Banana Republic: A Year in the Heart of Myrtle Beach [Hardcover]

Will Moredock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2003

A history of Myrtle Beach and an analysis of the corrupting influence of 14 million tourists and $5 billion a year on this small, conservative southern town. Also included is report on environmental destruction due to overdevelopment in fragile coastal environment, a history of golf in Myrtle Beach, a report on the city's ugly race relations, a report on the two annual motorcycle rallies, report on spring break, report on teenage runaways who flock to MB, report on political corruption.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 387 pages
• Publisher: Frontline Press, Ltd. (October 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972382909
• ISBN-13: 978-0972382908
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,219,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Redneck Riviera is Microcosm of GOP Goals, January 19, 2004

By 

"missfidget" (Once upon a time....Conway) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Banana Republic: A Year in the Heart of Myrtle Beach (Hardcover)

This book is the Behind the Music of Myrtle Beach, historical, dishy-a real eye opener. Myrtle Beach, SC has undergone explosive growth and thanks to the deep pockets of business and a "hands-off" style of local goverance, it's a microcosm of the GOP ideal of allowing business to regulate itself, and the consequences, both human and environmental. It has a fine editorial tone-friendly-not gossipy, educational-not preachy, and it's loaded with facts, figures, statistics and an index. Thinking of moving to the Grand Strand? Interested in contemporary resort or Southern Culture? Ever wonder why Horry County is the way it is?

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inside Look at a Popular Vacation Destination, November 28, 2007

By 

Gregg Eldred (Avon Lake, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Banana Republic: A Year in the Heart of Myrtle Beach (Hardcover)

Angry, I guess is how I felt after finishing this book. Will Moredock spent the year 1999 in Myrtle Beach. The result is a book that makes you take a second look around Myrtle Beach. He has written what I would expect from Carl Hiaasen, who is quoted in the book. A very good, inside look at Myrtle Beach, the government, the businesses, and the attitudes of the masses.

This book is good for anyone who has vacationed there, lived there, or planning to move there. If I lived in Myrtle Beach, I would be upset with the mayor, the council, and the businesses. The lack of environmental controls is amazing, the petty games in City Council I don't even see from my kids, and the total lack of foresight or planning is astounding. I am sure that we will be back in Myrtle Beach again next year, but this time I come prepared with having read this book (which I am sure made the City Council, the Mayor, and the major developer squirm). Now I will know why the roads are terrible, that the school system was cut out of additional tax base with the opening of the Mall of South Carolina, and have a new appreciation for The Sun News, the local newspaper.

It has its funny parts and serious ones. The one thing that struck me was that for a Baptist town, they love the golfers. And what do golfers want? Strip clubs and booze. I guess that they have their priorities straight. Serious? How about hurricane evacuation measures. If one is on the way, you may sit in traffic for HOURS getting out. How about how they determined where to put a couple of bypasses. These new roads haven't done anything to cure the traffic issues, but they certainly opened up more land for development. I would have thought that looking at Florida, you would have gotten the message. That message must have been lost in translation. Oh, and now I know why, when visiting Charleston or Georgetown, you see a lot of historical markers and there are none in Myrtle Beach. All of their historical places have been replaced by high rise condos, hotels, and glaring neon.

Any way, it is a good book. A view of Myrtle Beach that you certainly don't get by just visiting for a week. And Will brings it all together in one great place.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Could Have been Good!, November 23, 2010

By 

B. Mayer (Sumter,, South Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Banana Republic: A Year in the Heart of Myrtle Beach (Hardcover)

I am in total agreement with Daniel Yoe's assessment of "Banana Republic". Mr. Moredock obviously has some serious issues. This volume undoubtedly contains some great tidbits about the Grand Strand, but it's such a shame that Mr. Moredock saw fit to promote his disdain for the South and Southerners - particularly "white" Southerners. I could not miss Mr. Moredock's casual reference to "the mythology of the Lost Cause", (pg. 280) referring of course to the "myths" perpetuated by Southerners after losing in their gallant effort to defend themselves, their homes & families against brutal agression from the North. I would suggest that Mr. Moredock - when he gets the time, consider researching the mountains of documentation and records revealing the hypocrisy & the mythology of the Northern victors of that war. I am amazed that, as a person who is such a good writer - and a gentleman who was born & raised in South Carolina, Mr. Moredock has no more concern for the truth about the South - and Southerners - and the Old War than he does. As I mentioned, there are some very interesting chapters in this book, making it worth reading I think - but I'm always perplexed as to why there is such a need by some, to constantly deride & demonize true Southerners. The old fellow from the North once, asked the fellow from the South, "When are you folks gonna to stop fighting the Civil War down there"? The gentleman from the South replied, "When y'all stop shooting at us."