Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart is a 1999 non-fiction book by Felicity Allen, published by the University of Missouri Press, about Jefferson Davis.
Judith Anne Fenner Gentry of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette characterized the work's goal as showing all aspects of Jefferson Davis rather than focusing on the individual's "faults".[1] Brian D. McKnight of Mississippi State University described the work as being "partisan" to the Confederate States of America.[2]
Publishers Weekly stated that the book mainly focused on Davis's personal character in his family life and not outside, wider political developments. The publication stated that the book illustrates "emphasis on Davis the family man and Davis the martyred symbol of a vanquished but proud and unrepentant South."[3]
Background
editAllen was not affiliated with an academic institution, but was instead an independent scholar.[3] She originated from Auburn, Alabama.[4] She dedicated the book to her grandmother, whom she described as "a Confederate to the last."[2]
The sourcing included Jefferson Davis Papers, which had Lynda Crist and Mary Dix as editors, as well as a collection of papers from Davis held by Dunbar Rowland. Additionally she used books, manuscripts, memoirs, secondary sources, and speeches. The book did not cite Robert E. Lee: A Biography by Emory M. Thomas nor did it cite Davis and Lee by Stephen Woodworth.[1]
She stated that she wrote the book so the public would understand aspects of Davis that were not widely known.[5]
Content
editThe book covers the involvement of Davis's father in the American Revolution at the start,[6] the goes into Davis's lifespan,[1] including his statements and attitudes in the public sphere as well as the private one.[7]
Gentry stated that the book's picture of Varina Davis was that Davis was compelled to control her as she was "quarrelsome, jealous", and Allen had described her as "mercurial".[7]
McKnight characterizes the book's depiction of Davis in that he had no negative aspects.[2] Citing Davis's anger towards government officials and Varina,[8] reviewer Walter Sullivan stated that "Allen's devotion to veracity prevents her from making of Davis the saintly figure that she would prefer him to be."[5] Sullivan stated that the author's point of view of the man "is one of admiration and deep affection that will not be shared by those who judge all history by the standards of the present."[9]
J. Thomas Murphy of Bemidji State University state that in general the book has a pro-CSA point of view, with a negative attitude towards anti-slavery campaigners and people from the Northern United States, as well as a "paternalistic" point of view towards slavery.[10] The book avoids calling slaves by that name as uses other language to describe them, which McKnight characterizes as trying to "soften" the situation.[2]
Reception
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Brad Hooper of Booklist argued that the work is "neither an apologia nor a whitewash".[11]
Gentry stated that the work "succeeds" in showing a positive picture of Jefferson Davis.[1] Gentry added that the work "is an excellent portrayal of the ideals of" the people in Davis's social class and occupation.[7]
McKnight stated that scholars should rely on other books and concluded, "This book is flawed."[2] He described the author's analysis of Varina as "adequate".[2]
Murphy argued that the Davis portrayed in the book "appears as a one-dimensional figure", and he felt that the work served as "a helpful look into" the environment that Davis lived in.[10] Murphy criticized the pro-CSA point of view.[10]
Sullivan concluded that the book is "by far the best biography of Davis", stating that it is "Brilliantly written, exhaustively researched".[9]
Publishers Weekly argued that in regards to showing Davis as having nobility and being "the personification of Southern "glory"", the author "largely succeeds".[3] The publication argued that the work did not explain "how a supposedly great man could devote his public life to defending slavery."[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- Gentry, Judith Anne Fenner (2001). "Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart". Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association. 42 (4): 459–460. JSTOR 4233786.
- McKnight, Brian D (2002). "Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart (review)". Civil War History. 48 (2). Kent State University Press: 176–177 – via Project MUSE. - Also at ProQuest
- Murphy, J Thomas (2002). "Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart". Alabama Review. 55 (3): 200 – via ProQuest.
- Sullivan, Walter (2000). "Jefferson Davis: His life before and after (Allen, Felicity: "Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart") (Book Review)". The Sewanee Review. 108 (4): cxix/R119. JSTOR 27548906.
Notes
edit- ^ a b c d Gentry, p. 459.
- ^ a b c d e f McKnight, p. 177
- ^ a b c d "JEFFERSON DAVIS: Unconquerable Heart". Publishers Weekly. 246 (49): 63. 1999.
- ^ McKnight, p. 176.
- ^ a b Sullivan, p. cxx.
- ^ Murphy, p. 200.
- ^ a b c Gentry, p. 460.
- ^ Sullivan, p. cxxi.
- ^ a b Sullivan, p. cxxii.
- ^ a b c Murphy, p. 201.
- ^ Hooper, Brad (1999). "Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart". Booklist. 96 (7): 682.
Further reading
edit- Dix, Mary Seaton (November 2000). "Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart". Journal of Southern History. 66 (4): 873–874.
- McDevitt, Theresa (1999). "Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart". Library Journal. 124 (20): 150.
- Smith, Michael Thomas (2001). "Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart". The Florida Historical Quarterly. 80 (1): 113–114.
External links
edit- Allen, Felicity (1999). Jefferson Davis, Unconquerable Heart. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 978-0-8262-1219-1 – via Internet Archive.