Happy Memorial Day from UPM

Memorial Day originated as a federal holiday to commemorate U.S. men and women who died while in military service. Over time, this has evolved into an excuse for the first barbecue and pool party of the summer.

But, for readers interested in honoring the original, intended spirit of Memorial Day can celebrate by picking up one of UPM's  titles most befitting of the holiday - Americans at War by Stephen E. Ambrose.

In this fascinating collection of fifteen essays Ambrose ranges over the many wars that have enveloped Americans and depicts the personalities of American leaders during wartime: Custer, Eisenhower, Patton, Mac-Arthur, Franklin Roosevelt, and Nixon. "All nations make war in their own way," he says. "The American way is the theme of these essays."

Two large subjects encompass his research: First, he is fascinated by the experiences of those who have gone to war, both the leaders and the led, and, as he shows in "Just Dumb Luck: American Entry into World War II," he is intrigued by men who make big decisions or fail to make them. Generals alone don't win wars. The infantrymen, as he points out in "SIGINT: Deception and the Liberation of Western Europe," were responsible for winning World War II, not those who were involved in intelligence operations. Soldiers who break under strain ("My Lai: Atrocities in Historical Perspective") also get his fair and compassionate examination.

Casual Questions with Oliver Houck

Oliver Houck is the author of Down on the Batture. For those that don't know, a batture is the stretch of land found between a river at low-water stage and the levee. This term is most commonly used to describe the lower Mississippi River—a rim of sand, mud, and trees.

Down on the Batture describes the ordinary and extraordinary things found in this forgotten stretch of woods along the banks of the Mississippi just upstream of New Orleans. The book consists of thirty-eight nonfiction essays, each with its own theme but related to the others in time, place, and a few overlapping characters.

Houck is a professor of law at Tulane University. He will be signing copies of his book at Octavia Books on Wednesday, June 2 at 6:00 p.m.

• What was your first job?
  
  My first real job (beyond helping my father around the house on endless Sundays) was at Dr Chehayle’s Veterinary Clinic. I cleaned up the dog cages with a putty knife and garbage bucket and dumped it in the ravine beyond.

New Book: Drawing France

In France, Belgium, and other Francophone countries, the comic strip–called bande dessinée (BD) in French–has long been considered a major art form capable of addressing cultural issues. Graphic narratives were deemed worthy of canonization and critical study for decades before the academy and the press embraced comics in the United States.

The place that BD holds in the culture today, however, belies the contentious political route the art form has had in France. In Drawing France: French Comics and the Republic author Joel E. Vessels examines the trek of BD from its course of being considered a fomenter of rebellion, to an art suitable only for semi-literates, to an impediment to children’s education, and most recently to its use as a bellwether of social concerns in mainstream culture.

In the mid-1800s, alarmists feared political caricatures might incite the ire of an illiterate working class. To counter this notion, proponents yoked the art to a particular articulation of “Frenchness” based on literacy and reason. With the post-World War II economic upswing, French consumers saw BD as a way to navigate the changes brought by modernization.

Lost Churches of Mississippi

Lost Churches of Mississippi is a collection of archival photographs, postcards, and drawings of more than one hundred notable churches and synagogues fallen to fire, disaster, development, or neglect. Constructed primarily from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s, these places of worship were often among the most visually prominent and architecturally striking buildings in Mississippi. Storms, floods, tornadoes, flames, bulldozers, or the disbandment of congregations razed what once was hallowed.

In Lost Churches of Mississippi, architectural historian Richard J. Cawthon reclaims such noteworthy temples as the old St. Paul's Catholic Church in Vicksburg, Bethel Presbyterian Church near Columbus, the old Trinity Episcopal Church in Pass Christian, and the old First Presbyterian Church in Yazoo City.

The book includes 180 distinctive black-and-white illustrations from several historical archives and other collections that represent over fifty towns and cities throughout the state. Cawthon discusses the architectural features and historical background of each house of worship and provides a brief introduction that illuminates the study of lost buildings. The book also features a glossary of architectural terms and an annotated bibliography.

Check out photos from the book and an upcoming appearance schedule for Richard Cawthon after the jump. 

On the Horizon: Under Surge, Under Siege

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina tore into Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, raking away lives, buildings, and livelihoods in a place known for its picturesque, coastal views; its laid-back, artsy downtown; and its deep-dyed Southern cordiality. 

In Under Surge, Under Siege: The Odyssey of Bay St. Louis and Katrina Ellis Anderson, who rode out the storm in her Bay St. Louis home and sheltered many neighbors afterwards, offers stories of generosity, heroism, and laughter in the midst of terror and desperate uncertainty. A blend of memoir, personal diary, and firsthand reportage, Under Surge provides compelling and uplifting testament to the strength of the human spirit.

Divided into two parts, this book invites readers into the intimate enclave before, during, and after the storm. Part one, “Under Surge” focuses on connections between residents, then demonstrates how those bonds sustained them through the worst hurricane in U.S. history. “Under Siege” documents the first three years of the grinding aftermath, detailing the unforeseen burdens of stress and depression, insurance scandals, and opportunists that threatened to complete the annihilation of the plucky town.

For excerpts, images, and an appearance schedule please visit www.undersurge.com. Under Surge, Under Siege will be available from UPM in August.

For Ellis Anderson's take on the recent oil spill in the gulf coast, check out her poignant Gulf Coast Diary installments.