What do You think about All God's Dangers: The Life Of Nate Shaw (2000)?
Rosengarten discovered Nate Shaw (really a pseudonym) and tapped his memories for this amazingly in-depth account of life in Alabama from the 1880s to the 1970s. It's a fascinating social history. I would have never read this but it's a fascinating performance on audio. Narrator Crisden's riveting reading highlights the storytelling qualities of Shaw's memories, rambling and full of colloquialisms. Winner of 1974 National Book Award against strong contenders: Studs Terkel, Robert Pirsig, Woodward and Bernstein, Robert Caro.
—Joyce
I was profoundly touched by this biography of Nate Cobb, aka Nate Shaw. What a great storyteller he was and such an honorable man! With Integrity, dignity, humour, and wisdom, Nate narrates his life as a poor black man from the 1880's through to the Civil Rights Movement. Although he was illiterate, Nate's keen observational skills and his innate intelligence bring insight into the rural culture of the Southern US, especially the relationship between the whites and blacks at that time. Rosengarten transcribed and edited the hours of recordings he made of Mr Cobb with such deftness and sensitivity that I often forgot I was reading a book. Nate's 'voice' had such authenticity that I could almost hear him speaking aloud. I applaud Dr. Rosengarten's successful quest to bring understanding and clarity to this little known era in American history.
—Pepperpod
I read All God's Dangers not long after it came out in paperback. I was a college student then, and I still can't think of a book that has impressed me more. I was completely drawn into the world of Nate Shaw, a black share cropper from Alabama, as he moves through his long life recounting his experiences and the catalog of injustices done to blacks in the South. By hard work and sheer force of will combined with intelligence and an unfailing moral compass, Nate Shaw perseveres in circumstances that few could hope to make it through. His voice and what happened in his life remain with me 40 years later.
—Rosemary
