Georgia Books

Spooky! This book made me realize I might be in the presence of ghosts any time, anywhere! I do not usually read ghost stories (I like thrillers), but somebody told me about this book and it sounded interesting because I like old historical towns. I started reading and finished the whole book in one sitting. A fascinating, well-written read.

This is far more than a book of ghost stories.

I am a professor of literature in Dahlonega, the mountain resort featured in this book, and I want to encourage the following readers to consider reading this book:

If you love graceful, flowing style, this book radiates with the warmth and skill of Blackmarr, a former Georgia "Writer of the Year."

If you love a philosophical exploration of the questions raised by life after death (without a lot of New Age gullibility), this book takes a mature, reasoned stance as Blackmarr (an admitted skeptic) wanders through a small, nineteenth-century, profoundly haunted village in the hills.

If you love true ghost stories (written for intelligent adults), this book (written by the same, sensitive nature writer who brought us Above the Fall Line and Going to Ground) takes a naturalist's view of what is undoubtedly the spookiest side of nature.

Unlike other ghost stories I have read, this book is full of dates, names, addresses, and all of the elements that you miss in 'urban legend' ghost tales. This is as true as ghost telling gets. You can come to Dahlonega and meet the people who tell their tales in this book. You can visit the places. And you will NEVER view goosebumps in quite the same way after reading this delightfully chilling book.

If you love a good read, you will dash through this book at a breathless pace, swallowing whole passages at a go. Then, as with any well-crafted writing, you will muse for days over meanings, possibilities, and the deeper sense of what it means to say, 'we are not alone.'

A fine work by a talented and thoughtful writer. Highly recommended.

I had a chance to read a review copy of this book and I was delighted to find that it was not at all like the other collections of ghost stories I've read. Instead, this fine southern author, already well known for her nature writing, has taken an old, tired theme and remade it into something refreshingly new. Her honesty is disarming. Sometimes frightened out of her wits, sometimes amused, often skeptical, Blackmarr is never shy about giving voice to her confusion over a ghost who sings to her, chess pieces that line themselves up down the middle of a chessboard, spatulas that sail across a kitchen by themselves, and an entire invisible audience who gathers in a local theater to "talk" to her. Meanwhile, she interrogates a psychic medium about the nature of his psychic gifts and records his conversations with herself and the ghosts, who add a level of intrigue by relating their own stories. The book's setting is Dahlonega, Georgia, a charming old town in the Blue Ridge mountains with a history involving the country's first gold rush, Civil War murders, gambling gone wrong, the tragic plight of the Cherokees in 1838, brothels, and desperados gunfighting in the public square--a sort of Wild West Town relocated to the Old South and a fine site indeed for a host of unsettled spirits some of whom are fearful, sad, angry, or just stuck--and others who are noble, courageous, generous, and kind. Blackmarr's good writing is fresh, earnest, and personal, and her strong voice, intelligence, and sense of humor are a welcome addition to the world of paranormal investigations. Read this book and discover something astonishing and new--about the world of the paranormal, and about yourself. I did.

Like many, I came across Jan during my investigation of Gurdjieff and the 4th way. His insights into the nature of reality and our supposed prison are profound and unlike any others I have come across.

After reading all of the Gurdjieff, Ouspensky, Nicoll, Mystical Christianity, Sufi, Buddhist, Magic, and "Psychological" stuff that could be swallowed by one person in a Lifetime, I came upon a little book called "Teachers of Gurdjieff". It made me realize that REAL WORK was still alive, and that not being born in Gurdjieff's time and place did not disqualify me from ever finding it. Jan is still VERY much ALIVE, and on fire. If you're willing to go someplace without handles, read this book

For anyone interested in self-development, self-awareness, self-knowledge etc-call it what you like.....This book is the absolute cream of the crop. Read Buddhism, zen, sufism, mystical this and that and whatever. Saturate yourself and get to a point where you think you understand. Then, when you are ready to do some serious work, read this.....

Kilgo's use of seemingly simple words and turns of phrases paint a deep and emotional album of memories of a life well worth recalling. And in doing so, he stirs long-forgotten memories of your own life. There are MANY sentences/paragraphs/pages that are simply powerful. On more than one occassion, you will find yourself re-reading passages and connecting them to experiences of your own. The rare times that you do not find a common experience, Kilgo writes in such a way that you can't help but see the moments unfold. Much more than just "hunt club stories", this book respectfully looks at wildlife and friendship... and how the combination of those two elements made them both more substantial. If you read this book once, you will read it again and again. What a wonderful book by such a gifted author!

I have loaned this book to several of my best friends, the ones I shared the best and worst times with. This is the type of book many will relate to because it reminds us of the value of friendship and honesty. If you have a close group of friends who have seen you at your best and worst, this book will add a new wrinkle to the emotional bond between you. I have loaned out my copy of a lot of books, most I never get back. This one I always track down. It is mine.

I had this book on my shelf for a long while and finally pulled it down a few days ago. I should have done it much sooner! Jim describes experiences that awaken memories from long ago. When I lay the book down and reflect on his story there always is an afterglow.

Mr. Young has outdone himself. His book not only offers well-argued insights on the subject matter, but his prose is sharp, funny and beautifully crafted. I recommend this book not only for historians, but for anyone looking to take an adventurous ride through our nation's earliest years. Mr. Young is clearly a young historian on the rise. I eagerly await his next work.

Mr. Young has outdone himself. His book not only offers well-argued insights on the subject matter, but his prose is sharp, funny and beautifully crafted. I recommend this book not only for historians, but for anyone looking to take an adventurous ride through our nation's earliest years. Mr. Young is clearly a young historian on the rise. I eagerly await his next work.

Young has managed to combine many factors in this work. He cogently explains how costal planters could perceive themselves as paternalistic masters protecting their slaves while at the same time literally driving those slaves to death in the name of profit. Even more cleverly, he traces the spread of this paternalistic, anti-capitalist rhetoric of the planters through their growing network of commercial capitalism. A revealing read.

I think in this day and age to find a book that is interesting and a short series is something good. Although I enjoy long series....I hate waiting for them.....this book was refreshing. Thank you Tom!

Once again Tom Dietz has managed to combine an insight into the lives of the average young American with a truly fantastic world of magic and fantasy. As with all of his books, this was a true delight to read, and I honestly did stay up all night until I finished reading it

I loved this story of Tir-Nan-Og...as all the others. This whole series is great for the simple reason each can stand alone...in an age where books are constantly "to be continued" his works are fresh and the characters as strong as ever.

All parents want a happy, confident child, but, contrary to what the Christmas letter may suggest, few are lucky enough to raise the perfect problem-free child. This book dispels the notion of perfect (You are not perfect. Your child is not perfect. Get over it.) Instead, the book helps parents understand why the child acts the ways he does and offers practical--and often fun--activities and exercises to deal with the hard-to-manage child.

Written with empathy and respect for both the parent and the child, the book is divided into chapters that address the intense irritable child, the oppositional child, and the clueless, disorganized child, with separate chapters devoted to children who suffer from sensory overload, anxiety, depression, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Case histories bolster the understanding of specific problems.

Helpful tips are broken out in boxes. Feeling guilty about using rewards to get your child to eat new foods or do his homework? It is very reassuring to read the tip: Bribery is the term used for something illegal or immoral.

What sets the book apart and makes it so useful to both parents and--I'm guessing here--therapists, is the Toolbox, a lengthy section of dozens and dozens of activities and exercises to address the problems of the hard-to-manage child.

Here you will find ways to help a child calm down, build self-esteem, manage out-of-control behavior, and improve interpersonal skills. The toolbox also contains suggestions to help parents provide structure and deal with the many battles around homework, mealtime and bedtime. The tools for developing responsibility and cooperation for chores are usefully broken into different age categories.

If you are perfect or your child is perfect, you will not need this book. As for me, it's on my reference shelf but may not stay there, for I've already lent it out twice.

What I really like about this book is that it is clear and straightforward and kind. The authors set out the many types of kids who are hard to parent, and then give you ideas for how to help you help your kid to be better adjusted to the world. The book is actually helping me to not feel so overwhelmed as a mom, even though one of the chapters is about helping kids who get overwhelmed!
It is a useful, practical book filled with ideas you can start putting into practice right away. I will recommend this book to friends and I reccommend it to you.

This book is an absolute must read for anyone who interacts with children, either professionally or personally. Drs. DeGangi and Kendall do a beautiful job of explaining how and why children can be challenging as well as offering simple and straightforward solutions for parents and professionals. Their abilities to make incredibly frustrating and overwhelming scenarios with children (and we know what they are!) manageable and treatable is simply priceless. Their styles are highly informative, entertaining, witty and humorous. The language is perfectly accessible for professionals, family members and curious bystanders. I promise you will laugh and cry at the stories and find yourself somewhere in the book.

I particularly found two features of this book to be incredibly useful and unique: 1) the 2-page `How to Use This Book' helps the reader to navigate the material and to select relevant sections as needed and 2) the `Toolbox' (praise the toolbox!). The Toolbox is the most fabulous creation in this book and provides the reader with skills and ideas to use IMMEDIATELY. It's essentially the authors combined years of experience/training/expertise condensed into one invaluable chapter. Furthermore, each tool has its own motif which is scattered throughout the book alerting the reader along the way to its helpful tips.

As someone who works and plays with children, I wish I had this book years ago as part of my clinical training. I appreciate the straightforward explanations and easy to implement solutions. I have already started to utilize many of the ideas in the book with great success. Furthermore, it has provided me with a language and resource to share with parents I work with as well as family and friends who have children. This book is not just a great tool for difficult to treat children, but for all children. I can't recommend it enough!

It's a great book! There are many interesting historical facts about African Americans in Elbert County.

At last, a book that notes how some of the African Americans of Elbert County helped to shape the county and the country. It is a great read with wonderful pictures.

I find this book to be one of the finest books I have ever read. It's a must read for evryone!

Since about the middle of the 20th century, it has become increasingly difficult to find poetic translations of long poems. This trend has recently been reversing, with some excellent translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey -- and Ruth Harwood Cline's translations of Troyes' works joins this new and welcome trend.

Most reviews and reviewers will concentrate on the plot -- I want to focus on the translation itself. For too long there has been a philosophy of translation that does not see any value in translating poems in the forms in which they were written. With longer poems especially, more "literal" and plot-driven prose translations have been the norm. But prose is not how these works were written, and it is not how they were meant to be read or heard. They are poems, and only a poetic translation will be able to communicate the full meaning of the poem being translated. Meaning in a poem lies not just in the plot and characters, or even in the particular words used -- though all of this is true -- but also in the rhythms and rhymes, the music, of the poem. Cline's poetic translation thus translates too the music of the poems she translates. We get the full beauty of the works only when we read them the way they were meant to be read: as poems. One hopes Cline continues to translate poems of this period into English.

And now, for a slight aside: Do not read Cervantes' "Don Quixote" until you have read all of Troyes' works, for you will miss almost all the jokes and the full satirical impact of the novel.

Chretien de Troyes invented the Arthurian romance with Erec and Enide. It was the first of what would soon come to be a genre unto itself. Tales of King Arthur and his knights are still popular after centuries of retelling, and Chretien de Troyes is responsible for many of the stories as we know them. Erec and Enide, the earliest of his surviving works, is a story about all the things we recognize as Arthurian--honor, chivalry, love, and courage.

When the poem begins, Erec is a young knight at Arthur's court and heir to his father's throne. When an unknown knight humiliates one of Guinevere's handmaidens during a hunt, Erec follows the knight, his lady, and their cruel dwarf home. There he meets an old man with a beautiful daughter, Enide. They come from ancient nobility but are no impoverished, and the girl can afford nothing but a ragged tunic to wear. The man tells him about a yearly ritual enacted there, where a fine hawk is placed on a perch and only the man with the most beautiful lady can dare to take it. The arrogant young knight from the day before has won several years in a row.

Erec, of course, takes Enide with him to the ritual and, because of Enide's superior beauty, denies the knight the hawk. The knight is furious and challenges Erec to combat, which Erec wins. The father of the girl is so overjoyed that he gives her to Erec as his bride, and the two fall madly in love.

So much in love, in fact, that Erec is soon criticized by many for staying at home in bed when he should be looking to chivalry. After overhearing complaints among the other knights, one night Enide accidentally speaks of her worry about Erec's reputation. Erec is angry and determines to prove himself. He immediately saddles his horse, has Enide follow suit, and orders her to ride ahead of himself and not speak. They set out with no specific destination in mind. Enide is understandably upset.

For the rest of the poem, Erec saves Enide from one predicament after another--three bandits, five bandits, giants, pandering nobles, and would-be assassins. It is never clear whether Erec is proving himself or proving Enide's loyalty, but in the end, when Erec is believed to be dead, only to regain consciousness and kill an overeager suitor, the two are reconciled to each other.

It is then that the poem moves from a string of episodes to a moving and deep symbolic tale that parallels Erec and Enide's own. In another kingdom there is a man trapped in an enchanted garden by his beloved after swearing to do whatever she pleases. In fear that he will leave her, she has made him swear an oath that he will not leave the garden until someone challenges him to combat that he cannot beat. Dozens have tried, and all failed. Erec is victorious, and the man and his lover are set free of the garden.

This, in part, saves Erec and Enide from becoming a tedious, episodic story without a point. The poem--just under 7,000 lines long--is so carefully constructed and unified that a second reading is just as rewarding as the first time. Throughout the story, seemingly every incident in the lives of Erec and Enide have a darker parallel that must be overcome. And, of course, the two lovers must prove to each other that they have "the proper balance between devotion and freedom," that they are not so tied to one another that they neglect their duties, or vice versa.

These themes and the history of the poem are explored in an informative afterword by Joseph Duggan, who has written scholarly end matter for all of Burton Raffel's translations of Chretien's works. Raffel himself has written a short translator's note, and the translation itself is outstanding. As he has proven time and again, Raffel can perfectly balance literalness with beauty--his translations actually convey the spirit of Chretien's poetry.

Erec and Enide is required reading for anyone with an interest in medieval poetry, Arthurian legend, or great literature in general.

Highly recommended.

With Arthurian Romances seemingly always staging a comeback, how nice to have a fast-read, "words-a-poppin" translation of the very first Arthurian Romance, written in Old French around 1170. What I found most intriquing was that the book essentially wrestles with the ways in which men and women define themselves when becoming partners. Erec's rather pig-headed forcing of Enide to lead the way in the forest and never speak to him has odd contemporary overtones. But they are sweet compared to the couple they meet in Erec's final quest in the book - wait until you find out who "The Joy of the Court" is. Burton Raffel's translation, even if you don't like poetry, reads like a smooth silver skate. I gave the book a "9" instead of "10" because it doesn't have any illustrations. I know it's a University Press, but come on folks, with a story about knights couldn't you throw in at least one old woodcut or something

What a great book. I grew up in Athens, GA watching the Dawgs. Erk was the man who built the tradition of great Georgia defense. This book brings back so many memories and is told with gusto, humor, and warmth. Even if your not a Georgia or Georgia Southern fan, if you love college football, you'll love this book. Erk was a one and only.

Erk Russell was not only an outstanding football coach, he was even more than that a superior motivator, able to bring out the absolute best in those around him. If you are able to get a copy of this book, sit down, read it, and enjoy a good laugh along with some very touching stories about personal loss and the value of perseverance. I have thrown out books by well-known sports figures who later in life turned out to be fakes, but every time I have the pleasure of running across Coach Russell I am reminded of the value of sincerity and modesty.

If you are interested in University of Georgia or Georgia Southern football you will love this Book. The book tells many funny and interesting stories. ERK is an exceptional motivator.

I read the first of the few. It was an excellent book and I really enjoyed it. My opinion is that if you wish to learn about the fighter aircraft of wolrd war one, this is the book for you. I learned a lot.

Hello, my name is Zach. I read an extrordanary book. It was about the aircraft and fighter pilots of The Great War, more commonly known as World War One. It was called the first of the few. The book was written by Denis Winter and published in 1982.

These men all very interesting and brave from Great Britan, the United States, France, Italy, and Belguim fought against equally brave pilots from Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria in planes above the trenches. Planes such as the Britsh Sopwith Camel and Se5a, the French Nieport 24 and Spadxv, the German Fokker Eindicker and Fokker Dr1 were flow by Allied (Uk, France, USA etc.)and Cental Powers(Germany,Austria-Hungary etc.)pilots. The fighter planes were armed with Vickers, Maxum and Lewis machine guns. The Pilots would aim at the pilot or the flammible petrol tank in the enemey plane.

There were other but less known planes that were bombers suchas the German Gotha Gv and the Britsh Handley Page. Heavey bombers like these were used to attack railroads and railway stations, factories, ship yards and other industrial sites vital to the war effort. Light Infatry attack bombers, unlike large heavey bombers had a small two to three man crew. These planes often had thick steel plates to protect against anti-aircraft machine gun fire. The crew member in the rear seat was a navigator and was equipted with a Lewis or Maxum machine gun. The German Airforce or Luffwafte made their pilots fly in Two seated aircraft before allowing them in one seated planes.

The fighter plane of 1914 to 1918 had a few basic parts. the engine, usally in the front, the cockpit, the fuesulage and the tail. The Britsh had Rolls-Royce engines and the Germans had BMW made engines. Most propellers had two props on them.There were two main types of engines rotary in which the whole engine spins and stationary engines in which only the propeller and drive shaft spun. Most stationary engines were water cooled. The Sopwith Camel had a rotary engine while the SE5a had a water cooled stationary engine.

For shooting down a certain number of planes down, pilots could become aces. Aces were experienced, quick witted, and had exellent reflexes. Many of these men were shorter, shy men who kept to themselves. The Britsh top ace was Edward Mannock with about sevety some kills. Remarkably, he was almost blind in one eye! The German top ace is probably the most famous aircraft pilot of all time after the Wright brothers, Manfred von Ritchtofen, better known as the Red Baron. He shot down 80 allied aircraft before he was killed in a dogfight was a Sopwith Camel in 1918. First on the French ace list, also with about 70 kills was Rene' Fonck. Eddie Rickenbacker the top gun from the USA, started flying at the age most officers looked for a desk job. Before the war, he was a race car driver and later the personal chauffeur to General "Black Jack" Pershing, commander of all american forces in Europe during the war. Willy Coppens was Belguims top ace.

Planes had other roles during the war. Their first job was only to act as reconnaissance posts blimps were used as observation platforms too. Planes were sent to destroy the enemies blimps. These "balloon busting" raids were very dangerous. Anti-aircraft fire and field telephone poles and wires were a hazard to attacking planes. The Germans had parachutes for both plane and blimp pilots. I enjoyed the book.

I have just finished reading this book which was such a pleasure to read as it was so well researched and crafted. The writer is able to get into the spirit of the times and present a very real picture of what it was like to fly machines constructed from wood and canvas and fly without them without the the aid of parachutes. He gives a particularly vivid account of the perils of a dawn patrol, flying at 20,000ft without pressurized cabins, in open air cockpits where temperatures were sometimes -50c. In addition a pilot had to be fit in these conditions, perform complex aerobatics like the immlemen roll and have split second reflexes. It was particularly fascinating to read about the skills required to be an air ace. One had to master the art of deflection shooting that is knowing when to fire to hit a moving target. Few pilots mastered this skill. The greatest of aces such as Guneymer and Richthoven achieved kills with a minimum of ammunition usage. Under these conditions the average survival time for a debutant pilot was 17 hours in the air. However, the longer one flew the greater the survival odds: roghly double that of staying alive. One interesting point was the authors comparison of training between the English RFC and the German Luftwaffe. The German training was far longer and more thorough. The result was that the RFC had about 50% greater caualties than the Germans.One must add that the policy of the RFC was to attack the Germans behind enemy lines , whereas the Luftwaffes main aim was that of defence. One final note was the excellant chapter on flight maintenance. The Sopwith Camel for example required a fleet of skilled craftsmen of almost mediaeval ability to calibrate the wing struts and enable the plane to fly on even keel. The introduction of all metal momonplanes must have
made the job of aircraft fitter a much easier task. In summary a book to be highly recommended. I have only one complaint. Many of the air aces of the RFC described as British were in fact Canadian