C. Vann Woodward: A Southern Historian and His Critics

by John Herbert Roper (Contributor)

Perhaps the most prominent historian of his time, C. Vann Woodward (1908–1999) was always at the center of public controversy, wielding power inside the history profession while exercising influence on the reading public. In this collection of essays, historians examine the writings of the American South’s esteemed scholar. Examining Woodward’s work from various angles, the “critics” in this volume reveal his contributions as history, as ideas, and as part of an activist scholar’s quest to understand and influence the racial and social dynamics of his region and times.

Contributors: Edward L. Ayers, M. E. Bradford, Carl N. Degler, Gaines M. Foster, Paul M. Gaston, F. Sheldon Hackney, August Meier, James Tice Moore, Albert Murray, Michael O’Brien, Allan Peskin, David Morris Potter, Howard N. Rabinowitz, John Herbert Roper, Joel R. Williamson, Bertram Wyatt-Brown.

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

John Herbert Roper was born in Lyman, South Carolina, graduated from Wade Hampton High School in 1966 and earned A.B. degree in history from the University of South Carolina in 1970. He earned A.M. and Ph.D. in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1973 and 1977, respectively, and also earned M.E. in economics at North Carolina State University in 1981. He has taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Florida International University in Miami, the University of Mississippi, and St. Andrews Presbyterian College, and he joined Emory & Henry College in 1988. He became Richardson Professor of American History in 1992.

Reviews

[Matthew William · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. C. Vann Woodward is a hero of mine.

[Sarah Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 4.25 or 4.5. A good intellectual biography of Woodward. Roper's sprightly prose engages throughout.