Southern by the Grace of God [Hardcover]

Michael Grissom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1989

You've heard the phrase, American by Birth-Southern by the Grace of God. And now comes a book that reminds us of the glory of being Southern! Just when you thought the liberal press had succeeded in grinding us into the ground with their barrage of derogatory patter, a glimmer of hope emerges, and Southerners are once again discovering that being Southern is a good thing after all-just like it used to be! If you are proud of your Southern heritage, you'll rejoice in Southern by the Grace of God . Many of us are proud to be Southern, but we don't know just why. Since Southern history has been purged from the textbooks that children study today, our youth have little conception of a heritage. Even some of us that are older are not well grounded in it either. The author has gathered together the elements of our heritage and gives us a short course in our splendid legacy. It could be called a "handbook for Southerners." The entire south is reflected in this work, from Oklahoma to Virginia, from Texas to Florida. There is no other book like it on the market today . SOME FEATURES YOU'LL FIND: * Biographical Sketches and Photos of Seven Confederate Heroes * A Section on Southern Folklore * 200 Old Photographs from 1853 through 1919 * A Humorous Southern Dictionary for Helping Yankees Better Understand Us * A Chapter about the War Between the States * A Genealogical Bonanza * The Real Story of Reconstruction * A Look at Why Southerners Are Special * Recommended Reading List

Product Details

• Hardcover: 592 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing; Pelican Publishing Company ed edition (September 30, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882897616
• ISBN-13: 978-0882897615
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #152,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Introduction, an Invitation to Further Study, November 27, 2000

By 

Andrew S. Rogers (Stamford, Connecticut) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Southern by the Grace of God (Hardcover)

For Southerners (or others) in the early stages of discovering that many of the things we were taught about the South and the War Between the States aren't really true, Michael Andrew Grissom's book is a good introduction to all the Southerner has to be proud of.

I found the first section of the book, in which Grissom discusses attributes of Southerners and the South -- accents, food, and the like -- to be among the most entertaining. He tells the story of the War (including explaining why 'the War' means only one thing to true Southerners) and Reconstruction, paints moving portraits of Southern heroes, and recounts some Southern myths and folklore.

To someone familiar with other Southern-perspective histories of the War and its impact on the South, including Jefferson Davis' 'Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government,' Edward Pollard, or even the Kennedy brothers (not to mention unblinkered histories like Jeffery Rogers Hummel's 'Emancipating Slaves, Enslaving Free Men'), the central section of the book adds little that's new. Grissom helpfully includes a long bibliography, with recommendations for additional reading and study.

Perhaps the most interesting and evocative section of the book is Grissom's extensive collection of Southern photographs, most never before published, and nearly all dating from the War to the early years of the Twentieth Century.

43 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every person in America should read this book..., June 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Southern by the Grace of God (Hardcover)

Southerners and Yankees alike need to read this book. It should be required reading for every school student. In an age where so much of the great history of the South is being erased, misinterpreted and looked down upon, this book gives every Rebel a reason to be proud. Southerners should read this book, and hopefully it will renew their pride and fire. While the book centers mainly on the War Between the States, it also touches on other important subjects, such as the disappearance of the Southern dialect. An important book. God Save the South!

39 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, A Southern Point Of View!, March 30, 2001

By 

Meade Skelton Haufe (Richmond, Va. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Southern by the Grace of God (Hardcover)

So many books written about the South are always biased and filled with liberal propaganda and ignorant stereotypes. Mr. Grissom writes cleverly, and amazingly objectively about what Southern culture and heritage are all about. I reccommend this book for any Northerner who doesn't understand the mind of the South, and to any Southerner who has lost touch with their roots. No book is more eloquent in terms of dealing with a subject which in recent years has actually become taboo! Save your Dixie Cups boys, the South is gonna rise again!