Atlanta Icons - by James Wheeler (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Atlanta's Story Told Through Its Most Influential People

From early builders like L.P. Grant and Richard Peters, who laid the foundation of the railroad city, to civil rights champions Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Congressman John Lewis, many towering figures shaped Atlanta into the South's greatest metropolis.

Meet Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler, author Joel Chandler Harris, and visionary Mayor Maynard Jackson, alongside cultural icons like Tyler Perry, Hank Aaron, and Julia Roberts. Each chapter uncovers the unique stories, struggles, and triumphs that helped Atlanta rise from the ashes of war to become a center of commerce, culture, and change.

Author and Atlantan Jim Wheeler brings together the lives of politicians, business leaders, artists, and activists whose legacies continue to define the city. Rich in biography, hidden history, and Southern heritage, this book is a celebration of the people who made Atlanta the capital of the New South.

Review Quotes

Atlanta's Most Iconic Sons and Daughters

About the Author

James Wheeler is a prominent Atlanta attorney, starting his law practice in Atlanta in 1990. Mr. Wheeler has served as a partner in some of Atlanta's largest and most respected law firms, practicing law in Atlanta for over 35 years. Among other community service in Atlanta, he has served for The Piedmont Park Conservancy and The Ansley Golf Club and is a current and long-standing Board member of the Georgia Bankers Association Bank Counsel Section. He lives in Atlanta and is the proud father of two grown children, both of whom attended Westminster.