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Author: Brock Schnoke

July 8, 2025

Beyond the Fire: Reclaiming Black Craftsmanship from the Ruins of Nottoway

The following is a guest post by Torren L. Gatson, assistant professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and co-editor of Fighting for Freedom: Black Craftspeople and the Pursuit of Independence which is available now wherever books are sold. The burning of Louisiana’s Nottoway Plantation in May has sparked a wave of reactions across the public… Continue Reading Beyond the Fire: Reclaiming Black Craftsmanship from the Ruins of Nottoway

Categories African American Studies/Guest Bloggers
July 1, 2025

New This Week: July 1st

This week we have two new releases that delve deep into the intersections of race, politics, and personal identity in the American South and beyond. In Proximity to Power: Rethinking Race and Place in Alexandria, Virginia by Krystyn R. Moon examines the history of Alexandria’s African American community from the mid-nineteenth century to the twenty-first century. Meanwhile, Brother Outsider, Brother Insider: A… Continue Reading New This Week: July 1st

Categories UNC Press News
June 17, 2025

New This Week: June 17th

Today we’re spotlighting three powerful new releases that illuminate the complexities of American history through the lens of activism, identity, and intellectual legacy. From the labor struggles of the Midwest to the revolutionary voices of the Civil Rights era, and the life of a towering Black radical thinker, these books offer essential insights for readers seeking to understand the past—and… Continue Reading New This Week: June 17th

Categories New Books
June 16, 2025

Protest, Immigration, and Civic Action Reading List

As protests like No Kings continue to unfold across the country, they serve as powerful reminders of the long-standing struggles for justice, equity, and civic participation. In response to this moment, we’ve curated a reading list that explores the themes of protest, immigration, and civic action—offering historical context and critical insight into the forces shaping today’s movements. From the border… Continue Reading Protest, Immigration, and Civic Action Reading List

Categories Reading Lists
June 16, 2025

Ancestry.com and the Long Civil War 

The following is a guest post by James Marten, professor of history emeritus at Marquette University and author of The Sixth Wisconsin and the Long Civil War: The Biography of a Regiment which is available now wherever books are sold. George Johnson survived the Civil War—but just barely. Enlisting in the Sixth Wisconsin in the summer of 1861 and rising… Continue Reading Ancestry.com and the Long Civil War 

Categories Civil War/Guest Bloggers
June 3, 2025

New This Week: June 3rd

This week we have two exciting new titles publishing. Something to Do with Power by David Tyroler Romine traces the life and legacy of Julian Mayfield, illuminating his pivotal yet underrecognized role in Black radical thought and activism across the mid-20th century & A Common Grave by Susan Juster provides the first comprehensive look at the lived experience of Catholics—whether Irish,… Continue Reading New This Week: June 3rd

Categories African American Studies/New Books/Religion
May 27, 2025

New This Week: May 27th

It’s Tuesday and we have a dynamic collection of new titles hitting the shelves! From the gripping biography of a self-emancipated man who shaped his own legend, to deep dives into housing justice, punk rebellion, and Black political power, these books explore the intersections of race, class, culture, and resistance across American history and society. Learn more about these new… Continue Reading New This Week: May 27th

Categories New Books
May 20, 2025

New This Week: May 20th

This week, we’re excited to release three thought-provoking new books that illuminate the complexities of belief, language, and identity in contemporary life. In Secular Sensibilities, Susan Friend Harding explores how secularism shapes moral and political discourse in the American South, offering a fresh lens on cultural transformation. Language and Life on Ocracoke by Walt Wolfram and Jeffrey Reaser captures the rich linguistic heritage… Continue Reading New This Week: May 20th

Categories New Books/North Carolina/Religion
May 15, 2025

Reading About Writing

The following is a guest post by Michael Amoruso, assistant professor of religious studies at Occidental College and author of Moved by the Dead: Haunting and Devotion in São Paulo, Brazil which is now available wherever books are sold. I had a hard time writing Moved by the Dead. This probably comes as no surprise. There’s a quote, often misattributed to… Continue Reading Reading About Writing

Categories Guest Bloggers/Religion
May 13, 2025

New This Week: May 13th

Another week, another pub day full of exciting new titles. Deborah Mutnick’s No Race, No Country offers a profound reevaluation of Richard Wright’s literary and political legacy. Brett Taubman’s Southern Culture on the Fizz is a delightful guide to the rich tradition of fermentation in the American South. Lastly, Cold War Asia, edited by Hajimu Masuda, presents a groundbreaking anthology that explores the multifaceted experiences… Continue Reading New This Week: May 13th

Categories New Books
May 6, 2025

New This Week: May 6th

This week’s new books explore topics on violence in sports and American Colonialism in Cuba and the Philippines. Learn more about the two new books publishing today below or explore everything new this month on our Hot Off the Press page. The Work of Empire: War, Occupation, and the Making of American Colonialism in Cuba and the Philippines by Justin… Continue Reading New This Week: May 6th

Categories New Books
April 24, 2025

Same-Sex Romance and the Retreat from Reconstruction

The following is a guest post from Andrew Donnelly, assistant professor of English at the University of Memphis and author of Confederate Sympathies: Same-Sex Romance, Disunion, and Reunion in the Civil War Era, which is now available wherever books are sold.   The national retreat from Reconstruction—the abandonment, especially by white Northerners, in the face of white Southern resistance, of the… Continue Reading Same-Sex Romance and the Retreat from Reconstruction

Categories Civil War/Gender Studies/Guest Bloggers/LGBT Studies
April 15, 2025

New This Week: April 15th

New week, New books! In this post we’re highlighting this week’s new releases on subjects such as African American Studies, Civil War, Religion, Native American/Indigenous Studies, and Mushrooms. If you see a title that interests you, save 30% with code 01UNCP30 during our American History Sale. A Field Guide to Mushrooms of the Carolinas, Revised and Expanded Edition by Alan… Continue Reading New This Week: April 15th

Categories New Books
April 8, 2025

New This Week: April 8th

It’s Tuesday and you know what that means: new books! With three new books on Civil War history and a revised and expanded edition of a Tar Heel essential, you’ll want to keep scrolling to check out today’s new releases. Plus, our American History Sale is going on now which means you can save 30% on these titles, or any… Continue Reading New This Week: April 8th

Categories Civil War/New Books
April 1, 2025

New This Week: April 1

Another Tuesday, another selection of new books! Check out this week’s new releases including Civil War; African American Studies; Colonial, Revolutionary Era & Early American History; and travel/guidebook titles. Plus, as always, see everything new this month on our Hot Off the Press page. The Fabulous Ordinary: Discovering the Natural Wonders of the Wild South by Georgann Eubanks “The Fabulous Ordinary encourages… Continue Reading New This Week: April 1

Categories African American Studies/Civil War/Colonial, Revolutionary Era & Early American History/Environmental Studies/New Books/Travel
March 27, 2025

Seeing Through the Lenses of Literature, Music, and Womanist Theology: A Q&A With Melanie R. Hill

The following is a Q&A with Melanie R. Hill, Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor of Global Racial Justice and Assistant Professor of American Literature at Rutgers University, Newark, and a classically trained gospel violinist, and author of Colored Women Sittin’ on High: Womanist Sermonic Practice in Literature and Music, publishing in April but available for pre-order now. What led you… Continue Reading Seeing Through the Lenses of Literature, Music, and Womanist Theology: A Q&A With Melanie R. Hill

Categories African American Studies/Religion/Women's Studies
March 26, 2025

Exploring Feminist Perspectives: Women’s History Month Reads From Our Gender and American Culture Series

Our Gender and American Culture series is full of books perfect to read during Women’s History Month or beyond. Guided by feminist perspectives, the series examines the social construction and influence of gender and sexuality within the full range of American cultures. Books in the series explore the intersection of gender with such markers of difference as race, class, and… Continue Reading Exploring Feminist Perspectives: Women’s History Month Reads From Our Gender and American Culture Series

Categories Gender Studies/Reading Lists/Women's Studies
March 25, 2025

New This Week: March 25th

We have two new books publishing this week. One looks at nineteenth-century law and literature and the other examines Black and Brown protest in post-civil rights America. Learn more about these titles below or visit our Hot Off the Press page to see everything new publishing this month. Black Pro Se: Authorship and the Limits of Law in Nineteenth-Century African American Literature… Continue Reading New This Week: March 25th

Categories African American Studies/New Books
March 25, 2025

Exploring History Through Women’s Lives: A Conversation with Lori Ginzberg and Jenny Shaw 

In this Q&A, historians Lori Ginzberg and Jenny Shaw discuss their latest books, Tangled Journeys: One Family’s Story and the Making of American History and The Women of Rendezvous: A Transatlantic Story of Family and Slavery, with W. Hodding Carter III Executive Editor, Debbie Gershenowitz. Their work uncovers the lives of women—both enslaved and free—across time, place, and social status,… Continue Reading Exploring History Through Women’s Lives: A Conversation with Lori Ginzberg and Jenny Shaw 

Categories UNC Press News
March 19, 2025

Five Best-Selling Women’s History Books to Add to Your TBR

Celebrate Women’s History Month by diving into some of our best-selling women’s studies books, each offering a unique and powerful perspective on the lives and contributions of women throughout history. From groundbreaking biographies to in-depth analyses of women’s roles in social movements, our curated selection highlights the resilience, creativity, and impact of women across various fields and eras. Whether you’re… Continue Reading Five Best-Selling Women’s History Books to Add to Your TBR

Categories Gender Studies/Women's Studies