Alabama endured warfare, slave trading, squatting, and speculating on its path to becoming America's 22nd state, and Daniel S. Dupre brings its captivating frontier history to life in Alabama's Frontiers and the Rise of the Old South.

Dupre's vivid narrative begins when Hernando de Soto first led hundreds of armed Europeans into the region during the fall of 1540. Although this early invasion was defeated, Spain, France, and England would each vie for control over the area's natural resources, struggling to conquer it with the same intensity and ferocity that the Native Americans showed in defending their homeland.

Although early frontiersmen and Native Americans eventually established an uneasy truce, the region spiraled back into war in the 19th century, as the newly formed American nation demanded more and more land for settlers. Dupre captures the riveting saga of the forgotten struggles and savagery in Alabama's - and America's - frontier days.

The book is published by Indiana University Press.

"Will have a substantial impact." (Craig Thompson Friend, author of Kentucke's Frontiers)

"Well-sourced and well-written, this book is a fascinating read." (Walter Nugent author of Habits of Empire: A History of American Expansion)

"A remarkable contribution to frontier and Southern history." (Malcolm Rohrbough author of Rush to Gold)