A full auditorium at the Alabama Department of Archives and History yesterday enjoyed NewSouth author and Alabama historian Mary Ann Neeley discussing her upcoming book The Writings of M. P. Blue: Montgomery’s First Historian. Mary Ann talked about the troubled life of Matthew Blue and his drive to write the history of Montgomery; Mary Ann also read excerpts from the diary of Blue’s sister Ellen, regarding the approach of the Union army to Montgomery during the Civil War. For her book, Mary Ann has annotated Blue���’s history to correct errors and clear up inconsistencies, and added other material on early churches and a genealogy of the colorful Blue family, as well as Ellen’s Civil War diary. The book also includes many nineteenth century photographs.
The Writings of M. P. Blue will be available soon for pre-order from NewSouth Books, or your favorite local or online book retailer. To be notified when the book is available, call NewSouth books toll-free at (866) 639-7688.