Kentucky Books

If you are interested in late 18th century Kentucky history, Baptist history, or Kentucky genealogy, this is a wonderful resource. The book focuses on the early history and genealogy of Franklin, Woodford, and, to a lesser degree, Fayette Counties. After a brief history of the early settlements and churches (not just Baptist) of the area, the author devotes most of the book to its early families. Specific families are grouped together and the book is indexed by surname. I found Forks of Elkhorn Church to be invaluable for making connections between these early families.

Excellent for those interested in Ft. Ancient studies. thgis team took aa archaeological problem and went about solving it. A must for those conducting or interested in the Late prehistoric period of the Ohio valley.

Benjamin Franklin Cooling has written one of the most in-depth books ever on the Civil War in Tennessee and Kentucky. This is part 2 of his trilogy (the first book focused mainly on Forts Henry and Donelson) and I'm eagerly looking forward to part 3. Using a vast wealth of eyewitness accounts, diary exerpts, letters, military dispatches, and official records, Cooling has possibly written the most complete book yet on the Civil War in Kentucky and Tennessee following the surrender of Fort Donelson.

The author clearly believes that the fall of Fort Donelson spelled disaster for the entire Confederate defense of Tennessee, and he presents his case strongly. Anyone studying this theater of the war can see that the Army of Tennessee was severely handicapped by improper leadership (although the underated and cautious Joseph Johnston was at least loved by the troops). I still don't know why the Confederates gave up the strategically vital city of Nashville in 1862 without a fight. To me, that seems an even bigger blunder than the Confederate surrender of over 12,000 troops at Fort Donelson.

This book has period illustrations and mostly excellent maps in each chapter, and you will be amazed by the amount of details crammed into each chapter. From the failed Southern invasion of Kentucky to the "uncivil" guerilla warfare in middle Tennessee that left the Union garrison at Nashville under "siege" (their supplies were cut off for a while because of the Confederate guerillas), this is a gripping tale and very important book that's highly recommended for any Civil War buffs.

I enjoyed the book very much,MR Davis made it very enjoyable to read.

Essential reading for anyone wanting a thorough understanding of the historical events and policy mindsets contributing to America's current problems in the Middle East. Beautifully written and thoroughly researched, it also gives laymen and experts alike the knowledge necessary to really examine the foreign policy platforms of the '08 Presidential candidates. The winner would be wise to get Brands on board to help guide the ship!

Even though I know better, like most people, the term "Underground Railroad" conjures the image of white folks rescuing hapless black folks. Griffler believes this is partly because historians have focused too much on the "Railroad" (with its mostly white conductors and stations) and not enough on the "Underground." Without diminishing the interracial aspects, Griffler documents how African American communities created and utilized a vast underground front-line network decades before there was much white involvement. As he states, "Even at its height the Underground Railroad did not entice African Americans to escape; rather, the loosely organized support operation was formed in response to the constant stream of fugitives."

In addition to introducing black freedom fighters like John Parker (a former slave who built a prosperous business in Ripley, Ohio and worked from that base) Griffler crosschecks letters, reminiscences and oral histories against contemporary scholarship to explore the inner workings and attitudes of various participants and societies, providing a fascinating new perspective on things we thought we knew.

In less skilled hands, this book could have been an unwieldy tome, but Griffler packs a wallop in a slim volume. His writing is concise, his narrative smooth, and God bless him, he never belabors a point. I easily rank this as my #1 book of the year, for general readers and academics alike.

I really liked the book Full Court Pressure and Success is a Choice I really learned alot from those two books.

Well-rounded collection of historic photos and tidbits about the twin cities of Fulton KY and South Fulton, TN, published in a series of historical photo books from KY so emphazising the KY side.

A great gift book for people from there - I am one who was born there but never lived there. Parents were both from there and both grandmothers.
A memory book full of conversation starters perfect for the KY or TN coffeetable.

IN A NUTSHELL:

This a very useful travel guide for local families with children, families visiting for the day, weekend, summer or winter. It is useful for families looking for fun attractions, places to eat, places to stay, shop or just to sightsee. The key here is family travel and fun.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK:

The book is organized by region [6] within KENTUCKY plus the two major cities, Louisville and Lexington making eight separately organized touring regions.

Each region has a chapter that begins with "Teresa's TOP PICKS". Ten interesting destinations and their phone numbers. For instance, for Louisville it looks something like this:

1]- LOUISVILLE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS - [502] 459-2181
2]- LOUISVILLE SCIENCE CENTER - [502] 561-6100
3]- THE SPEED ART MUSEUM - [502] 634-2700
4]- STAGE ONE CHILDREN'S THEATRE - [502] 589-5946
5]- RIVERSIDE - [502] 935-6809
6]- WATERFRONT PARK - [502] 574-3768
7]- GHEEN'S SCIENCE HALL & RAUCH PLANETARIUM - [502] 852-6664
8]- LOUISVILLE SLUGGER MUSEUM - [502] 588-7228
9]- CHEROKEE PARK - [502] 456-8100
10]-LOUISVILLE BATS BASEBALL - [502] 212-BATS

A MAP OF LOUISVILLE is on the 2nd page of this chapter and on each of the following chapters the same organization continues with a regional road MAP following the "TOP TEN PICKS".

Following the map, the "TOP TEN PICKS" plus many more attractions are detailed covering an average of twenty-five pages per region. You will see more parks like the "Louisville Nature Center", amusement parks like "SIX FLAGS", and even a private animal sanctuary, "Henry's Ark," where you can feed the animals and it is free. The Louisville Symphony Orchestra is here too. Then there are more parks listed along with their times of operations, fees [if any] and amenities available.

Included also in each chapter are insets like, "Amazing Kentucky Facts", "More Historic Houses", "Other Things to See and Do", "Where to Eat", and "Where to Stay". "Accommodating Thoughts" provides info within each region as to where to find a lower rate, when prices are seasonally lower and how to contact the Visitors and Convention Bureau for more info. Of course there are many special museums [Derby Museum] and special shopping opportunities [like "Louisville Stoneware"] . Even cruises on the Ohio River on old-fashioned riverboats are listed with the needed info regarded seasonally availability, price and contact people.

At the end of each region's chapter there is a hard-to-miss page titled "ANNUAL EVENTS" which is formatted very much like the "Teresa's Top Picks" that begins each chapter. "ANNUAL EVENTS" aids in the planning stage so that your excursion may be as well-timed and fun-filled as possible.

If there is one weakness here, it is the lack of discrimination between the interesting destinations and the world-class ones. You will have to figure that out for yourself. It is difficult to know which park is best for you and your family and, of course, which accommodations and/or meals. However, this is generally a personal choice. You will find an extensive "ATTRACTIONS KEY" which aids the reader to quckly see all the amenities any given attraction has to offer. The format outline above is repeated for Lexington plus six distinct regions in equal detail. There is a lot to go through and you can do it quickly and effectively with this guide.

This book is as concise and useful as one can expect for so convenient and portable a travel guide. This edition is brand new for 2005 and represents the second edition of this book written by Teresa Day.

Barbara Tomblin, a U.S. naval historian, was my favorite professor at Rutgers University, and her War, Peace and Military in the United States classes were phenomenal. This book is an excellent portrayal of the nurses during WWII - through good times and bad. It's easy to read, once you start - you can't stop. I hope to read more works by Dr. Tomblin in the near future.