The Free Flag of Cuba: The Lost Novel of Lucy Holcombe Pickens (Library of Southern Civilization) [Paperback]

Lucy Petaway Holcomb Pickens (Author), Orville Vernon Burton (Editor), Georganne B. Burton (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Library of Southern Civilization | Publication Date: November 1, 2002

The wife of South Carolina secessionist governor Francis W. Pickens and known as the "Queen of the Confederacy," Lucy Holcombe Pickens (1832-1899) was during her lifetime one of the most famous women in the South. Rumor was that in her youth she published a novel under a pseudonym. Recently discovered as The Free Flag of Cuba; or, The Martyrdom of Lopez: A Tale of the Liberating Expedition of 1851, her 1854 book is a romanticized account of the 1851 filibustering expedition to Cuba by Narciso Lopez. With this new edition, Orville Vernon Burton and Georganne B. Burton resurrect Holcombe's lost work and prove it to be a window on many pressing nineteenth-century issues. A not-so-subtle plea for U.S. support for Cuban independence from Spain, Holcombe's novel vindicates Lopez and his men--who were officially regarded as mercenaries--and declares them to be martyred heroes. The tale clearly reflects the values southern aristocratic women expected in men, even if preserving those values meant death and defeat--a harbinger of ardent support for the Confederacy by women like Lucy. With an illuminating introduction detailing the life of Lucy Petway Holcombe Pickens and the historical context of her novel, this new edition of The Free Flag of Cuba is a welcome glimpse into the mind and value system of the southern belle who would become a southern icon.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Professor of history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Orville Vernon Burton is the author or editor of seven books. Georganne B. Burton is an independent scholar, writer, and community activist. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807128341
• ISBN-13: 978-0807128343
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,171,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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