South Carolina Books

I enjoyed the history lesson and the great recipes in this must own cookbook!

John Martin Taylor does an outstanding job of sharing the history, culture, the exact how and why of South Carolina Low Country (Costal Carolina)Cooking. This book is enjoyable, reads like a good novel and will be appreciated by both novice or experinced cooks. If you enjoy good regional cook books, this one is a gem and is well worth owning!

There are many "Southern" cookbooks out there, however few ring true, as many recipes are "Southern style" with added ingredients that would make folks from Mississippi, through Georgia, and up to Kentucky cringe in disbelief!

Tonight I wanted a Southern style cornbread, so I tried his recipe. WOW! The addition of bacon grease to the bottom (and also to the sides) of a cold then heated to 450 degree seasoned iron skillet, to which is added the room temperature batter mix, produces a loud sizzle, quick rise, and a delicious light brown crust, and the light cornbread (free of such adulterants as sugar, cheese, fancy flours and the like) is delicate and tasty, served hot with warm butter or even honey! Just like I had as a child! Now, no disrespect to cornbread with different additions such as sugar, jalapeno, cheeses, fancy flours, etc, that's fine and tasty, but PLEASE don't call those variations Southern Corn Bread!

He has recipes for grits (not the 5 minute kind), fish, shellfish, duck, quail, turkey, marsh hens, meats ( usual, and also oxtail stew, veal sweetbreads, blood pudding) breads, vegetables and desserts. There's even various game, coon, cooter, gator tail and squirrel, pickles, preserves and relishes. The recipes ring true to other recipes I've cooked and read in other cookbooks, so I expect to taste things as I had, again, as a child in the South.

It's odd and no loss that he doesn't have a recipe for fried chicken, heck, I learned that watching others cook theirs with light dusting of salt, pepper, flour, and perhaps a touch of cayenne and spices, then skillet fried in Crisco, till brown and crisp. His crab cakes recipe has so little filler that he warns you it'll fall apart, and it'll be so much tastier and crabbier for the better. Use lump crabmeat if possible, and putting it in the fridge for an hour or two before cooking may help it stay together.

He has a nice commentary for most of the recipes, and he clearly has researched and loves Southern cookery. Enjoy this and try Edna Lewis's (and other southern chefs') books as well for other Authentic Southern recipes.

This is a cookbook alright but it is also a history of lowcountry food, agriculture, and recipes. Plus, Hoppin' John has an attitude and man is he strict: You'd better boil your shrimp with the heads on and you'd better make iced tea the right way.

This book provides a wonderful view of the southern culture through a tightly focused lens of the Lawton family. I enjoyed the passage this book took me on and it connects well with Dr. Bresee's Sea Island Yankee.

I picked this book up in Charleston about 10 years ago when I was visiting my sister . People say a lot of things about slavery and the civil war, but I find the truth is buried in the historical journals and first hand accounts written at the time history was that day's news. Of course slavery was bad, but many plantation owners did treat their slaves well, and when it came right down to it, the former slaves and the former masters had to pull together to survive. Not all slaves hated their masters either. Uncle Peter, a former slave, was just such a man.

If you want a good picture of how it was, read this book, Tombee, and any other book from the period you can get your hands on. It wasn't all bad and neither was it all good. This book details the horrors of the way. How they walked from Savanna to Charleston, slaves and white folks alike. It tells of the dead and dying, of the stench of war, of the madness, and it tells what it was like to survive when everything was gone. The Lawtons were reduced from upper class to working middle class. Wallace was never able to come to terms with that.

It was Cecilia who pulled the family through at a time when women had no power, status, or rights. She lost five of her six children due to lack of proper food and the complications from that. Wallace fell into drunkenness and gambling. He was a broken man and was on the verge of squandering everything. But Cecilia was the strong one, and, through her son, she was able to save the family after Wallace died.

Now I haven't read this book in 10 years, but that's how I remember it. It really was an excellent book and gives you one view of how things were in that time of our history. Even though is was a biography, I found myself unable to put it down. It's that good. If you can find a copy, it's well worth the cost and trouble.

I am a current resident of a new subdivision that has just been built on Lawton Plantation. After reading this book, I now can visualize the history of the area. As I walk down the new sidewalks and cut through areas under construction, I try to imagine what it was like 150 years ago. I can almost see Uncle Peter as he is walking to his one room cabin. The other night I heard an owl hooting that reminded me of the past when this was a plantation with fields of cotton. Driving over the new bridge to Charleston, I can imagine the Lawton's boat transporting milk and people from the plantation to downtown Charleston. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about plantation life and how it was affected by the Civil War.

A historical story in a very personal fashion. The book recounts the Lawtons family history from before the Civil War until WWII. From the acceptance of slaves as part of plantation life, to the complete dissolution of their economy and beyond - a wonderful story depicting the dynamism and challenges of life.

A comprehensive,yet concise history of the C.S.A.'s naval development of the ironclad warship.Still covers the construction,deployment,and fate of these fascinating vessels.I was amazed at the difficulties faced by the builders re.materiel,and the problems of getting the ships from their construction sites into action. Further ,he explores the manpower issues regarding manning the vessels vs.the army's needs and their refusal to share manpower with the navy. Well researched,reads quite easily.I wished for more illustration work re. the ships themselves,even if just artist's conceptions.Highly recommended to both serious and casual students of the war of Northern Agression.

W.N.Still's book is rightfully called the standard of Confederate Naval history. Accurate and objective accounts of the major and most minor engagements with Union forces are combined with extensive background information. The newer editions have an enlarged section of historical drawings and sketches. Mr. Still explains the political background that gave rise to the Confederate Ironclad program and his research is impeccable. An exhaustive literature listing rounds out this excellent book. While strictly scientific the inclusion of historical eyewitness accounts and the always fluent style make this book a joy to read. This book is a great starting point and goes very well with Maurice Melton's more subjective and somewhat dated book on the same subject. Also very interesting to compare with Ivan Musicant's 'Divided Waters'.

A must for every Civil War student!

In this 1971 study, author William N. Still, Jr. recounts and analyzes the brief history of the homebuilt Confederate ironclad fleet.

Dr. Still provides a fine review of the military and political settings that led to the strategic naval programs of both sides. He then proceeds with a mostly sequential retelling of the ironclad history in each theater/region.

The author seems fair in his treatment of the principals and of both efforts. One can't help but recognize the demoralizing loss of the early ironclads after a promising start. The early program included ironclads that were intended to be seaworthy. But after the loss of all the early ironclads, the domestic strategy transitioned to construction of harbor/river defense vessels rather than oceangoing vessels.

The book reveals a chaotic naval building program operating under great adversity. Distributed construction programs, lack of time, labor, iron and plate were key recurring problems, but so were poor design and horrendous mechanical issues. Most ironclads were never completed due to lack of time and resources. Of those that were, few could achieve reasonable speeds or had other insurmountable problems. Several, such as the CSS Georgia, Tuscaloosa, and Huntsville, ended up serving as floating batteries. The propulsion was so weak or poorly designed that these-like the CSS Louisiana-could not even hold their ground in moderate current. The CSS Mississippi would have almost definitely suffered the same fate had it been completed.

With inevitable, foreseeable battle damage (such as riddled or missing stack) even the best were nearly crippled. Engine or steering failure contributed to the loss of some of the most storied boats including the CSS Tennessee and CSS Arkansas.

Dr. Still reviews how costly engineering errors prevented a few vessels from ever rendering effective service. The CSS Jackson (Muscogee) drew too deep a draft as a paddle wheeler and had to be rebuilt with a screw. The CSS Columbia was so structurally deficient that she failed after striking a snag, breaking her back. The CSS Louisiana's two in-line paddlewheels and screws were so inefficient that they made her both unsteerable and unable to resist the current under her own power. Another problem was green lumber and unsheathed hulls: the CSS North Carolina sank at her moorings due to a worm-eaten bottom.

To be fair, the US Navy's ironclad program had its share of engineering fiascoes, but it could afford far more mistakes than the resource strapped Confederacy. Despite many painful failures, losses, and waste, the CSN ironclads created great problems for the US Navy, and at times for the US Army.

The Confederate casemate ironclads did have some advantages compared to monitors. The angled shields could deflect a harder blow than vertical surfaces such as the center of a monitor turret. The CS Navy's Brooke rifles with wrought iron projectiles had more potential for piercing armor than the cast iron shot from the heavy smoothbores of the monitors. The larger casemate rams tended to be able to bring several times more guns to bear and maintain a higher rate of fire, and monitor turrets were susceptible to jamming due to battle damage. However, the key selling point of the casemate was that the CSA possessed the means of building them, while at the time more mechanically complex designs were infeasible for the CSA from a manufacturing and maintenance standpoint.

Unlike William Still's "Confederate Ship Building" which was too brief, this narrative's text is 231 pages, including seven maps and eighteen other illustrations. Following the text are a helpful bibliographic essay, bibliography, and an index.

This is a great reference and interesting read for those trying to understand the role and history of the CS ironclads. (Note that this does not include foreign built armored vessels such as the Laird rams or the CSS Stonewall.)

THE NAME STILL IS A SURE FIRE GUIDE TO GOOD WRITING OF GOOD HISTORY. THIS BOOK ELEVATES HIS REPUTATION. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER WORKS ON THE IRON CLADS BUT THIS GIVES A CONCISE AND VERY READABL ACCOUNT OF THE BUILDING OF THESE WSHIPS IN A CONFEDERACY STRAPPED FOR CASH, MEN ND MATERIAL.

THIS BOOK SATISFIES THE NAVAL CONSTRUCTION ENTHUSIAST, THE READER INTERESTED IN THE PERSONALITIES INVOLVED, AND THE HISTORIAN OF THE CONFEDERACY. A GREAT READ FOR EVERY HISTORIAN AND ADVENTURIST.

I owned this book for three years, and after only recently picking it up to read it, I realized what I was missing out on during that time. This is a fresh and descriptive analysis of the young Virginia generation before, during, and after the war. As one who has read dozens of books on the Civil War, it was this one more than any other that best explains how and why Virginians formed their fundamental opinions of their native state, the Southern region, and Northern industrialism during the antebellum period. Through their viewpoint that Virginia's reputation and standing in the Union was diminished during the period prior to the war, it becomes clear that the war gave these young Virginians an opportunity to improve the status of their commonwealth while cementing their place among men in their state. Though one often gets the perception through Carmichael's writing that these were overzealous, egotistical young men, their conduct in the war brings to fruition their importance in the New South.

Carmichael's writing is interesting and well-detailed with a wide variety of excellent material from both primary and secondary sources. His inclusion of statistics on the members of the last generation provides ample insight into the professions, religious affiliation, and other important data on the members of the last generation. Even more than "For Cause and Comrades" by James McPherson, this book will expose why a reluctant Virginia joined the Confederacy and explains clearly how the young Virginia generation almost pushed the South to ultimate victory.

Like most readers of history, the significant figures of the Civil War have taken on almost mythic proportions. Some times they seem almost to be gods stepped down from Mt. Olympus. In The Last Generation, Peter Carmichael manages to shed new light onto the lives, interests, and beliefs of many of the young Virginians that were so caught up in the cause of the day and in the process makes them human once more.

I found The Last Generation to be full of information that is new...at least to me. I've done my share of reading about the major characters involved in the Civil War, on both sides. Yet Carmichael seems to provide the reader with new insights on almost every page.

I also found the tables in the appendix to be full of useful and eye opening facts. Trust me, they're worth the time it takes to study them. Finally, I spent more time than usual studying the notes provided by Carmichael, a compliment of the first order.

For the casual or serious Civil War buff, The Last Generation will be a memorable read.

In his book, "The Last Generation," Peter Carmichael explores the psyche, values, goals and visions of the young caucasian men of Virginia who came into adulthood just as our nation descended into the Civil War. Born to privilege in the 1830s and early 1840s, these men were in colleges and schools across Virginia and the nation when the crisis of secession reached its apex in 1860 and 1861. Once the war started, they served as junior officers in the Army of Northern Virginia, leading their peers into combat and fighting alongside them.

The book is a generational study and an examination of Confederate nationalism in the young Virginians. Carmichael first takes us through the 1850s, a time when young Virginians worried about the future of their state and their place in it. They watched as the North increasingly distanced itself from Virginia through industrialization and internal improvements. They feared that Virginia, the home state of four of the first five U.S. presidents, was becoming moribund under the leadership of its elders, "old fogies" who lived on past glories of events such as the American Revolution and who encouraged unthinking opposition to change even at the expense of educational and economic reform.

At the same time, the young Virginians had to find a way to reconcile slavery, the system upon which they depended for their wealth and social standing, with the free labor system of the North. Some of the strongest points in Carmichael's book delineate how these men did just this. Their belief that slavery was sanctioned by the Bible as necessary because God had created races to be inherently unequal, coupled with their belief that Southerners were God's chosen people, sustained many young soldiers throughout the war. Even as it became clear in 1864 and 1865 that the war would be lost, Carmichael cites examples that show these men could not distinguish between their religious beliefs and political nationalism. To the end, many young Virginians believed that God would not allow the North to be victorious. Young Virginians sincerely believed that theirs was a unique Christian society trying to survive in a godless world. The book is careful to point out that young Virginians gave considerable thought to secession and do not fit the traditional stereotype of secondary scholars who say young Southerners were drawn to the flame of secession like boys playing with fire.

The book looks at the leadership style of young Virginians once the war started. Examples are cited of how they maintained order and discipline in the ranks, what they thought of battle and death, and how they maintained their morale through defeats. Some colorful anecdotes are also included in "The Last Generation": Jeb Stuart's thoughts on women while he was a cadet in West Point, NY; the president of Washington College and his comical attempt to control the secession frenzy sweeping his campus; the notion of body building by young Virginians in college as a way to "muscularize" and "masculinize" their Christianity.

In the final chapter of the book, Carmichael examines the fate of various members of the Last Generation who managed to survive the war. He explains how they adjusted to Reconstruction. The romanticized, "Moonlight and Magnolias" view of some ex-Confederates is contrasted with those who wished Virginia to take a new role of leadership and have the economy of the state resemble more closely that of the North.

This book contributes greatly to the discussion of why some Southerners fought the war- a question which will probably always be debated. Through diligent research and thorough explanation, Carmichael presents a new picture of a generation of Southerners of the Civil War era. His book takes into account many factors that made "The Last Generation" distinct from their Northern counterparts and from the older Virginians who preceded them. It is an important book on dispelling stereotypes of the young Confederates and in understanding the complexity of the South as a whole.

In this fascinating book, author and historian Professor Peter S. Carmichael takes a generational look a particular group of American men who fought in the Civil War, selecting 121 men who had been born in Virginia between 1830 and 1842. These men were mostly highly educated, from the slave holding class, and formed the junior officer core of the Virginia military units. These men were part of the last generation to grow up in Virginia with slavery, and the story of their journey of life is one little studied, until now.

As a fan of the works of Messrs Strauss and Howe ("Generations" and "The Fourth Turning"), I was intrigued to see another book that looked at American history with an eye to generations. The book is eminently readable, and is quite fascinating. The author does an excellent job of telling the story of the "last generation," bringing them and their experiences alive. I was interested to watch the "last generation" move through the 1850s fostering a inter-generational conflict, assume capable and pragmatic managerial control of the armies their elders led, and then move into leadership positions after the War.

In relation to the Strauss and Howe generational theory, this book focuses on a part of the Gilded Generation. Overall, I thought that the book complemented it very well, showing that side of the generation that lost the war.

So, let me just say that this is a fascinating look at a generation that lived during a fascinating time in American history, one that will captivate anyone who is interested in generations, the American Civil War, or just plain history. I loved this book and highly recommend it to you.

"Understand Mississippi, and you understand the world." William Faulkner ... And he was so right. What's so good about Todd Moye's book is that he provides the needed clarity to understand this microcosm in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Moye's research is excellent; this is particularly note worthy since it is not easy to find such information in the Delta. Mississippi's libraries - public and educational - are notorious for their dearth of newer Mississippi books. (Forget the archives.) So thanks to Moye for providing this unique piece of history that needs and deserves attention and preservation.

Todd Moye has written an excellent book about the civil rights movement in the Mississippi Delta. The power of the book lies in its simple prose and nuanced analysis, a rare combination in historical nonfiction today. The storytelling will pull readers into the book and the analysis will change the way many readers think about the civil rights movement, not just in Mississippi but across the South.

_Let the People Decide_ is the best historical perspective on Mississippi I've read since _Rising Tide_. And I'm not just saying that because J. Todd Moye is my brother.

The book is focused on the freedom movements in a specific time and place, but I think it gives insight into how similar movements evolve elsewhere. It is definately a scholarly work, and the author footnotes many of his own oral history interviews as source material. Yet the author's prose is not stuffy, and you don't feel like you are doing homework while reading this engaging book. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in our nation's history, especially in the evolution of civil rights movements in the south.

My family is planning a trip to the North Carolina coast to visit the various lighthouses. We find this book very helpful in planning that trip. Gives lot of details on each of the lighthouses listed.

This is a good, concise, accurate book. I took it with my on my travels to see the lighthouses in North Carolina. As I traveled, it was helpful in finding each lighthouse and reading about the history. It was also helpful in finding one particular lighthouse which was in a very remote location. Thanks. I recommend it highly.

I really enjoyed this book. The content was well-researched and presented in an organized manner. I found the subject matter very interesting without being boring. It also made me want to take a few weeks off of work to explore the coastline. I had no idea that there were so many historical lighthouses in this one area. It was also obvious that the author loves her work. The details as welll as added points of interest make this a very well rounded book. I highly recommend it! I am also looking forward to her next release.

I love the book! It has tons of never before seen historical images of Carolinas beacons, plus eight pages of color images. It is factual, but not dry. The author has presented the history and current condition of each of the mentioned beacons in an informative and interesting way. I live along North Carolina's coast and I never knew about a couple of our beacons. I like the maps and directions that show right where each beacon can be found. I also like the Points of Interest section at the end of each chapter that reveal other historic sites and tours that are near to the lighthouses.

I was somewhat disappointed that there was not a more extensive use of primary source materials. This is an easy book to read and understand.

Laurel Horton is an independent folklorist and textile scholar who examines the family quilting traditions of six generations in Mary Black's Family Quilts: Memory And Meaning In Everyday Life. Sixteen quilts here tell the story of the family, a South Carolina legend - and reveals the trunks full of quilts Black left to her descendants. Don't expect a quilter's handbook here: this is local history at its best.

As I am currently studying Historic Preservation, I appreciate what it takes to do research. This book is well-researched, and interesting, to boot.

This is landmark book, one that has the potential to broaden and, at the same time, focus the study of American quilts. It adds substantially to current knowledge of quilt history, particularly in the under-documented inland South. It also models an analytical approach, what one cultural historian calls "cultural behavior," that expands the study of material history to reveal the complex meanings inherent in artifacts.

It is not a "picture book," although it is richly and thoughtfully illustrated. Over 100 sharp images, 32 of them in well-rendered color, depict the quilts and complement the text.

Nor is it a conventional "quilt book," focusing only on quilt documentation.

It transcends categories and is at once an analysis of sixteen quilts made and preserved by one family over six generations, a superb local history, and a study of a family whose values helped shape a community.

But its focus is the sixteen family quilts preserved by Mary Black and donated to a South Carolina museum. In seeking to discover their meanings as textiles and as personal and cultural documents, the author creates a world both immediate and immensely interesting.

This is highly readable book. After the first chapter, in which she identifies and illustrates the analytical procedure she used to study the Black family's quilts, Horton avoids the jargon of scholarship and critical theory. This choice and her crisp prose style are seductive: her book reads more like a story of discover than a scholarly analysis. The truth is, it is both.

The epigram, from James Deetz' "In Small Things Forgotten," suggests the writer's mission and method. Deetz writes, "In the seemingly little and insignificant things that accumulate to create a lifetime, the essence of our existence is captured. We must remember these bits and pieces, and we must use them in new and imaginative ways so that a different appreciation for what life is today, and was in the past, can be achieved."

In Laurel Horton's experienced hands, this approach yields bounty. Horton is uniquely equipped for her task. She has studied the same terrain for 25 years. She knows it from personal experience, from her study of the Scots-Irish who formed its backbone, from her study of the quilts of America and the British Isles. Her understanding of the deeply narrative South Carolina upland culture attunes her to stories and signs that point beyond the concrete object and reveal meaning. In fact, the metaphor running throughout this book is that of the scholar as one who "listens" to the voices in the material remains she studies.

Yet it would be mistaken to conclude Horton regards the scholar only as a medium through which the quilts speak. She knows the textiles exist with a series of contexts that can help free their voices and permit the listener to construct valid meaning.

In a culture where women left relatively few documents, however, the quilts remain the writer's primary sources. Horton says she began her research "with a close examination of the quilts themselves, attempting to set aside what I thought I already knew and trying to be receptive to what they could tell me....I have attempted to attend to the quilts and to `listen' to their stories objectively, without rushing to supply answers to my emerging questions."

The result is a fresh and exceptionally well-articulated understanding of a coherent group of quilts. In her effort to identify their meanings, the author opens a world to the reader and in the end, the quilts also become memorable objects in the reader's experience.

Mary Black's Family Quilts is valuable both to the cultural and political historian. It is important to anyone studying the lives of women in America. Certainly it will become part of any complete bibliography of the history and culture of the American South. It is being read in student coffee houses in Spartanburg and readers interested primarily in local or state history have created long waiting lists for it in Carolina public libraries. In short, it is a book for many readers.

One of its more obvious audiences is that of quilt historians, for whom it provides a model and for whom it is also cautionary. Quilts from the inland South have been subject to many unfounded generalizations. A student of textiles and quiltmaking who is keenly attuned to the differences in the cultures and quilts of adjacent counties in Pennsylvania, for instance, often sees the quilts made south of the Mason-Dixon line as a unit.

Studies like Horton's show the danger of such generalization. They remind us of the variety present even in a generally coherent community. The Spartanburg, South Carolina area and the members of the Snoddy and Black families are not offered as microcosms or even representatives of larger groups. Mary Black's Family Quilts focuses on the particular-quilts made by the women in one family in one place and time. Considering the general lack of scholarly attention so far accorded the quilts of the Deep South and the southern hinterlands, one hopes Horton's work generates the discovery and equally thoughtful study of other groups of quilts in the region.

"Mary Black's Family Quilts" reminds us of the tremendous importance of the concrete detail in the study and communication of meanings in history, the sound or fragrance or scrap of fabric from which explodes a world of meaning. It also reminds us this detail is part of a larger whole. Both in its method and subject, it breaks new ground and will, one hopes, encourage other books that do the same.

For anyone interested in the study of American quilts, women's history, or in the culture and history of the American South, this book is a must-read.

I was looking for a book that covered motorcycle rides in No Ga and this is a great book for the Southern Applachians.

Great book, well written, easy to read, good humor.
Smart layout enables you to xerox the two facing pages to have a complete map and guide for each ride.
The reference section at the end of the book gives you phone number and other info for hotels, restaurants, dealerships, chamber of commerce, etc.; very convenient.

Highly recommended.

I first read about this book in an article in the Atlanta Journal/Constitution and had to buy a copy. It was a little hard to find. After reading and taking in many of the adventures listed in the book by Hawk Hagebak, I must say that it is the most insightful and intelligent Motorcycle Guidebook I've ever read. The author uses his experience as a former motorcycle cop to give practical (and humorous!) advice for everything between avoiding a ticket to handling a breakdown. He's really funny! The book is broken into 20+ chapters, each chapter is a ride. The rides include restaurant recommmendations, road descriptions, a map and often some interesting information about the area. My favorite quote from the book is on page 9 where the author is telling the reader how to embellish a "road lie". "I was riding Mile High and the abominable snowman came out of one of the scenic overlooks and chased me all the way into Robbinsville!" The author continues, "Lesson learned? Other than the obvious hazard of a slick road, there's an abominable snowman to contend with, and who wants that?" Another funny quote is in Ridge and Valley Chapter. That ride cuts through a town named, "Sublinga". The author pokes fun at the name by saying, "No, not the medical word- Doctor, my Sublinga is swollen!" The maps are great and they're next to written directions to the right of the maps. I found the rides easy to find and easy to follow. He even includes the mileage from point to point (you can reset your odometer at the start of the ride to keep up with the map mileage). If you are new to the area or have been living in the region for several years (myself for 7 years). I thought I knew all the mountain roads, I do know a lot of them, but not with the detail provided in the book. Very handy, if only the area for the book were larger..... Maybe he will put out another motorcycle guide book? A great buy, even if you are not a biker like me. Just stick your head out the window to act like you're on a bike.... Enjoy...I sure did.

This is a great book for planning trips on a motorcycle or a car. The descriptions are detailed and there are bonuses listing restaurants and gas stations. The author goes into a lot of detail about each route. My only complaint is the book is a little thin for $15.00. There is a second book for the rest of North Carolina. It would have been better to combine the two books for $20 - $25. Don't let this comment keep you from getting the books though. The author does a great job.

Weaving the history of the Black Mtns with the author's personal diary made this book exceptional. I particularly enjoyed the theory on how mountain balds were formed and how native americans survived and made most of the land. I recommend this book to anyone who hikes or camps and appreciates the mountains.

What an excellent book! Timothy Silver has given us a two fold view of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains of North Carolina. A combination of the natural history of the area, and man's exploration/exploitation of these lofty peaks. I think what I enjoyed most about the book, were the short "interludes" where the writer inserts his many experiences of car camping, hiking/backpacking, trout fishing, or just marveling at nature while sitting at some well known spot, or some "hidey-hole" known only to people who frequent the area. These personal thoughts heightened my reading pleasure, because like the writer, I have spent a great deal of time in the Blacks and know of what he speaks.

The battle between the Mountain's namesake, the Rev. Elisha Mitchell and his former student, future Confederate general Thomas Clingman about who measured the mountain first, is fleshed out completely, and is probably the definitive account of this famous row.

The end chapters deal with mankind's interventions on the mountain, and the consequences of these acts. This is followed up with concise information about the acid rain/woolly adelgid issues affecting the Fir and Red Spruce trees on the mountain tops, along with some discussion about the growth cycles about the above mentioned trees, which in my opinion, clears up some of the misinformation out there. For years, the problem was blamed on woolly adelgids, then on acid rain. I personally feel like these two scourges work together hand in hand to decimate the once proud Fraser Firs.

This is truly a groundbreaking book. I'd like to see more works that follow this vein. Nicely illustrated.

Timothy Silver has given us an excellent history of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains.
The work is titled as an environmental history, and it is supported by a wealth of factual information, but the whole presentation is a wonderful flowing story of these peaks in western North Carolina, and their history as they were shaped by nature and by man.
Of special interest is the account of the feud between Elisha Mitchell and Thomas Clingman. The story encompasses misunderstandings, fragile egos, and desperate politics. When Mitchell fell to his death in 1857, the public mind established Mitchell as a hero and martyr who died to establish these peaks as the state's best known landmark. His body was later moved to the higest peak, which is forever known as Mount Mitchell.
We are also able to see the history of man's interaction with nature. In the case of the Blacks, it is often with tragic results, and even when the intentions are good, the outcome is often marginal.
Dr. Silver leaves us with a compelling book that provides much information and asks many questions that we should consider not only for this mountain range, but for our environment as well.
I highly recommend this book. The author has done us a great favor.

What a terrific book Timothy Silver has crafted! Anyone interested in mountains, hiking, fishing, environmental issues, natural history, or the local history of North Carolina's mountains will enjoy this wonderful account. Professor Silver, a historian in western North Carolina, has written a book in which Mount Mitchell stars at the center of his narrative--and both general readers and professional historians can find meaning and pleasure in his tale.

Like many environmental historians, Silver sees in the reciprocal interaction between nature and culture a larger story of a region. And he brings us this compelling story from a variety of intriguing angles. He offers his own assessments, ones generated on his extensive hiking and fishing trips in the Black Mountains of western North Carolina. He provides insight into the steamy 19th century historical controversy between rivals each seeking to determine which was the highest peak in the region--and to see who could do it first and most authoritatively. (And as a New Englander, I found the tale inviting even if our White Mountains fall short in elevation to North Carolina's peaks!) Professor Silver also examines logging practices and regional boosterism, the antecedent of eco-tourism.

The book has something that will be compelling for a wide audience of readers interested in the natural world and local history--and the style is accessible and enjoyable. Whether you've hiked a lot, love North Carolina, want to investigate stormy political and personal feuds, or wish to know more about regional environmental history, "Mount Mitchell" is a fine read. I commend it to you!

My brother Steven loves to hunt and fish, so every year for his birthday I send him a book. Steven's review: "This is one of the best books I have ever read ..."

Southerns do have a lovely way of using language. Maybe there is a drop more compassion in the cool creek waters.

Good friends gave me this book when I graduated high school more years ago than I like to realize. I have read, re-read, and re-re-read it, and given a copy to my grandson in hopes of instilling in him some of my love of the outdoors.

The first time I read this book, and most of the subsequent times as well, I laughed until tears rolled down my face. Babcock eloquently paints word pictures of hunting and fishing experiences in the deep South of the early 20th century.

The reader will notice a much higher quality of writing than is commonly found in outdoor magazines today. Today, few college professors admit to such politically incorrect pastimes as hunting and fishing. The modern reader does need to remember the time frame in which these stories take place. Babcock was a product of his environment, and while he speaks fondly of Uncle Sessions and others eligible for membership in the NAACP, he doesn't use the politically correct terminology of today.

I have cherished and retold -- with attribution -- several stories contained in this book, and just remembering them can take 10 points off my blood pressure.

If you like to hunt and fish, or like someone who does, this book is an excellent choice.

A must for every gentleman bird hunter, fisherman, or dog owner/. Dr/. Babcock tells of his pursuit of Bob White, fishing for breem, and his fascination with as well as tribulations over bird dogs/. Humor permeates stories about the perfect quail gun, ownership of the near-perfect hunting dog, the secret weapon of breem fishing-- the catawba worm and the virtues of the old cross rail fences/

Havilah Babcock loved bird hunting in the south.

35 of his stories are a treasure of tales by a man who is genuine in his approach to hunting and fishing.

No matter how many times I reread his stories, he makes me feel I am there in the field beside him.