Blair Books

Charles F. Price's "The Cock's Spur" is a fine read. It is so fine, in fact, that I wonder what publishers were thinking when they handed over $8+Million dollars to Charles Frazier (for "Thirteen Moons") who isn't half the writer that Price is. If historical fiction is in fact enjoying a small renaissance, then Charles F. Taylor should be at, or at least near, the top of the list.

The characterizations are vivid, as are the location descriptions, that beautifully rendered sense of place. Price can describe the western North Carolina landscape & terrain in such fine detail that one can smell it as well as see and hear it. The tactile qualities of this book are remarkable. Some of the colorful characters like Hamby McFee or Web Darling, the Moonshine King, are so vivid that you will find yourself thinking about them long after the last page is read. And Hamby, that robustly interesting and prickly person, continues on in Price's next book "Where the Water Dogs Laugh-The Story of the Great Bear", another remarkable story of the late 1800's in the NC mountains.

And having mentioned this last book about the Great Bear, I have to say that the ending of "Where the Water Dogs Laugh" is one of the most luminous & poignant endings I've ever read. It reminded me of Nuala O'Faolain's cerebral in-the-forest ending of her 2002 novel "My Dream of You". Price is such a fine writer that I am constantly amazed at his dexterous use of vocabulary and character dialog. As a writer myself, I can't think of anyone better as a model for carefully crafted stroytelling, right up there with William Styron, et al.

Give "The Cock's Spur" a try; you won't be disappointed. It does have an odd title but don't let that hinder you. It refers to cock fighting, a testosterone-laced sport enjoyed by mountain men who want to play tough...with their birds. Hamby McFee has a special way of communicating with animals, any animal, especially fighting roosters. Very interesting indeed.

Mr. Price makes this history flow with fleshed out characters and inviting narritive. A thoughtful and well written book that you won't put down till it's finished.

Price's multigenerational saga that began with Hiwassee and Freedom's Altar continues in The Cock's Spur as war heroes, thugs, farmers, craftsmen, former slaves, cock fighters, fallen men and women, and moonshine kings interact with a clash of will, purpose, action, and destiny. These books are so rich, so finely textured with all the elements of good historical fiction, and Price engages the reader so completely that he causes you to examine your own need for finding meaning and seeking redemption. Hamby McFee, born into slavery and searching for his place in a post-war life of freedom, is one of the most memorable characters you will ever meet; and his personal journey, his pilgrim's progress toward understanding the meaning of loyalty, friendship, family, home, and love, is remarkably portrayed by Price with emotional depth and sensitivity seldom seen from such a perspective. 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.

A perverse book on the business of oil. Perverse if you don't believe in aristocracy, corporate manipulation, imperialism, and plain old exploitation.

A timeless comprehensive study done by an expert, published by the time of the so-called "oil crisis" of the mid-nineteen-seventies; unmasking the oil industry's politics, economics and technical aspects. Top priority for any well informed person, in order to know, how the "free" market has been circumvented by the best kept secret conspiracy of all times, between major producers and giant distributors at the expense of domestic and foreign consumers. There is no such thing as an oil shortage, that's a lie.

"The Control of Oil," By Dr. John M. Blair is a brilliant look at how the price of crude oil was determined by giant petroleum companies (the seven sisters) and a dozen members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Blair traces the history of these controls and explains how they recklessly triggered the 1970's global energy crisis.

This 1976 publication is a classic. To this end, Blair spent thirty-two years in the federal government. He started in 1938 as an author of monographs for pre-World War II investigations. Early on, he made his name focusing on the sizable concentrations of economic power in the oil industry by the Rockefeller family and family foundation. Afterwards he spent nearly a decade with the Federal Trade Commission as an Assistant Chief Economist and finally Blair spent fourteen years as Chief Economist of the Senate Subcommittee on Anti-trust and Monopoly. What makes this book truly special is the author's enormous access to critical government information.

Blair describes the oil industry's principal tax preferences, which worked to the advantage of the major companies and against smaller nonintegrated companies that could have favorably altered the availability and price of oil to consumers. The author also goes into great detail to reveal how the "Arab Embargo" that set the stage for the massive oil price explosion of October 1973 - January 1974 had little impact on supply and that in reality there was no crude oil shortfall. Ultimately, Blair emphasizes the need for developing alternate energy sources in the future.

This book had its genesis in a special 1973 Ford Foundation Energy Policy Project. The final result is a groundbreaking examination of the dramatic profits of oil companies.

Bert Ruiz

A good friend of mine gave this to me as a present. I found myself reading those fine, short essays again and again. I'm a European with little knowledge of the Civil War of the USA. This opened new perspectives to this American tragedy. Even my son of 15 years have found it very interesting.

I admit I bought this book because I really liked the clever caricatures of Civil War figures like Lee, Grant, Jackson, etc. But the mini-biographies of each person are really fascinating too, especially chapters dealing with some of the lesser known figures like spy Rose Greenhow and Robert Anderson, the Union guy who surrendered Fort Sumter. The author dug up some little "nuggets" about each person that you don't usually find in the history books, and it is this kind of offbeat data that makes history come alive. By the way, the bios are one half Rebel, one half Union--equal time, I guess. I think the author has a slight pro-Confederate bias, but I didn't mind that at all.

In my view the personalities that make history are often more interesting than the events that make them famous. "Drawn To The Civil War" demonstrates that this is true, even for an event as significant as the the war that tore our nation apart. This book is a series of short biographies covering the major warriors, politicians, spies, and others who achieved fame on both sides of the war, focusing on the characteristics that made each individual unique. The book is layed out in a fashion that guides the reader through all the major events leading up to and during the war, giving the reader a good perspective on the sequence events and how one led to the next, without being strictly chronological and without dwelling on dates and places. The caricatures by Mike Caplanis are wonderful. They are humorous, but when viewed in the context of the biographical information they clearly capture the essence of each unique personality as well. I picked up the book from a coffee table at a bed and breakfast last weekend, and couldn't put it down. I'm not a "Civil War Nut", but I found the book captivating nonetheless.

My firm took on a civil asset forfeiture case and I received the daunting task of trying to get the case to court. I found Mr. Sibley's book most informative, as it made clear an area of law that is unfamiliar to most. The book includes sample pleadings that I found very helpful. The area of civil asset forfeiture is complex, and Mr. Sibley's book is a must-read for anyone who is considering tackling it.

This is truly a BIBLE to handling civil forefeiture cases! It contains everything you need in battling with the government in forefeiture cases.

Mr. Sibley has taken the mystery, wonder and guess work out of the Federal Foreiture arena. This Practice Manual is structured to equip any attorney with the knowledge and skill necessary to challenge a property seizure by the Feds efficiently, effectively and with confidence. As a sole practicioner criminal defense attorney the Manual is perfectly suited as a practice guide for the occasional forfeiture matters I handle. The time savings alone are invaluable as compared to conducting research from scratch and the ease of use allows for quicker, more complete planning of case stategy and preparation. I find the CD format ideally suited for this type of manual as compared to a 600 page book. If you handle any Federal Forfeiture matters this manual will provide you with the amunition and armor needed to do battle with the government.

We recommend this book to any film fan living in or visiting NC! Add another dimension to the streets you see. As an NC bookseller we have yet to find a better researched, more user-friendly or more helpful guide. Thank you both!

Great hits... near misses ... big stars... a unique look at a cool state... A few classics and new faves "One Tree Hill", "Dawson's Creek" et al... Good Stuff!

How many times have your out-of-town visitors whined: "Take us to the waterfall in The Last of the Mohicans (1997), or the train wreck in The Fugitive (1993)? Why doesn't somebody come out with a North Carolina travel guide that spotlights our Hollywood connections?

Cue the applause meter-Film Junkie's Guide to North Carolina has finally arrived. The 430-page glove-compartment-sized winner is comprehensive (160 mountain-to-sea locations!), masterfully written (a perfect mix of scholarly insight and insider gossip), and beautifully laid out in a simple reader-friendly format, full of photos, maps, sidebars, and enough movie trivia to make you want to read the book from cover to cover even if you're a stay-at-home couch potato. And bargain-priced at $16.95, even film students can afford it.

Guide is divided into three geographic areas: The Coast, Piedmont, and The Mountains. "Locations" in each area list the places where films and TV shows were shot, including great maps on how to get there. "Star Tracks" list the restaurants, stores, hotels and other places where celebrities used to hang out, or they still do.

Keep a copy of the book in the glove compartment of your car for spontaneous tourist adventures.

The second "Sam Shade" book by Kerry Blair - creepy and suspenseful, yet quirky and humorous. Twists and turns abound! Loved it!

If you want a good book that will keep your interest and make you laugh, this one will do the trick. Kerry Blair is a wonderful author!

When it comes to wit with words, no one does it better than Kerry Blair. Samantha Shade's latest mystery has her looking for a ghost in the old deserted San Rafael mission, but puts her in a "tales of the crypt" encounter with a tongue-stealing, marigold-leaving psychopath. Will handsome and bookish detective Thom Casey come to her rescue or will Samantha be the killer's next victim? Buy "Ghost of a Chance" and find out!

I have other books on Appalachia folklore, and this is at the top of the list. It's fun, colorful, and gives you the creeps! Like the late Charles Edwin Price, Randy Russell and Janet Barnett have compiled a rich array of stories from East Tennessee; the perfect book to read -- whether to yourself or to others -- on those "dark, stormy nights."

This is a great book I love ghost stories and think they are really good I read this book about 5 times and was scared eveery time! (a REALLy good book will do that u know!!)

First of all, I like ghost stories rooted in history and place. All 25 stories in this collection are wonderful examples of folklore and of the people of the Cumberland and Blue Ridge mountains of Tennessee. You can almost touch the trees in the forest and hear the water moving over rocks. Did you know you can tell your future by counting the number of seeds in an apple? One story here tells you how. More importantly for me as professional storyteller, I found the authors had a very good ear for dialogue and *voice*. I havealready used two of the stories, Footprints in The Snow (Pigeon Forge)-- and the title story Granny Curse, and both met with very good success! Great for reading aloud -- but don't read them alone at night.

If you've never read anything about the Blockade or the ships which used to evade it you really should read this one. Dawson Carr does a great job discussing the role of Wilmington, the primary destination for blockade runners during the Civil War, and discusses the cat and mouse game between Union warships and the unarmed transports which used to try to slip in and out of the Cape Fear River. Carr supports his book with sidebars which has stories of individual ships and also has an excellent collection of maps and diagrams which makes the material really easy to comprehend.

The blockade of the Confederacy and recent changes in naval technology made for unique vessels for running it. Carr brings the subject alive.

I found this book a great read. Dr. Carr did an excellent job in writing a book that was very informative on the blockade runners and the blockaders. I enjoyed the separate stories through out the book on actual events. This really gave the reader a fill for what tactics the blockade runners used and the tacitics used by the US Navy. These little mini stories also were idea for showing the ever changing tactics used by both sides.

As a sailor who served on PBR's in Vietnam I related to the blockaders but admired the skill and daring of the blockade runners. Dr. Carr did an excellent job in showing how both sides tactics evolved during the war with the changes in technology and as more blockading vessels were used.

I highly recommend this book to all readers interested the civil war or naval history. I would like to see Dr. Carr write a book about the blockaders.

The American Civil War has provided countless authors with material for nearly one hundred fifty years. Still, with the thousands of books and articles written about this war, some aspects of the struggle are often overlooked. I have in fact seldom run across a book, which has for its entire subject the blockade of a single southern port. I am sure other such works exist but I haven't seen them. But no matter what other books are out there I doubt they can hold a candle to this work. In fact, I have seldom ever been so enthralled with a book. Dawson Carr has provided us with a concise, thrilling, well-researched, and very understandable look at the wartime activities along the Cape Fear coast. The writing is absolutely wonderful and the story draws the reader in like a classic novel. You will not want to put this book down until you have finished it.

Carr begins his narrative with the early efforts of North Carolina to secure its coast and proceeds from there. The stories of the building of the coastal fortifications are well told and informative but it is his stories of the blockade-runners and their pursuers that will grab the reader's attention. One can almost feel the tension on the decks as the runners try to slip by the Union blockade, which grows in strength every month. As the pilots strain to make out landmarks in the total darkness the runners used for cover one can almost imagine being there and trying to make out some form on land, hoping the first thing you see isn't an enemy ship.

All of Carr's stories aren't of the blockade-runners though, for he also covers events in Wilmington, Richmond, Liverpool, and many other locations that are involved in this story. In one instance for example there is a tense confrontation between Governor Vance and Confederate authorities during which the Carolina Governor is basically placed under house arrest for a short time. Of course all good things must come to an end and for the Confederacy their last port fell shortly after Braxton Bragg was sent to take charge of the area. Infighting in Richmond, squabbles with state authorities, war profiteers, and three plus years of a union navel blockade couldn't close Wilmington, but it only took Bragg a short time to lose the Confederacy's last port.

If you are a civil war enthusiast, are interested in navel history, or just like a well-told story I highly recommend this book. If a six star rating existed this book would easily deserve that rating. Well done Dr. Carr, well done!

ellen zieselman is a brilliant writer. a magical piece. i hope she goes on to write others.

I purchased this book for my 6 year old after he expressed a sudden interest in marionettes. He is not yet reading fluently, but sits eagerly by my side nightly as we read through this beautiful book together. He has learned much about the marionettes of Gustave Baumann. The photographs provide high visual interest, and the text with marionettes doing the 'speaking' is quite appealing to young children.

This is a delightful representation of the artist and his work, beautifully and clearly written and magically photographed. It will make an enthusiast of the casual observer!

Wow- this book is fantastic. I have a lot of ghost books- and this one is definitely one of my favorites.

Included are TONS OF PICTURES of EVERY haunted inn listed!
It seems these days that it is hard to find a good ghost book with photos included!
The pictures are black and white- and there are MANY of them!!

Also included are the websites of the inns.

The ghost stories in this book are fascinating. The Pink Lady ghost of the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC was excellent!

(www.groveparkinn.com).

Sheila Turnage actually stayed at the inn- in the Pink Lady's room~~~and had a few strange experiences herself.

I really enjoyed this book- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!

It is obvious the author put a lot of time and effort into this book. The ghost stories are well-researched and there are photographs of each haunted location. Ms. Turnage also provides a lot of additional useful information such as telephone numbers, e-mail addresses and rates. I can't wait to visit some of the haunted inns and plan to do so within the next few months. I am particularly interested in the St. James Hotel in Selma, Ala., said to be haunted by Jesse James, a lady named Lucinda, and a phantom dog.

If you like to travel and are interested in the subject of ghosts/spirits, you will enjoy this book highly. This book not only gives you a short history/story behind the various Haunted Inns, but also gives contact information to inquire further and/or make reservations - including webpage addresses when available. Shelia Turnage has put a lot of work and research into this book. She does a great job getting directly to the point describing the hauntings.

The book's introduction is a quick overview on "Things To Know Before You Go", which is informative especially for first time ghost/paranormal researchers.