Old Money, New South: The Spirit of Chattanooga

Although this purchase was used, the book is fantastic! The condition was as listed, but that didn't matter because of the rich history that is written within. If you're from Tennessee, this is definitely a book to read!

If you're from Chattanooga, TN, you need to read this book!!!!

I loved reading this book. As someone who grew up in Chattanooga hearing the storied family names and places that float around local conversations, it was interesting to learn the history behind them.

If you love Chattanooga, you need to read this book about it’s incredible history. I am actually only a fourth of the way through, but I can’t put it down. Came here looking to buy some gift copies.

Dean Arnold has written the new standard on Chattanooga history. Chattanooga has an interesting history as it has been at the center of several key events in our nation's history: The Trail of Tears, the turning point of the Civil War, the beginning of the end of Christian missions to the American Indians. Chattanooga is arguably the most religious city in the United States with a great deal of philanthropy and Christian organizations. It is also a city that often runs like a small town because of the small number of extremely prominent, and surprisingly beneficent, families which have controlled much of the city's direction.Arnold has produced a beautifully lavish book with many photos and illustrations (pity there's no picture yet, this is a nice cloth book). It's a fun read if you are interested in what Chattanooga is all about and how it got there. If you want to know Chattanooga, buy this book.

I was looking forward to reading this book about Chattanooga and its' "gentry" but was terribly disappointed. Between misspelled words, repetitive text (I honestly think he used copy and paste on several paragraphs in different chapters) and the most confusing organization imaginable, it was a real let-down.He spent several pages on street preachers, but not one word about magnet schools. Touting the "Big Three" private schools took up a lot of space, (including extensive reporting on cancelling a football game to prevent graffiti, which I don't get) but the only reference to the Public Education Foundation and Steve Prigozy was simply that they existed. Not to cover the conception, growth and success of the many magnet schools which have changed the face and quality of public education in Chattanooga is a disgrace.Besides whining that he did not get an interview with Jack Lupton, the only thing of substance the author shared was that the founders of our fair city were Presbyterian. The chapter on the history of the name of the town was confusing and inconclusive. What tripe! This was a promising effort, but a dismal failure. Don't bother to buy this book. If you absolutely have to read it, get it from the library and donate the money you would have spent on it to support our local lending institutions

Sure the author is a narcissist, taking long tangents to discuss his courage for writing this book, or often citing himself as proof for various claims. Yet for those interested in the history of Chattanooga and in particular how the present has been determined by the past, well, there's no more compelling read on the subject. It's downright scandalous at times, as if you'd discovered the private diary of the City.