Thursday, April 28, 2011

[Book Review] MEMPHIS IN BLACK AND WHITE by Beverly G. Bond and Jannan Sherman

Nonfiction/Memphis History

Marilyn reviews MEMPHIS IN BLACK AND WHITE by Beverly G. Bond and Jannan Sherman (Arcadia, 2003)

Throughout the history of the Fourth Bluff, the power of its geographic location has shaped the lives of the people living here. From the Indians to the present, people have used Fourth Chickasaw Bluff as a trading center.

Memphis in Black and White, by Beverly G. Bond and Jannann Sherman, tells the rise of the Fourth Chickasaw Bluff from a Native American trading area and hunting ground to an international center with world wide influence. Starting with the Native Americans of the Mississippian culture, Bond and Sherman trace the development of the bluff city into a worldwide distribution center with a city of almost a half a million inhabitants, who have an international influence.

The authors discuss the influence of politics, religion, African-Americans, English, French, German, Irish, Italian, Jewish, and Spanish on the city. The development of Memphis' medical hospitals, schools, industry, transportation industry, public transportation, sewage system, infrastructure, and sports is also explored. The lives of dreamers and shakers, such as John Overton, Robert Church, Clarence Saunders, Tom Lee, E. H. Crump, Lloyd Binford, and Fred Smith are recounted in this fascinating read of Memphis history.

Marilyn Umfress, History Department

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