Zoller shows how terrorism came to be treated as a criminal, rather than political, act, and shows how modern attitudes towards terrorism by governments and citizens trace their origins to this decade. 
  • Modern Cronies: Southern Industrialism from the Gold Rush to Convict Labor, 1829-1894 by Kenneth Wheeler
    • Wheeler’s short book focuses on the interconnected power networks of Northwest Georgia after the Cherokee removal, showing how railroads, gold mines, health resorts, iron works, and local governments were all tied together through friendship and marriage. Looming large is Joseph E. Brown, who was able to turn these networks into a road to the governorship just before the Civil War. After the war, these same figures and their descendants remained a powerful force in Georgia politics, and most notably pushed for the creation of the convict labor system as a way of maintaining their power. 
    • For a more detailed look at the Georgia Gold Rush, see The Georgia Gold Rush: Twenty-Niners, Cherokees, and Gold Fever  by David Williams. 
    • The Governors of Georgia, 1754 – 2004 by James F. Cook contains a chapter on Joseph E. Brown. 
    • In 2022, I wrote an article for the Oakland Cemetery Foundation about Joseph E. Brown.
  • The Presidency of William McKinley by Lewis L. Gould
    • William McKinley’s life is often overshadowed by his dramatic death in 1901, and by his successor, Theodore Roosevelt. In examining McKinley’s presidency, Gould paints a portrait of a well-intentioned executive able to firmly guide the affairs of his administration without leaving the impression of a strong executive. Of particular note is the chapter on the Spanish-American War, where McKinley is shown to prepare the country for war even before the Maine’s explosion, countering narratives that he was caught up by the whims of public opinion after that disaster. 
    • For a biography covering McKinley’s entire life, see President McKinley: Architect of the American Century by Robert W. Merry. 
    • For a look at McKinley’s assassination, see Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt’s America by Eric Rauchway. 
  • American Imperialism & Anti-Imperialism edited by Thomas G. Paterson and American Expansionism: The Critical Issues edited by Marilyn Blair Young
    • These two books were published within a few years of each other, and take a substantially similar approach to the Spanish-American War, or rather its historians. Both look at the historiography of the war, emphasizing how historians have clashed over the role of American business, the public, and William McKinley. They provide an interesting glimpse at the state of the field in the 1970s. However – as highlighted by  Louis A. Pérez Jr. – they look almost exclusively at American perspectives of the war. 
    • For Pérez’s look at the topic, see The War of 1898: The United States and Cuba in History and Historiography. 
  • Carl Sanders: Spokesman of the New South by James F. Cook
    • Carl Sanders served as Governor of Georgia throughout much of the 1960s, a difficult time for any leader in the South. Where some – George Wallace in particular – chose to fight Civil Rights, Sanders was more moderate in contrast. Cook shows how Sanders quickly rose to the governorship and worked to reform the state’s outdated laws, constitution, and bureaucracy. After leaving office, he became a successful businessman, and leader of one of the South’s most important law firms. Cook worked closely with Sanders to write this book, and is obviously a fan of his life and work. I would be curious to see how more recent historians have examined Sanders’ life, though this still stands as an interesting look at his life. 
    • Carl Sanders is also the subject of a chapter in Cook’s The Governors of Georgia, 1754 – 2004. 
  • Historic Indian Trails of Georgia by Marion R. Hemperley
    • This short book explores the legacy of Native Americans across the state. One half of the book is devoted to the trails and roads left by various tribes, with an emphasis on how they are still used today. The second part of the book is about notable Native American towns and villages, particularly those that were visited by European settlers and traders.
    • For a map of Cobb County’s Native American trails, see this blog post. 
  • All the Great Prizes: The Life of John Hay, from Lincoln to Roosevelt by John Taliaferro
    • John Hay, in his early twenties, was a personal secretary to Abraham Lincoln throughout the Civil War. At the end of his life, he served as Secretary of State under Theodore Roosevelt, helping to negotiate some of the most significant treaties of the Progressive Era. In between, Hay was a newspaper editor, a political fixture, a diplomat, and an author. Often overshadowed by larger figures in contemporary American history, this biography reveals why John Hay was one of the most fascinating and significant Americans of his time.
  • When the Irish Invaded Canada: The Incredible True Story of the Civil War Veterans Who Fought for Ireland’s Freedom by Christopher Klein
    • After the end of the Civil War, Irish veterans wanted to channel their newfound military skills into liberating Ireland from the British. They hit upon a roundabout way of doing so: Invading and capturing Canada, and exchanging the territory for Ireland. Several times throughout the 1860s, this group of men – the Fenians – would attempt to invade Canada. Due to a lack of firepower, poor planning, espionage, and more, they were never ever to get far into Canada. While the Fenians failed to create an independent Ireland, they did set Canada on the course of independence. Their story remains a forgotten piece of the post-Civil War era, and is covered well in Klein’s account.
  • The Short Life of Free Georgia: Class and Slavery in the Colonial South by Noeleen McIlvenna
    • McIlvenna’s book chronicles the first twenty years of the Georgia colony, from Oglethorpe’s arrival to the end of the Trustees’ control. The book focuses on how the Trustees sought to create a mini-England in Georgia, including England’s existing class hierarchies, but settlers saw America as a land of opportunity and upward mobility. In the second half of the book, critics of the colony gradually accumulate more influence and are eventually able to bring South Carolina-style slavery to the young colony. The book is an interesting look at class and race in early Georgia, but contains little information about the Native Americans and the Trustees themselves. 
    • I first read this book for History of Georgia (HIST 3304). 
  • Acheson: The Secretary of State who Created the American World by James Chace
    • Dean Acheson played a critical role in managing America’s foreign relations in the early days of the Cold War, but never served as a diplomat. A somewhat lackluster student, Acheson would eventually rise to become one of the smartest, most well-respected statesmen in Washington. Serving in the government first during the New Deal, Acheson would play a crucial role in the White House during Harry Truman’s presidency. His impact could be felt on the United Nations, the Korean War, nuclear testing, the rise of the Truman Doctrine, and more. Later, he would advise the Kennedy administration during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Johnson administration during the Vietnam War. This illuminating biography reveals just how important Acheson was to defining the role America plays on the world stage. 
  • Wedding of the Waters: The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation by Peter L. Bernstein
    • The Erie Canal marked a momentous point in American transportation and economic history. It was one of the first major American engineering feats to rival Europe, it united two previously disparate parts of the nation, and it turned New York City into an economic titan. Bernstein’s book focuses on the men whose vision inspired the canal, and whose determination brought it to fruition. Central to this narrative is DeWitt Clinton, one of New York’s most important politicians. Bernstein’s book posits that, without the Erie Canal, the Atlantic Coast and western lands would have never bonded as well as they did, forever altering the course of American history. 
  • McKinley, Bryan, and the People by Paul W. Glad
    • The 1896 election saw William McKinley (pro-gold standard, pro-tariff) run against William Jennings Bryan (pro-Bimetallism, pro-free trade). Paul W. Glad uses this story to show the clash of two American archetypes. One, represented by McKinley, was the self-made man, and was a product of the cities. The other, represented by Bryan, was the agrarian, virtuous farmer of rural America. Glad shows how, more than being a standard political fight, the 1896 election represents a referendum on these ideologies, with important implications at the start of the Progressive Era. 
  • Foundations of America’s Foreign Policy: A Realist Appraisal from Franklin to McKinley by Norman A. Graebner
    • This collection of essays covers America’s foreign relations from Benjamin Franklin’s service in Paris during the Revolution to McKinley in the Spanish American War. There is a heavy focus on America’s relations with Europe, rather than Latin America or Asia. Over the course of this timespan, America went from being somewhat isolationist (though not as much as professed) to an important actor on the world stage. Graebner argues that many of the bolder strokes of America’s diplomatic history were not altruistic actions but were instead motivated out of American self-interest. However, Graebner does not see this as a flaw, instead viewing these important moments as the product of measured, thoughtful, well-intentioned diplomats and leaders. 
  • The Georgia Gold Rush: Twenty-Niners, Cherokees, and Gold Fever by David Williams
    • The Georgia Gold Rush predated the California rush by twenty years and is nationally less well-known. However, the Georgia story offers a fascinating way to examine the developing South and the Cherokee Removal of the 1820s and ‘30s. This book shows how the Trail of Tears and gold fever were intertwined, along with how whites settled Georgia’s northwestern frontier. It is a brief, but fascinating look at a transformative moment in Georgia history.
    • For a book covering the aftermath of the rush, see Modern Cronies: Southern Industrialism from the Gold Rush to Convict Labor, 1829-1894 by Kenneth Wheeler. 
  • The American Century and Beyond: U.S. Foreign Relations, 1893-2014 by George C. Herring
    • This book covers what Henry Luce called the “American Century,” a period of unrivaled US supremacy as a world power. The book starts with the lead-up to the Spanish American War, and ends with the wars in the Middle East after 9/11. Along the way, Herring examines the important diplomatic events that shaped America’s role in the world. The book is an interesting overview, but does fall short when it comes to the United States’ role in Latin America or Africa. 
  • The Most Delightful Golden Islands (The Most Delightful Golden Islands) by Sir Robert Montgomery, Colonel John Barnwell, and Kenneth Coleman (Introduction)
    • In the 1710s, Sir Robert Montgomery attempted to establish a British border colony in the Americas. Called the Margravate of Azilia, this new colony would have been in the “Debateable Land” between South Carolina and Spanish Florida. Montgomery, however, could not get enough financial backing, and the project fell apart. In its place, the Colony of Georgia was created in 1732. This book is a collection of primary sources material about Azilia, and includes a short introduction to its history. 
    • For a similar book, see The Most Delightful Country in the Universe: Promotional Literature of the Colony of Georgia, 1717-1734, introduction by Trevor Reese
  • Kennesaw State University: The First Fifty Years, 1963-2013 by Thomas Allan Scott
    • Born in the 1960s as a two-year junior college, the young Kennesaw Junior College has grown into the massive Kennesaw State University with 50,000 students. This history of KSU was published in time for the school’s fiftieth anniversary, and covers the first three presidents: Dr. Horace Sturgis, Dr. Betty Siegel, and Dr. Dan Papp. The book seeks to answer why Kennesaw state grew so quickly in so little time compared to other similar Georgia schools of the 1960s. 
  • How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe by Thomas Cahill
    • This brief book looks at Ireland’s role in preserving the Catholic church after the fall of the Roman Empire. It starts with an introduction to Roman philosophy, before covering the Celts in Ireland and St. Patrick. Cahill’s focus is on how, in the wake of the fall of Rome, the church and writing culture fell apart on the Continent, while both flourished in remote Ireland. Then, several centuries later, Ireland brought their traditions and texts to Europe. The book is fascinating, and why I think it probably over-generalizes and simplifies the story, it nevertheless remains interesting. 
  • Gallatin: America’s Swiss Founding Father by Nicholas Dungan
    • Albert Gallatin was born in Switzerland and immigrated to the young United States when he was nineteen. Gallatin would become a surveyor and businessman before entering the realm of politics. Gallatin was a leader of Jefferson’s party, and his financial vision and acumen made him a rival to Alexander Hamilton. Notably, he is the longest-serving Secretary of the Treasury in American history. This book is a fascinating overview of Gallatin’s political life, but it falls short when addressing his life after politics. Known as the “father of American ethnology,” Gallatin helped to promote the study of Native American language and culture before he died in 1849.
  • Ellen Axson Wilson: First Lady Between Two Worlds by Frances Wright Saunders
    • Ellen Axson Wilson was only first lady for two years, but her almost thirty year marriage to Woodrow Wilson made him an important part of his life. This book chronicles Ellen Wilson’s life from her birth in Rome, Georgia, to standing by her husband’s side as he rose through university life, and then into the White House. The book shows how Ellen Wilson played a role in many of Woodrow Wilson’s important decisions that set him on the path to the White House, and presents Ellen as her husband’s intellectual equal. It is a fascinating look at a woman history has somewhat forgotten. 
    • For biographies of Woodrow Wilson, see Wilson by A. Scott Berg and Woodrow Wilson: A Life by John Milton Cooper Jr. I prefer Cooper’s book.
    • Ellen Axson Wilson is buried in Rome’s Myrtle Hill Cemetery. 
  • The Republican Party in Georgia from Reconstruction through 1900 by Olive Hall Shadgett
    • During Reconstruction, the Republican Party in Georgia briefly led state politics, but gradually factionalism and the “Solid South” took over. Shadgett’s book’s focus is on the critical years around Reconstruction, and shows how the Republican Party in Georgia split. While less attention is devoted to the years after 1880, it still is an interesting look at an otherwise forgotten part of Georgia political history. Shadgett’s book was published just when the Republicans were gaining in prominence in the South, and I would be curious to see how a more recent historian would cover the same topic. 
    • Shadgett is also the author of “A History of the Republican Party in Georgia” (The Georgia Review, Vol. 7, No. 4). 
  • The Oglethorpe Plan: Enlightenment Design in Savannah and Beyond by Thomas D. Wilson
    • This book examines James Oglethorpe’s plan for Savannah, and shows how the typical description of the “Savannah Plan” does not adequately describe Oglethorpe’s vision. Instead, using the framework of a city planner, Thomas D. Wilson shows how Oglethorpe’s social vision for the colony was baked into its physical plan. Wilson also expands beyond the square-ward layout of Savannah to show how the outvillages and surrounding farmland connect to the vision for Trustee Georgia. It is a fascinating look at how the physical landscape can connect to social and political goals. 
  • Seen/Unseen: Hidden Lives in a Community of Enslaved Georgians by Christopher R. Lawton, Laura E. Nelson, and Randy L. Reid
    • Howell Cobb, his wife Mary Ann Lamar Cobb, and her brother John Basil Lamar left behind an extensive archive of letters detailing their life and plantations in Georgia just before the Civil War. In Seen/Unseen, researchers combed through the archive to find evidence of the enslaved individuals on their plantations. Lawton, Nelson, and Reid were able to create a database of the enslaved laborers owned by the Cobbs, and found some fascinating stories of love and loss otherwise hidden from history. They are able to bring to light individuals thought lost to history in this unique work of historical scholarship. 
  • The Direct Primary in Georgia by Lynwood Holland
    • In the 1880s, Georgia began to hold primary elections at the local level. Gradually, these elections began to fall under larger party rules, and eventually state law. This book (from the 1940s) looks at how the primary system in Georgia evolved. Standing at the heart of the work is the county unit system, the electoral college system that led to rural control of Georgia’s elections for decades. 
  • Dean Rusk by Warren I. Cohen
    • A native of Woodstock, Georgia, Dean Rusk served in the US State Department off and on from 1945 until 1969. For eight of those years, he was the Secretary of State under JFK and LBJ. This book focuses specifically on the period Rusk was at the State Department, and glosses over his earlier life. Cohen places Rusk at the heart of some of the world’s most important events, from the formation of the United Nations to the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the rise of the Berlin Wall to the Vietnam War. The Cold War actions loom large, but Cohen also does a good job of giving attention to diplomacy in Latin America and Africa. 
  • The Scarith of Scornelo: A Tale of Renaissance Forgery by Ingrid D. Rowland
    • In 1637, Tuscan teenager Curzio Inghirami made the discovery of a lifetime. Surrounding his family’s hilltop villa were ancient writings from an Etruscan priest in the 1st century BC. These writings offered a window into Etruscan life, language, and religion at a time it was being subsumed by the Ancient Romans. News of these important documents, dubbed the Scarith of Scornelo, soon spread across Europe. There was just one problem: all of them were forged by Inghirami. Rowland’s book chronicles why these finds were so important, what prompted the forgery, and how he was ultimately discovered. In the 1980s, the Scarith were stolen by thieves who thought they were real, and they have never been seen since. 
  • Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn by Christopher Cox
    • This new biography of Wilson from Christopher Cox examines the relationship between the twenty-eighth president and the Suffrage Movement. While Wilson is sometimes hailed as the president who helped to pass the Nineteenth Amendment, Cox lays bare Wilson’s long-standing opposition to the movement. Cox also covers the Suffrage Movement itself, showing its arguments and factions as it sought to secure the right to vote for women. As a biography, the focus is almost entirely on Wilson’s domestic policy, and he comes across as a flawed individual with deep-seated prejudices. 
    • A similarly critical view of Wilson can be found in American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis by Adam Hochschild. That book examines his second term, when Wilson was focused on the war in Europe, and the actions of his administration in dealing with race riots and political dissent. Wilson also comes across poorly in American Midnight, but it is easier to place the blame on his cabinet (particularly Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer). This is especially the case given Wilson’s incapacity for the latter part of his second term. Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn shows Wilson in his first term, and just as complicit as anyone else in the violent suppression of political ideas he disagreed with. 
    • For a biography of Wilson with a broader scope, see Woodrow Wilson: A Life by John Milton Cooper. 
  • James Edward Oglethorpe: New Perspectives on his Life and Legacy edited by John C. Inscoe
    • Published to commemorate the 300th anniversary of James Oglethorpe’s birth, this volume brings together scholars of Oglethorpe and colonial Georgia to offer new insight into his life. An important focus is his life outside of Georgia, whether it be his birth in England, leading troops in Scotland in the 1740s, or his last years spent alongside Dr. Johnson and Boswell. The volume is short and accessible, and contains a number of unique additions to Oglethorpe scholarship.
  • Gender Matters: Race, Class and Sexuality in the Nineteenth-Century South by LeeAnn Whites
    • LeeAnn White’s thesis is covered succinctly in her title: Gender Matters. White’s book is an exploration of how gender influenced events in the South during and after the Civil War, with an eye toward how gender issues overlapped with race and class. The essays included are wide ranging, from prostitutes in St. Louis to muckraking journalist’s exposes of Southern cotton mills. The final section of the book is devoted to one woman, Rebecca Latimer Felton, who serves as a prism for many of the issues covered previously in the book.
    • For more about Felton, see Rebecca Latimer Felton: Nine Stormy Decades by John E. Talmadge, “Rebecca Latimer Felton” by Joan Conerly Hunter (Master’s thesis, University of Georgia, 1944) and “Rebecca Latimer Felton, Political Independent” by Josephine Bone Floyd (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 30, No. 1).
  • Eugene V. Debs: Citizen and Socialist by Nick Salvatore
    • “Gene” Debs is today remembered primarily as a socialist leader, who was arrested as a political prisoner during World War I and ran for president from jail. Salvatore’s biography shows just how complicated Debs’ life could be. Emerging as a labor leader in the 1880s, Debs was often hesitant to strike. While he had a mythical conversion to socialism in jail after the 1894 Pullman Strike, Salvatore shows how his conversion was much slower than Debs implied. Debs is seen gradually becoming more radical in the 1890s, but never quite abandoning his traditional principles or even his wealthy friends. As scholars of the 1912 election have noted, Debs is closer to the Bull Moose Progressive Party than the Bolsheviks. Over all, this is a fascinating look at a sometimes marginalized character in American political history. 
    • For examinations of the 1912 election, see Four Hats in the Ring: The 1912 Election and the Birth of Modern American Politics by Lewis L. Gould and 1912: Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft & Debs – The Election that Changed the Country by James Chace. 
  • Partisans and Redcoats: The Southern Conflict That Turned the Tide of the American Revolution by Walter Edgar
    • This slim volume examines the American Revolution in South Carolina, focusing on the years 1778 to 1780. This roughly corresponds with the fall of Savannah to Kings Mountain, a period when British military leadership was focused on the Carolinas and had a large presence in the South. This book shows how American Patriot forces fought against the British and their loyalist allies, with both sides acting against civilians and committing atrocities. Edgar shows just how bloody the backcountry fighting in South Carolina was, along with its importance to both sides of the war. Without heavy American resistance in the Carolina’s, much of the modern American South could have stayed in Britain’s hands at the end of the war. 
  • The Empire State of the South: Georgia History in Documents and Essays by Christopher C. Meyers
  • Ghosts of the Confederacy: Defeat, the Lost Cause and the Emergence of the New South, 1865-1913 by Gaines M. Foster
    • CURRENTLY READING

Journal Articles

  • “‘No Stamps, No Riot Act’”: Governor James Wright and the Stamp Crisis of Georgia” by Greg Brooking (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVII, No. 3)
    • Georgia’s last colonial governor, James Wright, was the subject of many conflicting opinions in his day. During his tenure, he helped to foster economic prosperity in Britain’s youngest American colony, but he also presided over Georgia as it fractured during the Revolution. The crisis began around a decade before the Revolution with the passing of the Stamp Act. In its wake, the Sons of Liberty began to take hold of Savannah culture, and many early Georgians gained fame pushing the cause of liberty. James Wright was able to enforce the Stamp Act, unlike any other American governor, but at great political cost. This article examines the actions surrounding the Stamp Act, focusing on how Wright was able to uphold it while fighting popular antagonism. It shows how Georgia began to split into factions against the king, and how the Stamp Act later impacted the split in the Revolution. While the first shots would not be fired for almost ten more years, the animus can be traced to the crisis James Wright fought to avert. 
    • For Brooking’s biography of Wright, see From Empire to Revolution: Sir James Wright and the Price of Loyalty in Georgia by Greg Brooking. 
  • “Georgia Volunteers in the Mexican-American War, 1846-1848” by Sherry Robinson (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVII, No. 3)
    • As mentioned early in this article, many historians of Georgia’s history have overlooked the state’s role in the Mexican-American War, in part because of a perceived lack of battlefield action from the state’s volunteers. Indeed, the action in Wilbur Kurtz’s treatment of the war is between two regiments fighting each other instead of their enemy. In this article, Robinson seeks to show that this perception is wrong, and that many Georgia troops served, and served with distinction, in Mexico in the 1840s. Following the campaigns led by Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, soldiers of the Peach State show up in many of the war’s major engagements. This article provides fresh insight into Georgia’s forgotten part in an often forgotten war.
    • For histories of the war, see A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico by Amy S. Greenberg and The Mexican War, 1846-1848 by K. Jack Bauer. 
  • “Nebulous Neighbors: The Shifting Relationship Between South Carolina and Georgia as Seen Through the South-Carolina Gazette” by Julie Anne Sweet (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVII, No. 4)
    • After the founding of Georgia, South Carolina saw the new colony as a buffer between the Spanish. When Georgia began to separate itself from South Carolina’s authority, this was seen as a threat. This article examines, using the South-Carolina Gazette newspaper, the ways Georgia was viewed by its northern neighbor. As Georgia’s early history plays out, it is interesting to see how outside observers perceived the colony’s actions. While hostilities between the two states flared up again at the time of the Revolution, it is during this critical period that the tone was set. 
  • “‘The Fate of the Southern States’: The Creation of the First Federal Indian Policy and Its Impact on the Southeast” by Jeffery Washburn (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVII, No. 4)
    • Though published in Georgia Historical Quarterly, this article has a much more national focus. In particular, it focuses on the effects of Enlightenment thought on the United States early Native American policies. While later policies of removal have gained infamy, earlier treatment focused on education and assimilation. This article tells the story of how the federal government attempted to make Native American societies white, their successes and failures, and examines the political philosophies behind these policies. 
  • “Teddy Roosevelt, an American Icon in Butter” by Pamela H. Simpson (Southeastern College Art Conference Review, Vol. 15, Issue 5)
    • This article is a serious treatment of an inherently funny subject. From the 1890s to the 1910s, there were four major butter sculptures of Theodore Roosevelt. In this article, Pamela H. Simpson explores the history of butter sculptures and why Roosevelt was a popular subject. The underlying thread is that of gender norms and relations during the Progressive Era, and how Teddy Roosevelt was seen as an image of masculinity compared to domestic products then perceived as feminine, like butter. 
    • The idea of Roosevelt in popular culture is also covered in Theodore Roosevelt’s Ghost: The History and Memory of an American Icon by Michael Patrick Cullinane. 
  • “America’s Berlin: Heart of the Cold War” by Ernest R. May (Council on Foreign Relations, Vol. 77, No. 4)
    • This short article examines the United States relationship with Berlin during the Cold War. The article starts with the Berlin Airlift, and ends with the fall of the Berlin Wall. May’s main thesis is that, during almost half a century, Berlin was viewed as a center of the Cold War by the United States. More importantly, May shows that America was willing to do anything in its power to protect West Berlin, in the same way America would defend any city inside the fifty states.
    • Ronald Reagan’s famous speech calling for the fall of the Berlin Wall is covered in Tear Down This Wall: A City, A President, and the Speech that Ended the Cold War by Romesh Ratnesar.
    • Gen. Lucius D. Clay, who orchestrated the Berlin Airlift, is the focus of Lucius D. Clay: An American Life by Jean Edward Smith. 
  • “Tom Watson and Resistance to Federal War Policies in Georgia during World War I” by Zachary Smith (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. LXXVIII, No. 2)
    • Tom Watson, the demagogue Populist leader of Georgia, was hyper-sensitive to any action of the Federal government he thought violated states’ rights. During World War I, this expressed itself as resistance to the draft. The fight against the government in World War I was one of the last battles of his career, and is a microcosm of his struggles during this time. Historians often see that Watson lost his sanity, or got close to losing it, in the 1900s, and according to Smith the fight over World War I shows that Watson was misguided, not insane during this era of his career. 
    • C. Vann Woodward covered Watson’s life in detail in his first book, Tom Watson: Agrarian Rebel. 
  • “The Politics of Humor: The Berlin Wall in Jokes and Graffiti” by Mary Beth Stein (Western Folklore, Vol. 48, No. 2)
    • This unique look at the Berlin Wall, published just months before its collapse, compares and contrasts the humor of East and West Berlin. Stein examines graffiti and common political jokes to look at the reactions to the wall on both sides of the East-West divide. Along the way, Stein examines what makes a political joke humorous and relevant. It is a unique, and very funny, way of looking at the contrasting cultures of Berlin in the 1980s. 
  • “On the Case with Hattie Barnett: The Life and Times of Atlanta’s First Woman Detective” by Robert S. Davis (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVII, No. 2)
    • Largely forgotten today, Hattie Barnett made history in Atlanta as the city’s first licensed private detective. Much of her life remains a mystery, and this article attempts to piece together what is known. She claimed to be involved with many of the most important cases and scandals of the day, including the Leo Frank trial, but was also a grand self-promoter. Barnett’s story highlights both the role of women in this era and the criminal underworld of Atlanta in the early twentieth century. 
    • Barnett is buried at Atlanta’s Westview Cemetery.
  • “From Oglethorpe to the Lost Cause: The Early History of Georgia Day” by David B. Parker (Journal of the Georgia Association of Historians, Vol. XL)
    • From the 1730s until 1901, there was no annual celebration of Georgia’s past. In 1901, the Daughters of the American Revolution began to promote the creation of a Georgia Day on February 12, the anniversary of Georgia’s founding. Originally focused on colonial Georgia, the event soon began to take on Lost Cause elements as the United Daughters of the Confederacy began to promote the holiday. For about 15 to 20 years, Georgia Day was celebrated each year in schools with Civil War themed events and lessons. Eventually, the public lost interest, and celebrations honoring Georgia’s founding would not return in full force until the 21st century. 
  • “Joel Roberts Poinsett and the Political Economy of the Nullification Crisis” by Lindsay Schakenback Regele” (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. LXXXIX, No. 3)
    • The Nullification Crisis is often viewed in terms of slavery, Southern unity, and the Civil War, but this article instead looks at the events through the lens of Joel Roberts Poinsett. Poinsett was a slave owner, but unlike many contemporary notable residents of South Carolina was opposed to nullification and secession. The main question Regele seeks to answer is if Poinsett was an exception or the rule. Regele paints a picture of a South Carolina planter class opposed to the national government and to smaller farmers and urban elite that did not support nullification. The article shows how economic motives played a key role in events that could have led to a Civil War thirty years before Fort Sumter. 
  • “Duel In The Georgia State Capitol” by Derrell Roberts (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 47, No. 4)
    • This very short article covers the gunfight that took place inside the Georgia State Capitol on March 11, 1879. Edward Cox and Robert A. Alston, after a day of antagonism, fought inside the building over the matter of convict leases. This article deals mostly with the duel itself and its possible future impact on state politics, opposed to the convict lease system. 
    • The first chapter of Journalism and Jim Crow: White Supremacy and the Black Struggle for a New America edited by Kathy Roberts Forde and Sid Bedingfield shows how this duel connects to Henry Grady and better connects it to the anti-convict labor movement. 
  • “Georgia’s Bicentennial County Histories: The Present in the Past” by David B. Parker (Southern Studies, Vol. XXV, No. 1)
    • In the 1930s, the legislature in Georgia encouraged the state’s counties to develop county histories in time for Georgia’s Bicentennial. About 35 counties were able to answer the call, with varying degrees of success. Like many works of local history, they must be taken with a grain of salt, but they remain valuable resources for the attitudes and historiography of the 1930s. This article examines how these histories came about and why they are valuable pieces of Georgia historiography. 
  • “‘Every Dollar Brought from the Earth’: Money, Slavery, and Southern Gold Mining” by Ann Marsh Daly (Journal of the Early Republic, Vol. 41, No. 4)
    • During Andrew Jackson’s presidency, he waged war on the banks across the United States, while at the same time money began to come from the Southern Gold Rushes. This article connects the two events, showing how coins minted in Georgia and North Carolina helped make Jackson’s bank war possible. Daly also explores the role of enslaved women in finding this gold, and how without their contributions gold mining would not have been possible in North Georgia. This article does a good job of connecting these three key events and debates of the 1830s. 
  • “The House That Harry Stephens Built: How an Emancipated Family’s Home Was Hijacked for the Lost Cause” by Emily McClatchey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVIII, No. 1)
    • Harry and Eliza Stephens were two enslaved servants of Alexander Stephens, a Georgia resident and Confederate Vice President. Through hard work and good financial sense, Harry was able to save enough money to buy a farm next to Alexander Stephens’ Liberty Hall home, and build his own dwelling. The Stephens lived next to their former master until Eliza’s death in 1917. At the same time, the United Daughters of the Confederacy sought to turn Liberty Hall into a museum. Through a series of underhanded actions, the UDC was able to purchase Harry and Eliza Stephens’ home and remove all traces of its existence. On the site of this testament to their achievement a museum devoted to the Lost Cause was built. This fascinating article examines how the Stephens’ home was “hijacked” for other purposes, and how their legacy continues to be forgotten today. 
    • For a biography of Stephens, see “The House That Harry Stephens Built: How an Emancipated Family’s Home Was Hijacked for the Lost Cause” by Emily McClatchey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVIII, No. 1). 
  • “Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, African Americans in the Atlanta Campaign, and the Lost Cause” by Angela D. Tooley (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. XCVI, No. 3)
    • This article, published during the Civil War’s sesquicentennial, charts the history of interpretation at Kennesaw Mountain NBP. Using exhibit records, historic signs, and brochures, Tooley shows how Lost Cause ideology was in full force for most of the park’s history. In the 1990s, the park changed course, and began to acknowledge the role of slavery in the Civil War and the importance of African American stories. This article provides fascinating insight into both Kennesaw Mountain and the longevity of the Lost Cause. 
    • For information about the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, I recommend Kennesaw Mountain: Sherman, Johnston, and the Atlanta Campaign by Earl J. Hess.
    • The story of how the Civil War has been presented at Kennesaw Mountain is also a focus of “Interpreting the Past: B. C. Yates and Kenesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park” by Mary Ella Engel (Atlanta History, Vol. XLV, No. 1). 
    • One of my presentations, Kennesaw Mountain: Beyond the War, focuses on the park’s story. More info can be found here: https://ajbramlett.com/presentations-and-series/ 
  • “Theodore Roosevelt, Lifelong Naturalist (#1): On the Origin of Elkhorn” by Darrin Lunde (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XLIV, No. 4)
    • This short article addresses the origin of Elkhorn Ranch’s name. Located in the Dakotas, Elkhorn was Theodore Roosevelt’s ranch during his famous years in the Badlands. According to Roosevelt, it was named after the skulls of two elk found nearby, antlers locked in an eternal struggle. The article examines the very real possibility of two elk getting stuck together and dying, along with Roosevelt’s claim. He never collected any interlocked elk skulls, but he may have been aware of a pair owned by a political friend of his. This pair, now at the American Museum of Natural History, fits Roosevelt’s description exactly. In the end, it remains unclear if Roosevelt embellished this part of the ranch’s story or if he actually did uncover such a unique find in his western years. 
    • Darrin Lunde also wrote The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, A Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History, which focuses on Roosevelt’s relationship to the field of natural history. 
  • “Fool’s Gold: The Highland Treasures of Macpherson’s Ossian” by Peter T. Murphy (ELH, Vol. 53, No. 3)
    • In the 1760s, James Macpherson published his “translation” of the works of Ossian, which were subsequently revealed after his death to not be by the legendary Highland bard. How much Macpherson drew on Highland tradition is still debated, and examined in this article. Murphy looks at how the social environment of Highland Scotland in Macpherson’s time is present in the poems of “Ossian.” Murphy shows how if the works of Ossian are in fact based on earlier oral tradition it is still a bad translation. Macpherson sought to anglicize Highland culture and hold it up as an example of the “Noble Savage,” stripping away much of its character and context. 
  • “Disaster Tourism and the Melodrama of Authenticity: Revisiting the 1889 Johnstown Flood” by Emily Godbey (Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies, Vol. 73, No. 3)
    • Within a day after the devastating Johnstown Flood, tourists began flocking to the morbid site. It soon became a gathering place for death tourists, photographers, thrill seekers, souvenir hunters, journalists, authors, and more. This article explores what motivates people to visit disaster sites, even decades later. Also examined are what visitors to Johnstown hoped to see, how it compares to similar major disasters of the era, and period reactions to these morbidly curious tourists. It offers insight both into Victorian attitudes about life, death, and disaster and modern thrill seekers and their motivations. 
    • For a history of the flood, see Johnstown Flood: The Incredible Story Behind One of the Most Devastating Disasters America Has Ever Known by David McCollough.
  • “Historical Shelf Marks as Sources for Institutional Provenance Research: Reconstructing the University of Virginia’s First Library” by Samuel V. Lemley, Neal D. Curtis, and Madeline Zehnder (Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol, 118, No. 1)
    • In 1895, a fire gutted the historic Rotunda at the University of Virginia, devastating the library housed inside. In the years since, details about how the books were stored and sorted have been lost, along with information about how many books survived. This paper is about the efforts of researchers to compare an original 1828 catalog to the books surviving at the University of Virginia. Incredibly, they found that over 35% of the books at the library in 1828 survive today. The bulk of this paper examines the shelf-marks and catalog numbers that survive on these books to get a sense of how they relate to each other. Using this information, they were able to reconstruct on paper how the library was sorted, organized, and appeared almost two centuries ago. 
    • Photos from my trip to the Rotunda and current library at UVA can be found here: https://ajbramlett.com/2024/07/27/trip-photos-university-of-virginia/ 
    • For more about the early library at UVA, see “A Catalogue of Books in Thomas Jefferson’s Hand: A Leaf from a Manuscript Presumed Lost” by Samuel V. Lemley and Neal D. Curtis (Notes & Queries, Vol. 264, No. 1) and “A Documentary History of the University of Virginia’s First Library and Its Jeffersonian Catalogs” by Samuel V. Lemley, Neal D. Curtis, and Madeline Zehnder (Studies in Bibliography, Vol. 61).
  • “Ossian and the Invention of Textual History” by Kristine Louise Haugen (Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 59, No. 2)
    • This article focuses on the fictional history behind Ossian, and how James Macpherson worked to craft a plausible context for Ossian’s works. A particular focus is Scottish nationalism opposed to Ireland, and claiming the heritage of the Druids for Scotland. Debates raged at the same time about Homer’s life, and the contemporary writings about Ossian’s history in many ways mirror these questions. Macpherson (and critic Hugh Blair) attempted to fashion a third century Scotland that would allow Ossian’s poetry to have existed, shedding light on eighteenth century attitudes about the ancient past. 
  • “Independence Day Dilemmas in the American South, 1848 – 1865” by Paul Quigley (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. LXXV, No. 2)
    • This article examines reactions in the South to the Fourth of July, the years leading up to and during the Civil War. During this period, the North promoted the idea of the Revolution as a war for equality, while the South focused on states’ rights. These two interpretations often clashed, especially as abolitionists began to utilize the holiday in their campaign. During the war, the South was left with the awkward question of whether or not the date should be celebrated. Some viewed it as intimately connected to the United States, and the Union, while others viewed the Confederacy as the inheritor of 1776. This article also touches briefly on post-war reactions to the holiday, as the South for several years rejected it entirely as it was adopted by the formerly enslaved. The Antebellum South’s tenuous relationship with Independence Day is a fascinating way of examining regional identity during this period. 
  • “Jewel Woodward Simon and the Struggle to Desegregate the Atlanta School of Art” by Mark N. Taylor (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVIII, No. 2)
    • Jewel W. Simon was the first Black graduate of the Atlanta School of Art, and in her day was a giant of the Atlanta art world. Unlike many other artists, she began her creative endeavors later in life, attending the Atlanta School of Art in her 50s. At that point, she was already well-respected in the art community. This article focuses on her mission to desegregate the Atlanta art world, and her finding the Atlanta School of Art. This story reveals an important, but forgotten, chapter of Atlanta’s Civil Rights history. 
    • This edition of GHQ focused on stories of integration. The companion article on UGA is below. 
  • “Conveniently Forgotten: Cultural Memory, Football Integration, and the ‘First’ Black Athletes at the University of Georgia” by Cam Mallett (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVIII, No. 2)
    • In recent years, five football players have been celebrated for breaking the color barrier at UGA, known as the First Five. However, before they joined the Georgia Bulldogs, six other Black athletes tried out for UGA athletics, with some joining varsity teams. However, these stories are not promoted in the same way as these First Five, which Mallett attributes to the tidy narrative of the First Five compared to the nuance of these other six men. This article examines each of their stories, with underlying themes of institutional knowledge and cultural memory. 
    • This edition of GHQ focused on stories of integration. The companion article on Jewel W. Simon is above.
    • For a book on the first Black students of the University of Georgia, see We Shall Not Be Moved: The Desegregation of the University of Georgia by Robert A. Platt.
  • “‘A First Rate Summer Resort:’ Gainesville’s Mineral Springs and the New South” by Deanna M. Gillespie (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVII, No. 2)
    • Located northeast of Atlanta, Gainesville became a tourist hub in the 1950s due to the construction of Lake Lanier. Before then, like many Southern cities of its size, it was a textile manufacturing hub. These two industries overshadow the city’s history today, and many traces can still be seen in Gainesville. However, before the textile mills came to town, Gainesville was a hub of mineral spring resorts. Catering to Georgia audiences, from before the Civil War until the early 1900s visitors flocked to the mineral waters. Traced here are the major resorts ownership, management, and clientele, along with what visitors expected of these resorts in their heyday. Each was slightly different, with one even being known for its political affiliations. In a state once dotted by mineral spring resorts, this snapshot into those of Gainesville offer valuable insight into Georgia tourism history. 
    • Gainesville resort owner James Longstreet is the subject of Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South by Elizabeth R. Varon. 
  • “A Name for the American War of 1861-1865.” by E. Merton Coulter (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 2)
    • Published in 1952, at the start of the rise in Civil War scholarship leading up to the war’s centennial, this article traces the evolving name of the conflict. At the time, two names were in common use, the Civil War used today and the War between the States. Coulter shows how these two names came about, and the names rejected by history. A particular focus of the article is the advocacy of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) to promote the name War between the States. The tactics used to promote the name parallel those used to advance Lost Cause ideology, though Coulter (an infamous Lost Causer himself) does not explore this idea. 
    • Coulter is the subject of “E. Merton Coulter, the Georgia Historical Quarterly, and the Struggle over Southern History” by Fred Arthur Bailey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 101, No. 3).
  • “What’s Not in a Name: The Naming of the American Civil War” by Gaines M. Foster (Journal of the Civil War Era, Vol. 8, No. 3)
    • Published in 2018, this article covers very similar territory as the Coulter article above. However, Foster expands the narrative beyond Coulter’s day to include the Civil Rights era and its aftermath. Additionally, the role of slavery in the Civil War and African Americans choice of name is given much greater attention. Foster, like Coulter, shows how the naming of the Civil War could be a political debate, and also gives attention to the UDC. The Civil Rights era adds another dimension to the story, as White Southerners attempted to reclaim a heritage they saw as lost by fighting the naming battle again. As of now, Civil War is the name used almost exclusively, and Foster shows how it is a title more neutral than alternatives while being, at the same time, neutering the war of its defining debates. 
  • “An Outrage Pure and Simple: a feature review of James Bradley, The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2009), 387 pp.” by William N. Tilchin (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XXXI, No. 4)
    • James Bradley’s The Imperial Cruise treats Theodore Roosevelt as a racist architect of an American imperialism as revolting as Nazi ideology. In this book review, William N. Tilchin acknowledges Roosevelt’s flaws while offering an indictment of Bradley’s conclusions, mainly that Roosevelt was responsible for World War II in the Pacific. Tilchin points out factual inaccuracies, blurring of truth, and errors in chronology that all point to the book as a bad piece of scholarship. The review would benefit from the inclusion of books Tilchin finds more accurate, but it nonetheless remains a solid critique of The Imperial Cruise. 
    • See also “Forgotten Fragments (#8): Really, Really Bad Books” by Tweed Roosevelt (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XXXI, No. 3). 
  • “A Voluntary War: The Spanish-American War, White Southern Manhood, and the Struggle to Recruit Volunteers in the South” by David C. Turpie (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 80, No. 4)
    • The Spanish-American War was promoted as a way to reconcile the North and South, yet the South was hesitant to send soldiers to fight. There were a variety of reasons for this, including fears of a Black uprising and economic difficulty stemming from the war. This article examines why several Southern states faced difficulty finding recruits, and why efforts at promoting national unity sometimes fell flat. Underlying the narrative is competing understandings of Southern manhood in the North and South, leading to misunderstandings. It is a unique way of seeing how the events of 1898 were seen on the homefront in the South.
    • For information on the South’s statesmen and American expansion, see “Southerners on Empire: Southern Senators and Imperialism, 1898-1899” by Edwina C. Smith (The Mississippi Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 1). 
  • “‘There is no respectable woman… that sells books!’: The Memoirs of Nineteenth-Century Woman Book Canvassers” by Jolie Braun (Textual Cultures, Vol. 14, No, 1)
    • While there are still many who remember encyclopedia or Bible salesmen, the traveling salesman of novels, memoirs, biographies, and more was once ubiquitous. Only small traces of the profession survive, including canvassing books (which I collect) and several memoirs. Notably, a few of these memoirs were written by women. This article examines three such memoirs, and shows how female book canvassers were once a major topic of conversation, and scorn. Nineteenth century gender roles considered this to be a travesty, close to promoting suffrage, and female canvassers faced many difficulties on their treks from door to door. Braun highlights here the types of books sold, the locations traversed, the varying reactions to female canvassers, and the sales tactics used to sell more books. The sale of books from door to door is an integral, but often overlooked part of book history, and women’s role in the trade offers nuance to an already interesting story.  
  • “The Textbooks of the ‘Lost Cause’: Censorship and the Creation of Southern State Histories” by Fred Arthur Bailey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 75, No. 3)
    • The promotion of pro-Confederate history textbooks, espousing the ideology of the Lost Cause, was a defining feature of the United Confederate Veterans (UCV) and the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). This article focuses not just on the methods used to advance these textbooks but instead on their content. Bailey shows exactly how throughout the South, the approved state textbooks romanized the Antebellum South and its social order, particularly slavery. It is important to note that racial differences and segregation was not only the caste system promoted, as these textbooks also favorably depicted the stratification of white society. Quite interestingly, Bailey shows that the major exception to this rule was Georgia, where Joel Chandler Harris’ textbook on the state’s history highlighted the contributions of Black Georgians and poor whites, while still retaining a pro-Confederate bent. 
    • For more information on Joel Chandler Harris, see “Joel Chandler Harris, The Yeoman Tradition, and the New South Movement” by Wayne Mixon (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 61, No. 4) and Joel Chandler Harris, Folklorist by Stella Brewer Brookes. 
  • “Courting White Southerners: Theodore Roosevelt’s Quest for the Heart of the South” by Adam Burns (American Nineteenth Century History, Vol. 20, No, 1)
    • This article focuses on Theodore Roosevelt’s relationship with the South, and in particular seeks to show he attempted to rebuild the Republican Party in the South. By the time of his presidency, Republicans were a small minority in former Confederate states. By appeasing Democratic office holders and wooing Southern elected officials, Roosevelt hoped he would show the South that the GOP could still have influence in the region. Underlying this article is Roosevelt’s complicated views on race, with him being progressive on some issues while taking steps back in patronage. The lingering question is if Roosevelt was successful with this Southern strategy, or if no dent was made in Democratic hegemony. 
    • For an article about focusing on the Bull Moose Party in the South, see “Theodore Roosevelt and the South in 1912” by Arthur S. Link (The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 23, No, 3)
    • For a look at a similar effort by Warren G. Harding after the 1920 election, see “‘The Georgia Experiment’: President Warren G. Harding’s Attempts to Reorganize the Republican Party in Georgia” by Robert E. Hauser (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 62, No. 4). 
  • “Theodore Roosevelt and the Harlem Cat Fancier” by Michael Patrick Cullinane (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XLV, Nos. 1 & 2)
    • Lulu Grover had an obsession with Theodore Roosevelt, going so far as to pray to him. A New York resident, she had no family in the area except for her cats. When her mental health took a turn for the worse, she committed suicide in her apartment. In a note addressed to the president, she left her cats in his care. Roosevelt helped to pay for her funeral, and adopted the two cats while ensuring the rest of her belongings were returned to her family. While the press speculated on a love affair between Roosevelt and Grover, it was simply the sad case of a woman obsessed with a celebrity. 
  • “Theodore Roosevelt and the Troubled Ambassadorship in Washington of Sir Mortimer Durand, 1904-1906” by Peter Larsen (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XLV, Nos. 1 & 2)
    • First published in the 1980s, this article looks at Sir Mortimer Durand, one of the British ambassadors to the United States during Roosevelt’s presidency. The article focuses on how Roosevelt attempted to strengthen the Anglo-American Alliance, while Durand kept missing the hints. Roosevelt did not trust Durand, hampering efforts and forging the Special Relationship. A large part of the story is devoted to US efforts to have Durand recalled and replaced by an ambassador more willing to work personally with Roosevelt. The emerging alliance helped to lay the groundwork for Anglo-American cooperation in World War I and beyond.
  • “Theodore Roosevelt and the South in 1912” by Arthur S. Link (The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 23, No, 3)
    • In many respects, this article can be compared to Adam Burns’s article above from American Nineteenth Century History. In his 1912 presidential campaign as leader of the Progressive Party, Theodore Roosevelt sought to convince Southerners – particularly white voters – that he was a viable alternative to the Democratic Party. In 1912, this meant promoting a “lily-white” version of the party in the South, while promoting Black Progressive leaders in the North. In some respects, this can be compared to the complex party platforms of the 1840s and 50s, when candidates’ positions on race could change based on region. In 1912, the strategy did not work for the Progressives. Woodrow Wilson was viewed as much more Southern than Roosevelt, and was viewed with less suspicion. 1912 marks the culmination of Roosevelt’s efforts to change Southern politics, and it was a definite failure. 
    • I am using this article as I research the 1912 election in Georgia: https://ajbramlett.com/current-research-projects/ 
    • For a look at a similar effort by Warren G. Harding after the 1920 election, see “‘The Georgia Experiment’: President Warren G. Harding’s Attempts to Reorganize the Republican Party in Georgia” by Robert E. Hauser (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 62, No. 4). 
  • “The 1912 Progressive Campaign in Georgia” by William F. Mugleston (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 61, No. 3)
    • When the Republican party split in 1912, Georgia GOP leaders realized they could capitalize on the division by presenting the new Progressive Party as an alternative to Democratic hegemony. (Arthur Link’s paper review above covers this phenomenon well across the South). Georgia saw two parties form, one “lily-white” and the other featuring Black representation. Both met in the same hotel, on the same day, to choose their delegates. This article details how the two parties formed, the struggle between the two, and why Roosevelt and the Progressives never made headway in Georgia in 1912. Both Mugleston and Link agree that Woodrow Wilson’s nomination was responsible for Progressive failures in the South. 
    • I am using this article as I research the 1912 election in Georgia: https://ajbramlett.com/current-research-projects/ 
  • “Atlanta’s Hospitality Businesses in the New South Era, 1880-1900” by Harvey K. Newman (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 80, No. 1)
    • The last twenty years of the nineteenth century saw three major expositions in Atlanta, which attracted visitors from across the South. This article is about the hotels and other hospitality businesses that served visitors, but the three fairs loom large in the story. An underlying theme of the story is how Atlanta hoped to appeal to northern travelers, and choose to bill itself as an urban metropolis instead of a Southern city powered by cotton. Much of modern Atlanta’s identity can be traced back to the New South movement during this era, and this article serves as a microcosm of that world. 
  • “Georgia’s Federalist Press and the War of 1812” by John E. Talmadge (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 19, No. 4)
    • During the Era of Good Feelings, the party of Jefferson was dominant compared to a weak, struggling Federalist Party. In Georgia, this was even more true, as Federalists were largely discredited thanks to scandal. However, adherents to Federalist beliefs were still around, and still published newspapers up until the War of 1812. Opposed to the War of 1812, Federalist editors faced threats of violence and public criticism so large they were driven from business. However, as Talmadge shows here, the fact they published their papers for so long shows people were willing to buy works espousing Federalist beliefs. 
  • “The Introduction and Spread of Kudzu in Georgia” by Ingrid Baker and Albert Way (Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research, Vol. 11, No. 1)
    • This paper focuses on the intentional spread of kudzu across Georgia, a misguided attempt at preventing soil erosion that led to the South’s most infamous agricultural disaster. In Georgia, the kudzu gospel’s most important preacher was Channing Cope, a farmer who dedicated his life to spreading the kudzu news. In this paper, Cope’s advocacy is examined, along with his seeming awareness of the plant’s ability to take over the whole state. Kudzu’s spread can be seen clearly in hindsight, though in its day it was a murkier, far more complicated subject. 
  • “The Ideological Convergence of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson” by George R. Ruiz (Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 1)
    • Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were both Progressives, though they came from different parties. Where Roosevelt was a consistent promoter of Progressive reform, Wilson only began to ally with the movement later in his career. Because of this, they had very different angles of approaching the same problem, even if both men came to the same conclusions. This paper compares and contrasts the underlying political beliefs and key actions of Roosevelt and Wilson, and shows how even with different approaches they could still both claim the Progressive mantle
    • For a lengthier comparison, see The Warrior and the Priest: Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt by John Milton Cooper Jr. 
  • “Would Slavery Have Survived Without the Civil War?: Economic Factors in the American South During the Antebellum and Postbellum Eras” by Peter A. Coclanis and Stanley E. Engerman (Southern Cultures, Vol. 19, No. 2)
    • This article technically two, and is framed as a debate. The former article, written by Peter A. Coclanis, argues that Southern slavery would have morphed into a new form in around the 1880s. The South would still be hierarchically ordered, but no one would (technically) be enslaved like the 1860s and before. The latter article is written by Stephen E. Engerman argues that slavery was economically viable enough it could have lasted well into the twentieth century, and beyond. In both arguments, it is harder to see the impact of social factors. Even if slavery was or was not economically viable, would Southern society have allowed it to disappear? Both options presented would maintain a strict stratification in some form, and both are presented in a way that seems plausible. Personally, I believe that slavery was too damaging to the Southern economy to last beyond the nineteenth century, though I cannot point to an exact point I believe it would have disappeared. 
  • “Opening the Door to the World: International Expositions in the South, 1881-1907” by John E. Findling (Studies in Popular Culture, Vol. 19, No. 2)
    • In 1881, Atlanta held a major fair to advertise itself as a growing, bustling city rebuilt after the Civil War. This started a series of six other fairs across the South, culminating in Jamestown in 1907. This article examines each fair in turn, showing how, while they were not profitable ventures, these expositions did raise the profile of their cities. In this sense, they were very successful events with legacies still felt today. Countless visitors have been to Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, and the Parthenon is a wonder of Nashville. These tangible links to the fair’s of the past show how far the South has come since the Gilded Age.
  • “Why Doesn’t America Have a Nelson? Does It Need One” by James Holmes (Naval War College Review, Vol. 58, No. 4)
    • There is no naval hero in America like Horatio Nelson. While English history is filled with legendary maritime adventurers, men like Stephen Decatur, George Dewey, and Bull Halsey do not excite in the same way. This article examines why, focusing on America’s lack of understanding of the importance of the Navy. Holmes’ conclusion is that because of America’s focus on our vast expanses of land, there is a tendency to ignore heroism on water. The conclusion certainly makes sense, and highlights why famous captains and admirals are little remembered today. Holmes ends the article with several proposals for how to foster this maritime love, as understanding the military becomes increasingly important. 
  • “Lord Nelson: Master of Command” by Michael A. Palmer (Naval War College Review, Vol. 41, No. 1)
    • This short article shows that, while often cited as the embodiment of the Royal Navy, Horatio Nelson is more the exception than the rule. He did not communicate often to his officers during battle, instead relying on captains to take the initiative and act as he would. By planning ahead of time and offering room for improvisation, Nelson built one of the most successful naval forces the world has ever seen. Palmer focuses on what this says both about modern naval warfare and leadership in general. The legendary “Nelson Touch” is a model anyone can use to become a better leader, and Palmer shows in clear and simple terms exactly what it entails. 
  • “‘Origins of the Specious’: James Macpherson’s Ossian and the Forging of the British Empire” by Leith Davis (The Eighteenth Century, Vol. 34, No. 2)
    • When James Macpherson “translated” (or forged) the poetry of Ossian in the eighteenth century, Scotland was still integrated into Great Britain. In Ossian, Macpherson offered clues as to how the English viewed the Scottish on subjects of race, culture, and history. In this paper, Davis argues that Macpherson’s work shows the makings of the British Empire, with England attempting to show its hegemony over Scotland while playing down their differences. In this paper, Macpherson points to examples where Scottish and English history was intertwined in ahistorical ways to subsume Scotland into the larger English identity. In this sense, the works of Ossian serve as a bridge between a politically divided Scotland and England into a unified British Empire. 
  • “The Silk Industry in Georgia” by Pauline Tyson Stephens (The Georgia Review, Vol. 7, No. 1)
    • When the first settlers arrived in Georgia, the colony’s trustees had hopes that it could become a silk-growing capital, eclipsing Italy in production and allowing England to get silk from sources other than Italy and far-off China. English settlers did not grow fond of silk growing, though the German Salzburger quickly realized they could turn massive profits. Eventually, by the 1750s, the silk industry petered out. While there were occasional nineteenth and twentieth century efforts to revive it, none were long-lasting. This article focuses on colonial silk-growing, with a page or two near the end devoted to later efforts. 
  • “G. A. Henty and the Imperial Stereotype” by Robert A. Huttenback (Huntington Library Quarterly, Vol. 29, No. 1)
    • A little-known author today, G. A. Henty was a British Victorian author known for his boy novels set across the Empire. This article examines Henty’s relationship with the British Empire, both its subjects and soldiers. He had a high opinion of the English, but little affection for the cultures spread across Britain’s overseas domains. Henty also believed in the cool, dispassionate model of the “imperial hero,” and the boys of his novels reflect this sobriety. 
    • This was read as part of my research on author G. A. Henty: https://ajbramlett.com/current-research-projects/ 
  • “William Temple Franklin and the Publication of Benjamin Franklin’s Works” by Richard B. Simmons (Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol, 118, No. 3)
    • Following the death of Benjamin Franklin, his grandson Temple was tasked with publishing his collected works. There were several delays, and it took almost two decades for publication to finally begin. During his life, Temple Franklin faced heavy criticism for the delay, with some even alleging it was a British plot to suppress Franklin’s writings. This paper looks at why publication took so long, and seeks to largely exonerate Temple Franklin of wrongdoing. 
    • For a Franklin biography, see Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson. 
  • “Digital Archives and Recombinant Historical Geographies” by Jake Hodder and David Beckingham (Progress in Human Geography, Vol. 46, No. 6)
    • As someone who has not lived without the internet, it can be hard to recognize how earth shattering it has been. This article examines how the internet has fundamentally changed research, moving from a place-based process to one done at home. It focuses on how geographers research in archives, but its lessons can apply to large parts of academia. The paper begins by laying out how digital archives and traditional analog archives function, focusing on the doctrine of respect des fonds. Respect des fonds is a core tenet of archives and says that material should be kept in its original order. This is very easy in an analog archive, but this context is often lost in a digital equivalent. This context lies at the heart of the thesis: without this context, valuable information can be lost. The article next turns to the search function, highlighting how private digital repositories prioritize search functions over the actual gathering of materials. Here, the role of public online archives begins to be contrasted (Calisphere is cited, but the Digital Library of Georgia is a great local equivalent). The authors are much less critical of these resources than private services like Gale, largely because there is often more context provided. Overall, this paper argues that utilizing only digital archives harms research and the authors place a higher value on archival work in a specific place. It forces the reader to consider their own research projects and offers valuable perspective on the role of place in an increasingly online world. 
  • “The Women Rising”: Cotton, Class, and Confederate Georgia’s Rioting Women” by Teresa Crisp Williams and David Williams (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 86, No. 1)
    • This article examines the homefront in Georgia during the Civil War, with an emphasis on the cotton economy and poor Southern revolt. Wealthy Georgians, largely cotton plantation owners, were able to make fortunes by skirting around laws designed to support the Confederate war effort. By selling cotton overseas, and to the Union, planters became richer while poorer farmers suffered under a wartime economy. The wives and widows of average soldiers struggled, leading to food riots across the state. This article shows how support for the Confederacy was far from universal, and in some places was unpopular. 
    • David Williams explores similar themes in a chapter of Breaking the Heartland: The Civil War in Georgia edited by John D. Fowler and David B. Parker.
  • “Joel Chandler Harris, The Yeoman Tradition, and the New South Movement” by Wayne Mixon (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 61, No. 4)
    • Joel Chandler Harris – author of the Uncle Remus stories – is remembered as someone who idealized the Old South. At the same time, Harris was close friends with the New South’s greatest promoter, Atlanta Constitution editor Henry Grady. This article examines Harris’ opinions of the New South, using his fictional stories as guides. Mixon presents Harris as turning against the materialism of the New South, believing that it was corrupting regionalism. He is contrasted with Thomas Nelson Page, who used antebellum stories to reinforce antiquated values in the post-war era. Harris is a complicated figure, and Mixon offers a fairly nuanced take on his opinions of the South. 
    • The New South is addressed in Origins of the New South, 1877-1913 by C. Vann Woodward. 
    • For more info on Grady, see Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, a Brave and Beautiful City by Harold E. Davis and The Birth of a New South: Sherman, Grady, and the Making of Atlanta by E. Culpepper Clark.
  • “Shannon’s Scouts: Texas Guerrillas on Sherman’s March to the Sea” by Anne J. Bailey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVIII, No. 3)
    • While this article focuses on Shannon’s Scouts, a Texas cavalry unit, the barbarism of the March to the Sea on both sides is also a major theme. The March to the Sea is famous in Georgia for its Union cruelty, but Bailey shows that the Confederates could be just as inhumane. In fact, Bailey presents evidence that in some parts of Georgia, Confederate cavalry was more feared than Sherman. The role of Southern troops in the March to the Sea is rarely explored, and Bailey shows that the critical campaign is less black-and-white than many have been led to believe. 
  • “The Biologist Henry Fox, Mercer University, and the Clash with Fundamentalists over Evolution and Religious Doctrine, 1924-1927” by Lester D. Stephens (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVII, No. 1)
    • Mercer University was historically affiliated with the Baptist church, yet the professors hired did not always share Baptist beliefs. One biology professor hired in the 1920s, Henry Fox, proved controversial. Concurrently with the Scopes Trial, Fox faced heavy criticism for his evolutionist views and religious beliefs perceived as being at odds with mainstream Baptist doctrine. This article chronicles the ultimately unsuccessful effort by Fox and Mercer’s president to keep Fox at Mercer. Underlying the article is the American South’s changing relationship with evolution and education.
    • Georgia and the Scopes Trial is the focus of “Georgia Reporters at the Scopes Trial: A Comparison of Newspaper Coverage” by Gregory C. Lisby and Linda L. Harris (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 75, No. 4). 
  • “The Second Surge of Anti-Evolutionism in Georgia, 1973-2014” by Lester D. Stephens (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVIII, No. 3)
    • Following the Scopes Trial, anti-evolution movements largely ended across the United States. However, in the 1970s, a new wave of creationist leaders began to push against its teaching in schools. This article tracks the anti-evolution crusaders in Georgia, from early legislative efforts in the 1970s to Cobb County’s controversial (and unconstitutional) attempt to discredit evolution in the early 2000s. While the evolution battle seems done, Stephens’ work here and in researching Henry Fox of Mercer University highlights how anti-evolutionist sentiment has ebbed and flowed for a century, and could very easily return again. 
  • “The Imperial Boy as Prosthesis” by Don Randall (Victorian Review, Vol. 35, No. 2)
    • This short but insightful article posits that, in literature from the British Empire, stories of children should be viewed through the lens of the inheritors of the empire. Randall argues that imperial children’s stories protagonists (in Kipling, Henty, etc.) are unusually male to highlight the perceived masculinity of the empire. Randall’s core argument is that authors treated these boys as the future of the empire. 
    • This was read as part of my research on author G. A. Henty: https://ajbramlett.com/current-research-projects/ 
  • “Based on a True Story: Remember the American Revolution through Film” by Marianne Holdzkom (Remembering the Revolution at 250, Vol. 1, No. 1)
    • While much scholarly attention has been devoted to the Civil War and WWII on film, this article delves into a less studied topic: the American Revolution. It is less studied in part because there is not a panoply of films to choose from, and part of this article is devoted to examining why. It is a war built around deep philosophical and ideological debates, with many causes for its major events. This nuance has proved harder to translate into film, though Dr. Holdzkom notes that television has been more successful. The foundation our country’s history rests on, it is quite surprising that no major film has emerged as the definitive classic in the manner of Gone with the Wind. 
    • For a closer look at John Adams’ on film, see Dr. Holdzkom’s Remembering John Adams: The Second President in History, Memory and Popular Culture. 
    • For a look at the Civil War on film, see Gone with the Glory: The Civil War in Cinema by Brian Steel Wills. 
  • “Boy’s Literature and the Idea of Empire, 1870-1914” by Patrick A. Dunae (Victorian Studies, Vol. 24, No. 1)
    • Here, Dunae examines how boys’ literature in Victorian and Edwardian Britain changed from 1870, an important moment in Imperial education, to the start of World War I. Not just books are examined, as much attention is given to popular magazines marketed to boys. Dunae shows how the literature of the empire shifted from a moralizing mission of a growing empire, to promoting the Boer War, to fears of imperial collapse and European war. The different strands of imperial thought, from religious to economic to social changes, are also shown. Crucially, Dunae shows not just how devoted boys’ fiction was to the empire, but how many facets it promoted during this almost fifty year stretch. 
    • This was read as part of my research on author G. A. Henty: https://ajbramlett.com/current-research-projects/ 
  • “‘Let Us Guide Our Own Destiny’: Rethinking the History of the Black Star Line” by Jeffery D. Howison (Fernand Braudel Center, Vol. 28, No. 1)
    • A powerful symbol of Marcus Garvey’s Pan-Africanism, the Black Star Line was a short-lived Black-owned shipping line. Because it only lasted a few years, it has been seen as a failure. Howison argues that, while it may have not succeeded economically, it was a major success as a potent symbol of Pan-Africanism. Howison shows how it was less of a business, more of a cultural symbol and viewed favorably across the Caribbean and Africa.  
  • “Sex and the Single Boy: Ideals of Manliness and Sexuality in Victorian Literature for Boys” by Claudia Nelson (Victorian Studies, Vol. 32, No. 4)
    • This article looks at how Victorian perceptions of “manliness” changed throughout the Victorian Era. In the era of Jane Austin, the ideal man was very similar to the ideal woman: pious, honest, humble, etc. By the end of Victoria’s reign, the manly ideal was suddenly much more masculine in the modern sense. To examine this cultural shift, Nelson looks at major authors of boys books across this period. 
    • This was read as part of my research on author G. A. Henty: https://ajbramlett.com/current-research-projects/ 
  • “G. A. Henty’s Idea of India” by Mark Naidis (Victorian Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1)
    • G. A. Henty wrote nine boys novels set in India, with settings spread across the whole of British control of the country. In this short article, the ways Henty’s imperialist attitudes are reflected in these works is examined. As Naidis points out, all of the novels treat the British as inherently superior to natives of India. At the same time, while Henty’s indistinguishable protagonists are able to blend in with locals, very little local color of India is shown in the novels. Instead, the “India of the trumpet and drum” is highlighted. Narrowing in on just one geographic setting of Henty’s novels makes it easier to see how his attitudes affected his works.
    • This was read as part of my research on author G. A. Henty: https://ajbramlett.com/current-research-projects/
  • “‘The Georgia Experiment’: President Warren G. Harding’s Attempts to Reorganize the Republican Party in Georgia” by Robert E. Hauser (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 62, No. 4)
    • After the 1920 election, Warren G. Harding sought to revive the ailing state Republican parties in the South, an almost exclusively Democratic region. Georgia was chosen as the testing ground, and he sought to remake its integrated party into a “lily-white” organization to appeal to Georgians. The plan backfired, and only served to further divide the party without gaining news support. Just two years later, when Harding died, the plans for a Southern Republican revival died as well. By the decade’s end the party would be embroiled in scandal, covered in the article below. 
    • For a look at Theodore Roosevelt’s similar efforts, see “Courting White Southerners: Theodore Roosevelt’s Quest for the Heart of the South” by Adam Burns (American Nineteenth Century History, Vol. 20, No, 1) and “Theodore Roosevelt and the South in 1912” by Arthur S. Link (The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 23, No, 3).
  • “Race, Corruption, and Southern Republicanism: The Patronage Scandal of the 1920s” by Boris Heersink and Jeffery A. Jenkins (Du Bois Review, Vol. 21, No. 1)
    • Southern statewide Republican parties rarely elected candidates, but made up ¼ of the delegates to the national conventions. It was an open secret that party officials were subject to bribery when it came time to pick a presidential candidate. In the 1920s, another form of bribery was revealed. Southern party leaders were accepting bribes to guarantee patronage appointments, such as postmasterships. When one Georgia postmaster was involved in a headline making murder-suicide, the entire scheme was revealed to the public. This article examines why the bribery developed, what caused its exposure, the different approaches taken by various state parties, and how it ultimately changed little about how Southern GOPs operated. 
  • “Oglethorpe, Georgia, and the Spanish Threat” by Phinizy Spalding (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 78, No. 3)
    • This very short article reviews the role of the Spanish in the founding of Georgia. Spalding, once one of Georgia’s preeminent historians, argues that the Spanish threat helped to unite the new immigrants to Georgia behind a common cause, while serving to promote Georgia and James Oglethorpe. Additionally, Spalding argues that Oglethorpe had a tendency to exaggerate the Spanish threat to improve his personal reputation and gain funding for his new colony.
    • Spalding would also examine Oglethorpe and the Spanish in the book Oglethorpe in America.
    • For a biography of Oglethorpe (focusing on him and slavery), see James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia: A Founder’s Journey from Slave Trader to Abolitionist by Michael L. Thurmond. 
  • “G. A. Henty and History” by Godfrey Davies (Huntington Library Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 2)
    • G. A. Henty wrote almost eighty novels for boys set across history, educating generations. But how accurate were his tales of derring-do? This article narrows in on two very specific moments Henty wrote about on several occasions, the Peninsular War and Waterloo. Davies shows how, despite using well-respected history books of his day, Henty’s prejudices and assumptions led to several major errors in his narratives. Though some of his errors were minor, others completely changed the motives behind certain events (particularly in the Peninsular War). It is a shame that similar research has not yet been undertaken on Hentys other once-popular works. 
    • This was read as part of my research on author G. A. Henty: https://ajbramlett.com/current-research-projects/
  • “The Wellspring of Conservation: Theodore Roosevelt in the Adirondacks” by Michael Patrick Cullinane (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XLV, No. 3)
    • Significant attention has been given to the influence of the West on Theodore Roosevelt, both in his public image and conservation policies. This article argues that his early trips in the Adirondack Mountains were just as important – if not more influential – on young Roosevelt. This article covers his many trips to the region, stretching from his childhood into his presidency, including his most important moment in the Adirondacks: hearing of President McKinley’s death. 
    • Roosevelt and conservation is the subject of several books. For a further exploration, check out my blog post at https://ajbramlett.com/2024/06/13/theodore-roosevelt-and-nature/. 
  • “A History of the Republican Party in Georgia” by Olive Hall Shadgett (The Georgia Review, Vol. 7, No. 4)
    • When this article was published in 1953, the Georgia GOP was largely a non-issue, just a short decade from emerging as a prominent rival to the Solid South. This article has some interesting info largely clustered around Reconstruction and post-WWII era, but the period from the 1880s to the 1930s are treated as irrelevant. (For example, the article says that no Republican ran for governor from 1884, ignoring Roscoe Pickett in 1916). Shadgett’s article reflects the prejudices of its day, but is nevertheless an interesting way to look at Southern perceptions of the GOP in the 1950s. 
    • For a detailed look at the Georgia Republican Party in the era of the post-Reconstruction Redeemers, see “The Republican Party in Bourbon Georgia, 1872-1890” by Judson C. Ward (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 9, No. 2).
    • Shadgett is also the author of  The Republican Party in Georgia from Reconstruction through 1900. 
  • “Book Canvassers, Mark Twain, and Hamlet’s Ghost” by Keith Arbour (The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol. 93, No. 1)
    • Mark Twain, in the 1880s, planned on writing a parody of Hamlet with one notable change to Shakespeare’s classic: the addition of Basil Stockmar, a traveling book salesman. This article details the day-to-day life of a book canvasser like Stockmar, including the books they used and the instructions they were given. The final part of the article shows how this now-forgotten profession was depicted by Twain in his never completed Hamlet.  
    • Canvas books are the focus of Arbour’s Canvassing Books, Sample Books, and Subscription Publishers’ Ephemera, 1833-1951, in the collection of Michael Zinman. 
  • “‘There is Nothing So Effective as a Personal Canvass’: Revaluing Nineteenth-Century American Subscription Books” by Amy M. Thomas (Book History, Vol. 1)
    • This article looks at the lives of book canvassers through one saleswoman in particular: Mrs. E. L. Harris, widow of Confederate officer David Bullock Harris. From 1884 to 1888, she sold a history of General P. G. T. Beauregard in the Civil War door-to-door and to friends, family, and acquaintances. Harris was raising money for a European trip, which she was able to accomplish in 1888. Through her short career, Thomas argues that the stereotypes about contemporary book canvassers should be reevaluated. Far from being unscrupulous salesmen selling books to country bumpkins, the selling books by subscription in the Gilded Age could happen in the city and with the best of motives. 
  • “The South and the Progressive Lily White Party of 1912” by George E. Mowry (The Journal of Southern History, Vol, 6, No. 2)
    • During his historic 1912 campaign for a third term, Theodore Roosevelt also had to work on building  a new party organization. A point of contention was the South. Historically, the Republican Party had been more inclusive by allowing Black delegates and party leaders, but this also made the party less appealing to racist southern voters. The Progressive Party could make a principled stand and allow Black delegates, or try to persuade voters with a “Lily White” party organization. This article chronicles how Roosevelt tried, and failed, to select a middle ground before Lily White southern party organizations were legitimized at the national convention. 
    • For others articles on very similar topics, see “Courting White Southerners: Theodore Roosevelt’s Quest for the Heart of the South” by Adam Burns (American Nineteenth Century History, Vol. 20, No, 1) and “Theodore Roosevelt and the South in 1912” by Arthur S. Link (The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 23, No, 3).
  • “Flowering of the Southern Demagogue” by Reinhard H. Luthin (The American Scholar, Vol. 20, No. 2)
    • This brief article divides the Southern Demagogues into three main eras, starting with Populist revolts against the Redeemers and ending with less ideologically based populism. Each of these men was able to capitalize on the fears of the average Southerner, catapulting them to some of the most important elected offices in the region. At the end, in a fourth section, Huey Long is presented as the culmination of all prior demagogues, and therefore the most dangerous. This reasonably short article does a very good job summarizing the lives of these fascinating figures, and showing how one era progresses into another. 
    • For information on Thomas E. Watson, see Tom Watson: Agrarian Rebel by C. Vann Woodward. 
    • For more information on the Talmadges of Georgia, see The Three Governors Controversy: Skullduggery, Machinations, and the Decline of Georgia’s Progressive Politics by Charles S. Bullock III, Scott E. Buchanan, and Ronald Keith Gaddie and “The Ideology of Eugene Talmadge” by Sarah McCulloh Lemmon (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 38, No. 3). 
    • The rise of Benjamin Tillman is covered in Journalism and Jim Crow: White Supremacy and the Black Struggle for a New America edited by Kathy Roberts Forde and Sid Bedingfield. 
    • Huey Long, cited here as the most dangerous demagogue the South produced, is partly the focus of Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and the Great Depression by Alan Brinkley. 
  • “The Republican Party in Bourbon Georgia, 1872-1890” by Judson C. Ward (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 9, No. 2)
    • After the fall of the Republican government during Reconstruction, Georgia fell under the control of the Redeemers or Bourbons, who sought to undo the legacy of Reconstruction. Traditional Republicans vocally opposed the slide back into pre-war society, while some Democrats split with their party to oppose the Bourbons. However, party splits soon formed. Like the Bull Mooses of later generations, in some elections the statewide convention split into two rival conventions held on the same day. The discord in the party, combined with lingering suspicions from many Georgians, meant that the Republicans could not prove electorally viable. However, that does not mean they did not draw in some of the state’s leading politicians. Ultimately, this would be the last era where the Republicans mounted a concerted attack against Georgia Democrats until the 1960s. 
    • Editor William A. Pledger’s takeover of the party in the 1880s is the focus of “Black Power in Georgia: William A. Pledger and the Takeover of the Republican Party” by Ruth Currie McDaniel (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 62, No. 3). 
    • James Longstreet and the GOP is examined in Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South by Elizabeth R. Varon. 
  • “Troubled Tirader: A Psychobiographical Study of Tom Watson” by Janet Brenner Franzoni (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 57, No. 4)
    • Where C. Vann Woodward’s look at Tom Watson’s life focuses on the demagogue as a product of his life and times, Franzoni seeks to examine his psychology. Why, after 1900, was Watson much less compromising in politics? How could he change sides by the year? What made him so strongly anti-Catholic and antisemitic? In Franzoni’s telling, the absence of his father created a domino effect leading to his eventual political life. At the same time, Franzoni suggests that he might have been slightly mentally unbalanced, rather than just a man focused on political expediency. A century after Watson’s death, what allowed him to become Georgia’s most influential and controversial politician remain topics of debate. 
    • For C. Vann Woodward’s classic biography of Watson, see Tom Watson: Agrarian Rebel. 
  • “Atlanta” by Hal Steed (The Georgia Review, Vol. 2, No. 1)
    • This article was published in 1948, just after the end of World War II and at the state of suburbanization. Since the Civil War, Atlanta has sought to create a cohesive image of itself, but has always struggled to hit upon that right “brand.” This lack of image, and lack of notable downtown buildings, is addressed here. However, while Steed is quick to admit Atlanta’s faults, he also has much to praise. This article is a fascinating way to look at Atlanta’s public image in the 1940s, and the dawn of post-war suburbanization can be seen here. Even here in 1948, Steed is perceptive enough to recognize that Atlanta was entering a transformative era. 
  • “The Ideology of Eugene Talmadge” by Sarah McCulloh Lemmon (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 38, No. 3)
    • Eugene Talmadge, three-term governor of Georgia, was one of the state’s most divisive politicians. Serving during the Great Depression, Talmadge was well known for his hostility to FDR’s New Deal. Talmadge’s appeal rested squarely with farmers, and perhaps the most perceptive statement in this article is that he believed cities should prosper purely as markets for farmers. In this article, Lemmon shows how Talmadge’s beliefs were not always consistent, and did not align with prevailing Democratic politics nationwide. She also reveals how the same positions that led to his large electoral victories spelled his downfall in 1936, as voters increasingly turned towards the New Deal. 
    • Eugene Talmadge’s death precipitated The Three Governors Controversy: Skullduggery, Machinations, and the Decline of Georgia’s Progressive Politics by Charles S. Bullock III, Scott E. Buchanan, and Ronald Keith Gaddie. 
    • Talmadge is compared to other similar Southern Demagogues in “Flowering of the Southern Demagogue” by Reinhard H. Luthin (The American Scholar, Vol. 20, No. 2). 
    • Talmadge’s critical 1936 defeat was at the hands of Richard B. Russell Jr. For a biography, see Richard B. Russell Jr., Senator from Georgia by Gilbert C. Fite. 
    • His promotion of the $3 license plate is the subject of “‘Tribune of the Masses and a Champion of the People’: Eugene Talmadge and the Three-Dollar Tag” by Tammy Harden Galloway (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 79, No. 3). 
    • As a Governor of Georgia, Talmadge’s life is covered in The Governors of Georgia, 1754 – 2004 by James F. Cook. 
  • “Black Power in Georgia: William A. Pledger and the Takeover of the Republican Party” by Ruth Currie McDaniel (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 62, No. 3)
    • In the 1880s, Athens Blade editor William A. Pledger sought to gain control of the Republican Party to support the plight of his fellow Black Georgians. Though the Republicans were seen as allies of Black Americans, the Georgia party had fallen under the control of “Lily White” politicians. For a very brief period, Pledger was successful, but the power of the Republicans was waning, and it was a short lived victory. 
    • Pledger’s takeover is put into a larger context in “The Republican Party in Bourbon Georgia, 1872-1890” by Judson C. Ward (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 9, No. 2). 
    • William A. Pledger is also covered in the article below by John M. Matthews. 
  • “Black Newspapermen and the Black Community in Georgia, 1890-1930” by John M. Matthews (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 68, No. 3)
    • The most prominent voices of Black Georgia after Reconstruction were newspaper editors and Atlanta professors. This article looks at the role of the former, including the intersection of journalism and politics. Many of these notable editors, like William A. Pledger and Benjamin J. Davis, played prominent roles in the state’s Republican Party. While looking at Georgia’s notable editors, the changes from the era of the New South into disfranchisement and the early New Deal are charted. 
    • For a look at the role of journalism in the New South era, see Journalism and Jim Crow: White Supremacy and the Black Struggle for a New America edited by Kathy Roberts Forde and Sid Bedingfield. 
  • “Dreams of Glory, Schemes of Empire: The Plan to Liberate Spanish Florida” by Michael Morris (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 87, No. 1)
    • During the American Revolution, Georgians attempted to invade Florida on several occasions. Just after the Revolution, backcountry soldiers in the young state sought to try again. They were encouraged in this endeavor by Citizen Genêt, a French diplomat proving increasingly unpopular with Washington’s cabinet. Genêt and a Georgia leader, Samuel Hammond, would attempt to recruit soldiers throughout 1793. While many joined their cause, due to diplomatic issues and a lack of secrecy the threat to Florida was quickly thwarted. It would take two more decades of a tenuous relationship before Florida joined the United States. 
    • Georgia’s relationship with the Spanish decades before is covered in “Oglethorpe, Georgia, and the Spanish Threat” by Phinizy Spalding (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 78, No. 3). 
    • A more national look at Genêt’s story can be found in “Citizen Genêt and Political Struggle in the Early American Republic” by Marco Sioli (Revue française d’études américaines, No. 64)
  • “Georgia Reporters at the Scopes Trial: A Comparison of Newspaper Coverage” by Gregory C. Lisby and Linda L. Harris (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 75, No. 4)
    • Two major newspapers are covered in this article. One, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, was managed by Mr. and Mrs. Julian LaRose Harris, the son and daughter-in-law of folklorist Joel Chandler Harris. The other paper, the Atlanta Georgian, sent Mildred Seydel to cover the famous 1925 evolution trial in Dayton, Tennessee. The Ledger-Enquirer quickly became renowned for its pro-Evolution editorials, viewing science and quality education as more important than personal religious belief. Seydel, on the other hand, was more likely to offer sensationalist reporting, especially when it came to her pet theories of the importance of hand shape in determining intelligence. The Harrises gained national recognition for their principled stance, but their newspaper continued to falter. Seydel was able to turn her popular articles into a decades-long career. Ultimately, as Lisby and Harris note at the end of this article, this is a story of fame vs. reputation. 
    • For information about the Scopes Trial, see Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate over Science and Religion by Edward J. Larson.
    • For a biography of Scopes attorney William Jennings Bryan, see A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan by Michael Kazin. 
    • For information on evolution debates in Georgia, see “The Biologist Henry Fox, Mercer University, and the Clash with Fundamentalists over Evolution and Religious Doctrine, 1924-1927” by Lester D. Stephens (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVII, No. 1) and “The Second Surge of Anti-Evolutionism in Georgia, 1973-2014” by Lester D. Stephens (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVIII, No. 3). 
    • For a biography of Julian Harris, see Someone Had to be Hated: Julian LaRose Harris, A Biography by Gregory C. Lisby and William F. Mugleston.
    • Julian Harris is also featured in “Julian Harris, the Georgia Press, and the Ku Klux Klan” by William F. Mugleston (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 59, No. 3). 
  • “Southerners on Empire: Southern Senators and Imperialism, 1898-1899” by Edwina C. Smith (The Mississippi Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 1)
    • At the end of the Spanish-American War, the US Senate debated the annexation of the Philippines. Senator A. O. Bacon of Georgia proposed an amendment to the treaty, stating that Philippine independence was the ultimate goal. This provoked much debate, and the amendment was ultimately defeated. Bacon found close allies in other southern senators, including notables like Benjamin Tillman of South Carolina. The subject of this article is not their opposition itself, but the motives behind it. Some opposed annexation on purely political grounds, while others viewed the Filipinos as inferior and unworthy of becoming part of the United States.  Many of the contemporary South’s deepest held beliefs and prejudices are revealed in this debate. 
    • The life of Senator Bacon is covered in the 1921 memorial speech below by Col. John T. Boisfeuillet. 
    • For information on Southern recruiting in the Spanish-American War, see “A Voluntary War: The Spanish-American War, White Southern Manhood, and the Struggle to Recruit Volunteers in the South” by David C. Turpie (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 80, No. 4)
    • For more exploration of the pro-expansion and anti-imperialist debates, see The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of American Empire by Stephen Kinzer and First Great Triumph: How Five Americans Made Their Country a World Power by Warren Zimmerman. 
  • “Senator A. O. Bacon of Georgia” by Col. John T. Boisfeuillet (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 2)
    • This hagiographic sketch of A. O. Bacon’s life was presented in 1921, and published in GHQ shortly afterward. The image is rosy, and the exact dates and chronology are wanting, but it stands as an interesting reflection on how A. O. Bacon was remembered in Georgia immediately after his death. The first senator Georgia ever elected to four terms, he is a forgotten giant of Progressive Era Georgia politics. This flowery prose is one of the few accounts of Bacon’s life ever published in GHQ, making it a fascinating resource. 
    • Senator Bacon’s role in the anti-Philippine Annexation movement is covered in the article above by Edwina C. Smith. 
  • “Senator A. O. Bacon, Champion of the Constitutional Division of Powers” by R. L. Jones (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 14, No. 3)
    • In 1906, Theodore Roosevelt sought to sign a treaty making the US an arbiter in some European disputes. On the basis of isolationism, Senator Bacon of Georgia opposed the treaty vehemently. This short article looks at why Bacon was so opposed to the treaty, and the constitutional arguments behind his stance. As the article’s closing notes, it is interesting to consider Bacon’s opposition in light of his Democratic Party’s later support of the League of Nations. The article was published in 1930, well before the United Nations, adding another layer to this complicated reflection. 
    • A flowery look at Bacon’s life can be found in the 1921 memorial speech above by Col. John T. Boisfeuillet. 
    • The article “Southerners on Empire: Southern Senators and Imperialism, 1898-1899” by Edwina C. Smith (The Mississippi Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 1) also covers Bacon and foreign policy. 
  • “Good Roads and Chain Gangs in the Progressive South: ‘The Negro Convict Is a Slave’” by Alex Lichtenstein (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 59, No. 1)
    • At the heart of the Progressive Era, Southern governments sought to improve the reputation of the “Problem South” by getting rid of antiquated practices and improving the region’s roads. The Good Roads Movement promoted the South’s economy, but reformers quickly realized that road construction projects needed labor. At the same time, reformers were pushing for the end of convict leasing, a horrific system biased against African Americans. Here, Lichtenstein uses Georgia as a prototype for other states. When Georgia’s progressive governor Hoke Smith ended convict leasing in 1908, convicts were transferred to road projects. While touted as an improvement, convicts quickly came to realize it was a change in name only. Chain gangs would continue to dot the South for decades, further entrenching the prejudices of the region. As Lichetenstein notes, the Good Roads Movement that sought to promote a modern South ultimately hindered its progress. 
    • The idea of the “Problem South” is the subject of The Problem South: Region, Empire, and the New Liberal State, 1880-1930 by Natalie J. King. 
    • The origins of convict leasing in Georgia is explored in Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, a Brave and Beautiful City by Harold E. Davis, a chapter in Journalism and Jim Crow: White Supremacy and the Black Struggle for a New America edited by Kathy Roberts Forde and Sid Bedingfield, and “Duel In The Georgia State Capitol” by Derrell Roberts (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 47, No. 4). 
    • Hoke Smith is the subject of Hoke Smith and the Politics of the New South by Dewey W. Grantham Jr.
  • “Russell vs. Talmadge: Southern Politics and the New Deal” by Howard N. Mead (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 65, No. 1)
    • In 1936, Georgia’s Governor Eugene Talmadge sought to defeat incumbent Senator Richard B. Russell in that year’s senate primary. Talmadge was known nationwide as one of FDR’s biggest critics, especially in the South, while Richard B. Russell was a prominent ally of the White House. Both were immensely popular in Georgia, and the primary proved a litmus test on the South’s opinions of the New Deal. In the historic primary, Russell was able to crush Talmadge in a landslide, temporarily ending Talmadge’s meteoric political career. This article shows how the election was not just a battle between two giants of Georgia politics, but also offers insight into the South’s opinions of the New Deal. 
    • The lives of both Russell and Talmadge are covered in chapters of The Governors of Georgia, 1754 – 2004 by James F. Cook. 
    • For more information on Richard B. Russell, see Richard B. Russell Jr., Senator from Georgia by Gilbert C. Fite. 
    • For more information on Eugene Talmadge, see “The Ideology of Eugene Talmadge” by Sarah McCulloh Lemmon (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 38, No. 3) and The Three Governors Controversy: Skullduggery, Machinations, and the Decline of Georgia’s Progressive Politics by Charles S. Bullock III, Scott E. Buchanan, and Ronald Keith Gaddie. 
  • “‘That Hogansville Affair’: The Failed Assassination of the African-American Postmaster Isaiah H. Lofton” by Tony B. Lowe (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 103, No. 1)
    • Isaiah H. Lofton, the Black postmaster of Hogansville, Georgia, was shot by an assassin in 1897. Since the Civil War, Republican presidents had appointed party members (including Blacks) to important posts across the government, causing tension in the Solid South. By the 1890s, many Southerners found the idea impossible to stomach anymore. The attempt on Lofton’s life became the cause celebre of the issue, sparking national attention and discussion. This article highlights the forgotten event and the broader forces surrounding it. 
  • “Hitching the New South to ‘White Coal’: Water and Power, 1890-1930” by Christopher J. Manganiello (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. LXXVIII, No. 2).
    • This article argues that “White Coal” – waterpower – was a forgotten cornerstone of the New South. To power the textile mills that characterized the era, hydroelectric dams began to be built across the region. Manganiello shows that this harnessing of nature was ahead of its time, and used by boosters to advertise the South’s possibilities. The article ends with the New Deal’s TVA, when the development of hydroelectric power in the South went from a private endeavor to a government program. 
    • This article features the Muscle Shoals project, covered in Electric City: The Lost History of Ford and Edison’s American Utopia by Thomas Hager. 
  • “Julian Harris, the Georgia Press, and the Ku Klux Klan” by William F. Mugleston (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 59, No. 3) and “Julian Harris and the Ku Klux Klan” by Arnold Shankman (The Mississippi Quarterly, Vol. 28, No. 2)
    • The son of author Joel Chandler Harris, Julian Harris and his Columbus Enquirer-Sun led the editorial crusade against the KKK at a time when other Georgia newspapers were ineffectual. Harris was the first major southern editor to protest the Klan’s rising power, and helped to expose their stranglehold of Georgia. Ultimately, Harris received the Pulitzer Prize for his fight against the Klan, and helped to weaken their power in a state that began as a stronghold. These two articles were published the same year and cover very similar ground, so it seemed only fair to package them together. Shankman’s article is slightly longer and more detailed, with a greater focus on Harris’ defense of the demographics the Klan condemned. Crucially, Shankman also notes that Harris was not opposed to the original Klan during Reconstruction. Other than these details, these two accounts of the story are essentially alike.
    • For a biography of Julian Harris, see Someone Had to be Hated: Julian LaRose Harris, A Biography by Gregory C. Lisby and William F. Mugleston.
    • Julian Harris is also featured in “Georgia Reporters at the Scopes Trial: A Comparison of Newspaper Coverage” by Gregory C. Lisby and Linda L. Harris (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 75, No. 4) 
  • “Theodore Roosevelt and the Press” by George Juergens (Daedalus, Vol. 111, No. 4)
    • Roosevelt was the first president to realize the power of the press and bring it into his confidence, helping to insure positive coverage of his policies. Through his understanding of the media, Roosevelt was able to control the image of himself presented to the world. This article digs deep into Roosevelt’s life and policies, particularly showing how he could gain a reputation as both a radical reformer and sound-minded business ally. In many respects, his influence on the media and deft political instincts show similarities to his cousin Franklin. 
  • “‘Quick Ethel, Your Rifle!’: Portable Britishness and Flexible Gender Roles in G. A. Henty’s Books for Boys” by Diedre H. McMahon (Studies in the Novel, Vol. 42, Nos. 1-2)
    • Other studies of G. A. Henty focus on Henty and boys, assigning little importance to the young girls in his stories. McMahon shines a spotlight on these forgotten heroines, who often served alongside the boys at the center of Henty’s story. A focus of the article is race and gender: the girls of Henty’s story often go undercover as native boys, but rarely British. At the same time, the reverse is never true. McMahon shows how Henty was very attuned to the fact girls were fans of his work, offering a new and valuable additional perspective. Additionally, this is one of the few published scholarly sources I have found dwelling on the connection between Henty and homeschooling. 
    • I read this article as I research the life of G. A. Henty and his connections to modern evangelical homeschooling.
  • “‘The Great Weight of Responsibility’: The Struggle over History and Memory in Confederate Veteran Magazine” by Steven E. Sodergren (Southern Cultures, Vol. 19, No. 3)
    • Confederate Veteran Magazine was published from 1893 until 1932, and was billed as the “official magazine” of all Confederate veterans. Sodergren uses its pages to highlight the ex-Confederate conception of history that led to the emergence of the Lost Cause. Former Confederates believed in a single objective truth of history, a truth that was always on their side. There was also a latent anti-intellectualism exhibited in the magazine, with historians of the war and faulty memories often given equal credence. Research like this article is crucial to understanding the origins of the Lost Cause, and the South’s conception of its past during the New South era. 
  • “Citizen Genêt and Political Struggle in the Early American Republic” by Marco Sioli (Revue française d’études américaines, No. 64)
    • Arriving in America at the start of the French Revolution, Citizen Genêt attempted to foment popular support against the English and Spanish and drive the Spanish out of Florida. His popularity among Americans, especially in the frontier, cannot be denied, but in Washington’s administration he was viewed with hostility. While America had directly inspired the French Revolution, Genêt shows how France tried to return the favor, and the outrage it caused. 
    • Genêt is also covered in “Dreams of Glory, Schemes of Empire: The Plan to Liberate Spanish Florida” by Michael Morris (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 87, No. 1)
  • “Soldier Newspapers of the Civil War” by Earle Lutz (Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vo. 46, No. 4)
    •  During the Civil War, soldiers in the field published their own newspapers to record the events going on around them. These wartime editors worked with limited materials and presses, making their newspapers sporadic. This article is a brief overview of the history of these soldier newspapers, and a review of where they could be found at the time the article was published in the 1950s. As one of the first published sources about these newspapers, the article feels a bit bare-bones, and I would imagine that more work has since been done to investigate their history. Nevertheless, it is a nice overview of an overlooked topic. 
  • “The Woodrow Wilsons in Gainesville, Georgia” by Eugene Alvarez (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 54, No. 4)
    • Though they never lived in Gainesville, Woodrow Wilson and his first wife had connections to the city. In fact, two of their three daughters were born at a relative’s home there. In essence, this article is a very short review of the lives of Woodrow Wilson, his first wife, and his two oldest daughters, filtered through the lens of Gainesville. It is a bit sparse on Georgia history outside of momentary connections. 
  • “Theodore Roosevelt’s Social Darwinism and Views on Imperialism” (Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 26, No. 1) and “Theodore Roosevelt: Confident Imperialist” (The Review of Politics, Vol. 23, No. 3) by David H. Burton
    • I decided to group these two articles together due to the similarities in theme and shared author. In the former article, Burton examines Roosevelt and social darwinism, showing that he was not quite as extreme in his views as other Progressive reformers. Roosevelt seems like an exemplar of the “survival of the fittest” mindset, but in reality he struggled to reconcile these feelings with his deep belief in the power of the individual. The former article, which is also the subject of a book by Burton, looks at Roosevelt and empire. He was an unashamed believer in the power of empire, and he believed its end goal was to create stable colonies that could become self-sufficient. This article has excellent analysis of Roosevelt’s opinions on race and nationalism abroad. 
  • “A Question of Progress and Welfare: The Jitney Bus Phenomenon in Atlanta, 1915-1925” by Julian C. Chambliss (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 92, No. 4)
    • By 1915, the Georgia Railroad and Power Company’s streetcars held a virtual monopoly on mass transit in Atlanta. Closely connected to the city government, it sought to keep that monopoly intact. In 1915, a new threat emerged: the Jitney bus. These privately operated buses appealed to working class Atlanta, were more mobile, and sought to hurt the business of the streetcars. For the next ten years, a small war would be waged between the two transportation methods. These battles are the focus of this article. 
  • “Decision for Federal Control: Wilson, McAdoo, and the Railroads, 1917” by K. Austin Kerr (The Journal of American History, Vol. 54, No. 3)
    • In 1917, as the US was preparing to send troops overseas to fight in World War I, the railroads proved a stumbling block to mobilization. Instead of relying on railroad companies, a new United States Railroad Administration was formed to federalize the nation’s railroads. This article tracks the months of decisions that led to the creation of the United States Railroad Administration, highlighting the political efforts utilized by Woodrow Wilson and his son-in-law, William Gibbs McAdoo, to secure its creation. 
  • “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too in the Old Dominion: Virginia and the Election of 1840” by Lauren MacIvor Thompson
    • The election of 1840 pitted William Henry Harrison against incumbent Martin Van Buren. During the course of the campaign in Virginia, both candidates relied on logic that seems odd in hindsight. Whigs were willing to rally behind popular military hero William Henry Harrison, while criticizing Andrew Jackson president for the same reasons.  Virignians branded Harrison, a native of their state, as an abolitionist, while future abolitionist Van Buren was welcomed. Ultimately, as Thompson shows, what mattered was not sectional matters but national unity. Virginia’s Democrats rallied behind Van Buren, giving him a victory in the state. 
  • “Dismantling the Party System: Party Fluidity and the Mechanisms of Nineteenth-Century U.S. Politics” by Rachel A. Shelden and Erik B. Alexander (Journal of American History, Volume 110, No. 3)
    • This article examines how nineteenth century politics have been presented since the 1960s, and seeks to rewrite the assumptions that have guided scholars of this era. Since the 1960s, work on the nineteenth century has focused on the dominance of two parties, with third parties treated as odd aberrations. However, as Shelden and Alexander show, during this era third parties were a very normal part of the election cycle. With this in mind, the rise of the Populists, Bull Mooses, various parties after the Whigs dissolution, and the fractured Democrats of 1860 begin to make much more sense. This is a fascinating, well researched article with valuable insight into its subject. 
  • “The Ideal of Objectivity and the Public Role of the Historian: Some Lessons from the Historikerstreit and the History Wars” by Anton Froeyman (Rethinking History, Vol. 20, No. 2)
    • This article (read for a Historical Methods class at KSU) examines two of the largest historical conflicts of the last 50 years: the Historikerstreit, where German historians argued over the Holocaust, and the History Wars of Australia, which saw prominent historians argue about the meaning of the country’s settlement. At its core, Froeyman seeks to show why academics did not act in the mature ways one would expect. He reveals how differences in interpretation and question led to heated arguments, fights, and accusations. 
  • “Army Life at Camp Thomas, Georgia, During the Spanish-American War” by Gregory Dean Chapman (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 70, No. 4)
    •  In 1898, Camp Thomas was located on the site of the Battle of Chickamauga in North Georgia. As volunteer troops were moved south through Georgia to Florida and Cuba, Camp Thomas proved to be an important stop of the journey. Sadly, the camp became known as an unsafe breeding ground of disease, and played a role in debates about mismanagement of the war effort. This article does a good job examining what life was like in the camp, but does not dwell on how the Civil War and Spanish-American War intersect. 
  • “Lay My Burden of Southern History Down” by John Shelton Reed (Southern Cultures, Vol. 7, No. 4)
    • C. Vann Woodward’s famed The Burden of Southern History has a focus on the South and the legacy of the Civil War. In this article from the early 2000s, John Shelton Reed argues that the traditional Southern burden – the Civil War – has lost its relevance among the average individual. This is a short, but interesting article, with a still debatable thesis with broad-ranging implications. 
  • “The New Deal and the Modernization of the South” by Gavin Wright (Federal History, Issue 2)
    • In this article, Gavin Wright examines the role of the New Deal in the modernization of the South. The theme and thesis are very similar to Roger Biles’ The South and the New Deal: The New Deal played an often unrecognized role in the development of the South, predating similar initiatives during World War II. 
  • “Ellen Dortch and the Farmers’ Alliance” by William F. Holmes (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 2)
    • Ellen Dortch was deeply opposed to the Farmers’ Alliance and Populist Party. A newspaper editor in rural Georgia, she fought against the Alliance for several years, risking her standing in the community in the process. Her devotion to the Democratic Party and the Solid South would define her politics for the next twenty years, ultimately unraveling on the eve of World War I. 
    • For information on Dortch and her future husband, James Longstreet, see Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South by Elizabeth R. Varon.
  • “Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar: Gentleman Slave Trader” by Tom Henderson Wells (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 47, No. 2)
    • A scion of one of Georgia’s most important families, Charles A. L. Lamar was wild, uncontrollable, and proudly southern. Living in an era when transatlantic slavery was outlawed, Lamar managed to fund the penultimate slave voyage in United States history. Using his family’s connections, he got away scot free. During the Civil War, he quickly joined the Confederate army, dying in the final battle of the Civil War. No more poetic ending can be imagined. 
  • “‘All a Chimera’ or ‘Not an Empty Chimera’?: The Wine Industry in Early Georgia” by Julie Anne Sweet (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVIII, No. 4)
    • Existing literature on the early growth of Georgia has focused on the role of silk. In this article, Sweet turns attention to the Trustee’s other major early venture, wine. Throughout the first ten years of the colony’s existence, several half-hearted attempts were made to create vineyards along the coast. Due to climate misunderstandings, and a lack of enthusiasm from settlers, the idea fizzled out, only to be revived decades later in North Georgia. 
  • “Catch & Release: How Georgia’s White-Tailed Deer Came Back from the Dead” by Drew Swanson (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CVIII, No. 4)
    • I was, quite simply, stunned to find out that deer almost entirely disappeared in Georgia from the 1920s until the 1970s. This article looks at how they were slowly reintroduced to the state, in a remarkably successful program. Once confined to the islands of the coast, White-Tailed Deer can now be found throughout almost the whole state. It is a truly remarkable success story that remains unknown to many. 
  • “Conservatism: A State of the Field” by Kim Phillips-Fein (Journal of American History 98, no. 3)
    • If one work stands at the heart of Phillips-Fein’s article, it is a 1994 essay by Alan Brinkley criticizing the lack of scholarship on conservatism. Before this point, it was largely seen as a fragmentary movement that effectively ended with Barry Goldwater. Brinkley argued that conservatism should be examined in a new light because of the Reagan Revolution of the 1980s. Since then, the way historians have talked about conservative history has evolved and changed to become much more all-encompassing. The movement was originally described as a reactionary social-political movement that emerged in the 1960s and grew from the fringes of society to become mainstream. Now, it is instead presented as an ideology with origins before World War II (or even World War I), gained strength in the Cold War, and began to dominate American politics in the wake of Ronald Reagan. Its origins have also been debated: did conservatism gain its major foothold with White Flight in the Deep South or with the decline of industry in the Midwest and Sunbelt? Because it can be seen as both a social and political movement, it is a complex topic that can be seen through multiple lenses, whether it be race, culture and counterculture, sexuality, religion, or partisan politics.
  • “A Portrait of Southern Sharecropping: The 1911-1912 Georgia Plantation Survey of Robert Preston Brooks” by W. Fitzhugh Brundage (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 77, No. 2)
    • In 1911 and 1912, UGA historian Robert Preston Brooks interviewed sharecroppers and plantation owners across Georgia to understand the state’s agriculture. Brooks’ survey is one of the only studies of its kind during this period of Southern history, offering valuable insight into the development of sharecropping. Though Brooks filtered the results through his own prejudices, Brundage is able to reevaluate the information gathered to create a more up-to-date look at sharecropping in Georgia.  
  • “Tallulah Falls, Georgia’s Natural Wonder from Creation to Destruction” by E. Merton Coulter (Part 1: Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 47. No. 2; Part 2: Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 47. No. 3)
    • Tallulah Falls was once one of Georgia’s most scenic and beautiful natural wonders, attracting travelers from across the country. Part 1 of this article traces its early history and descriptions, with a focus on identifying its name origin, first visitors, and names of its natural features. Part 2 focuses more on the human side. The early hotels, railroads, and tourist stunts are all addressed. This second half also shares how Tallulah Falls was eventually dammed, wiping a natural wonder off the face of the earth. Tallulah Falls was not merely abandoned; instead a concerted and unsuccessful effort was made to try to save this scenic site. Since this article was published, part of Tallulah Falls has become a state park. However, a good part of the site remains underwater to this day. 
    • Coulter is the subject of “E. Merton Coulter, the Georgia Historical Quarterly, and the Struggle over Southern History” by Fred Arthur Bailey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 101, No. 3).
  • “The Attempted Assassination of Theodore Roosevelt” by Stan Gores (Wisconsin Magazine of History, Vol. 53, No. 4)
    • Theodore Roosevelt’s assassination attempt is perhaps the ultimate piece of Roosevelt lore, but shockingly had little impact on his life. This article covers the details of the event, but also tells the story of his assassin, John Schrank. Many other accounts tell what led Schrank to attempt to kill Roosevelt, but few share his life afterwards. The final few pages of this article are dedicated to his time in a mental institution, where he seems to have mellowed except for when Franklin Roosevelt announced his run for a third term. 
  • “‘This Work Is God’s Cause’: Religion in the Southern Woman Suffrage Movement, 1880-1920” by Evelyn A. Kirkley (Church History, Vol. 59, No. 4)
    • In her introduction to this article, Evelyn A. Kirkley notes that religion has been thought to play a very small role in women’s suffrage campaigns in the South. This is unusual, given how important Christianity was in other parts of Southern political life. Kirkley reveals how religion inspired both suffragists and anti-suffragists, who both treated their cause like a great religious crusade. Though they did not use religious arguments as often as one would expect, they still very obviously tried to present themselves as being on God’s side. 
  • “The Democratic Pre-Convention Campaign of 1912 in Georgia” by Arthur S. Link (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 29, No. 3)
    • While the Republican split in 1912 has overshadowed the Democratic campaign, the presidential nomination was hotly contested. In Georgia, most politicians fell into one of two camps: some supported the conservative Oscar Underwood of Alabama, while others supported the progressive Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey. Other prominent national candidates, like William Jennings Bryan and Champ Clark, played a much smaller role in Georgia. This article highlights the campaigns of Underwood and Wilson in Atlanta, the motivations of their followers, and the sometimes odd reasoning used to justify support for one over the other. 
  • “The Gamble for Power: Theodore Roosevelt’s Decision to Run for the Presidency in 1912” by Andrew C. Pavord (Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 3)
    • Why did Theodore Roosevelt decide to run again in 1912? This article traces Roosevelt during the four years from when he left office to when he announced his intention to run for the presidency, focusing on his split with William Howard Taft. The conclusions are not novel, but Pavord offers interesting detail about who encouraged Roosevelt to run and when. 
  • “Caretakers of Southern Civilization: Georgia Women and the Anti-Suffrage Campaign, 1914-1920” by Elizabeth Gillespie McRae (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 82, No. 4)
    • The suffrage movement was very active in Georgia, but also faced very organized opposition. The two sides would clash concurrent with World War I and the national push for what became the Nineteenth Amendment. The battle culminated when Georgia became the first state to reject the amendment. While ratification months later meant women still could vote in Georgia, the rejection was still a blow. This article looks at the anti-suffrage campaigners, and why they were so  vehement in their condemnation of women in politics. 
  • “White Coats, White Hoods: The Medical Politics of the Ku Klux Klan in 1920s America” by Jacqueline Antonovich (Bulletin of the History of Medicine, Vol. 95, No. 4)
    • Here, Jacqueline Antonovich  examines the relationship between the second KKK and the medical field. Many of the Klan’s leaders were physicians, and they used the organization to promote Eugenics and a racialized view of medicine. This article uses Colorado as a case study, where the leaders of the men’s and women’s Klan were both doctors and used their positions to promote their own theories of medicine. 
  • “The Making of a Black Political Boss: Henry A. Rucker, 1897-1904” by Gregory Mixon (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 89, No. 4)
    • Henry A. Rucker led the Georgia GOP at the turn of the century, placing in a powerful position to distribute patronage while largely isolated from Democratic statewide politics. Rucker wielded more political influence than any other African American in Georgia while serving in this role. In this article, Mixon examines how Rucker was able to rise to leader of the statewide party, the different factions vying for control, and how he was ultimately supplanted as head of the Georgia GOP.
  • “The Great Georgia Railway Disaster Hoax on the London Times” by E. Merton Coulter (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 56, No. 1)
    • In 1856, readers of the London Times were shocked to read of several brutal duels and murder aboard a train in Georgia. Shockingly, the author of the news item (Mr. Arrowsmith) said such brutality was common on the Southern railroads. It sparked outrage, with Americans defending their reputation, newspapers condemning the Times reporting, and the Times seeking to maintain its credibility. It was ultimately determined to be a hoax, or maybe hallucination, but questions still remain about why it was published and who first created the story. 
    • Coulter is the subject of “E. Merton Coulter, the Georgia Historical Quarterly, and the Struggle over Southern History” by Fred Arthur Bailey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 101, No. 3).
    • During the COVID-19 pandemic, I created a video about this hoax.
  • “The Great Georgia Railway Disaster Hoax Revisited” by Martin Crawford (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 58, No. 3)
    • This article follows up on E. Merton Coulter’s article on the Arrowsmith Hoax, adding new details about the Times. Crucially, Crawford adds that the newspaper’s editor was visiting the United States at the time the article was published. This could increase the likelihood the article was intended as a hoax, perpetrated against the editor. 
    • During the COVID-19 pandemic, I created a video about this hoax.
  • “President Roosevelt Visits Georgia House: A Replica of Bulloch Hall” by Clarece Martin (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. 21, No. 1)
    • At the 1907 Jamestown Exhibition, Georgia’s exhibits were inside a replica of Roswell’s Bulloch Hall, the childhood home of Theodore Roosevelt’s mother. Roosevelt was on hand to dedicate the house, designed by P. Thornton Mayre of Atlanta. Once the exhibition closed, the house was repurposed by the Hampton Roads Naval Base. Incredibly, the Georgia House still stands, and looks much the same on the outside as it did in 1907. 
    • Roosevelt’s Southern ancestry is explored in a chapter of Theodore Roosevelt: Many-Sided American edited by Natalie A. Naylor, Douglas Brinkley, and John Allen Gable. 
  • “Votes for Women: Race, Gender, and W. E. B. Du Bois’s Advocacy of Woman Suffrage” by Valethia Watkins, Ph.D., J.D. (Phylon, Vol. 53, No. 2)
    • W. E. B. Du Bois emerged at the turn of the century as one of the leading African American scholars, and used the magazine of the NAACP, The Crisis, to promote his vision for America. Standard histories of the women’s suffrage movement marginalize the role of African Americans, but Du Bois shows that many notable Black voices promoted women’s right to vote. In The Crisis, Du Bois promoted many women’s stories, and was  a vocal advocate of suffrage. This article examines his advocacy, and shows how he was more the rule than the exception among leading contemporary African Americans. 
  • “A Progressive Wind from the South, 1906-1913” by Anne Firor Scott (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 29, No. 1)
    • In this article, Anne Firor Scott examines the actions of Southern senators and congressmen. Long seen as a conservative bastion, Scott shows how these senators in many cases voted progressive while calling themselves conservative. For instance, South Carolina’s Benjamin Tillman is an archetype of the conservative Southern politician of his era, yet he also promoted and supported several important Progressive initiatives that benefited farmers. The article is relatively short, but offers good insight into Southerners in the legislative branch during this era. 
    • This can be compared to Liberalism in the New South: Southern Social Reformers and the Progressive Movement by Hugh C. Bailey. 
  • “The County Unit System of Georgia: Facts and Prospects” by William G. Cornelius (The Western Political Quarterly, Vol. 14, No. 4)
    • From 1917 to 1962, Georgia’s primary elections were held via the County Unit System, which resembled the Electoral College and heavily favored rural voters. This article reviews the system’s history and biases, while also posing ways it could be ended. As Cornelius notes, many of the methods proposed were impractical, though the legal route he suggested would ultimately come to pass just one year later.  
    • I examined the effects of the county unit system in a research poster for Kennesaw State University. 
  • “Georgia’s County Unit System of Election” by Albert B. Saye (The Journal of Politics, Vol. 12, No. 1) and “The County Unit Vote in Maryland, Mississippi, and Georgia Elections” by Virginia Wood Hughes (The Georgia Review, Vol. 5, No. 4)
    • Both of these articles address the County Unit System of Georgia, and both were published in the early 1950s. Both Hughes and Saye are critical of the way the system favored rural counties over urban areas. Additionally, both were written in the wake of the 1946 gubernatorial primary, the only primary in the state’s history where the candidate who won the popular vote lost to the candidate who won the county unit vote. 
    • More information on the 1946 election can be found in The Three Governors Controversy: Skullduggery, Machinations, and the Decline of Georgia’s Progressive Politics by Charles S. Bullock III, Scott E. Buchanan, and Ronald Keith Gaddie.
    • I examined the effects of the county unit system in a research poster for Kennesaw State University. 
  • “Georgia’s County Unit System, Fountainhead of Democratic Government” by Herman E. Talmadge (The Georgia Review, Vol. 5, No. 4)
    • The Talmadges (Eugene and Herman) were some of the staunchest defenders of the County Unit System, especially after Eugene’s 1946 victory. This article by Herman Talmadge is written as a rebuttal to the articles of Hughes and Saye above, and offers valuable insight into the system’s proponents. Talmadge roots his defense in the system’s historical basis and as a tool of Jim Crow, yet the more practical points made by Saye and Hughes are largely left untouched. 
    • I examined the effects of the county unit system in a research poster for Kennesaw State University. 
  • “Georgia County Unit Vote” (Columbia Law Review, Vol. 47, No. 2)
    • This short article from the Columbia Law Review is unsigned, and examines the County Unit System from a very straightforward standpoint. Additionally, its emphasis on legal and constitutional precedent is one of this article’s strong suits, as the exact court cases involved are left out of some of the articles above on the same topic. 
    • I examined the effects of the county unit system in a research poster for Kennesaw State University. 
  • “E. Merton Coulter, the Georgia Historical Quarterly, and the Struggle over Southern History” by Fred Arthur Bailey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 101, No. 3)
    • E. Merton Coulter edited the Georgia Historical Quarterly for decades. A product of his times, Coulter was one of the firmest academic defenders of the Lost Cause. This article reviews how Coulter used GHQ as a platform for his Lost Cause views, even long after mainstream historians began to move away from that narrative. 
    • Earlier history of GHQ is addressed in “‘History in the Making’: The Early Years of the Georgia Historical Quarterly” by Sarah E. Gardner (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 101, No. 2). 
    • For books and articles by E. Merton Coulter that I have read are: Georgia’s Disputed Ruins, “A Name for the American War of 1861-1865” (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 2), “Tallulah Falls, Georgia’s Natural Wonder from Creation to Destruction” (Part 1: Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 47. No. 2; Part 2: Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 47. No. 3), “The Great Georgia Railway Disaster Hoax on the London Times” by (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 56, No. 1), and “The Attempt of William Howard Taft to Break the Solid South” (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 2). 
  • “The Origin of the Woman Suffrage Movement in Georgia” by A. Elizabeth Taylor (Georgia Historical Quarterly,  Vol. 28, No. 2)
    • This is the first in a series of three articles by Taylor on the suffrage movement in Georgia. This first article starts in the 1890s, with the earliest organized push for suffrage in Georgia. Taylor shows how Georgia was early among the southern states in creating pro-suffrage oppositions, but also faced very opposition from well-established politicians and newspapers. During the late 1890s suffrage was still a relatively small movement, but that would begin to change after the turn of the century. 
  • “Revival and Development of the Woman Suffrage Movement in Georgia” by A. Elizabeth Taylor (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 42, No. 4)
    • This second article by Taylor covers the turn of the century up until around World War I, with a little bit of information leading up to the Nineteenth Amendment. Taylor shows how, after a period of dormancy, the women’s suffrage movement had a major revival at the dawn of the Progressive Era. In the South, like the rest of the nation, reformers worked to attach women’s cause to that of other progressive crusades. However, the movement also faced opposition, which became a greater focus in Taylor’s next article. 
  • “The Last Phase of the Woman Suffrage Movement in Georgia” by A. Elizabeth Taylor (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 43, No. 1)
    • As the suffrage movement gained influence in Georgia, it also began to face organized opposition. This article focuses on the final few years before the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, and the opposition campaigners faced. In 1920, Georgia became the first state to reject the Nineteenth Amendment, and this article shows why Georgia’s politicians were not just ambivalent, but hostile to the cause of the state’s women. 
    • The anti-suffrage movement during this same period is the focus of “Caretakers of Southern Civilization: Georgia Women and the Anti-Suffrage Campaign, 1914-1920” by Elizabeth Gillespie McRae (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 82, No. 4). 
  • “The Progressive Movement in the South, 1870-1914” by Arthur S. Link (North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 23, No. 2)
    • Contrary to his era’s prevailing narrative (the “Problem South”), Arthur S. Link seeks to show that Progressivism could, in fact, be found in the South. Link takes a very broad look at the movement, starting with the Populists and William Jennings Bryan and focusing on the transition from the Populists into Progressives allied with Woodrow Wilson. To make his argument, Link focuses on a few progressive measures that originated in the South, but are not always credited that way, including state railroad commissions and election primaries. Later, this thesis would be fleshed out more by Hugh C. Bailey in his book Liberalism in the New South: Southern Social Reformers and the Progressive Movement. 
    • Part of the goal of this article is to counter the narratives described in The Problem South: Region, Empire, and the New Liberal State, 1880-1930 by Natalie J. King. 
    • This topic is also explored in Southern Progressivism: The Reconciliation of Progress and Tradition by Dewey W. Grantham Jr.
  • “The Library of James Edward Oglethorpe” by Thomas D. Wilson (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 99, No. 4)
    • When Georgia’s founder, James Oglethorpe, died in the 1780s, his library was sold at auction. In this fascinating article, Thomas D. Wilson review’s the catalogue’s contents, showing the wide range of Oglethorpe’s interests and activities. A reader of everything from ancient treatises to modern works, at the time of his death Oglethorpe was a member of London’s intellectual elite. Crucially, the review of his library’s contents shows where some of his visionary ideas for Georgia and his ideals may have originated. 
  • “‘History in the Making’: The Early Years of the Georgia Historical Quarterly” by Sarah E. Gardner (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 101, No. 2)
    • Now one of the state’s most respected scholarly publications, the Georgia Historical Quarterly has a less academic start. Sarah E. Gardner compares its early editions to scrapbooking, as it was essentially small events or remembrances preserved for posterity. At the same time, it was created at a time when a rival to the Georgia Historical Society existed, meaning it was meant to appeal much more strongly to amateur readers while, counterintuitively, serving an antiquarian interest. Garnder shows how the GHQ as a community endeavor largely ended in 1921, leading to greater professionalization and the development of the modern journal. 
    • Some of GHQ’s later history is covered in “E. Merton Coulter, the Georgia Historical Quarterly, and the Struggle over Southern History” by Fred Arthur Bailey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 101, No. 3).
  • “Republican Primaries in Georgia” by Lynwood M. Holland (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 30, No. 3)
    • This very short article reviews primary elections in the Republican Party up until 1946. When this article was published, the Republicans had not yet become dominant in the South, and few published sources were available about the party in Georgia. As a mark of how little there was to say, it is only 6 pages, but nevertheless it contains some interesting information about an underexplored topic. 
  • “Rebecca Latimer Felton, Political Independent” by Josephine Bone Floyd (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 30, No. 1)
    • This article about Rebecca Latimer Felton focuses on the years her husband, William Harrell Felton, was leader of the Independent Democrat movement in Georgia. Floyd shares how Felton was never strongly aligned with the Democratic Party, almost finding herself as a Republican in an era that was unacceptable. Despite this, she was still enough of a force in state politics to be nominated for the US Senate in 1922, showing how her advocacy was enough to gain prominent Democratic allies. 
    • For more information on Felton, see “Rebecca Latimer Felton” by Joan Conerly Hunter (Master’s thesis, University of Georgia, 1944) and Rebecca Latimer Felton: Nine Stormy Decades by John E. Talmadge. 
  • “Henry W. Grady, Master of the Atlanta Ring – 1880-1886” by Harold E. Davis (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 1)
    • Until this article was published, Henry W. Grady’s role in Georgia politics was somewhat obscured by hagiography. Davis helped to reveal Grady as the leader of the Atlanta Ring (or Bourbon Triumvirate), a group of three former Confederate leaders who controlled statewide politics in the 1880s. Davis shows how Grady was able to orchestrate their elections and shield them from major press criticism in Atlanta. Davis also explores the early years of Grady’s New South boosterism, showing how he was often promoting a New Atlanta opposed to an improved region as a whole. 
    • For Davis’ biography of Grady, see Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, a Brave and Beautiful City. 
  • “The Attempt of William Howard Taft to Break the Solid South” by E. Merton Coulter (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 2)
    • During his one term in office, William Howard Taft (like many Republican contemporaries) sought to end the Democratic Solid South. However, Taft ran into the same difficulty as McKinley, Roosevelt, and Harding: he could support Black Republicans, or shun them and curry white favor. Coulter shows how Taft attempted to take something of a middle ground, by attempting to show white southerners he was a friend without abandoning his party’s longtime supporters. Ultimately, due to the national fissures that led to the divisive 1912 election, Taft was forced to abandon his efforts early during his term. 
    • Roosevelt’s similar attempts are the focus of “Courting White Southerners: Theodore Roosevelt’s Quest for the Heart of the South” by Adam Burns (American Nineteenth Century History, Vol. 20, No, 1) and “Theodore Roosevelt and the South in 1912” by Arthur S. Link (The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 23, No, 3).
    • Warren G. Harding’s attempts at ending the Solid South are covered in “‘The Georgia Experiment’: President Warren G. Harding’s Attempts to Reorganize the Republican Party in Georgia” by Robert E. Hauser (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 62, No. 4). 
  • “The Innocent Friendship of Theodore Roosevelt and Edith Wharton” by Louis B. Livingston (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XLV, No. 4)
    • Theodore Roosevelt fascinated Edith Wharton, enough so she may have based a character in her novels on his larger-than-life personality. The two were close friends, who bonded over a shared background and love of literature. Livingston focuses on how the two represent opposite sides of the same reformist coin. Both saw that change was necessary in the United States, and Roosevelt decided to enter politics and reform it himself, while Wharton chose to spend her life as an expat in France. Because of their shared belief in the same Progressive Era ideals, they are fascinating to compare. 
  • “Theodore Roosevelt’s Lifelong Interest in Children’s Literature” by Mark I. West (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XLV, No. 4)
    • As Mark I. West notes, children’s literature was once seen in a more high-brow light than today. West argues that Roosevelt was a part of the reason why, as he was very vocal about what he and his children enjoyed reading and supported several noted children’s authors while in the White House. This article highlights Roosevelt’s vast, wide-ranging intellect, and the unique ways he used the Bully Pulpit to spread what he saw as good taste. 
    • One of the children’s authors Roosevelt most admired was Joel Chandler Harris. More information can be found in Joel Chandler Harris, Folklorist by Stella Brewer Brookes, “Joel Chandler Harris, The Yeoman Tradition, and the New South Movement” by Wayne Mixon (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 61, No. 4), and “The Textbooks of the ‘Lost Cause’: Censorship and the Creation of Southern State Histories” by Fred Arthur Bailey (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 75, No. 3).
  • “Interpreting the Past: B. C. Yates and Kenesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park” by Mary Ella Engel (Atlanta History, Vol. XLV, No. 1)
    • Bowling Cox Yates was the superintendent of Kennesaw Mountain during much of its early history, and played an important role in documenting the site’s Civil War history. Through his interviews of local residents, he was able to thoroughly document the experiences of those who witnessed the battle. Yates’ work has proven invaluable to historians, though he was not always seen in a positive light. This article focuses on the pioneering aspects of Yates’ work, and how it was influenced by contemporary historiographical thinking. 
    • The history of interpretation at Kennesaw Mountain is also covered in “Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, African Americans in the Atlanta Campaign, and the Lost Cause” by Angela D. Tooley (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. XCVI, No. 3).
    • For information about the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, I recommend Kennesaw Mountain: Sherman, Johnston, and the Atlanta Campaign by Earl J. Hess.
    • One of my presentations, Kennesaw Mountain: Beyond the War, focuses on the park’s story. More info can be found here: https://ajbramlett.com/presentations-and-series/ 
  • “Whose Bones are Those?: The Casimir Pulaski Burial Controversy” by James S. Pula (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 100, No. 1)
    • Casimir Pulaski died in the Battle of Savannah in 1779. In the 1840s, his remains were exhumed and reinterred in the heart of Savannah, underneath a very prominent monument dedicated to the Polish hero. However, lingering questions remain about whether these remains actually belong to Pulaski. James S. Pula is firmly of the opinion they do not, and that his real bones have rested at sea since his death. Pula explores how Pulaski was buried at sea, why there was lingering doubt about this burial, and how and why the remains in the Pulaski Monument came to be identified as Pulaski. It is a fascinating look at how an overzealous impulse to memorialize can lead to very odd sagas. 
  • “Distribution of the Presidential Vote of 1912” by Edgar Eugene Robinson (American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 20, No. 1)
    • Unlike many other articles on this page, this article is not historical in nature, but instead comes from the realm of political science. Published just after the 1912 election, it focuses on the complex and unique voting patterns caused by the Republican split that year. Crucially, Robinson looks at whether or not Theodore Roosevelt attracted new voters, or instead split his own party’s vote in two and attracted no Democrats. Robinson concludes that the election reveals a rise in Independents, and an increasing Progressivism in the Midwest.  
    • For histories of the 1912 election and the Progressive Party, I recommend Four Hats in the Ring: The 1912 Election and the Birth of Modern American Politics by Lewis L. Gould and Theodore Roosevelt, the Progressive Party, and the Transformation of American Democracy by Sidney M. Milkis. 
  • “Rival Reconstructions: The Century Magazine Debate between George Washington Cable and Henry W. Grady” by David Moltke-Hansen (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 104, No. 4)
    • This relatively short article looks at the war of words between Cable and Grady, two very different Southern contemporaries. Grady believed in the New South, rising from the ashes of the Civil War to become industrialized, but with the same social order as in the antebellum era. Cable, on the other hand, believed the fabric of the South had to change completely, and believed the subjugation of African Americans should be condemned instead of promoted. While Cable would lose the battle in the short term, many of his beliefs about the South would be vindicated eight decades later during the Civil Rights era. 
  • “The South in the World since 1865: A Review Essay” by Tore C. Olsson (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. LXXXVII, No. 1)
    • This historiographical essay focuses on books about the South’s place in the broader world, whether it be diplomatic history, corporate studies, its influence on Civil Rights struggles, and more. Olsson notes that previous work in this area focused on the South’s important global role before the Civil War and declining influence afterward, which Olsson seeks to rebut. This is a wide-ranging, broad look at several transformative moments in Southern history and their global impact, and vice versa.  
    • For an article focusing on pre-1865, see “The South and the World” by Peter Kolchin (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 75, No. 3). 
  • “The Irony of Southern History” by C. Vann Woodward (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 19, No. 1)
    • This “canonical” essay by C. Vann Woodward began as a paper presented at the Southern Historical Association in 1952. Woodward focuses on the self-righteous American aspects of American thought, and traces this to the United States lack of a major wartime defeat. In this essay, Woodward posits that this is what makes the South unique: it has suffered defeat, and has less hubris because of it. Parallels are drawn between the Antebellum South and the Cold War, and it is fascinating to examine this piece in light of the Korean and Vietnam wars. 
  • “Urban Growth on the Periphery of the Antebellum Cotton Belt: Atlanta, 1847–1860” by David F. Weiman (Journal of Economic History, Vol. 48, No. 2)
    • For decades, Atlanta was considered an anomaly in the South because raw cotton was never central to its economy. However, the city could not have developed into a southern metropolis without agrarian roots. Weiman focuses on the early years of Atlanta’s growth, highlighting how it was an important cotton market in the 1850s. However, as new railroad routes opened, cotton began to be shipped directly to other major cities. By this point, Weiman argues, Atlanta was largely self-sufficient, and began to grow without agricultural connections like contemporary southern cities. It is a fascinating way of understanding the unique origins of Atlanta, and why it has always been a southern anomaly. 
  • “William Walker and the Steamship Corporation in Nicaragua” by William Oscar Scroggs (American Historical Review, Vol. 10, No. 4)
    • In the 1850s, William Walker attempted to take over Nicaragua as part of that era’s Filibuster expeditions. This article, published around fifty years after the fact, examines the role of American steamship corporations in aiding and hindering Walker’s efforts. Walker found himself in the middle of conflict between steamship owner factions, but it ultimately proved to be a small diversion from his larger fight in Central America. 
    • More about the Filibusters can be found in Manifest Destiny’s Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America by Robert E. May. 
    • This article connects well to several chapters of The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T. J. Stiles. 
  • “A Gray-Eyed Man: Character, Appearance, and Filibustering” by Amy S. Greenberg (Journal of the Early Republic, Vol. 20, No. 4)
    • William Walker inspired countless men in America to fight in Central America, on an ultimately fatal, quixotic quest. Amy S. Greenberg looks in this article at the nineteenth century conception of character, and how the pursuit of character building meant recruits for Walker. At the same time, Greenberg uses Walker’s story as a way to analyze how antebellum Americans connected appearance with character, and how they tried to justify character when appearances did not meet expectations. 
    • For Greenberg’s history of the Mexican-American War, a prelude to Walker’s story, see A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico.
    • More about the Filibusters can be found in Manifest Destiny’s Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America by Robert E. May. 
  • “William Walker” by John M. Bass (The American Historical Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 3)
    • This look at William Walker was very timely when it was published in 1898. The image of an American traveling to Latin America to spread “civilization” must have been appealing to historians during the Spanish-American War. As such, this article is vaguely hagiographic, and I would argue connects Walker’s odd campaign with the Lost Cause ideology of the Confederacy. This article is not interesting due to its information, but for what it says about the depictions of Filibusters in the 1890s. 
    • More about the Filibusters can be found in Manifest Destiny’s Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America by Robert E. May. 
  • “Young American Males and Filibustering in the Age of Manifest Destiny: The United States Army as a Cultural Mirror” by Robert E. May (The Journal of American History, Vol. 78, No. 3)
    • Very similar to Amy Greenberg’s article above on William Walker, this piece examines why young men decided to Filibuster. May’s focus is on the US Army, and the men who left the army to seek glory in Latin America. May shows how, in an era of relative peace, the Filibusters were the best avenue for military success open to Americans. May focuses on how the men following Filibuster leaders may not have been in ideological agreement, but we’re all seeking fame, wealth, and glory. 
    • More about the Filibusters can be found in May’s book Manifest Destiny’s Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America. 
  • “The Domestic Consequences of American Imperialism: Filibustering and Howard Pyle’s Pirates” by Robert E. May (American Studies, Vol. 46, No. 2)
    • Noted illustrator Howard Pyle’s wife had a family connection to Filibustering in Nicaragua, and Robert May argues that these “American Pirates” helped to inform Pyle’s own work. May looks at this family connection, a Filibuster recruiter, and three of his recruits. These men came from the noted Du Pont family, and are used to show how Filibustering could impact many Americans, even if only a few thousand ever joined expeditions to Latin America. 
    • More about the Filibusters can be found in May’s book Manifest Destiny’s Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America.
  • “Review: William Walker and the History of Nicaragua in the Nineteenth Century” by Ralph Lee Woodward Jr. (Latin American Research Review, Vol. 15, No. 1)
    • This short piece is partly a review of then-new 1980s works on the Filibusters, along with a historiographic component. A focus of Woodward is the sources consulted by authors: American scholars of the Filibusters are more likely to use just English language sources, while Central American authors draw more heavily on Spanish language material. I am curious if this divide still exists forty years later, or if newer English language works have been writing pulling from more diverse places. 
    • More about the Filibusters can be found in Manifest Destiny’s Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America by Robert E. May. 
  • “The Invention of Latin America: A Transnational History of Anti-Imperialism, Democracy, and Race” by Michel Gobat (The American Historical Review, Vol. 118, No. 5)
    • This fascinating article looks at the influence of the Filibusters on Latin American identity. Specifically, Gobat argues that the Filibusters led to the creation of “Latin American” as a distinct identity, unifying disparate national identities. Gobat also examines how the label was exclusionary towards the Caribbean, instead focusing on Central and South America. It is a clear example of how the Filibusters remain a critical part of the region’s history, despite their relegation to being a footnote in American History. 
    • More about the Filibusters can be found in Manifest Destiny’s Underworld: Filibustering in Antebellum America by Robert E. May. 
  • “Peaceful Costa Rica, the First Battleground: The United States and the Costa Rican Revolution of 1948” by Kyle Longley (The Americas, Vol. 50, No. 2)
    • Costa Rica erupted into Civil War in 1948, in a rare moment in the country’s history. Longley examines how the US reacted to this pivotal moment in light of the Cold War and containment. While the US would later violently intervene in similar moments in Latin America, they practiced a much more moderate policy in Costa Rica, in part due to the country’s recognized stability. Longley shows how the Costa Rican Revolution helped to shape thinking about the United States relationship with its southern neighbors in the wake of World War II. 
    • More about the Costa Rican Civil War can be found in The Costa Rica Reader: History, Culture, Politics edited by Steven Palmer and Ivan Molina. 
  • “The Georgia ‘Race Strike’ of 1909” by John Michael Matthews (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 40, No. 4)
    • In 1909, white railroad workers on the Georgia Railroad went on strike, protesting the hiring of Black engineers. The strike was one of the largest against the railroads in Southern history, and revolved around issues of race, labor, and class. The strike, however, was largely ineffectual, though it did serve to perpetuate Jim Crow. 
    • This strike is also covered in Black Georgia in the Progressive Era, 1900-1920 by John Dittmer. 
  • “The South and the World” by Peter Kolchin (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 75, No. 3)
    • This review article explores works connecting the South with the broader world. Whether that be the Carribean, Europe, South America, Africa, or Asia, the focus is on books that place the South in a broader context rather than dealing with it in isolation. A bulk of this article focuses on the South before 1865. A similar article about works that focus after that period can be found in “The South in the World since 1865: A Review Essay” by Tore C. Olsson (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. LXXXVII, No. 1). 
  • “A Theory of the Grotesque in Southern Fiction” by Alan Spiegel (The Georgia Review, Vol. 26, No. 4)
    • At the heart of this article is what defines Southern Gothic, and sets it apart from contemporary literature. Spiegel’s answer lies with the “grotesque”: in true Southern fiction, there must be a character who is “physically or mentally deformed,” and, crucially, this character must be made sympathetic to the reader. Interestingly, Spiegel sees a clear split between Southern fiction and Gothic literature, though the two are often closely connected by readers. In Gothic literature, the stories take place in a largely fictionalized society, whereas Southern literature prides itself on the realism of its setting. 
  • “Forging the Moon” by Nick Wilding (Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 160, No. 1)
    • One of the most important finds for Galileo scholars was the discovery of a copy of the Sidereus Nuncius, printed in Venice in 1610, with Galielo’s original drawings of the moon. However, in 2012, Nick Wilding discovered it was a forgery. This article by Wilding examines how he came to that conclusion, how others were blind to what appeared obvious in hindsight, and how noted forger Marino Massimo De Caro was able to get away with it for so long. As disappointing as it may seem, some of De Caro’s fakes may still be out there in the world, undetected by scholars and researchers.
    • This was read as part of the advance reading for a Rare Book School class taught by Dr. Wilding on forgeries, fakes, and facsimiles. 
  • “‘Tribune of the Masses and a Champion of the People’: Eugene Talmadge and the Three-Dollar Tag” by Tammy Harden Galloway (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 79, No. 3)
    • During his campaign for governor, demagogue Gene Talmadge made a number of promises – one of the most popular being that he would decrease the cost of a license plate. Many Georgians during the Great Depression found the cost prohibitive, and in some places entire towns were sharing the cost of a single plate that was passed around. Talmadge, on entering office, began pushing for a $3 tag, which became a surprisingly controversial part of his first term. This anecdote – small at first glance – reveals a lot about Talmadge’s beliefs, goals, and methods. 
    • For a broader look at Talmadge’s beliefs, see “The Ideology of Eugene Talmadge” by Sarah McCulloh Lemmon (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 38, No. 3)
  • “Town Planning in Colonial Georgia” by John W. Reps (The Town Planning Review, Vol. 30, No. 4)
    • The origins of the plan for Savannah has been a hotly debated topic for decades. This article, from 1960, takes a different approach to looking at Savannah’s town planning. Reps compares the plans for the Margravate of Azilia and Savannah, and looks beyond Savannah’s colonial capital to Ebenezer, Darien, Frederica, and smaller towns. Reps shows how more than just Savannah was planned with a clear vision for the colony’s growth. 
  • “The Origin and Appreciation of Savannah, Georgia’s Historic City Squares” by Louis de Vorsey (Southeastern Geographer, Vol. 52, No. 1)
    • Louis de Vorsey connects Oglethorpe’s plan to Savannah to the Utopians, the intellectual followers of Sir Thomas More’s 1516 book Utopia. De Vorsey looks both at the origin of Savannah’s Oglethorpe Plan, but also how it has been admired and appreciated by visitors. He shows how the plan was not just brilliant and original, but also easily recognized as such by countless travelers. 
  • “Oglethorpe’s Sources for the Savannah Plan” by Turpin C. Bannister (Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 20, No. 2)
    • Turpin C. Bannister’s article on the Oglethorpe Plan examines many of the theories for the plan – from Rousseau’s relative Gabriel Bernard to early plans for London and military fortification designs. Bannister believed that the origins of Savannah lie with plans for military camps, which would emphasize Georgia as a defense against the Spanish rather than a idealist colony. The article illustrates how the debate about origins of Savannah’s plan can change the meaning and origins of Georgia itself. 
  • “Oglethorpe’s Plan of Savannah: Urban Design, Speculative Freemasonry, and Enlightenment Charity” by Mark Reinberger (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 81, No. 4)
    • Mark Reinberger connects the plan for Savannah to the beliefs of eighteenth century Masons. In particular, Reinberger sees the Oglethorpe Plan as a reflection of the Masonic plan for the universe. Unlike other theories about Savannah’s origins, this thesis adds a new religious/spiritual element to the idealism of Oglethorpe. 
  • “A New Theory on the Plan of Savannah” by Laura Palmer Bell (Georgia Historical Quarterly,Vol. 48, No. 2)
    • Laura P. Bell’s theory about Savannah’s origin connects to a book called Νavigantmm atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca: or A Complete Collection of Voyages and Travels by John Harris, an author who may have known Oglethorpe. The 1705 edition of this book features a plan for Peking – Beijing – which does not seem to be based on any real city plan in China. It does, however, resemble the plan for Savannah. The connection is tenuous, as the plans do not match exactly, but there is enough resemblance it is clear to see why Bell saw a relationship between these plans. 
  • “The Slave Works: Industrial Slavery at the Confederate Central Laboratory in Macon, Georgia” by Chad Morgan (Atlanta History, Vol. 48, No. 1)
    • Slavery in the South is often spoken of in agrarian terms, but this article reveals how, during the Civil War, enslaved laborers were put to use inside industrial settings. The Confederate Central Laboratory was one of the South’s largest armories, and requisitioned enslaved men from local masters to fuel the Confederate war effort. Morgan shows how this practice emerged early in the war, the challenges the factory faced, and how it shows industrial slavery – from a practical standpoint – was not impossible, even if it was immoral. 
  • “Interweaving Country and City in the Urban Design of Savannah, Georgia” by David Gobel (Global Environment, Vol. 9, No. 1)
    • In this article, David Gobel examines how Savannah was an attempt at making an urban agricultural center. He reveals how Oglethorpe planned for the city, the largest in Georgia for decades, to be more like a rural English village than a busy center of commerce. Key to this idea was the Savannah squares. However, despite the agricultural intentions, Savannah grew into a decent-sized urban area, while the squares helped to keep a semblance of nature in the city’s fabric. 
  • “Surrogation and the Politics of Remembering Slavery in Savannah, Georgia (USA)” by Derek H. Alderman (Journal of Historical Geography, Vol. 36, No. 1)
    • At the riverfront in Savannah is a marker honoring the enslaved men and women of the city’s past. Dedicated in 2002, the marker was very controversial when it was erected, especially because of the Maya Angelou quote chosen for its front. Alderman narrates the story of Abigail Jordan, the monument’s creator, and her efforts at commemorating slavery in a way unlike other monuments. At the same time, the statue’s story is used to show how the way slavery is honored can be deeply personal and reveal faultlines in many communities, white and Black. 
  • “Giuseppe Garibaldi and Interpretations of Italian Unification in Confederate Georgia, 1860-1865” by Thomas Aiello (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CIX, No. 1)
    • Giuseppe Garibaldi worked to unify Italy in the 1850s and ‘60s, becoming an international hero in the process. His message of freedom from oppression appealed to white Southern Confederates, who soon embraced him as a hero. Gradually, as it became clearer Garibaldi was opposed to slavery, southerners turned against him. This article looks at how this arc from hero to villain played out in Georgia. 
  • “Judaism in Eighteenth-Century Georgia” by David T. Morgan (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 58, No. 1)
    • Jewish immigrants arrived in Georgia very early on, in 1733. Their community stayed in Savannah briefly, but by the 1750s was largely gone from Georgia. Though the synagogue they founded, the Congregation Mickve Israel, is still active in the city, this article shows that in the eighteenth century there were actually a series of Jewish immigrants and emigrants to Georgia, meaning that continuity to the present day really only exists from the American Revolution onwards. 
  • “‘A Wonderful World?’: C&S’s Georgia Plan, Urban Renewal, and Historic Preservation in Savannah, Augusta, and Macon” by J. Mark Souther (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CIX, No. 1)
    • Mills B. Lane Jr. of Citizens & Southern Bank believed in the ideas of urban renewal and historic preservation, but felt it required private capital instead of public funding. Through his bank, he worked to sponsor clean-up efforts in run-down, largely African American neighborhoods in Georgia. This “Savannah Plan” as it came to be known saw some success, but its paternalistic attitude towards the people it tried to help and the gentrification it caused gave it a complicated, largely unexplored legacy. 
  • “Sergeant Johann Wilhelm Jasper” by George Fenwick Jones (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 65, No. 1)
    • Sgt. William Jasper, killed in the Battle of Savannah, is almost always described as an Irish soldier, and gained fame due to the writings of Parson Weems. George Fenwick Jones, in this article, argued that Jasper was actually German, but was a master of disguise and may have passed for American. The article is short but interesting, but the fact Jasper is still routinely described as an Irish soldier makes me wonder the veracity of Jones’ claims or, alternatively, why outdated ideas of Jasper’s heritage remain prevalent. 
  • “The Piedmont Chautauqua: Henry Grady’s Grandiose Scheme” by Benjamin W. Griffith (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 55, No. 2)
    • When Henry Grady was at the height of his influence in the 1880s, he began to promote a site in Lithia Springs as the next big hub for the Chautauqua lecture circuit. The grounds he constructed and promoted were described as being better than those at the original Chautauqua, and the speakers were some of the most noted men and women in the South. This article recounts well the initial success of the site, building up to a grand finish, but fails to tell what happened after 1888. It is interesting, but feels unfinished. 
  • “On Henry W. Grady: Some Marginal Notes” by Clarence E. Cason (The Sewanee Review, Vol. 39, No. 4)
    • This very short article recounts the life of Henry Grady. It is biographical, and shows the great respect he was given in the 1930s without saying much new about his life. It does, however, work as a good short overview of his major accomplishments, style, and views. 
  • “‘Lest We Forget’: The Confederate Monument and the Southern Townscape” by John J. Winberry (Southeastern Geographer, Vol. 23, No. 2)
    • The Confederate Monument is perhaps the most controversial point of Southern geography, and this short article looks at monuments in all their varieties. The focus is the typical courthouse monument, usually erected around the 1890s or 1900s, that honors Confederate soldiers and the cause they fought for. This article serves as a good introduction to how the Confederacy has been honored in these very tangible ways.
  • “Atlanta Between the Wars: The Creation of the Georgia Department of Archives and History, 1918-1936” by Ciaran B. Trace (Information & Culture, Vol. 50, No. 4)
    • The Georgia Archives began in 1918 as the Georgia Department of Archives and History. First located inside the capitol building, it moved out to Peachtree Street a few years later. While the archives is now a well-established part of the state government, in its first years it proved controversial. This article looks at the early history of the archives through the life of Ruth Blair, the second state archivist who was involved with the department since its formation. Written while the Georgia Archives was threatened with closure, the article also shows how the accessibility of statewide records has long been a point of contention in Georgia. 
  • “Sweeping Out the Capitol: The State Archives and the Politics of Administration in Georgia, 1921-1923” by Ciaran B. Trace (The American Archivist, Vol. 80, No. 2)
    • Between 1921 and 1923, Governor Thomas Hardwick attempted to shut down the Georgia Department of Archives and History on several occasions. Lucian Lamar Knight, the head of the department, fought back with all of the political influence, newspaper editorials, and satire he could muster. At the heart of the battle was debates about the role, scope, and size of the government, and it shows somewhat of a backlash to the Progressive Era. 
  • “Atlanta Peace Jubilee” by Elizabeth Marshall (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 50, No. 3)
    • The end of the Spanish-American War was celebrated in Georgia with a large parade, banquet, and festivities across Atlanta. Many notable dignitaries came to the Gate City, including President William McKinley himself. This short article reviews the major guests, the important events, and the circumstances surrounding the jubilee. While it contains interesting information, it does little to advance an argument or connect it to broader trends in Georgia or the United States. 
  • “Henry Grady, the Atlanta Constitution, and the Politics of Farming in the 1880s” by Harold E. Davis (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 71, No. 4)
    • Henry W. Grady, as the leading booster of the New South, tried to promote farming across the region. Grady saw that the antebellum agrarian tradition was no longer adequate to meet the needs of a modern south, and promoted a new form of scientific farming to revolutionize the southern economy. This was quite the noble goal, but as Davis points out, its ideals often could not meet reality. While it is questionable if Grady’s specific methods actually were a benefit to Georgia’s farmers, he nevertheless inspired reform in agriculture. 
    • For Davis’ bio of Grady, see Henry Grady’s New South: Atlanta, a Brave and Beautiful City by Harold E. Davis. 
  • “Forensic Bibliography” by Joseph Hone (Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol. 119, No. 1)
    • Today, when researching book forgeries or frauds, it is common to use bibliographic methods to detect inconsistencies. In this article, Joseph Hone argues this line of thinking is flawed. Instead, we do not use bibliographic methods for forensic work, but forensic methods for bibliographic work. Hone argues that much of what we use to study books – the watermarks, the paper type, investigating inks and dyes – all come from counterfeit detection historically. In the end, bibliography is truly a variety of detective work, even if we are not trying to unearth a crime.
  • “‘A Terra Incognita to the Scientific World’: The Okefenokee Swamp and Preservationism in the Early Twentieth Century” by Megan Kate Nelson (Atlanta History, Vol. 48, No. 1)
    • The Okefenokee Swamp is a natural wonder of the South, but like all swamps has been misunderstood historically. Nelson’s article is about how, in the early twentieth century, the Okefenokee Swamp came to be recognized as a site worth preserving. Crucial to this story are the people living in the swamp. Nelson shows how, early on, the culture of the swamp was the main goal of preservation. However, by the time land was actually purchased, the environment had taken precedence over cultural preservation. In many respects, the Okefenokee’s story parallels that of the Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Park. 
  • “The Death of Ulysses S. Grant and the Politics of Reconstruction Memory in the 1880s” by Belle Grenville-Mathers (The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Vol. 24, No. 3)
    • Ulysses S. Grant died in 1885, and was mourned by many across the nation. His funeral is often presented as a moment of national unity, in contrast to the sectional differences of the 1860s that made Grant a household name. Grenville-Mathers, however, shows that Grant’s death was understood in a variety of different ways, and that he was not above condemnation and vilification at the time of his death. Grant’s death is used as a prism through which themes of Civil War and Reconstruction memory are explored.
  • “‘A Crime Against Humanity’: Prison, Capitalism, and Convict No. 9653 (Eugene Debs)” by John T. Popiel (The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Vol. 24, No. 3)
    • Prison shaped the life of Gene Debs twice. When imprisoned in the 1890s, he converted to socialism, and is still remembered as the most important leader in American socialist history. During World War I, he spoke against the US military, landing him in jail a second time on essentially political grounds. John T. Popiel looks at Debs experiences in prison and how they shaped and informed his views on incarceration and equality. Additionally. Popiel looks at how the prison reform movement has evolved since Debs’ time in jail. 
  • “Why the Confederate Battle Emblem Was Added to Georgia’s State Flag in 1956” by Jim Galloway (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CIX, No. 2)
    • Ever since the 1990s, debate has existed about why Confederate symbolism was added to the Georgia flag in 1956. Until now, little link has been shown between the addition and the Civil Rights Movement, with the flag’s defenders saying it was merely an effort at memorialization with little ulterior motives. Jim Galloway shatters that assertion, by showing that the flag – changed in the wake of Brown v. Board, was a clear attempt at promoting Confederate history in the face of eroding segregation. 
  • “Janet Merritt and the First Attempt to Lower Georgia’s 1956 State Flag” by Jim Galloway (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CIX, No. 2)
    • Janet Merritt was one of the first women to be elected to the state legislature, and served as the lone woman for much of her career. In 1969, near the end of her time in office, she attempted to return the Georgia state flag to its pre-1956 appearance, reopening a controversy thought to have been closed since the 1950s. Her unsuccessful crusade showed how the controversial flag continued to be a deeply political issue intimately connected to segregation and Jim Crow. 
  • “Wiregrass Politics and New County Formation: Grady County’s Creation as a Case Study, 1905” by William Warren Rogers and Gwendolyn Brock Waldorf (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 84, No. 4)
    • In 1905, citizens of Cairo, Georgia led an effort to create a new county on the Florida state line. Named after Henry W. Grady, the citizens of Cairo were infused with the same boosterism Grady represented in Atlanta, albeit on a smaller scale. Politicians in the existing counties of Decatur and Thomas fought the new county, saying it was unnecessary and mere grandstanding on the part of Cario’s citizens. The fight turned into a massive political battle, which is the subject of this fascinating article. 
  • “Remembering Cherokee Removal in Civil Rights–Era Georgia” by Andrew Denson (Southern Cultures, Vol. 14, No. 4)
    • In the 1960s, governments in the South often refused to reckon with the complicated history of slavery and Jim Crow, instead working to defend its legacy of segregation. However, state leaders were willing to critically examine the Native Americans in the Southeast, and in the case of Georgia apologize and try to make amends for past wrongs. This article looks at how the Trail of Tears was remembered during the Civil Rights era in Georgia, and seeks to answer why it was much easier to grapple with Cherokee Removal opposed to slavery and segregation. 
    • For more on the Trail of Tears, see Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle. 
    • The Cherokee capital of New Echota is the subject of a chapter in There’s Lots to See in Georgia: A Guide to Georgia’s State Historic Sites edited by Jennifer W. Dickey. 
  • “‘Immovable Folkways’: Thornwell Jacobs’s The Law of the White Circle and the Atlanta Race Riot of 1906” by Paul Stephen Hudson (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 83, No. 2)
    • Thornwell Jacobs, future president of Oglethorpe University, was not in Atlanta during the Atlanta Race Riot. However, when he arrived in the city just afterwards, he found an Atlanta forever changed. Inspired by the event, he wrote a unique book titled The Law of the White Circle about the riot. In this article, Hudson uses the book to examine Jacobs’ views on race and passing, and connects it more broadly to how white Atlantans reacted to the events of 1906. 
    • For more information on the riot, see Negrophobia: A Race Riot in Atlanta, 1906 by Mark Bauerlein. 
  • “White Supremacists Within: The Ku Klux Klan in 1920s Atlanta” by Felix Harcourt (Atlanta Studies)
    • After the Klan’s rebirth in Atlanta in 1915, the city became the nexus of the organization. This short article looks at how the Klan saturated Atlanta’s politics and culture, looking at the important politicians and civic leaders who joined the Klan or supported its mission. While Atlanta has been billed as the “city too busy to hate” since the Civil Rights movement, this article shows how that catchy slogan has not always been the reality. 
  • “Finding ‘pax plantation’ at Camp Gordon, Georgia: Historian Ulrich Bonnell Phillips and World War I” by John David Smith (Journal of Southern History, Vol. 13, No. 4)
    • Ulrich Bonnell Phillips was already one of the nation’s leading historians of slavery by the start of World War I. Seeking to support the war effort, Phillips took a break from his teaching to work for the YMCA at Atlanta’s Camp Gordon. He found himself among a diverse group of soldiers, including many African American recruits. In this insightful article, Smith shows how Phillips’ work with the YMCA and Black soldiers reinforced his views of paternalism in slavery, and led him to write about plantation slavery as much more benign than historians do today. 
  • “Seeping Sentiment: Lost Cause Ideology During the Spanish-American War” by Caroline Lawrence (Crimson Historical Review, Vol. 4, No. 2)
    • The Spanish-American War was the first major US conflict since the Civil War, and was treated as a chance for reconciliation in the South. In this article, Caroline Lawrence uses student newspapers to examine how schools of each side of the Civil War wrote about (or did not write about) the 1860s in the context of 1898. 
  • “‘They Call Themselves Veterans’: Civil War and Spanish War Veterans and the Complexities of Veteranhood” by Barbara A. Gannon (Journal of the Civil War Era, Vol. 5, No. 4)
    • After the Spanish-American War, veterans of that conflict formed the United Spanish War Veterans, a group modeled on the Grand Army of the Republic for Civil War veterans. None of this was without controversy. Veterans of 1898 were shut out of the GAR, and created their own group in response. Civil War veterans were also hesitant to call the soldiers of 1898 veterans due to their much more limited service and smaller war. In this conflict, historical questions about the evolving sense of veteranhood are given center stage. 
  • “An American State-Owned Railroad” by Ulrich Bonnell Phillips (Yale Review, Vol. 15, No. 3)
    • When Phillips wrote this article in 1906, nationalisation of railroads was an important political debate. As his subject, Phillips chose to examine an earlier state-owned railroad: the Western & Atlantic of Georgia. Chartered in 1836, and operated by the State of Georgia until 1870, the W&A was one of the few government owned railroads in the United States at the time. Phillips uses its story to examine the pros and cons of government operated railroads. 
  • “Whose Hamlet Mocks the Warm Clown?” by John Jowett (Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol. 113, No. 3)
    • The first quarto printing of Hamlet, Q1, contains several major differences from later texts. Scholars have wondered since Q1 was first discovered in 1825 whether it was an early draft of Shakespeare’s play, or a “debased text” far removed from Shakespeare’s intentions. In this article, John Jowett posits that it is actually a badly-reconstructed copy of Shakespeare’s play with additions by another noted contemporary author, which Jowett posits is Thomas Heywood. 
  • “Bearing the Feathers of an Eagle: Tomochichi’s Trip to England” by Julie Anne Sweet (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. LXXXVI, No. 3)
    • Pocohontas’ voyage to England is a landmark in Native American – British diplomacy, in no small part due to Pocohontas’ fame. Visits by Native American chiefs to Europe were not uncommon, but had largely ended by the eighteenth century. However, in the 1730s, Tomochichi of the Yamacraw traveled to England with James Oglethorpe of Georgia and met the king. This was the last major trip of its kind, and shows how both Tomochichi and Oglethorpe were adept diplomats trying to ensure a lasting peace in Georgia. 
    • More about Oglethorpe and Tomochichi can be found in Oglethorpe in America by Phinizy Spalding. 
  • “The Georgia Peach and the Southern Quest for Commercial Equity and Independence, 1843-1861” by John D. Fair (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. LXXXVI, No. 3)
    • Before the Civil War, major voices in the South pushed for economic and social independence from the North as a means of insulation from abolition. This manifested in many forms, and John D. Fair argues that peaches were one. He shows how peaches came to be seen in Georgia as a way to diversify agriculture and create an independent economy. Fair highlights how antebellum peaches were not just an agricultural concern, but also a social and economic one. 
    • For more about Georgia peach history, see The Georgia Peach: Culture, Agriculture, and Environment in the American South by Thomas Okie. 
  • “Bedraggled Magnolias: Song of the South’s 1986 Return to Atlanta” by John Robert Smith (Journal of Film and Video, Vol. 77, No. 2)
    • Song of the South is easily Disney’s most controversial film, and is based on the Uncle Remus stories of Joel Chandler Harris. This article title is slightly deceptive, as it looks both at the film’s Atlanta premiere and its 1986 re-release in Atlanta. Smith shows how the film has always courted controversy, and over time began to be treated as distinct from Harris and his Uncle Remus stories. Lastly, the article looks at how interpretation at Harris’ Wrens Nest home has evolved to be more inclusive of African American stories. 
    • For information on Harris, see Joel Chandler Harris, Folklorist by Stella Brewer Brookes. 
  • “‘This is a Fantastic Game’: Remembering William Alexander Scott III” by Mark N. Taylor (Chess Life, March 2025)
    • W. A. Scott III was the son of the founder of the Atlanta Daily World, one of the oldest Black newspapers still in publication. Scott was present at the liberation of Buchenwald, and on returning from World War II was inspired to fight for Civil Rights. An avid chess player, Scott worked to integrate chess in the South. This article highlights both Scott’s advocacy and what chess meant to Black Atlantans in his era. 
  • “The Quarrel Forgotten?: Toward a Clearer Understanding of Sectional Reconciliation” by Robert Cook (Journal of the Civil War Era, Vol. 6, No. 3)
    • This article looks at how Americans, in the wake of the Civil War, clashed over the war’s memory and sought to reunite. Cook’s article is largely historiographical, focusing on how historians have interpreted reconciliation and reunion. In particular, Cook weighs the importance of the Spanish-American War against the Lost Cause, showing how overtime different visions have emerged of reconciliation. 
  • “The Early Historians of Georgia” by E. Merton Coulter (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 3)
    • E. Merton Coulter’s article looks at the three main Georgia historians of the nineteenth century: Hugh McCall, William Bacon Stephens, and Charles Colock Jones Jr. Each was interested in writing a complete history of Georgia, but all ended around 1800. As Coulter notes, it would not be until 1917 that a history of Georgia covering the breadth of the state was published. (This, however, may be an exaggeration – Georgia history textbooks were published starting in at least the 1890s). This article is very short at around five pages, but has good summaries of the lives of these three historians. 
  • “Glimpses of Oglethorpe in Boswell’s Life of Johnson” by Edward J. Cashin (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 88, No. 3)
    • In his later years, James Oglethorpe was in the same social circles as Dr. Samuel Johnson and James Boswell. As such, Oglethorpe appears several times in Boswell’s famed biography of Johnson. Oglethorpe is shown to be an aging leader, well-respected by his peers, and an engaging company. Boswell’s accounts and Cashin’s article show how Oglethorpe remained active up until his death after the American Revolution. 
  • “Oglethorpe’s Missing Years” by Rodney M. Baine and Mary E. Williams (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 2)
    • In the 1750s, Oglethorpe disappeared from the historical record only to reappear suddenly, which has puzzled scholars. Blaine and Williams put forward a novel explanation: He was observing the Seven Years’ War on the European Continent under an alias. Under the name John Tebay, Oglethorpe followed the Prussian Army from 1756 until at least 1759. This fascinating article adds a new dimension to Oglethorpe’s life. 
  • “Saint and Sinner: Robert E. Lee, Nathan Bedford Forrest, and the Ambiguity of Southern Identity” by Robert Glaze (Tennessee Historical Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 2)
    • Glaze posits that two men came to embody the Civil War in Southern memory. Robert E. Lee represented the planter class, leaving a life of luxury to fight for a new nation, all with ample military experience. On the other hand, Nathan Bedford Forrest represented a more gruff southern soldier, with little military experience but tenacity (and more overt racism). Glaze looks at how Civil War memory sought to balance these two competing archetypes, and how Lee and Forrest came to be their embodiment. 
  • “A Catalogue of Books in Thomas Jefferson’s Hand: A Leaf from a Manuscript Presumed Lost” by Samuel V. Lemley and Neal D. Curtis (Notes & Queries, Vol. 264, No. 1) and “A Documentary History of the University of Virginia’s First Library and Its Jeffersonian Catalogs” by Samuel V. Lemley, Neal D. Curtis, and Madeline Zehnder (Studies in Bibliography, Vol. 61)
    • These two articles both add to the scholarship of Thomas Jefferson’s library. In particular, they attempt to reconstruct the list of what books Thomas Jefferson gave to the University of Virginia. The authors compare various catalogs, including previously unknown lists, to reveal how they each fit together and what they can reveal about Jefferson’s educational vision. 
    • For more on this subject, see “Historical Shelf Marks as Sources for Institutional Provenance Research: Reconstructing the University of Virginia’s First Library” by Samuel V. Lemley, Neal D. Curtis, and Madeline Zehnder (Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol, 118, No. 1). 
    • In July 2024, I visited Monticello, Poplar Forest, and the University of Virginia – three sites intimately connected to Jefferson. For information about this visit, see my blog post here: https://ajbramlett.com/2024/08/02/finding-thomas-jefferson/ 
  • “What Gullies Mean: Georgia’s ‘Little Grand Canyon’ and Southern Environmental History” by Paul S. Sutter (The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 76, No. 3)
    • Providence Canyon, near Lumpkin, Georgia, is something of an anomaly. It is sometimes considered to be one of the most impressive natural wonders in the state, but is in fact manmade. The canyon is the result of erosion caused by poor farming practices, and has only formed in the past century and a half. Sutter’s article looks at the origins of this unusual feature, and how its past has been presented at Providence Canyon State Park. Crucially, Sutter argues that the canyon is an instructive lesson in environmental history, and that its story should be cited more often as an example of man’s effects on the environment. 
  • “‘For Billionaire Booklovers’: George D. Sproul’s St. Dunstan Editions” by Sarah Hovde (Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol. 118, No. 4)
    • At the turn of the century, limited edition runs of books marketed towards wealthy collectors were all the rage. The St. Dunstan Editions promised to be some of the most elaborate of the era, and are some of the best documented as well. This short article reviews their rise and fall, showing the promises and follies of these early twentieth century collectors sets. 
  • “Obscenity or Politics? Tom Watson, Anti-Catholicism, and the Department of Justice” by Fred D. Ragan (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 70, No. 1)
    • As Thomas E. Watson became more bigoted after 1900, it manifested itself in a variety of ways. For one thing, it made him both more racist and anti-semitic, but this is hardly a surprise in the early twentieth century South. What may seem more odd is how he became a leader of the Southern Anti-Catholic movement, which is the subject of this article. It shows how Watson saw Catholicism as a scourge to be removed from the South, and how the Department of Justice sought to shut down Watson’s paper, not because of its racial content, but because of its anti-Catholic diatribes. It is a fascinating look at how Watson grew increasingly deranged in his later years. 
    • For more information about Watson, see Tom Watson: Agrarian Rebel by C. Vann Woodward, Henry Grady or Tom Watson?: The Rhetorical Struggle for the New South, 1880-1890 by Ferald J. Bryan, and “Troubled Tirader: A Psychobiographical Study of Tom Watson” by Janet Brenner Franzoni (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 57, No. 4). 
  • “Legislative Apportionment and County Unit Voting In Georgia Since 1777” by James C. Bonner (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 47, No. 4)
    • This article examines how the Georgia General Assembly has been apportioned under various constitutions since 1777. When the article was published in the 1960s, the topic was particularly relevant given the end of Georgia’s electoral college system, the County Unit System. Bonner’s article shows how apportionment was based on the counties as far back as 1777 and how it gradually became more unfair as time went on. 
  • “Politics and Principle: Jimmy Carter in the Civil Rights Era” by Robert A. Strong (IJAS Online, No. 3)
    • During the Civil Rights Movement, Jimmy Carter was something of a supporter of Civil Rights, despite coming from the rural south. His mother, Lillian, was a major positive influence on his racial views. This short article chronicles Carter’s stances during the Civil Rights movement, culminating in entering the governor’s office in 1971. 
  • “‘The Sad Duty of Politics’: Jimmy Carter and the Issue of Race in the his 1970 Gubernatorial Campaign” by Randy Sanders (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 76, No. 3)
    • In his 1970 gubernatorial campaign, Jimmy Carter’s campaign tried to appeal to both racist whites and black voters. Because of this, Carter’s campaign attempted to present him as a conservative alternative to Carl Sanders. Carter refused to talk about the 1970 campaign in later years, and in Georgia it is something of a black mark on his record. This article also notes that the 1970 papers at the Carter Library were not yet processed, which finally happened a few years after this article was published. It would be interesting to see what insight these somewhat untouched papers offer. 
    • James F. Cook addressed the 1970 campaign in The Governors of Georgia, 1754 – 2004 and Carl Sanders: Spokesman of the New South. 
  • “Concurrent Printing, Watermarks, and the Print Run of the First Folio” by Pervez Rizvi (Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol. 119, No. 3)
    • The focus of this article is William Shakespeare’s 1623 First Folio, the first complete copy of Shakespeare’s works. In recent years, scholars believed they had determined exactly how many were printed based on the watermarks and paper quality of surviving copies. This article, however, undermines that assumption. Rizvi shows how print shops could switch out paper stock, creating a much less uniform product than one might suppose. The work here is similar to that used when examining sophisticated copies of noted printed books.  
  • “Spectacles of American Nationalism: The Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama Painting and The Birth of a Nation” by Daniel A. Pollock (Southern Spaces)
    • Here, the story of two Civil War epics is told. The first is the Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama painting, a massive 360-degree painting from the 1880s depicting a scene on the outskirts of the city. This painting was one of a series of similar paintings made after the Civil War showing the important battles of the 1860s, and served both as a fundraising effort and potentially as a campaign stunt. The second piece examined is D. W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation, his highly controversial 1915 film that depicts the Civil War and Reconstruction. Pollock’s article compares the two pieces and their reception, showing how Civil War memory evolved from the 1880s to the 1910s. 
  • “A Misguided Mistake: The Trustees’ Public Garden in Savannah, Georgia” by Julie Anne Sweet (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 93, No. 1)
    • In the 1730s, the Trustees of Georgia set aside land in Savannah for a public garden. This would allow a diverse set of crops to be cultivated in a central location before being moved to outlying farms. However, challenges abounded. Some of the crops selected did not grow well in Georgia, and finding a competent gardener proved a challenge. While the idea of a central garden for Savannah would have been beneficial in its formative years, the poor execution of the idea made it an impossibility. 
  • “Savannah’s Out-Villages of Thunderbolt and Skidaway” by Julie Anne Sweet (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 105, No. 1)
    • Oglethorpe’s plan for Georgia included both a central city of Savannah and several agrarian out-villages, of which Thunderbolt and Skidaway were just two. Sweet’s article examines the settlers of these early villages, and shows the difficult challenges they faced in the wilderness largely removed from the action of Savannah. Because they were in a remote forest, with little knowledge of farming or ability to clear land, these villages struggled quickly before ultimately being abandoned. Today, their sites have been swallowed by modern Savannah. 
  • “Aeneas and the Lost Cause: Harry Stillwell Edward’s Eneas Africanus as Monument to White Supremacy” by K. F. B. Fletcher (Vergilius, Vol. 68)
    • Harry Stillwell Edward’s book Eneas Africanus tells the story of a Black man trying to find his former master, and is told as an epistolary novel. Once one of the south’s most popular books, it is now a forgotten piece of southern literature largely condemned for its white supremacist themes. Fletcher connects the travels of Eneas Africanus  to that of Virgil’s Aeneid, and shows how, while this book is at the end of the day a racist novel, it remains an interesting way of examining southern views of slavery. 
  • “An Introduction to Our Theodore Roosevelt Bibliography” by Gregory A. Wynn, “Assembling a Theodore Roosevelt Bibliography” by Michael Patrick Cullinane, and “Theodore Roosevelt: A Bibliography” by Gregory A. Wynn and Michael Patrick Cullinane (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XLVI, Nos. 1-3)
    • These three articles revolve around a single theme: creating a complete list of Theodore Roosevelt’s books, articles, chapters, introductions, etc. Cullinane and Wynn walk through the previous attempts at creating a Roosevelt bibliography, and show where theirs is improved. Notably, this bibliography also includes what is available for free online. The bibliography itself shows the variety of Roosevelt’s activity, but does leave out newspaper articles. One is left with the impression that, if these were included, the bibliography would take up an entire book. 
  • “Very Likely the Last Expert Sighting: Theodore Roosevelt and the Passenger Pigeon” by Michael J. Sacopulos (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XLVI, Nos. 1-3)
  • “The Connection Between Theodore Roosevelt’s Carriage Accident in 1902 and His Death in 1919” by Richard D. Feldman and William H. Dick (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XLVI, Nos. 1-3)
  • “George Dunbar: A Noteworthy Supporting Actor in the Story of Colonial Georgia” by Julie Anne Sweet (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CIX, No. 3)
  • “Georgia’s Debt of Gratitude: The Politics of Security Benefits for Vietnam Veterans” by Glenn Robins (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. CIX, No. 3)
  • “The Georgia Gubernatorial Primary of 1946” by William L. Belvin, Jr. (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 50, No. 1)
  • “Granite Stopped Time: The Stone Mountain Memorial and the Representation of White Southern Identity” by Grace Elizabeth Hale (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 82, No. 1)
  • “Teddy’s Bear Country: Imagining Wild Nature in Theodore Roosevelt’s America” by Malcolm McLaughlin (Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Vol. 24, No. 4)
  • “Downfall Voyeurism: Jazz Dancing and the Making of Moral Concern in America” by Benjamin  Wise (Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Vol. 24, No. 4)
  • “A Menace to Free Labor: Anti-Catholicism, the American Protective Association, and Working-Class Formation in Gilded Age America” by James Patrick Breen (Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Vol. 24, No. 4)
  • “Picturing Protectionism: The Tariff Question in Protectionist Cartoon Propaganda in the United States, 1894-1909” by Fritz Kusch (Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Vol. 24, No. 4)
  • “‘The Swindle of the Century’: Fraud, Finance, and Femininity in the Gilded Age” by Matt Smith (Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Vol. 24, No. 4)
  • “Eugene Talmadge’s Library Book Purge of 1941” by David B. Parker (Georgia Library Quarterly, Vol. 62, No. 4)
  • “The Lost Cause and the Meaning of History” by Grace Elizabeth Hale (OAH Magazine of History, Vol. 27, No. 1)
  • “The Historical Ideology of Mildred Lewis Rutherford: A Confederate Historian’s New South Creed” by Sarah H. Case (Journal of Southern History, Vol. 68, No. 3)
  • “Flag Culture and the Consolidation of American Nationalism” by Robert E. Bonner (Journal of Southern History, Vol. 68, No. 2)
  • “American Hero, Confederate Idol: Consul General Fitzhugh Lee and the Limits of Sectional Reconciliation” by Andrew C. Baker (Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 127, No. 1)
  • “The Confederate Flag and the Meaning of Southern History” by Kevin Thornton (Southern Cultures, Vol. 2, No. 2)

Thesis or Dissertations

  • “A comparison of the coverage of the Leo Frank case by the Hearst-controlled Atlanta Georgian and the home-owned Atlanta Journal, April 28, 1913-August 30, 1913.” by William Curran Rogers (Master’s thesis, University of Georgia, 1950)
    • I read this article while researching the history of the Atlanta Georgian, which was once one of the most important newspapers in Atlanta. In 1913, it was purchased by William Randolph Hearst, who attempted to make the Georgian into Atlanta’s most important paper. Shortly afterwards, Mary Phagan was murdered, creating a stew of outrage leading to the lynching of Leo Frank in 1915. The Georgian played no small role in stoking public sentiment, and this master’s thesis examines its impact. By comparing the Georgian’s coverage to that of the Atlanta Journal, Rogers shows that the Georgian played a larger role in making the public angry over Phagan’s death, while prompting other newspapers in Atlanta to take similar approaches. 
    • The story of Phagan and Frank is masterfully covered in And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank by Steve Oney. 
    • For my own look at the history of the Atlanta Georgian, see the article at this link: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/kjur/vol12/iss2/4/ 
  • “‘Haunted by the Spirits of Men in Blue and Gray:’ The ‘Ghosts of Marietta’ Tour, Selective History, and the Construction of Local Identity” by Shelley McGinnis (Master’s thesis, Kennesaw State University, 2014)
    • Marietta, Georgia, is home to countless ghost stories of the Civil War, presented by endless tour companies marketed to tourists. This paper examines how these tours promote images of the Lost Cause, and critiques the Antebellum image Marietta presents to the world. McGinnis shows how these stories capitalize on existing conceptions about the South to offer to tourists the image they expect, without sharing an inclusive, balanced narrative of the 1860s. By focusing on the Civil War itself, much of the city’s rich history is also excluded. Though the ghost tours of Marietta remain popular, I have never taken one myself. After reading, I am curious to see how things have changed (or remained the same) ten years later. 
  • “Rebecca Latimer Felton” by Joan Conerly Hunter (Master’s thesis, University of Georgia, 1944)
    • Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia was the first woman to serve in the US Senate (for one day), and the last slave owner in Congress. This short master’s thesis is the first lengthy account of her life. It charts her activism and social involvement well, though broader politics and racial issues are not ignored (the latter is not a surprise, given when this was written). It does have blindspots, most notably in its lack of addressing Felton’s role in the 1898 Wilmington Massacre. 
    • Rebecca Latimer Felton: Nine Stormy Decades by John E. Talmadge covers her life in more detail. 
    • Additionally, see “Rebecca Latimer Felton, Political Independent” by Josephine Bone Floyd (Georgia Historical Quarterly, Vol. 30, No. 1).
  • “The Public Career of Augustus Octavius Bacon” by Lala Carr Steelman (PhD dissertation, University of North Carolina, 1950)
  • “The Georgia Primary Election System” by John Graybeal (Master’s thesis, Emory University, 1930)

Misc. Nonfiction

  • “The Berlin Wall after Fifty Years: Introduction” by Hope M. Harrison (German Politics and Society, Vol. 29, No. 2)
    • This article was read for a research assignment on the Berlin Wall. While not really a journal article, it is still well researched and has good insight into the Wall’s legacy. 
  • “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” by Frederick Jackson Turner
    • A groundbreaking essay when it was first presented in 1893, Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis focuses on how the frontier has impacted development in America. Prior to Turner, prevailing historical wisdom held that America’s growth was driven by the East. Turner instead focused his attention west, on how settlement drove American identity, growth, and political debates. Also at the heart of Turner’s argument is that the era ended in about 1890, when the US Census declared the frontier closed. In Turner’s opinion, an era had just ended and a new age of America was on the horizon. The Turner Thesis is still debated today, and of particular contention is what factor’s Turner excludes. I find that it does simplify, perhaps too much, but the basic premise that the Frontier has defined America rings true. While 1890 may not be the exact end of this era, looking at Turner’s time as a dividing line between two halves of American history offers an interesting perspective into the nation’s growth. Our development is not done, but it no longer feels tethered to Westward Expansion. In this regard, Turner’s thesis retains its relevance and insight well over a century later. 
  • “Forgotten Fragments (#8): Really, Really Bad Books” by Tweed Roosevelt (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XXXI, No. 3)
    • Here, Theodore Roosevelt descendant Tweed Roosevelt looks at the books written about his great-grandfather, with a focus on those he considers to be very bad. It should be noted that each is very critical of Roosevelt, though the books cited as good are not unflinching in their praise and offer much more nuanced looks at Roosevelt’s life. Of particular focus in the article is James Bradley’s The Imperial Cruise, and it was while looking for reviews of that book that I found this article. A theme of Tweed Roosevelt’s article here is the commercialization of history books, so that many do not undergo the same vigorous review one would find at an academic publisher. This, combined with terms in the title like “secret” or hidden,” can give the public a very rosy view of a bad book. While the focus here is on bad Theodore Roosevelt books, the thesis presented applies to many history books and is important to keep in mind when reading. 
    • For a more detailed look at The Imperial Cruise, see my review in the “books” section of this page and “An Outrage Pure and Simple: a feature review of James Bradley, The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2009), 387 pp.” by William N. Tilchin (Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal, Vol. XXXI, No. 4)
  • “Introduction” in Canvassing Books, Sample Books, and Subscription Publishers’ Ephemera, 1833-1951, in the collection of Michael Zinman by Keith Arbour
    • This introduction belongs to a catalog of items connected to the sale of the books in America. A focus is canvassing books, heavily condensed versions of full books used by door to door salesmen. The introduction provides a history of canvassing and sample books, and notes how they evolved over time. Historical material like what is included here offers valuable insight into how books have been sold over the past 200, and how it has changed more than one might expect. 
  • “Demagogues and the Demon Drink: Newspapers and Revival of Prohibition in Georgia”  by Marek D. Steedman, in Statebuilding from the Margins: Between Reconstruction and the New Deal edited by Carol Nackenoff and Julie Novkov
    • This article examines how Georgia kicked off a nationwide revival of Prohibition, and what factors led to it starting in Georgia. Steedman traces the growing influence of urban newspapers on statewide politics, and how they shaped the opinions of the electorate. The key event in this article is the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot, which Streedman shows set off a chain reaction leading to statewide prohibition in 1908, a revival of the prohibition movement across the South, and eventually the Eighteenth Amendment. While attention has been given to the nationwide role of sensationalist journalism Steedman shows how even less dramatic coverage could have a lasting impact. 
    • Temperance in Georgia’s capital is the focus of Prohibition in Atlanta: Temperance, Tiger Kings & White Lightning by Ronald Smith and Mary O. Boyle. 
  • “Printing, Publishing, & Bookselling in Salem, Massachusetts, 1825-1900” by C. Diedre Phelps (Originally printed in the Essex Institute Historical Collections, Vol. 124, No. 4)
    • Originally printed as a journal article, this short work contains a directory of the book trade in Salem, Massachusetts from 1825 to 1900. It was recommended by Keith Arbour, and I hope to create a similar document for Marietta (1843 to 1870) and Atlanta (1830 to 1861 and 1861 to 1865). 
  • “The Atlanta Streetcar: An Analysis of its Development and Growth as it Relates to the Core Cognitive Structure of the City” by S. Dawn Hayne (8th International Space Syntax Symposium Proceedings, Santiago, Chile, January 2012)
    • This conference paper examines the growth and routes of Atlanta’s streetcars. Using several maps of the system, Hayne shows how it largely developed to serve Atlanta’s white population and the urban core of the city. As suburban sprawl began, these streetcars were replaced by the more dynamic buses, and Hayne’s article offers a geographic framework for why this happened. 
  • “A Scandal in America” in Form and Meaning in the History of the Book by Nicholas Barker

Fiction Books and Plays

  • War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
    • H. G. Wells’ War of the Worlds remains a classic of science fiction, though it’s deus ex machina ending is a bit odd. I read War of the Worlds about six or seven years before writing this review, so I must admit a large part of the book is fuzzy to me. I was not as much of a diligent reader at the time, so the fact I read the full unabridged book is a testament to it nonetheless. 
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • I have read the Great Gatsby twice – once on my own, and once in a High School literature class. Unlike my classmates, I remember having a bit of a soft spot for Gatsby himself. Yes, his relationship with Daisy is odd (bordering on creepy), but he still strikes me as someone who cares in the end. Often read as an indictment of the 1920s Jazz Age, I can see where this interpretation stems from and mostly agree with it. On the other hand, there are several moments Gatsby seems to himself criticize the world he represents. Nick Carraway I do not feel is always given enough attention, as he offers a unique perspective on ‘20s America as well. Ultimately, I do not think I would call this my favorite book, but it is the one I like to analyze the most. 
  • White Fang by Jack London
    • Years ago, I attempted to read Call of the Wild, and could not bring myself to reach the end. I am not averse to dogs, nor am I strongly drawn to them. I have found it hard to connect with these Jack London stories of the wilderness because of this fact. Theodore Roosevelt derided London and similar authors as “Nature Fakers,” who attempted to humanize the wonder of nature at the expense of real science and biology. White Fang is guilty of this crime, if it is one. I am not averse to Jack London, as I enjoyed reading his short story “To Build a Fire.” The cold wilds of Alaska make an ever changing and frightful background, which alone provides some interest. While I find White Fang more compelling than Call of the Wild, it is not a book I remember unless I am looking over this list. Writing this review will be the last time I think of it for some time. 
  • The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
    • A classic staple of high school reading lists, The Lord of the Flies is a very divisive book. A tale of castaway boys turned savage, there remains debate about whether Golding was focusing on human nature or the nature of youth. The boys split into factions, rampage across the island, and kill each other with no discernable goal in mind beyond tribalism. Personally, I view it as an allegory about humanity and war, though I can see how others could find different interpretations. 
  • The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
    • Of the work of Shakespeare I have read (which is admittedly limited), Romeo and Juliet does not strike me as my favorite. I think it is because the story is so familiar and so often retold, from West Side Story to Gnomeo and Juliet. Certain lines do remain very quotable (“Would a rose by any other name…”) but the story did not inspire me. With all of that being said, I would recommend it as the first Shakespeare work to read because the familiar story makes the prose more accessible. 
  • Hamlet by William Shakespeare
    • My favorite of Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet, is the classic story of a Danish prince and his chaotic family. Concurrently to reading this, I watched a film adaptation, and the two work well in tandem with each other.  While, like Romeo and Juliet, the plot of Hamlet has influenced a wide range of pop culture, it is often in contexts that make the original play seem less familiar. Because of this, when reading it for the first time I did not know where the plot was going, which was a major benefit to the reading experience. 
  • The Pearl by John Steinbeck
    • The Pearl is a short, but powerful tale, written by John Steinbeck. This, like several other books on this list, was read in a high school-level literature class. The Pearl works well because it is a novella, and is distilled into the basic story of a pearl diver and his family. With more details, subplots, or characters, I can see the story getting lost. The title of The Pearl has a double meaning: it is both the pearl found by Kino, the main character, and his son Coyotito (who does not survive the book). While, at the time of writing this, I have not circled back to reading more Steinbeck, this was enough to wet my appetite. 
  • Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
    • Barchester Towers is not what I was expecting. I was assigned to read a book by either Trollope or Jane Austen, and I chose this book rather randomly. Before reading, it seemed a safe assumption based on its publication date it would be a Victorian novel in the vein of Dickens, with the assignment leading me to believe it had hints of Regency authors like Jane Austen. It is very Victorian, addressing the customs and social mores of the day, with less of an emphasis on the average Englishman than Dickens. More importantly, it can also be a very funny book, something I valued immensely when reading it. I found Trollope here much more engaging than the Dickens I have read, and while I am not willing to declare him the better author, he is the author I prefer. 
  • The Double by Fyodor Dostoevsky
    • Based on a plot summary alone, the merits of The Double are evident. In the story, a civil servant is haunted by his doppelganger, who begins to ruin his life, driving the main character mad. It is one of the few works I have read dealing with Russia, and one of even fewer set before the Russian Revolution. Because of this, there is something slightly strange about it, giving it an even more thrilling feel. The Double reminded me most, not of any particular book, but of Alfred Hitchcock’s work (more specifically Vertigo). I would strongly recommend this book to a fan of Hitchcock, despite the vastly different settings. 
  • The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
    • Written like a children’s story, The Little Prince is designed to have value for both young and adults alike. It remains popular, but unlike many other stories seemingly aimed at young audiences it has never been successfully subsumed by an adaptation. A good example would be Winnie the Pooh: when people think of the Hundred Acre Woods, they are thinking of the Disney versions. Though The Little Prince has been endlessly adapted, it seems that little of it has stuck. It remains a book in people’s minds, and I think it proves the enduring value of the written world in an age with so many other mediums. Its lessons and story have only been lastingly conveyed in its prose, which continues to inspire decades later. 
  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by the Gawain Poet
    • This piece of Arthurian legend has little to do with the main story of Arthur – the sword in the stone, Guinevere, the Grail quest, etc. Instead, it is a side story involving one of Arthur’s knights, Sir Gawain. It is relatively short, and rendered in Modern English it is a very easy read. I read about Gawain close to the time I read Arthur: God and Hero in Avalon by Christopher Fee, which provided helpful background info for the story. 
  • The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
    • Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is a good example of popular culture’s influence on popular conceptions: so much of the modern understanding of Caesar’s assassination comes from the play. Most prominent are Caesar’s last words in the play, “Et tu, Brute,” which have become an integral part of the assassination legend. For a play ostensibly about Julius Caesar, much of the story is about Brutus and his conspirators. Julius Caesar touches the lasting power of the ancient world, even if its events are not as relevant to today’s society as they once were. 
    • For more about the legacy of the Roman world, I recommend Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern by Mary Beard.
  • Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes
    • Cervantes’ wrote Don Quixote in two parts. The first was a runaway success, a New York Times Bestseller of its day, which also led to countless imitations. Following a fanfiction sequel Cervantes found egregious, he wrote a second official part ending with Quixote’s death to give a sense of finality. Personally, I found this second part much more engaging as it focused more on Don Quixote, opposed to the travelers he meets. As interesting as the other travelers stories of satirical woe can be, Don Quixote remains the true star of the tale. Even today, the satire of knighthood works, though we are far removed from the golden age of chivalry. 
  • The Frogs by Aristophanes
    • The Frogs is a piece of comedy that can be hilarious to a modern reader, but while I was reading it the jokes fell flat at many points. I am very far removed from the world of Aristophanes, so the in-jokes and references and mythological allusions could be difficult to understand. As a modern reader, it worked best when The Frogs resorted to farce. At this point, it could feel like watching a Buster Keaton movie. As to its other comedic aspects, I do not have adequate knowledge to judge. 
  • A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
    • Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is set in Norway in the 1870s, though these details are of little relevance to the story. What matters is the marriage between Nora and Torvald Helmer, and its collapse. The play is known for its early feminist themes, well before women could vote in most of the world. Gender norms in society play a crucial role, and A Doll’s House presages later social debates after World War II. I found it strikingly modern in this sense, leaving me pleasantly surprised. 
  • The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
    • Several of my favorite books are products of the 1920s (Main Street, Gatsby, etc.), and The Sun Also Rises comes from the same era. Like Gatsby, it comes from an author known as an expatriate. However, The Sun Also Rises is far more murkier for me, in part because it is not set in America. Instead, it is a meandering tale about a soldier wounded in World War I traveling across France and Spain. There is something about the book I that I am unable to identify with or find inaccessible. The plot seems to ramble about with no discernable goal, and the main character seems aimless. Try as I may, I could not bring myself to like this novel. Maybe, years from now, I will try again and have better luck. 
  • Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
    • This classic tale of racism in South Africa was written decades before the end of Apartheid. The focus is on stigma in society connected to race, and matters of institutional racism and social norms. Though the setting is vastly different to today’s America, it is interesting to compare and contrast. Cry, the Beloved Country is very strong in its themes without being heavy-handed. 
  • War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
    • A book of staggering length, I read War and Peace mostly to say I had read the full book. In hindsight, this was very shallow of me, and after reading it remains a confusing mess of characters, plotlines, and more. Every character was so similarly named it was hard to keep track of who was who. That being said, it was interesting to see the other side of Napoleon’s march into Russia. This was not a book I particularly enjoyed, but I can acknowledge that it is possible the fault is not in the book, but in myself. 
  • Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian
    • A classic seafaring story, Master and Commander is the start of a twenty-book series about naval warfare of the Napoleonic era. The book uses many nautical and naval terms without exposition, but once my bearings were straight it proved a remarkable read. It is a book that sucks you into an era of seafaring adventure unlike any other. Naturally, I also have to recommend the film adaptation. 
    • I read Sons of the Waves: A History of the Common Sailor, 1740-1840 by Stephen Taylor to prepare for reading Master and Commander. This detailed book was an immense help in understanding the novel. 
  • The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens
    • Charles Dickens died halfway through reading this book, which is about all to give it interest. Because of his untimely demise, the book abruptly ends halfway through. Unlike Dickens’ other works, this one is a murder mystery, and unlike other murder mysteries, it is painfully obvious who the culprit is from the start. Edwin Drood is fascinating from a historical perspective, but its literary merits are hard to find. 
  • Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
    • Good Omens is not a book thought of as a classic, in part because the fantasy genre is not as respected. This is a shame, as Good Omens is a hilarious book with memorable characters and an engaging story. In short, an angel and a demon team up to prevent Armageddon. The book was later adapted into a TV series which I do strongly recommend, but many of my favorite jokes from the book did not make the cut. In the unending debate about books versus their adaptations, I think this provides a fascinating example. In many ways, the book has many parts that make me chuckle that were left out of the television series, while the series continuation of the story is a fitting and worthy addition. Thankfully, when all is said and done, I do not have to pick between the two. 
  • The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
    • In many ways, my feelings about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are similar to that of Good Omens. Both are strong, hilarious books, but their film/TV versions are equally appealing. What makes the Hitchhiker’s Guide different is the story’s continuation. While the film ends the story where the first book stops, Douglas Adams wrote several more books in the series. I tried to read them, and I finished two-and-a-half more, but after a while they seemed derivative. Taken on its own, The Hitchhiker’s Guide is an incredible book, but I personally would disregard the rest of the series. 
  • The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
    • Above, I have addressed my thoughts on books and their adaptations for Good Omens and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Both are excellent books, with excellent adaptations. There are countless books where the film is considered inferior. Few books are considered the lesser twin, and I found Last of the Mohicans to be one of these. I first read the book after watching the 1992 film with Daniel Day Lewis. The movie is an exciting, fast paced tale with truly moving scenes. Cooper’s classic book, however, requires an understanding I am lacking of the geography of Upstate New York. I was very surprised that the most memorable scenes in the film do not originate with the book, and that in their place are tales that defy belief. The chief offender is a character who avoids death by… singing until people think he is crazy. In another scene, one character puts on a bear pelt and convinces a tribe he is, in fact, a bear. While Last of the Mohicans may be a classic piece of American literature, my personal advice is to focus on the film. 
  • The Crucible by Arthur Miller
    • The Crucible places the witch hunts of Joseph McCarthy into the Salem Witch Trials, showing how fear and baseless accusations can tear apart a community, or a country. In their fight against perceived evil, the Puritans in many ways resemble demagogues of all stripes. The play offers a unique perspective on both McCarthy and the Puritans, and I hope to someday see it performed on stage.
    • For more on Joseph McCarthy, see the book review above on Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy by Larry Tye.
  • The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
    • The best part of any Christie mystery is the twist, and this is one that has to be read to be believed. I find it difficult to write a review of the book because of how it overshadows the whole story, changing the plot of the whole book. Do not get me wrong – it is a fantastic twist that has stood the test of time. 
  • The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth
    • This alternate history novel sees Charles Lindberg become president, sending America towards Facism. The protagonist is a young Jewish boy forced to grapple with this new, startling world around him. The book follows in a long line of stories with similar themes, including Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and It Can’t Happen Here from Sinclair Lewis. 
    • For a biography of Lindbergh, see Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg. 
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
    • When it comes to reading Frankenstein, I have the benefit of not having seen the movie. While the main character is often referred to as “Frankenstein’s Monster,” it is obvious he is not the villain. That honor belongs to Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who narrates a large part of the novel. With its blending of reality and fantasy, the book is the godfather of all modern science fiction. It remains a landmark book in literary history, and one that (thanks to Boris Karloff) will continue to be read and appreciated for eons. 
  • The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
    • Much like The Crucible, Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter looks at Puritan society with a critical, criticizing eye. More than any other book, The Scarlet Letter has left the public with a jaded perception of that religious group. Unlike The Crucible, Hawthorne is not drawing direct parallels from the Puritans to a contemporary group; rather, he is examining his ancestors and their beliefs. The fact the Puritans played a key role in early American history cannot be denied, but what role they still play is up for debate. While I would not count the tale of Hester Prim among my favorite books, it was good to read and ponder. 
    • For an insightful (and funny) take on the Puritans and their legacy, I recommend The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell. 
  • Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
    • I consider Sinclair Lewis my favorite author, and Main Street is a big reason why. His first major novel, Main Street is his satirical take on Midwest, rural life. The main character, Carol Kennicott, seeks to remake Gopher Prairie in her own image, while the people of the town prove resistant to change. Because of the way both sides of the debate are handled, sometimes it is hard to tell (in the best of ways) who the satire is directed towards. Unlike The Great Gatsby, Main Street and Lewis’s Babbitt offer a more realistic look at life in the 1920s with its focus on the average individual. 
  • Candide by Voltaire
    • One of the most influential satires in history, Candide is Voltaire’s fast paced story of a trek across the globe in search of philosophical meaning. The book is a two-fold satire, aiming its wit at different strands of Enlightenment philosophy and the eighteenth century travel novel. The story is very short, but packed with incidents to make it seem like a full novel. It is also unique in the fact that several main characters die and come back to life on multiple occasions. I must admit, I am not as familiar with contemporary travel literature and philosophy to fully appreciate Candide. Despite this, Voltaire’s wit is still evident reading the story, and it remains a hilarious work. 
  • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
    • Easily one of Mark Twain’s best known works, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the sequel to his equally-popular Tom Sawyer. Huckleberry Finn looks at life across the Mississippi in the years after the Civil War, offering insight (often humorous, as you might imagine) into that slice of American culture. 
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
    • Campy, overdramatic, and filled with wit, The Picture of Dorian Gray is exactly what one would expect from Oscar Wilde. The story is an exploration of pleasure and Victorian society, revolving around the young aristocrat Dorian Gray. The book is very good, but the most fascinating piece for me was the preface. In it, Wilde articulates his views on the role of art in society through several witty sentences, creating a philosophical document unlike any other. It sheds light both on Victorian mores and modern social debates. 
  • The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway
    • My review above of Hemmingway’s The Sun Also Rises is critical, in large degree because I found the book difficult to identify with. The Old Man and the Sea, easily Hemmingway’s most read work, I found much easier. The details of location are less specific, or at least less important, and the simple story of a man fighting a fish can be easily understood. There is something about the story that feels relaxed and laid back, like a summer spent on a beach, though it has its moments of action and thrill. 
  • Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
    • Heart of Darkness was influenced by Conrad’s time in the Congo, in the era it was under the control of King Leopold II of Belgium. Before reading Heart of Darkness, I had read King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild, which tells the brutal, terrifying story of the Belgians in Africa. Heart of Darkness has a reputation as a dark, gory book (it inspired Apocalypse Now), and I was prepared for the bloodiest parts of King Leopold’s Ghost to appear. Surprisingly to me, most of the terror and darkness comes from the psychological impacts, not the violence of mutilated men, women, and children. Yes, it has its moments of gore, but it feels toned down compared to reality. I would recommend Heart of Darkness to anyone studying the scramble for Africa, and I strongly encourage that it be read alongside King Leopold’s Ghost. The reading of each book is measurably enhanced by the other. 
  • Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
    • A spiritual sequel to Main Street, Babbitt turns its attention to middle class life in the big city. George Babbitt does whatever his friends and advertisements tell him to do, until one day he strikes out on his own with his own notions. Eventually, he finds this was a mistake, and reenters the fold. The first half of the novel is written like a day-in-the-life, providing a wealth of detail about Jazz Age society. While The Great Gatsby is grand and over the top, and Main Street focuses on rural life, Babbitt strikes a nice balance between the two. With its metropolis setting and focus on average life, I find it an excellent and often overlooked book. 
  • The Song of Roland
    • The Song of Roland is a Medieval epic taking place in the era of Charlemagne, focusing on the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. Like Sir Gawain, it depicts knights devoted to chivalry and honor, but is based on thoroughly real events.  Medieval poems like this are hard to understand in a modern context, as there are not many modern parallels to this chivalric verse. I feel it makes more sense to approach it like a movie “based on true events” or a real era in history – Titanic and Saving Private Ryan come to mind. It is a way of digesting and understanding the past through a dynamic, engaging story designed to fit the audience. Treating such literature like a blockbuster may seem facetious, but I think it offers a window into the minds of Medieval listeners.  
  • Edward II by Christopher Marlowe
    • Marlowe was a contemporary of William Shakespeare (often connected to odd Shakespeare authorship theories), and this play is one of Marlowe’s better known works. The story focuses on Edward II and his connection with Piers Gaveston, which is depicted here as a gay relationship. This relationship creates the background of the play, which climaxes with Edward II’s death. Groundbreaking for its day, and still controversial, Edward II is an important, and often forgotten, piece of literature. 
  • The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
    • Dorothy Parker’s one-liners, quips, and dark sense of humor made her a celebrity. This book is a collection of her writing first published for soldiers during World War II. Included are many of her hilarious poems and short stories, along with book reviews she wrote. Of the book reviews, I strongly suggest coverage of A. A. Milne’s The House at Pooh Corner, while my favorite short story included is “Interior Desecration.” 
    • For a biography of Dorothy Parker, see Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This? by Marion Meade
  • Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring
    • Before reading the text of this classic play, I watched the film version with Cary Grant. I went into the film knowing that one character believed he was Teddy Roosevelt, but not much else. It has a shocking twist hilariously done, and the film is at heart a faithful adaptation of the play. Both are very dark comedies, in a way I was not expecting. Though set in the 1940s, they are both works modern audiences can enjoy without knowledge of the time. This is largely due to the dark comedy of Arsenic and Old Lace, which does not belong to a particular time but remains timeless in its morbidity. 
    • The depiction of Teddy Roosevelt in Arsenic and Old Lace is explored in Theodore Roosevelt’s Ghost: The History and Memory of an American Icon by Michael Patrick Cullinane. 
  • It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
    • Sinclair Lewis was best known for his satires of 1920s life, but in the next decade briefly turned his attention to the threat of Facism. Published during FDR’s first term, Lewis depicted a future where FDR did not run in 1936, and instead demagogue Berzelius Windrip became President. Windrip turns America into a “Corporate State,” and soon violates the civil liberties of countless Americans. One of these individuals, Vermont editor Doremus Jessup, is the focus of the novel. It Can’t Happen Here is the start of a long tradition of novels revolving around the idea of a Fascist takeover of America, including Phillip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle and Phillip Roth’s The Plot Against America. What makes It Can’t Happen Here unique is its distinctive American villain; Buzz Windrip has all of the traits of a Rotary president. While its references to notables of the 1930s can make it a harder read, it still offers valuable insight into Americans’ concerns in its era. 
    • It Can’t Happen Here is based on the life of Huey Long. For a dual biography of Long and Father Charles Coughlin, see Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and the Great Depression by Alan Brinkley. 
  • The Unlived Life of Little Mary Ellen by Ruth McEnery Stuart
    • A very short work, this Southern Gothic tale remains relatively unknown. Though not the arbiter of culture, it is worth noting that this book does not have a Wikipedia entry. I first learned of it through Edward Ayers’ The Promise of the New South. The story is quite simple: a woman is jilted on her wedding day, causing a mental breakdown. Soon, she begins to believe that a wax doll is actually her daughter. It is a very creepy story, told using the same dialect style as Huckleberry Finn. While the dialect (and language) can make it a harder read, its creepiness still shines through more than a century later. To a certain extent, I have to wonder if it is a precursor to similarly eerie Southern Gothic tales like Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.” 
  • Lysistrata by Aristophanes
    • This classic “Battle of the Sexes” is one of the first in the genre. In the play, Lyistrata convinces the other women of Greece to withhold sex from their husbands until peace is achieved. Bawdy and filled with farce, Lysistrata was at one point illegal to mail in the United States. Plays like it are important to disproving myths of a noble, pure and chaste past. 
  • Unpublished Hamlet burlesque by Mark Twain
    • A little-known part of Twain’s work is this unpublished satire based on Hamlet. Twain’s notes end in Act II, Scene II, and this unfinished version would not be published until the 1960s. The plot, characters, and dialogue are all the same as Shakespeare, with the only revision being the addition of Basil Stockmar, a traveling book salesman attempting to sell books by subscription. It is a shame more was never completed, but it remains an odd artifact of Twain’s diverse career. 
    • For more information on the story behind the jokes, see “Book Canvassers, Mark Twain, and Hamlet’s Ghost” by Keith Arbour (The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol. 93, No. 1).
  • Grand Erratum by Jean-Baptiste Pérès
    • In this satire, directed at those wishing to disprove the existence of Jesus, Jean-Baptiste Pérès shows (quite remarkably well) that Napoleon was not a real historical figure, and instead was a French adaptation of the Greek’s Apollo myth. Completely deadpan, with thought-provoking historical analysis, the Grand Erratum is a short and unique way of looking at the ways historians view the past. 
  • Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus
    • This Greek drama was once part of a trilogy on the story of Prometheus, the Titan who brought fire to mankind. The other two plays are, sadly, lost. Prometheus Bound is also a commentary on tyranny and dictatorships, and it proved highly influential among the Romantic writers (in particular, Shelley). It is a great psychological drama that I am sure is even better when performed. 
  • The Giver by Lois Lowry
    • This dystopian novel was read for a media history discussion group I am part of. The Giver is a good example of a “young adult” book theoretically aimed for a younger audience but that seems designed for all ages (The Little Prince being another example). It presents a world that, while seemingly perfect, is really missing what makes life worth living. Insightful and impactful, The Giver is a reflection on the power of memory, history, and the challenges of life. 
  • The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
  • Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare
  • The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
  • Macbeth by William Shakespeare
  • Henry IV, Part 1 by William Shakespeare
  • The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
  • Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
  • The Tempest by William Shakespeare
  • Astyanax: An Epic Romance of Ilion, Atlantis, and Amaraca by Joseph M. Brown
    • CURRENTLY READING

Short Stories

  • “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe
  • “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe
  • “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe
  • “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe
  • “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce
  • “An Inhabitant of Carcosa” by Ambrose Bierce
  • “The Rose of Dixie” by O. Henry
  • “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
    • This story crawls under your skin. Written in the Gilded Age, its writing and story remains solidly modern. It grabs you and refuses to let go, with enough twists and turns to match the titular wallpaper. There is not much more I can say about it, largely because I believe anything said would be a spoiler. 
  • “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte
  • “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane
  • “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
    • For a similarly eerie Southern Gothic tale, see The Unlived Life of Little Mary Ellen by Ruth McEnery Stuart. 
  • “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” by Katherine Anne Porter
  •  “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty”
  • “Hills Like White Elephants” bt Ernest Hemingway
  • “To Build a Fire” by Jack London
    • Jack London is far from my favorite author, as I dislike The Call of the Wild and am apathetic about White Fang. In both of these works, the focus is on dogs, giving both the feeling London was, to borrow from Theodore Roosevelt, a “nature faker.” Here the narrative is driven by an individual in the wild, giving it in my mind much more credibility and interest. “To Build a Fire” is a story of a life-and-death struggle in the wilderness, focusing on the power of Mother Nature. Here nature is indifferent to man’s sufferings, and the bleak, snowy wilderness of Alaska is highlighted here in sharp detail. While short, it is a riveting story. 
  • Selected Works of Jorge Luis Borges
    • The Aleph and Other Stories
    • “The Approach to Al-Mu’tasim”
    • “Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote”
    • “The Library of Babel”
  • “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber

Poetry

  • “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe
  • “The Bells” by Edgar Allen Poe
  • “Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
  • “The Lady of Shalott” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
  • “Sir John Franklin” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
    • This poem is an epitaph for Sir John Franklin, who went missing in the arctic in 1845. 
    • For a history of the Franklin Expedition, see Erebus: One Ship, Two Epic Voyages, and the Greatest Naval Mystery of All Time by Michael Palin. 
  • “If-” by Rudyard Kipling
  • “The Tyger” by William Blake
  • The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam 
    • The Rubaiyat is strongly connected to Western (specifically Victorian) orientalism, the treating of the Middle East as an exotic object of fantasy. These poems were first translated by Edward Fitzgerald in 1859, though there are many who doubt if they are translations at all. Some argue they are inventions, like Macpherson’s Ossian, while others find them authentic pieces of Persian poetry. To a certain extent, whether or not these short poems are authentic is besides the point. What matters is that they, unlike Ossian, continue to be referenced and studied, giving it longevity and an important place in literature. 
  • “Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley
  • “His Excellency General Washington” by Phillis Wheatley 
  • “Because I could not stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson
  • “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman
  • “This Is Just To Say” by William Carlos Williams
  • “Richard Cory” by E. A. Robinson
  • “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae
  • “The Wasteland” by T. S. Eliot
  • “The Hollow Men” by T. S. Eliot
  • “Thanatopsis” by William Cullen Bryant
  • “The Conference of the Birds” by Farid ud-Din Attar (Translated by Edward Fitzgerald)
    • Referenced in Jorge Luis Borges’ “The Approach to Al-Mu’tasim”
  • “Chicago” by Carl Sandburg

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