The Tennessee: The Old River: Frontier to Secession (Southern Classics Series) [Paperback]

Donald Davidson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1991 | Series: Southern Classics Series (Book 1)

From the landing of Federal troops at the Tennessee-Ohio confluence to the new river of the TVA, whose dams "stand athwart the valley in Egyptian impassivity," this volume completes the story of the transformation of a river and of the culture it nourished. Southern Classics Series.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"In American historical literature there is nothing quite like Donald Davidson's 'The Tennessee'--the history of a region and a people through the eyes of an epic poet."--Clyde N. Wilson

"the whole story of the American thrust into the early West and a masterful analysis of Southern ways and values."--Avery Craven

About the Author

Tennessean Donald Davidson was a member of the Vanderbilt Fugitive poetry group and a leading Southern Agrarian. In addition to his poetry and histories, Davidson’s works include The Attack on Leviathan and Still Rebels, Still Yankees, and Other Essays.

Tennessean Donald Davidson was a member of the Vanderbilt Fugitive poetry group and a leading Southern Agrarian. In addition to his poetry and histories, Davidson’s works include The Attack on Leviathan and Still Rebels, Still Yankees, and Other Essays.

Product Details

• Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: J.S. Sanders Books (November 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879941015
• ISBN-13: 978-1879941014
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,538,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An engaging narrative about a seldom-documented region, September 2, 2002

By 

"joemikjr" (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tennessee: The Old River: Frontier to Secession (Southern Classics Series) (Paperback)

"The Tennessee" by Donald Davidson is a sweeping vista of the river region from its early exploration to the end of the Depression.Very little to date has been written about the Tennessee Valley and less still about early (pre-Jacksonian) confrontation between White settlers (English and French) and the Cherokee and Creek. Most books about the South tend to focus on the more populous states. And most cover the Civil War or the Civil Rights eras.

The author was a poet by profession, a fact that carries two consequences.

First, his prose is lucid. He has an eye for just the right detail. He captures the character of Tennessee's inhabitants. The strongest part, from a literary perspective, is the description of the landscape. The river, the valley, and the surrounding mountains must have been a wonder to behold before they were "tamed" by the Tennessee Valley Authority. (The story of the TVA, one of the marvels of Depression-era civil engineering, fills volume 2.)

Second, Davidson does not obey the conventions of professional historians. Since there is very little archeological or documentary evidence dating back to the 17th century in Tennessee, the author collected oral traditions to fill the gaps. He interviewed the descendants of the early settlers and culled what evidence he could muster from local historical societies. Had Davidson relied exclusively on parchments and soil samples, this book might have been another dry read about pioneers and their misdeeds. Instead, he produced an engaging story about some extraordinarily courageous people, people who deserve our garded admiration.

Highly recommended.