Birmingham by the Book available at Thank You Books — *Birmingham by the Book is* available now! (Callie Morrison / Bham Now)

Last year, we let you in on a new book coming from the Birmingham Historical Society. Now, Birmingham by the Book is out at local bookstores!

It’s a visually rich look into The Magic City’s history, sites and neighborhoods—built on 50 years of research. Keep reading for a word from the author, and where you can find Birmingham by the Book.

A visual story of Birmingham’s history

Birmingham Skyline — Explore Birmingham’s past and present in *Birmingham by the Book*. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

Born in Pennsylvania, Marjorie White moved to Birmingham in 1968 after she married her husband. Ever since, she’s found inspiration to write Birmingham by the Book: driven by her own curiosity of the city she calls home.

Decades of this curiosity uncovered Birmingham’s rich history and now, it’s all in one place.

“I ended up in Birmingham many years ago and wanted to know where I was. I traveled extensively and collected guidebooks, and decided to write a guidebook to Birmingham.

Many years later, after researching lots about the city with people at the historic society, we piled what we know into this power-packed book.”
Marjorie L. White, Director, Birmingham Historical Society

Birmingham by the Book spans everything from pre-history to the city’s founding in 1871 and carries readers through decades of change and progress. Along the way, it highlights iconic landmarks like Vulcan and Sloss Furnaces, while also shining a light on more locals-only sites that help tell Birmingham’s full story.

Inside the book, you can find:

360+ new and archival photos (including some from our very own photographer Nathan Watson!)
60+ detailed maps
Info + context amassed by BHS over the years

An invitation to explore Birmingham

The guide also includes links to individual sites for deeper dives, as well as resources from the Birmingham Convention & Visitor Bureau to help readers plan where to eat, sleep and shop while exploring.

“The reason for writing this was driven by my own curiosity. It’s to encourage people to get out, get a better understanding of the place they live and to share that with others.”
Marjorie L. White, Director, Birmingham Historical Society

At its core, Birmingham by the Book is about encouraging connection to place, to history and to community.