Iconic Books From The Past 100 Years: Part 2

Over the past 100 years UNC Press is proud to have published an extensive catalog of award winning and highly praised books. As we celebrate our centennial, we’ve looked back at these prestigious titles to highlight some of our most influential and iconic books. You can find our first blog post of iconic books here.

The Transformation of Virginia, 1740-1790 by Rhys Isaac

1983 Pulitzer Prize in History

1983 National Historical Society Book Prize

“[A] gracefully written evocation of eighteenth-century Virginia culture. . . . The book convinces us that close attention to commonplace events and their settings by someone of Isaac’s ability will give us fresh access to long lost worlds.”—American Historical Review

Bill Neal’s Souther Cooking: Revised and Enlarged Edition by Bill Neal

“Authentic and lovingly written, Bill Neal’s Southern Cooking does much to untangle the mystique and complexity of this outstanding American cuisine.”—Bon Appétit

“[Mixes] the best of the South’s classics . . . with a contemporary, light approach to cooking.”—Vogue

“This is a book from which the whole country can learn about southern cooking. It was much needed.”—Cook’s Magazine

“An authoritative, important guide to the best traditions of southern cooking.”—USA Today

Cherokee Heritage Trails Guidebook by Barbara R. Duncan, Brett H. Riggs

2004 Willie Parker Peace History Book Award, North Carolina Society of Historians

2004 Preserve America Presidential Award for Heritage Tourism

“A gem of a book.”—Journal of Applachian Studies

“[A] comprehensive guidebook. . . . Travelers are invited to look beyond easily visible aspects to find a deeper Cherokee heritage. . . . [The] writers . . . enrich the text with Cherokee stories, history, poems and philosophy.”—Carolina Country

“A wonderful introduction to the culture, history, and geography of the Cherokee homeland”—Appalachian Journal

Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition, Revised and Updated Third Edition by Cedric J. Robinson

“A towering achievement. There is simply nothing like it in the history of black radical thought.”—Cornel West, Monthly Review

“[Black Marxism] has become an unlikely handbook for a new generation of radicals and activists.”—London Review of Books

“Robinson demonstrates very clearly . . . the ability of the black tradition to transcend national boundaries and accommodate cultural, religious and ‘racial’ differences.”—Race and Class

People in Auschwitz by Hermann Langbein

A 2004 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

“This is a scrupulously scholarly achievement and will become a classic of Holocaust history.”—Jewish Book World

“First published in German more than 30 years ago, this modestly titled memoir provides a unique account of the Third Reich’s most notorious death camp. . . . in weaving together these uncomfortable truths with the most comprehensive analysis of any survivor memoir, Langbein’s People in Auschwitz represents an indispensable addition to English-language literature on the Holocaust.”—German Studies Review

Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South by Jack Temple Kirby

2007 Bancroft Prize, Columbia University

2007 Bennett H. Wall Award, Southern Historical Association

“Kirby uses a multidisciplinary approach employing information . . . from such diverse fields as agronomy, archaeology, geology, sociology, and even literature to enhance his rich knowledge of southern history in order to enlighten readers about these important, relevant issues. Highly recommended.”—Choice

Encyclopedia of North Carolina edited by William S. Powell

A Library Journal Best Reference of 2006

2007 Ragan Old North State Award, North Carolina Literary and Historical Association

A 2007 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

2007 Award of Merit, American Association for State and Local History

“With over 2000 A-Z entries written by 550 contributors, this is the ultimate ready-reference to the state.”—Library Journal

“An informative and engaging guide of North Carolina.”—The Courier

Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time by Adrian Miller

2014 James Beard Foundation Book Award, Reference and Scholarship

Honor Book for Nonfiction, Black Caucus of the American Library Association

“An engaging, tradition-rich look at an often overlooked American cuisine–certainly to be of interest to foodies from all walks of life.”—Kirkus, starred review

“[A] fascinating look at the cuisine known as soul food and its close cousin, southern cuisine. . . . Photographs and recipes add to the allure of this well-researched look at the past and future of soul food.”—Booklist, starred review

Darkness Falls on the Land of Light: Experiencing Religious Awakenings in Eighteenth-Century New England by Douglas L. Winiarski

Bancroft Prize, Columbia University

Finalist, 2018 George Washington Prize

2018 New England Society Book Award in Nonfiction, New England Society in the City of New York

A CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title, 2017

Book of the Year, Jonathan Edwards Center, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

2018 Peter J. Gomes Memorial Book Prize, Massachusetts Historical Society

Hiroshima Diary: The Journal of a Japanese Physician, August 6-September 30, 1945, revised edition by Michihiko Hachiya, M.D.

“An extraordinary literary event.”—New York Times

“One of the most extraordinary records of human calamity and courage in the history of letters.”—Newsweek

“Although Hiroshima Diary is necessarily full of horrors, it is not a depressing book. Frightening certainly; but the courage, patience, unselfishness, and resourcefulness it records would make the grimmest misanthrope proud of the human race.”—Atlantic Monthly

Visit our centennial page for more info about our 100th anniversary.