In 1,001 short, eminently readable mini-essays, Dixieologists John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg Reed illuminate every nook and cranny of this fertile land and culture, clarifying with an authoritative but humorous touch what everyone should know about the South but probably doesn't. Interspersed with their incisive entries on history, politics, life, and literature in this great collection of Southern trivia is a whole mess of fun facts--like how barbecue differs from state to state, where kudzu originally came from, why chivalry is so important to Southern males, and how bluegrass music first developed.From Stonewall Jackson to Mahalia Jackson, from William Byrd to "Free Bird," 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the South covers it all.