In The American South, the authors demonstrate their belief that it is impossible to divorce the history of the south from the history of the United States. Their analysis underscores the complex interaction between the South as a distinct region and the South as an inescapable part of the United States. They show how the resulting tension has often propelled section and nation toward collision. In supporting their thesis, the authors draw on the tremendous amount of profoundly new scholarship in Southern history. There is a substantial bibliographic essay which will provide the reader with a guide to literature on the history of the South.