In this engaging volume, local historian Douglas Bostick reveals the unacknowledged history of the second community in South Carolina, settled in 1671. Whether investigating prehistoric clues about Native American life before European settlement, detailing the history of agriculture and the reign of King Cotton, following armies from multiple wars or chronicling the triumph of equality on the greens of Charleston's Municipal Golf Course, Bostick tells the story of James Island as only a native son can. Join Bostick as he brings this small jewel of an island out of Charleston's shadow and into the light of its own rich, historic assets.
In Gullah Spirituals musicologist Eric Crawford traces Gullah Geechee songs from their beginnings in West Africa to their height as songs for social change and Black identity in the twentieth century American South. While much has been done to study, preserve, and interpret Gullah culture in the lowcountry and sea islands of South Carolina and Georgia, some traditions like the shouting and rowing songs have been all but forgotten. This work, which focuses primarily on South Carolina's St. Helena Island, illuminates the remarkable history, survival, and influence of spirituals since the earliest recordings in the 1860s. Grounded in an oral tradition with a dynamic and evolving character, spirituals proved equally adaptable for use during social and political unrest and in unlikely circumstances. Most notably, the island's songs were used at the turn of the century to help rally support for the United States' involvement in World War I and to calm racial tensions between black and white soldiers. In the 1960s, civil rights activists adopted spirituals as freedom songs, though many were unaware of their connection to the island. Gullah Spirituals uses fieldwork, personal recordings, and oral interviews to build upon earlier studies and includes an appendix with more than fifty transcriptions of St. Helena spirituals, many no longer performed and more than half derived from Crawford's own transcriptions. Through this work, Crawford hopes to restore the cultural memory lost to time while tracing the long arc and historical significance of the St. Helena spirituals.
The tranquility of the magnificently restored Saint Andrews Parish Church, surrounded by stately oaks and ancient gravestones, belies a tumultuous past. If its walls could talk, they would tell a story as old as the human condition. Founded in the forest of a new colony, this simple Anglican church served planters and their slaves during the heyday of rice and indigo. Before the Civil War, ministry shifted to the slaves, and afterward to freed men and women. Following years of decline and neglect, Saint Andrews rose like the phoenix. The history of the oldest surviving church south of Virginia and the only remaining colonial cruciform church in South Carolina is one of wealth and poverty, acclaim and anonymity, slavery and freedom, war and peace, quarrelling and cooperation, failure and achievement. It is the story of a church that has refused to die, against all odds.
American presidents have often pushed the boundaries established for them by the Constitution; this is the inspirational history of the people who pushed back. Imagine an American president who imprisoned critics, spread a culture of white supremacy, and tried to upend the law so that he could commit crimes with impunity. In this propulsive and eminently readable history, constitutional law and political science professor Corey Brettschneider provides a thoroughly researched account of assaults on democracy by not one such president but five. John Adams waged war on the national press of the early republic, overseeing numerous prosecutions of his critics. In the lead-up to the Civil War, James Buchanan colluded with the Supreme Court to deny constitutional personhood to African Americans. A decade later, Andrew Johnson urged violence against his political opponents as he sought to guarantee a white supremacist republic after the Civil War. In the 1910s, Woodrow Wilson modernized, popularized, and nationalized Jim Crow laws. In the 1970s, Richard Nixon committed criminal acts that flowed from his corrupt ideas about presidential power. Through their actions, these presidents illuminated the trip wires that can damage or even destroy our democracy. Corey Brettschneider shows that these presidents didn’t have the last word; citizen movements brought the United States back from the precipice by appealing to a democratic understanding of the Constitution and pressuring subsequent reform-minded presidents to realize the promise of “We the People.” This is a book about citizens—Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, Daniel Ellsberg, and more—who fought back against presidential abuses of power. Their examples give us hope about the possibilities of restoring a fragile democracy.
South of Savannah, along the picturesque and historic coastline of Georgia, lies a group of barrier islands known as the Golden Isles. This collection of coastal sea islands has attracted people--Native Americans, European settlers and vacationing sun-seekers--throughout history, for the islands' bountiful resources and appealing climate. Perhaps the brightest jewel of these islands is St. Simons Island. The History Press is proud to re-issue St. Simons Island: A Summary of its History, by local resident and historian R. Edwin Green. Mr. Green has compiled an informative volume, which highlights the unique and developing history of one of Georgia's most popular sea islands. Spanning over three hundred years of island history, Mr. Green brings to life the day-to-day toils of the Native Americans and their interaction with Spanish missionaries, the hardships faced by James Oglethorpe during the early colonial period, the rise and fall of the antebellum plantation society and the twentieth century with the start of St. Simons as a vacation and resort destination. With a keen eye for the details, which imparts the reader with a true understanding of the island's people and history, Mr. Green offers both the visitor and resident the historical foundation to enjoy all that St. Simons has to offer.
In 1916, William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) travelled to the Pacific to research his novel "The Moon and Sixpence," based on the life of Paul Gauguin. This was the first of those journeys through the late-Imperial world of the 1920s and 1930s which were to establish Maugham forever in the popular imagination as the chronicler of the last days of colonialism in India, Southeast Asia, China and the Pacific, although the books on which this reputation rests represent only a fraction of his output.---Maugham reused elements of his Pacific diaries in "The Trembling of a Leaf" (1921), which contains one of his most recognized stories, "Rain," adapted to the stage by John Colton and Clemence Randolph in 1922.
"Grand Cayman: Jewel of the Caribbean" is a comprehensive guide that invites readers to explore the enchanting beauty and cultural richness of Grand Cayman, the largest of the Cayman Islands. With its stunning natural landscapes, captivating marine life, vibrant history, and warm hospitality, Grand Cayman is a tropical paradise like no other. The book takes you on a captivating journey through the island's past and present, from the bustling streets of George Town to the serene shores of Seven Mile Beach. With vivid storytelling and in-depth insights, readers will uncover the island's intriguing pirate legends, explore its lush and diverse ecosystems, and dive into the crystal-clear waters to discover a world of underwater wonders. Readers will also have the opportunity to savor the tantalizing flavors of local cuisine, dance to the rhythms of cultural celebrations, and immerse themselves in the island's customs and etiquette. Whether you're a curious traveler, an adventure seeker, or a culture enthusiast, "Grand Cayman: Jewel of the Caribbean" offers something for everyone. This book is your key to unlocking the hidden treasures and well-known gems of Grand Cayman, providing an in-depth and rich understanding of the island's natural wonders, history, and the warmth of its people. Whether you dream of relaxation on the beach or thrilling underwater adventures, this guide will help you make the most of your visit to Grand Cayman, the Jewel of the Caribbean.
“Consistently rated the best guides to the regions covered. Readable, tasteful, appealingly designed. Strong on dining, lodging, culture, and history.”—National Geographic Traveler From landmarks like Acadia National Park to the quaint fishing towns and lobster pounds up and down the coastline, Christina Tree and Nancy English will guide you to the best of the best. Explorer's Guide Maine Coast & Islands will be your indispensable guide to all the pleasures of this lovely area.
E. H. Gombrich's Little History of the World, though written in 1935, has become one of the treasures of historical writing since its first publication in English in 2005. The Yale edition alone has now sold over half a million copies, and the book is available worldwide in almost thirty languages. Gombrich was of course the best-known art historian of his time, and his text suggests illustrations on every page. This illustrated edition of the Little History brings together the pellucid humanity of his narrative with the images that may well have been in his mind's eye as he wrote the book. The two hundred illustrations—most of them in full color—are not simple embellishments, though they are beautiful. They emerge from the text, enrich the author's intention, and deepen the pleasure of reading this remarkable work. For this edition the text is reset in a spacious format, flowing around illustrations that range from paintings to line drawings, emblems, motifs, and symbols. The book incorporates freshly drawn maps, a revised preface, and a new index. Blending high-grade design, fine paper, and classic binding, this is both a sumptuous gift book and an enhanced edition of a timeless account of human history.
