GA

The premise of this book is so promising, yet it disappoints entirely. After reading this, you get the idea that growing up in Atlanta meant uniform oppression for all, which it certainly did NOT. Can't we have a collection of remembrances that doesn't center on reciting grievances? Skip it, skip it, and go out to the Varsity for a chili dog instead. -Marianna

I found this book riveting. I have lived in Atlanta all my life and know a good bit about the history of the city and the struggles it has faced to become the wonderful place it is now.

I also worked with one of the book's author's wives during the time it was a "work in progress" and was a tiny part of the hard work he put into the writing of the book.

My father-in-law, a nationally-known jazz pianist, is one of the persons who was interviewed for this Oral History about his role in the Atlanta music scene during the time things were changing so rapidly in the city. He was quite instrumental in breaking the "color" barrier in Atlanta during what was a very tumultuous time.

I find the focus of the book refreshing. It is not just another "history boook", full of cold and impersonal "facts and figures". You will find information in this book that you may not find anywhere else in an Atlanta "history", and much of this unique information can, if you will let it, give you a completely different feeling for much of Atlanta's history.

I highly recommend the book. I am hoping against hope that it is *not* out of print and/or otherwise unavailable. I failed to get a copy when it was fist released, and want one NOW while my father-in-law is still living so I can get it autographed by both him *and* my friend's husband.

I quite liked this book to start with. It offers Judy's own personal opinions on what has worked well for her here. That sort of personal, hands-on advice is great.

However, Tennessee, particularly where I live near the Smoky Mountains, is suffering greatly from the impact of people on the land. Vast tracts of our land are now under the lawnmower - vast amounts of chemical fertilizers are dumped onto our 'gardens' and leach into our lakes and streams ... our wildlife, including our native plants, is under stress.

This sort of book only promotes this damage. There is no mention anywhere of lessening the damage that you can do in your own garden. Several of the plants that Judy recommends as good strong garden plants are on the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council List : species that seriously damage our environment by driving out the native species so important for the food chain.

All too often, we see precious natural resources being squandered for short term profit. This is happening here in Tennessee - colonies of native plants are destroyed for sale in garden centers for a quick profit. There is no need for this - it is perfectly possible to propagate and sell nursery stock and leave our wild areas intact. Judy makes no mention of these issues, yet it's trivially simple to avoid causing damage if you know to only buy nursery stock.

My final problem with the book is that Judy only recommends good, solid well-known plants that are commonly available. This is fine for the beginner at whom she is aiming. However, you would see all the information she gives, on the side of the seed packet, or at the garden center !

Pretty much all of the herbaceous plants can be raised easily from seed at a tenth of the garden centre cost - you wouldn't know that from this book and will end up spending a vast fortune on nursery raised annuals if you're not careful

This is a friendly gardening book for both the beginner
as well as the more advanced gardener. Lots of color
pictures make for good reference. Although I don't
live in Tennessee, I found the book useful. Ms. Lowe's
writting style makes for a good read even if you just
like to look at plants.

It's nice to see a published work of design in Atlanta... hopefully this is the beginning of more such works. Let's see some other books that cover the design community in the South!

You may be interested in this as well. It was my mother's favorite book growing up in Savannah in the 1930s and has been out of print for years. She just gave me the new edition. The style is very overwrought and florid, and the story of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks must have been quite racy for its time. Still, it's an accurate picture of Savannah society at that time and entertaining in its own way.

Mr. Livingston's research is excellent, but the writing and somewhat sloppy copy editing detract from what could have been--should have been--a moving and important story about one of the great tragedies of the Civil War. I recommend for any serious Civil War enthusiast who can add his own experience to complete the greater canvas, but the casual reader might be confused as to the movement of the action and the place of the various characters.

David Foster History Editor Augusta Magazine

Augusta, GA

I checked the 1988 edition of this book out of the library, and have renewed it twice. My gardening is somewhat impulsive, and this book is arranged by seasons, so I know what I can do "now". Recomend for gardeners not familiar with southern gardening, or gardeners finding themselves in a new zone of the South.

Palm Beach Garden Club put out this book to give those who love gardening and creating a special tropical retreat in their own backyards. The photos are ok as it would be nicer if they showed the landscaping use of the plants in some photos instead of showing the plant so you see what it looks like. Excellent resource for those in South Florida. However, Tropical Gardens and Tropical Plants by William Warren are far better. Yet for the neophite this book isn't bad--I found it a useful reference as long as you don't take the advise from the orchid section

Many of you, no doubt, have acquainted yourselves with the series of books that comprise the US Army War College Guide to Civil War Battles. The latest volume, the Guide to the Battle of Chickamauga, edited by Col. Matt Spruill, constitutes a new and worthwhile addition.

The series follows a particular format that bears mentioning. Each guide uses excerpts from after-action reports, along with topo maps and detailed driving and, occasionally, hiking instructions. This enables a reader to place himself at critical points on the battlefield with a solid understanding of the terrain's significance. Spruill does not deviate from this standard. The choice of maps and selection of battle reports (most from the Official Records) along with his brief comments clearly document the fierce fighting which took place on these fields. Considering the heavily wooded terrain and confusing ebb and flow of forces over the area, Spruill paints a remarkably clear picture of what transpired.

The great clash of armies at Chickamauga played out over two intense days of combat along a front some several miles long. On this ground, characterized by forests of thick brush punctuated with only a few open spaces used for small farm cultivation, the hostile lines came almost into contact before fighting was possible. Blind to what lay before them and often unaware of the success or failure of supporting units, commanders threw their troops into attacks that flanked and routed the enemy only to be flanked and routed in return. Scattered farmer's fields became killing zones as artillery concentrated their attention on the openings in the surrounding woods. Each side felt for the others vulnerable flank in a deadly race to capture and hold the road to Chattanooga. Soldiers entrenched at every opportunity and built breastworks, however shallow, whenever a lull in the fighting permitted time.

Spruill's book depicts this story very well, guiding the reader from one disputed point to another. For the most part, he allows the participants to narrate each scene. Yet he tempers their tale by reminding you how restricted a view each possessed. Invariably, men felt the fighting on their front to be the fiercest they experienced, during the war. As a consequence, we travel in our mind's eye along the paths of victory and defeat, where soldiers marched and fought and died to possess the ground where we now tread. Let me recommend the book to you.

this has a lot of info about the summer olympics pre-atlanta if you are not a fan of the summer olympics pass

The book is inherently dated as it was written before the 1996 olympics. The CD is really great