A New History of the American South - (A Ferris and Ferris Book) by W Fitzhugh Brundage (Hardcover)

About the Book

"For at least two centuries, the South's economy, politics, religion, race relations, fiction, music, foodways and more have figured prominently in nearly all facets of American life. In A New History of the American South, W. Fitzhugh Brundage joins a stellar group of accomplished historians in gracefully weaving a new narrative of Southern history from its ancient past to the present."--

Book Synopsis

For at least two centuries, the South's economy, politics, religion, race relations, fiction, music, foodways and more have figured prominently in nearly all facets of American life. In A New History of the American South, W. Fitzhugh Brundage joins a stellar group of accomplished historians in gracefully weaving a new narrative of southern history from its ancient past to the present. This groundbreaking work draws on both well-established and new currents in scholarship, among them global and Atlantic world history, histories of African diaspora, and environmental history. The volume also considers the experiences of all people of the South: Black, white, Indigenous, female, male, poor, and elite. Together, the essays compose a seamless, cogent, and engaging work that can be read cover to cover or sampled at leisure.

Contributors are Peter A. Coclanis, Gregory P. Downs, Laura F. Edwards, Robbie Ethridge, Kari Frederickson, Paul Harvey, Kenneth R. Janken, Martha S. Jones, Blair L. M. Kelley, Kate Masur, Michael A. McDonnell, Scott Reynolds Nelson, James D. Rice, Natalie J. Ring, and Jon F. Sensbach.

Review Quotes

"Nuanced and scholarly. . . . A New History of the American South is certain to provide valuable insights for scholarly audiences. . . . I hope the book reaches the wider public audience it deserves, especially in this fraught historical moment."--Journal of African American History

"A New History of the American South will appeal to readers of history, professional historians, and educators. . . . This collection is a valuable addition to the historiography of the American South, focusing on past interpretations and showing changes and new approaches over time."--Journal of the Civil War Era

"A blockbuster collection [that] excels at puncturing [the many caricatures of the South] . . . . the South that emerges from A New History of the American South is fresh and exciting in its unfamiliarity."--Scott W. Stern, The New Republic

"A highly original, landmark work."--Journal of American History

"A multifaceted narrative of the Southern United States, from histories of the African diaspora and Indigenous Americans to cultural, economic and environmental trends."--New York Times Book Review

"An important book for anyone interested in Southern history. . . . The book's contributors brilliantly integrate the contents of their separate chapters, each on a distinct era, into a taut, analytical narrative. Throughout, their voices and styles cohere in striking fashion. . . . To learn of the South's past as it is viewed today by leading historians, this is the book to read."--Kirkus Reviews (STARRED review)

"The open-ended nature of these . . . essays reveals one important fact: we have not yet come to the end of southern history. . . . Not only have [the authors] provided us with a powerful new overview of the southern past (and a great bibliography, too!), but they have also reminded us that it is a history worth telling."--Journal of Southern History

"The thought-provoking and expert essays of represent expansive views of Southern history--beyond the period-focused notions of the region that often appear in history and literature. . . . Drawing parallels between the past and present, [these essays] eschew easy narratives to capture the contradictions of Southern life."--Foreword Reviews

"This ambitious, collaborative narrative immerses readers in histories of the South's diverse inhabitants. . . . What emerges is a multi-cultural, complex view of the South as ever-changing and interconnected: regionally, nationally, and internationally."--North Carolina Historical Review

About the Author

W. Fitzhugh Brundage is the William Umstead Distinguished Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Laura F. Edwards is the Class of 1921 Bicentennial Professor in the History of American Law and Liberty at Princeton University. Jon F. Sensbach is professor of history and chair of the Department of History at the University of Florida.