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Book Reviews James C. Klotter. Kentticky Portrait in Paradox,19001950 . Frankfi, rt. Kentuckv Historical Socien·, 2006. 434 pp. ISBN 0916968340 ( paper), 530. James C. Klotter. 7be Brecki, iridges # Kentlicky. Lexington:The University Press of Kentucky,2006. 412 pp. ISBN 0813191653 ( paper), $ 25. Anyone who Studies Kentzicky' s history is well aware of tlie work of James Klotter. State Histc, rian of Kentucky and pn,fessor of history at Georgetown College, Klotter Kentucky has been making import : int contributions to the historiography of the Commonwealth fi, r the better parr of three decades . Two of his highly regarded booklength studies, Ibe Ri· eckinritives of Kenfitchr, which first appeared in 1986, and Kclittickv: 14,· tritit M Paratiox, 19001950 , 1'() 11-I' It.\ Il IN 1,Al:-\ 1)( mx 1900195 () Jaliies ( 2. KI) tter published in 1996, have been reprinted in paperback, and in this more accessible form they should find their win·to shelves of interested '. itc,secure,scizind,but seldom reaction: irr" ( 32[)). Kentucky' s faith in conservative reform also loc, ins 1: irge in Ken/ uckv:Portrttit in Aint, lox. 19001950 , cr· afted From i11: inuscript rescarcli, oml hist{, ries, and an lili·'.R 2006 itrray ofsecondary liter·,lillie. Klotter demonstrates over fourteeti chaptersdivid ed benvcen soci·. 11 ·, ind g, olitical history-: commanding knowledge of the Commonwealth . Kentucky spent the first half of the nventieth century mircd in corruption , violence,Jim Crow segregation, economic stagnation, educational lethargy, ind inciustrial del, n: \ Vith extended tre·, itments of each of these topics, Klotter placcs much of Ille blame fi} r these conditions on the state's leadership. In his chapter on economic development, " Agriculture, Industry ,a,id I . abor," Klotter cogently exl, resses the point: As much as anything, Kentucky 's leadership failed... Bold, wellarticulated visions , togerlier with strong, wellconceived political plans to carry them out,setdom appeared." Ihe state's leadership reinained satisfied with its onceheld prominence . ind " only slowly reticted " t(} an everchanging economic and piliticallandscape ( 13233 ). If Kentuckians' pride in tradition served to st,· mic progressive measures, Klotter also sees tradition as a source of some p, sitive social developments. Kenticki :iiis were · acutely, iwire of-their heritage ; like other sotithertiers, tlier nmde much of kinship ties and community licinds. Such roots " prtivided needed stabilin · and anchors from which to face the uncertain future- ( 341). Ilils sense of tradititin en· abled the Commcinwealth to nurturc thriving music and literature scenes, despite the popular i, na, ge of Kentucky as a cultural back, vater. Not only did sonic of the ceitral writers cif t! e SKithern Renaiss . ince LY, me from Kentucky,but the state 11: 0 gave birth to an enduring form of folk countrv music, bluegrass. 73 BOOK RE\' IEWS Ilic siveep of Ke, itut· kv:Ibi· trait mlb}·m / ox is iminense. Ncarlv even· sc, ci·,11 : ind lic, litical develi, pment in tlic first lialf ofthe Ci,Inmotiwealth: s nventicthCentu ry hist(, ri· receives come trearment. As fitch.ir reinains : an essential starting pi) int fir an\·related future work. : llitch the same can be said · abour 8 ,· Bre,kinridYes 0/K 'n/ ticky. Eacli of Klotter's eight central figures merits extended study and he lists nic,re tli: in A il1011g been unc Runningjlfla4 j derapprecjared iii the for Kelliticky general story of west1 " ward expansion ( ix). r»* 0' t,· Attributing this neglect tc, the unavailability of Irrson:, 1 accounts aix, ut flfdM·-1 .·* .._ L-- ··. 4 the crossing, Eslinger ff ' . -· A#% 29. selectecl and edited selections from thirteen diaries of transAppala chia travelers. Combined with : substanrial intrciductioil, t11e accounts prt,vide a sense of the trials mid rewards of the early IVCSMVillil 11,()\' CInellt. Eslinger has previc, usly produce·. 1 scilid scholarship c,n the \' irbnial, ackcluction, the travel iccounts appear in three categories: those from the Rei·(, littic,nan· eni, thi,se frt, zii the e. irs < 31-170< nvar exlansiC)11, , ind thi)st written after tlic dete ;it t t]c S]MVIleCS . lt t]e 11,2 ttle of 1·' allc n 1 1 : 111, ers 1 11 d the decline 0 8 the Indian threat. 71e juxtapositic,ii c,t-tlic first acci, unts with the latter demonstrates lic, w dramatically migration and The 1. undscape had changed in n, 4, defades. Eslii,ger h.is edited tlie tra·el acct,unts theinsel, ts well, but the placement of annotatic ,ris in clidnotes makes their reading a hit difilcult,since there arc : c, m·any untaiiiiliar places, tiainew, and references . \ Vhile the book has ·, 1 11} ap that lays out the migratory routes inro transAppa 1 :ichill, tile vallie c, f these accounts would Ii: we been heightened by inaps dclincating where each individual traveled. Scime of these acc-(, unts nic!1[ ic, 11 reiiiote iitid Un&miliar 111· aces that will leave readers ser, itchiiig their heads. Iliis book is not without its Claws. 14rst. tlic editor cschews Kentuck,· historv . ind travel · accounts hefi, re the 17705. Ilike,fi,r example. her ptirtr: n·· al lit-R,ihert B. 1lc:\ fee . Is : among the earliest visit(, rs t<) Jig Bc,ne I, ick. Ccinsideritig that the relies ar Big Bt,ne Lick had hect, scave,iged fi)r nearli· two decal| c befi,re ,\ IcAfee'.1773 visit, this is misleading and sympkimatic cit-the editcir' s near neglect otati elitire cpc ,ch of-Ohio V, illey liistorv. After a brief onepage iiod ti) the pre-1770 eXC l114 0 11S i) f several Frenchmen, Christopher uist, 0 1110 V.\ LLEY HIS TO! 11 74 ...

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