Book Reviews University of Central Arkansas
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Book Reviews 285 Face” was Benito Mussolini, but a glossary is required to reveal the meaning of many other terms. These omissions notwithstanding, Skinning Cats is a store- house containing many historical treasures. It would make a useful reference for those interested in the social history of World War 11. University of Central Arkansas, Gregory J. W. Urwin Conway Kentucky’s Governors, 1792-1985. Edited by Lowell H. Harrison. (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1985. Pp. xxi, 217. Suggested readings, index. $22.00.) Lowell H. Harrison should be complimented for editing these fifty-four essays by thirty-two authors who chronicle Kentucky’s history through its chief executives. He provides a sensible pref- ace without grandiose claims, and Thomas D. Clark’s introduc- tion establishes a helpful framework for understanding the governors’ milieux. This collection is aimed at the general reader, but because the work is done largely by professors, more atten- tion is devoted to analyzing policies than to tracing genealogies. Overall, the venture is a welcome contribution, although one of mixed quality and success. Constitutionally limited to one term, Kentucky governors have four years to create a memorable record. Many have failed at this, and their biographers generally do not inflate their at- tempts. Some who distinguished themselves were aided by cir- cumstances beyond their control. Isaac Shelby, for instance, remains notable mainly for being the first governor, William Goebel for his assassination, A. B. “Happy” Chandler for his flamboyance and longevity, and Martha Layne Collins for be- coming the first female chief executive. Others, such as George Johnson and Richard Hawes who were Civil War governors of an unofficial Confederate Kentucky, have virtually disappeared from memory. Also of dubious distinction were William S. Tay- lor, who fled to Indiana under indictment for complicity in a murder, and James T. Morehead, who “did nothing to hinder education” (p. 39). If the essays are read in sequence, several themes emerge. One becomes aware of the political significance of Transylvania University and of the necessity for currying Henry Clay’s favor in the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century support of the Louisville CourierJournal and Alben W. Barkley was equally important. Intriguing parallels also emerge. Relief wars during the depression of the 1820s resemble Ruby Laffoon’s problems in 286 Indiana Magazine of History the 1930s. Robert P. Letcher’s fiddle playing harmonizes with Chandler’s singing, and James Garrard’s whiskey distillery jux- taposes interestingly with James D. Black’s prohibition crusade. Also notable are the large number of related chief executives and the inordinate time consumed by election campaigns. Any collection of essays has problems, and this one is no exception. The jarring effect of several prose styles is a minor weakness. More serious is the tunnel vision revealed in some biographies; occasionally governors lack comparative reference to predecessors and successors. One myopic example claims that “little else was going on in the commonwealth” in 1825 beyond a judicial squabble in Frankfort (p. 27). The book’s format re- quires excessive repetition because many biographies overlap. The four governors who served two separate, divided terms cre- ate another unavoidable problem. Both administrations for these men are combined, which is biographically appropriate, but chronologically disruptive. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that “there is properly no his- tory; only biography,” an exaggeration of course. This book is good evidence, nevertheless, of how successfully Kentucky his- tory comes alive through its governors. Other states should be blessed with a comparable compendium of gubernatorial history. Indiana University East, George T. Blakey Richmond Dictionary of American Regional English. Volume I, Zntroduc- tion and A-C. Edited by Frederic G. Cassidy. (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1985. Pp. clvi, 903. Figures, maps. $60.00.) When completed this work will become a landmark in the study of American dialects. From its founding a century ago the American Dialect Society made a dictionary a prime objective. The project took concrete form under Frederic G. Cassidy in the 1960s and with the help of government agencies, foundations, and numerous volunteers is now reaching publication. The work uses source materials assembled by many scholars, but the core of the research consists of interviews conducted with 2,777 in- formants in 1,002 communities nationwide. Ingenious computer- generated maps display the regional variations of specific words. While not as exquisitely detailed as traditional linguistic at- lases, the maps add to the basis for understanding American language development. This first volume readily provides proof of its worth as a standard reference for linguists, historians, and students of American folk culture, but the ordinary lay reader .