The Mind of the South

Ever since its publication in 1941, The Mind of the South has been recognized as a path-breaking work of scholarship and as a literary achievement of enormous eloquence and insight in its own right. From its investigation of the Southern class system to its pioneering assessments of the region's legacies of racism, religiosity, and romanticism, W. J. Cash's book defined the way in which millions of readers -- on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line -- would see the South for decades to come. This new, fiftieth-anniversary edition of The Mind of the South includes an incisive analysis of Cash himself and of his crucial place in the history of modern Southern letters.

"No one, among the multitudes who have written about the South, has been more penetrating or more persuasive than Mr. Cash." -- The New York Times

"Wyatt-Brown's introduction is the sanest overview of The Mind of the South I've yet encountered. It points up the specific and real worth of this remarkable book." -- Louis D. Rubin, Jr.

"Sometimes insightful, sometimes infuriating, The Mind of the South is mandatory reading for anyone who would understand the region. Wyatt-Brown's brilliant introduction reveals the relevance of Cash and his book to our own times."

-- Charles Joyner, Burroughs Distinguished Professor of Southern History and Culture, University of South Carolina