The Lonely Days Were Sundays: Reflections of a Jewish Southerner [Hardcover]

Eli N. Evans (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1993

In 33 entertaining essays, Evans explores southern politics, history, and culture; the state of Israel; and the Civil war--delineating them through the prism of his Jewish-Southern identity and reflecting upon the paradox of the Southern Jewish experience: to be a part of things yet set apart from them. Photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lively and opinionated, the 31 essays collected here (written over the past 20 years and reprinted from the New York Times , Journal of Southern History , etc.) reflect the author's love of history and pride in his identity as a Jewish Southerner. Born and raised in Durham, N.C., Evans, a former speech writer for President Lyndon Johnson and the author of Judah P. Benjamin: The Jewish Confederate , here treats a wide variety of subjects, including the involvement of Southern Jews in politics, novels dealing with the Jewish South, the first Jewish Miss North Carolina and the future of Israel. Of particular interest is the inclusion of a diary Evans kept while traveling with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on a 1975 diplomatic trip to the Middle East. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This collection of essays by the astute historian Evans is written from the unique perspective of a Jew raised in the South. His subject matter is wide-ranging, covering such areas as the portrayal of the Jewish South in novels and movies, the parallels between the assassinations of Kennedy and Lincoln, and Zionism in the Bible Belt. His intense interest in politics--he was a staffer for LBJ--is evident in the pieces chronicling the evolution of Southern politics and in his firsthand coverage of the National Democratic conventions. He shares a strong affinity with the black experience; several of the essays reflect his support for the cause of blacks from the inception of the Civil Rights movement in the South. His endorsement of Israel also manifests itself in his writings. His keen sense of connection with the Southern Jewish experience, not widely written about, will attract a ready audience in public library collections.
- Mary Ellen Beck, Troy P.L., N.Y.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 357 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi; First edition (June 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878056270
• ISBN-13: 978-0878056279
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,401,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.