North Carolina Books

Jeff Girvan has done what has been overlooked for over 150 years; he reveals the valor and honor of the common soldier over the over-inflated previously recounted feats of Picket's command. Namely, that the common farmers-turned-soldiers from Cleveland County (and environs) of southwestern North Carolina fought as valiantly as any of the units representing the CSA. In a clear, concise and well-documented account he presents factual data as well as the human side of the Southern Cause in this great conflict. You'll enjoy this quick read and keep this as a ready reference for descendants of these gallant men.

I have read several regimental and general Civil War histories, and Jeffrey Girvan's is up there at the top. His narrative is very readable, and the roster and unit listings of those killed in action, missing, and those that died from disease are helpful for any one interested in the 55th NC. The narrative tells the story of a regiment from Gettysburg to Appomattox, but also has information on the little known battle for Washington, NC that occurred in September 1862, and the Sufolk campaign. Girvan's use of primary sources provides the reader with a better understanding of what it was like to fight in the Civil War. The every day camp life, but also the combat. As one man from the unit says about Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg it was like being in "the jaws of death." Also, the description of the 55th and Heth's division on May 5, 1864 in the Wilderness is exceptional. One can feel the desperation these men must have felt after being assaulted numerous times and out numbered 4 to 1. Col. Belo, then commander of the 55th hears of his brothers death during the battle but must keep commanding his troops and is almost forced to order a bayonet charge when the men run out of amunition.A great read!! I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the American Civil War.

I have read many Civil War books, including regimental histories like Pullen's 20th Maine and J Girvan's book about the 55th North Carolina ranks as one of the best. The 55th did not join Lee's army until after the great string of victories, but was there for Gettysburg and, although green, was able to prove its worth. So many exciting incidents stand out in this book. On July 1st the 55th was one of the first on the field, and the regiment's youthful leader Colonel John Kerr Connally wanted his men to prove themsevles to their brigade (which except for the 55th NC wer all unit's from Mississippi under the command of President Davis's nephew Joesph R. Davis) As his men moved forward their color bearer was shot and Connally, wanted to motivate his men, picked up the regimental standard and charged only to be shot several times and severally wounded. When asked if he needed help the brave colonel's response was to instruct his men to keep going and not to let "the mississippians get ahead of you."
The 55th would again face death at Gettysburg on the third day when they participated in the famous charge, and several officers from the unit would be credited with going farther than any other. Again during the Overland campaign the 55th would find themselves in desperate figthing throughout the summer and fall of 1864, and finally to surrender, all 83 left of more than 1000 when the regiment was formed in May 1862, with Lee at Appomattox. But this book is more than a chronical of battle it is a story of the men who fought and sometimes died for the Southern cause. After reading Mr. Girvan's book I gained a better understanding of what it was like to serve in the Army of Northern Virginia. Some men fighting with their fathers, sons, brothers, and cousins. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the life of the Confederate soldier during the Civil War.

This is one of the best regimental histories I have ever read. Girvan's use of primary sources provided a better understanding of what is was like to serve in Lee's Army. Also, the battles covered in the book were described very well, especially the battle for Washington, NC, and the Suffolk campaign, which are two engagements I knew little of before. Gettysburg was a watershed for the Confederacy, but also for this regiment. The 55th NC went in with little experience, but proved their worth by participating in some of the battles bloodiest engagements. Again during the Wilderness the 55th found it self in a tight spot, and after numerous assaults by Federal troops was low on amunition. Colonel Belo, whose own brother had just been killed during the day's battle was prepared, as Chamberlain at Gettysburg, to order a bayonet charge, but relief came. For anyone interested in Civil War regiments, soldier life, and seeing a battle from the eyes of the combat troops I highly recommend this book. J Johnson

This book is fun to read. For those who work with animals everyday, it hits home and brings numerous smiles. The kids will hardly believe these stories are true!

In The Animals Of Grandfather Mountain, wildlife biologist and animal habitat manager Laurie Jakobsen showcases a wonderfully illustrated collection of engaging and informative stories about the boisterous bear cubs, inquisitive deer, secretive cougars, playful otters, chattering eagles, and others who live in the Grandfather Mountain wildlife habitats of North Carolina. The Animals Of Grandfather Mountain is wonderful reading for children of all ages and an enthusiastically recommended addition to school and community library wildlife reference collections and reading lists.

This is a wonderful book for the young and the young at heart who are interested in animals and love to laugh and learn.

Reading "The Animals of Grandfather Mountain" was great fun from start to finish. I laughed out loud at some of Jakobsen's stories about day to day life running a wild animal habitat. Everyone, young and old, enjoys watching our furry friends while strolling through zoos. But this book shows you the behind-the-scenes work that makes such experiences possible. But perhaps the biggest treat the books gives readers is insight into the great personalities these animals have. The photographs make the book even more fun. I recommend this book to children and anyone who loves animals, whether they have visited Grandfather Mountain or not.

I recently purchased 'Aunt Arie: A Foxfire Portrait,' along with two Foxfire guides, to assist me in establishing an Appalachian setting (and characters)for a story I am working on. I've only skimmed the guides at this point, but I haven't put "Aunt Arie" down! I've still got a couple of chapters left to read, but so far the story of this woman's life, as told by her to the folks at Foxfire, has proven indispensable to my research.

The editors of the book have attempted, most successfully (they offer an explanation of ways and means at the beginning of the book)I think, to reproduce/preserve Aunt Arie's dialect and colloquialisms, as transcribed from the hundreds of hours of taped interviews. In this book, HOW she says things is just as important as WHAT she's saying...and what does she say? Where do I begin? Besides offering a virtual treasure-trove of information on the subjects of gardening, healing, economy, and food storage and preparation, she also delves into stories of her friends and neighbors, living and dead, speaks often of her life with her beloved husband, and before that her childhood, and all her talk of the people she's known, whether she loved them or could have done without them, is tinged with her faith, her basic love of and respect for humanity, and her simply ideology: you get what you give.

If any of the above appeals to you, get this book. You won't regret it. I'm back here b/c I'm about to get one for my grandmother. Just thought I'd leave a more complete review than the ones I'd seen.

terrific read - inspirational - one tough and lovable character who will be missed for many years to come

From the cover:, " The students, none of whom had ever been to Aunt Arie's before, were awed, drawn inexorably into the little circle of activity that surrounded this 5' 6" dynamo who laughed and pecked on each of them and tapped their shoulders and grasped their knees and tried to remember their names and loved them, instantly, and without reservation-strangers all". This book is wonder full, and heart full, and shines a little light into a way of being that is fast becoming a just catchy phrase on a hall mark card.

WHAT A GREAT "AMERICANA" STYLE BOOK, FANTASTIC ADDITION TO A FOXFIRE COLLECTION OR GREAT ON ITS OWN. AUNT ARIE HERSELF, HER OWN STYLE FROM COOKING TO HARVESTING, THOGUHTS, RELIGION AND HER FEELINGS ABOUT LIVING ALONE! SHE WAS AN HONORABLE WOMAN!

I feel like I'm a fly on the wall in Beethovens apartment...well, one of his many apartments. Can't get any closer than this too someone who lived that many years ago. I also find it hard to believe that a man like Rossini would spend two years in the same city as Beethoven and not meet him. I'm willing to bet that the moment Rossini stepped from his carriage in the city of music he grabbed the first passerby and said "Where do I find Beethoven?"

Schindler met Beethoven in 1814, when Beethoven was 44 and the author was an impressionable 19 year old. Schindler became an almost constant companion of the composer, and was witness to a number of fascinating occurrences that no other biographer, such as Ries, had access to. Schindler gives us examples of Beethoven's strongly emotional nature, in such a way that I felt I could have recognized the composer should I have passed by him on abusy street. Inclusion of this information is what made this biography most appealing to me. One of my favourite sections is an appendix entitled "Beethoven's Daily Routine" which describes, among other things, how Beethoven would count out 60 beans for his cup of coffee.

However, Schindler is not a transparent witness. Rather, he feels compelled to "protect" Beethoven from "his many enemies", for whom there is no historical basis. A sense of Schindler acting as guardian comes through strongly in the writing. The most striking example of this attitude is Schindler's description of the meeting between Beethoven and Rossini, a meeting which historically never took place!

Fortunately, this excellent Dover edition is thoroughly annotated - there are as many editor's notes as there are pages in the text! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading a contemporary account of the life of the great composer, and who would enjoy witnessing the profound effect that he had on at least one of his associates.

I have enjoyed this book very much. It written by someone that knew Beethoven ,and it offers you a lot of information about Beethoven's life, it is accurate. When there are two differents versions of the same event, the authors explains and describe them.
A very objective book and enjoyable.

Great book

Strange that the first reviewer says that the meeting between Beethoven and Rossini never took place. Rossini and Beethoven would have disagreed! They met in the spring of 1822 when Rossini was in Vienna for the premiere of his opera Zelmira. Rossini has left an account of the meeting

Laura Fleming and her husband Richard are visited by the manager of the sock mill in Laura's home town. Strange things are happening at the mill and Burt's father is looking to sell the place. Since alot of Laura's relatives work there, she agrees to investigate. Sure enough, the town and the Burdettes are split about the sale. To top it off, there is a firebug in town, and one of the prospective buyers is killed in a fire. Laura suspects one of her cousins of the fire, but doesn't believe he'd commit murder.

This is an entertaining mystery. Laura's relatives are really funny and plentiful. The mystery is good also. I definitely will be reading more of this series.

Richard Fleming is a professor who enjoys quoting Shakespeare in his everyday conversations. His wife Laurie is a computer programmer from Byerly, North Carolina, a place where her family still mostly resides. Laurie is renowned as an individual who solves homicide cases. Still, both are shocked when the son of her hometown mill owner Burt Waller appears at their Back Bay apartment.

Burt's father wants to sell the mill to Yankees, but he opposes the deal. He needs the Flemings to return to Byerly to dig up some dirt on the perspective buyers so his father will not sell. Since many of Laurie's relatives work at the mill, the couple agrees to investigate. Upon arrival, the Flemings realize they seek dirt on a seemingly nice man. They additionally become involved in several arson and one murder investigation.

Toni L. P. Kelnor writes some of the most quaint and likable amateur detective novels on the market today. DEATH OF A DAMN YANKEE is one of the better mysteries in a well-written series. The complex story line is multi-faceted and captures the essence of a small Southern town, while seeming to test sub-genre boundaries. The lead protagonists are a charming duo that contributes to the enjoyment of the novels. These entertaining Fleming tales are fun to read.

Harriet Klausner

Laura Fleming and her husband Richard are visited by the manager of the sock mill in Laura's home town. Strange things are happening at the mill and Burt's father is looking to sell the place. Since alot of Laura's relatives work there, she agrees to investigate. Sure enough, the town and the Burdettes are split about the sale. To top it off, there is a firebug in town, and one of the prospective buyers is killed in a fire. Laura suspects one of her cousins of the fire, but doesn't believe he'd commit murder.

This is an entertaining mystery. Laura's relatives are really funny and plentiful. The mystery is good also. I definitely will be reading more of this series.

I live in the area where the ficitonal town of Byerly is located. Trust me. It can get a little strange sometimes reading the Laura Flemings books and see a mention of a location familar to you in a work of fiction. It's almost like you're in Wonderland where everything is familar but yet different in some way. I'll admit that it has been fun trying to figure out where Byerly is located.

Can't wait until the next book.

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This is a magnificent book. Fantastic readings and pictures that hold you to the events and give you a deeper understanding of what is going on during this time. Charts and graphs keep your perspective grounded. I highly recommend this book to anyone who interested in African American studies or to hear the truth about history.

This work does an excellent job of describing how Washington did not really want "vocational" education, but instead "industrial" education, to educate blacks for a "place" and stifle dissent. It also does a good job of describing the "softer" discrimination philosophy of the North, and contextualizing the Northern industrialists, who saw industrial education as a way to pit blacks and immigrants against each other. An excellent discussion of black education, the fights of teacher training, and uplift.

This book represents a well documented work. Using primary sources, Anderson describes the heroic African American efforts to gain, through education, the participatory citizenship status which they deserved. In the process, he exposes the Caucasian American (both northern and southern) efforts to blantantly repress these education efforts and to disenfranchise African Americans of their due. History lessons on this book may be applied to our contemporary educational setting.

Anderson employs a large number of statistics and examples to support his case. The nature of the book's content requires such documentation to dispell historical myths which history textbooks commonly espouse however.

This book is an excellent read for history and education enthusists, as well as anyone else interested in opening their minds.

This unusual and well written book is about real people and their struggles with obesity and the resulting ostracizm and prejudices from a society obsessed with thinness to the point of anorexia. It provides re-telling of interviews with people attending the Rice Diet House in Durham, North Carolina, and it shows how their common bond of being fat has created a subculture that provides support to their kind in an otherwise rather hostile world. For them the Rice House is the place of last reort after failure of all other approaches to diet. The Rice diet is the oldest successfull program still in existance and doing good.This book is very informing and a delight to read because it is real and not the usual hype used by the sellers of diet programs.

This book was a great book. I could completely identify with the author and all the people she interviewed for the book. If there is anyone out there who has gone on diet after diet, and your weight has yo-yoed up and down, you should read this book. It is a great comfort and a great book to read over and over.It was nice to know so many people know how I feel and understand my plight to diet.

I loved this book. I laughed and cried. I found out everything I wanted to know about the Rice Diet at Duke University. It was full of insight and validation for everyone who struggles with their weight. Finally a book that doesn't preach but chronical the problems we face and the culture in Durham where I'd love to be able to go and try the Rice Diet. I like it so much that I sent Jean an e-mail and she said that she is working on a second book. So until then I'll just have to re-read this one.

This book is simply wonderful. For years I felt that no one understood what I have been going through and then I found this book. I laughed, I cried, I got angry and many points made me happy. If you have ever struggled with you weight this book lets you know that you are not alone. Just go out there and DO IT!

If you are interested in the hurricane history of any special state or region, this is probably the finest work of its kind written to date. Following a superb introduction to our subject, the author describes every significant or noteworthy storm to hit Florida since the 1700's. Each entry includes a map showing the storm's track through the state. We learn of the unique impact each had on the sunshine state. Some hurricanes, of course, like Agnes, had major impacts outside of Florida, and Barnes writes of these as well. Looking through these pages also shows us the cyclical nature of storms. In some years disaster hit several times, while other periods (like the 70's), saw little activity of any kind.

I found this edition to be much better than the author's NC one, if for no other reason than Florida's more active history! While some hurricanes listed in the other book may be of interest mostly to locals, the ones here, like the Labor Day and Miami storm, are truly important historically. I would hope Barnes is writing on the hurricane history of other states as well.

My earliest memory was Hurricane Donna, and I have been intrigued by hurricanes ever since. This book offers a considerable amount of historical data along with fascinating accounts. Highly recommended to anybody who would like to learn more about the history of hurricanes in Florida.

Great photos, and all the detail you could ever want on Florida hurricanes. The survival stories are frightening! All the weather data is there. It's a great resource for us hurricane junkies!

What a great book. We've enjoyed the stories of the memorable storms like Donna, Andrew, and Opal and the effect theyve had on generations of Florida residents. The 1926 Miami and 1928 Okeechobee are well covered. Also very interesting reading on those storms we've never heard of. The photographs are stunning-and frightening. Its organized well, and the reading is not too technical. It stays on our coffee table.

This is a great book for teachers and Christians to read! I really enjoyed the different perspectives that the two voices shared.

This is an excelent book for all people all ages.Mrs.Whited I am so happy for you,and I hope that you continue to suceed with your writing and teaching.

Parents, students, future educators, and Christians should all grab a copy of this book. I thought it was a very insightful book into a world in which we tend to overlook. Very few people realize the impact that educators have on our children and the challenges that face them.

I was unable to put the book down. This book gives a new perspective on educators and the hard, thankless job they perform day in and day out. Now throw in the fact they are Christian educators with an even higher responsibility! Wow, you just have to read it to understand.

The 2 voices speak loud and clear.

You must own this book. It will open your eyes and change your heart.

Mr. Price brings the reader back to the Curtis family (first introduced in his novel, Hiwassee) and a society faced with new challenges in Reconstruction. This book is educational as well as entertaining--it offers a fascinating look at day-to-day life, the state of medicine, societial problems, romance, suspense, and the tenacity of the human spirit. I couldn't put this book down! It also illustrates how at any given point in history, people are faced with differing--but just as complex--challenges. Good reading, not only for history buffs, but for anyone who appreciates fine literature.

This book is an excellent sequel to Price's first Civil War novel, Hiwassee, which dealt with the war as experienced on the home front in NC mountains. Following the family introduced there we find the ex-slave holder and the ex-slave having to deal with each other and the feelings of hate and love and bitterness they both feel. The characters are rich and forceful. The language strong and emotionally evocative.

An excellent addition to the Civil War literature and one that examines race relations and the feelings of those that tried to move forward after the Civil War. Well written.

Set during the early days of Reconstruction in the mountains of North Carolina, this novel is the second of four novels that create a multigenerational saga in which you will come to know some of the most honorable and most despicable characters ever to emerge from Civil War literature; and the fighting and hatred and fear continue to build as lives and emotions are squandered and sacrificed on the altar of freedom, long after the war has ended. Everyone is searching for something---revenge, profit, normalcy, love, reconciliation, redemption---and how each character goes about his own personal journey is the stuff of this novel. Price's characters, language, and emotions are true to place and time, and he writes with great beauty and clarity, tackling difficult and heartrending themes that show us the rawness of human nature played out during a time of great cultural angst. I recommend you treat yourself to a real feast by reading all four novels in the order they were written: Hiwassee, Freedom's Altar, The Cock's Spur, and Where the Water-Dogs Laughed.