Southern Water, Southern Power - by Christopher J Manganiello (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Why has the American South--a place with abundant rainfall--become embroiled in intrastate wars over water? Why did unpredictable flooding come to characterize southern waterways, and how did a region that seemed so rich in this all-important resource become derailed by drought and the regional squabbling that has tormented the arid American West? To answer these questions, policy expert and historian Christopher Manganiello moves beyond the well-known accounts of flooding in the Mississippi Valley and irrigation in the West to reveal the contested history of southern water. From the New South to the Sun Belt eras, private corporations, public utilities, and political actors made a region-defining trade-off: The South would have cheap energy, but it would be accompanied by persistent water insecurity. Manganiello's compelling environmental history recounts stories of the people and institutions that shaped this exchange and reveals how the use of water and power in the South has been challenged by competition, customers, constituents, and above all, nature itself.

Review Quotes

A fascinating and well-wrought examination of the relationship between water resources and electricity, drought, state versus private control of water, and even race. . . . Well worth your time.--AAG Review of Books

A highly satisfying volume that is an important contribution to southern water politics and environmental history.--Agricultural History

A strength of Manganiello's analysis lies in his ability to illustrate how the region's political and economic climate shaped the fate of the Piedmont river system. . . . Brings the growing field of southern environmental history more directly into conversation with southern history in general.--North Carolina Historical Review

A thought-provoking history of energy and water politics.--Southern Spaces

A worthwhile read and a valuable contribution to the literature of water and the America[n] South.--Journal of Historical Geography

An excellent book that makes an important contribution to southern environmental history and the history of water in the U.S.--American Historical Review

Explores the connections between water management and energy production in the American South.--Journal of American History

Masterfully researched. . . . A fantastic addition to not only the topic of water in the south, but also environmental history in general.--On the Brink

Provides insights into the nature of political and economic power. . . . Will draw much-needed attention to the history of the southern environment.--Journal of Southern History

With this well-researched study, environmental historian Manganiello makes a valuable contribution to both environmental history and the history of southern industrialization.--CHOICE