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| | Issue #19.51 :: 07/16/2008 - 07/22/2008 | "Georgia Odyssey: A Short History of the State"
By James C. Cobb
| BY J. EDWARD SUMERAU
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“Georgia Odyssey: A Short History of the State”
By James C. Cobb
AUGUSTA, GA - Written in a crisp narrative intertwining his own personal memories with both well-known and less than understood tidbits of information, James C. Cobb offers a wonderful portrait of his home state in “Georgia Odyssey: A Short History of the State.”
Re-issued in a second edition expanded to include the last decade of changes, this compact re-telling of the story of Georgia flows with crisp precision and poise throughout.
The B. Phinizy Spalding Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Georgia, James C. Cobb is an expert on historical trends in the Southeastern United States as well as a Georgia native. With a number of books to his credit including “Away Down South” and “The Brown Decision, Jim Crowe, and Southern Identity," he lends a credible experience to the analysis of Southern history with his latest work.
Full of energy and complimented by life experience, Cobb crafts a story of historical fact with a great sense of detail for the good, bad, and ugly moments that have come to pass within the boundaries of the state.
Whether readers are searching for the roots of the state as a European Colony or the powerful place it held during negotiations for secession, Cobb’s work is intricate balance of crucial moments and culminating events.
Whether readers seek a better understanding of the complexity of the state or a deeper vision of the element of change in the world, Cobb’s work provides a framework for understanding and analysis of the complexities of a state through the passage of time. From an isolated post in the Jim Crowe South to the host of a world gathering at the Centennial Olympic Games, this work highlights the ever-changing complexion of a complicated existence all too often left out of caricatures of the state.
With a particularly fascinating approach, Cobb also highlights the artistic spirit of the state. Readers with an interest in arts and culture will find detailed analysis of the literary, musical, and visual art contributions of the state throughout the years, and in so doing, may leave the short history of the state with a deeper sense of cultural understanding.
Finally, one must note that Georgia has always been a land of contradictions, and whether he is highlighting the costs of slavery or the upbringing of Martin Luther King, Cobb never hides from the complexity and confusion of any attempt to place Georgia within a singular framework.
With care and masterful craftsmanship, he is able to approach the political, socioeconomic and social concerns that have so often divided the land among a variety of ideological components, and in so doing, he crafts a realistic vision of Georgia and its people with an in-depth view of the diversity hidden behind the stereotypes.
Cobb, James C. “Georgia Odyssey: A Short History of the State.” Athens, Georgia and London, England: The University of Georgia Press (Published in Association with the Georgia Humanities Council). 2008. 188pp. $14.95 Paper. ISBN: 9780820330501.
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