The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 41, July 1937 - April, 1938 Page: 273

Book Reviews

tics by southerners, the development of the secession movement in
the fifties, and the secession of eleven southern states. The chapter,
"The Culture of the Old South," analyzes the social classes, de-
scribes and interprets "education," and exalts newspaper editors
in a refreshing treatment of "literature." The concluding chapter,
"The Struggle for Independence," is a brief account of the war.
On the whole the book gives an excellent panoramic view of the
Old South, and is written in a clear style. It has perhaps elimi-
nated too much in carrying out the author's purpose as set forth
in the preface in which he says that "he has treated casually and
incidentally those events so well known as to be discussed at large
in general histories of the United States. He has had no desire
to re-hash a story merely to make a book. The ambition throughout
has been to relate as clearly as possible the story of the Old South;
if there is a central theme at all, it is the development of Southern
nationalism." A fuller discussion of politics in the South and a
more lengthy treatment of the War Between the States would
have helped to round out the story. The bibliography "contains
only those titles which the writer has found in fifteen years of
teaching Southern history to be most useful for an understanding
of the subject." Military historians would probably take issue with
"Sherman's 'marching through Georgia' had practically the effect
of demobilizing his army while Grant finished the war," and with
"Except for Lee, the successful leaders of the South were not its
professional officers, but its amateurs such as Bedford Forrest,
John Morgan, and Stonewall Jackson."
ROBsRT P. FELGAR.
State Teachers College, Jacksonville, Ala.
Machine Politics in New Orleans, 1897-1926. By George M.
Reynolds. Columbia University Studies in History, Eco-
nomics and Public Law, Number 421. (New York: Colum-
bia University Press, 1936. Pp. 245. $3.25)
New Orleans, the largest city in the South, has had its share
of politics. Politics, of a variety resembling the machine described
by Dr. Reynolds, dates back to the early days of the city. In
making this study, Dr. Reynolds has made a timely and worth

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