Attorneys of Mississippi

Mississippi: An American Journey

Description

Traveling from the Natchez Trace to the cotton fields of the Delta, Walton assesses Mississippi's legacy of nostalgia, bitterness, and heartache. He weaves in the stories of his family, as well as those of slaves and Confederate generals, redneck demagogues and civil rights martyrs, writers and bluesmen, black and white. 12 photos. 304 pp. Author tour.

Reviews

Rating: 1 / 5
Date: 2010-08-29
Summary: "A text book kept my attention better."

This book may have been the most dry piece of writing I have ever read hands down. I am a High School student in AP english and this book was required for the class. I picked it up and ten minutes in i thought of shooting myself in the foot if I had to read anymore of it. Long story short i skimmed the entire book and I never read or looked at this book ever again. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY ON THIS EXCUSE FOR A BOOK!

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2006-04-27
Summary: "One of the best books I almost never read!"

WONDERFUL! I read this book twice in two weeks and could read it again. This should be required reading at every high school in the country. Being new to Mississippi, I was looking to find out more about my home state and picked this book up at the library. Thinking it was a travel guide, it sat on my bedside table for a week until one night I picked it up and found everything I was looking for. Thank you Mr. Walton

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2005-11-11
Summary: "A road trip through the Deep South"

Anthony Walton lets us ride along on his journey back to his Mississippi roots. A story of pain and survival, relayed through the voices of his parents (among others), is skillfully woven with history lessons and Walton's own moving poetry. A very readable and important contribution.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2005-03-16
Summary: "Oh, to see ourselves as ithers see us"

This book is about the author, a Mid westerner, travelling to Mississippi to learn more about the state where his people came from. It is extremely well done. The author travels around the state, interviews many prominent and not-as-prominent Mississippians about problems, solutions, and opportunites for the state to move beyond its history of severe racial problems.
In the process he summarizes a lot of history, and introduces many insights about how Mississippi got where it is and what it needs to do to move on. One thing I, as a white Mississippian with a somewhat liberal bent, found refreshing was his not falling into the trap that many of us Mississippians do of saying that all of that stuff is old news and we have moved beyond it. Things are undoubtedly better now than before, but while segregation may not be legal it is still very alive in the hearts and minds of the residents, both black and white If books like Walton's cause us to reexamine some of our "truths" about the state, it will have served an extremely useful purpose.

At any rate, for one wanting to understand more about Mississippi, reading this book is a good way to do it.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2004-05-05
Summary: "Wonderful"

A very important book dealing with race and history. A must read for people interested in the subject.