At a public picnic in the South in the 1890s, a young man paid five cents for his first chance to hear the revolutionary Edison talking machine. He eagerly listened as the soundman placed the needle down, only to find that through the tubes he held to his ears came the chilling sounds of a lynching. In this story, with its blend of new technology and old hatreds, genteel picnic and mob violence, Edward Ayers captures the history of the South in the years between Reconstruction and the turn of the century--a combination of progress and reaction that defined the contradictory promise of the New South.
Ranging from the Georgia coast to the Tennessee mountains, from the power brokers to tenant farmers, Ayers depicts a land of startling contrasts--a time of progress and repression, of new industries and old ways. Ayers takes us from remote Southern towns, revolutionized by the spread of the railroads, to the statehouses where Democratic "Redeemers" swept away the legacy of Reconstruction; from the small farmers, trapped into growing nothing but cotton, to the new industries of Birmingham; from abuse and intimacy in the family to tumultuous public meetings of the prohibitionists. He explores every aspect of society, politics, and the economy, detailing the importance of each in the emerging New South. Here is the local Baptist congregation, the country store, the tobacco-stained second-class railroad car, the rise of Populism: the teeming, nineteenth-century South comes to life in these pages. And central to the entire story is the role of race relations, from alliances and friendships between blacks and whites to the spread of Jim Crow laws and disenfranchisement. Ayers weaves all these details into the contradictory story of the New South, showing how the region developed the patterns it was to follow for the next fifty years.
When Edward Ayers published Vengeance and Justice, a landmark study of crime and punishment in the nineteenth-century South, he received wide acclaim. Now he provides an unforgettable account of the New South--a land with one foot in the future and the other in the past.

About the Author

About the Author:
Edward Ayers is Professor of History at the University of Virginia and is the author of Vengeance and Justice.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Between the Covers is located in a converted 1915 brick school building. You can find us at bookfairs, or subscribe to our catalog mailing list. Samples available upon request. We also provide an elist, please subscribe on our website www.betweenthecovers.com.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Association Member

Members of these associations are committed to maintaining the highest standards. They vouch for the authenticity of all items offered for sale. They provide expert and detailed descriptions, disclose all significant defects and/or restorations, provide clear and accurate pricing, and operate with fairness and honesty during the purchase experience.

Seller's business information

Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA
112 Nicholson Road, Gloucester City, NJ, 08030, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

All books are first editions unless otherwise noted. New Jersey residents will be asked for sales tax. All items guaranteed, all items subject to prior sale. Members ABAA, ILAB.
112 Nicholson Road, Gloucester City, New Jersey 08030
books@betweenthecovers.com
Telephone 856-456-8008

Shipping Terms

Orders usually ship within 2 business days. Our $10 rate is for UPS or Priority Mail. Our $5.50 rate is media mail which can take a week or two, or a month or two (rarely, but has happened). We email tracking information for all domestic shipments. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 30 business days	3 to 6 business days
First item	US$ 5.50	US$ 10.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.