Savannah Book Shopping

All my vacations usually include book shopping and our recent trip to Savannah and Tybee Island earlier this month was no different.  Coincidentally, our trip was the result of book shopping activities. At first, Denise and I planned a long weekend to Edisto Island in South Carolina (any place that has shrimp ‘n’ grits is fine by me), but chatting with Polly Wylly Cooper  author of the Kennesaw State Press’ Tybee Days at the Decatur Book Festival  influenced us to consider Tybee Island.

There are basically four types of book shopping experiences in the Savannah-Tybee area: books and bookstores featuring Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, Civil War books, tattered beach books, and cook books from Paula Dean. Unfortunately, one bookstore, E. Shaver Booksellers, (click on photo ) in the heart of the city looked promising, but unfortunately was closed on Sunday. 

I won’t even approach discussing Midnight or Paula Dean as their legions of fans have already covered those reading and foodie experiences respectively ad infinitum, but I saw several bookstores carrying Civil War books including The Savannah Visitor Center, and two stores at the Fort Pulaski National Monument.   

As one who always looks for opportunities to learn more about the Civil War, especially the engagements here in Georgia, I purchased  David Smith’s brief history Sherman’s March to the Sea 1864, Atlanta to Savannah. I hoped the book would answer my question: Why did Sherman burn Atlanta, but not Savannah? I am not sure, but my understanding is that Atlanta had more facilities to wage war than Savannah and that according to Smith, the outnumbered Confederate military had already decided to evacuate Savannah even before Sherman issued a threat that if the city resisted, it would be burned. Besides Sherman was anxious to invade South Carolina. He wrote “we can punish South Carolina as she deserves, and as thousands of the people in Georgia hoped we would do.” (Georgia, really!) 

 

As far as beach books go, Denise and I were not unprepared. She was finishing up Pat Conroy’s South of Broad and I made progress on Colson Whitehead’s Sag Harbor, which is the best fiction book I’ve read this year.  However, for others not so prepared it seemed like every little gift shop, and local department store in Tybee had beach paperbacks-- some for as little as a dollar (though some shops had Tybee Days as well.) Aaah, these beach books were perfect—not too demanding and moreover, they were stained and scented by the sand, the salty ocean and the guano. Can you get that experience with an electronic reader?  I think not.

 

 

 

Comments

[Rube Ambler]

I've had the opportunity to shop at E. Shaver and it is a quite nice independent book shop. I would recommend making a point of visiting if you make it to Savannah again.

[Jane Browne]

Hey Murray, can't believe you went to Savannah and didn't stop to see the Browne's at Callawassie Island!! Jane B