“Weaves
agricultural, social, and political history into a thorough and compelling
history of the Bright Belt tobacco region. . . . Highly recommended.”—Choice
“An
important addition to our understanding of the shaping of tobacco agriculture,
especially in the context of government farm programs.”—Journal of
Southern History
“A
clear, concise roadmap through the complexities of post–Civil War tobacco life
and policy. . . . Captures the opportunities and challenges of southern
agriculture as it moved into the modern age.”—Agricultural History
“A
solidly researched and well-documented study of one tobacco region from the
1860s through the early 2000s, and, as such, will be useful to many scholars of
agriculture and the South.”—AAG Review of Books
“Examines
the transformation of tobacco work from the end of slavery to the present day
in order to consider the cultural and political ramifications of
modernization.”—Journal of Economic Literature
“A
concise study of families, farm labor, and federal policy in the Old Bright
Belt region of North Carolina and Virginia. Bennett provides historical context
for tobacco’s past and future.”—North Carolina Historical Review
“Provides
an indispensable historical and analytical perspective on one of the most
important crops and agricultural landscapes in the United States. . . . This
book is highly recommended, insightful and readable.”—Florida
Historical Quarterly
“Well-written
and thoroughly researched. . . . A fine summary of the complex issues
surrounding bright tobacco culture in its most historic setting.”—Register
of the Kentucky Historical Society
