Tennessee Books

You couldn't ask for more beautiful pictures...I keep it in my office at work (I'm living in L.A. now-but originally from TN.)
Makes me think of home.

This was my first gardening book and I have read it many times over. The book is very logically organized, with sections on annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, grasses, bulbs, and water gardens. There even is an appendix devoted to shady gardens. While perhaps not comprehensive, the plants chosen are those that are classic to Tennessee and Kentucky. The author has a very down to earth style in writing, touching on the basics of soil/light/water requirements, routine care, companion planting, and personal favorites. The photos are very nice. I have found the book to be a great resource for choosing plants for where I live in middle Tennessee, and the style of the writing is simply enjoyable to read. I have read it many many times and have not tired of it. If you live in this area, it is a great first book to get you started. If you are an advanced gardener, you might not find it quite comprehensive enough, but I still think you would find it enjoyable.

With the volume on "Tennessee" for the America the Beautiful, Second Series, I did something I had not done with any of the others I have read to date, which was to immediately go to the Index in the back to see what Deborah Kent has to say about the Scopes "Monkey" Trial of 1925. I did my dissertation on the trial, so I am always interested to see how it is playing out in any and all books that young students read that touch on it. Not surprisingly, there is a sidebar taking up a whole page devoted to "The Monkey Trial" (48) with a picture of Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan sitting together at the Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton. Kent provides a concise description of the legal issue of the trial involving the Butler Act and ignores the rhetoric of ridicule that came to dominate the publicity regarding the trial. Given the amount of space being devoted to the trial, Kent provides one of the more objective encapsulations of the trial I have seen in a while, which certainly bodes well for the rest of the book.

Chapter One, "The Big Red Curtain," confronts readers with the image of Tennessee most Americans have gotten from "The Grand Ole Opry," which has presented Tennessee as a state full of farmers obsessed with hogs, mules, and pickup trucks. Of course, Kent is going to show there is much more to the state. The next three chapters detail Tennessee's history, beginning with Chapter Two, "The Land of Abundance," which begins with the prehistoric Mound Builders and then the People of the Forest (the Creek, Cherokee, and Chickasaw) that the first European settlers crossing the Appalachian Mountains would have encountered. Chapter Three, "Under the Shadows," continues the story through the Revolutionary War and statehood up to the Civil War. That leaves everything from Reconstruction to the end of the 20th century for Chapter Four, "In Search of Unity," which ends with the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis in 1968.

The geography of Tennessee is the subject of Chapter Five, "Three States in One," which tells how the unique arrangement of rivers, mountains, and lowlands breaks the state into three distinct sections known as east, middle and west Tennessee. Chapter Six, "Turns in the Road," follows that same division to look at what visitors can explore in each region of the state, such as the Sunsphere, Andrew Jackson's Hermitage, and Graceland. Chapter Seven, "From a Hilltop in Nashville," covers the politics of the state, which covers all of the state's symbols and explains the flag and seal (by now the what the three stars on the state flag mean should be obvious).

The agriculture and commerce of the states motto are detailed in Chapter Eight, "The Plow and the Riverboat," which is where we get this book's recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes. The people of Tennessee are covered in Chapter Nine, "At Home in the Volunteer State," although the individual citizens of the state you whose names you would recognize come in Chapter Ten, "The Spirit of Tennessee." This is where Kent talks about Davy Crockett, Robert Penn Warren, W.C. Handy, B.B. King, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, and Elvis Presley (born in Tupelo, Mississippi but moved to Memphis when he was young).

The people and places of Tennessee are also covered in sidebars throughout the book, which is where we learn about the Cherokee syllabary created by Sequoyah, Old Hickory, Shiloh National Military Park, Andrew Johnson (The President Who Never Went to School), Tennessee Walkers, Al Gore, and Bessie Smith. There are full color photographs throughout the book along with original maps on topography and population density. A detailed Timeline shows U.S. and Tennessee state history side-by-side, followed by several pages of Fast Facts in the back of the book. Whether you are a young student living in Tennessee, planning a visit, or studying the state for class, this book provides a solid introduction to the state.

For those of you who don't know, Nashville was known even before the Civil War as "the Athens of the South". It's simply amazing how many of the beautiful churches, homes, and government buildings constructed from the early to mid-19th century have survived in Tennessee, especially in Middle Tennessee. I've spent most of my life in Nashville, Tennessee and it's hard to think of another city that's so rich in history. For example, did you know that Nashville was the first city to use a public schools system? Or that it was the first town to legalize prostitution (though it only lasted while the town was occupied by Union soldiers during the war)? Plus, Andrew Johnson, the first U.S. president to be impeached, was appointed by President Lincoln to be the "military governor" of Nashville after it was occupied by Union forces in early 1862. And speaking of presidents, James K. Polk, a native Tennessean, was burried on the grounds of the capitol building in Nashville.

This book covers a lot of ground in a rather limited space, yet it gives a great summary explaining the background of each historic site as well as helpful information for tourists. In this book you can learn about such famous homes as Belmont Mansion, which at one time included a greenhouse, conservatory, art gallery, gazebos, a bowling alley, and a bear house and zoo! Then there's Travellers Rest, an old frame home that served as Gen. John Bell Hood's headquarters during the Battle of Nashville. In fact, there are many homes that have a rich Civil War history, like the Carter House, which was caught in the middle of the bloody slaughter during the Battle of Franklin. Also in Franklin is Carnton Plantation, where between 200-300 bleeding, dying men from both sides were crammed after the carnage was over. Grisly blood stains remain on the floor to this very day! By the way, in recent years the Carnton Plantation has been carefully and fully restored. Located on the property of the plantation is the McGavock Confederate Cemetary, the largest privately-owned Confederate cemetary in the country.

And of course, who could leave out Belle Meade Plantation, where during the battle of Nashville Miss Selene Harding stood on the front porch and cheared the Confederate troops who were chasing the Union soldiers off her property! Aside from the many houses and plantations, this book also covers famous churches, monuments, and historic graveyards, such as Zion cemetary in Maury County, where 47 Civil War veterans are buried, including Sam Watkins, one of only seven out of the 120 original members of Company H, 1st (Confederate) Tennessee Infantry, that survived the war. In 1881, he published his now well-known book "Co. 'Aytch'" which recounted his experiences during the war. It is my favorite Civil War memoir, and visiting his grave will deeply affect any Civil War buff.

This short but outstanding book provides information (and helpful directions) to more than 50 historic homes and sites in Tennessee and is a must-have for any tourists. Be aware that because the book was published in 1995, some information is outdated. For example, the Battle of Nashville monument has now been carefull restored and moved to Granny White Pike, where some of the heaviest fighting took place. David R. Logsdon is the author of the outstanding Civil War book series "Eyewitnesses at the Battle of...", which focuses entirely on the often neglected Western Theater of the war. Logsdon researches extensively for each book and it clearly shows. This book is highly recommended!

This is an excellent book. Bishop did an incredible amount of research through archival letters, diaries, reminiscenses, etc. of members of the Confederate Tennessee Brigade. This unit fought a bloody trail through the Civil War from 1861 to Lee's surrender in 1865. By the time it reached Appomattox the Brigade had been reduced to fragments. Much of the text is in the words of those who experienced those years, and Bishop ties this together with masterful prose. It is a great read.

For TC fans, this book is a true gem. Great history, photos and information on the company. Its only shortcomings are that is is not long enough in that I finished reading and looking through it way too soon. Also, I would have liked more info on the business interests, activities and court decisions leading up to the break up of the company.

The book is a fascinating look back at life in the early 1900's
in 4 counties of the northern Cumberland Plateau area of Tennessee.
There is a wealth of old photographs--at a guess, about 250 or more
in the book's 120 oversize glossy pages--maps, and descriptions in
the book. The emphasis is primarily on the coal camps such as Wilder
in Fentress County, with a lot of detail about the railroads that
served the coal mining communities, and not as much about the logging.

The book is divided into histories of some of the towns in each county
(the book calls them "cities", which is a very generous term). Then
you'll find histories of the timber and lumber companies, and the coal
companies. There's a nice chapter on the people--biographies of some
of the residents (mostly coal miners in this book). There are brief
chapters on the Wilder and Zenith strikes (1919 to 1937 or so) and
some excerpts from the 1930s from Jamestown and Livingston papers. All
chock-full of photographs of the people and places--including a couple
of photos of hangings from the late 1800's: it would appear that the
local law enforcement preferred using trees to building gallows.

The book is a nice companion piece to Ghost Railroads of Tennessee,
although the emphasis is on a much smaller part of the state. On a
personal note, I'm a caver, and most of the areas in the book are familiar
to me. Of particular interest is the town of Wilder, close to the gorge
of the East Fork of the Obey River. The population peaked at about 2500
in 1925 or so, with large hotels and a thriving coal business. What is
left has a population of about 60--the hotels, the mines, the railroad,
etc, are all long since gone and grown over--looking at the old photos
is a real treat! A highly recommended book.

For those of us who practiced before 1982, defending the drinking or drug impaired driver was fun, and without substantial consequences. Since then, the matter of drinking and driving has become serious business for the police, the public, the legal profession, and the bench. This book fulfills the professional needs of all lawayers and judges who contend with the accused and convicted impaired driver (and even passenger). This book is, without doubt, a fundamental guide for all lawyers (including prosecutors) and judges on the subject matter of "impaired" driving. It is broken into salient sections, and covers the law in Tennessee completely, accurately and in its entirity. It is a must read for all practioners and judges; it is a most efficient tool for courtroom use; and it is the fundamental lead to research on important questions of dui law. In our office, it is used often and much, with astonishing success as our points for authority. You cannot avoid having this book even if you only have once case a year.

this was a very helpful and informative book about Tennessee. It contains facts concerning the counties, civil war and even different people from the area. This was a great resource for my research. I would recomend it to anyone

An excellent, well written history of Tennessee. Gives an insight into the expansion into the lands west of the Appalachians that is easily understood. Puts the process of transition from wilderness outposts and small farming
settlements to statehood into perspective with other events occurring during the same time period.
Undoubtedley the best explanation of the establishment and subsequent failure of the state of "Franklin" that I have read.