North Carolina Books

Charles F. Price is one of the best kept secrets in the Appalachian Mountains. His book, "Where the Water-Dogs Laughed: The Story of the Great Bear," contains sophisticated character development and a true to life historical treatment of the time just after the Civil War. Those who were wealthy and powerful got that way by exploiting the land, and most everyone else scraped by and wished they could do the same, except for Hamby, a half Black, half White man who spends much of the story working out his anger toward the injustices he faces.

I was thoroughly taken by the main character, Hamby, and the Great Bear Yan-e'gwa's intertwined fates and of course the crooked dog Cattywampus' role in the end. The dog, who had previously been damaged by a bear so severely he could not walk straight quite literally had to be made straight again by Yan-e'gwa.

The idea of recognizing the life force of the land made the book feel so much more contemporary than the typical story written about the era of the Civil War and after. The strength of humans is measured not in their defeat of the land as adversary, but in their connection to it as steward. In this, Hamby comes out superior to all.

This was the first Charles F. Price book I have read and I highly recommend it. His is not a genre I normally read, but I found it a pleasant surprise and plan to read the rest of his work.

The other reviews here are more detailed than mine. but I do want to add that "Where the Water Dogs Laughed" is a marvelous book, one that shows some literary cohones and ingenuity. When Price writes in the voice of the bear, the font changes to clue you in, but even if it didn't, you would know it isn't the voice of a person. It's hard to put my finger on exactly how (the magic!) Price does this but he does it so well that going from people narrative to the voice of the bear is totally seamless. It works really well.

Hamby McFee makes his last comeback here in a truly poignant story of family loyalty, complex racial issues, accurate local history such as the typhoid epidemic of 1889 ( I hope I have the correct date!) The ending of this book is spectacular, one that is not only surprising but has a vivid luminous quality that left me breathless. It reminded me of Nuala O'Faolain's 2002 novel "My Dream of You" that has a mystical and also surprising ending.

Why no large publisher picked up this book, even for a possible movie version, is almost shocking. This is a wonderful book full of great characters and exquisite storytelling. Charles Frazier, move over!

In WHERE THE WATER DOGS LAUGHED, the last in a series of four books by Charles F. Price, the author has reached his full stride as a writer. His characters, especially the protagonists, Hamby and the Great Bear, are finely drawn and the way their minds work, is the most fascinating part of the book. In addition, his skillful blending of Cherokee legend and family history creates an accurate and telling picture of that part of western North Carolina that never seems to be included, on a map, with the rest of the state.
The time is the turn of the last century, when the first glimmerings of antipathy between "progress" and "ecology" become apparent. As often happens, the need to provide a livlihood for one's family, is frequently at odds with what is good for the land and its' inhabitants, including bears. This Bear is the standard bearer for his race and his thoughts and memories form his purpose.
Hamby, the main human character has appeared in the earlier books, but without the sensitivity and definition given him in this novel. He is a man who lives alone, spiritually, from the rest of the world and has his own set of standards, from which he never deviates. As a result, he misses some of the gentler experiences, of human life. These two uncompromising characters are brought together in a stunning, yet trimphant collision, that will ring through the mountains for years.
Charles Price is considered a regional writer, but this book makes him a universal one, in my opinion. No matter where you live, this book is a great read. Don't miss it.

This book is about grace. Where the Water-dogs Laughed is peopled with characters so real I experienced their triumphs, failures, and thoughts as my own. Set in the late 1800's in the mountains of Western North Carolina, the characters are engaged in struggles that echo many of today's troubles including the devastation of the environment, the need to make money from the land, domestic emotional abuse, and hard economic times. The Great Bear and Cattywampus Dog are as real as the people. The Cherokee belief about the covenant between bears and man is told through the Great Bear. I found this a surprising approach and became intrigued with the Bear's voice and experience of his world. My favorite character is Hamby McFee, an ex-slave, who takes over the book from beginning to end. He struggles with feeling separated from others and yet bound to them through their shared place in the Hiwassee valley. His desire to maintain his integrity by protecting himself from the judgment of others with a hard, bitter attitude results in a loneliness I found familiar. Hamby is one of the most original characters I've encountered and I found myself wanting to defend him whenever he was misunderstood by the other characters. Price incorporates the romance of his own grandparents, Lily Carter and Will Price, into the story. Their courtship is formal and old-fashioned and ultimately inspiring as they overcome the obstacles laid out for them by Will's adopted father. Another love relationship takes place between Absalom Middleton and Cassandra Weatherby; Price does an incredible job of evoking an erotic, passionate relationship without ever depicting a sexual encounter. Adding balance, humor, and grace is Irish Bill Moore who is as rooted to the land as the Great Bear. Like an elf who lives in the forest he emerges from the mountain mists beating his Civil War drum, gaily teasing the wife he adores, mourning his two sons who are lost to a typhoid epidemic, longing for his youth, and wisely seeing the ability of man and Mother Earth to endure. This book is gritty, true, and full of the struggles of daily existence and it raises us up to taste something larger than ourselves.

With this novel Price brings to a close a remarkable multigenerational saga set in the mountains of North Carolina, a remote corner of the world in which the brutal aftermath of the Civil War is up-close-and-personal and seemingly without end. But what an end to this four-volume feast of the senses! Price engages the reader in the rawness of human nature and lets us rise to the level of myth and timelessness, right alongside his characters, touching the best and worst in all of us and causing us to think about our own need for finding meaning and seeking redemption. Price skillfully and sensitively lets us share in the journeys of both Hamby McFee and the Great Bear; and his drawing us inside the minds of both of them, raised to the level of myth, is storytelling at its very best. Supporting the central story of Hamby and the Great Bear are richly textured themes that create the fabric of the mountains and her people---environmental, economic, societal, political, spiritual---and never once does Price lapse into a gratuitous or stereotypical treatment of these themes. These books will linger in your mind long after you read the last page, and I recommend you treat yourself to a real feast by reading all four novels in the order they were written: Hiwassee, Freedom's Altar, The Cock's Spur, and Where the Water-Dogs Laughed.

For the past several years Ihave been a student of late 19th and early 20th century Europe. A starting place had to be found, which is much easier said than done. My readings kept leading me back to Germany, i.e., Prussia. I only wish I had discovered Professor Cecil earlier. His two-part biography of Wilhelm II has proved indispensable. I can't fathom reading one volume without the other, but since this review speaks to Volume II, "Wilhelm II,Emperor and Exile, 1900-1941,we'll have a go. The best way to read Volume II is to read the last sentence of the book first, where Professor Cecil applies a paraphrase from the Duke of Wellington who was describing the late George IV. Cecil thusly applies it to Wilhelm: "a sovereign who lived and died without having been able to assert so much as a single claim on the gratitude of posterity." The joy of the book is getting to that last sentence. It's all in there: feuding with his uncle, King Edward VII of England; the "Mad Hare" Telegraph article; the absolute idiocy of the naval arms race with England;his ill-fated dependence on the rotting Habsburg Empire; his hatred of any form of parlimentary government; and finally his almost tragic descent when he had lost the confidence of German Military Command, members of his own family, and millions of the German people. Good books on Wilhelm are hard to find. This one, especially when taken with Volume I, is outstanding.

Lamar Cecil should be applauded for writing an objective biography of Wilhelm II. Whilst this volume is in keeping with the high standards of the first, I am a little bit disappointed that his life after his 1918 abdication is a bit too sketchy, possibly due to the fact that Wilhelm II managed to outlive most of his contemporaries. This book is not about Wilhelmine dilpomatic history, or the Great War, but a well researched treatise on the malignant effects of autocratic rule by an unstable, pompous incompetent.

Lamar Cecil presents a suspenseful yet satisfying book in Willhelm II. Not only does he express the inner thoughts of Willhelm, yet shows a personal side which expresses the crown prince's poryphia stricken reduced him to a stalk raving mad wildabeast. Not only was he stalk raving mad, the wildabeast confronted his homosexual tendencies with Eulenburg and Walderee.

One of the most critically acclaimed studies of Wilhelm II is Lamar Cecilýs two-volume biography (1989, 1996 ), deemed by one reviewer as ýthe best-available English treatment of the waning years of the last Kaiserý available. Cecilýs portrait of Wilhelm is largely critical: the emperor ruled ýmaladroitly,ý throughout a ýbarren career that was without virtue or accomplishmentý (ix); ýbluster, rhetoric, and natural swagger cloaked a profound emptiness, for ignorance and self-indulgence were his primary characteristics.ý (1). Cecilýs assessment of the Kaiserýs war role is no less disapproving. ýDomestic issues rarely interested Wilhelm II,ý he notes (191), and emphasizes that the Kaiser was far more enamored by foreign policy and military minutiae. Despite this martial enthusiasm, Wilhelm was ýby nature peaceful,ý (194) and opposed war in 1914, afraid that a European conflict would distract Germany from the internal threat of socialism.
Once the war began, Cecil shows, Wilhelmýs function was symbolic and superficial, at least as far as the imperial army was concerned. He often resided close to the front, was occasionally exposed to hostile fire, and relished hearing the roar of the guns. Cecil makes it clear that the Kaiserýs duties were limited to sending telegrams, war zone tours, medal presentations and other purely ceremonial tasksýýit was as empty an existence as he had had in peacetime.ý Cecil flatly asserts that Wilhelmýs ýpart in the war, especially as it concerned the army, took a secondary place behind the role of his officers.ý (210). He was for the most part shielded by his ubiquitous military entourage, fearful that his inability to ýwithstand the strains of warfareý would break him. ýThe Kaiserýs ignorance of the true nature of the struggle in which Germany was engaged,ý Cecil frankly summarizes, ýwas profound and his utility to his military leaders quite limited.ý He was in essence a figurehead, ýcontent merely to hear and endorseý the opinions of his generals. Soon after the war began, Cecil concludes, Wilhelm became ýa ýshadow Kaiserý (schattenkaiser), out of sight, neglected, and relegated to the sidelines in imperial Germanyýs hour of trial.ý (212)

This is the gold standard of Kaiser Wilhelm II biographies.

For a German history junkie, these volumes are a good 'fix'. The text is written humorously and yet fairly, without the usual bias one sees when "the victor writes the history". The analysis of the last Kaiser's life is placed in the context of the monarchical attitude of 19th century Europe, as well as the influence that his relatives in the British Empire had on his outlook. I've read the books twice. Without understanding at least some german it would be difficult to get the complete gist of what the author is trying to convey without it.

I first saw Roy Underhill on a local PBS station back in the early 1980s. Instantly, I knew that this was the kind of woodworking for me. Screaming routers, finger-chopping table saws and jointers, and multi-horsepower lathes seemed not just dangerous but obsolete after witnessing Roy's talents. Honestly, who needs modern woodworking technology when the old methods are clearly better in so many ways? Better for your health and the health of your bank account, and better for the environment. Roy's wonderful series of woodworking books tell you everything you need to get started. They will positively change your woodworking, and your life. Thanks to Roy's books, and others, like Dunbar's _Restoring, Tuning & Using Classic Woodworking Tools_, power tool woodworkers look at my woodworking projects in awe... those amazing and elegant hand-cut dovetails, those silky-smooth hand-planed surfaces, those sweet touches that set my work apart as obviously hand-made. Once you've mastered hand-tool woodworking, the products of woodworking machines stand out as brutal and clumsy. Guys, do not hesitate to purchase the entire series of Roy's woodworking books!

I bought this book for my husband for Christmas, as he loves this show and the shows are not out on DVD yet. He loves the book and can't put it down. He advised it is very easy to read and understand.

It's amazing how many books Rod Underhill has written. Woodcarving! Internet business! Music! He seems to be today's version of Issac Asimov, tackling books on every known subject. All of his books, especially this one, are very well written. Maybe he should stop writing books with his brother Roy, and move out on his own.

This is one of the finest things ever written! I sincerely hope that a copy of this book lives on the shelf of everyone who has a love for tools and wood and what happens when the two come together. Underhill gives us a look into the world of real hand tool woodworking - no electricity, please. "Start with an axe and a tree and make first one thing and then another until you have a house and everything in it." It can be (almost) that simple, but you have to restore a fractured culture first, and also learn to speak the language of trees and wood and steel. This book will accomplish both those aims.

Underhill, former Master Housewright at Colonial Williamsburg, did the amazing hat trick of turning something as offbeat and esoteric as pre-industrial woodworking into a highly successful career, and became a beloved personality and celebrity in the process. When you read his books, you'll know how he did it. Instantly, you get the sense that his deep affection for his trade, and the trades that support it, illuminates his life. He "sees" things, he doesn't just look. Like ripples in a stream allude to rocks below the surface, he looks at the bark of a tree and understands what lies within - twisted firewood or beautiful furniture? Dissecting an old piece of furniture or part of a house tells you about the tools that made it, and the men who used the tools, and the community they lived in, and what their lives were like. But all of this could be ponderous and self absorbed if it weren't infused front to back with an infectious sense of humor and a Tom Sawyer/Peter Pan view of the world, where if we're lucky we'll all get to run away and be pirates together.

Poetic, lyrical, sad, happy, this book has it all. A true classic from an amazingly talented person. Maybe the 60's hippy culture did ONE thing right - it gave us Roy Underhill, boy genius, and set him loose upon a (hopefully) grateful world. His books, and the first two particularly, make a perfect gift for that tired, world weary person in your life who is thinking that there is something missing in his or her work, that their long days are filled with meaningless seeking, and who might like to turn their hands to something slower, calmer, more beautiful, and decidedly valuable for a change.

This remarkable book by the even more remarkable Roy Underhill will inspire you to forget the breathing and ear protection apparatus and get out your hand tools! It has to be the singularily most inspiring woodworking book available. Enjoy the soft smells and quiet sounds of real craftmanship. The rest of the series is indispensible also. And if you enjoy this book you'll also love the book "Restoring Tuning & Using Classic Woodworking Tools" by Michael Dunbar. A MUST for any true craftsman at heart.

I am the Grand daughter of Bernard Martof!!!! I have liiked a the book. It has beautiful photographs. Great facts too!! If you need a reptile question answered you should look at this book!!! If I ever do a reptile study I think I will look in this book. I like the frog on the cover too!

Excellent book! It's a little more detailed that a typical field guide but what I like most about it is that its specific to our area. So, while I have a larger field guide (for the region) I also really love having this one because it's more focused. In the beginning of the book there's an introduction to habitat with great pictures showing what the habitats look like. The book then goes into the specific species - I was particularly interested in the salamanders and amphibians but the sections on snakes, turtles and lizards are super too. The pictures are great, descriptions cover approx. size, colors/patterns, species that they could be confused with, habitats, and egg laying (timing, incubation etc). Great book to have on hand.

I've had and used this book since it came out in 1980. I always recommend it to all of the classes and seminars I give on reptiles and amphibians and to all of the people who ask for a good field guide because, for the size and cost, there are none better for this part of the country. Well worth the money if a handy, accurate, well-done field guide with great photos and range maps is what you want.

I love this book. We see a snake in the woods, and take note of as many characteristics as we can, then look it up later to learn more about it. Same with frogs, toads, lizards, skinks! The actual information provided for each reptile is slim but very interesting. This is a great book to have if you spend any time in the wild in Virginia.

This book is fun to read. For those who work with animals everyday, it hits home and brings numerous smiles. The kids will hardly believe these stories are true!

In The Animals Of Grandfather Mountain, wildlife biologist and animal habitat manager Laurie Jakobsen showcases a wonderfully illustrated collection of engaging and informative stories about the boisterous bear cubs, inquisitive deer, secretive cougars, playful otters, chattering eagles, and others who live in the Grandfather Mountain wildlife habitats of North Carolina. The Animals Of Grandfather Mountain is wonderful reading for children of all ages and an enthusiastically recommended addition to school and community library wildlife reference collections and reading lists.

This is a wonderful book for the young and the young at heart who are interested in animals and love to laugh and learn.

Reading "The Animals of Grandfather Mountain" was great fun from start to finish. I laughed out loud at some of Jakobsen's stories about day to day life running a wild animal habitat. Everyone, young and old, enjoys watching our furry friends while strolling through zoos. But this book shows you the behind-the-scenes work that makes such experiences possible. But perhaps the biggest treat the books gives readers is insight into the great personalities these animals have. The photographs make the book even more fun. I recommend this book to children and anyone who loves animals, whether they have visited Grandfather Mountain or not.

I feel like I'm a fly on the wall in Beethovens apartment...well, one of his many apartments. Can't get any closer than this too someone who lived that many years ago. I also find it hard to believe that a man like Rossini would spend two years in the same city as Beethoven and not meet him. I'm willing to bet that the moment Rossini stepped from his carriage in the city of music he grabbed the first passerby and said "Where do I find Beethoven?"

Schindler met Beethoven in 1814, when Beethoven was 44 and the author was an impressionable 19 year old. Schindler became an almost constant companion of the composer, and was witness to a number of fascinating occurrences that no other biographer, such as Ries, had access to. Schindler gives us examples of Beethoven's strongly emotional nature, in such a way that I felt I could have recognized the composer should I have passed by him on abusy street. Inclusion of this information is what made this biography most appealing to me. One of my favourite sections is an appendix entitled "Beethoven's Daily Routine" which describes, among other things, how Beethoven would count out 60 beans for his cup of coffee.

However, Schindler is not a transparent witness. Rather, he feels compelled to "protect" Beethoven from "his many enemies", for whom there is no historical basis. A sense of Schindler acting as guardian comes through strongly in the writing. The most striking example of this attitude is Schindler's description of the meeting between Beethoven and Rossini, a meeting which historically never took place!

Fortunately, this excellent Dover edition is thoroughly annotated - there are as many editor's notes as there are pages in the text! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading a contemporary account of the life of the great composer, and who would enjoy witnessing the profound effect that he had on at least one of his associates.

I have enjoyed this book very much. It written by someone that knew Beethoven ,and it offers you a lot of information about Beethoven's life, it is accurate. When there are two differents versions of the same event, the authors explains and describe them.
A very objective book and enjoyable.

Great book

Strange that the first reviewer says that the meeting between Beethoven and Rossini never took place. Rossini and Beethoven would have disagreed! They met in the spring of 1822 when Rossini was in Vienna for the premiere of his opera Zelmira. Rossini has left an account of the meeting

Laura Fleming and her husband Richard are visited by the manager of the sock mill in Laura's home town. Strange things are happening at the mill and Burt's father is looking to sell the place. Since alot of Laura's relatives work there, she agrees to investigate. Sure enough, the town and the Burdettes are split about the sale. To top it off, there is a firebug in town, and one of the prospective buyers is killed in a fire. Laura suspects one of her cousins of the fire, but doesn't believe he'd commit murder.

This is an entertaining mystery. Laura's relatives are really funny and plentiful. The mystery is good also. I definitely will be reading more of this series.

Richard Fleming is a professor who enjoys quoting Shakespeare in his everyday conversations. His wife Laurie is a computer programmer from Byerly, North Carolina, a place where her family still mostly resides. Laurie is renowned as an individual who solves homicide cases. Still, both are shocked when the son of her hometown mill owner Burt Waller appears at their Back Bay apartment.

Burt's father wants to sell the mill to Yankees, but he opposes the deal. He needs the Flemings to return to Byerly to dig up some dirt on the perspective buyers so his father will not sell. Since many of Laurie's relatives work at the mill, the couple agrees to investigate. Upon arrival, the Flemings realize they seek dirt on a seemingly nice man. They additionally become involved in several arson and one murder investigation.

Toni L. P. Kelnor writes some of the most quaint and likable amateur detective novels on the market today. DEATH OF A DAMN YANKEE is one of the better mysteries in a well-written series. The complex story line is multi-faceted and captures the essence of a small Southern town, while seeming to test sub-genre boundaries. The lead protagonists are a charming duo that contributes to the enjoyment of the novels. These entertaining Fleming tales are fun to read.

Harriet Klausner

Laura Fleming and her husband Richard are visited by the manager of the sock mill in Laura's home town. Strange things are happening at the mill and Burt's father is looking to sell the place. Since alot of Laura's relatives work there, she agrees to investigate. Sure enough, the town and the Burdettes are split about the sale. To top it off, there is a firebug in town, and one of the prospective buyers is killed in a fire. Laura suspects one of her cousins of the fire, but doesn't believe he'd commit murder.

This is an entertaining mystery. Laura's relatives are really funny and plentiful. The mystery is good also. I definitely will be reading more of this series.

I live in the area where the ficitonal town of Byerly is located. Trust me. It can get a little strange sometimes reading the Laura Flemings books and see a mention of a location familar to you in a work of fiction. It's almost like you're in Wonderland where everything is familar but yet different in some way. I'll admit that it has been fun trying to figure out where Byerly is located.

Can't wait until the next book.

If you are interested in the hurricane history of any special state or region, this is probably the finest work of its kind written to date. Following a superb introduction to our subject, the author describes every significant or noteworthy storm to hit Florida since the 1700's. Each entry includes a map showing the storm's track through the state. We learn of the unique impact each had on the sunshine state. Some hurricanes, of course, like Agnes, had major impacts outside of Florida, and Barnes writes of these as well. Looking through these pages also shows us the cyclical nature of storms. In some years disaster hit several times, while other periods (like the 70's), saw little activity of any kind.

I found this edition to be much better than the author's NC one, if for no other reason than Florida's more active history! While some hurricanes listed in the other book may be of interest mostly to locals, the ones here, like the Labor Day and Miami storm, are truly important historically. I would hope Barnes is writing on the hurricane history of other states as well.

My earliest memory was Hurricane Donna, and I have been intrigued by hurricanes ever since. This book offers a considerable amount of historical data along with fascinating accounts. Highly recommended to anybody who would like to learn more about the history of hurricanes in Florida.

Great photos, and all the detail you could ever want on Florida hurricanes. The survival stories are frightening! All the weather data is there. It's a great resource for us hurricane junkies!

What a great book. We've enjoyed the stories of the memorable storms like Donna, Andrew, and Opal and the effect theyve had on generations of Florida residents. The 1926 Miami and 1928 Okeechobee are well covered. Also very interesting reading on those storms we've never heard of. The photographs are stunning-and frightening. Its organized well, and the reading is not too technical. It stays on our coffee table.

This is a great book for teachers and Christians to read! I really enjoyed the different perspectives that the two voices shared.

This is an excelent book for all people all ages.Mrs.Whited I am so happy for you,and I hope that you continue to suceed with your writing and teaching.

Parents, students, future educators, and Christians should all grab a copy of this book. I thought it was a very insightful book into a world in which we tend to overlook. Very few people realize the impact that educators have on our children and the challenges that face them.

I was unable to put the book down. This book gives a new perspective on educators and the hard, thankless job they perform day in and day out. Now throw in the fact they are Christian educators with an even higher responsibility! Wow, you just have to read it to understand.

The 2 voices speak loud and clear.

You must own this book. It will open your eyes and change your heart.

Mr. Price brings the reader back to the Curtis family (first introduced in his novel, Hiwassee) and a society faced with new challenges in Reconstruction. This book is educational as well as entertaining--it offers a fascinating look at day-to-day life, the state of medicine, societial problems, romance, suspense, and the tenacity of the human spirit. I couldn't put this book down! It also illustrates how at any given point in history, people are faced with differing--but just as complex--challenges. Good reading, not only for history buffs, but for anyone who appreciates fine literature.

This book is an excellent sequel to Price's first Civil War novel, Hiwassee, which dealt with the war as experienced on the home front in NC mountains. Following the family introduced there we find the ex-slave holder and the ex-slave having to deal with each other and the feelings of hate and love and bitterness they both feel. The characters are rich and forceful. The language strong and emotionally evocative.

An excellent addition to the Civil War literature and one that examines race relations and the feelings of those that tried to move forward after the Civil War. Well written.

Set during the early days of Reconstruction in the mountains of North Carolina, this novel is the second of four novels that create a multigenerational saga in which you will come to know some of the most honorable and most despicable characters ever to emerge from Civil War literature; and the fighting and hatred and fear continue to build as lives and emotions are squandered and sacrificed on the altar of freedom, long after the war has ended. Everyone is searching for something---revenge, profit, normalcy, love, reconciliation, redemption---and how each character goes about his own personal journey is the stuff of this novel. Price's characters, language, and emotions are true to place and time, and he writes with great beauty and clarity, tackling difficult and heartrending themes that show us the rawness of human nature played out during a time of great cultural angst. I recommend you treat yourself to a real feast by reading all four novels in the order they were written: Hiwassee, Freedom's Altar, The Cock's Spur, and Where the Water-Dogs Laughed.