The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture.The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Edited by Carroll Van West, Connie L. Lester, Margaret Duncan Binnicker, Anne-Leslie Owens, and Susan L. Gordon. (Nashville, Tenn.: Rutledge Hill Press for the Tennessee Historical Society, c. 1998. Pp. xxxviii, 1194. $49.95, ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 1-55853-599-3.) Emerging on the heels of Tennessee's recent celebration of its bicentennial bi·cen·ten·ni·al adj. 1. Happening once every 200 years. 2. Lasting for 200 years. 3. Relating to a 200th anniversary. n. A 200th anniversary or its celebration. Also called bicentenary. of statehood state·hood n. The status of being a state, especially of the United States, rather than being a territory or dependency. , The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture provides a handy compendium of Tennesseana that will be of interest and utility to a wide range of readers interested in the past and present of the Volunteer State. State Historian Wilma Dykeman Wilma Dykeman Stokely (born May 20, 1920 – died December 22, 2006) was an American writer of fiction and nonfiction whose works chronicled the people and land of Appalachia. and coauthor Dykeman Stokely introduce the alphabetically arranged volume with a twelve-page essay that provides a brief overview of the state's history and places Tennessee within the context of a broader national narrative. The encyclopedia presents biographical entries that stretch alphabetically from Adelicia Acklen (1817-87)--mistress of Belmont mansion Belmont Mansion may refer to
Haley (pp. 394-96), and country music star Patsy Cline Patsy Cline (b. Virginia Patterson Hensley September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American country music singer, who enjoyed pop music cross-over success during the era of the Nashville Sound in the early 1960s. (p. 181). By no means exclusively biographical, the Tennessee Encyclopedia presents short historical sketches for each of the state's ninety-five counties and all of the major cities. Primarily written by county historians, the essays provide a good introduction to local history, and most are cross-referenced to other listings in the encyclopedia. One particularly good example of such local flavor is Bob Fulcher's essay on "Rolley Hole Marbles" (pp. 809-10), a team game popular in Clay County along the Tennessee-Kentucky border. Also included are entries on many of the state's cultural landmarks: some more popular, like Elvis Presley's Memphis home Graceland (pp. 377-79) or the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's estate (p. 421), and some less well known, like the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly The Monteagle Sunday School Assembly, is a church. Its Charter, which was granted by the State of Tennessee on October 31, 1882, states the purpose (mission) of the Assembly: (pp. 637-38) or Nashville's Standard Candy Company, manufacturer of Goo Goo Clusters (pp. 879-80). The editors have also commissioned thirty thematic essays by notable scholars on topics such as civil rights, education, law, mining, music, religion, and the woman suffrage movement. Though by no means exhaustive, the short pieces do provide a competent introduction to Tennessee history. It is difficult to find much fault with a project of such ambition and accomplishment; indeed, the editors have compiled a wealth of diverse information into an easily accessible and surprisingly coherent volume. Conscious of space limitations, the editors chose to abridge TO ABRIDGE, practice. To make shorter in words, so as to retain the sense or substance. In law it signifies particularly the making of a declaration or count shorter, by taking or severing away some of the substance from it. Brook, tit. Abridgment; Com. Dig. Abridgment; 1 Vin. Ab. 109. the number of individual entries and limit the cross-referencing and bibliographies. Readers initially disappointed at not finding a specific entry will benefit greatly from the formidable ninety-four-page index. While the index partially compensates for limited cross-referencing, the bibliographies are unfortunately uneven in quality and quantity, in many cases providing readers with no suggestions for further research. Nevertheless, the Encyclopedia should prove an invaluable resource for persons deeply or even casually interested in the history and culture of Tennessee. CHARLES A. ISRAEL Rice University |
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