Kentucky Books

The 20th Century will be remembered for many things, one of the most significant will be the emergence of women in leadership both inside and outside of the church.

Scales book gives pause for consideration by anyone interested in how women recognize the call of God and then pursue that call with tenacity, perserverance and determination. All That Fits a Woman is much more than a history of the training of Southern Baptist Women at the school in Louisville, KY, it is a wonderfully woven, and meticulously researched, story of the passion for God that supersedes all of life's other considerations and drives one to do the extraordinary for others in need.

Highly recommended!

At a timely moment, when questions about the role of women in religious institutions cross social and ecumenical lines, Scales offers a well-documented, detail-oriented history of the founding of the Women's Missionary Union Training School in Louisville, Kentucky in 1907. The educational arm for training Baptist women both for foreign missions and their duties in and for "home" in the broadest sense of the word, the WMU's founding offers in microcosm the issues and trends of the time. The author details the inside maneuvering among Baptists of the early 20th century south juxtaposed with the larger history of women's movements in the United States, for the two often coincided in their concerns: slavery, temperance, women's education and role in society. Individual stories weave across broader historical developments and are set against the background of the at-times contentious relationships among Baptist organizations throughout the United States, and in particular in the south, where the evolution of the Southern Baptist Convention would come to dominate the particular coda of Baptist life below the Mason-Dixon line. The depth of Scales worth, though, is found in the details: students' daily lives at the WMU, their studies, development of domestic skills, their activities, be it drama or music, and the evolution from "calling" in the courtship process to the gradual freedom of the unchaperoned "date" of "dining and dancing, Coke dates, movies, parking." The author never waivers in her assessment of the driving force and enduring legacy of the creation of this school for females as it empowered women in the utilization of the skill most significant for home and church, yet one whose imprimatur yet awaits a final Baptist consenus: their leadership.

In American Classic Pedigrees (1914-2002), thoroughbred racing expert Avalyn Hunter informatively examines the pedigrees of the winners of the five American Classic horse races of the twentieth century: The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Kentucky Oaks, and Coaching Club American Oaks. Closely studying the evolution of the breeding horses to be racing champions; the degree of inbreeding among race winners; and presenting an exciting history of the races themselves, American Classic Pedigrees (1914-2002) is enthusiastically recommended reading for professionals as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in the lineage of championship race horses.

You might think that 700 pages of statistics and history would make for dry reading, but there's flesh and bone and heart behind those numbers. A. Hunter does a wonderful job of summarizing the horses' greatest races and then tying them back to the ancestors' performances. For example, who was "Teddy" and why does he matter so much to the horses running today?
Some horses are as great on paper was they are on the track, but why does it seem that some horses come out of nowhere and succeed when nobody in their family has ever accomplished anything? Or did they? Is somebody great lurking back there in the grandsire or great-granddam spot in the pedigree?
If the numbers are dry, the text is anything but. It's easy to say "this horse was first, this one second", but it's an art to convey the effort and the struggle or, for that matter, the ease with which some horses became legends.
My only wish for change in this book would be to add more pictures. Surely the Racing Museum or whoever holds the rights to Robertson's Thoroughbred Racing in America could provide more images. Yes, it would make the book even bigger, but while it's great to read about the blood ties, it's even better to see the slant of a shoulder in the filly that reflects the same power in the grandsire.

I really enjoyed this book. It is the best and only book I ever seen about Ellis Wilson and his art. If you are a big fan of his work like I am don't delay get this book right away!!!

They don't have many books about Ellis Wilson. He is a wonderful black artist. He did not get his credit due.

I was a fan of the UK Wildcats when I was younger--before I grew up--and I admired Adolph Rupp. The book is too short, but it is filled with stories about the man. It does not promote the myth that he was racist--he wasn't. He was just a man of his times, but he was a winner in everything he did.

"Baron of the Bluegrass" is a wonderful copilation of quotes by and about fromer Unversity of Kentucky basketball coach Adolph Rupp. This thoughtful collection by Embry -- apparently himself a keen student of the game -- shows his insight and love for his subject.

Embry captures the essence of Rupp's drive, ambition and punctuates it with a sense of history as well as a touch of humor in giving us a glimpse into the character that was Adolph Rupp.

Reasonably priced, this book is is an affordable gift for any fan of basketball, especially Kentucky basketball.

The reader is rewarded by Embry's attention to detail, and this highly collectible edition is certain to be a much appreciated addition to any sports fans' libraby

Reading Mr Stuart's books takes me back to a simple world of my father and mother. Both were from the area and many of the charaters are real for me. I will always hope the world Mr. Stuart gave us will endure in each of us. Truly a remarable man. And one of my 3 1/2 year old grandaughters favourite sleepy time books.

I bought this book sight-unseen as a gift for my 77-year old mother since she lives not so far from Mr. Stuart's neck of the woods and I thought she would enjoy it (I'd read several on Mr. Stuart's short stories when I was going to school). One minor comment: while the text certainly isn't 'phone book' tiny, I wish they'd used a larger text and made two volumes out of it if necessary. Still, I don't want to be too critical of a good effort, so I'll give it 4. Mr. Stuart was quite an inspiration to the teachers in my hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee.

I have read all of Cameron Judds books. He is, without a doubt, my favorite western writer. I wish he would write some new books. It's been a while...

This is a well done book putting a nice spin on the life of Daniel Boone. It brings together historical facts from the time of this early pioneer and adds a host of interesting fictional characters and adventures. Nothing like a 12 month trapping and hunting excursion to make a guy homesick...well, at least for a couple days or so.

I was impressed with this book. Definitely a recommended read.

It is very interesting and it gives you so much information about the fairy tales and the mass media industry.

I really love Jack Zipes, and this is one of his helpful books for folklorists, and amateurs who enjoy reading fairy tales. It presents a variety of 'radical' theories about the meaning and construction of fairy tales. Many of the theories are no longer quite so radical. The book also gives you a good overview of feminist theories about the tales, some of which will surprise. Among other things, that fairy tales are not always about the subjugation of silly blond princesses. I reccomend this book as an intro to folk and fairy tale theory.

And Ms. Archer stands a good chance of becoming one of my new favorites!

It's also interesting to read a 2nd book by an author and see visible growth in their style and writing skills. I found her previous work Bewitch a little uneven and slow. By comparison the humor is sharper in "Cabin Fever," and the hero is a little more alpha. (Especially when he physically throws the heroine's sneaky ex-husband out the front door of a house).

I loved the secondary characters, too. Yuri, the Russian stepfather to James Adler Sullivan, was such a terrific character that I would have liked to see a "prequel" (even as a short story) about how he romanced James's mother, Barbara "Bibi" Adler-Sullivan. Ms. Archer, if you read this, maybe you can post it on your website or include it as a bonus in the back of your next book!

Snowbound in a cabin for 3 days, Charlie & James get to know each other over bottles of blackberry wine that Charlie's father kept stored in the old cabin. Charlie is sweet & shy, and the wine seems to loosen her up enough for her to seriously consider having a fling with James. I liked the fact that this was a very BIG deal for her, and she seemed to truly struggle over the decision. James is a sexy guy, but he's not a pig...he doesn't want to take advantage of Charlie or hurt her.

I liked the fact that the two of them seem to dance around each other for a while before they finally end up together. The invasion of the press (James is famous), his family, her family, and her ex-husband all complicate things. But a lot of scenes are very funny, and it's fun watching the two of them finally work things out and come together.

Since one of my books is cited two or three times by Nickell, I may be considered biased. But "Camera Clues" is a good training ground for would-be investigators who want to learn how to study evidence before formulating hypothesis.

Nickell is rational, honest and uninterested in the sensational exploitation of celebrated crime photography. He also understands and delivers a fundamental truth: Every good photo analyst knows what he or she measures rather than what they see. In investigating the Kennedy assassination in particular, most so-called experts seem to have forgotten this sage truth.

Finally, it's a pleasure to have someone call my book "sensible." Hell hath no fury like conspiracy addicts scorned, and "sensible" is quite a change from some of the other names I've been called over the last decade and a half. Thanks, Joe.

_Camera Clues_ is an excellent reference for gleening clues from photographs and for serving as a basis for continued library-research into the multitude of topics covered. This book is an excellent launch pad from which to delve into the history of 19th century photography in general; some history of photographic equipment; some history of photographic technique; the interactions between general history/context and photography; as well as the more modern topics of trick photography, faked photographs, photographs used as legal evidence, and special effects. Even more important than the excellent summarization of information in this book is the extensive bibilography, as this book is written with full college-level expository-writing endnotes.

I have been restoring and copying my family's 19th-century photographs. Starting out from a basic exposure to 19th-century photographs on paper, glass plates, and metal plates, I learned much about the history of 19th-century photography from this book which is otherwise lost knowledge to the common person in this (almost-)21st-century world. I am actively using the bibliography for further investigations into focused topics.

If there were ever another edition, I would suggest more, more, more of the same, pulling in more history, more explanation of various discarded photographic technologies (e.g., carbrotypes, Lambertypes and the restrictive licensing of their patents), more context, more techniques of tracking down negatives from photography studios of old, etc. I find that there are 2 separate audiences for this book: 1) historical photograph detectives for geneological/etc work after the death of subjects in the photographs and 2) modern trick photography for establishing truthfulness, such as for a legal case. I think that both audiences hunger for greater treatment. I would request splitting this book into 2 volumes, where each volume is double or triple its current size, focusing in depth on the specific needs of those 2 disparate audiences.

The views contained in this feedback are the personal opinions of Dan'l Miller and are in no way connected with his employer or any other organization.

No matter what the genre, Brandilyn Collins knows how to captivate her audience. "Cast a Road Before Me" is set in the little town of Bradleyville, Kentucky. Jesse goes to live with her aunt and uncle when her mother dies. All the while, Jesse is looking forward to moving to the big city where she will make a career out of helping people. What she doesn't plan on is falling in love or caring so much about the town of Bradleyville. Once you enter Bradleyville, you won't want to leave either! Pick up "Color a Sidewalk for Me" and "Capture the Wind for Me" to spend more time with the background characters in this novel. It will definitely be worth your time.

Ms. Collins' command of characterization is nothing less than phenomenal. Every individual in the story is someone who could live down the street, and yet so intriguingly drawn that there is nothing ordinary about any of them. This is the kind of book that wets your appetite for more with every page turned, and yet contains too much meat for a single sitting. Be prepared to get cozy once you open the book. You'll be sitting for a long time, then reluctantly step away to get on with "real life," longing for the moment when you can return to the printed page. Your emotions will be tugged every which way until the end, a satisfying conclusion to a gourmet meal.

My advice? Get your hands on anything Ms. Collins has written. You won't be disappointed.