Origins of the New South, 1877-1913 - (History of the South) by C Vann Woodward (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Winner of the Bancroft Prize

After more than two decades, Origins of the New South is still recognized both as a classic in regional historiography and as the most perceptive account yet written on the period which spawned the New South.

Historian Sheldon Hackney recently summed it up this way:
"The pyramid still stands. Origins of the New South has survived relatively untarnished through twenty years of productive scholarship, including the eras of consensus and of the new radicalism. . . . Woodward recognizes both the likelihood of failure and the necessity of struggle. It is this profound ambiguity which makes his work so interesting. Like the myth of Sisyphus, Origins of the New South still speaks to our condition."

This enlarged edition contains a new preface by the author and a critical essay on recent works by Charles B. Dew.

From the Back Cover

'This is a pioneer work. It is full of new detail and exceeding rich in fresh interpretation... In writing this book Vann Woodward clearly establishes himself as a leading figure among Southern historians.'-- Bell I. Wiley, New York Times Book Review

Review Quotes

Based upon vast research, presented with critical objectivity, and written with clarity and at times with dry wit, Origins of the New South is as important as it is provocative.-- "Nation"

This book will surely be recognized as one of the masterpieces of our historical literature.--Roger W. Shugg

Origins of the New South is the finest single piece of scholarship and writing in the field of American history that has appeared in the past half century or more.--George Frederickson "Dissent"

Beyond all question this is the most valuable book that has been written about the South in these years. It clearly establishes the author's primacy among the scholars of the 'New South!'--William B. Hesseltine "American Historical Review"

Here is a book that deserves a Pulitzer Prize. It is both scholarly and well-written. . . . No one who would know the American South, past or present, can afford to miss this book. . . . This is a sectional study, but much general American history will be rewritten because of it.--Avery O. Craven "Chicago Tribune"

In this volume, Woodward further substantiates his position as one of the most capable and realistic historians in the whole field of southern history. To the usual qualities of a trained scholar he brings unusual powers of perception and coordination. . . . This is one of the ablest and best volumes in an excellent series.--Allen M. Moger "Journal of Southern History"

This is a pioneer work. It is full of new detail and exceedingly rich in fresh interpretation. . . . In writing this book Vann Woodward clearly establishes himself as a leading figure among southern historians.--Bell I. Wiley "New York Times Book Review"

About the Author

C. Vann Woodward is Sterling Professor of History at Yale University. A native of Arkansas, he earned his under-graduate degree at Emory University. He holds M.A. degrees from Columbia University and Oxford University and the Ph.D. degree from the University of North Carolina. He has served as president of the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, and the Southern Historical Association. He won the Bancroft Prize for this book in 1952 and the Sydnor Award for The Burden of Southern History in 1962. He was a recipient of the National Institute of Arts and Letters Literary Award in 1954. Among his other books are Tom Watson: Agrarian Rebel, The Strange Career of Jim Crow, and Reunion and Reaction.