North Carolina Books

As a novice Civil War Buff and North Carolina Historian, I found the book very comprehensive in its coverage of this interesting facet of Civil War, Reconstruction, and North Carolina history. Click focuses on a group of slave refugees set up in a freedmen's colony by Northern evangelists and Union military personnel and their struggle to survive in a post-slavery world. The book's rich detail is further strengthened by its ease of read and overall interestingness making it a true gem for someone researching or just looking for a good read.

Even though I am a self-taught researcher of local and NC history and genealogies, I had not heard of this publication until I saw the author on PBS TV. I ordered the book from ... and am still in the process of reading it. It seems well documented and contains information I was not aware of until I read this book. I have helped two different African-American individuals research their families and so this subject was of interest to me. I recently was in court as a juror and was approached by a bystander who heard me describe my "line of work." I told her of this book and how she could obtain a copy. She said she would like to add this publication to her personal library of publications on Black Research. I purchased this book for our local historical/genealogical library so that it could be used by everyone doing black research. I ony live about 60 miles as the crow flies from Roanoke Island and had never heard of this Freedmen's Colony until now.

The words that Mr. McFee puts with those beautiful photos brought tears to my eyes. This is his best work since Sad Girl Sitting on a Running Board. Mr. McFee is a gifted poet.

Please buy my dad's book so that I can go to college

I really enjoyed Mayberry by the Sea. I hope to "read" it again in October. Giggity.

Wonderful book about the wonderful, small-town, slow-paced island of Topsail. There are stories of pirates, hurricanes, fishing piers and the famous sea turtle hospital. There are also stories of the Gold Hole dig for buried treasure, the Navy's top-secret missile development program after World War II, and the bear who somehow came to Topsail. This book won the Willie Parker Peace History Book Award from the N.C. Society of Historians -- even though it's much more a pleasant read about today's island than a history. Many people re-read this every time they go to Topsail.

Reviews from the book jacket:

Fascinating stories and tales ... (in) a beautiful book." Named Book of the Month.
--WAAV-AM News Talk Radio, Wilmington

"McAllister ... takes loving and telling recollections of Topsail -- his and others' -- and mixes in history and vacation tips. ... A worthy companion to take on your trip to the coast."
--The Charlotte Observer

"An entertaining book blending current day interviews with a dollop of island history."
--Topsail Magazine

"Ray's probably in trouble with (those who want to keep Topsail secret), but not with those of us unfamiliar with Topsail's allure, though both groups will like his book."
--The Richmond Times-Dispatch

"A great read for a day in the sun that stretches into an island night, complete with pounding waves and soft sea breezes, enhanced by mystical tales of pirates and search for buried treasure. ... 'Everybody needs a little sand in their soul,' McAllister quotes from an interview. Topsail Island: Mayberry by the Sea helps put it there and can make the reader who is not on the island want to cross that swing bridge and experience that little bit of magic."
--The Pender Post

"McAllister captures the spirit of Topsail Island. ... There's no doubt that this island is magical indeed."
--Our State North Carolina magazine

A great anthology of Archie Green's writings, this book provides a record of excellent writing with insights into why the writer integrates scholarship with effective activism. The range of Green's interests includes topics as diverse as occupational practices, etymology, and country music. He writes with fascinating insights concerning all his interests, and the articles and essays stimulate one's curiousity about related topics. Among the finest contributions to this volume are those that pertain to public folklore. Green provides conscientious and inspiring rationales for the essential need to initiate and coordinate programming that returns folklore research to the public. Robert Cantwell's introduction provides a fine context for stitching together the various threads that connect Green's interests in folklore.

This eloquent and deeply engaged collection of Green's essays (some previously printed)covers topics ranging from the expressive nature of labor lore and the intersections between ethnicity and labor, to folk music and cowboy culture and the words-often implicated in cultural politics--used to describe them, to the archival detective work necessary to illuminating such strands of culture. Green's work in these articles is etymological and historical, tracing the development and current use of a term, idea, or practice. This is a book that is an essential read for any professional folklorist, be she "academic," "public," or "applied," as it is a primer for committed fieldwork and arts advocacy. Green himself has long advocated for public programming that is culturally equitable, and his knowledge of public sector work and his contributions to it helped pave the way for National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities support for vernacular arts. This book is a testament to the variety and art of people he has long championed.

I enjoy historical narratives about turn of the century logging in West Virginia. Many texts cover the economic aspects of logging in terms of the timber processed. Other books detail the milling process or the lifestyle of the lumberjack in the WV wilderness. However, this is the first book I have encountered that describes the social ramifications of the logging industry in defining the WV culture. Ronald Lewis has opened up new discussions of how early steam technology impacted the remote lifestyles of West Virginia. This book gives a fresh viewpoint that is needed in re-evaluating the romanticized description of Appalachian lumbering in the last century.

The subtitle to this book is "Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia 1880 - 1920." The principle reason for the deeply-embedded poverty in Central Appalachia is the fact that the region continues to be a colony of industrial powers. Beginning in the mid-19th century, iron, coal, railroad, and timber companies teamed with national, state, and local politicians to exploit the natural resources -- coal and timber -- and the people of Central Appalachia. The result was devastation of a culture, destruction of a people, and destruction of the environment. And, I am incorrect to use the past tense -- clear-cutting of forests continues and "mountain-top removal" mining continue to destroy the culture, communities, and landscape of Central Appalachia. Lewis' book is an excellent description of what happens when politicians and industrial leaders join in league to exploit a region.

Note that this book deals with events of 1880 - 1920 -- so why is it important today? Because what was done to Central Appalachia in that period is being done to the rest of us today under the guise of "economic globalization." For example, the people of McDowell County, WV, are powerless in the face of Norfolk Southern (railroad company) because NS owns 85 percent of the land in the county. Just exactly what do you think will happen when "global" corporations own the factories, the minerals, and the workers? The experience of Appalachia with industrial and political exploitation is the same experience that awaits all of us under "economic globalization."

THIS BOOK IS JUST THE RIGHT SIZE TO TAKE W/YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO. EASY TO FIND THE TREE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR CLEAR PICTUES OF BOTH THE LEAVES AND THE BARK OF THE TREE. I LOVE THIS BOOK AND IT IS DENFENIATELY THE BEST SO FAR!

I purchased this book to help me get started identifying trees on my own property, and it has been a great help. Everything in this small book is concise, clear, and easy to understand. Pictures are great and the information is thorough but not overwhelming. If you're looking for a starter book on identifying trees in the Carolinas, you'll appreciate having this book in your library.

Very good study of the social environment and the nature of herb man Tommie Bass. An excellent reference for any herbalist or wildcrafters bookshelf. This is not much of a how-to, more of an overview of the social, geographic, and economic environment that Tommie Bass lived in, and how he made his living.

Although I never had the honor of meeting Tommie Bass, I know him through his students and herbal colleagues. Crellin does a great job of portraying Tommie Bass with his unique personality and take upon life. Bass had an unsurpassed knowledge of the medicinal use of herbs, drawing on the Appalachian, Cherokee, African-American and southern traditions. Crellin lets Bass speak for himself about the herbs he loved, and the newer directions his medicine took before he died.

Philippine-American Military History, 1902-1942: An Annotated Bibliography; [[The U. S. Army and Counterinsurgency in the Philippines, 1899-1902]]

Note that Brian McAlister Lynn is one of the finest and most knowledgeable military historians today in the United States with regard to the history of Philippine-U. S. relations as it relates to the military. His knowledge is far more extensive than most in both the macro and the micro and he takes his study of multiple facets of the military history of both countries as they pertain their full complements of developments, very seriously. Meticulously documented.

"The U.S. Army and Counterinsurgency in the Philippine War, 1899-1902," by Brian McAllister Linn, is a superb contribution to military history. In the book's opening chapter, Linn vividly sketches out the complex environment faced by the U.S. Army as it began its occupation of the Philippines after Spain's defeat. Linn discusses the different sociopolitical factions in Philippine society, the ethnic divisions, the revolutionary Katipunan society, religious rebel groups, and bandit gangs. He also begins to create his picture of the structure of the guerrilla forces faced by the U.S. troops.

As the book progresses, Linn looks at the shape of both the insurgency and U.S. counterinsurgency activity in different parts of the Philippines. He covers many important topics: the insurgent infrastructure that supported the anti-U.S. guerrillas, the impact of terrain on U.S. operations, how disease affected U.S. troops, the use of terrorism by insurgent forces, the U.S. Army's use of native Filipino auxiliary forces, and American efforts in the areas of civil government and public works. He emphasizes the role of military intelligence in the conflict, and offers intriguing analysis of the leadership on both sides of the war. Along the way he introduces us to some truly remarkable personalities, both Filipino and American.

Linn's book is meticulously documented. The main text (pages 1-170) is followed by extensive endnotes (171-234) and a substantial bibliography (235-47). The bibliography cites a rich diversity of source material, including manuscript collections, letters, diaries, veterans' questionnaires, books, dissertations, and government publications. The text is further enhanced by an index, six illuminating maps, and eight pages of black-and-white photographs depicting people on both sides of the conflict. The book is written in a clear, logical manner; Linn emphasizes facts and incorporates quotes from primary sources into his text. He successfully maintains a tone of scholarly impartiality, even when discussing potentially sensational and controversial material.

In his preface, Linn notes that it is the "diversity, both in the Filipino resistance and the American response, that makes the Philippine War so fascinating." As I read this masterful work of history, I was struck, over and over again, by what I saw as parallels between the Philippine War and the contemporary Iraq War. Indeed, I consider this book essential reading for those who wish to learn more about issues in military occupation, insurgency, and guerrilla warfare.

I broke my own heart by moving away from the old grandmotherish mountains. But David Yates' Valle Crucis brought it back to me in the Northwest by portraying that mountain community so gorgeously. This is a photographic love story written to Western North Carolina, and also to East Tennesseans (I was one all my life). This book works as a coffee table book, and should be more vastly promoted so that the rest of the world can see what I have always known: Appalachia is the most beautiful region on earth.

We have visited the places written and photographed for this book. The photos are so vivid and realistic. We came across this book in a general store and sat in the rockers enjoying every page.

This is such a useful book it compells a statement. If you visit the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area or North Carolina, or if you live there, this book is an extraordinary guide, written with a sensitivity to place, attractions, events, history, excitement of being there, which makes it a stimulating guide. I have passed places often, but only after I read about them in this book did I see them and experience them. She's done a first-rate job of writing about and explaining an area many people think they already know, but will now realize there is more to learn. Thanks.

"Walking Raleigh/Durham" by Rebecca C Mann is a "must buy as a Christmas present" for friends or family currently living in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill region. As a former Durham resident, I would have loved to have possessed the history, culture, geography and walking oppotunities supplied by Mann's little book. The maps are clear and well drawn and include specific distances and safety considerations. The local architecture and lore are fun and enlightening, and it all fits into a coat pocket with ease. While I intend to send copies to Durham and Chapel Hill friends who walk for exercise, I'm also sending my 65+ year old parents a copy. With descriptions of museums, parks, and historic sites one passes on different walks, it will give my parents something to do after they've watched poor Carolina lose yet another football game. If you need to give a UNC-CH, NC STate, Duke, or Peace College bound student a high school graduation present they'll really appreciate, this book would be it. Better yet, buy it for their parents, who are much more likely to use it during campus visits to their offspring than are the students themselves, since the latter spend most of their time searching for on campus parking spaces. On my next visit to the Triangle, I'm taking "Walking Raleigh/Durham" along.