South Carolina Books

This book is so great. I had read "The Beach House" and was so happy to find there was a sequel. Now Id love a sequel to "Swimming lessons". The characters are so real and alive in this book, Id hate not to know what happens in their lives.

For several years, I've enjoyed the work of Mary Alice Monroe. And when I noted that Swimming Lessons was coming out, I knew I needed to catch up on my reading and start with the Beach House (the book that introduced us to the Swimming Lessons characters). As usual, the author didn't disappoint me and created a lovely book about mother/daughter relationships that I could easily relate to. But more than that, I became equally intrigued with Loggerhead Turtles. So the follow up book - Swimming Lessons, was an added bonus to keep involved with the characters. Again, wonderfully written, you form a deep attachment to the characters and get caught up with the lives of the turtles -- this time from a different perspective. I highly recommend Swimming Lessons, but also recommend you start with The Beach House.

Mary Alice Monroe does it again in exploring relationships and real life. As a fan for many years now I couldn't wait to read this new novel. I read "Swimming Lessons" with a thirst to be quenched and wasn't disappointed in any way!!! This author is fantastic!!! Having lived on the SE Georgia coast for almost 25 years now I could relate to the surroundings and the pictures painted with Monroe's words were music to my soul. I visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island a couple of weeks after finishing the work and found the exact turtle rehabilitation set-up that was described. As I went around the Center and then to the Nursery I had to tell everyone that they needed to read "Swimming Lessons." Bravo, Mary Alice!!! Please create us some more to read!!! You not only write well but you make a difference with your stories as well...definitely a book worth reading and life well lived...

Swimming Lessons is a wonderful sequel to The Beach House. It has such wonderful relationships among the characters themselves and with the loggerhead turtles and the coastal environment.

This absolutely wonderful sequel to "The Beach House" brings together all the "turtle ladies" whose mission it is to rescue endangered sea turtles who lumber up onto South Carolina's beaches once a year to lay their eggs in a timeless ritual. Civilization being what it is, the nests would be destroyed, purposely or not, if this dedicated band of women (and men) were not there each year to tirelessly make sure that doesn't happen.

Like "The Beach House," this book is based on fact; Monroe herself is a self-proclaimed turtle lady. The plot revolves around the characters we met in the first book: Single mother Toy now has her degree and a job at the aquarium, which is about to get much more prestigious. Her darling little girl Lovie, named after the matriarch who passed away in the last book, is a precocious, wonderful 6-year-old, a self-proclaimed "LITTLE turtle lady." Cara and Brett, who fell in love in the last book and married, are trying hard to have a baby. Irrascible Flo is getting older and too proud to ask for help. And in this book, the menacing father of Toy's child, Darryl, suddently reappears, wanting to connect with the daughter he abandoned before her birth.

All of this makes for a quick and interesting page-turner, but the backbone of the book is the conservation of the giant turtles, and for me, that's the grabber.

"Swmming Lessons" is the perfect summertime book, whether you're at the beach (how more perfect could it get?), around a pool, or just lazing on your front porch. I urge you to grab it and gobble it up!

A good read for those who want to know the true story of what happened!

Dr.Kibler told me that the most common remark he heard when he was signing books for his first promotion of Our Father's Fields was "this is my family's story." I believe anyone from the South who has knowledge of their ancestral past can say the same thing after reading this book.It does have a common theme of settling,nurturing,and loving a land and the people who helped make that land what it was and to some extent,still is today.Painstaking research was done over many many hours as detailed in this book.Having visited this home twice I can tell you that you feel the history and people here. The only warning I would give you is do not buy this book if you are looking for the usual pablum issued forth by the New York Times best sellers about the South.However,if you want a healthy dose of truth about her and her people then you can't do better then Our Father's Fields.

Kibler brings back a slice of the Old South with detailed research and rich, descriptive narrative. Some may accuse him of romanticizing but recent scholarship places him much closer to reality. The Hardy's (the original family of the home Kibler himself restored) while atypical of the prosperity of the larger South are representative of their class. A good read & highly recommended.

This work by Dr. Kibler reveals the history of this family, their life style, the impact that the members of the family had on southern society during that time period, and the impact of that time period on the family.

As an ancestor of the Hardy family he so elequently describes, I thank Dr. Kibler for the efforts he relentlessly pursued in order to reveal the life of this southern family.

Additionally, I thank the reviewers - all of you, pro and con - that have taken the time to extend their personal thoughts and feelings about Dr. Kibler's work.

I assure each and everyone one of you that the ancestors of this proud Southern family are alive and well, and that the history of the Hardy family is a Southern history that ALL of us share that reside here in the deep south. It will always remain a vital part of this family, and of this culture, through all time.

My children are well aware of their heritage, and are filled with pride to be personally related to the family that lived and survived in this historical, colorful past. My brother and sister, both residents of South Carolina, are just as proud.

God bless all of you.

Allen Key Hardy

James Kibler does a masterful job of relating the story of a South Carolina family and their home on the Tyger River. Not only does Kibler tell a compelling story, he conveys the uniquely Southern question of the property ownership. ýDo you own land or does the land own you?ý In the South, one does not just own property. He does not simply possess a piece of real estate. The land has prior claim and possesses its owner. In turn, the owner of record becomes its custodian and responsible for all that came before him.
In Massachusetts, when Bob Villa fixes up an old house, he is simply fixing up on old house. In Atlanta, (unlike the real South) they fix up an old house and call it ýproperty rehabilitation,ý just another investment. But outside the metro-monstrosity, to rescue an ancestral home is to rescue history itself. To work in its gardens and find an occasional arrowhead or musket ball is to experience a piece of life. To salvage the work of a long ago carpenter (even though you cannot immortalize him) is to save his efforts and art for the future to enjoy. Saving someoneýs refuge from history is to become a part of history yourself, yet another tale that must be rescued from the condos and strip malls.
Unlike the rest of Americaýs empire, the South remains conscious of its history. We cannot ignore what we tread on every day. We live our lives up to our necks in the results of history. In turn, there is no greater honor than to be a part of our history and its land. If Yankee legions could not destroy the land and its story, then modern corporations and termites havenýt got a prayer. Here we do not measure history with years; we measure history with lots, acres, family and true Christian friends.

This is one of the better accounts of the Hunley story. From start to finish it was of great interest to me. I, as a WBTS reenactor and a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, participated in the funeral ceremonies for the crew of this historical underwater vessel. It was a once in a lifetime exerience. This book filled in great many questions I had about the development, discovery, and recovery of the first sub to actually sink a warship in combat.
Though it may contain some errors it is nevertheless a very very interesting book. Read it is my recommendation.
Dale Roberts author of Tales of Travis Hawkins McCleod

We might as well get one thing settled at the first: the Horace L. Hunley was not the "world's first attack submarine," as Charleston newspapermen Brian Hicks and Schuyler Kropf repeatedly call it.
It might possibly have become that, but on its one combat mission, it approached on the surface and escaped on the surface. Then it sank.
Nor, as they call it, was it the first "stealth" weapon. There had been stealthy weapons for centuries, and although the Hunley was intended to be stealthy, it failed. It was seen, floating low in the water "like a log," shortly before it drove home its attack, long enough for the crew of USS Housatonic to open ineffective fire.
The "spar torpedo" (today we would call it a limpet mine) was used effectively by both sides during the Civil War, otherwise attached to rowboats. At least one of these achieved what Hunley did not and mined the CSS Albemarle without being detected.
As originally designed, the Hunley was an attack submarine. It would dive, towing its mine, go under a target and drag the mine into the hull of the surface vessel, with the Hunley undetected and out of harm's way. It worked, once, in practice in Charleston Harbor.
Whether it could have worked operationally in the open ocean is unknown, but the hand-cranked submarine was a dead-end technology. Interesting, but not the first step toward a submersible naval weapons system. Even the addition of mechanical power to a Hunley would not have changed that. Once subs got engines, they did not attempt to ram targets.
Throughout "Raising the Hunley," the authors make overheated claims about the significance of the Hunley, which is too bad. The sober story would have made quite a yarn.
Although they get details wrong (Hicks and Kropf sink the wrong ship in the battle between the Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis, among many, many other goofs), the authors appear to be reasonably reliable about the Hunley, since they pored over such documents as are available. Stuff a kid could look up in an encyclopedia, they get wrong.
The story is odd enough. Hunley, a rich planter, financed the blockade-breaker on his own and drowned in it. The Hunley was the third in a series of three, each apparently more sophisticated than the last. Given the low industrial development of the South, to have developed three generations of "fish-boats" in less than three years was a remarkable achievement.
This tale, making up half the book -- the better half -- is marred by the authors' ignorance of nautical lingo. Also, by their complete ignorance of physics. The boat could not have been "insulated by the water" from a nearby blast.
But at least they are able to straighten out some of the legends and mistakes that attached themselves to the Hunley story.
The second part of the book tells of the hunt for the wreck -- to hear them tell it, there was never a calm day in the sea off Charleston for a generation -- and the recovery and then inspection of the boat.
The big surprise was that small stalactites were found within the hull. The Hunley did not fill with water and sink at last (although it had done so twice previously, earning the nickname "Peripatetic Coffin"). It sank intact. The crew suffocated, they did not drown.
Sometimes, often in fact, the authors, who work for the Charleston Post and Courier, succumb to South Carolina's hysteria about the Lost Cause. They need to get a grip. It's the 21st century now.
Too bad. Hicks and Kropf had probably unique access to the story of the finding and the recovery, as they covered the story as it occurred, so, unless one of the principals ever writes the story, this lousy retelling is likely to be the best we are going to get.

Straightforward account of the history of the first submarine used in a wartime attack, and the story of its recovery 135 years later after it disappeared following its one and only mission.

Great history, OK writing.

An absolutely fascinating book. In depth and accurate historical research
gives this book its feeling that the authors where there as it happened. A
work of non-fiction that can be as exciting as a work of fiction, but it is all true !!

What an exciting and informative book! Part history, part research, part archealogy, but all joined and very readable. The incredible dedication and bravery of the crews who parished aboard the "fish-boat" deserve the highest honor. These men of the past never gave up, just as the modern day team who had to move natural and govermental mountains to raise her from her watery grave. Since the research is on going and the mysteries haven't been all solved this book does not have the definative answers, I try to log unto the hunley.org site periodically to check for new developments. It's well worth reading by anyone interested in Civil War history, early submarine warfare or archealogy.

The story of the Hunley and its mysterious disappearance has always intrigued me. This book, however, is largely the story of the sub's rediscovery and recovery. Well-written and illustrated, the book answers many questions related to the lost sub... as well as a few new mysteries.

Secrets of a Civil War Submarine was written as a book for young adults but is also a good introduction to the topic for someone who is just becoming interested in the subject. An easy read.

I bought this book for a Christmas gift, and it was well-received and well-read during the holidays.

Do you like a book with lots of excitement and adventure? Then Secrets of a Civil War Submarine is not for you. Secrets of a Civil War Submarine is an informational book about one of the first submarines, The Hunley, and it shows you how the ship works, all of the crew members, and all of the boring missions. Maybe it sounds interesting to you, but to me it is very boring. The only thing that won't keep you from falling asleep is the part where you figure out why the submarine sank. At the end it shows you what they think the crew looks like, and artifacts that were found, and the secrets that the captain kept. If this sounds like the book for you then read it. But I do not like this book, and I do not recommend it.

Excellant book. My son really enjoyed it.

Out of all the books i read this book had to be on my top ten most favorite books.This book was the most entertaining for all ages.This book was about a confederate submarine that was built to destroy the union blockade which was stoping other ships from porting to trade goods and many other objects.So there was a man thats name was Horace Hunley he was the man behind the sub.The sub was named the hunley after horace built it.That was the beggining of a legend.

David Detzer has written an extremely readable and well researched volume covering those fateful days marking the beginning of the Civil War. He covers many items and events either ignored or grossed over in other writings and he does it a manner that captures the reader's interest. I highly recommend this book and suggest following it up with Dissonance Dissonance: The Turbulent Days Between Fort Sumter and Bull Run and Donneybrook Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 by the same author.

A fast-paced look at the events that occured in Charleston, at Ft. Sumter and around the nation leading up to the Civil War (or the war of Northern Aggression as we call it in the South : )
A great study of the stalemate that made up the days preceding the conflict and an indepth look at Robert Anderson, the officer in charge of the Federal forces at Ft. Sumter.

This could have been a very dry report but it was fascinating. I never thought I'd find a description of the process of firing artillery so interesting! He really brings the politics and the human issues into focus.

Not usually the history buff, this book showed me an entirely new perspective on the actual events of not only Fort Sumter but the Civil War itself. David Detzer creates wonderful images and develops personalities so very well in print. For that reason, this book clearly defines the hardship and heartbreak of Charleston, Fort Sumter, and so many of the soldiers and their families. Obviously painstakingly researched, the author has shown us the facts without extolling or denouncing the beliefs of the times. Truly a great read.

The start of a war is always interesting; we cannot read to many books on Bunker Hill or Ft. Sumter. Mr. Detzer treats us to a very readable beginning of the American Civil War and the city that started it. 1861 Charleston is well drawn, very understandable and engaging as a city on the brink of war. Major Robert Anderson determined to do his duty with little guidance from above and constant criticism from below, takes center stage. Washington, distant and unsure is as much of a problem for him as the Rebel guns in the harbor. Presenting the position of the Confederate Government and the "fire eaters" in Charleston as they see events helps the reader understand the decisions made. While not agreeing or disagreeing, the author informs and guides the reader through this complex time.

Mr. Rosen's book examines an aspect of American Jewish History seldom if ever addressed, South Jews who fought for the Confederacy. Yes, most people interested in the subject know of Judah Benjamin, but Rosen goes well beyond this figure in his well written, thoroughly researched book to provide a comprehensive, fascinating, and thought -provoking examination of the issues involved in the Jewish support for the pro-slavery rebellion. But as Rosen establishes, for Jews it was never that simple, with the reasons as varied as the number of individual Jews who were Confederates. This is probably an issue that many American Jews might not want to address- the idea of a group known for its support of liberal causes supporting the most unjust cause- but Rosen, a native of Charleston,S.C. and as a lawyer and a historian, did a public and intellectual service by writing this book.

The world is full of people who just don't get it, thanks to the ultra-leftist American media. They consider South "the land of bigotry" and portray the War Between the States, as some sort of referendum on slavery and bigotry. In their minds, the thought a Jew in a Confederate uniform is an oxymoron.

Of course, the historical record is as clear as a bell-the so-called "Civil War" was a result of high tariffs and the average Southerner's fear of a new political party that sought even more "tax and spend" polices.

During the antebellum times, Jews were an integral part of the South. A substantial amount of their contribution to the region is still part of the Southern landscape.

When a Jewish friend of mine from the north side of Chicago recently had an opportunity to travel in the South, he was amazed to learn that the South was not the land of anti-Semitism, as the media-dominated northern urban culture had led him to believe. He was also surprised to discover how much evidence of early Jewish influence in the South still remains.

Of course, I recommended that he read The Jewish Confederates to help him put it all into perspective. It really shows that many Jewish men and women were proud citizens of the Confederacy.

Some of the details presented make it clear that many of these brave soldiers of the Confederacy were very serious about their faith and culture. A portion of the book that detail the way the Jewish soldiers were allowed the opportunity to celebrate their holidays was especially enlightening.

It took a lot of courage on the part of Robert N. Rosen to write such a book. In a day and age when many people arrogantly display their ignorance by equating the Confederate flag with racism, Rosen should be considered national hero for having the guts to bring the world the truth.

If it were up to me, Rosen's The Jewish Confederates would be required reading for any program on "multiculturalism." It would also be required reading for every liberal history professor who teaches the era of the War Between the States.

....that The Confederacy had Jews. Surprise...A true story: in my exam room, there is always a book on my side table. One day, this was the book; a young girl [I take care of Army Privates] went over and picked it up as if she were touching pork. She informed me that the book was a lie, because there could not possibly have been any Jews in The Confederacy. I pointed to Judah Benjamin's picture among the other Confederate heroes on my wall and told her his story, including the slave owning. She was appalled. She soon knew that the CSA had around 2000 Jews, from Private to Colonel. Then, she asked me the question for which I still have no answer: "How is it that I, a Jew, living in America, don't know that significant a part of my own history?" Sadly, she's a very bright girl, who just didn't know. Much more sadly, BOTH of her parents are history professors. The encounter happened right before Christmas break, and she informed me that she was going to ask her mother about the matter. I gave her several references, and wished her Happy Chanukkah. After the break, she said that her Mom told her that, yes, this is something they knew, but just don't talk about. Look, all of us who deal with history can tell stories of astonishing ignorance. But I've never forgotten that girl; whenever I see ignorance, she reminds me of the obligation that all us who know have to impart [gently] unto those who don't.

Bob Rosen, has, indeed, imparted, and done it superbly. He gives us the story of all the major, and many of the minor, Jews who saluted the Stars and Bars. The two most prominant Jewish Confederates, Judah P. Benjamin, and Phoebe Yates Pember, were civilians, but many wore the gray uniform; Abraham Myers was the Quartermaster General, David DeLeon was the first Surgeon General [Rosen gives the bad with the good; Dr. DeLeon was a drunk, who was soon cashiered]. Major Adolph Proskauer led a charge at Gettysburg, and lived to tell it for many years. Ironically, the two highest ranking Jews killed in the war both fell at Vicksburg, and have monuments near each other. They were Colonels Leon Dawson Marks [Confederate] and Marcus H. Spiegel[Yankee]. Dr. Simon Baruch was a highly respected surgeon during, and after, the war; his son, Bernard, gained fame as a financier. Sgt. Moses Ezekiel was a VMI Cadet who fought at New Market, then was one of the finest sculptors on earth for many years. Many gave much in support; Mrs. Pember's sister, Eugenia Phillips, was a Spy who went to jail twice, and won the hearts of all Southerners by slapping Beast Butler. Rabbis Max Michaelbacher and George Jacobs were central figures in the Richmond religious community. There's even humor here; witness the "damn yankee Jew" asking a child in Norfolk for a piece of matzoah during The Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Interestingly, while the Yankees had around 10,000 Jews in uniform, and the South 2,000, it was the supposedly "racist" South that had Benjamin and Mrs. Pember. Only The Confederacy put Jews in leadership positions. Robert E. Lee and Jeff Davis strongly, and openly, supported the Jewish community, while Grant and Sherman were stark-raving anti-Semites.

This is not just a great book, it's an artistic masterpiece. Great illustrations, well presented. The maps of Richmond, Charleston, and New Orleans even show the modern Interstates as reference points; nice touch. Bob Rosen deserves all our thanks, even those of a goyim like me. Do not fail to read this book.

This is truly a beautiful book. It occupies a prominent place on my library shelf. The subject matter is fascinating, and important. Considering how Jews came to be treated in the South after the Civil War, the story of how Jews other than Judah Benjamin loyally served the Confederacy most certainly should be told.

For telling this story, Robert Rosen deserves credit. But the writing in The Jewish Confederates is pedestrian at best. Most chapters consist of paragraph after paragraph of short recaps of the military service of people with nothing in common other than being Jewish. Rosen diligently did his research, then regurgitated what he found.

In short, I do recommend this book for those interested in either the history of Jews in America or the Civil War, but do not expect to be captivated -- not an unreasonable expectation given the beautiful cover artwork. You will learn, but it will be a chore. Kind of like school, but there are certainly worse ways to spend some time.

I've had Jewish friends in Memphis and New Orleans whom I was surprised to learn had Ancestors in the Army of Northern Virgina and the Army of Tennessee. Rosen's book shows that the Civil War truly was a War of Brother against Brother no matter the ties by social status, national origin, or religion.

Rosen has done quite a bit of research and presents his narrative with the recollections, diaries, and letters of the participants and their families and friends. This kind of history by correspondance has always appealed to me more than the memoir type that is carefully thought out later to put the event or individual in the best light.

Rosen presents us with Jews living a normal life in the antebellum South similar to that enjoyed by their White Christian neighbors. The same predjudices and toleration for the "peculiar institution" exist for them as it does for their neighbors but I sense there is more of a toleration amongst this community for the Abolitionists Movement among Antebellum Jews than other groups in the South.

When War comes young men enlist and fight for the same cause as their Christian neighbors and with the same Gallantry. First hand accounts of the struggles and hardships of the War come from the letters soldiers write home to their families.

Rosen presents Jewish Life from the viewpoints of many players from well known Lousiana politician Judah P. Benjamin who held many positions in Jefferson Davis' Cabinet to less well known immigrants from Spain and Germany who started stores in rural Mississippi and Arkansas.

One story that I could not find was that of Sergeant Mordecai Solomon or Solomon Mordecai of Jackson, Mississippi who won the Confederate Medal of Honor at Spotsylvania Court House in 1864 and whose Synagogue was bombed by the KKK 100 years later

The book is a must for Civil War enthusiasts and may be helpful in Geneology research.

Carolyn Hart writes a continuing series about the owner of a bookstore who also solves mysteries. This time she and her husband have a mystery cruise off the coast. There is a murder and our protagonist is off and running.

This book is a nice afternoon read, no surprises, nothing new under the sun. Carolyn Hart is a master at her craft and this book is well crafted.

This is the 15th book in the Death on Demand series featuring Annie and Max Darling, and they keep getting better and better. The mystery in this book is quite complex, and of course we have the wonderful quirky characters that we have come to love after reading Ms. Hart's wonderful series. In this book Annnie has planned a murder mystery cruise in the waters close to Broward's Rock where her and Max live. Everything is going along swimmingly until someone falls overboard. It turns out that it is one of Annie's friends that has been tossed, and Annie sets out to find out why Pamela was murdered. Even her friend, the acting Police Chief thinks it was an accident, but Annie knows better. And she discovers a paricularly cold-hearted killer that will stop at nothing to keep a secret. This cozy series is great, and I heartily recommend it.

I have read most all of Carolyn Hart's "Death on Demand" titles. This particular work was one of the better titles in this series. I liked the pace she set, and the storyline was interesting. No irritating characters, plausible surprises, and a different person to guess the mystery paintings at the end. I highly recommend this title to readers!

What do you get when you cross an apparent accident victim that nobody hates, an aged emaciated former model millionare's purported suicide, and an unidentified natty silver haired Lothario dressed in candy-striped flair found dead in an remote forest preserve? A confusing, cat-and-mouse game where our heros and heroines Annie, Max, Emma, Henny and friends spring into action to protect their friend, find a killer where the police are convinced there is none, and connect the dots to the mysterious stranger. Amidst grief, a daring escape, adolescent angst, and buried jealously, the plot spins and twists, concluding in a dangerous race against a killer, and heroism from an unlikely source. The killer is caught, and the party restored where the answers to the shortened mystery cruise are revealed, family peace is restored, and the happy crew of the Death on Demand crowd can pat themselves on the back for another mystery well solved.

Annie Darling likes a good mystery. She runs a bookstore that specializes in mystery books and has organized a "mystery cruise" to promote the store. The cruise involves a scripted play that will interact the guests in a mystery that they will then try to solve.

When guests start arriving for the cruise, Annie is surprised to see her friend Pamela Potts. Annie is even more surprised when Pamela thanks her for the free ticket, a ticket that Annie didn't give her. They would have to discuss this when things settled down.

Only the evening doesn't settle down - Pamela falls overboard!

Luckily Pamela is rescued. However she is unconscious. Annie thinks that foul play is involved, but the police write the occurance off as an accident. Soon after the accident, another guest commits suicide. Or was it suicide? It seems that the woman's children and secretary had a motive to murder her.

With a boat full of mystery fans and amateur detectives, soon the guests take over the investigation and try to figure out who is trying to kill off the party guests.

Oh boy, "Murder Walks the Plank" was such a fun book to read! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. While there were clues given throughout, I was guessing until the very end. I would recommend this book highly. It's a great combination of intrugue and humor.

If you like to get out with your camera and take some excellent hikes and pictures this is a very well rounded book. Good directions, descriptions of the falls and even suggestions for the best way to photograph the falls. Most of these are not road side falls so if you are looking for that, you might be disapointed but that is not the fault of the author, the majority of the "good" falls are not on main highways!

There is no way for anyone to list all the waterfalls in North Carolina, but this book does give very complete information on the falls that are accessible to most people. The directions are clear and the ratings are very helpful. Even if you consider yourself to be an adequate photographer, this book gives specific hints for the different locations. I have used and enjoyed the public library copy so much I finally bought it!

I'm sure no one has written a book more extensively covering Waterfalls of North Carolina than this one. It remains an excellent guide to many of the wterfalls included. But one drawback at this point in time, as the author acknowledges on his own web site, is that the book needs updating now, as several trail accesses have changed. He says he's been wanting to update it for some time but the publishers have been slow to warm up to the idea. Hopefully, that will change. I have no comprehensive list of all the directions in the book that are now out of date, but here are a few hints: Unfortunately the Bob's Creek Pocket Wilderness as described in his Marion Hub seems to have been abolished and is no longer oper to the public. A company that formerly owned it allowed it to be a protected wilderness with what was even designated a National Recreation Trail. Many of us thought that designation would protect it forever. I'm afraid it turned out to be a short forever. I was fortunate to go there in the last years of its accessability. The waterfalls there were small and never the highlight, but it was a nice area now sorely missed. In his Saluda hub, the road providing access to Little Bradley Falls has recently been realigned, making the trail as described hard to find. I was with a group that did find the falls. But the change can leave you disoroented and with a very sttep roadbank looming and no obvious way to find a less steep descent in or climb out. On a more positive note, where his Hendersonville and Brevard hubs meet, there's a new thing called DuPont State Forest, providing new public views of at least four waterfalls. These include the modest Hooker Falls and the much larger Triple Falls and High Falls, and also another smaller one I've not yet seen, Wintergreen Falls (not to be confused with a falls of the same name farther west and covered in the book). At that farther west location, quite a bit of change has occurred in his Lake Toxaway hub. One thing is the new Gorges State Park, now encompassing about half of the land owned by Crescent Resources at the time the book indicates. It will preserve several waterfalls and presumably ultimately provide smoother trails to them, including the second mentioned Wintergreen Falls. But the park is now in early development stages and hasn't provided any new waterfall paths just yet. It does now provide the parking of choice for the Horsepasture River, just outside its western edge. The parking lot for the park, just off NC 281, less than a mile south of US 64, is now the place to park for the Horsepasture River. One then walks back to the road, turns left, and a short distance down the road picks up a 3/4 mile trail down to the Horsepasture River. Once there one turns right to hike to a view of Drift Falls, now form behind fences and no-traspassing signs, or turns left to views of the other falls on the Horsepasture River, the trail downriver from there not having changed much. The access to the Horsepasture as described in the book has now been made off-limits by no-parking signs along the road and no-trespassing signs where the book's directions called for scrambling down the bank. The old directions had the hike starting very close to Drift Falls, which was then said to be on Nantahala National Forest Land, but the present state of affairs seems to imply that it is just outside that public land. Although Drift Falls is visible from the road, at least in low-foliage seasons, the no-parking signs now make the prospect of parking there to see it forbidding. Best to hike from just downroad from the state park parking lot to see any of the Horsepasture's falls, which adds most of 3/4 mile to any of the distances given in the book. In the book's Waynesville hub little has changed, except the last steep part of the descent to Second Falls has been replaced by a wooden stairway, bypassing the steep part of the footpath, badly eroded by the HIGH volume of visitors to that falls. Nearby Yellowstone Falls is as hard to view as ever, and the overlook providing a limited view from the trail is made harder to find using the book's directions, due to a proliferation of campfire rings. The best safe view of that Falls is still from the Blue Ridge Parkway, a distant view where binoculars help. In the Hot Springs hub, I feel fairly certain that the hike to the falls on West Prong of Hickey Fork has been lengthened somewhat from the book's directions by a trail relocation that added switchbacks. That makes part of the hike less steep, but one needs allow extra time for the longer distance (maybe up to 50% longer) and carefully finding the trail where it doesn't quite match the book's directions. In the Burnsville hub, the falls on Big Creek is about as hard to find as any roadside falls can be. This seems in part because the junction of US 19, US 19E, and US 19W seems to have been slightly relocated, making the 17.5 miles from that junction in the directions a bit inaccurate. Instead look for the pull-off as about 1.8 miles beyond the little sign identifying the community of Sioux, or about 4.2 miles from the Tennessee line, if approaching from the opposite direction, and the only pulloff in that vicinity with guardrails coming right up to both ends of it. You cannot see the falls from your car; it is below road level and you must park and get out. Riding along and listening for the sound is little help, as there are numerous noisy rapids along that part of Big Creek. Finally in the Stone Mountain hub, the trails have not changed much, but the location of the picnic area has. Park officials can tell you where to find the old route from where the picnic area was. But actually you can hike from the new picnic area and it is closer that way to Stone Mountain Falls at least. You'd just feel disoriented if going only by the book's directions, because you'll reach the top of the falls rather than the bottom first, and then go right from the bottom of the stairs if you still wish to reach the smaller middle and lower falls, or go left there to the nearby base of the main falls.

When my photo trip to Yellowstone was cancelled, I was heartbroken. As I was browsing the net looking for an alternate place to vacation (a place closer to our FL home) I came across a site on NC Waterfalls. I then browsed [...] and found this book and liked what I read in the reviews. This book was a real vacation saver! It is extremely specific and it is quite obvious that the author when to an enormous amount of time, trouble and travel to write the perfect waterfall seekers book. Not only does he provide the waterfall locations, the trail lengths and difficulty ratings, but he also gives fantastic photo tips. He organizes the book in area locations so we found hotels in the areas that provided the falls that appealed to us and spent a day or two hiking each region. Out of the 51 falls we attempted to find, we located 49. The 2 we missed were remote and the trails were probably so overgrown that we couldn't find them. The author rates each fall according to a "beauty rating" taht he assigns, and in our opinion, he is dead on. When we were running out of vacation days, we stuck mostly to falls that had at least a 5 out of 10. Thanks to his ratings, we didn't waste precious time searching for waterfalls that would be a disappointment. All I have to say about this book is -- excellent job! During our vacation, we spent a few days in PA & NY and looked for a book similar to this one to outline the falls in those states. There was nothing! Once you've had the best, no other book compares.

When my photo trip to Yellowstone was cancelled, I was heartbroken. As I was browsing the net looking for an alternate place to vacation (a place closer to our FL home) I came across a site on NC Waterfalls. I then browsed Amazon.com and found this book and liked what I read in the reviews. This book was a real vacation saver! It is extremely specific and it is quite obvious that the author when to an enormous amount of time, trouble and travel to write the perfect waterfall seekers book. Not only does he provide the waterfall locations, the trail lengths and difficulty ratings, but he also gives fantastic photo tips. He organizes the book in area locations so we found hotels in the areas that provided the falls that appealed to us and spent a day or two hiking each region. Out of the 51 falls we attempted to find, we located 49. The 2 we missed were remote and the trails were probably so overgrown that we couldn't find them. The author rates each fall according to a "beauty rating" that he assigns, and in our opinion, he is dead on. When we were running out of vacation days, we stuck mostly to falls that had at least a 5 out of 10. Thanks to his ratings, we didn't waste precious time searching for waterfalls that would be a disappointment. All I have to say about this book is -- excellent job! During our vacation, we spent a few days in PA & NY and looked for a book similar to this one to outline the falls in those states. There was nothing! Once you've had the best, no other book compares.

Great Book. Hilarious read if you have an interest in renovation or old houses. One of my favorites.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. I LIVE NEAR AIKEN AND FOR MANY YEARS EACH TIME I WENT TO AIKEN I WOULD DRIVE BY THIS HOUSE BECAUSE I WAS SO IN LOVE WITH IT. THE STORY IS CHARMING. THE HOUSE IS WONDERFUL. I'M SO GLAD THEY RESTORED IT. I AM SORRY THAT THEY MISSED THE CLASSY PARTS OF THE SOUTH. IT IS NOT ALL COLLARDS, WHICH I HAVE NEVER TASTED UNTIL LAST YEAR AND I HAVE ALWAYS LIVED HERE.IM SURE THEY HAVE ANOTHER STORY TO TELL AT THIS POINT. I WILL BE THE FIRST TO BUY IT.

This is a really funny and very well-written book about two Manhattan queens who buy a mansion in the South and renovate it. Every remodeling horror you can imagine is described, but it all works out in the end! This book underscores the need for Cash, Cash, Cash! My girlfriend is reading it now and is finding it sweet and fun.

It was August, 1999. After a tough year of renovation my husband and I moved into our own 5,800 sf "Money Pit". We had spent a total of $ 600,000 getting ready for this day. It had been our dream ever since we had completed a renovation of our 1800 sf cottage 12 years before. We had battled bad heating guys, windows that had arrived to fit seemingly another house, workers who preferred smoking in our driveway to actually doing any work, painters who peed in my bathtub and nasty neighbors.

But now we had moved in. We had no countertops as the machinery to put an edge on them had broken. So we did dishes, washed up and brushed our teeth in the one working bathtub. Boxes covered the first floor. The cracks in the wood floors gave me all-world blisters. And the air conditioning STILL did not work.

My husband, after spending less than an hour at home stood and looked up at me up the grand staircase and told me in a calm voice, "I don't want to BE here anymore" and went back to his office. I looked over the house...a decade of work left to do and our life savings committed to it and could only bring myself to do a tiny job that felt achievable; sorting his socks. Even that was difficult as I burst into sight-busting tears.

At that very moment there was a knock at the door. An old friend from down the street handed me this book and gave me a hug. I went to bed with it and over the next week I worked at making the house more comfortable when I felt up to it and reading the book when I didn't. It saved my sanity that hot August.

Three years later I watched my neighbor...distraught and crying on the tailgate of his truck over home renovation issues of his own and passed this life-ring along.

Thanks so much to the authors!!

"On A Street Called Easy, in a Cottage called Joye" is an easy and entertaining read, with short chapters perfect for the ride on the subway, or a break between tasks. A close parallel to "A Year In Provence", which is referenced by the authors, the story is essentially a humorous take on the gentry's lament "you can't get good help these days", but the biggest difference is that while "A Year..." is heavily slanted towards food, "A Street..." is almost entirely about the travails of renovating a wreck. It is after all, set in the deep (if it ain't fried, it ain't cooked)south, this is NOT Provence.
The "true" story follows its two, pullitzer prize winning authors as they leave their dark, viewless, Manhattan condo and set out for Aiken, S.C., where they've bought(for quite a bit less than the original million+ asking price) a sixty room mansion built in 1897 by WC Whitney, as the gilded age began to flicker to a close. Through neglect, the house is an absolute mess. The crew hired to bring it back to its glory is pretty much a mess as well. From the holdover-joint-toking hippie that makes off with the only, working-order copper piping to sell for scrap, to the tile man who wants to be paid for time he'd requested to hang out (doing nothing)while the tile arrived, to the maid who spends all day dusting 3 rooms, only to be discovered sleeping whenever the bosses are away. You can't leave this crew a for a second, as they discover towards the end, in a scene that will leave wine lovers heart broken. The problem is, as with "A year in Provence", the owners seem to have a bottomless pocketbook, and always seem to have a check to write to cover whatever goes wrong. And EVERYTHING goes wrong. This eventually takes away from the believability, especially when combined with the patience of Job that the two men seem to display, endlessly, towards what are essentially ne'er do wells and lowlifes posing as contractors. Ah, well. You do learn a bit about the Whitneys, the house in its better days, Aiken in its better days, and the more recent days. All in all a worthwhile read.

The third edition, published in December 2007, includes new waterfalls, updated directions (based on the excellent reader feedback we have received), GPS coordinates, new photos, and updated biographical information. Thanks to all of you who have read and enjoyed the book over the last 9 years (wow...and to think we were initially told that this book was a pipe dream). Thanks once again to Palmetto Conservation and to Duke Power for making the third edition possible. - tim cook

I just love to look at the pictures of these beautiful waterfalls as I plan my visit. This book has lovely pictures and is very informative.

As a photographer, I found the photography to be spectacular! Ihe commentary was equally well done. I highly recommend this guide.

If you haven't had a chance to view Turner South's "Three Day Weekend," make sure to tune in to the Greenville, SC "Three Day Weekend," featuring Moonshine Falls, one of the falls included in this book. This episode ran in early August, and provides an excellent testimonial for the beauty of upstate South Carolina.

The amazing thing about this beautiful book, to me, is the fact that these two guys (Brooks and Cook) wrote this book while they were still students at Clemson University. When I was a student, my weekends were never this productive. Heck, I couldn't even afford food. Any one who was able to produce such beautiful pictures on a student's budget merits my greatest admiration. Great directions, too. I really liked the inclusion of GPS coordinates for waypoints.