(Previous entries in this series: Pts. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.) It's appropriate that this entry is the thirteenth in the series. Academics generally hate compiling an index, even though it's one of the most important tools that they (at least historians) use when reading. There are software programs available that can create a book index for you. … Continue reading The Evolution of a Book, Pt. 13: Indexing the Book
Andrew Jackson, Southerner: The Introduction
LSU Press has given me permission to post the introduction to Andrew Jackson, Southerner. The 1828 presidential election was one of the nastiest in United States political history. Andrew Jackson’s campaign accused the incumbent, John Quincy Adams, of being a pimp and spending the people’s money to fund gambling in the White House. Adams was … Continue reading Andrew Jackson, Southerner: The Introduction
The Evolution of a Book, Pt. 12: Working with Page Proofs
(Previous entries in this series: Pts. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11.) Working with the page proofs of your book is a daunting task. As your publisher will tell you, the only possible changes are editorial, factual or typesetter errors. So, that sentence that doesn't quite read right? You're stuck with it. The additional research that came to light … Continue reading The Evolution of a Book, Pt. 12: Working with Page Proofs
Thank You, Nashville
I want to thank the hit ABC show Nashville for using the cover of Andrew Jackson, Southerner as a prop in the mayor's office. It would be better if someone on the show were actually reading the book, but I'll take it. (Of course, that portrait just happens to be the same one I'm using for my … Continue reading Thank You, Nashville
Andrew Jackson, Southerner Available for Pre-Sale
Amazon.com has Andrew Jackson, Southerner listed at a pre-sale price of 29.80. That's 25% off of the list price of $39.95. I also plan to hold a contest of some sort to give away a handful of signed copies this fall.
Andrew Jackson, Southerner in LSU Press’ Fall 2013 Catalog
The Fall 2013 LSU Press catalog includes Andrew Jackson, Southerner. Here is the description: Many Americans view Andrew Jackson as a frontiersman who fought duels, killed Indians, and stole another man’s wife. Historians have traditionally presented Jackson as a man who struggled to overcome obstacles and helped create a more democratic United States. In his compelling new … Continue reading Andrew Jackson, Southerner in LSU Press’ Fall 2013 Catalog
Summer 2013 Reading
Research commitments are going to require me to scale back this summer's casual readings, but I have a short list of childhood favorites that I want to revisit: John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn Johann David Wyss, The Swiss Family Robinson On the surface, it … Continue reading Summer 2013 Reading
Books for Fall 2013 Semester
It's time for fall book orders again. History of the United States I I'm retooling the survey course over the summer, and I'll be sure to blog about it at some point. The theme for this course is historical memory. Gretchen Adams, The Specter of Salem: Remembering the Witch Trials in Nineteenth-Century America (Univ. of … Continue reading Books for Fall 2013 Semester
The Evolution of a Book, Pt. 11: Book Covers
(Previous entries in this series: Pts. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.) Mary Beard recently explained how her most recent book cover design evolved. My experiences have been a little bit different. I've been fortunate enough to have had great designers at LSU Press. Amanda McDonald Scallon designed the cover of Old Hickory's Nephew (OHN), which I think brilliantly … Continue reading The Evolution of a Book, Pt. 11: Book Covers
Book Cover Design for Andrew Jackson, Southerner
I'm pleased to present the cover of my forthcoming book, Andrew Jackson, Southerner, due to be published in October. I could not be happier with the work that LSU Press has done on designing the covers of this book and my first, Old Hickory's Nephew.
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 