Kentucky Books

Bert and Nan are at it again, mixed up in murder and trying to earn a living. These twins make the mystery more interesting by being up to their noses in suspicion.

A charming read, a few good chuckles, and a killer stalked by the daring duo. What more could we ask? It's a good book for a relaxing evening.

When an unsavory antiques dealer is murder, Nan and Bert Tatum are question because of recent fights they've had with him. But when Bert's daughter Ellie is arrested for the murder after confessing, the twins dive head first into the case to find the real killer. Further complicating matters for Bert is her ex-husband. Jake wants back into her life and is using this case to drive a wedge between her and current boyfriend Hank, the detective assigned to the case and responsible for arresting Ellie.

This is the fourth book in the Tatum twin mystery series, which is still going strong. The characters have become so strong and familiar that I didn't have any trouble at all with the alternating narration. In fact, part of the fun of this book is seeing the personalities of the twins switch after Ellie is arrested. The plot is slow in a couple places, but over all flows very smoothly.

If you're already a fan of these twins, this book is for you. If you haven't meant them yet, start with the first, DOUBLE MURDER. You won't regret it at all.

"Double Dealer" is the best yet in the superb series featuring bright and witty identical twins, Bert and Nan Tatum. In this episode, featuring a Louisville flea market, mother Bert and Aunt Nan have to find the real killer of a sleazy dealer. They are driven to the detecting game by the fact that Bert's daughter has been arrested for the murder. The mystery is good, the characters are three dimensional and the dialogue sparkles. If you haven't met the Tatums, you will want to read the others in the series as well.

These twins will keep you in stitches! It is rare to find a good mystery that keeps you in suspense and smiling at the same time. I have read all of the twin books and Barbara's other series, and I haven't been disappointed yet.

This is an enjoyable cozy with an unforgettable cast of characters who will ingratiate themselves in to your heart and onto your keeper shelf. I realize there is nothing funny about murder but the way these two go about solving it you can't help but chuckle from time to time.

Bert and Nan Tatum, whose mother named after them after the Bobbsey twins, Nan and Beatrice, are soon to be forty, identical twins and a one of a kind sleuthing team. Their mysteries take place in Louisville Kentucky, home of Six Flags Over Kentucky Kingdom and the Gigantic Flea Market.

In this the third Nan and Bert mystery, the twins, against their better wishes, return to sleuthing in order to find out who killed a unsavory flea market booth owner. When this mystery hits too close to home Nan worries as she watches her genteel twin sister change before her very eyes. Bert's maternal instincts transform her from a kind, sensitive woman to a protective mother with an agenda, the agenda being, to keep her daughter Ellie out of prison and to catch the murderer who is making her family suffer.

The plot is strong and current; in fact the contemporary atmosphere is so up to date that even Monica Lewinsky gets a mention. The mystery is hard to solve and the authors exercise good timing when introducing the suspects. As the ladies sleuth, the reader is entertained by their identical yet individual personalities.

Mystery readers, especially cozy fans, if you haven't read a Nan and Bert Tatum Mystery you are in for a double treat.

This is a very insightful look into major college football from someone at the top of the profession.

BEING A CAT FAN, TONY FRANKLIN'S BOOK IN ONE WAY WAS A GREAT ONE TO TO READ, IN ANOTHER WAY, IT IS SAD THAT UK FOOTBALL HAD TO RESORT TO THE WAYS TONY PUT IT. I BELIEVE COACH FRANKLIN'S WRITINGS!! MAYBE NEWTON & IVY'S CLOSET SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT AS WAS BASSETTS. THANKS TONY. MAYBE SOMEDAY, (EVEN THO I DON'T BELIEVE IT WILL) UK FOOTBAL WILL IMPROVE. THIS WILL ONLY HAPPEN WHEN UK OFFICALS QUIT TRYING TO HELP THEIR RICH BOOSTERS AND HELP THE STUDENTS AND GENERAL PUPIC..

This book was very entertaining and provided a solid look into the workings of UK, Inc. (aka UK Athletics). The book not only provides details on the ugly events rarely seen or heard outside of the inner circles, it also shines lights on many of the positive aspects of the program.

There were several stories (good and bad) in the book that, while I knew it possible for them to be true, my mind wanted to force me into disbelief. Fortunately, I have the good luck to know some of the many individuals mentioned in the book, so when I hit some of the stories, I simply picked up the phone and called. Without fail, every one confirmed the story in question! This leads me to believe the remaining stories are just as accurate. (Which I should have anyway, I've also had the honor of knowing Coach Franklin and he is pretty much a solid stand up guy.)

When all is said and done, the book is informative and educational, but it leaves me wanting for one more thing...the rest of "The Story".

Fourth Down and Life to Go is a largely one-sided account by a bitter and angry man who lashes out at many innocent people in addition to those Franklin believes he was wronged by. It's a story of turmoil within a coaching staff that got out of hand and ultimately led to the collapse of that staff. While the book is Franklin's personal view of the inside of a college football program, it sadly misses the mark due to false accusations and attacks on anybody associated with the program. If anything, Franklin's account is a lesson in how not to handle things as an adult when disagreements arise in the workplace. Franklin would have been better served to sticking to reporting the facts and stories that transpired. His interjection of paranoid and bitter beliefs and views about situations, circumstances, and others dramatically reduces the credibility that the book could have otherwise had.

If Tony Franklin says it is true you can take it to the bank. This book is more than just an account of the Mumme Era. The approach that Tony has used to tell his story is set forth in lessons that apply to all walks of life. You do not have to be a football coach or fan to understand the valuable lessons brought forth in this book.

Some will read this book and say there is no way that what is written can be true. I truly believe what is said in this book about the Mumme era is a correct accout of what happended. Tony Franklin is a man of character who as his book states is a stand up type person.

Read the book with an open mind. Many will not know the names of the coaches and players mentioned but you can relate many of the lessons taught to your personel life. The things that happened at a division 1 SEC school will boogle your mind.

"Hollywood Be Thy Name"is a well documented, well-written story of the incredible accomplishments of the four Warner brothers, who, from immigrant beginnings, with almost no money and no education, got into the beginnings of movie business. They rose to the incredible challenges that business presented, and gave us, over the years, an amazing number of award-winning stories, pictures, and performances that were a big part of the back-bone of the industry during the golden age of movies and movie studios.

It's an inspiring, exciting story of four men with very different personalities and temperaments, who worked together to make Warner Brothers a money making studio that gave us quality pictures. They changed the industry by creating the first talking picture (in conjunction with Western Electric) and mesmerized audiences with this innovation as well as the list of quality pictures that followed. It's also a story of how the four of them worked together until the power they created caused them to lose sight of their family ties in favor of infighting and personal sabotage over that power.

The book presents the authentic voices of many of the people who worked for the Warner brothers, and of members of many family members on both sides of what became the great divide. The fictionalized dialog is well within the scope of the personalities involved, and only serves to soften the dramatic facts that form the basis of this book. It's a very human story, and essential reading for anybody interested in the history of the movie industry.

I highly recommend it.

This is a hard to put down book! I only learned about it because my husband and I just had a book published unknowingly with the same headline title. Having worked at Warner Bros mainly through the 60s, I found all this background on the brothers extremely interesting and very well written. In fact, I couldn't put it down! I do believe the title of another chapter in their book would have made a better title for their book though: BUILDING THE DREAM, because that is what it really is all about. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in movies since their inception. I have read many books on the subject, and besides our newly published book - which is quite different from this one - this is the most enjoyable and informative one of all. Shirley Lawrence

I read "Hollywood Be Thy Name" with great interest and curiosity. Author, Ms. Cass Warner Sperling has kept her unspoken "promise" made to Grandpa Harry (patriarch of the Warner brothers) at his deathbed when she was a ten year old girl, to convey to others his deep beliefs and ideals.

I rate it 5 stars because the story and writing style paints an incredible picture of not just another "rags to riches" story but one of tragedy and great sacrifice leading to an enduring legend of the motion picture industry directly because of the "can do and make it go right" attitudes of the Warners.

From the family gold watch (later to be hocked in order to secure payment for the brothers first projector) placed in 1883 into the secret pocket of Benjamin Warner for his immigration to America into New York and the arrival of wife Pearl and children less than a year later, to a realization of a movie empire that had as its motto "Educate, entertain, and enlighten" which is a Hollywood legacy.

A must read for movie buffs and those interested in the beginnings of Hollywood. This is a book that has "all the right stuff" for the making of a fascinating mini-series as told by granddaughter Cass and others.

Shelley Abate, movie buff and avid reader.

Not simply a biography, Hollywood Be Thy Name is a moving and motivational series of lessons in persistence in the face of great challenges.

The reader is left with no doubt that while the Warner Brothers, Harry, Jack, Albert and Sam, made astute business decisions in building their company from its austere begginings in 1907, to the empire that became known as Warner Brothers Studios, the growth and succcess was fueled by an unmistakeable passion for moviemaking.

The book is well written by Cass Warner Sperling, grandaughter of Harry Warner and Cork Milner.

Hollywood by Thy Name also serves as a moving documentary-a history of early Hollywood. (Thirty two page photo insert).

Students of Hollywood history will find the book illuminating. Movie buffs will find it entertaining and those interested in the business side of this business we call "show business" will find it educational.

Interviews with Jack Warner Jr. and Ronald Reagan are highlighted but the real stars of "Hollywood Be Thy Name" are the brothers themselves, truly the earliest of the rags to riches stories and whose legend lives on through this book.

I read "Hollywood Be Thy Name" with great interest and curiosity. Author, Ms. Cass Warner Sperling has kept her unspoken "promise" made to Grandpa Harry (patriarch of the Warner brothers) at his deathbed when she was a ten year old girl, to convey to others his deep beliefs and ideals.

I rate it 5 stars because the story and writing style paints an incredible picture of not just another "rags to riches" story but one of tragedy and great sacrifice leading to an enduring legend of the motion picture industry directly because of the "can do and make it go right" attitudes of the Warners.

From the family gold watch (later to be hocked in order to secure payment for the brothers first projector) placed in 1883 into the secret pocket of Benjamin Warner for his immigration to America into New York and the arrival of wife Pearl and children less than a year later, to a realization of a movie empire that had as its motto "Educate, entertain, and enlighten" which is a Hollywood legacy.

A must read for movie buffs and those interested in the beginnings of Hollywood. This is a book that has "all the right stuff" for the making of a fascinating mini-series as told by granddaughter Cass and others.

Shelley Abate, movie buff and avid reader.

Home to Kentucky is the third book in the Legend of the Golden Feather series. Jake and Wiley return to 1886, bringing with them from 1993 the three men who one way or another saved them, Jim, Dave and Hank, along with a dog.
Back in 1886, while Wiley's gun shot wound is virtually healed; all their old problems are there to confront them. Billingsley, the corrupt lawyer still wants Wiley dead, and the Harrises are still after Jake either to kill him or take him back to Kentucky to marry the pregnant Sara Jean. If that's not enough, there are plenty of new problems, including: Wiley's true identity as a Pinkerton Agent becomes known; Betty, a one time colleague of Wiley's turns up claiming they are engaged to be married; and an old friend of Jake's turns up and turns out to be evil.
When Jake learns of Wiley's past he runs away only to be captured by the Harrises who then take him back to Kentucky. Wiley, along with Jim, Dave, Hank and Zeke, Jake's brother who has finally come to his senses and sided with good, gay guys, set off in pursuit.
The adventure is packed full of tension and action, with any number of plots and schemes afoot, both by the good and the bad guys. There seemed to be less humour than the previous two books of the series, and the action tends to be at the expense of character development. The observations of Jim and Dave from 1993 as they see what the twentieth century's corporate greed has destroyed in terms of architectural heritage and open space are very pertinent. However the repeated comments on the contrasting acceptance of men who like men between the two periods, especially the bigoted, prejudiced and miss-informed attitude of some self righteous Christians of today, as opposed to those how follow the spirit of love Jesus taught, while valid, lacks subtlety in handling. But that is a very minor point; the book is thoroughly enjoyable, and the conclusion perfectly rounds out the original trilogy of the Legend of the Golden Feather. While first planned as a trilogy, there are yet two further books in the series.

I have to say this book series is one of the best I have read. In the introduction of the first book the author states he wants to write a book that will capture from the first sentence, well this one did for me so much so I have read the whole series and I am awaiting the next book!
Jake and Wiley are some very charming characters and the love they share should be a model for all.

This third episode concludes the first part of Wiley's and Jake's adventures. Later on the author has published two further episodes but these first three may very well stand alone because there is no cliffhanger ending or loose thread that begs for a sequel.
Not to mention that we have a happy ending, so everything is allright and I personally will stop here.

This third episode infact posed a challenge to me: I hate not finishing books I have begun, but I hate more what I was forced to do with this: skip pages and scanning others to get to the interesting parts.

I do not really know why, but I did not like a good half of this third episode. I have no clear explanation for this: perhaps it was the plot twists that felt contrived, perhaps the plot was simply too thin to be stretched this long, perhaps the unsatisfying evolution in the psychologies of the characters.
For sure the quality of the writing was not here -as it was not in the first two episodes- an asset capable of redeeming the above mentioned faults.

As it is often the case I surprise myself hoping that a more sensitive writer would retell exactly the same story amending its faults to allow a better enjoyment.

I loved this book, just as I loved Bristlecone Peak and The Protectors. I love Jake and Wiley. They are the masters of a gay relationship. I also loved Pinkerton Partners, which is the 4th book in the series (obtained directly from goldenfeatherpress.com.) I don't know why Amazon.com doesn't carry Pinkerton Partners--it's their INANE blunder. This series is the best of gay literature. It focuses on gays being glad to be gay, to be together and in love and not in a disfunctional relationship, which most gay literature is about. I LOVE THESE BOOKS! And, Amazon is stupid not to carry Pinkerton Partners.
Bryston Green, St. Louis, MO

I love this book! It's the third in the "Legend of the golden feather" series and I did all my praising in my very limited English vocabulary under the prequels "Bristlecone Peak" and "The protectors". So there is no need to say more, because everyone reading this either already found the other two books or should immediately search them because this is definitely not a stand-alone story. You will love Jake and Wiley and will close this book with a big grin on your face after finishing. Promise!

This book is both brilliant and hideous. It is brilliant in its clarity and writing style; it is hideous in the unfortunately all-too-true events that it depicts. This book tells the story of the author's life from the outset of the Nazi domination of Poland until the eventual liberation 6 long years later. It is a story told in a deceptively simple style, eminently readable, revealing beneath the horrible picture of what evil truly is. It is a book that everyone, whether a student of history, humankind or good and evil, should read. The author comes across as a remarkable man. And this is a remarkable book.

This book is both brilliant and hideous. It is brilliant in its clarity and writing style; it is hideous in the unfortunately all-too-true events that it depicts. This book tells the story of the author's life from the outset of the Nazi domination of Poland until the eventual liberation 6 long years later. It is a story told in a deceptively simple style, eminently readable, revealing beneath the horrible picture of what evil truly is. It is a book that everyone, whether a student of history, humankind or good and evil, should read. The author comes across as a remarkable man. And this is a remarkable book.

Reading "The Iron Furnace: A Holocaust Survivor's Story," you experience practically the entire repertoire of human emotions. In January 1939, the author was a 15-year-old Jewish boy living in Warsaw. When the Nazis invaded Poland, they turned his and his family's lives upside down. His schooling ended, he and his family were interned in the Warsaw ghetto (except for George's stays in two German work camps), and then they were all shipped to various concentration camps. George was the only one in his immediate family to survive. After his liberation by the U.S. Army, he volunteered to serve (without pay) in that army and did so with distinction. He then went on to lead a rich, productive life.

The reader feels horror, revulsion and fury at the hideous acts of the oppressors, described in chilling detail; admiration for the courage, intelligence and quick wits displayed by the author; deep sorrow at the sad plights of so many; wry enjoyment of the black humor that appeared even in the direst of circumstances; respect for the author's prodigious memory for events, conversations and people (whom you come to know intimately in these pages); awe at his ability to retain his religious faith throughout his journeys into Hell; inspiration at the demonstrated indomitability of the human spirit; jubilation at the author's rich subsequent life; and gratitude to this historian for having given his testimony so powerfully that it has to silence anyone who dares to deny that the Holocaust took place.

George Topas' memoir begins with his testimony before a German court in Kiel against a SS guard. This event triggers his memory of his five years under the Nazi boot. He relates life before the war in Warsaw, the Warsaw Ghetto and Uprising, deportation and life in a number of concentration camps. Mr. Topas is a trained historian and he provides the reader with historial asides and explanations. He goes into the false assumptions Jews had before and during World WarII. The writer provides a number of footnotes, includes an index and wraps up his narrative with an long epilogue which tell what happened to characters introduced in the book. This is a mature learned memoir.

The book is unique among survivor's stories that I have read for its clear, straightforward writing style. The story, while frightening, is told in a mannner that does not terrorize the reader; this book should therefore appeal to a wide audience. The author's survival of these events is as surprising to us as it was to him, and marks with compassion the many of his fellow men and women that did not survive those awful events. His subsequent enlistment in the US Army is a heartening testament to human stamina and determination. Bravo!

The story is told in such a way that it holds interest from the first chapter to the last. Sadly, the author passed away on October 8, 2002, so there won't be any more in the series.

Shawnee Menace jumps out of the starting gate from the first page and kept me totally consumed in this intense story to the very last page. This book is clever because Roy enriches this story's historically based frame with relevant and entertaining characters and action. What's more is that this book successfully presents the harsh reality and romantic sense for the pioneer life.

This book grabs your attention from the very beginning and holds it to the ending. A must read adventure of the life & death struggle that early Americans faced in the late 1700's on our own soil. We are anxiously awaiting Roy Hays' next book in "The Kentucky Scout Series".

Hays has written a great book about the frontier. He has a command of language that paints a rich picture of the life and times surrounding our westward expansion. His characters are authentic and interesting. All he needs are a few maps for those of us not familiar with the old names and topography! I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series.

a wonderful mixture of reality and action --interwoven with non-fiction/fictional characters, makes for an intriging spin on the amazing culture and history of our past struggles .

Awesome guide book. I keep it in my cargo pocket while hiking with my wife. So far, everything we've needed to identify has been in there. This book matched with my backpacking handbook are pretty much all I need to answer every question I have while outdoors. Great little book. I just wish it had better photos of single leaves of certain plants. Some of the overall shots make it difficult to identify plants that haven't bloomed yet. All in all, it's awesome though.

Due to its climate and varied terrain, the southeastern United States may have the most varied natural life in the nation. And while it may now be the most populous quarter of the lower 48, the natural world is never far away. The National Audubon Field Guide is an excellent resource to keep close by for those who living and exploring in the southeast.

The book is divided into three main sections. The first covers an overview of the climate, the geography, the habitats and ecology of the south. The second covers the plant and animal life. And the third introduces some of the more significant parks and natural areas of the southeast.

The first great reason this book is valuable is the extensive color photographs and drawings of the different major types of native animal and plant species. The second great reason this book is valuable is its portability. The weekend hiker or boater, and the home gardener will equally appreciate the relative size of this book, as it can be easily thrown into a backpack for easy reference.

The book could do a better job of showing some of the non native plants and animals. Also, the plants and the animals are not indexed, which can make referencing them slower. The final section, which just introduces major parks in the southeast, could have been better with some introductory maps of major hiking and boating areas. That said, this is a fine guidebook that should be useful to anyone in the southeast who enjoys the outdoors.

The book contains a lot of information. It has a lot of good pictures of plants and animals found in the Southeastern States. The info is difficult to access because not all entries a listed in the index. If you are willing to read the entire book you will gain much. But if you want to use it to identify animals and plants you have seen you have to go through each section page by page. A little intelligent thought about providing a proper index would have helped greatly.

This is the BEST nature guide I have found for the southeast, but unfortunately that is not saying much. I have been spoiled by the wealth of naturalist and natural history books available for all different parts of the west, books which not only tell you how to ID a species, but which also give you enough information to feel like you know it afterwards.

I take young people on wilderness trips for a living, and enjoy sharing with them my love of nature. I especially enjoy introducing them to members of the natural community, neighbors they have had all their lives but probably have never taken time to become aquainted with. I grew up in the southeast, before heading west in search of adventure. Now I am back, working with at-risk and adjudicated youth, taking them on canoe paddles in old cypress swamps and along inter-coastal waterways. I normally find a variety of great books to take on trips for my kids to consult when they spot something new. But here in my old stomping grounds, this is the best I could come up with.

The National Audubon guides are great for covering a wide range of information, from weather to constellations to identifying plants and animals. But they won't tell you much of anything about those plants and animals. I know there are naturalists and writers in the south who can do better. Would love to find them (in print) someday soon.

We do nature walks for homeschooling, and I have to say this is the best guide to carry with you. It covers so many plants, animals, reptiles that are easy to find and identfy. The descriptions are concise and informative. I do think it's best to have other books at home for looking up more detailed info at home (or use the internet).

This is a terrific book for anyone who loves old time fiddle music. Easy to read transcriptions of some different regional styles, including references to field recordings and other artists. The back of the book features biograpies of important Kentucky fiddlers with many great old photos.

Then, if you really want to know what this stuff sounds like... there is a cd included which is guaranteed to inspire you to play or just go to Kentucky as I did.

This is an indispensable resource for people interested in the fiddling traditions of Kentucky. It includes transcriptions of 170 tunes from a number of Kentucky fiddlers, some well-known (relatively speaking) and some rather obscure. The tunes also run the gamut of familiar (Arkansas Traveler) to obscure (Cotton Bonnet, Pick a Little Cotton and Spin Some Too, and many many other examples). Transcription alone may not be enough to convey the sound and feeling of the tunes so Titon has included a CD with this volume which is a selection of tunes from the book played by the source fiddlers. I wish Titon had included more tunes on this CD as it only covers a few of the 170 tunes in the book. However, for those who wish to locate more of the source tunes, there is a great resource where one can download many of them for this book (but certainly not all). It is the Digital Library of Appalachia (do a Google search and you will find it). Here you can search for a tune or fiddler and download MP3's for free. Much of Titon's book is based on field recordings done by folklorists like Bruce Greene and John Harrod, and these people have donated their recordings to the various libraries involved in the Digital Library project. For example, one can download the complete home recordings of Kentucky fiddler John Salyer on this website-- this includes all the Salyer tunes in Titon's volume and many more that are not transcribed in his book.

In my experience not all of the transcriptions exactly match the source tunes, but Titon admits in the introduction it is nearly impossible to fully capture a fiddler's setting for a tune on the written page. This is true, and I use this resource as a companion to the source tunes to clarify certain passages when needed and learn the tunes primarily by listening to them. Titon's transcriptions are clean and simple, and he does not muddy the page with a lot of prescribed bowing patterns-- he allows the fiddler to interpret the transcription and come up with his/her own bowing patterns for the tunes.

Each tune has a brief history printed below the transcription along with a list of other fiddlers who have recorded the tune (published and unpublished versions) and other books where the tune has been transcribed.
This volume also includes an excellent introduction on the evolution of old-time fiddling in Kentucky and the various tune types that have evolved in Kentucky (Titon outlines 3 different types distinguished by region). Titon includes a capsule biography section that gives a brief bio on each of the fiddlers whose tunes are transcribed in the book and in many cases a photo of the fiddler.

Overall, this is a great resource and learning tool for fiddlers and others interested in Appalachian fiddling traditions. It is in my opinion one of the best (if not the best) books on the subject of Appalachian fiddling. Highly recommended!

Maybe my expectations for this book were off base. The book has 170 fiddle tunes and also alot of historical and geographical references of where in Kentucky they originated from. I see that the book was funded in part by grants and it does read like alot of Masters Theses and grant proposals that I've encounted. Which is to say I think it's packaged well but also has alot of b.s. in there. I wouldn't recommend this book especially if if you want to learn some fiddle tunes, which gets back to the fact that maybe I was expecting something else altogether. On the cd there's 26 of the 170 tunes and only 9 of these are in standard tuning. Also the pitch is often way off and the transcription don't seem to jibe either. The better thing to do is just forget about the transcription and try and fiddle along. In this repect there are some pretty interesting recordings. What this book is mainly is a reference book so if you want to learn some fiddle tunes I'd say to spend your money on something else such as the Fiddler's Magazine Favorites book which comes with 2 cds and all the tunes accuratly transcribed. I don't see it on Amazon but Fiddlers Magazine puts it out ... Another good book is the Advanced Fiddling Book by Craig Duncan. It does get pretty advanced but some of the tunes are more beginning and intermediate. Also not on Amazon from what I can see but I think it's through Mel Bay. Mel Bay's Complete Fiddling Book, also by Duncan (and available thru Amazon) has some good beginning to intermediate tunes but the video which must be ordered seperatly through Mel Bay doesn't have all that many of the 300 tunes in the book so if you want a recorded rendition this is a problem as only about 10% of the tunes are on the video. What it does have though is good. Again I can see how the other reviewers gave this Kentucky Fiddle Tunes book 5 stars because it's a nice package and a decent reference book but you better be into altered tunings quite a bit... Anyway there's no way I'd tell a friend it was anything above 2 stars.

There are very few good compilations of fiddle tunes from various states. While there are excellent tunebooks from a range of fiddle traditions, it is also important to have great collections of good tunes from individual states and regions. This book is an important addition to the research on fiddling traditions that comprise an important part of American folk music. The introductory materials in the book provide a fine understanding of the background of fiddle traditions in Kentucky. Titon then presents the transcriptions of dozens of great tunes, and the book includes an audio CD to help provide a better understanding of old-time fiddling in Kentucky. Highly recommended for fiddlers and old-time music fans.

It took me a while to cough up the do, re, mi for this one, but I'm glad I did now it's in my hands. I love this book because it's all about the music. It has enough ethnomusicoligy in it to assure you it's honest. It has a wealth of wonderful tunes both in print and on a CD. The CD gets the underlying rhythm across like notation just can't do. And the stories about the old boys and girls are a bonus. Too many old time fiddle books seem to be a catalogue of old boys. You sometimes wonder if the author ever heard them play. Not this book. This is a university press publication, so if it sells out it probably won't be available again for a long time, if ever. So get it now.

Bobbie Ann Mason's characters are so real that you feel like you'd meet them when you're at the grocery store or Target buying laundry detergent or frozen waffles. Some of them, I think, are my relatives (or me). She manages to create people who are unique, yet shows us the parts of them that are just like us. I've read and reread this story collection so many times and never tire of it. I've bought every book she's written and am particularly fond of her short stories.

One of the blurbs for Bobbie Ann Mason's writing describes it as being like "type O blood" in that it can be given to anyone. I can't think of a better way to put it. "Shiloh" is a good place to start reading Mason as it was her first collection of short stories, and is a good introduction to her world.

Mason's characters all live in a world that's relatable. The Kentucky of her characters is rapidly changing from its rural past to a world of subdivisions, northerners and industry. As the past rolls away from them, so does their sense of connection.

But it's not just the stories that make Mason notable, it's the way she tells them. When I first read the short story "Shiloh" for a class back in college, I was struck at the present tense and the immediacy of her prose. Many writers since have written in present tense, but few are able to write a story that's as sharp as Mason. Also, I usually don't like the use of similes but Mason's similes are so imaginative that they don't feel overdone.

Some of the stories to pay special attention to in this collection are the title story, "Detroit Skyline 1949," "A New Wave Format" and "Nancy Culpepper." The last story, along with "Lying Doggo" concern the same characters and were reprinted in a collection also entitled "Nancy Culpepper" in 2006, which I also recommend.

I never get tired of reading Mason's stories; the tales of people feeling displaced within their own surroundings are just as relevant in the new century as they were in the last.

I was given this book by a friend about ten years ago. Somewhere in between, it went walkabout. It is such a haunting, beautiful set of stories that the chance to get it back - and in hardback - is not to be missed. Tales about working class life don't get much truer or more real than this. Very gentle, very thoughtful, very moving. Worth going out of your way for a copy.

Bobbie Ann Mason is one of the modern masters of the short story, and to see why all you have to do is pick up this collection. The stories all have a melancholy feel and are simple stories of rural Kentucky. They do at times tend to be very similar, so it is best to break this collection up with something else. But reading this shows you the skill Mason has with the short story, and why so many students love her work. I especially loved the touching story "Drawing Names."

This collection of short stories is loved, even revered, by many fledgling short story writers, and with some legitimate reasons. Bobbie Ann Mason constructs a story well, and her characters behave as real people would. She rarely chooses to give the reader much of a sense of the landscapes in which she works, but when she does, she does it beautifully and economically. Frankly, though, I grew weary of the themes in her stories. In the middle of one of the stories, I think I screamed something like, "If I have to read one more story about dysfunctional relationships, I'm going to shoot myself!" I never did go through with it, in part because Mason does give the reader a taste of some likeable male characters in a few of the stories near the end of the book. I myself would never want to write stories which are, ultimately, as bleak as the stories in this collection, but Mason's bitter humor is often endearing, and her characters are interesting (if similarly crafted from story to story). If you want to read about people from rural Kentucky, read Wendell Berry instead; if you're looking for stories about relationships, read Joyce Carol Oates. Save this one for after you're read just about everything else.

I was somewhat disappointed in the storyline of this book titled "The Town on Beaver Creek". I expected more facts and historical events regarding Martin, Kentucky but only about 25% of the book gives direct information on "a Lost Kentucky Community".

Lots of hard work and research was put into this book. It is well written and fun to read. If you love to read and have a chance to read this book it is really wonderful.

I was born in Martin, and, even though I left with my family when I was 4, I spent many summers at my grandparents. Many of the names in the book were familiar in that I knew the grandchildren of the characters. I also bought copies for my mother and aunt, as they were born there, and went to school at the old high school. They really enjoyed reading stories that they had been told in their youth.

Although I think this book would appeal most to the people with ties to the area (the reason I gave it only 4 stars), it is a good read, and tells the story of a way of life that is slipping away. The people are real, and Ms. Slatalla keeps them that way. Now, if she wants to write another book, my family could tell her a lot more stories :-).

For someone who grew up in Kentucky, though I do not know E. Ky. very well, this is a fantastic book, and a little seen view into the small town areas in Eastern Kentucky who are so adversely affected by the floods on the Big Sandy and others. The author has personalized it in myriad ways and has backed it up with people and documents at every turn. Her style of writing is easy to read and very appropriate to her subject. It's a great read, and I would recommend it to anyone with a deep love of the Bluegrass State and its people.

as a resident of martin, i just had to read this book. it was great. i've been to the cemetary and seen where these ppl now rest. i've shopped in e.p. grisbsy's store that is still in business. it does read like a fiction novel which makes it even better. i kept imagining myself at the old train depot and hestas different houses. i know where most of those places once stood and reading this book (even tho we're of no relation to the families that the book is about) it was a lil like going home. like sitting around and hearing your grandparents tell of their history. I couldn't put it down! I read the entire book in one day.