Amazon.co.uk
Crawdads, mudbugs, poor man's lobsters, Founders of the Universe: the Deep South is teeming with mouthwatering crustaceans, and thanks to the folks at Lonely Planet, you'll never make the mistake of calling them crayfish. You'll also get the scoop on an innumerable host of southern specialities--biscuits and gravy, boysenberry pie and the best of the blues, to name just a few--plus learn where to sip prizewinning smoky mountain brown porter (at The Mill in Birmingham, Alabama), when to attend the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival (last weekend in March) or an Elvis Tribute (August 16), and exactly how it is one procures the true taste of Nashville (head south of Broadway for plates brimming with catfish, greens and cornbread).
A detailed introduction brings to life this history-steeped and (to outsiders) somewhat peculiar region. You'll learn about early native peoples, exploration and settlement, the rise of slavery, fighting for (and losing) the Confederacy, and the resultant reconstruction and civil rights movement. Nature buffs will get a peek at some of the many ecological and biological wonders they can expect to encounter: cypress swamps, piny woods, a petrified forest and their myriad inhabitants, including armadillos and the short-haired leopard dog. Having covered the basics, Deep South gets down to the nitty-gritty. State-by-state, city-by- city, blues-joint-by-blues-joint, it offers a veritable mountain of facts. Use it to find old- fashioned soda fountains, Booker T. Washington's greenhouse, the Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum or simply to find an affordable place to sleep. Deep South "covers all the bases", even where to watch America's favourite pastime--southern style, of course. With copious photos, maps and an essential glossary of terms. --Martha Silano
Amazon.com
Covering Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, Lonely Planet provides 69 detailed maps; accommodation options from forest campsites to antebellum plantation mansions; plus history, museums, personalities of the Civil Rights movement, Mississippi blues profiles, clubs, and festivals. The South is a geographically large portion of the country, with terrain that ranges from sunny Gulf coast beaches to Cajun swamps to sugar-cane fields to Appalachian hardscrabble, and for first-time visitors it may feel like a foreign country. It's a good place to have a reliable travel guide, with all the necessary particulars (lodgings, transportation, tourist offices, and liquor laws), plus where to get your pork tenderloin, fried okra, and pecan pie feasts; your hickory-smoked barbecue, corn pone, or shellfish extravaganzas; and your Creole and Cajun comestibles. This guide covers all the bases. Along with comprehensive listings for sightseeing and nightlife, there are interesting sidebars on floating casinos, the etymology of
redneck, and a little baseball background on Birmingham's Rickwood Field, plus an introduction to Louisiana's Daiquiri Drive-Thru, where you needn't leave your car to drink and drive.
--Stephanie Gold
Kurzbeschreibung
Detailing Southern literature, music, and civil rights history, this guide provides coverage from Graceland to the Grand Ole Opry to Preservation Hall. The book also includes itinerary suggestions and tips on planning and transport.
Synopsis
Detailing Southern literature, music, and civil rights history, this guide provides coverage from Graceland to the Grand Ole Opry to Preservation Hall. The book also includes itinerary suggestions and tips on planning and transport.
