North Carolina Books

Dr. Kern is one of the foremost intellectual historians in matters concerning alternative societies. I highly recommend this book. It is meticulously researched and highly informative. One should check out many of his historical/cultural articles for more of his work.

"The Origin of the Milky Way" is a collection of 26 Cherokee stories told by Davy Arch, Robert Bushyhead, Edna Chekelelee, Marie Junaluska, Kathi Littlejohn, and Freeman Owl. The stories are written as they were told by the Cherokee storytellers, so they read like poetry. The rhythms of English can sound like the Cherokee language if the stories are read aloud as they are written. The stories are divided into seven groups or chapters: Living with People, Living with Animals, Living with Plants and the Earth, Living with Spirits, Living with Monsters, Living with the Cherokee Language, and Living with the Past and Future. Some of the stories are intended to teach ways of getting along with others, while others such as The Trail of Tears teach of historical events experienced by the Cherokees.

A fascinating chapter on the Cherokee language tells of the syllabary invented by Sequoyah, a gifted Cherokee. The story of the Origin of the Milky Way is written first in English, then in phonetic Cherokee, and finally in Sequoyah's syllabary. The importance of continuing to teach the living Cherokee language as a unique cultural heritage is emphasized. The Cherokee language is related to the language spoken by the Iroquois of upper New York State and the Great Lakes region. To further aid the reader's enjoyment of the stories and learning about the Cherokee people, the book has a glossary, map of Cherokee lands, timeline of Cherokee history, and suggested further reading resources.

The charming black and white illustrations also enhance the story chapters. Also available in a hardcover format, "The Origin of the Milky Way" can be enjoyed as a delightful collection of tales to instruct children, but it is really much more than that. It contains a living history of a proud nation of very gifted people.

Nancy Lorraine
Reviewer

Dr. Irons is a professor of history at Elon University in North Carolina, and as a student, I was lucky enough to have him. While my major is sports medicine, I essentially had to take a history class as part of the liberal arts curriculum. I thought that the course would be a breeze--memorize names and dates and regurgitate them on paper as I did in high school--but Irons challenged us to dig up the underlying themes in American history and explore and even question their very meaning. I am sure that his new book will be a wonder, and I will be one of the first to purchase it later this month.

Enjoy mountain vistas along Blue Ridge Parkway in the Great Smoky Mountains, a dawn's early light of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, gaze at the Whitewater Falls, highest waterfall of the East of 411 feet, and be awed by 5,000 pipes of the Duke University Chapel's organ. If you are an avid hiker, you will be delighted with the jagged crest of Grandfather Trail on Grandfather Mountain. Or a whitewater rafter will enjoy the photography of Nantahala River with its Class I, II, and III rapids plus many more nature lover spots.

History buffs will love the photographs of George W. Vanderbilt's Biltmore House, largest private home-four acres in size, in Asheville; the Oconaluftee Indian Village; and, The Elizabeth II Sir Walter Raleigh's vessel that he used in his voyage to the New World. Many more historical photographs are included. In addition you will also find lovely photographs of wildlife, flowers and many other interesting landmarks.
About the Photographer:

Kevin Adams photography credits include: North Carolina's Best Wildflower Hikes, Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina Waterfalls, Wildflowers of the Southern Applachians, and Waterfalls of Virginia and West Virginia. Adams, member of North American Nature's Photography Association, has received the following awards:

* In 1995, the North Carolina Year of the Coast Award
* In 1996, the North Carolina Year of the Mountains Award
* In 1998, North Carolina Zoological Park

Opinion by Reviewer:

North Carolina, my state (transplanted from Texas), with lots of wonderful, wonderful photographs for any reader's enjoyment. A great coffee table book to show your friends and relatives. These vistas are as breath-taking and splendid as the photography in Our North Carolina and I can personally attest to that! All will enjoy this collection of Southern beauty.

Aline Helg does an excellent job of outlining for her readers the conditions in Cuba, 1886-1912, which became the foundation for the rise and fall of the Partido Independiente de Color en Cuba. This organization, among the first Black parties in the new world, is a vital part of the historty of cuba as well as the history of africans in the americas. The book is written in a clear and concise form that makes it easy to grasp/follow and enjoyable, while simultaneously being highly informative. Helg's book is the answer for those interested in this segment of history and its implication on race in contemporary Cuba. It is the only answer for spanish-impaired folks who do not have access to Tomas Fernandez Robaina's El Negro en Cuba until it is translated. Enjoy the read, Prof. T.R.L. Patterson's students at SUNY Binghamton sure did.

This book is absolutley wonderful. It will make you feel like you are right there in the OUTER BANKS, of North Carolina
Steve Alterman does a tremdous job of trying to capture the essence of the OUTER BANKS.
Perfect coffee table book

A great little book. The photos are interesting, with a good mix, and I really loved the historical tidbits that were included. It's nice to have some context with the images.

After watching both POTC Movies and reading all the N. Sparks' books. This is a great book to complement both genre about the east coast of North Carolina. I bought one for .77 and read it daily during silent reading in my English Class that I team teach with. Buy a used book, great summer reading.

Chris Fabry is a master of extending story lines without dragging them out. Great writers like Chris don't just write the same story 15 times, they develop characters and have them grow and mature. We get to know the characters to the point where we can almost anticipate their reactions to the situations in which they find themselves. Better yet, we're right there with them.

I intended to give the kids in my extended family my copies of the first two RPM books but I ended up reading them both first. And I had a good time doing so.

The first NASCAR-based volume had a quicker pace. Over the Wall brought more depth to the characters and greater definition of their aspirations and obstacles in their paths, as you would expect from any writer with Chris Fabry's talent and experience.

I admire Fabry for his ability to create realistic conflicts that his characters face and resolve. The characters become our friends -- or mutual enemies -- and the people we would like to become or "should have" become.

These books -- free of dependence on sex, drugs, and rock and roll -- will keep the young people in your life on the path to a lifetime of reading, and using that quickly vanishing commodity: imagination.

My only complaint is that as I turned a page to begin the next chapter all I saw was Fabry's smiling face! The book halted in mid-step for all of those involved.

Now comes the wait for the next volume. And the next, probably. But, if the first two are any indication, the wait will be worth it. I'm looking forward to hearing from my new friends.

Pale as the moon unfolds in the 16th centuryon one of the small, sandy Outer Banks islands off the North Carolina coast. This is the tale of a young Indian girl,Gray Squirrel, and a wild Outer Banks pony. Told primarily from the viewpoint of this visoinary young girl,the book examines the tenuous relationship between the native Indians and the English colonists who settle on Raoanoke island. Through both mystacal and practical means,Gray Squirrel and her pony manage to prevent war from breaking out, and help the colonists to survive.Pale As The Moon offers an alternative understanding of what may have happened to the Lost Colony of the Outer Banks.