This exploration of African American slavery through sound is a groundbreaking way of understanding both slave culture and American history"A work of great originality and insight."-Ira Berlin "Shane White and Graham White's book is a joy."-Branford Marsalis"A fascinating book . . . that brings to life the historical soundscape of 18th- and 19th-century African Americans at work; play; rest; and prayer . . . This remarkable achievement demands a place in every collection on African American and U.S. history and folklife. Highly recommended."-Library Journal"The authors have undertaken the difficult task of bringing to contemporary readers the sounds of American slave culture . . . [giving] vibrancy and texture to a complex history that has been long neglected."-Booklist"The book's strongest point is its attention to detail . . . [it] will not only be valuable to young scholars; but . . . to young performers and composers; especially with the explosion of interest in 'roots music;' looking for new sources of original and searing music."-Ran Blake; Christian Science Monitor"A lyrical and original treatment of the musical and spoken culture of American slaves. This book is moving testimony to how scholarship can penetrate the transcendent spirit once considered exotic or unknowable; how historians can trace social survival to the human voice in slavery's heart of darkness."-David W. Blight; professor of history; Yale University; and author of Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory"A seminal study of a neglected aspect of Southern and African-American culture . . . and the approach to the topic is both creative and resourceful. The book is highly recommended."-Michael Russert; The Multicultural ReviewShane White and Graham White; who are not related; are professor and honorary associate; respectively; in the history department at the University of Sydney; Australia. They are the coauthors of Stylin': African American Expressive Culture; from Its Beginning to the Zoot Suit.
#1986642 in Books Citadel 2003-07-01 2003-03-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.24 x 1.22 x 6.40l; 1.35 #File Name: 080652443X324 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. InterestingBy CorrineGreat book; a lot of historical information that I did not know; I already have a short list of friend that would like to read it when I finish.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy bubbeEveryone should be aware of what these women were able to do!136 of 40 people found the following review helpful. Well- written biographies but ..By Shalom FreedmanThe short biographies here are well- written. But I have a number of quarrels with the selection of the book; and with its title. The phrase 'changed the world' seems to me a bit large when describing the lives of popular entertainers ( Barbra Steisand) fashion designers (Trigano) and minor literary figures (Gertrude Stein). It also seems to me unwise and misleading to select people for such lists whose contribution is to enterprises which are in some way antithetical to Judaism. I find on the list (Miriam of Nazareth) and while it is true that this central figure in Christianity is Jewish ; her whole meaning as a person has to do with what is not Jewish. This point seems to me an especially point one at a time when there is a not small group of people in the world who have abandoned the Jewish religion ; adopted Christianity; and still ( misleadingly) represent themselves as Jewish.This work does have a useful list upon which are included many figures who might have made it the list of fifty.
