From the Ground Up: Birmingham's Business History, A Legacy of Giving by Lynn Edge and Greg Womble offers a close-up, behind-the-scenes view of the pioneering families and businesses who founded the hard-scrabble town in 1872 and helped turn it into The Magic City. Many current corporations and charitable organizations are also featured, making this beautiful coffee table treasure a must for every local home.
Now that Birmingham has been established as one of America's foodie destinations, Emily Brown's Birmingham Food: A Magic City Menu should be required reading for all residents and visitors. This delicious book covers the early hotel and cafeteria dining, the famous eating establishments of the past, and the award-winning local chefs now serving second and third generations.
Local neighborhood breweries are "hot" nationwide, and our area is home to many outstanding institutions. Birmingham Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in the Magic City by Carla Jean Whitley features a wide assortment of joints to enjoy a cold one. Readers will glean that successful craft breweries are more than the ingredients – they supply a social environment within the community.
Birmingham's history cannot be wholly told without including our civil rights story. Read about one of our most beloved leaders in Mattie C's Boy: The Shelley Stewart Story by Don Keith. This rags-to-riches hero not only rose from sleeping in a stable to founding a major national marketing company with clients like Coke and Honda, but he also risked his life to challenge the Klan during the Birmingham demonstrations.
You Have to be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America by Paul Kix may be the longest title in publication, but it’s crucial to understanding how Birmingham ended segregation in our country. Many recently uncovered FBI files are included that provide previously classified documents describing the infighting between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Fred Shuttlesworth.