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Sometimes only remembered for the epic motion picture and "Frankly ... I don't give a damn," Gone with the Wind was initially a compelling and entertaining novel. It was the sweeping story of tangled passions and the rare courage of a group of people in Atlanta during the time of Civil War that brought those cinematic scenes to life. The reason the movie became so popular was the strength of its characters--Scarlett O'Hara, Rhett Butler, and Ashley Wilkes--all created here by the deft hand of Margaret Mitchell, in this, her first novel.
Book Description
Sometimes only remembered for the epic motion picture and "Frankly ... I don't give a damn," Gone with the Wind was initially a compelling and entertaining novel. It was the sweeping story of tangled passions and the rare courage of a group of people in Atlanta during the time of Civil War that brought those cinematic scenes to life. The reason the movie became so popular was the strength of its characters--Scarlett O'Hara, Rhett Butler, and Ashley Wilkes--all created here by the deft hand of Margaret Mitchell, in this, her first novel.
Customer Reviews:
Every Home Needs a Copy.......2007-09-14
Some of the reviews are long but I will keep this short. Gone With the Wind is the only book I have read twice. I absolutely adored this book and all the characters in it. It is my favourite book of all time and I read all sorts. I bought my mother and sister-in-law a copy because I thought they should read it too (just once). Read it and see for yourself.
Division and reunion, and the child and adult, in "Gone With the Wind".......2007-09-06
"Gone With the Wind," as a novel, has been mistakenly dismissed by literary critics as pulp fiction for the masses. This view is premature and biased, in my opinion. If one digs deeply into the fabric of this very complex novel, one is likely to find that this novel works on two very different levels: the external level, in which themes such as survival and romantic love figure prominently; and the internal level, in which themes such as division v. reunion and the child v. the adult figure prominently.
An external analysis of the novel yields much that has been obvious to the reading and movie-going public for years. "Gone With the Wind" is, most obviously, a very powerful novel about a young woman's survival of two unique crises: the American Civil War and Reconstruction of the South that followed. The personal qualities of those who survive and prosper in this novel -- characters such as Scarlett O'Hara, Rhett Butler, Mammy, Will Benteen, old Mrs. Fontaine, even Mrs. Merriwether -- are contrasted sharply with those who do not survive and prosper: Ashley Wilkes, Ellen O'Hara, Gerald O'Hara, and Scarlett's first two husbands, Charles Hamilton and Frank Kennedy.
Melanie Hamilton presents an interesting study in the story of survival. Margaret Mitchell uses her to represent the dignified stateliness of the Old South matron. Rather than becoming a victim of the Old South's disintegration, she survives in a way that equals or even surpasses Scarlett's survival. Melanie, whom Mitchell originally intended as the novel's heroine, is the woman who saves Tara from burning to the ground; the woman who drags her father's Mexican War sword to the landing at Tara, helping Scarlett defend it from the Yankee invader; and the woman who stands against polite society in order to defend Scarlett, her beloved sister-in-law, from the town's gossip. Yes, she dies at the end of the novel, and Mitchell uses this to represent the passing of the Old South. However, even here, Melanie dies in her own bed, in her own home, with her own family about her, and she dies on her own terms: after conceiving a child she knew placed her own life at risk.
It is also about three interconnected love stories: the traditional, dignified courtship and marriage of Melanie Hamilton and Ashley Wilkes; the thwarted, unconsummated relationship between Ashley Wilkes and Scarlett O'Hara; and the temptuous, passionate courtship and marriage of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. The central theme of these love stories is summarized early in the novel by Scarlett's father, Gerald O'Hara: "Only when like marries like can there be any happiness."
These themes, while universal and very powerful, are only external to the novel, and I don't believe the novel's power or universality are derived from the themes of survival and love. I believe its power is much more subtle. Indeed, for years, it has been a mystery to literary critics why this novel was received equally well by 10-year olds as well as 95-year olds. Therein lies its secret: it is a novel with which both the 10-year old child and the 95-year old adult can identify strongly. It is a novel about children and it is a novel about adults.
Every one of the major characters has qualities of both children and adults in them. These are handled subtly, not obviously, and the language of the novel, which I believe Margaret Mitchell crafted deliberately along these lines, takes the reader in this direction. For example, listen to what Scarlett says about men: "All the men in Scarlett's life, the Tarleton twins, the Calvert boys, Charles, and Frank, she could dismiss with the phrase, 'What a child!' Not Rhett. He was an adult in everything he did. Only Rhett and Ashley ..."
Scarlett is portrayed as both child and adult. "I'm always your little girl," she says to her mother in the middle of the Civil War, when in fact she is a widow with a 2-year old son. The woman whose heroism saves Tara from oblivion is evaluated by Rhett at the end: "My pet, you're such a child." By the end of the novel, when Scarlett is only 28 years old, she has been married three times, widowed twice, given birth to three children, and buried one of them. Yet, in her dreams, she is still "a lost child." When asked if she thought Scarlett ever got Rhett back, Margaret Mitchell said: "I don't think so, but I do think she finally grew up."
Melanie is the adult who masquerades in child's clothing -- and has a child's figure. Mitchell takes pain to describe Melanie's physical appearance "as that of a 10-year old boy, with narrow hips and height barely coming up to Ashley's shoulders." Yet it is Melanie who has the wisdom to see Scarlett's finer qualities, her strength of character, her commitment to her promises, and her ability to survive -- wisdom that is ironically viewed by Scarlett (and others) as foolishness. She is portrayed as foolish to be so loyal and loving to Scarlett; yet it turns out, in the end, that Scarlett's attachment to Ashley was imaginary, and it turns out in the end that Scarlett loves Melanie deeply. She is portrayed as foolish for defending Rhett Butler so staunchly, yet her wisdom about his good qualities is thoroughly vindicated by the novel's end. Of all the principles, it is Melanie who is the most wise -- and the most adult. Yet her external appearance is very childlike.
Rhett is usually depicted as an adult, the black sheep of a prominent Charleston family who makes his own fortune as a blockade runner from just a $1,000 investment. He admits, at novel's end, that he wanted to care for Scarlett, as an adult would care for a child; yet he is relentlessly mothered by Melanie, especially toward the end: she straightens him up so that he can be presentable to Scarlett after her miscarriage; and only she can convince him to consent to Bonnie's funeral. Further, he enables Melanie's mothering throughout the novel. She is the only person that he truly respects because, I suspect, she is a reminder to him of his own mother, a character who is rather prominent in the novel, though largely absent. Interestingly, it is only Melanie who comes into contact with her, as she greets mourners for Bonnie in the parlor of Scarlett and Rhett's mansion.
Ashley Wilkes is the real child of the four principles, but it takes Scarlett the entire duration of the novel, more than 12 years, to realize this. Ashley is the weakest character, the one who has failed to give up the "life that [he] loved," the one who depicts the charm and grace of the Old South to Scarlett -- the only time that she succumbs to the mistake of looking back. Mitchell is very deft with this scene. It is portrayed as a scene that exposes Ashley and Scarlett's illicit love for each other. However, what's really being exposed here is their common dependence on the past, Ashley's being overt and Scarlett's much more deeply repressed. By implication, it's also exposing the true nature of their attraction for each other, because they shared a common upbringing, growing up on neighboring plantations.
This scene is expertly crafted. While Ashley and Scarlett are reminiscing about the charm and grace of their common past -- an event which culminates in their hugging in a truly platonic manner, one in which they begin to understand each other -- they are exposed to the gossip and criticism of Atlanta society. What's being exposed here is not their unconsummated romance; it's their common reliance on living in the past. It's fitting that they should be exposed when they're reminiscing about their common past, because that is the real force of their attraction, the real reason for their love (an ultimately childish love, by the way). Mitchell uses this scene to expose them not to Atlanta society, but to the reader. They're not in love with each other; they're in love with a life that is (forgive the cliche) gone with the wind. At the end of the novel, when Scarlett realizes she truly loves Rhett, she sums up her relationship with Ashley: "I've lost my lover and I've gained another child."
Virtually every relationship in this novel can be evaluated as child v. adult; think, for example, of Mammy, the real mother figure of the novel. Look at Ellen and Gerald O'Hara; he was 43 when they married and she was 15; yet she mothers him, right up until her death. Consider one of their final episodes, recounted to Scarlett in Atlanta by John Wilkes, in which Gerald wanted to fight in the war. Ellen puts him to the test insofar as riding his horse is concerned, a test that "little Gerald, who barely came up to her shoulders" failed miserably. After Ellen dies, Gerald's life collapses and he is a broken man, right until his death.
Finally, there is the theme of division and reunion that appears on numerous occasions throughout the novel. Consider how the novel starts: Scarlett is seated on the front steps of Tara between the Tarleton twins -- a divisive force for two brothers who are otherwise as "alike as two bolls of cotton." The novel begins with internal and external symbols of division. The Civil War starts. We are introduced to Scarlett and Melanie, the two heroines who are complete opposites and, at least for Scarlett, adamantly opposed to one another. We are introduced to Ashley and Rhett, the two heroes who are also complete opposites, at least externally, and rather opposed to one another; Ashley dislikes Rhett's blackguardism, and Rhett has contempt for Ashley's weaknesses.
Mitchell deliberately tries to convince the reader, by cleverly contrasting their external characteristics, that these characters are hopelessly divided. Scarlett "hates" Melanie because she is a foolish simpleton and Ashley's wife; Rhett is a symbol of the New South, and Ashley is a symbol of the Old South; Rhett is a survivor, Ashley is a victim. Scarlett is a divisive figure in Melanie and Ashley's marriage. Scarlett is a divisive figure in the Hamilton-Wilkes families: toward the end, she is the indirect cause of a family feud that splits the family into two separate camps. Scarlett, herself, is a divided character - the result of an alliance between an Irish immigrant and an established aristocrat from the Savannah coast. "In her face were too sharply blended the sharp features of her father, an Irish immigrant, and the more delicate features of her mother, a French aristocrat from Savannah." Mitchell has even put division on Scarlett's face -- one reason that Vivien Leigh, who as an actress utilized divided eyebrows (one up, one down) for Scarlett, was such a perfect choice for the part. "She is my Scarlett," admitted Margaret Mitchell.
Division is the premise of the novel. Reunion is its conclusion. Everything that was divided is ultimately united by novel's end. Melanie and Scarlett reach an understanding with each other; Scarlett comes to realize how much she loves and relies on Melanie, and comes to appreciate her strength, the "steel courage" that has sustained her through many crises. Indeed, the evolution of their relationship is one of the most touching and endearing aspects of the novel. Whereas we begin the novel with Ashley depicted as the war hero whose life is lived for "dignity and honor" and with Rhett depicted as the blackguard who is motivated only by crass selfishness, we end the novel with Ashley reduced to a helpless, purposeless victim and Rhett enhanced as a loving husband and father. Along the way, the stark contrasts that Mitchell draws early between Rhett and Ashley yield to sympathetic comparisons. "Did it ever occur to you, Scarlett, that Rhett and I are fundamentally alike?" Ashley inquires toward the end. Yet their similarities are evident -- though repressed -- from the beginning. In a surprising confrontation with Mrs. Merriwether, Melanie defends Rhett's criticisms of the war because they mirror things her husband has written to her. Ashley and Rhett begin the novel as divided and opposed to one another; they end united and unified as characters. Melanie and Scarlett, likewise, begin the novel as opposed opposites and end the novel united and unified. Division begets reunion.
This theme, division and reunion, is especially powerful when you consider the historical context of the novel. In my view, it is no accident, but rather a careful decision on Margaret Mitchell's part, to time the action of the novel from April 1861, the start of the Civil War, the ultimate symbol of division, to September 1873, the end of Reconstruction, the ultimate symbol of reunion. It is a breathtaking historical backdrop for a novel whose dramatic power is derived from characters experiencing division and reunion in their lives.
It is curious that Mitchell's novel has born the brunt of belittling and contemptuous literary criticism over the years. When it debuted, it sold millions and won the Pulitzer Prize; no film, before or since, has ever been so widely anticipated as the 1939 film was. Its massive popularity, I suspect, and Mitchell's melodramatic writing style have contributed to this contempt. However, when one considers the thematic breadth of the novel, its impeccable structure, and the awesome scope of its narrative force, "Gone With the Wind" is a singular and astonishing achievement. I believe its universality, its appeal from the 10-year old to the 95-year old, is best explained by the themes of child v. adult and division v. reunion. I also believe that it is these themes that explain why it captivates us after 71 years and will continue to captive generations to come.
This isn't a romance novel - far from it, but a MUST READ.......2007-08-02
This is the least romantic novel I have every read, and I mean that as a compliment. The heroine is a vain, selfish, unmaternal, incredibly strong but shallow woman. The hero is at first almost a cipher - tall, dark, handsome, mysterious, rich - regular romance fodder.
They both grow older and harder as the book moves on. The ending is a surprise, but only because Mitchell faced up to reality.
I first read this as a 12-year-old. I feigned a sore throat for three days so I could stay off school and continue. Back then, Scarlett was my hero, and I knew Rhett would take her back. Now, I'm older than Rhett was when the novel closed - and I know he didn't take her back.
It's one of the most compelling novels I have ever read. The period detail puts you right into an age/place I never knew existed, but it is so lifelike I suspend belief. Emma is boring by comparison; War & Peace, confusing - and those are two of my favorite books.
I just read on wiki that someone is writing a book based on Rhett's side of things. Tread carefully because you tread on my dreams.
One of the Greatest Books of all time!.......2007-06-25
Gone with the Wind is one of the best books ever written, maybe the best.
I can not even express how much I love this book.
Many people disregard Gone With the Wind as a just a lenthy romance, but this is NOT what it is. Gone with the wind is SO much more than a romance. It is, for one, a book about the Civil War from the Southern people's perspective. This book gives the reader a brand new perspective on the Civil War and it is refreshingly NOT like all the other mundane Civil War books. It is full of history, but there is never a boring moment: Margret Mitchell is a brilliant writer whose beautiful and exciting descriptions, livily dialoge and none-stop story keep the book engrossing and never boring. I couldn't put it down!
Again, Gone with the WInd is not just a romance, as I said, it is a refreshing Civil War book; but it is not only that. Gone with the wind has many suspensful, dangerous, and sometimes violent moments, such as The Burning of Atlanta or the event when Scarlett shoots a Yankee invader.
The characters of GWTW are immortal. Each character is so beloved to so many readers, and there is a good reason why. Every character has his own fascinating personality. Every type of person, from selfish to greedy to tragic to stupid to controlling to timid to utterly kind is expressed in the book's countless engrossing characters.
The story line is also wonderful. It is very complex but never confusing; it has such a good main plot and so many intriuging sub-plots.
For the reasons I have attempted to state above and for so many more, Gone with the Wind is a beloved American Classic that has endured and will endure for many years to come.
Whether are a man or woman, girl or boy, old or young, READ THIS BOOK!
You will not regret it.
And it just may be, that after you have entered the world of Gone with the Wind, you will find in it a new favorite that is worth reading over and over again.
Best Book I Ever Read.......2007-06-23
Margaret Mitchell was a genius. This book is so detailed and interesting it is hard to describe. Do not judge it by the movie. It is a very accurate portrayal of life before, during and after the War Between the States, in the South. Scarlett was not always an admirable character, but she was not boring.
Average customer rating:
- Better than Gone with the Wind
- This book sucks
- A Perfect Book
- Nice Harlequinn fluff, but not a sequel to a classic
- No classic. Still worth the read.
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Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind"
Alexandria Ripley
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
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ASIN: 0446363251 |
Book Description
The timeless tale continues...The most popular and beloved American historical novel ever written, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind isunparalleled in its portrayal of men and women at oncelarger than life but as real as ourselves.Now bestsellingwriter Alexandra Ripley brings us back to Tara andreintroduces us to the characters we remember so well:Rhett, Ashley, Mammy, Suellen, Aunt Pittypat, and, ofcourse, Scarlett.As the classic story, first told over half a century ago, moves forward, the greatest love affair in all fiction isreignited; amidst heartbreak and joy, the endless,consuming passion between Scarlett O'Hara and RhettButler reaches its startling culmination. Rich withsurprises at every turn and new emotional, breathtakingadventures, Scarlett satisfies our longing to reenter theworld of Gone With the Wind, and like its predecessor, Scarlett will find an eternal place in our hearts.
Customer Reviews:
Better than Gone with the Wind.......2007-08-28
This book is well-researched, packed with one adventure after the next, and has more likable characters than Gone with the Wind. Scarlett turns into a grown-up who actually might deserve Rhett Butler. Definitely worth the read.
This book sucks.......2007-08-27
This book is way too long, and the plot is slow, boring, and pointless. Scarlett is reduced to chasing Rett and never having him, with some pit-stops with the O'Hara's in Ireland, and the Robillards in Charleston (or somehwere in the American South, but who cares, really). I love Gone With the Wind and have read it dozens of times. I struggled to get through this book once. Ripley's descriptions of characters, places, events, etc. can't hold a candle to Mitchell's, and she embarasses herself by trying. The worst part is that in some parts of the book, the narration switches inexplicably between first-person and third-person. Why? What editor let this happen?
Alexandra Ripley should be ashamed of herself--at least proofread when you're writing a sequel to Margaret Mitchell's masterpiece.
A Perfect Book.......2007-08-23
I have waited to long to review this book. I received this book when I was 17 years old and have read and reread it time and time again. I have been a huge fan of Gone with the Wind since I was a very young girl, I remember trying to read the GWTW when I was 5, and finally at the age of 10 could get thru it, I read it at least 7 times. I also have a great love for the "South" and the history of lives before, during, and after the "war". In all that, I have read many different kinds of books on the south in all genres.
If you love the South & the Victorian Era, and want a fantastic read this is it. If you think this author is trying to write like Margaret Mitchell you will be sorely disappointed. The two authors are very different in their writing styles and both have different ideas when it comes to plots (this is NOT Gone With the Wind). If you severely compare them both you will miss out on a wonderfully written book. This author has definitely done her homework on the Southern Culture, Ireland, England, and has totally captured the Victorian Era that Scarlett goes into.
This book is basically about Scarlett shedding some, but not all of her "Southern Bell symbolism". She becomes a remarkable woman, in all the experience and wisdom she has gained thru the years. As she becomes a woman, and looses the selfish, childish ways that she had before, she travels outside of the shelled life she has lead. The travels that you go on with her (if you let it) will be a great escape for you the reader.
There is a great part in the book where she has a portrait painted of herself, this is the part where you Know she has completely grown up and has become "A Great Lady"......... she still has that spark we all love, and Southern charm, but this time she knows how to control and use it. In Europe, instead of being treated like an outcast for her personality and "vivaciousness", she is celebrated for it. They just polish her up a bit.
Alexandra has done her homework on the Victorian Era very well, and it's fascinating to see Scarlett charm all of the Aristocracy in England and Ireland. When she is in Ireland the author captures in wonderful detail life in that era, you really will feel like you are there. This is also a very easy and fluent read. It keeps you wanting to know more, and is hard to put down. Please don't compare it to Margaret Mitchell's very "Classic" writing style, just read it as a beautifully written book.
The ending is exiting, a real page turner.
It should not be categorized in a "Harlequin Romance" category. I am very insulted by that comment from another reader. I have read many romances both in many styles and genres this is NOT written in that type of style at all.
I would give this a chance and be very open minded, you will enjoy it.
Nice Harlequinn fluff, but not a sequel to a classic.......2007-08-03
Alexandra Ripley's Scarlett is a very nice historical romance novel, but it not in the same leauge as Gone With the Wind. Ripley tries to pick up a well known American classic and end it happily, but fans of the BOOK (as opposed to the movie) with be very disappointed.
Ripley's book begins with Scarlett, now a social pariah in Atlanta, attending Melanie Wilkes funeral. She realizes she doesn't have a friend in the world, and after waiting for Rhett to return, she decides to confront him at his mother's house in Atlanta. Scarlett then chases desperately after Rhett through half of the book, while Ripley describes all aspects of life and culture in Charleston. Rhett scorns Scarlett time after time. After one last failed attempt, Scarlett runs away to Savannah and meets her Irish O'Hara cousins, then she decides to visit Ireland and the rest of her "kin". In Ireland, Scarlett discovers she is pregnant, and worse still, Rhett has divorced her and married a Melanie Wilkes look alike. Scarlett makes a new life for herself in Ireland: she buys an entire Irish town and estate, becomes the most popular and beautiful jewel of Anglo-Irish snobbery, and totally morphs into a devoted mother of her daughter, Cat. Happily, Rhett's wife dies and Rhett finds Scarlett and his child in Ireland and declares that they belong together, sailing around the world as "rebels, blockade runners, and adventurers".
If Scarlett and Rhett weren't the characters of this book, I would like it. It is good historical romance. But Ripley totally changes the personalities of Scarlett and Rhett into characters Mitchell would laugh at. Scarlett is supposed to be selfish, childish, and shallow, but Ripley turns her into a typical romance novel heroine: strong, beautiful, and loving. Rhett is dark, complicated, and cruel, but in this book he is tired, passive, and reformed.
The plot also isn't true to GWTW. Scarlett gives away her beloved Tara to Suellen when she realizes "it doesn't matter anymore"! The main drive behind Scarlett was always to hold on to Tara! Rhett respected Melanie, but he would never marry someone like her! (And what self-respecting lady would marry a divorced reprobate like Rhett?) The whole Ireland concept is ridiculous, as Scarlett scorned Atlanta's social rules, let alone stricter British etiquette. Charleston accepts Rhett and Scarlett despite the mess they made of their lives in Atlanta, Rhett develops an interest in growing flowers, and all of the beloved characters from GWTW are non-existent. If it weren't for their names, you wouldn't know you were reading a sequel to Gone With the Wind!
Romantic fans of the movie who always wanted Rhett to come back to Scarlett will probably love this book. But as for the literary fans, this book is a definite pass. Don't pollute your minds with this "new" version of Scarlett and Rhett! Remember them as they are supposed to be, lost, broken, and SEPERATE.
No classic. Still worth the read........2007-07-17
This book was very well written. Ripley is obviously no Mitchell but I don't believe she deserves the raw criticism of people who've only read the book in order to justify their prejudiced opinions of a novel written by someone other than Margret Mitchell. If you are willing to allow for the fact that this book is not by Mitchell, and read it with a neutral mindset, you may be presently surprised.
If you are worried about reading the book after viewing the awful made for t.v. movie, please don't allow the movie to act as a deterrent.
Product Description
12 plates from the movie as well as the credits from the movie included.
Customer Reviews:
NOT FOR A GIFT.......2007-09-13
The book was intended as a gift but was in too poor condition to be given. I was disappointed.
Book Description
John Henry Holliday steps off the train at Atlanta's Union Station, fresh out of the Pennsylvania Dental College, and into Mattie's arms. But the storybook romance between the young dentist and his cousin is cut short by disease and family strife. Some close relatives are grousing at the couple to break off their relationship, but they are unwilling to bow to family pressures. However his financial reverses and physical health conspire to make that happen. John Henry is diagnosed with tuberculosis and doctors suggest a dryer climate in the West. Mattie pleads to go with him but John Henry says no and travels to Dallas alone. The dry climate stabilizes his condition, but he is unable to make a living from his dental practice. Dispirited and alone he is eventually attracted to saloon life where he takes a new name and calling -- Doc Holliday -- frontier gambler. Kate Elder, a spunky little saloon girl, sets her sights on Doc. And when trouble comes at Ft. Griffin and a noose is about to be tied around Doc's neck Kate executes a daring escape plan and the two ride north, through Indian territory, to Dodge City, Kansas. Doc sets up a dental practice in the cattle town and becomes acquainted with the likes of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Luke Short and Eddie Foy. When a wild bunch of drunken cowboy's corner Wyatt Earp Doc hurries to his rescue with a 38 in one hand and a 44 in the other. That moment was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. Wyatt Earp would never forget that day at Dodge City when Doc Holliday using courage and grit saved his life. Doc's tenuous relationship with Kate dragged along simply because he was beholden to her for saving him from the hangman's noose at Ft. Griffin. Their tumultuous relationship continued though as they follow the migration of the Dodge City crowd south to Tombstone, Arizona. A corrupt political ring backs the cowboy-outlaw faction with the complicity of the Cochise County Sheriff. Doc has friends in both camps, but joins Wyatt and his brothers on the side of law and order, where his courage and loyalty are once again tested, when he stands with the Earps, in the shootout, at the Ok Corral. Doc survives the gunfight, but death from tuberculosis is never far away. Mattie, desperate in her loneliness, writes that she had become a nun, and with those vows has taken a new name -- Sister Mary Melanie. Doc is stung by the news, but he is quick to realize that it was his own neglect that had placed Mattie in the nunnery. He is fully aware that his days are numbered, but he never wavers in his love for the girl back home. Following Doc's death Wyatt Earp spoke of his friend and said, 'Doc was the most skillful gambler and the speediest, deadliest man with a six-gun I ever knew.'
Customer Reviews:
Well researched and entrancing tale........2007-07-06
Tom Barnes truly captures the real-life story behind this historical legend. Follow Doc Holliday from his childhood, to his eventual and unlikely friendship with Wyatt Earp, and of course the famous gunfight at the OK corral. This book is rich with descriptive detail of Griffin, Georgia, his place of birth, his close relationship with his mother and the attitudes that fueled his hot temper and led him to a life of practiced dentistry, gambling, gun fights and saloon altercations. Definitely a must read for old west buffs. Mixed Nuts
Doc Holliday's Downward Spiral.......2007-06-28
Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone
By Tom Barnes
Who would have thought the legend of Doc Holliday could be connected in any way to Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind.
When Doc Holliday went west after he discovered he had tuberculosis, which caused the death of his mother, he left behind a sweetheart who thought he would return after his cure in the warm, dry climate of the west. During his incredible research for the life of Doc Holliday the author, Tom Barnes discovered that this sweetheart, besides being a cousin of Doc Holliday was a distant cousin of Margaret( Peggy) Mitchell. This beautiful, girl, Mattie Holliday, wrote letters to Doc for several years and then after his death became a nun in the order of Sisters of Mercy. Margaret Mitchell used to visit her in the decade before Gone With The Wind was published. If you read the letters which appear in Doc Holliday's Road To Tombstone, you will know almost immediately which of the main characters of GWTW was inspired by Mattie Holliday.
John Henry Holliday was born in Griffin, Georgia and as a young boy moved with his family to Valdosta, Georgia just before the end of the Civil War. In 1872, John Henry was graduated with honors from the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery. Thus when he went west he became known as "Doc" Holliday. Starting his career as a dentist in Texas, Doc soon learned he could make a better living as a gambler.
The author, Tom Barnes, uses his talent and skill in scriptwriting to portray the downward spiral of John Henry Holliday, He brings to life Doc Holliday's escapades which involved outlaws as well as famous law officers like Wyatt Earp. Those interested in the O K Corral may be more fascinated by the trial which took place afterwards. This book is a great reference for that whole period of the Old West.
Lenora Smalley
California Writers Club
Director at Large
Good story, but reads more like a script instead of a novel..........2006-05-09
Ever since I saw the movie Tombstone I have taken a fancy to the legendary gambler Doc Holliday. I was very pleased to find that Tom Barnes based his stroy more around the historical facts instead of the western myth that surrounds this interesting character. I enjoyed this book, but found the writing style to be that of a television or motion picture script. The narrative focused mostly on the verbage of the characters or the action they took part in. The times when the author took us into the characters mind and thoughts were few and not very deep when they did occur. I kept wondering when I was reading the book if the author wrote this book with hopes of later seeing it turned into a show or movie. This book also suffered from some editing errors with a few typos that should have been caught before publishing (see page 20 & 178). While this is a bit of a critical review, I would recomend this book to anyone wants to enjoy a good story and learn a little more about Mr. Holliday. This was a good story I was just hoping for something a little more...
Excellent!.......2006-02-03
Author Tom Barnes has meticulously written this factual account of the life of Doc Holliday in such a way that you feel as though you are actually right there, experiencing all the excitement and ambience of the era in which Doc's life unfolded. Furthermore, the author provides surprising aspects which only make the story that much more interesting. A great read.
Terrific.......2006-02-01
Doc Holliday's Road To Tombstone is a page turner from beginning to end. From growing up in Griffin, becomming a Dentist his romance with Matti and his affair with the Firey Kate to the very interesting courtroom scene after the shooting.
Terrific book you will want to read it more then once.
Product Description
Blue Hardback. Antique edges pages.
Amazon.com
The American South, it has been said, is the most European of the nation's sections in manner and outlook, distinct enough that it may be reckoned to have its own--slippery term--culture. Its literature, language, climate, economy, cuisine, and history are recognizably different from those of New England and the Midwest, and even today Southerners remember that their homeland was once an independent nation crushed by a foreign military power. These may be justifications enough to warrant this massive regional encyclopedia, although a few questions go a-begging. (What, for instance, would an encyclopedia of American culture writ large contain? Do the mountaineers of Tennessee share a culture with the Gullah-speaking farmers of the South Carolina coast? Just what does culture mean, anyway?) In any case, the editors have assembled a fine roster of contributors who write on sweeping topics--African American life, agriculture, literature, the "mythic South," and the like--elaborated on by short essays on narrower subjects. The book was rightly voted Best Reference Book of 1989 by the American Library Association.
Book Description
The American South is a geographical entity, a historical fact, a place in the imagination, and the homeland of an array of Americans who consider themselves southerners. The region is often shrouded in romance and myth, but its realities are as intriguing, as intricate, as its legends.
The Encyclopedia of Southern Culture is "the first attempt ever" notes U.S. News & World Report, "to describe every aspect of a region's life and thought, the impact of its history and policies, its music and literature, its manners and myths, even the iced tea that washes down its catfish and cornbread."
There are many Souths, many southerners. The region's fundamental uniqueness, in fact, lies in its peculiar combination of cultural traits, a somewhat curious, often elusive blend created by blacks and whites who have lived together for more than 300 years. In telling their stories, the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture ranges from grand historical themes to the whimsical; from the arts and high culture (William Faulkner and Leontyne Price) to folk culture (quilts, banjos, and grits) to popular culture (Gilley's and Gone With the Wind).
The Encyclopedia's definition of the South is a cultural one: the South is found wherever southern culture is found. Although the focus is on the eleven states of the former Confederacy, this volume also encompasses southern outposts in midwestern and middle-Atlantic border states, even the southern pockets of Chicago, Detroit, and Bakersfield.
To foster a deeper understanding of the South's cultural patterns, the editors have organized this reference book around twenty-four thematic sections, including history, religion, folklore, language, art and architecture, recreation, politics, the mythic South, urbanization, literature, music, violence, law, and media. The life experiences of southerners are discussed in sections on black life, ethnic life, and women's life. Throughout, the broad goal is to identify the forces that have supported either the reality or the illusion of the southern way of life—people, places, ideas, institutions, events, symbols, rituals, and values.
The Encyclopedia of Southern Culture was developed by the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. Contributors to the volume include historians, literary critics, sociologists, anthropologists, geographers, linguists, theologians, folklorists, architects, ecologists, lawyers, university presidents, newspaper reporters, magazine writers, and novelists.
Customer Reviews:
A Gone With The Fan's Dream book.......2000-08-08
This book is a dream come true for any GWTW fan. It has lots of pictures of this movie and the making of this film. It is THE book for any fan of this movie to own! There is information on the beyond the scenes as well the premiere. This book is a must have for any classic movie lover!!
Book Description
This collection of essays comments on the pre-World War II culture of the United States, when David O. Selznick produced
Customer Reviews:
Read if serious about "Gone With the Wind" as art.......1999-12-19
Pyron amasses a collection of critical essays on GWTW that, as far as I can tell, is unequalled. This includes early reviews of the book to modern-day criticism, which provides an interesting and helpful read. Check out Pyron's exhaustive biography on Margaret Mitchell too.
Books:
- Heart of Darkness (Norton Critical Editions)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- Inferno
- Invisible Cities (A Harvest/Hbj Book)
- Invisible Man
- Jane Austen: The Complete Novels, Deluxe Edition (Library of Literary Classics)
Books Index
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Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind"
Rebecca
