Description: The story of Alabama's five capitals--St. Stephens, Huntsville, Cahawba, Tuscaloosa, and Montgomery--begins in a rough semi-civilized Washington County village and ends at the old cotton town in central Alabama. Between these bookending governmental centers, the capitals have criss-crossed the state from north to south and east to west, following the political powers and fortunes of the times, and amid more noble arguments that the capital should be near the center of the state. It is the story of Alabama's government, buildings, and laws. It is the story of towns, some that sprang up and died when the capital moniker left. Most of all, the story of Alabama's capitals is the story of its people: some whose undying devotion to statehood brought Alabama to life; some who used state government in their rise to power and financial prominence; some whose generosity and pureness of heart kept Alabama on solid moral and financial ground; and some whose prejudices held back this state when it should have moved forward. The Five Capitals of Alabama paints a dramatic picture of where we began, where we are today, and the twisting journey taken along the way.
Brief description: Art Meripol began his career as a newspaper photojournalist before joining Southern Living Magazineas Senior Photographer for Travel. After twenty-four years for the magazine, Art began freelancing in 2013, shooting for a variety of local and national publications. Art was the photographer for the U.S. Civil Rights Trail and What Happened Here Changed the World, which documented iconic civil rights sites across the South and won the National Addy Award.
Review Quotes: Well-written, thoroughly researched, thoughtfully designed, and gorgeously illustrated - what's not to like about The Five Capitals of Alabama? It's a book that does the fascinating history of Alabama's five capitals justice.--Jim Noles "author of A Pocketful of History: 400 Years of American History - One State Quarter at a Time"