The American South: A History, Volume I

by William J. Cooper Jr., Thomas E. Terrill

In The American South, the authors demonstrate their belief that it is impossible to divorce the history of the south from the history of the United States. Their analysis underscores the complex interaction between the South as a distinct region and the South as an inescapable part of the United States. They show how the resulting tension has often propelled section and nation toward collision. In supporting their thesis, the authors draw on the tremendous amount of profoundly new scholarship in Southern history. There is a substantial bibliographic essay which will provide the reader with a guide to literature on the history of the South.

Genres: History, American Civil War, Nonfiction

812 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 1991

About the author

WILLIAM J. COOPER, JR., is Boyd Professor of History at Louisiana State University and a past president of the Southern Historical Association. He was born in Kingstree, South Carolina, and received his AB from Princeton and his PhD from the Johns Hopkins University. He has been a member of the LSU faculty since 1980 and is the author of The Conservative Regime: South Carolina, 1877-1890; The South and the Politics of Slavery, 1816-1856; Liberty and Slavery: Southern Politics to 1860; Jefferson Davis, American; and coauthor of The American South: A History. He lives in Baton Rouge.

Reviews

[Jewels · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike some of the other texts that I have read concerning this subject, this one seems to be quite impartial on the part of the writers. Most, when coming to the era of the Civil War will swing heavily towards one side or the other, but I wasn't seeing that in this volume. It provided an introspective look at the South without being overly heavy handed on statistics.

[Kiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not finish. This will make an OK reference book. But it was not the rich storehouse of knowledge I was hoping for.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fair and fairly comprehensive but readable textbook. Old South class for license.

[Peter Hillen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the best textbook I've ever read.