Reviews for The New South: New Histories

The average rating for The New South: New Histories based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-10-27 00:00:00 Douglas Starbird This is an absolute must read. I must add that this book should be a text book for a western migration class. Bryant takes the reader from the east coast to California in 1847. This book is his diary. What makes this so interesting is that Bryant was a doctor of the day, well, almost a doctor. He was an intern when he went west to finish his studies. Like any good intern, he kept good notes in his diary concerning the pioneers he treated. Not to mention that he has an excellent description of the trail.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-12-06 00:00:00 Curtis Gustafson Although this book is called "What I Saw in California", at least half of it covers the author's journey west from Missouri. That portion is an engrossing glimpse into the trials and tribulations of a wagon train. Bryant was a medical student, and he had several opportunities to test out his knowledge in the field. His descriptions of the changing landscape are detailed and fascinating. However, once he reaches California he provides an invaluable portrait of a country in flux. The Spanish were losing control of the state and American immigrants were pouring in. Bryant found himself caught up in General John C. Fremont's military expedition to take the town of Santa Barbara. It turned out the soldiers had a lot more to fear from the local geography and a truly nasty storm than from Santa Barbara's inhabitants themselves. Bryant's account of the rough, wet night in which horses, mules, and artillery tumbled down steep slopes is memorable.