"An essential, surprising journey through the history, rituals, and landscapes of the American South--and a revelatory argument for why you must understand the South in order to understand America"--

"The author retraces Frederick Law Olmsted's journey across the American South in the 1850s, on the eve of the Civil War. Olmsted roamed eleven states and six thousand miles, and the New York Times published his dispatches about slavery and its defenders. More than 150 years later, Tony Horwitz followed Olmsted's route, and whenever possible his mode of transport--rail, riverboats, in the saddle--through Appalachia, down the Ohio and Mississippi,...

"One of the most acclaimed travel writers of our time turns his unflinching eye on an American South too often overlooked. Paul Theroux has spent fifty years crossing the globe, adventuring in the exotic, seeking the rich history and folklore of the far away. Now, for the first time, in his tenth travel book, Theroux explores a piece of America--the Deep South. He finds there a paradoxical place, full of incomparable music, unparalleled cuisine, and...

In 1867, John Muir set out on foot to explore the botanical wonders of the South, keeping a detailed journal of his adventures as he traipsed from Kentucky southward to Florida. One hundred and fifty years later, on a similar whim, veteran Atlanta reporter Dan Chapman recreated Muir's journey to see for himself how nature has fared since Muir's time. Channeling Muir, he uses humor, keen observation, and a deep love of place to celebrate the South's...

"Taking Ross to Texas is an autobiography that centers on family. In an attempt to reconnect with her son Ross, Claudia takes him on a road trip. They end up journeying farther than just physical distance and cover their family history of dysfunction, alcoholism, and abuse. As Claudia and Ross spend time together, sharing stories and laughter, she's able to see more clearly the young man her son has become, and he takes responsibility for his unhappiness...

A collection of essays written for the column "The high & the low" in the magazine Garden & gun. "A wry and humorous take on life and culture in the American South. In thinking about her native land, Julia Reed quotes another Southern writer, Willie Morris, who said, "It's the juxtapositions that get you down here." These juxtapositions are, for Julia, the soul of the South and in her warmhearted and funny new book, South Toward Home, she chronicles...