Spying on the South : : an Odyssey Across the American Divide

Locations
Call Number: 917.504 Ho, Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / 19th Century / Horwitz, Tony
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Traverwood Branch, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	917.504 Ho	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / 19th Century / Horwitz, Tony	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / 19th Century / Horwitz, Tony	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / History / United States / 19th Century / Horwitz, Tony	4-week checkout	On Shelf

"The author retraces Frederick Law Olmsted's journey across the American South in the 1850s, on the eve of the Civil War. Olmsted roamed eleven states and six thousand miles, and the New York Times published his dispatches about slavery and its defenders. More than 150 years later, Tony Horwitz followed Olmsted's route, and whenever possible his mode of transport--rail, riverboats, in the saddle--through Appalachia, down the Ohio and Mississippi, through Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, and across Texas to the Rio Grande, discovering and reporting on vestiges of what Olmsted called the Cotton Kingdom"-- Provided by publisher.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Bittersweet Memoir submitted by sdunav on July 14, 2019, 9:52pm This is Horowitz's last memoir, sadly, and that colored my reading of it. When he mentions a friend with heart disease, or a near death experience....it's just heart-wrenching to read. As with all of his books, the history is fascinating and meticulously researched, and his observations on both history and the present day culture of the areas he visits (West Virginia, the Ohio River, the Mississippi River, Louisiana, and Texas, most notably) are both perceptive, colorful, and somewhat disturbing.

The section on Central Park in New York is also very interesting, but doesn't seem to fit well with the rest of the book (despite its connection through Frederick Law Olmstead). Still, the entire book is well worth reading - as are all of Horwitz's other books.

Too Much Texas submitted by Reading Neighbor on August 30, 2020, 8:46pm This book provides a fascinating look at a lesser know part of Olmsted's career before he became America's landscape architect for overseeing Central Park. Horowitz retraces Olmsted's journey through the South, presenting intriguing cultural insights and historical comparisons and insights. But it does get a bit long, especially toward the end. Too much time in Texas!