South Carolina Books

Holston Books sent me exactly what I ordered in perfect condition and for a good price. Great vendor.

Each story has background history of the ship, details if available on each ships fateful night (or nights!) and a follow through with diving information.

What becomes evident to a non-diver is that one should have an adequate knowledge of a ships parts, and Gary's enthusiasm for such comes through.

He also adequately debunks the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" myth concerning North Carolina shipwrecks while as already stated giving you more than your high school's account of WWI and WWII U-boat activity.

A real good vicarious and brisk read!

I discovered Gary Gentile's books by accident during a stay on the Outer Banks. Reading about what happened in years gone by (in some cases only yards away) has really heightened my enjoyment of the area and deepened my appreciation of the people who live and work there.

While the highly personal opinions expressed and the occasional editing lapses take some getting used to, it is a small price to pay for the compelling tales, passionately expressed. This (as with his other books) is a refreshing change from the pastuerized prose you usually get from the big publishers, who seem to weed out every trace of an author's personality if they can.

The sea has always been a home to the individualist. That tradition continues through Gentile's Dive Guide Series.

Fascinating reading. A useful book when you plan on diving there. But Gary Gentile should hold back somewhat with his at times negative opinions. Maybe he has not learned yet there is now a 50 year+ friendship and peaceful relationship between Germany and the US ? It is so easy to reinforce the image of those supposedly "vicious" German submarine folks. Walk into the Olympus dive shop in Morehead City and look at the shots of the 50 year reunion of the U352 crew. Nice people actually. And they don't look like beasts.

Even if you are not a diver, this book and others in the series are interesting reading and open up the doors to our past. Did you know that German U boats (subs) sank our ships right off our coast? I asked all my friends this question and none of them were ever taught that in school in the 60s or 70s. Well it's all right here for you to explore and much more. The illustrations are great too.

This book is a must for anyone coming to Charleston for the first time. It is also a must for residents who want to "brush up" on their town history. This book should be followed by walks down the streets, through the alleys and along the Battery at dusk. You will probably want to move here.

I've just returned from a short visit to Charleston and Rosen's "Short History to Charleston" was a perfect comrade in preparation for the tour. His book is a fun and quick read full of all the sort of information one needs to delect in Charleston's fascinating history. Not only does it give a rather complete, albeit brief, historical account of Charleston's dramatic evolution from beginning to near present day, but every page provides descriptions of remarkable individuals or events which enhance and delight the reader's experience of Charleston's history all of which are most often embellished with remarkable illustrations. I highly recommend this book.

I've just returned from a short visit to Charleston and Rosen's "Short History to Charleston" was a perfect comrade in preparation for the tour. His book is a fun and quick read full of all the sort of information one needs to delect in Charleston's fascinating history. Not only does it give a rather complete, albeit brief, historical account of Charleston's dramatic evolution from beginning to near present day, but every page provides descriptions of remarkable individuals or events which enhance and delight the reader's experience of Charleston's history all of which are most often embellished with remarkable illustrations. I highly recommend this book.

I'm an armchair history buff, but not a historian. This book was pretty "to the point" (thus the name) and interesting from the beginning through the 19th century, but the 20th century components were not compelling to me.

The book was dry. I'd recommend it if you are preparing for a visit to Charleston -otherwise find something else to read.

We were, there in this wonderful, historic southern gem on vacation. In a wonderful, large, bookstore, we inquired, what book if you want to learn more about the history. This is it, the local experts said.

It is, well written from the beginnings of Charles Town up to Hurrican Hugo, the prose is lively and attention keeping.

Especially to be enjoyed is the side-bar entries of primarily people and architecture which add much to the verbal discussion going on the page.

To go further in study, the author provides this wisdom: "there appear to me to be more bad books written about Charleston than just about any subject I know." So he lists those he knows are worthy and recommended on each time period. Helpful!

This is an excellent piece written on the American Revolution in the southern colonies. And it begs a sequel.

The book is very well written and includes details from some in-depth, original research. I also enjoyed the descriptions and maps of engagements that other books only mention in passing.

If you have an interest in the fighting in the south during this war, don't miss this book.

In my humble opinion, "The Southern Strategy" is one of the best American Revolutionary books I have read in some time. The narrative flows smoothly and is scholarly without being a dry read.

Among the engagements covered in the book include:

1. Great Bridge VA
2. Moore's Creek Bridge NC
3. Charleston SC
4. Savannah GA
5. Briar Creek GA
6. Stono Ferry SC
7. Waxhaws SC

In addition to the engagements listed above, Wilson also studies the British strategy of hopefully enlisting several Loyalists in the South to help win the Revolution. While the British did have some success, they ultimately failed.

I enjoyed reading about some Revolutionary War battles in the South other than the ones you can normally read about in other books: Guilford Courthouse, Cowpens, Kings Mountain, and Yorktown.

There were plenty of well-detailed maps and great casualty summaries for each battle.

Whether you are an historian or just interested in American history, I highly recommend the book. Read and enjoy!

I found very little new here that has not been written a dozen times beforehand. Although the title could lead a person to believe that this book is about the British and their strategy in the Revolutionary War down South, this is a bunch of battle histories strung together without a lot of analysis of strategy. John Buchanan's THE ROAD TO GUILFORD COURTHOUSE is a bit better than this one, and mcuh cheaper!

The Southern Strategy is a thorough and refreshing depiction of Britain's attempt to conquer the southern colonies between 1775 and 1780. The author explores the false assumptions of wide-spread loyalist support in the south that dictated British strategy. The book traces the combat operations that were undertaken from the early days of the Revolution through the controversial Battle at Waxhaws. Other authors have covered these events in superficial detail with most attention being paid to the latter campaigns that include Cowpens and Guilford Courthouse. Wilson's narrative ties these early engagements together to illustrate Britain's continuing failure to develop a sound and effective strategy in the south.

The author's research is impressive and the engagements are examined in great detail. One example is the Battle for the Great Bridge in 1775. Wilson provides an excellent map and remarkable order of battle. This event has received scant attention in other works. Likewise, the Battle of Sullivan's Island in 1776 is presented with exceptional detail. The reader can clearly deduce that this early American victory was not achieved through tactical skill, the strength of the island fort or superior patriot strategy but due to poor British planning and coordination. Such a perspective is difficult to grasp in other depictions due to shallow research. Wilson portrays the other engagements with similar exceptional depth.

The Southern Strategy is a serious historical work that begs for a sequel. The author should bring his talents to the latter portions of the war which completes the story in the south from 1780 to 1781. I heartily recommend this book to any serious student of the American Revolution.

I appreciate the excellent primary source research that Mr. Wilson has done and his re-writing of the accounts of several key battles. This book does a fine job of being readable without straying from the academic tree as some history authors are want to do.

This reads like a mystery. I couldn't put it down- either time I read it! I was looking for clues and trying to put together pieces that didn't connect until the end. The descriptions of the Myrtle Beach of the past are so powerful that i'm sure they will stir memories for many. The old pavilion comes alive with all its sights, tastes, and smells. And the whole thing is driven by interesting characters. The narrator who is trying to come to terms with her own life and make peace with her memories. The unlikeable Catherine Wiley who is bitter because she cannot be what the world insists that she be. Her poor old grandmother who is doing the best she can for Catherine. I could feel for them all because they are so human and so screwed up. I found myself getting sucked into their individual trials- Old Mr. Wiley said, "Life's a disease and death is the cure". Amen! And I kept thinking to myself, as I sypathized with young Catherine at the end, why do we have to be like this? Why are we cruel to people who are different? And the sad answer is clearly, that human nature is a cruel, ugly thing. The novel made me think of the misfits I remember from life and hope that they made it, that they found a place to fit in, or that there really is a place where it will all be better, where the woodbine twines.

Nan never forgets the troubled child she desperately tried to befriend. When eleven-year-old Catherine Wiley stumbles into Nan's thirteen-year-old life, an imprint is left forever. This chilling encounter even affects Nan's adult life! Nan is 'haunted' by Catherine's memory and yearns to know if she's still alive, and if so, what happened to the misunderstood girl. Until adulthood, Nan never learns of Catherine's tragic secret, explaining the young Wiley girl's odd behavior. Nan wonders if she had been told such a huge secret at a young age, would she have tried to help, or made Catherine's life more miserable?

Sherry Austin writes realistic characters with very human stories that will break your heart. This story also highlights how cruel childhood can be, especially for children who are 'different'. It was a pleasure to meet Sherry Austin at the Heritage Festival. She's a very talented writer and a 'down to earth' individual. I look forward to reading more of her books.

Chrissy K. McVay
Author of 'Souls of the North Wind'

Narrated by a 9-year-old girl in the deep south in the 1960s, this book is full of evocative mystery.

While the ending is weak and some bits require a bit of extra suspension of disbelief, the story holds together well, and you will love the realistic down-to-earth narration of the narrator who has critical thinking skills far beyond her years. This is a simple, fun, fast read which brilliantly melts southern folklore with the realities of growing up a military brat in the 1960s.

Readers will love the blend of pure fantasy with the realistic edge of childhood memories.

Sherry Austin is unparalled in her ability to write stories as multi-layered as baklava, that draw you into the Twilight Zone and evoke the atmosphere of a time and place. In the case of WHERE THE WOODBINE TWINES, that place is the eerie South Carolina low country and the strange carnival setting of Myrtle Beach's famous and now defunct Pavillion. Anyone who has ever felt different--and haven't we all at one time or another?--will find much to savor in this delicious, mysterious tale. It wasn't until I read her blog that I began to have an idea of what this strange story has to offer. You'll have not trouble getting into this novel. Get to page two where the words "she haunts me" appear, and you won't put it down until you're finished.

Austin is a good writer and storyteller. She always weaves a tapestry of unforgettable characters and Where the Woodbine Twines is no exception. You will recall the names of Wanda, Nan and Catherine and the imagery she paints of them long after you finish the last page. Very enjoyable!

I recently found this book at a garage sale. Both the genre and the author were unfamiliar to me, but decided to give it a try. I loved it. Having once lived in the South (ever so briefly), I loved the Southern charm oozing from the pages.
A bit predictable, but made me want to look up more by this author.
Would've given five stars, but I also recently found out that those are rarely taken seriously.

War correspondent Dinah Davis has covered many of the recent hot spots. Currently she is reporting on Afghanistan, but has lost her edge since she witnessed the death of a friend and was nearly killed too. Physically Dinah has healed, but her boss tells her she is not the same and should return to the States to marry and have babies. Initially refusing to listen, Dinah realizes that her career is over and wonders if her boyfriend Bobby Beaufort still waits for as he promised a decade ago when she chose journalism over marriage.

Back home in South Carolina, Dinah's mom worries that her daughter has not recovered from her last overseas assignment. Meanwhile Bobby's older brother Cord, who thought his sibling was a fool to agree to Dinah's backup plan, quickly wants to revise the arrangement by inserting himself as the groom. As Dinah suffers the malaise of post traumatic syndrome, she turns to Cord not her family or Bobby for comfort while he worries whether he will prove enough in the long run.

Though the actual backup plan of Bobby waiting for a decade seems strange, fans will appreciate this deep look into the traumas and tragedies civilians in combat areas can suffer. The story line is character driven once Dinah returns home moping and depressed. Adding to her depression is that she realizes her plan is a failure as she finds the sibling more attractive than the chosen one, but does not want to hurt the loyal Bobby. This is a strong tale that showcases the aftermath of horrific situations on survivors.

Harriet Klausner

War correspondent Dinah Davis is devastated after watching her cameraman/lover murdered in a car bombing ambush while on assignment in Afghanistan. Her editor knows that she is hanging on by a thread, and recommends returning home for some R&R. She decides to quit, return to South Carolina, and look up the guy that said he would wait for her forever. Marrying Bobby would be her backup plan and a way to escape her guilt over losing Peter.

Depressed and spending the majority of her days watching soaps or sitting by the pool, Dinah is unsuccessful at hooking up with Bobby, who never seems to be in town (and is now engaged). She does not count on falling for his roguish bad-boy brother, Cordell. Cord has been in love with Dinah since they were kids; he even made up a little white lie to keep Dinah and Bobby apart, only to have it backfire on him. Dinah just thinks he is a trouble maker. While Cord claims to not be the marrying kind, he certainly does not want Dinah and Bobby to reconcile, so he schemes to keep Bobby on assignment in Atlanta.

The more time Cord and Dinah spend together, the harder they fall for each other, until he finally realizes that the only way to show his love for Dinah is to let her resolve the conflict that brought her home and has caused so much post traumatic stress. Dinah makes progress on her own with the help of a caring psychologist.

The Backup Plan is an entertaining romantic comedy with a hint of despair - parts of the book might make you cry, particularly her flashbacks to Afghanistan. The only thing standing in the way of a 5 star rating is the lack of depth into the character of Bobby. He was never developed, and really on appears on a handful of pages. This was an emotional and engaging story - guaranteed to keep you glued for nearly 400 pages.

I love books that are set in the Carolina Low Country (ie: Dorothea Benton Frank and Anne Rivers Siddons)becuae it seems like such a gloriously stylish place to live!!!

This was an interesting story about a high-power career woman suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, who returns home to heal. When the safety net she intended to fall back on doesn't come through for her, she finds a truer path towards healing, which includes a passionate relationship that's as strong as the passion she once held for her work.

I particularly admired the therapist in this story, and how the psychotherapy sessions were really very helpful and healing. I also found the vivid details of Cord and Bobby's work, restoring antebellum homes and historical landmarks to their original splendour, added significant color and depth to the storyline.

`Backup Plan' by Sherryl Woods is fun southern romance novel. Dinah Davis returns home after working in Afghanistan. She decides to take a break and look up her old boyfriend Bobby - her official backup plan. Instead of Bobby, she finds Cord the older and annoying brother to Bobby. This novel deals with posttraumatic stress disorder, a marriage on the rocks and car bombing. I read the Trilogy out of order and they can stand alone. The second novel is `Flirting with Disaster' December 2005 and the final novel `Waking up in Charleston' May 2006.

Well, deserving of the book award except::: having visited Turkey many times; her overall description of the people is acurate however its also as foggy as each of the characters assesment of each other. Also she seems to think that all gays are either boring fakes, silly holiday makers and she compares lesbians to either smugglers, drug addicts or spies. Mary whats your problem with a positive gay character. Its a moving book, I enjoyed it though am a little disappointed with the ending; which I wont spoil. I can see how Turkish people could be offdended. I think her Turkish Reflections a much better read.

Her "Turkish Reflections" is also a marvellous read. This time, the author offers a true story in a "fictional" format along with her escapades in Bodrum. Her ability to understand and convey to readers Turkish cultural nuances is remarkable. The story itself is wonderful. Enjoy!

In ways reminiscent of "The Ugly American", "Blood Tie" explores the lives of a group of expatriates and reveals the impacts they have on the Turks living in a small coastal community along the Aegean. Settle does a beautiful and poignant job of immersing the reader in the landscape and lives of the characters. The story is believable and accurate. Her writing transported me back the town on which the setting is based. Excellent reading for those seeking to understand social transformations taking place in Turkey in recent decades.

An odd novel, Blood Tie has some stretches which leave the reader wondering where this novel is going, if at all. Yet through some clever moves, Settle makes the novel redeem itself, if the reader can hang on through some midcourse excursions. The strongest part of the work is Settle's exploitation of the theme of blood (as in the title) which gets strung along throughout, from hand prints on a cave wall, to the bloody body of a beating victim. The moral is, I suppose, that sacrifice is sacrifice, and in the modern world, the results can be very ambiguous indeed. In a world where people are being squeezed by internal and external forces they can't control, what is the point of sacrifice, in any form, at all?

Chris Phelps' recounting of the long bombardment of Charleston is a mixture of good and bad. While he clearly knows the local history inside and out, his retelling of the surrounding national military history contains quite a few errors or questionable interpretations. The bombardment of Charleston is a controversial topic even today, and as one might expect, a study by a local author brings some southern bias. He is not completely unfair; and does try to present both sides of local events. However, the way he approaches the wider events reveals some confusion.

The author's description of the bombardment of Charleston provides an example of tenacious defiance, retribution, frustration, and excess all in one. While it was not militarily unreasonable to bombard the city that was the prime instrument of secession and where the serious shooting began, it is also proper to ask if continued bombardment was worthwhile. Customarily, fear of attack or bombardment is why cities surrendered when the enemy closed within range. Charleston correctly presumed it could not be forced to surrender by bombardment alone. The Union was unable to effectively close on the city to fully besiege it or to attack and occupy, this left bombardment as the only active measure. The result was a bombardment of unprecedented length. The work indicates that while unable to force capitulation, the firing did serve a limited strategic purpose of disruption and dislocation of a key city's populace, as well as the psychological desire for retribution.

The chapters are ostensibly sequential, yet the timeline in some early chapters is a jumble. In chapters two and three the text skips from 1861 to 1865 and all points in between, sometimes without signaling the transition to the reader not yet familiar with the events. This makes the early chapters difficult to follow and interpret, but later chapters are more chronologically structured.

Fortunately, the maps provided are quite helpful in understanding the actual bombardment, although identifying key landmarks like St. Michaels would have been useful. The relevant portions of the local history are well researched and the bibliography is reasonably complete, although Brennan's "Secessionville", and Olmstead's "The Big Guns" are notably absent despite being published prior to this work and being relevant to it.

The author makes a limited summary and estimate of the shells expended during the bombardment and recounts the known damage to various structures. This provides a fairly good overview. He does not attempt to tally casualties as a result of the bombardment although accounts of individual deaths and wounding are provided. Overall, casualties were low since the affected areas were largely evacuated.

The author could have benefited from rigorous fact checking and fewer bold statements early in the book. One innocent but annoying feature is the repeated misspelling of John M. Brooke as "Brookes." I was also perplexed by the reference to Union General Truman Seymour's capture at Olustee, Florida in February of 1864--it was actually in May at the Wilderness. Contrary to what the author says, Franz Sigel's mission in the Shenandoah was not to ransack the agricultural productive capacity of the Valley (that was two commanders later, Sheridan--although the interim commander, Hunter, had been heading in that general direction.) The author also leaves the impression that Stones River was a CSA victory rather than a narrow defeat. He makes the assertion that Chickamauga was the greatest confederate victory, but considering the tremendous casualties and limited short-term gains, it seems a hard sell as the greatest.

This is a good source of the local Charleston history of the bombardment, but I recommend that readers crosscheck descriptions of outside events. If something sounds off, it probably is. The first half of the book is confusing; the second half is better.

After visiting Charleston, it is not possible for someone to come away without a desire to learn all they can about its history. This book is very interesting and details this important period in the history of Charleston. The reader can picture the events as if they were happening today. Another visit to Charleston will be in order once this book is read in order to see the places mentioned.

I recently visited Charleston and took the Civil War Walk with Mr. Phelps' company. During the tour the guide, Charles Hunt, enlightened me that Charleston had been severely bombarded throughout the war. I have studied the war extensively yet never knew of the bombardment of Charleston. After the tour I purchased this book and it was a fascinating read, detailing every aspect of this little known event. If you are going to visit Charleston you should read this book and augment the volume by taking the tour as well!

This book is written by an author who is well-versed in Charleston history, yet it is written from a down-to-earth point of view. It is an excellent resource on a subject that has never really been expounded previously. Most people know Charleston only because of Fort Sumter, but this book takes you deep into the Civil War giving one a sense of what really happened in this city during the War. This is an easy-to-read historical account of the Union army's attempt to break a city. Great read for any history buff!

Has an overwhelming amount of information, but is almost too complicated. I found it hard to navigate. Furthermore, I had to restart my computer twice during installation which I did not like, but afterward the program ran fine. The product is well done, and I appreciate the content, but I had hoped it would be more visually interesting and less complicated and bulky.

I visited the Charleston Historic District a few years ago and this CD brought it all back to me. The amount of detail is amazing, including both pictures and text. Would also be a great tool for planning a trip.

I bought one of these in a gift store in Charleston, and camehere to see what other titles this company has. This CD gives you the ability to walk around the city streets of Charleston, and shows you images, panoramas, antiques photos of each building, house , etc, and tells the history of each place. It also has a ton of tours you can take where the narrator guides you around the historic district to specific sites. I'd be willing to bet that this thing took years to put together - it's HUGE. If you like architecture and history (and I do!), and if you love Charleston or are planning a visit, I'd highly recommend this product.

In short, there is no better reference available. It has got to have ten times the amount of info in any book and is much more fun.

The depth of this product is absolutely incredible. Every single address in the historic district has at least one photo and a written description. Even though the amount of information is astounding, I found it easy to get into because of the guided tours and the clickable maps. My favorite tour is the now and then tour which shows current photos and old photos of the same places.

I particularly enjoyed the Treasure Hunt game. It led me through parts of the city I would not have otherwise visited and had a great graphic at the end.

My only complaint: some of the photos are not lit well but that is rare and the best photos are breathtaking.

This product truely conveys what it is like, and must have been like in the past, to "be there".

A great book. Very easy reading and very informative. Great account of battles of the civil war and ghost stories surrounding it. I would highly recomend this book to anyone interested in ghost stories and the civil war.

Found this book to be interesting with the ability to hold ones attention. In addition, it was thought provoking and the material supports many held beliefs regarding the civil war.

I have done vast research on Civil War Battlefields and sites. I have seen many Ghostly Spirits on Va. Battlefields also at Gettysburg ,PA. They really do exsist. While exciting to see, it is also scary.This was a good book to read.

I just finished watching 1951s "The Tall Target" about an assassination plot on the life of Abram Lincoln aboard a moving train. Abram Lincoln and the train got me thinking about a story I had once read. And then I remembered it. It was from Nancy Roberts' "Civil War Ghost Stories & Legends." I pulled the book from the shelf and there it was. Being a Civil War buff I bought this book several years ago attracted and intrigued by the title. It had never occurred to me that with all the horrors, suffering and death on America's battlefields during the Civil War that the emergence of ghosts and related supernatural haunts would come to surface. The particular story that I remember most strikingly was "The Night Train Passes." It is all about the reappearance of Abram Lincoln's funeral train. It is spooky. This entire book is spooky. There is something about the images of the Civil War that makes this collection of stories so intriguing, personally haunting yet poignant. I highly recommend this book.

Interesting book, but it is not a guide to the Carolina Coast, as it states in its introduction.

This has to be the most definitive information available about North Carolina's coast, including every island, town and community. It's incredible! Being a native North Carolinian I thought I knew a little something about coastal North Carolina, but when I opened Zepke's newly released book I was absolutely astounded by the depth and detail of her research. It has everything from history to fishing schedules, ghost tales to fun quizzes, interspersed throughout with fascinating tidbits of information.

As the author quips,"I did it for you", you'll surely smile, picturing her footprints left in every nook and cranny along the entire North Carolina coast. Close your eyes and you'll feel the wind on your face and the sand beneath your feet and marvel at the magic of this book.

I was born & raised in NC & grew up loving the coast, but have lived away for a number of years. This book took me "home again". It is well written & covers so many of the beautiful & interesting places on that diversified coast. The pictures as well as the descriptions make it real. After reading this delightful & informative book, I truly do want to go home again if only for a visit. It gives you a wonderful insight into the coast of the Old North State.

We bought this in a bookstore during our vacation and were so glad we did. As we visited places, we read what the book had to say about its history and historic sites. I really enjoyed the highlighted boxes filled with interesting trivia. The photos of what places used to look like were also helpful and interesting. Our family answered the quizzes found at the end of each section. As a middle school teacher, I am looking forward to using it as a reference for my classes. The Fun Ways to Learn, also found at the end of each section, will be especially helpful.