Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried ...

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Unread postby bourbonv » Tue Nov 09, 2004 4:36 pm

Alas, Mary Hite told me that the foundations to the Ritchie still house were there 10 years ago, the still is long gone.

So, Linn, Mary Hite can take you right to the location mentioned.

Speaking of still houses, I am going to try to go in and look at what is ledt of the Black Acre still house this winter (while the undergowth is dormant).
Mike Veach
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Unread postby bunghole » Tue Nov 09, 2004 6:52 pm

OK, we'll re-erect the stockade during the spring sampler. Mike, you divert any attention at the Getz while I run out with a couple of stills. They'll never miss 'em! :wink: :roll:

:arrow: ima :smilebox:
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Unread postby bunghole » Mon Nov 15, 2004 4:59 pm

Monday is my 'Day of Rest' and I do very little other than catching up on lost ZZZZZZZZ's from the graveyard shift; going to the liquor store, smoking fine cigars, and drinking fine bourbon.

I also like to kick back and read. In this case author Gerald Carson weaves the very best account of the infamous 'Whiskey Ring' I've yet encountered. Other writers have broached this subject in a kind of half hearted jeez do we hafta kind of fashion. Gerald Carson makes the national scandel come alive!

Gotta Love It!

:arrow: ima Learning More Than a bunghole Has A Right To!
:smilebox:
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Re: Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried

Unread postby angelshare » Mon Dec 27, 2004 8:35 am

bourbonv wrote:This book tells the history of bourbon through a series of chapter that could stand alone as magazine articles.


Tina got me this book for Christmas!

It appears you are very perceptive. I noted on the copyright page the following statement:

"In slightly different form some of the chapters of this book appeared as articles in American Heritage and The Virginia Quarterly Review."

Actually, I prefer this. As a reader of magazines more than books, "stand alone" chapters are very appealing.
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Unread postby bourbonv » Wed Jan 09, 2008 3:58 pm

Moving this forward.

There has been some discussion of the book here and maybe this will encourage more.
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Re: Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried ...

Unread postby bourbonv » Wed Sep 30, 2009 12:34 pm

The University Press of Kentucky is thinking of reprinting this book. I think that is a good idea. It is not the best book in the world but it does have some merits and it will be good to see it readily available at an affordable price for those who want to add it to their library.
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Re: Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried ...

Unread postby cowdery » Thu Oct 01, 2009 12:05 am

What I took from Carson's book and tried to use in my own was to tell a story, to make it a book someone could sit down and read, and not a reference book like so many that have come out. We both wish it was a bit more, let's say 'scholarly,' but it is what it is. It is a good read and, all in all, accurate.
- Chuck Cowdery

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Re: Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried ...

Unread postby bourbonv » Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:36 pm

This book is being re-released this fall. I wrote an introduction and helped them with the new cover art. It should look fairly familiar to the people here because it is from the Harlan Distillery in Monroe County, Kentucky, 1918 and shows the two distillers and the mash tubs. I use the two distillers and the stills for my avatar here.
Mike Veach
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Re: Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried ...

Unread postby gillmang » Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:51 pm

Good news. I love the Carson book, it is a landmark in American bourbon studies.

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Re: Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried ...

Unread postby bourbonv » Wed Jul 07, 2010 3:39 pm

I have been asked to represent this book at the Cincinatti book fair "Books on the Banks" on October 2nd. I hope to see some of you there.
Mike Veach
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Re: Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried ...

Unread postby cowdery » Thu Jul 22, 2010 12:30 pm

Warts and all, Mike?
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Re: Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried ...

Unread postby bourbonv » Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:24 pm

Warts and all. I discuss the warts in the new forward. It is still a decent book and as I re-read it for the doing the forward, I was surprised that it was better than I recalled. Carson got a lot right at a time when most information was coming from marketing departments. It still has some problems, but for a 1963 release, he did well.

The press is dropping the subtitle so those original copies will be worth something to collectors who look for those type of things.
Mike Veach
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Re: Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried ...

Unread postby gillmang » Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:03 am

Mike, what would you consider erroneous in the book?

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Re: Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried ...

Unread postby cowdery » Fri Jul 23, 2010 11:29 pm

Carson uses a lot of footnotes but they often don't tell you what you want to know, like where he saw the original documents he quotes. In other cases, where he says where the original documents are housed, Mike has gone to look for them and they aren't there. We've both tried to verify with another source, ideally the original one, facts Carson cites but have been unable to do so.

But don't get me wrong. They're mostly small details that you wish were better but they detract very little from what is an invaluable source. I really modeled my book after Carson in the sense that I didn't want it to be rigidly structured as so many books on the subject are, more like referencee books than something you want to sit down and read. Carson wrote a book that's enjoyable to sit down and read, and that's why you should sit down and read it if you haven't already.
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Re: Book Review: The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried ...

Unread postby bourbonv » Tue Sep 28, 2010 4:00 pm

The book has been released with the forward I wrote. It was on sale at the Bourbon Festival and I will be promoting it at the Books by the Banks bookfair in Cincy this Saturday (Oct. 2). There is also a bourbon panel that I am participating in at 1:00 at the fair. If you are in the area, come on by.
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