The Routledge Historical Atlas of the American South (review)

Vol. XXXIX, No. 1 25 i The Routledge Historical Atlas of the American South. Andrew K. Frank. New York and London: Routledge, 1999. 144 pp., index, maps, photographs. $60.00 hardcover (ISBN 0-41 5-92 1 35-X), $1 7.95 paper (ISBN 0-4 1 5-92 1 4 1 -4). James O. Wheeler As one ofthe planned six volumes in the Routledge atlases ofAmerican history series, The Historical Atlas ofthe American South and The Atlas ofAmerican Railroads are the first to appear in what promises to be a most attractively produced and useful series for historians and geographers. Following a three-page introduction, 777i? Historical Atlas ofthe American South is organized into five parts: (I ) The Nascent South; (2) The Antebellum South; (3) The Confederate South; (4) The New South; and (5) The Modern South. A two-page chronology of southern history follows , the last entry being "1996 Atlanta Hosts the Summer Olympics." This historical log is followed by a two-page listing of 37 books under "Further Readings." The atlas does not attempt an exhaustive coverage but rather highlights certain major topics and events extending from mound-building Natives to metropolitan population in the Sun Belt, although the latter ends with 1980 population totals (pp. 122123 ), unswervingly maintaining the atlas' historical intent. The author, Andrew K. Frank, Assistant Professor of History at California State University at Los Angeles, offers a readable and informative text to provide context for the maps. Virtually every page contains a map or photograph. To a certain extent, the book is a historical account of selected topics in southern history with selective illustrations of these topics. For example, Part II, The Antebellum South, contains eight vignettes, on such subjects as "The Trail of Tears" and "Bleeding Kansas and John Brown," each two pages in length and each illuminated by two maps. Just as the text—taking up considerably more space than the maps and photographs —is well rendered, the 48 maps (the book has only two graphs) are all impressive and striking in their use of color. The maps are cartographically executed in a professionally pleasing manner. Fifty photographs are included. The Routledge atlas is in fact the only contemporary, although limited-coverage , atlas on the history of the American South. Because of its low price, its informed text, and its high-quality maps, I recommend The Routledge Historical Atlas ofthe American South to all geographers with an interest in the U.S. South. Dr. Wheeler is the Merle Prunty, Jr. , Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University ofGeorgia, Athens, GA 30602-2502. Internet:jowheel@uga.edu. ...