An irreverent, information-packed, grand tour of the South in brisk, witty entries on the region's history, folklore, obsessions, contradictions, and peculiarities
In 1001 short, eminently readable paragraphs, John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg Reed illuminate the people, places, myths, habits, history, and folklore that have made the South the nation's most distinctive region. Idiosyncratic, cheeky, and informative, 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the South ranges from Stonewall Jackson to Mahalia Jackson, from William Byrd to ?Free Bird,? from barbecue to Baptists to Bourbon Street.
Equal parts cultural history, reference book, bedside companion, and affectionate argument, this is a South populated by revival preachers and racecar drivers, Delta bluesmen and debutantes, fire ants and political demagogues, beauty queens and snake handlers. First published to wide acclaim in 1996, and now thoroughly revised and updated, 1001 Things Everyone Should Know about the South combines deep knowledge with dry humor and an insider's feel for the region's paradoxes, absurdities, and enduring appeal.
Read this book straight through or open it anywhere. Either way, you'll come away knowing more about the South?and laughing far more than you expected.
