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Atlanta Rising: The Invention of an International City 1946-1996
For visitors and recent arrivals, Atlanta Rising, will serve as the essential primer on the ins and outs of the South's capital city. For natives, the book offers up a rich menu of surprising new facts and fresh insights about their own hometown.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
9 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Frederick Allen
4 books1 followerFrederick Allen was an award-winning reporter and political columnist with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1972 to 1987, when he joined CNN as chief analyst and commentator covering the 1988 presidential contest. His essays for the program Inside Politics earned CNN a Cable Ace Award, and Allen was cited as best political analyst by the editors of The Hotline. Allen was a founding panelist on the Georgia Gang, a public affairs show on Atlanta television since 1982.
He is the author of four books. His history of the Coca-Cola Company, Secret Formula, was published by HarperCollins in 1994 and has been translated into seven languages. Atlanta Rising, a history of modern Atlanta, was published by Longstreet in 1996 and is taught at several colleges. A Decent, Orderly Lynching, Allen's account of the vigilantes of Montana, was published in 2004 by University of Oklahoma Press. His research into vigilante symbolism was cited by the Western History Association. Reckoning with Race is a firsthand account of race relations in America, a collection of eighteen essays exploring his ongoing efforts to understand the struggle of black and white Americans to navigate a shared history.
Allen graduated from Phillips Academy (Andover) and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He and his wife, Linda, live in Atlanta and Cashiers, North Carolina.
He is the author of four books. His history of the Coca-Cola Company, Secret Formula, was published by HarperCollins in 1994 and has been translated into seven languages. Atlanta Rising, a history of modern Atlanta, was published by Longstreet in 1996 and is taught at several colleges. A Decent, Orderly Lynching, Allen's account of the vigilantes of Montana, was published in 2004 by University of Oklahoma Press. His research into vigilante symbolism was cited by the Western History Association. Reckoning with Race is a firsthand account of race relations in America, a collection of eighteen essays exploring his ongoing efforts to understand the struggle of black and white Americans to navigate a shared history.
Allen graduated from Phillips Academy (Andover) and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He and his wife, Linda, live in Atlanta and Cashiers, North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 18, 2024
Growing up near Atlanta I always took for granted just how remarkable its history was. I thought it was normal to grow up near a big city and have access to 3 major sports teams and an abundance of places to visit. It wasn't until I got to college that I realized some people from other parts of Georgia had only been to a Braves game once or twice in their life! Fast forward to today where a lot of people have come here from all over the country. Rarely do I meet someone that lives in Atlanta that also grew up here. It's a privilege to grow up near such meaningful place but all this time I didn't know much about it, sadly. This book helped me understand the rise to prominence Atlanta had between 1946-1996, right before the start of the Olympic Games.
In the early days, many US cities gained economic momentum because of their position near the coast. Not true for Atlanta. Sitting on the first level stretch of ground south of the Appalachians, the city became a hub for the railroad cars that clacked back and forth from the Tennessee Valley to the seaports of the Atlantic coast, trading crops for finished goods. Atlanta started out as a railroad town. (Why MARTA is so unappealing we'll get to)
The author describes Atlanta's history as "a tale of clever, ambitious men and women who exploited their natural advantages while leaders in other Southern cities failed to do so." That's dead on. This book showed me the power local politics has in shaping the future of any city. The mayors get all the love when it comes to the rise Atlanta. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport? Bill Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. Andrew Young International Blvd near Centennial Olympic Park? Mayor. Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd near Peachtree Street? MAYOR!!!! If you have any ties to Atlanta at all, pay attention to who is mayor. This city has had some profound ones in its time that have helped nurture the city into what it is today. It's got a world-class airport; it's got world-class strip clubs (I hear). Why? Because of Bill Hartsfield. A man who had a vision that Atlanta could become a regional superstar with a proper airfield since it sat at the dead center between 8 states of the Southeast. A man who also wasn't an idiot when it came to staying elected. He understood that voters liked to drink and gamble and that visiting businessmen would be pleased with these vices too when they came to town. He wanted an atmosphere that was conducive to business, so he tolerated petty sins. This was a welcome change from the rest of the Baptist South and helped attract branch offices and national companies.
Very well. But can you really begin to peel back anything in Atlanta without understanding how much race influenced..... EVERYTHING. Seriously. I've always hung my hat on the idea that Atlanta was the birthplace of civil rights – but racism and racial tension was constant throughout the timespan of this book. I could argue though, ultimately, it was the friction that led to flame for this magical city. In the "separate but equal" days, the black community had a thriving business district of their own. "A secure, if secondary, place." But when the sandcastle begins to stand too tall, there's always a brat who comes to tear it down. And so it was, fear in the white community started to bubble up that the black community might become a potent political force. Tension started to heat up again, and when the landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education, the city was at a boiling point. I will say, the federal law of the land helped aid Atlanta throughout its fight with social justice. It makes me wonder how much different this country would look like if the South had won the war. Because with schools now integrated, it forced a bitter pill down the throat of the white community. A pill they did not want to swallow, which is where the term "white flight" comes from. White families leaving school districts to preserve the all-white demographic of their kids schools. But here's where I really go wow – The University of Georgia. A lot of emphasis was placed on the Atlanta schools, meanwhile UGA was fending off integration for nearly 8 years since the ruling of Brown. Universities are not like public schools. They can admit and deny people based on qualification. They got away with this for a while, until two black applicants made a convincing case that the only reason they had been denied admission was segregation, pure and simple. So a judge ordered them be admitted and on Monday, January 9th 1961 the university was desegregated. State law required the immediate cutoff of funding to any integrated school and ordered the university closed until the law could be repealed. For the Atlanta public schools, legislators would've folded their arms and allowed the doors to remain shut. But the university was different. Tampering with the University of Georgia was dangerous. The people of Georgia revered their school on the hill and treasured the college education that could lift them, or if not them, their children, out of agrarian poverty. Support for the university went deep. If that meant accepting two black undergraduates in a student body of 7,400, many alumni said so be it.
Schools were first, businesses were next. Back in Atlanta you still had white-only stores, businesses, and restaurants all denying black entry. Thankfully there was a financial godfather of the city in Robert Woodruff, the president of Coca-Cola at the time. Much like when Michael Jordan said "republicans buy sneakers too" Woodruff wasn't an idiot. It was purely bad business to not want good race relations. Which by the way was a struggle to achieve. There were some good years, some awful years. Some politicians that ran their campaign on prejudice. Some incidents and protests that followed. History is proof that just because a law is passed does not mean it takes the hate out of people's hearts overnight. Much like how the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Among it all, there was Martin Luther King, Jr. Most people know MLK Jr. lived in Atlanta much of his life. Racial tensions were on a collision course and the day he was shot in Memphis, Robert Woodruff phoned up the mayor at the time Ivan Allen and said one of the most gangster quotes in the whole book
There are pieces to the book that describe the raising of Atlanta's skyline. The dueling between John Portman and Tom Cousins, real estate developers, with grand plans for the city. Their influence in a lot of the buildings you see in downtown today. The book also had coverage on the beginnings of Lenox Mall and high-end shopping. But in the minds of most planners and developers, including Tom Cousins, the city's future would be shaped by MARTA, the rapid transit system. The theory went, MARTA stops would lure white residents into the core of downtown (since they mostly lived in northern suburbs after school integration), reducing crime and reviving the central business district. But theory and reality are oftentimes opposed. MARTA had to follow the right-of-way of old railroads (remember Atlanta began as a railroad town!) to save on condemnation costs. This claimed land that forced many small businesses to close, in fact killing what it was meant to save. Looking at a map, the black community now lived in the west, south, and east of downtown Atlanta, as if holding the central business district in a cupped hand. To the white community, it would've made sense to build the north/south rail line first so that commuters could ride downtown to work. But black voters had given MARTA its passage and they were bearing the heaviest burden of the tax that provided the system's local funding. So due to political fairness, the east and west lines were built first. And as a result, MARTA began life as a largely "black" enterprise, while white commuters remained tucked snugly inside their cars driving to and from work. Still true to this day!!!
By this time Atlanta already had all major sports franchises in the Falcons, Braves, and Hawks (all brought in in the 1960s). The city was teeming with life. The airport had been expanded on 10x over, Jimmy Carter went from Governor to President, and though MARTA had not turned out how they expected, it was bound to transform Atlanta somehow. Southern Bell executives decided to build their new headquarters in Midtown (a building that I hold dear in my heart!!! – spent 4 years in that building). It was not exactly a "peaceful" era race-wise, but there was some truth in the slogan "Atlanta is too busy to hate." This kind of expansion and growth eventually led those with political influence to vie for Atlanta to be Olympic summer games host site. Both Hartsfield Jackson International Airport and the '96 Olympic Games have a common thread. They came about because political influence wooed the people that could make a decision in their favor. Atlanta competed with Birmingham for economic impact the airport would bring in the Southeastern United States. Atlanta also competed with Athens, Greece for the '96 Olympic Games as a host site. This is an important takeaway! Wooing people, and the art of charm, is a masterful way to outlasting your competition. But just know, this will be the only time Atlanta ever gets to do it. Members of the International Olympic Committee professed surprise that it was scorching hot in Atlanta in the summer, and accused leaders of misleading them when he said the average July temperature was 79 degrees. "I didn't say what time of day," he answered innocently. 😂 The 1996 Olympic Games is often referred to as "the greatest peacetime event of the 20th century."
Atlanta's greatest glory lay in her neighborhoods, so thick with trees, that it "appears someone has nestled the city into the midst of a virgin forest." The old cliche about New York, that it is a fine place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there, could be neatly reversed and applied to Atlanta. Atlanta is a wonderful place to live, no so great to visit.
The problem with Atlanta is its perception. It does not immediately conjure up a positive mental image. Other cities were linked with popular attractions – New Orleans and jazz, New York and Broadway, San Francisco and its cable cars and Golden Gate Bridge. Atlanta does, however, have a story to tell.
There's an old Drake lyric that talks about his love for Houston when he says "man I know that place like I come from it!" Before I picked this up, I would've liked to think the same sentiment held true for me with Atlanta. But that was just not true. This book reminded me of just how special the place where I grew up and currently live truly is! I'll never leave!!!! Maybe I should study law and run for mayor??? GM whatchu think?
In the early days, many US cities gained economic momentum because of their position near the coast. Not true for Atlanta. Sitting on the first level stretch of ground south of the Appalachians, the city became a hub for the railroad cars that clacked back and forth from the Tennessee Valley to the seaports of the Atlantic coast, trading crops for finished goods. Atlanta started out as a railroad town. (Why MARTA is so unappealing we'll get to)
The author describes Atlanta's history as "a tale of clever, ambitious men and women who exploited their natural advantages while leaders in other Southern cities failed to do so." That's dead on. This book showed me the power local politics has in shaping the future of any city. The mayors get all the love when it comes to the rise Atlanta. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport? Bill Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson. Andrew Young International Blvd near Centennial Olympic Park? Mayor. Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd near Peachtree Street? MAYOR!!!! If you have any ties to Atlanta at all, pay attention to who is mayor. This city has had some profound ones in its time that have helped nurture the city into what it is today. It's got a world-class airport; it's got world-class strip clubs (I hear). Why? Because of Bill Hartsfield. A man who had a vision that Atlanta could become a regional superstar with a proper airfield since it sat at the dead center between 8 states of the Southeast. A man who also wasn't an idiot when it came to staying elected. He understood that voters liked to drink and gamble and that visiting businessmen would be pleased with these vices too when they came to town. He wanted an atmosphere that was conducive to business, so he tolerated petty sins. This was a welcome change from the rest of the Baptist South and helped attract branch offices and national companies.
Very well. But can you really begin to peel back anything in Atlanta without understanding how much race influenced..... EVERYTHING. Seriously. I've always hung my hat on the idea that Atlanta was the birthplace of civil rights – but racism and racial tension was constant throughout the timespan of this book. I could argue though, ultimately, it was the friction that led to flame for this magical city. In the "separate but equal" days, the black community had a thriving business district of their own. "A secure, if secondary, place." But when the sandcastle begins to stand too tall, there's always a brat who comes to tear it down. And so it was, fear in the white community started to bubble up that the black community might become a potent political force. Tension started to heat up again, and when the landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education, the city was at a boiling point. I will say, the federal law of the land helped aid Atlanta throughout its fight with social justice. It makes me wonder how much different this country would look like if the South had won the war. Because with schools now integrated, it forced a bitter pill down the throat of the white community. A pill they did not want to swallow, which is where the term "white flight" comes from. White families leaving school districts to preserve the all-white demographic of their kids schools. But here's where I really go wow – The University of Georgia. A lot of emphasis was placed on the Atlanta schools, meanwhile UGA was fending off integration for nearly 8 years since the ruling of Brown. Universities are not like public schools. They can admit and deny people based on qualification. They got away with this for a while, until two black applicants made a convincing case that the only reason they had been denied admission was segregation, pure and simple. So a judge ordered them be admitted and on Monday, January 9th 1961 the university was desegregated. State law required the immediate cutoff of funding to any integrated school and ordered the university closed until the law could be repealed. For the Atlanta public schools, legislators would've folded their arms and allowed the doors to remain shut. But the university was different. Tampering with the University of Georgia was dangerous. The people of Georgia revered their school on the hill and treasured the college education that could lift them, or if not them, their children, out of agrarian poverty. Support for the university went deep. If that meant accepting two black undergraduates in a student body of 7,400, many alumni said so be it.
Schools were first, businesses were next. Back in Atlanta you still had white-only stores, businesses, and restaurants all denying black entry. Thankfully there was a financial godfather of the city in Robert Woodruff, the president of Coca-Cola at the time. Much like when Michael Jordan said "republicans buy sneakers too" Woodruff wasn't an idiot. It was purely bad business to not want good race relations. Which by the way was a struggle to achieve. There were some good years, some awful years. Some politicians that ran their campaign on prejudice. Some incidents and protests that followed. History is proof that just because a law is passed does not mean it takes the hate out of people's hearts overnight. Much like how the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Among it all, there was Martin Luther King, Jr. Most people know MLK Jr. lived in Atlanta much of his life. Racial tensions were on a collision course and the day he was shot in Memphis, Robert Woodruff phoned up the mayor at the time Ivan Allen and said one of the most gangster quotes in the whole book
"Ivan, the minute they bring King's body back tomorrow – between then and the time of the funeral – Atlanta, Georgia, is going to be the center of the universe. I want you to do whatever is right and necessary, and whatever the city can't pay for will be taken care of. Just do it right."By the end of the book, Woodruff and his foundations had given $250 million to the causes of health, education and the arts in Atlanta over the years.
There are pieces to the book that describe the raising of Atlanta's skyline. The dueling between John Portman and Tom Cousins, real estate developers, with grand plans for the city. Their influence in a lot of the buildings you see in downtown today. The book also had coverage on the beginnings of Lenox Mall and high-end shopping. But in the minds of most planners and developers, including Tom Cousins, the city's future would be shaped by MARTA, the rapid transit system. The theory went, MARTA stops would lure white residents into the core of downtown (since they mostly lived in northern suburbs after school integration), reducing crime and reviving the central business district. But theory and reality are oftentimes opposed. MARTA had to follow the right-of-way of old railroads (remember Atlanta began as a railroad town!) to save on condemnation costs. This claimed land that forced many small businesses to close, in fact killing what it was meant to save. Looking at a map, the black community now lived in the west, south, and east of downtown Atlanta, as if holding the central business district in a cupped hand. To the white community, it would've made sense to build the north/south rail line first so that commuters could ride downtown to work. But black voters had given MARTA its passage and they were bearing the heaviest burden of the tax that provided the system's local funding. So due to political fairness, the east and west lines were built first. And as a result, MARTA began life as a largely "black" enterprise, while white commuters remained tucked snugly inside their cars driving to and from work. Still true to this day!!!
By this time Atlanta already had all major sports franchises in the Falcons, Braves, and Hawks (all brought in in the 1960s). The city was teeming with life. The airport had been expanded on 10x over, Jimmy Carter went from Governor to President, and though MARTA had not turned out how they expected, it was bound to transform Atlanta somehow. Southern Bell executives decided to build their new headquarters in Midtown (a building that I hold dear in my heart!!! – spent 4 years in that building). It was not exactly a "peaceful" era race-wise, but there was some truth in the slogan "Atlanta is too busy to hate." This kind of expansion and growth eventually led those with political influence to vie for Atlanta to be Olympic summer games host site. Both Hartsfield Jackson International Airport and the '96 Olympic Games have a common thread. They came about because political influence wooed the people that could make a decision in their favor. Atlanta competed with Birmingham for economic impact the airport would bring in the Southeastern United States. Atlanta also competed with Athens, Greece for the '96 Olympic Games as a host site. This is an important takeaway! Wooing people, and the art of charm, is a masterful way to outlasting your competition. But just know, this will be the only time Atlanta ever gets to do it. Members of the International Olympic Committee professed surprise that it was scorching hot in Atlanta in the summer, and accused leaders of misleading them when he said the average July temperature was 79 degrees. "I didn't say what time of day," he answered innocently. 😂 The 1996 Olympic Games is often referred to as "the greatest peacetime event of the 20th century."
Atlanta's greatest glory lay in her neighborhoods, so thick with trees, that it "appears someone has nestled the city into the midst of a virgin forest." The old cliche about New York, that it is a fine place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there, could be neatly reversed and applied to Atlanta. Atlanta is a wonderful place to live, no so great to visit.
The problem with Atlanta is its perception. It does not immediately conjure up a positive mental image. Other cities were linked with popular attractions – New Orleans and jazz, New York and Broadway, San Francisco and its cable cars and Golden Gate Bridge. Atlanta does, however, have a story to tell.
There's an old Drake lyric that talks about his love for Houston when he says "man I know that place like I come from it!" Before I picked this up, I would've liked to think the same sentiment held true for me with Atlanta. But that was just not true. This book reminded me of just how special the place where I grew up and currently live truly is! I'll never leave!!!! Maybe I should study law and run for mayor??? GM whatchu think?
October 27, 2018
Much of this book was extremely interesting to me as a long-time metropolitan Atlanta resident. It was fascinating to learn how the buildings and skyline came to be, how the superior airport (which basically made Atlanta the city it is today) was almost solely due to an Atlanta mayor with extreme foresight, how race relations developed differently in Atlanta than most other southern US cities, about the few, powerful financial giants and how much they had much to do with development, and the history of many people whose names I know because there are buildings or streets named after them. I already knew some of the city’s history but only the parts I lived through and was old enough to care about. This book did a good job portraying the whole picture of the time period covered chronologically. I was surprised that the Save the Fox campaign was not included. But, overall, I appreciated the topics included. I loved learning more about the history of the city where I’ve lived for almost 40 years. However, it was a history book, after all, and I’m not a history buff. So, it was sometimes painstaking for me to read through and took me a while to complete. It put me to sleep a few times. A good bit was about political backstabbing and underhandedness which turned me off and dirtied my opinion of some things. If you enjoy history and are interested in the city of Atlanta, I recommend it. It met my expectations of teaching me Atlanta history. The ending was rather abrupt, but I suppose that is typical with history books.
January 18, 2021
A must-read for any ATLien. As a millennial who feels though I’m only being fed the “leftovers” of Atlanta despite having lived here for a combined 16 years, and working for a real estate developer to try and retrofit these remnants, I now see the surges of progress stifled by poor enterprise judgement. Astonishing is the deepening the chasm of class ... which I argue was materialized by 400 (a roadway posthumous to this book).
Black people deserve the accolade for the eventual progress and Civic strides, particularly King and Young and the Students of HBCUs. Complementary to any social advancement is the foundational support from the elite White businessmen ... most notably, Woodruff and Hartsfield. In addition to this collaboration, it is the covert (or maybe overt?) influence that McGill had by using his media platform for clarity on all sides.
****The writing itself was largely non-partisan, and completely devoid of moral-shaming... which makes it ingestible and digestible in the onslaught of politics that attack us from all angles. I think my friends, both Democrats and Republicans would enjoy this tale of ATL.****
Black people deserve the accolade for the eventual progress and Civic strides, particularly King and Young and the Students of HBCUs. Complementary to any social advancement is the foundational support from the elite White businessmen ... most notably, Woodruff and Hartsfield. In addition to this collaboration, it is the covert (or maybe overt?) influence that McGill had by using his media platform for clarity on all sides.
****The writing itself was largely non-partisan, and completely devoid of moral-shaming... which makes it ingestible and digestible in the onslaught of politics that attack us from all angles. I think my friends, both Democrats and Republicans would enjoy this tale of ATL.****
February 28, 2018
The first half of the book covers well-traveled territory: how the white/black coalition worked together to build Atlanta’s reputation for peace and progress amidst the civil rights era. The second half takes the city’s history up to the 1996 Olympic Games. Written by an Atlanta journalist (in a similar vein as Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn, which was also published in time for the olympics) the book is largely written from the perspective of the city’s political and business elite and is focused on their successes and failures in promoting and advancing their city.
March 14, 2022
Great history of Atlanta, read very well, fun read.
March 26, 2024
A great history of modern Atlanta
As a transplant to Atlanta, I found Allen’s well-written, journalistic account pleasantly readable and eye-opening. This book is a must for anyone who lives in Atlanta and wants to understand the underlying culture and the reasons why things are the way they are. The book provides important context and insights into how to continue to move the city and the metro area forward on the national and world stage.
As a transplant to Atlanta, I found Allen’s well-written, journalistic account pleasantly readable and eye-opening. This book is a must for anyone who lives in Atlanta and wants to understand the underlying culture and the reasons why things are the way they are. The book provides important context and insights into how to continue to move the city and the metro area forward on the national and world stage.
January 26, 2025
Very interesting read and more interesting having grown up near Atlanta.
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August 29, 2009Amazon-fulfilled used book, 2009-08-29 (this'll be my second Amazon-fulfilled used purchase. It works with Amazon Prime, and the textbook I got last week was BEAUTIFUL, a literally like-new $150 book for $4 total, delivered in two days. O brave new world!).
July 22, 2011
Easy to read and informative history of Atlanta 1946-1996 - although by the end Allen was more philosophical than historical. Still, a good balanced take on the Hartsfield and Allen eras, and on the transition from white to black political leadership.
October 14, 2011
Easy and informative read for anyone interested in the history of Atlanta. Great background in particular on Hartsfield's role in securing Atlanta's prominence over Birmingham in the post WWII years when air travel was rapidly expanding.
July 26, 2008
wonderful history of Atlanta.
January 8, 2025
Invaluable history of Atlanta.
August 27, 2013
A wonderful history of a city and those who participated in its growth. Even handed and unapologetic.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews