On The Squares Savannah Style

Cookbook

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A modern classic of true crime, set in a most beguiling Southern city—now in a 30th anniversary edition with a new afterword by the author “Elegant and wicked . . . might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime.”—The New York Times Book Review Shots rang out in Savannah’s grandest mansion in the misty, early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. In this sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative, John Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman’s Card Club; the turbulent young gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the “soul of pampered self-absorption”; the uproariously funny drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young people dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience.

With its lush gardens, stately town houses, and sprawling plantations, Savannah is the epitome of old Southern style, and who better to give you the grand tour than Paula Deen, the city’s most famous resident and anointed Queen of Southern Cuisine? In this gorgeous, richly illustrated book, Paula Deen shares a full year of Southern living. Whether it’s time to put out your best china and make a real fuss, or you’re just gathering for some sweet tea on the porch at dusk, Savannah style is about making folks feel welcome in your home. With the help of decorator and stylist Brandon Branch, you’ll learn how to bring a bit of Southern charm into homes from Minnesota to Mississippi. For each season, there are tips on decorating and entertaining. In the spring, you’ll learn how to make the most of your outdoor spaces, spruce up your porch, and make your garden inviting. In the summer, things get more casual with a dock party. Sleeping spaces, including, of course, the sleeping porch, are the focal point of this chapter. In the fall, cooler weather brings a return to more formal entertaining in the dining room, and in the winter, attention returns to the hearth, as Paula and her neighbors put out their best silver and show you how they celebrate the holidays. Paula loves getting a peek at her neighbors’ parlors, so she’s included photographs of some of Savannah’s grandest homes. From the vast grounds of Lebanon Plantation to the whimsically restored cottages on Tybee Island, you’ll see the unique blend of old-world elegance and laid-back hospitality that charmed Paula the moment she arrived from Albany, Georgia, with nothing but two hundred dollars and a pair of mouths to feed. And she isn’t shy about giving you a window into her own world, either. From her farmhouse kitchen to her luxurious powder room, you’ll see how Paula lives when she’s not in front of the camera. Packed with advice and nostalgia, Paula Deen’s Savannah Style makes it easy to bring gracious Southern living to homes north and south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Coffee table book; hard cover; 112 color pages with text and photos of Savannah, Georgia's historic squares

Savannah, its mercurial history and enigmatic charms are evocative of nothing less than paradox. Home to cotton barons, literary giants (such as Flannery O'Connor and Conrad Aiken), antique dealers, and preservationists, it has helped define Southern elegance, manners, and style for the last three centuries. From the slightly faded grandeur of the Second Empire baroque Thomas Levy House, with its sumptuous collection of antique maps, prints, books, and other curiosities, to the phantasmal, Proustian decor of the grandiose and elegiac Knapp House interiors, all of the 20 houses featured in this book express a sensitivity to the city's sanguine and decadent eclecticism. Quite often a serene or verdant exterior -- designed in a Georgian, Federal, or neoclassical style by John Ash, Isaiah Davenport, William Jay, or Amos Scudder -- will relinquish its polite composure or symmetrical facade to an ingenious play of interior whimsy and light-hearted frippery. Opulent plantation manors, town houses renovated by artists, and summer cottages evincing a warmth, tasteful calculation, and measured spontaneity are featured in detail in word and image, along with a delightful foreword by John Berendt that acts as an informative addendum to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and an excellent introduction to this book.

Downtown Savannah Style is a unique cookbook celebrating the food and hospitality of one of the most beautiful cities in North America. Tested recipes feature not just traditional Southern cuisine but also new, lighter cooking and an emphasis on fresh ingredients.

Discover the gardens, architecture, and unique squares of Savannah, Georgia. This charming collection of over 150 beautiful photographs traces the city's rich history entertaining text. Come explore these interesting squares, each a geographic landmark in this beloved Southern city.

Built on a bluff overlooking the river, Savannah endures as a civic, architectural, and historical jewel of the United States. Its unique design -- an elegant checkerboard of repeated squares -- continues to entice and enchant. In these pages, award-winning photographer Megan Jones and playwright and poet Christopher Soucy capture the character and history of each square, honoring the Hostess City of the South of both the then and the now.