★ Reviews of books about Alabama

Books to read if you're planning a vacation in "Alabama", sorted by average review score:

Stories of Scottsboro

Published in Hardcover by Pantheon Books (March, 1994)

Author: James Goodman

Average review score:

A forgotten embarassment

One of the more controversial events of the 1930's took place near Paint Rock, Alabama when nine Negro youths were arrested for the rape of two white women on a freight train. The nine were quickly tried and found guilty. Before the death penalty could be administered, appeals were filed with the aid of the US Communist Party. Thence ensued a lengthy series of trials and appeals that lasted from 1931 until well into the forties. It was a legal battle between White and Black as well as North and South with the battlefield always under the control of the White Southerners. Today it is an incident lergely forgotten by succeeding generations. Yet it is an excellent example of the the state of race relations in the South (not that there are too many surprises there), the role of moderate judges in reconciling racial injustice, the influence of the Communist/Socialist Parties in the 1930's as well as a number of other splinter stories. Therein lies the excellence of this book.

The author attempts to relate the story of the "Scottsboro Boys" through various perspectives without really indicating a particular bias. As the story goes on these perspectives seem to roll into one but even that one perspective takes a middle road approach to the story. For example, we are told of all the difficulties that the main characters suffer while imprisoned. Simultaneously we are made to understand that these same characters have serious flaws of their own.

The book follows the story of all the principals from their entry into the story until their death. There were few successes to come out of this event and the author lets us see the failures of the "Scottsboro Boys" as they each eventually realized their freedom.

This is an extremely readable work of non-fiction. It may seem occasionally that the story is stuck at one particular point but it generally moves along, giving the reader a rare insight into a very American event in history.

Amazing book!!

I started reading this book with very little knowledge about the Scottsboro incident. This book does an amazing job of portraying the different sides to this tragic story. The chapters are short enough for those of us with short attention spans. However, each chapter grips you with why those particular people feel and think the way they do.
A must read if you want to know what really happened, and more importantly why it happened.

Wow.

I had to read this for a school assignment and wasn't particularly looking forward to it, but I am so glad I did. This book is amazing. It chronicles the famous Scottsboro trial, from the initial incident all the way through to many years after the trial. The book is written very convincingly in that it tries to present the different perspectives of relevant parties/persons. This made me feel like Goodman wasn't trying to push his own agenda but was instead simply presenting as best he could an accurate historical account of the facts surrounding Scottsboro. The book itself is written like a story, but you can tell from its presentation that the "story" was very historically driven and all facts mentioned were well-documented. A fascinating account of Scottsboro. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about it. I'm not sure a better resource exists on this topic.

From Generation To Generation: A Temple Emanu-El Cookbook, Birmingham, Alabama

Published in Hardcover by FRP (01 January, 2003)

Authors: Sherron Goldstein and Lynne Cohen

Average review score:

Recipes can (and often are) timeless culinary messages

Recipes can (and often are) timeless culinary messages of family meal-time bonding as well as community-oriented celebatory traditions. From Generation To Generation is a perfect example of this. From Hot Artichoke Dip; Brandied Cranberries; and Honey Ritz Chicken; to Apricot Pound Cake; Ice Cream Strudel; and Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls, From Generation To Generation offers up recipes that would grace any table and satisfy any appetite!

A Must-Have Cookbook!

This is the rare cookbook that is as much fun to read as it is to cook from. The stories that accompany the recipes give each one special depth and flavor. And readers are certain to love the combination of traditional Jewish recipes with Southern cooking! I just received my copy, and I'm already hungry for more!

Excellent Cookbook

Southerners just know how to cook! Within each community in the South, there are signature dishes specific to individuals and cherished by family and friends. In the newly released cookbook, FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION, the authors have gathered the signature recipes from members of Temple Emanu-El, in Birmingham, Alabama. Recipes range from "Grandma's Chicken Soup" to "Smoked Salmon and Dill Quesadillas" and all of the traditional Holiday and Passover dishes. The desserts are "to die for", including a cookie aptly named, "To Die For Cookies", "Molten Chocolate Cake", and "Grandma Bresler Brownies". Many of the recipes are named in honor of the Mother, Grandmother or Aunt, whose name was synonymous with the dish. These are the recipes of families, the recipes of sharing, the recipes of remembrance, and the recipes made with love. As a collector of "local cookbooks" from across the country, I found this hardback cookbook to be well researched and beautifully designed. I also found the recipes to be exceptional. Highly recommended!

St. Elmo (The Library of Alabama Classics)

Published in Paperback by Univ. of Alabama Press (April, 1992)

Authors: Augusta Jane Evans and Diane Roberts

Average review score:

Classic Victorian Novel

This classic Victorian novel popular in its time is a fine example of descriptive writing at its best. It will entertain as well as educate the most prolific of readers with references to world-wide geographic locations, foreign phraseology, and descriptive paragraphs that are refreshing different to 21st century reading. A tale of romance and intrigue woven with Christian morality will delight the reader into imagining themselves present in an era now passed. I can see why it was a favorite of my grandmother and will remain a favorite with me.

St. Elmo's rise to a state of enlightenment

Although the book chronicles the life of Edna Earl from childhood into adult life, it was titled, 'St. Elmo.' Edna Earl maintained a very high sense of morality, and strongly valued her belief system and her integrity. It was this sense of morality, expressed through her confident personality, that resulted in the eventual 'spiritual reawakening' of St. Elmo Murray. St. Elmo was truly 'born again' as a man and as a spiritual being. His turnaround from an angry, misanthropic individual into an enlightened individual was remarkable. It was Edna Earl who triggered this awakening in him. Therefore, naming the book 'St. Elmo' was a testament his receiving of grace. Agusta Jane Evans was an outstanding writer, as good as any whose books I have ever read.

A magnificent book

I have read this book threetimes. The first was when I was a teenager no more than l4 years. I read it again soon after I was married at twehty three. The first two times were borrowed books - I then found it still in print so I finally bought my own copy. I treasure it and probably will read it again for the fourth time. It is the greatest book I have ever owned not counting the Bible.

Ray

Published in Paperback by Penguin USA (Paper) (October, 1987)

Author: Barry Hannah

Average review score:

Hannah's best novel

Barry Hannah is the kind of writer people either love or hate; he doesn't leave a lot of middle ground. But "Ray" is a novel that should have wide appeal--it's clever, insightful, original, and quick. (Even those who won't like won't be able to say that it wasted a lot of their time.)

This was the second work of Hannah's that I ever read (the first was "Airships"), and it made me a fan for life.

a joy

Near the end of "Ray," Mr. Hooch is "beating [up] Shakespeare" with his poetry. Hannah doesn't beat up Shakespeare, but he musters up a fierce, admirable assault: "Sabers, gentlemen, sabers!" The novel isn't perfect -- it isn't Shakespeare -- but the writing is so alive, so strong, that it feels right filthy to root in the muck for a word of criticism. "Ray" is music.

Uncanny

I just read Ray last night, it took maybe 2, maybe 3 hours (I wasn't exactly timing myself). I didn't put the book down or stop reading except to read particular passages out loud to my girlfriend. Anyway, fun, bizaare, wise. Sometimes the flashbacks were a little "Slaughter House Five"ish, but the writing is clearly above Vonnegut in terms of inventiveness and restraint. Hannah knows when to stop writing and let what he has left on the page open up entire new worlds, as opposed to explaining himself and narrowing the possibilities. The narrator, Ray, refers to himself often in the third person, like many athletes such as Rickey Henderson do ("Ricky be Ricky" "Ray comes from a good Christian family, I say"). Great read. Not quite O'Connor or Faulkner, but maybe as close as we're getting right now. Made me excited about fiction and the English language.

Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South

Published in Paperback by Louisiana State University Press (October, 1979)

Author: Dan T. Carter

Average review score:

Bancroft Prize Winner Delivers!

Does "Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South" need any more 5-star reviews to convince readers that it may just be the best historical account of an American tragedy ever written? More than seventy years have passed since nine blacks were wrongfully accused of raping two white women on board an Alabama freight train and the event still rings in the ears as if it happened yesterday. Professor Dan T. Carter has remained the preeminent expert on the Scottsboro case for more than thirty years and his extensive research is evident in this book. Never dry or dull, Professor Carter guides the reader through a harrowing story that must be read to be believed. If you're not familiar with the Scottsboro case and its important role in American and more essentially pre-Civil Rights history, this should be the first book on your list. I also recommend James Goodman's superbly written "Stories of Scottsboro" and Quentin Reynolds' "Courtroom," the biography of Scottsboro defense attorney Samuel S. Leibowitz.

Detailed, Engaging, Amazing

I love reading history books, especially when they read like a novel. Carter has produced a detailed account of this nearly forgotten episode in American History and he has done it with so much energy that one can not help but be swept up in his telling of the story. He traces the episode from its hobo origins. A freight train that carried two women and several black young men was stopped. The women, when taken from the train accused all the black men of rape and from here the stories of these rail riders takes off. Working with facinating material, the segregation of the deep South, the idea of a woman's honor, the Communist and NAACP rivalry over the case, the Jewish NYer who comes to represent the boys, the racist judges and the status quo governor and the one judge who martyrs his carreer to stand up for what he believes is right,Carter shows that the tale of Scottsboro is stranger than fiction. Not only is the story itself excellent, but Carter also brings the story up to date. For anyone interested in this time period, this is a must read!

Meticulous, Ruthless in Seach of Truth, Searing, and Scary.

Dan Carter has done a superb job in this study of the miscarriage of justice that took place in the Alabama of the 1930's. His picture is so complete and enlightening and he has attacked all the issues from all sides. If you want to get a very different picture of the atrocities capable in the U.S. of the 20th Century, read this book. I could say so much more.....

A Tribe of Warrior Women: Breast Cancer Survivors

Published in Hardcover by Crane Hill Publishers (June, 2003)

Authors: Melissa Springer and Marcia Ann Gillespie

Average review score:

Buy this book

I know many of the women in this book. They are, or were, indeed warrior women. I have reassessed my opinion of the tenacity of the human spirit after knowing them. Springer catches the essence of these women in her inimitable way.

greatest book ever

This is the best book I have ever read. It is not only beautiful but also wonderfully written. I suggest this book for anyone battling cancer.

A very inspiring book!

This book is one of the most beautiful and inspiring books that I have read. The photography is spectacular!!! If you know someone who has just been diagnosed with Breast Cancer, give this book to them. It will give them hope for the future and help them realize that they are not alone.

All God's Dangers

Published in Paperback by Vintage Books (April, 1901)

Authors: Theodore Rosengarten and Nate Shaw

Average review score:

The Real Nate.

Nate Shaw was the father of my Uncle Oscar Turner's best friend. His real name was Nate Cobb and the family of the son, Lorraine, is prominent in the Middletown, Ohio ghetto.

The author has done a masterful job of illustrating how greatness was thrust upon him. Nate never set out to become a hero, only to protect his own dignity and provide for his children.

I do not believe that there is a better book for teaching about the lies of 20th century sharecroppers. Theirs is an overlooked legacy.

Just looking for help with a book report

I am hoping that by entering a review here, I can see other reviews that I can use to write a book review on this title. Its due tomorrow! Yikes!

A Natural For Oprah's Book Club

Ted Rosengarten is a masterful writer. All God's Dangers is an amazing undertaking that brings Nate Shaw's story to life. After a few pages, it's almost as if you can hear Nate talking. A must read for anyone interested in history and anyone who wants to learn how a book should be written. And Rosengarten's Tombee, if it can be found, is another must read.

Rosa Parks (Penguin Lives)

Published in Hardcover by Viking Press (01 June, 2000)

Author: Douglas Brinkley

Average review score:

Satisfying and Inspirational

This biography of Rosa Parks presents a very well balanced, fair description of its subject. Regrettably, as with Martin Luther King Jr., social activists and historians have all too often exalted the heroes of the Civil Rights movement beyond the bounds of human existence. This deification is both degrading and unfair, as it not only deprives our heroes of the right to live - and die - as normal human beings, but it also places many of them out of reach - discouraging many to whom them would otherwise serve as excellent role models.

In refreshing contrast to that destructive tendency, this book does an excellent job of peeling back the aura around Rosa Parks and depicting her as the simple, virtuous woman that she is. Brinkley's depiction of her is refreshingly human and honest, and he does a magnificent job of describing her in the simple, straightforward way that so characterizes her.

Also worthy of note is Brinkley's willingness to include so many of Rosa Park's circle of acquaintances in his narrative. From her hard-drinking yet loyal husband to people who have met her only briefly, he touches on their influences on her life, their reaction to her, and what they all mean within the greater scope of her place in our history and society.

Regrettably, whites - with a few notable exceptions - are seen as oppressive, racist boors with a permanent vendetta. Even at that time, that was not true.

Overall, this book is an excellent, enjoyable, and enlightening read - and one that does refreshing justice to the woman and warrior that Rosa Parks is.

Vivid Portrait of an American Heroine

Written with an eloquence and grace more often associated with poets than with academic historians, Douglas Brinkley's biography of Rosa Parks (part of the highly-touted Viking 'Penguin Lives' Series) is a moving portrait of an iconic American figure. 'Rosa Parks' relates not only the climactic moment of Ms. Parks' courageous refusal to relinquish her seat on a segregated bus one winter day in Montgomery Alabama, which triggered one of the seminal events of the Civil Rights Movement, it also weaves together a compelling narrative of one woman's path from the struggles of her youth in Tuskegee, Alabama to her post-boycott experiences in Montgomery and Detroit. Brinkley's research for the book is remarkable. He obtained rare interviews with Ms. Parks herself, and presents illuminating new details about her life and the Civil Rights Movement of which she was a part. Brinkley's depiction of Ms. Parks' encounter with Nelson Mandela alone will move even the most jaded of readers. Intended for lay readers while invaluable for scholars, Brinkley's exquisite literary craftsmanship has resulted in a work that will stand as a classic, not only in the fields of African-American and women's history, but among the great works of American history and biography as a whole.

UNAPPRECIATED ACTIVIST

Rosa Parks is a name we should know. As an icon of the civil rights movement, her legendary refusal to give up her seat on the segregated bus started one of the greatest revolutions since the Civil War. Many of us a familiar with this non-assuming woman who was the catalyst in inspiring the careers of Martin Luther King, Jr. and other famous civil rights activists.

We are comfortable with the image of the mild mannered Christian woman who always stayed in the background. Ah, but just how much do we really know about Rosa Parks except for the myth created? Are we really appreciative and aware of this woman who has been ignored only to be thought of again when politically expedient for others? Douglas Brinkley, in this short concise biography, removes the shroud of obscurity and myth about Rosa Parks. For the first time we are shown that the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement" was more militant than we suspect. A highly intelligent and organized person, Mrs. Parks was an activist long before her famous bus ride and was very informed about what was going on in the movement locally as well as globally.

The Rosa Parks presented in this text had a great aura of spirituality, strength and dignity that exuded calm during a period of unrest. Misunderstood by her peers and her friends Rosa Parks emerged as the underlying spirit that enabled the movement to begin its course of action.

We learn about the Rosa Parks who was a quiet young woman but had a fierce anger against injustice. She stayed an activist throughout her life inspite of the personal hardships in her marriage and with her mother.She is a woman of great spiritual strength and power. Brinkley presents us with a portrait of a woman that we never knew and have come to rediscover.

Memoirs of Service Afloat During the War Between the States

Published in Paperback by Louisiana State University Press (May, 1996)

Authors: Raphael, Admiral Semmes and John M. Taylor

Average review score:

A REAL MAN!

The only bad thing I can say about this book is that on a very few occasions Semmes tends to get into some scholarly explanations about natural phenomena that, while interesting, slow the pace of the reading some.

Otherwise, Semmes tells of his adventures on the high seas with clarity and wit. The book's first few chapters give his legally sound (Semmes was also a lawyer) justifications of the Southern case for secession and his participation in the preparation for equipping a navy from practically nothing.

The Alabama's defeat of the iron-plated USS Hatteras and the final battle with the USS Kearsarge are there in detail in addition to the tale of her very successful commerce raiding upon the civilian commerce of the North.

Contrary to the rabid Northern newspapers of the time, Semmes reveals himself and his officers to be the gentlemanly knights of the high seas in stark contrast to the conniving Federal consuls who, in nearly every port, attempted to foil the Confederate sailors' coaling and supplying of the ship despite international maritime law that allowed it.

Semmes most effectively fought the mercantile world empire of the Union, all the while working within the confines of maritime law. (The few actions of his that were officially disputed were eventually settled in his favour.) This, again, is in contrast to the Federal navy that, under Welles' and Seward's leadership, played the bully and ignored international law when it was inconvenient.

The CSS Alabama (along with a few other CS ships) virtually shut down the US merchant marine -- a blow from which it never fully recovered. His fight with the Kearsarge proved to be the last best use of a ship that was otherwise bound to be blockaded in port by the Federal navy (that proved itself remarkably inept, apparently cowardly, and negligent in its mission to stop Semmes).

A brilliant piece

In another life Semmes might have been a poet or artist. Circumstances forced him to become the greatest seaman in the 19th century. I have read from an independant source that Kaiser Wilhelm insisted his high ranking officers read this book in preperation for the First World War. The Norths hypocracy is shameful. This book is by far the greatest review written by anyone on either side of the war. Sadly political correctness has kept Semmes greatness buried at this point.

Excellent insight into the thoughts of a naval hero.

I found this book to be a refreshing insight into the exploits of one of the most interesting naval men of his era. Semmes comes across as a man that prizes duty to his beliefs as the soul motivation to his actions. This dispels any of the myth that he was a pirate as often historicaly believed.While many pages are devoted to navigation and tidal patterns,which can be a bit boring to the non-seaman, the book is excellent overall.

Survival: The Will and the Way

Published in Hardcover by Vantage Press (March, 1999)

Author: Penny Young

Average review score:

A great book

Survival The Will and The Way is a great book. I enjoyed it very much. I am a very picky reader and I need a book that will keep my attention. This book did just that. Every time I tried to put it down, I found myself picking it right back up to read some more. Reading about this family makes me realize how wonderful life is. Although they seemed to have it rough, they seemingly endured because of their love and togetherness. I felt for the family. The father was a bit too cruel for my taste, but it appears, however, that because of the way that the children were raised, they were better and more well behaved than many of today's children. - There was so much going on near the end, and it was so sad, I can hardly wait for the next book so that I can see what happened to everyone. (I hope that there is another one) Don't leave me hanging!

One of the most visual and descriptive books I 've read.

This is one of the best books I have read on Black life growing up in the 1950's and 1960's. It was a time of hard work and discipline for our parents as well as us. We had to learn to do without and work with what you had and be grateful for that, not like the kids of today. We all need to read this book, if not for the memories, for the kids to know what others had to go through to get where they are today and that hard work pays off. We were taught to respect each other and other people's property. It brought back many, many memories as I am an African-American as well. The way the author writes it's like you're right in the room with the family or involved in whatever situation was going on. I was brought up in the city, but my father was from down south, Texas, and he raised us the same way. It is a book for all ages, especially youngsters to see how it was back then, a real story of African-American History as well as being entertaining. A Must Read.

This book took me there!

Like the author, I too was born in Alabama. Although I did not live with the conditions such as the ones that she describes in her book, I have had the opportunity to visit places like the one where she and her family lived. As I read Survival The Will and The Way, it took me home again. I could almost see the clothes hanging all around on wash day. I actually squirmed when the snake was fished from the water. For the most part, I felt as though I was there during each adventure. This book is very well written.

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