Redneck Boy in the Promised Land: The Confessions of "Crazy Cooter"

by Ben Jones

Redneck Boy in the Promised Land is Ben Jones’s hilarious, uplifting life story of escaping the rail yards and finding success in the unlikeliest places. As a child, Jones called a dingy railroad shack with no electricity or indoor plumbing home. An unabashed Southern redneck from a "likker drinkin’, hell-raisin’" family, Jones grew up in the depressed railroad docks outside of Portsmouth, Virginia, and spent most of his days dreaming about where the tracks out of town could take him. That he would go on to become a beloved television icon on The Dukes of Hazzard and a firebrand two-term Congressman is a story that no one could have ever seen coming . . . least of all ol’ "Cooter" himself.

Written with naked honesty and wry humor, Redneck Boy in the Promised Land is one good ol’ boy’s remarkable tale of falling flat on his face, picking himself up, and finding his way to the American dream-while fighting for civil rights, the plight of the working class, "real" Southern culture, and the rights of rednecks everywhere.

Genres: Politics, Memoir

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Ben Jones is an actor, writer, musician, and political pundit who lives with his wife, Alma Viator, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. They are the proprietors of the Cooter’s Place museums in Tennessee and the creators of DukesFest, the annual celebration of The Dukes of Hazzard.

Reviews

[Shane Birley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book the other day and I found it to be one of the best biographies I have read in a while.

I don't want to spoil this book because it is filled with a lot of great information about his life, his career, and the times we are all in.

The best line from the book (paraphrased): "...the entire Endowment for the Arts cost one half of one wing of one B2 Bomber."

Thanks, Ben for sharing your life story. I expect another volume in a few years time.

[Rachel Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a pretty weird experience to read your father's memoir. Especially since I had front row seats to a lot of what went down in the book. (e.g., I spent a lot of time in dive bars growing up). But I thought my dad was really honest, and I found his writing to be funny, revealing, and brave.

[Colleen Mertens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a celebrity autobiography for a book challenge I was doing so why not read about Cooter from the Dukes of Hazzard. He led an interesting life. I enjoyed seeing how he moved from poverty to actor to politician and how he embraces who and what he was. He doesn't make excuses for things he did and seems to be honest about his life. I enjoyed this book immensely.

[Lisa Jo]

I was on vacation with a friend in Nashville. We went to one of those big touristy gift shops so she could buy souvenirs for her family and friends. I found this book and being a book lover and a collector of signed books, I could not resist. I believe I bought this in 2009. Finally getting to it.

[Callie Palmquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

Leaned a lot about Ben Jones. It’s an eye opener to the world of a southern boy who went on to be famous

[Nic · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you were like me as a child, you watched the Dukes of Hazard religiously, so you know that Ben Jones played Cooter, Hazard's go-to guy for car repairs and loyal friend of those crazy Duke boys.

I wasn't sure I'd like the book or that it would even interest me, but I gave it a try, and I am so glad I did. Jones has a tongue-in-cheek way of describing things that is both amusing and truthful. He grew up in a time where kids had to use their imaginations for entertainment because Nintendo and Play Station didn't exist; a time where ADHD was unheard of and kids who couldn't pay attention in school didn't have a learning disability, they were just "dumb as a box of rocks;" he also came from a time when the American Dream was still a possibility - not the unicorn it is today. He worked his way up from a poor counry boy to a TV Star and a U.S. Congressman.

His book is endearing and rings with honesty and humility. I liked Ben Jones before I read this, and now I admire him. He's what my grandparents would call "good people."

[J.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to read about the early life of Ben Jones, AKA "Crazy Cooter" on THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, and how he went from hardscrabble to Hollywood to Congress. I grew up on the Dukes and this inside look into the real life of someone I used to watch on television as a kid really resonated with me. It doesn't hurt that Jones has a natural flair for storytelling and an easy way with words. His writing style made even the most difficult parts of the book readable ~ his hard-drinking days, the fights he used to get in, the times he spent in jail. I was afraid the political aspect of the book would be hard to stomach (I'm not a fan of politics), but Jones thinks along the same lines I do and that only made me like him more.

I appreciated his candor and his humor. Reading this felt like I was sitting beside him on a porch in the last light of a summer day, listening to him spin stories of his life. I recommend this to anyone interested in memoirs, not just Dukes fans.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the autobiography of Ben Jones, Cooter from The Dukes of Hazard. I found it interesting, charming, and delightful. It's a quick read of his life in WWII Portsmith, VA through his days of protesting for civil rights in the 60's to his acting and his time in politics and after. He did a lot. I liked reading of history through his eyes especially the civil rights movement and his time in the House of Representatives. He's done and seen a lot. It was also fun as he recalled his days on The Dukes of Hazard and the reunion and nostalgia of the show. I'm glad I read it.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ben Jones grew up in a railroad track home without electricity, earns fame and fortune as "Cooter" in the TV series "The Dukes of Hazard" and becomes a US Senator. Unfortunately, how he did all that just wasn't very interesting.

[Bob Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't get into it. Ben Jones has quite a story I'm sure, but after 50 pp of trying, it couldn't sustain my interest. The title may put some people off (it is not Jeff Foxworthy-esque in any sense, but closer to Andy Griffith Show!).

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to a point -- sometimes got the feeling that this is a part of his 12-step program and that he had to atone to some of the people named in the book.

[Dad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about a boy from Portsmouth VA and the lessons he learned.

[Nancyhoward · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's SO a southern childs' life and the way it was in the 60s.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a HUGE Dukes Of Hazzard fan, so I LOVE this book.