Tennessee Books

I use this cookbook for various things. The recipes are just like my Grandmother's. Love the cookbook

Once upon a time when folks made the trip to Lynchburg to visit that famous distillery, they had to stop at Mary Bobo's boarding house, because to pass up one of her home-cooked meals if your were so close would be nothing short of a mortal sin. Mary lived to be a hundred and one, leaving us in Nineteen Eighty-three, but you can still sample her delicious home-cooked fare by faithfully following the recipes in this book.

However, this is more than just a cookbook. There are many wonderful boarding house stories housed within these covers, so you can read a bit about Miss Mary Evans and her Beau during her courting days, or learn a bit about porch sitting, or even see a picture of Al Gore with Mary on her 99th birthday.

Last night I made up Miz Crutcher's Convent Pudding, which is a whole lot like the Macaroni Pie you can get anywhere in Trinidad. It's delicious and easy to make. In the book it explains that this was served a lot during WW II, because of shortages and the fact that people didn't have very much. Well it's still being served in the Caribbean, probably for the same reasons.

I've also done Mary Bobo's Baked Turkey with Cornbread Dreassing and let me tell you, scrumptious. Don't be lookin' for low fat, fancy dancy, new age cooking here, but what the heck, once and a while you just have to have an old-fashioned, down home, doggone good, sinful meal. And if that's what you're looking for, look no further. Five stars from me for this super book.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

Please read all the reviews here for a better picture of this cookbook. Perhaps the recipe are enjoyed by some, particularly those fond of putting whiskey in everything from salad to dessert and every dish between.

There is an out-of-print book "Miss Mary's Down-Home Cooking" by Diana Dalsass, which includes superb Southern recipes from Mary Bobo's boarding house. These are the recipes used during Mary Bobo's tenur. These are the recipes which the tea-totaller Miss Mary would approve of. My wife and I thought it was worth the expense of using a book finder service to get.

Before using the book finder service, I bought the Mitchamore book listed here. I figured it would contain the same recipes and I'd save a buck. They aren't even close. Even without comparing the two books, I still can't recommend this book to anyone who doesn't vehemently adore Jack Daniels. This really is a whiskey cookbook. A fine gift shop purchase, but not an heirloom Southern cookbook.

I collect cookbooks and this one has quickly become a favorite! Every recipe I have tried has been excellent. They are easy to follow and have simple ingredients, most of which I have on hand. I would recommend this book for anyone who loves down home cooking at its best.

It is obvious that Jack Daniels is trying to put their stamp on the cookbook, but they should at least be honest and say Ms. Mary didn't prepare her meals with whiskey. The book has a lot of recipes that I have been looking for for years and I intend to use them. These aren't the kinds of recipes you will find on the Food Network, but they sure remind me of my childhood and I plan on sharing them with my granddaughter ---minus the booze.

Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson works in Nashville Tennessee. She is working on a case involving a serial killer, that the media has dubbed 'The Southern Strangler'. Taylor is working on the case with her love interest, FBI profiler, John Baldwin.

In the middle of all this, there is also a rapist on the loose...nicknamed 'The Rainman' since he only strikes when it rains.

I found this book to be creepy at times, full of suspense, with enough twists and turns to keep you hooked. The characters were likeable, the plot was believable and the storyline was interesting. It was an intense read. It kept me hooked till the very end!

If you're in the mood for a suspenseful thriller, something to keep you guessing, I recommend this read.

If you love thrillers and are on the lookout for new authors, get a copy of ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS. It was hard for me to believe this was her first novel. J. T. Ellison got so into the characters that I thought for certain she was retired police or work in the field. Also there is a fine line of too many details, at least for an ADD reader like me, but she never once crossed over to the dull side.

It gets five stars, because I can't recommend a better thriller. In fact, I want to read her next one, 14. It's to be on sale in September. I plan on getting it. Got to find out more about Dr. John Baldwin. Is he really going to quit? How does their (Taylor & John) relationship progress? I was given enough in the first book to want to know more.

I downloaded this onto my pda on a whim one night from another site and only stopped reading when my battery was giving out. I have to agree with everyone else who said that they found it hard to believe that this was a debut novel. I'm sure Ellison has more unpublished gems hiding away some where and I want them! I know that the next book in this series is coming out in a few months, but I don't want to have to wait that long :)

As an avid mystery reader I get frustrated with the formulaic approach taken by many first time writers. Ellison escapes much of these problems by not dragging out the personal drama in the plot. One character that I knew was going to cause problems in the later part of the book died midway through the story. It is these types of twists that kept me turning pages and "happy" with the conclusion. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book.

This is a strong and memorable debut introducing Nashville Homicide Lt. Taylor Jackson. The story develops through complex forensic and evidentiary details which keep the reader attentive and involved. By tracking down not only a serial killer but a serial rapist at the same time, it is clearly apparent that she is a tough, intelligent and dedicated cop. I sincerely hope that Taylor Jackson has a long and productive career... and that we get to read about each and every case.

this is an inlightening book about a young girls struggles with addiction. abigail vona is a typical teenage girl that happens to make mistakes that land her in a level 3 lockdown facility. this is a great book for young girls struggling in there own lives, a way to see how bad someones life can truely be. this book brings you into a world most people will never have to expiriance. everything from restraintment to finding whats really important.

A must read book! I sat down and read it cover to cover.
Not to be missed!

My Daughter did 13 Months at Peninsula Village and it was her saviour as well. This is one of th emost respected centers in the world. At a cost of $9600 per month it had better be. We are pleased with the staff and Peninsula Village and they gave us our child back after 13 months a totally better person. The person who wrote this book trumped it up to sell books bottom line. Their is a lot of non truth items in this book.

Just because Vona dabbled in drugs or other "bad" things as a teen, she's labeled a "bad girl." I can relate to much in the story because the writing is so raw and real I am ripped open as a reader with the writer's brutally honest words.

Like the books CONFESSIONS OF A CATHOLIC SCHOOLGIRL and PROZAC NATION this is a must read for any teen or young woman that struggles to find herself in a mixed up world.

Not a memoir of delinquency but a chronicle of Vona's incarceration in a juvenile "boot camp." Atrociously written by someone who comes across as a spoiled rich girl with a fondness for stereotypes, and whose "delinquency" seems to have involved nothing more heinous than dating a drug dealer and indulging in a brief "runaway" period to a vacation cabin with friends. Not recommended. (For a more compelling story written by a more sympathetic narrator in less painful prose, see Daphne Scholinski's The Last Time I Wore a Dress.)

This book is a must have for anyone who wants to expand their living space into the outdoors. It exhibits a common sense approach for any yard. Great pictures, very well written and organized.

This is the best of all the P Allen Smith books! I bought as a gift, and thumbed thru ... want it
for myself too!

This well-designed, well-written book is an excellent book on garden design principles. I thoroughly enjoyed the first section, in which P. Allen gives us an intimate tour of his own beautiful garden home. This is not only inspiring but also an excellent teaching tool, as "a photo is worth a thousand words" and serves to underscore the design principles set forth in the remainder of the book. His garden is so gorgeous, but I wondered how out-of-reach it is for us 'normal folks'- - until I noticed that he mentions that he repeatedly uses "workhorse" plants that are relatively problem-free/easy-to-care for. He loves his roses, for example, but seems to have chosen many heirloom varieties known for their resistance to blackspot and diseases (ie the venerable 'New Dawn'). And his lush garden home didn't spring up overnight, of course- - it was over 10 years in the making, and he shares some of its growing pains. Before reading this book, my image of P. Allen was that he was too finicky/persnickity/too "too" for my tastes, but in exploring this delightful book I have revised my opinion of him completely. The guy likes what he likes and knows his stuff, but I no longer find that off-putting. Finally, others have referenced his recollections of the Ashbrookes as being hoity-toity; might we cut him some slack and instead interpret his recollections as his OWN deeply inspirational/aspirational experiences and these aristocrats as fond friends/gardening soulmates. We all have places and people who are dear to us, and perhaps in the telling our enthusiasm is misinterpreted. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it highly; it is written in pleasant prose and is not a 1-2-3 do this, do this, do this instructional manual but rather an aspirational guide that sets forth solid design principles beautifully illustrated largely through the author's own property.

As an artistic person of a different sort from Mr. Smith (I am a musician), I appreciated his highly artistic approach to garden design. I am not new to garden design, but I have had little training. Still, as a musician, I have an appreciation for things such as balance, composition, and color. Mr. Smith's approach, in my opinion, is quite ingenious for those of us who have a fine appreciation for the artisitic achievements of the great gardens (I have been to some), and would like to apply the same principles used by the masters on a smaller (much smaller) scale. I must wholeheartedly disagree with those who saw no purpose in Mr. Smith's discussion of his relationship with Lady Ashbrook and the garden at Arley. Allen used the greatness and principles applied by one of his mentors (Lady Ashbrook) to his own home garden (he also discusses the influence of his own family's more humble circumstances on his gardening preferences throughout the book) and then showed us how we could apply the same principles to our own. If you will look closely at both the text and the pictures, it is obvious that Mr. Smith is using Arley to help us to see the wisdom and (above all) the beauty of this type of design and that by applying the same principles, we can acheive similar effects in our own gardens (although for most of us, on a much smaller scale!). Further, the non-glossy end section is more of an epilogue to what has been said in the text and pictures previously; the inclusion of more pictures here would be redundant to the many gorgeous examples given to illustrate specific examples of each principle elaborated. What Mr. Smith does include in the ending section are very helpful specifics of how to begin your own garden design, complete with lists of possible plants.

Even if you are too lazy to create a garden, this book is a beauty to look at. You can use his ideas in a little garden, as well as the White House Rose Garden. The photography is great, and the colors are inspiring. It is, however, a little expensive.

The book was easy to read. It read more like a narrative written in a story format than a historical account. The author made some really good points on why the south failed at Shiloh, and was equally critical of the north in there preparations. He backed up all of his points really well and this book follows well with the only other book I read on the battle (Foote's fiction novel called "Shiloh"). The only area I need to look more into is the author's critisicm of Johnston. I know that other historians and authors will probably not agree with this views on the Southern Sr. General. Overall a well written and interesting historical account of the battle.

James McDonough has provided a very good study of the battle that essentially sealed the Confederacy's fate in the West. He gives a balanced view from the vantage points of the commanders of both sides. Up to April, 1862, the South had a chance to reverse the early defeats...Shiloh solidified the Yankee's advantage.

Much has been made over the years of the "lost opportunity" of the first day...McDonough contends that the opportunity was never really there. Do I agree? Maybe. General Beauregard wanted to withdraw to Corinth, avoiding the whole battle. Was he right? Maybe. Grant, Sherman, Beauregard, Johnston, Hardee, and Polk all made mistakes that no General Officer should ever make. The Confederates were unorganized; the Yankees were unprepared. Much effort was wasted at the Hornet's Nest. Lots of good men, on both sides, died for their leader's errors.

We get a brief view of General Nathan Bedford Forrest trying to organize a night attack when nobody would listen to him. Forrest was right, of course; he always was. But at the time of Shiloh, the name "Forrest" did not yet mean what it did later.

The death of Albert Sidney Johnston at Shiloh was, of course, a massive tragedy for the South. McDonough comes very close to implying that Johnston was merely a drunk that the Confederacy was better off without. Even the most biased Confederate must admit that the first year of the war had not seen Johnston live up to his pre-war billing. No mention of the story told here and there down the years that Johnston's death was a variation of the "suicide by cop" theme. Interesting theory, and a case can sure be made....

All in all, McDonough has done a good, fair, balanced job. When, elsewhere, he discusses General Hood and the Tennessee Campaign, I can get eloquent. Here, he does well. Shiloh was one the most important battles in all history; this is a good account of it.

I know a little about the Civil War. However I have not read in depth about Shiloh. This is a nice read and details that there were no Napoleans at Shiloh. All the Generals (Union as well as Confederate) made many mistakes. It is a wonder anybody won this battle due to the mistakes all around. Sherman placing green troops around the perimeter in an unorganized fashion. Grant putting a river at the backs of his troops and disregarding the signs of rebel activity. Bragg sending in troops piecemeal to fight in the Hornet's Nest. Johnson not favoring the right, and leading at the front. Beareguard changing command decisions. Buell taking his time crossing the river. So many command mistakes.

This is a great read about a terrible, bloody battle. McDonough's book fills in the gaps on this terrible battle, and examines all the command decisions. This is a great read for facts.

This is a comprehensive, easy to follow and exact telling of the battle of Shiloh. It is a pleasure to read compared to Larry J. Daniel's manuscript. Whether the reader is a Civil War novice or an expert, this book provides an accurate storytelling of this great battle. The only negative is the maps. They don't correspond to the narrative pages. The reader has to either look back or forward in the book to match the maps with the written word. But this is a GREAT book

For its fame and importance, the battle of Shiloh has not received the attention that other Civil War battles have. James McDonough thought his book, published in 1977, indeed would be the "first comprehensive historical treatment of the battle." His account turns out to be pretty thorough, but not as comprehensive as it could have been. McDonough relates the flow of the two-day battle nicely, and is especially interested in some of the "controversies" regarding the engagement: Why was the Union army caught by surprise? Did Beauregard call off the fighting too early in the late afternoon of the first day? Where was Lew Wallace and his division? How traumatic really to the Southern cause was Johnston's death? There is no doubt for McDonough that the North was the victor here, with the Rebels in retreat toward Corinth after the battle. Although not as deep as Larry Daniel's 1997 book on Shiloh, it's comparable to it in terms of interest and analysis. Neither book, however, is the final word on the battle. The definitive book on Shiloh is yet to be written.

THIS WAS A WELL PUT TOGETHER BOOK ON STAX RECORDS, I HAD WONDER WHAT HAPPEN TO STAX RECORDS,THIS BOOK GOT RIGHT TO THE HEART OF WHAT HAPPEN AND WHY IT HAPPEN. THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST BLACK RECORD COMPANY RIGHT ALONG THE SIDE WITH MOTOWN THAT MADE GREAT MUSIC.WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD MUSIC GONE TOO?

I agree with the reviewer from 2003 who said that he seemingly transcribed interviews. While he's clearly a passionate fan, the author's writing is very poor and curiously, very little editing seems to have been done. Its so bad as to be embarassing at times.

He clearly lacks the ability to contextualize all that he's decribing beyond the level of a middle school social studies book. Not just on a national/international scale but portraying the bevy of personalities and reltionships he volumniously lists.

Another major problem is that while seemingly every last personality however tangential to the history of Stax is introduced, there is very little reason for a lot of them to be introduced! There are simply too many people introduced over the course of the book and we're expected to remember eveything about them when they're brought up again 30 pages later.

Basically, the author comes across as a passionate fanboy lacking in writing ability and the ability to analyze what he has discovered. All that said, its an interesting book, albiet one that lets Al Bell off the hook for destroying Stax.

Rob Bowman's work is the definitive work on the history of the Stax Record label. I doubt there is anyone affiliated with the company who he has not interviewed. It is also very well written and impossible to put down.

Stax Records had such an incredible history in one of the most important eras of 20th century popular music in America. Starting out as a country/pop oriented label by a country fiddle player turned into an R&B powerhouse. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, it was ripe. Artists such as Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Otis Redding, Booker T. & the MG's (the Stax house band along with the Mar-Keys), Albert King, Sam & Dave among others recorded with the label during the '60s when Atlantic distributed the label. Those were the label's glory days and had they continued with Atlantic when that company was bought by Warner in 1967/8, Stax could have lasted much longer. From 1968 to 1975, the second half of Stax's history saw drastic changes in the activity at Stax, both musically and personally. Johnnie Taylor, the Staple Singers, the Soul Children and Isaac Hayes and many others thrived on the music charts. Other than Volt, Stax spawned more subsidiary labels like Enterprise, Partee and Truth. The label with a new logo was being distributed at first by Gulf-Western, then bought back and then finally with CBS which led to Stax's ultimate demise. Much financial difficulty too long to get into brought Stax's downfall in 1975. It's such a shame that Stax is seeming to get less and less attention, partcularly nowadays as this kind of music is increasingly disappearing from oldies and mix radio stations. Motown was practically the big competitor for Stax. Motown had a polished sound, while Stax had a more tougher and freer sound. It seemed that during Stax's golden days, they made such quality-filled music though their record sales couldn't fully complete with Motown. If the attitude of making good music up front would have been held first and foremost, Stax could have lasted so much longer. This book is an in-depth and very informative read about the history of Stax.

There are a gazillion books about "The Motown Sound" out there, but this is the only book that I know of about the company that briefly usurped crown of being the Crown Jewel of Black Music in the early 1970s.

As I see it this book is actually several different books in one: a history and chronology of Stax records; a biography of Al Bell and Jim Stewart; a comparison Northerners and Southerners (black AND white); and a case study of the nature of race relations in the South that may actually be a bit different from the stories most of us are accustomed to hearing... Regarding my final point, I believe that the Stax's racial composition is what made it so different from other companies. Here was a company in the heart of the deep/rural South, founded by whites and eventually controlled by blacks; a company in which the similarities of poor blacks and poor whites brought them closer to each other; a company in which whites were just as instrumental (pun intended) in the financial and musical success as blacks; a company who had one of its first major successes with a band that was half-black and half-white...in the early 1960s no less. These are all unlikely elements for any kind of success story, particularly one beginning in the context of the post-World War II Deep South. To partially--but by no means TOTALLY--describe the rise and fall of Stax, one might recall a common saying among blacks who participated in the Great Migration: "In the South, white folks to care how close you get, as long as you don't get too high; in the North, white folks don't care how high you get, as long as you don't get too close."

Speaking from the perspective of someone who is a fan, a musician, AND a social scientist, this is a great book. The musicians out there will appreciate the details of achieving the "Stax" sound from Steve Croppers dirty guitar strings to Al Jackson billfold-on-the-snare. Fans will appreciate knowing about the inspiration behind the songs and the details about some of their favorite musicians.

Well written book, tells the true story behind the State Line Mob and Sheriff Bufford Pusser. I wish that a movie had been made of this account of the legend that is Bufford Pusser, although some of his tactics bordered more on vigilante justice then actual law enforcment action, it is clear to see and understand that what he needed to do and did were none the less heroic.

The "Walking Tall" trilogy was interesting and, I must confess, a favorite movie series of mine. That said, the entire premise is laughable: a man who uses only a stick to fight crime prevails against crooks who can use guns? Get real!

The "Walking Tall" movie series is based loosely (very loosely) upon a triology of books written by the now deceased W.R. Morris. The first, "The Twelfth of August," was the basic story of the first two 'Walking Tall' movies, although it focused more on his family. A second book, "Buford," covered from the end of the first book to the death of Sheriff Pusser. This was the third (and final) installment, and the stories told are altered somewhat to give a fuller picture.

I have not read 'Buford,' but I have read 'The Twelfth of August.' Pusser is presented, basically, as an American hero who stood up to the goons who beat him up, much as the movie series plays. The reality, of course, is somewhat more complex.

It is clear by the time of this book (which came out in 1990) that Morris does not regard Pusser so much as a white knight on a horse as he does a complex individual with varying shades of good and bad. Morris conducted additional interviews with many of the principals he features, and the result is an outstanding book with less of a pro-Pusser slant and a more sympathetic view (in some cases) of the 'bad guys.'

The story actually begins in Phenix City, Alabama just after World War 2. Nearby Fort Benning was the site of many a Marine who entered the crooked bars and dives of this east Alabama city and were beaten, robbed, and sometimes killed. In 1954, Albert Patterson was elected Attorney General of the state on a promise to clean up Phenix City. Before he even took office, he was assassinated. This led to martial law in the city and federal troops ran the criminals out. Many of them relocated to the Alcorn County (MS) - McNairy County (TN) line, where both counties were 'dry' and set up a new operation.

Ten years later, one victim of those beatings, Buford Hayse Pusser, moved back home to Tennessee and campaigned on a promise to clean up the state line. Often lost in the hype - but deftly covered by Morris - is the fact that the 'State Line Mob' was as responsible for its own demise as Pusser was. Louise Hathcock conspired with Carl 'Towhead' White to murder her ex-husband even before Pusser was elected. (Hathcock's deceased ex-husband, Jack, himself had been involved in the murder of a business partner, "Pee Wee" Walker, who had been having an affair with Louise). White and Pusser wind up in a three-year long personal war that results in the death of Pusser's wife, White's girlfriend (Louise Hathcock), and White, leaving Pusser the sole survivor.

The book has a lot of interesting information in setting the stage as to how some of the local criminals grew up to be that way. I would like to give it five stars, but I cannot. The main reason is because Morris is given to repeated use of metaphors that sound juvenile. For example, he says, "It would have been easier to turn Billy Graham into an atheist than get members of the state-line mob to turn on each other in court." One usage of such device would be OK, but Morris seems to do this every time he doesn't have much to say. The book also has an unusually large (for its size) references to sexual slang and colorful language. It is most certainly not for the pre-teen or adolescent set.

The book is an overall good read, and it is more interesting (and intriguing) than the movie series. If you liked 'Walking Tall,' enjoy this great book and see the story behind the story.

W.R. Morris was Buford Pusser's authorized biographer, he wrote the best selling "The Twelth of August" however in 1973 he told People Magazine, "Buford can be a really nice guy one day and the next day he's barely civilized. I thread delecitly in the book." Did Pusser and Morris have a falling out or did Morris' research cause him to have a change of oppinion on the hero?

Regardless, this book is the origins of the loose mob that Pusser destroyed. The crime element along the Tenn and Mississippi border was the result of a government crackdown on the illegal activities in Phenix City, Ga in the late 40's. The displaced con artists and prostitutes settled on the stateline of Tn/Miss on highway 45. Morris provides a fasinating discription of the self destructive lives of this murderous group. It seems that Alcorn County, Miss is the hot bed of much of the criminal activity-yet McNairy County, Tn got the title of "Murder County USA" due to it being the dumping ground of many of the unsuspecting victims of the so-called "state line mob." One of these victims was a young Buford Pusser, who had the guts to go back and rob the robbers.

The ring leaders of the mob have an amazing ability to avoid long term jail sentences. They are soon challanged by a new sheriff- Buford Pusser, who has an amazing ability so withstand knife wounds and gunshots. Pusser believed in "fighting fire with fire" a true unconventional law enforcement warrior. Shortly after taking office he picked up a mob leader and took him out to the swamps and beat him up for three hours. Morris, as well as the author of "Mississippi Mud" believe that Pusser knew who was behind the ambush that killed his wife, but he kept the information from the authorities only to track down and kill, or hire to kill, the men himself. The result of this book is that Buford Pusser may have been a flawed and tragic hero, but in the end he got the bastards- and walked damn tall doing it, even if outside the law.

Morris covers some interesting material. However, I don't believe he did as good a job as he did on The 12th of August. Much of the material in this book is just a reprinting of some of his previous book. I compared the two books as I read this one though and sometimes the wording of conversations had some variation. This book is not well written for someone with the journalistic background of Morris. Yet there are some interesting theories in regard to Buford Pusser's possible involvement in taking out some of those who he believed were involved in murdering his wife. I think the book is an overall worthwhile read but there are places in the text where Morris used vulgarity for no other apparent reason than to be vulgar. It did not help drive home the point any better.

Once I started reading the book, it was hard to put it down. I live only a few counties north of where all this was taking place. I only thought I
had an idea of what was taking place and about the people who were running the gambling, illegal whisky, and prostitution operation. That was one tough
area vs one tough sheriff who had to "fight fire with fire".

One sitters - they don't come around too often but when they do it's worth the wait. I read Nashville 1864 in one evening and wished I hadn't! This little (but I might add perfectly formed) novel - some 129 pages in length - contains so much in it's pages that it left me moved, sad, a little repulsed at the nature of war and death, but thankful I'd stumbled across it while browsing Amazon.

I'd just finished Cloudsplitter by Russel Banks which at 758 pages is an intense and powerful read. Nashville was the ideal follow on - it's short, to the point, refreshing in its simplicity and more importantly an entertaining, quality novel.

Jones is a wonderful storyteller, not a word out of place, not a wasted sentiment or action, this book involves you as a reader on a range of levels.

Often the Civil War is portrayed in a romantic light, thus reflecting how it was commonly perceived in the immediate aftermath of the shelling of Fort Sumter on April 12th 1861. Nashville is harrowing and disturbing rather than romantic and here lies it's strength. The novel is honest and if that means leaving me as a reader slightly uneasy then it's done exactly what good writing attempts to do - to make a difference.

Some books after their reading will sit on my shelf gathering dust, I don't think that Nashville will be given enough time to gather dust at all.

It is clear today that the Southern Confederacy is regarded as an evil aberration in American history. Many books and films depict the gray-coated Rebs as uncouth huns bent upon the destruction of a paternal and benevolent Union. Today, their symbols are reviled and their memory is denounced as if four states of the Confederacy weren't also Founding colonies themselves.

Nashville 1864 is told from the point of view of a 12 year-old boy, but the narrative is suitable for adults as well. Imagine an American city occupied by an enemy army. We have to reach all the way back to the Revolutionary War period for a practical analogy, but that period is so far behind us it is difficult create a connection within our 21st Century minds. The Civil war, however, is much closer to us. Young people may not be able to empathize, but people in their late-forties and older will probably remember a grandfather or great grandfather who lived during that time, so for us the Civil War is still real. Nashville was occupied by the Union Army, and the bitterness from that occupation still shows up from time to time.

Madison Jones' descriptions of the period and the emotion and the misery of war are vivid. When young Steven Moore's father tells him, "They have beat us, Steven", you can feel the agony and despair, and so throughout the book.

There are many great Civil War novels, but Nashville 1864 should not be overlooked.

Amazon.com have informed me that my review of Nashville 1865 has been swollowed into the land of computer nothingness. So impressed was I with the book that I'm posting the review a second time.

One sitters - they don't come around too often but when they do it's worth the wait. I read Nashville 1864 in one evening and wished I hadn't! This little novel - some 129 pages in length - contains so much in it's pages that it left me moved, sad, a little repulsed at the nature of war and death, but thankful I'd stumbled accross it while browsing Amazon.

I'd just finished Cloudsplitter by Russel Banks which at 758 pages is an intense and powerful read. Nashville was the ideal follow on - it's short, to the point, refreshing in it's simplicity and more importantly an entertaining, quality novel.

Jones is a wonderful storyteller, not a word out of place, not a wasted sentiment or action, this book involves you as a reader on a range of levels.

Often the Civil War is portrayed in a romantic light, thus reflecting how it was commonly percieved in the immediate aftermath of the shelling of Fort Sumter on April 12th 1861. Nashville is harrowing and disturbing rather than romantic, and here lies it's strength. The novel is honest and if that means leaving me as a reader slightly uneasy then it's done exactly what good writing attempts to do - to have an effect.

Some books after their reading will sit on my shelf gathering dust, I don't think that Nashville will be given enough time to gather dust at all.

I am sometimes disappointed with fictional accounts of the U.S. Civil War, perhaps because the historical accounts are so remarkable in themselves that they seldom benefit from fictional license. There are indeed exceptions, splendid novels like The Red Badge of Courage, Andersonville, The Killer Angels, and the subject of this review, Nashville 1864 - The Dying of the Light, by Madison Jones.

In this fascinating short novel Confederates forces are continuing to fight against overwhelming odds, with little hope of victory. Nashville has been occupied by Northern soldiers since February, 1862. In a desperate attempt, General Hood's shattered forces, severely crippled shortly before in the disastrous battle at Franklin, Tennessee, are now engaging the Union Army in what is today called the Battle of Nashville, December 15 and 16, 1864.

Madison Jones portrays this battle and its immediate aftermath from the perspective of a young boy, Steven Moore, as he searches for his father among the wounded Confederate soldiers. The story is presented as a memoir written by the adult Steven Moore many years after the actual event, but nonetheless filled with detail and emotion that remained deeply etched in his memory. Steven Moore had not forgiven the North for its severe, mean-spirited occupation of Nashville, especially the period under General Rosecrans.

This short novel, Nashville 1864 - The Dying of the Light, is good, powerful fiction, and it is also good history.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, 12-year-old Steven Moore watches on as his father Jason saddles up his horse to join other Confederates in the fight to protect Tennessee. After many months of hardship, Steven's youngest sister, Liza, becomes so gravely ill that he decides to find his father and to bring him home. With his mother's approval and a crude map, he and his companion, a young slave named Dink, set off into the heart of the battle to find his father.

This is one of the most compelling novels of the Civil War, told from the perspective of a 12-year-old boy. Through his eyes, we see the area surrounding Nashville change from healthy farmland to desolate battle fields. The Confederate soldiers whom he knew to be proud and strong turn out to be haunted men with sallow faces, bare feet and rags for clothing. He and Dink watch some of the fighting firsthand: the booming of the canons, the black troops fighting for the Union, the dead and the dying everywhere. And, still he continues to search for his father, diving deeper and deeper into the heart of the battle.

With fantastically detailed imagery and strongly developed characters, Madison Jones has created a Civil War novel that appeals to all readers, both young and old. You have a real sense of what the war must have been like for a young boy, witnessing his family life upturned and almost destroyed. Nothing is romanticized. A strong novel for young adults and anyone interested in the Civil War.

Our Southern Highlanders is Kephart's masterpiece. For anyone interested in Southern Appalachia, this book is a must. It is full of rich narratives on his personal experiences in the Great Smoky Mountains, and gives an in-depth look at mountain customs, beliefs, and vernacular. Although some anthropologists and historians have issues with a few generalizations and stereotypes, it is beside the point. Our Southern Highlanders is one of very few primary sources about the region that are reliable, and though it may have flaws, is the closest insight modern readers have to 19th and early 20th century Appalachia.

My favorite book of the past ten years. The view of the mountain people of North Carolina and Tennessee is somewhat dated, but many of the human chacteristics of the people are true to this day. If you want to know about the Scotch-Irish of the mountains in the early part of the 20th century, this is your book.

We northeasterners have little knowledge of our Southern highlanders or the reasons for their unique lifestyle. This book, written by a participant, is a real eye opener, and a fascinating one. The subject area may as well be the moon for all we know. I couldn't put this down. Especially good was the discussion of how these people came to live where they do, where they came from and why. Enjoy this look at a life we seldom think about and know so little of.

I believe that the author, Horace Kephart, gave a very vivid and true descripiton of life in the western part of North Carolina in the Great Smokies during the early 1900's. I live in Asheville, NC and was raised here, as was my ancestors as far as I can remember or have been told. My grandmother and great grandmother often told stories of their childhoods living next to laurel thickets and getting their water from the springs. The mountains here are so beautiful and haunting and Mr. Kephart apparently found this as he says in one section of his book "the richness of the Great Smoky Forest has been the wonder and the admiration of everyone who has traversed it". This book was a pleasure to read and would recommend it highly.

Don't buy this book. My family has lived in the heart of Appalachia 200 years and these quaint stereotype are just not true. We are, and have always been, much like Scotch-Irish people anywhere else in America, (after all, they came from us). Ohhh, O.K., maybe we're a teensy bit better.

I made a mistake. I already had one and ordered another one.
I will give it to someone else! The book did come in
perfect condition and got here fast. Would do business with this seller again.

This book touched me tremendously in a very personal way. It brings to light that "Depression" is a true life in the dark. Chondra does enlighten readers that it is okay to admit to the illness and that medications which have a stigma placed on them are sometimes necessary to get through the darkest days. I hope that this brings more light to the world that mental illness is an illness just as with any other organ in the body. Thank you Chondra for sharing your intimate times with us. God Bless you......

This book was great! Chonda kept the flow of her experience going and adding her humor with the pain. I too have been in that "gray" room and like her I don't ever want to go back. When I finally relied on God and my meds I got better. The Lord was just waiting for me to say "help" and to listen. I think this book will help many people realize that it's ok to take medication for depression or other mental health issues. We don't seem to have a problem taking medicine for other health issues. I have already shared this book with friends and they are planning to buy copies to give to family/friends who need it.

The first several chapers were a bit wordy but then settled in to have several good thoughts in the latter part of the book.

Chonda Pierce has been tops on my list since I saw her perform in the Washington area about a year and a half ago. I've savored many of her books and videos since that time. This particular book is close to home, honest and still demonstrates her wonderful gift of humor. An enjoyable and educational read.