Kentucky Books

Murray State University (Kentucky) history professor Ted Franklin Belue discovered the only known copy of Peter Houston's manuscript about his personal recollections of the famous frontiersman, Daniel Boone, in the Lyman C. Draper papers at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin in 1990. Written in the 1840s by a friend and neighbor of Boone's, the original manuscript was stolen from the author's grandson in 1887, but luckily for future historians, the grandson had, mere weeks before the theft, mailed a copy of the lengthy work to the prolific historian, Lyman Draper. Belue has done a masterful job in presenting this rare piece of Americana to the reading public. Replete with extensive annotations and notes, a pictorial section, and an impressive bibliography, the book goes a long way in shedding light on everyday times on America's first western frontier during the 1770s and 1780s. For those of WWA's membership who believe, as I do, that "western" writing is defined as that which encompasses the entire American frontier experience, from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific shores, this book will provide several hours of interesting reading, indeed.--Jim Crutchfield, Managing Editor, Roundup Magazine April 1998, Western Writers of America

Long ago Peter Houston's A Sketch in the Life and Character of Daniel Boone should have been properly annotated and published. Ted Franklin Belue has done historians a genuinely useful service in transcribing into a readily available and readable form this insightful contemporary view of Daniel Boone and the times. This is an addition to the Daniel Boone-Frontier America story, casting a new first-hand and contemporary light on the subject. Dr. Thomas D. Clark, Historian Laureate of Kentucky, professor emeritus of the University of Kentucky, and author of many books on Kentucky and the American South.

Houston's Boone is a diminutive book but one brimming with contemporary insights plus editor's annotations into frontier life featuring new stuff on Boone, hide tanning, buffalo, Indians, and early hunter anecdotes. An elegent little book with a gorgeous jacket, a highly collectable bit of old-time Kentuckiana.

A string of books by Harry M. Caudill beginning in the early 60's with Night Comes to The Cumberlands kicked down the door for the region. Caudill's biography of a land where economic prosperity for a few had left others with very little ushered the Great Society into Central Appalachia, created the Appalachian Regional Commission, led to the rise of prominent Appalachian politicians like Robert Byrd and Carl D. Perkins, and as some critics would come to say, caused the region to become wholly dependant on Federal money. Slender is the Thread: Tales from a Country Law Office, finds an older Caudill looking fondly on the world he swung the wrecking ball to help destroy, a world of corrupt corporations, corrupt (but often likeable) political bosses and local power players, and a diverse crowd of Appalachian Stereotypes, as he reminisces in a what would most accurately be described as a series of short stories relaying the cases and dealings of himself and other local attorneys, his peers as well as his mentors, in which Caudill peppers with humorous anecdotes.
Caudill takes the title from a phrase used by his friend and colleague John Y. Brown I, a prominent Lexington criminal attorney. Caudill relates how Brown, who had planned on using the title for a book he never got around to writing, reflected on the uncertainty of the legal process, the blind goddess of justice, holding the scales in her hand by a thread, and how perfect justice could be easily corrupted and unbalanced by that slender thread. This theme is what Caudill uses to weave together a series of otherwise unrelated narratives of his experiences in Eastern Kentucky courtrooms and politics. He describes in a vivid storyteller's detail cases in which he wonders how the goddess of blind justice would have looked upon the decision. In one such case, involving an African-American miner who, after being ostracized by the local community for his alleged philandering with some of the younger women in the community, took vengeance by emptying a shotgun on the roof of a house where a party was taking place, a party he wasn't invited too. In the three months between his hearing and his trial, Caudill retells advising his client to make amends with the local black community, who had shown up full force at the hearing to see him off to prison. Caudill advises his client to pay for the damages to the roof, and begin attending church on a regular basis, moving up one pew a week, until, when he reaches the front pew, going to the altar to seek redemption. Caudill relates how that, much to the ire of the judge and prosecuting attorney the black community turned out again, this time to beg that the charges be dropped. After the charges are dropped, of course, the accused returned to his philandering ways, and came home one day to a vengeful wife, who put five .22 shorts into his back. Surviving the incident, the man and his wife subsequently "made up" and he wound up having to pay her fine of $200, which he claimed he was paying for "over forty dollars a shot"...Caudill comments that despite her past frowning on the measure, the goddess of justice somehow managed a smile that day.
Other days leave Caudill less certain. In other incidents, he describes jury tampering in both district and "squire" court, some by parents of involved parties, and other times just because a powerful "boss" enjoyed throwing his weight around. Caudill also questions the nature of the justice when it was in his favor, when he was awarded a third of the considerable estate of a Russian immigrant miner, since his heir lived in the USSR and the only contact that could be made with them was through the Soviet embassy, and the Judge knew that the heir would never see a penny of that money.
As he ventures into politics, Caudill describes machine politics of every sort, vote-buying, pardon-buying, and all other sorts of corruption that would make The Duke's of Hazzard's Boss Hogg smile. Caudill relays tales of a local salesman/land-grabber who, after killing his mistress's husband, buys a hundred-thousand dollar pardon from the governor, who later on, while running for Senator, the former governor asks the pardoned man's help, only to find out that he won't vote or support someone who he believes to be crooked. Caudill concludes his book with tributes to Carl D. Perkins, whom Caudill describes as being revered as almost a saint in Eastern Kentucky; even by his political enemies, and other local lawyers who he felt established the craft in Eastern Kentucky.
While Slender is the Thread is packed with colorful anecdotes about the Eastern Kentucky legal system, Eastern Kentucky lawyers and the people they represent, it contains little sociological "meat" so to speak, no theories or ideas are discussed, and nothing is quoted or even footnoted. Of course, Caudill is not writing for that purpose either. Slender is the Thread reads more like an evening of old lawyers swapping stories than an academic discussion on Appalachia, it's problems, it's people, and even it's legal structure. Unlike in his previous works, Caudill rarely finds outrage in the corruption he describes, at times it seems like he longs for it. While corporate corruption and the condemnation thereof was predominant in Caudill's earlier works, political and sometimes legal corruption doesn't seem to get under the skin of this Appalachian crusader that much.
Slender is the Thread, however, while not containing much sociological meat per say, is, and should be, a book of interest to people in the legal system in Eastern Kentucky and the rest of central Appalachia. With good reason it ranks highly on the suggested Summer Reading list for the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia. Prospective lawyers, politicians, and others who would be interested in practicing their craft in the Appalachian region would do well to read this book, which, although probably not as prevalent, much of the same structure Caudill describes still exists, as recent Federal vote fraud cases in Knott and Pike counties can attest to.

This book almost tells the reader more than he wants to know. How could crooked politicians, coal and lumber companies take such advantage of a poverty stricken and illiterate people to hold them down like animals (or worse) generation after generation? The stories are fascinating but there is always the underlying sadness of knowing this actually happened and much of it still thrives. Little has changed in 200 years.

Slender is the Thread is an account of the attorney/author Harry M. Caudill's law practice in the Appalachian community of Letcher County, KY. In his book, Caudill relives various cases and political events in his life in this country county. Much of his writing is witty and satirical in dealing with some very serious issues. He writes of corruption in the legal and political system as well as "mountain" ways of dealing with daily problems in the lives of mountain folk. The book provides vivid and colorful accounts allowing the reader to become absorbed in Caudill's words to the point of feeling like you are there. The names of various real persons and politicians in Letcher county are mentioned in the book. The book also provides some very interesting history of Letcher county and Appalachian region of Kentucky. Caudill has written other books like "Night Comes to the Cumberlands" and "Theirs Be the Powers." Caudill is presently dead and his books on Appalachia are very scarce but well worth the extra effort to obtain for reading. I rate "Slender is the Thread" with four stars.

An interesting piece of history of the development of earlier American hymnology. Also interesting is, some of the wording is funny.

Sadly the print is dim and hard to read. If you are poring over a rare first edition it is easy to forgive, but in a reproduction you would expect better. An ink shortage at the University of Kentucky?

Southern Harmony is probably the most popular hymnbook in history, having gone through editions in 1835, 1847, and 1854 as well as reprints in 1939, 1966, 1987, and 1993. After 1835, William Walker, its compiler, signed his name "William Walker, ASH"-- that is, Author of Southern Harmony. He was rightly proud of his achievement. The book includes the best of early-nineteenth-century American hymns, including many written by Walker himself. It was an influential source for many subsequent hymnals.

Southern Harmony is a shape-note hymnal, in which different notes have different shapes, enabling easy transposition between keys. The sopranos sing descants; the melodies are in the tenor voice.

And what melodies! The tunes (and lyrics) of this book will stun you with their plain-spoken power and beauty. Some (Amazing Grace, Rock of Ages) are familiar; some (Resignation --"My Shepherd Will Supply My Need"-- and Wondrous Love) are becoming better known; others have been arranged by contemporary musicians such as Alice Parker and Mack Wilberg. Many dozens of others are gems waiting to be mined.

The melodies in this book tend to display their Gaelic origins. Most are based on a pentatonic scale. Many are in minor keys, and many more are modal (especially Dorian, Phrygian, and Mixolydian). Harmonies are primitive but forceful.

This is an important part of our musical heritage. Anyone interested in church music will find Southern Harmony an inspiring collection that amply rewards hours of study.

Few Hollywood notables have been the object of more distorted,misinformed,or outright fabricated profiles than Erich Von Stroheim.Now that Arthur Lennig has come forward with his long-awaited biography,we are finally given the amazing truth of a maverick star/director who bit every hand that tried to feed him.Lennig has made a serious study of Stroheim for over fifty years---he restored "Foolish Wives" back in the sixties---he traveled to Austria to uncover the real story of Stroheim's humble beginnings---in short,Lennig,who prevously gave us the first and still best of the Bela Lugosi bios,has done it again with "Stroheim"---in fact,he has surpassed himself,and that's saying plenty considering the fact that Arthur Lennig is one of the most well-informed and reliable of all the pioneer film historians.Has there ever been a more fascinating(and ultimatly tragic) figure in the whole history of Hollywood than Erich Von Stroheim?Here's a guy that took on every front office in town---gambled it all for creative control that he invariably lost---but kept returning to the Hollywood arena again and again until they finally broke him.Yes,he took on the system and the system won---or did it?Stroheim's incredible films,even in their truncated latter-day forms,are here to give evidence that this was a director generations ahead of his time---already it's 2000 and we still haven't caught up with him.Read this book and get the dope on how "Greed","The Wedding March",and all the rest came to be. It's riveting.They should give AFI awards for books this good----it's from University Of Kentucky Press,so I don't know how big the print run is,but I suspect it would be a good idea to grab a copy(or two)quick,because this one's going to end up being a collector's item.

I was eagerly anticipating reading Lennig's bio of von Stroheim. After the first chapter my joy turned sour. Very little is revealed that was'nt already discussed in Richard Kosyarski's The Man You Love To Hate, and Weinberg's Stroheim: A Pictorial Review Of His nine Films. Both of these books are out of print but I beseech you to try to find at your local library or through Amazon's out-of-print service. Lennig prose is rather dry, the subject rarely comes to life, and when he does offer insights Stroheim the man seems sad forever the outsider, a two bit Viennese hustler with visions too great for his talent as a director. I was entranced by Stroheim when I was barely in my teens more than twenty years ago. I know about his losing battles against the studio heads, his public freaks and failures. It is the real man behind films like the breathtaking Greed, the unfinished Queen Kelly and the oftimes painfully erotic Foolish Wives that I wanted brought to life. Perhaps I'm only wishing that he could be brought back to life.

What can I add to all the glowing reviews of this book except for my own enthusiasm for it! Arthur Lennig has done a spendid job recounting the life and work of Erich von Stroheim, presenting him as the man and genius he was while also debunking a lot of the myths. Not only is it THE definitive Stroheim biography, it's also highly entertaining reading! A must-read for all film lovers.

As a hiking and reading guru, I have read and reviewed several of this author's works, some of them not so favorably. I opened the pages of this book somewhat skeptically, but I was pleasantly surprised with what I found.

Since Cincinnati is not a mecca for hikers, this is the only guide devoted solely to Cincinnati hiking available on the market. Actually, only half of this guide is devoted to "hiking" in the traditional sense. This guide describes 59 "hiking" areas ranging from Fairfield in the north to Boone County Cliffs in the south. I put "hiking" in quotes because about half of the "hikes" describe are actually walks along neighborhood streets rather than nature hikes, the traditional sense of the term "hiking." Henceforth in this review the word "hike" and its derivatives will refer to any of the 59 destinations described in this book.

Hikes range in distance from 0.5 to 5 miles, with the average at only about 2 miles. Each hike contains a hand-drawn map, directions to the starting point, and several paragraphs describing the hike and points of interest along the route. Normally such maps are frowned upon because they lack detail, but they are acceptable in this case given the short trail distances and the fact that half of these hikes are along neighborhood streets.

This book features a lot of the smaller urban preserves that are described in no other guide that I am aware of. Also, many of Cincinnati's neighborhoods are featured in a hike, so someone new to town would find this guide useful in getting acquainted with the city. I am a life-long resident of Hamilton (a suburb of Cincinnati), and I found this book very rewarding as it gave me new-found insights into the city's neighborhoods and history.

In summary, anyone who wants to get to know Cincinnati better will find this book of interest. Many thanks to the Folzenlogen's for writing this guide. Highly recommended.

I went on Hike# 49 (Boone County Cliffs State Nature Preserve) and if I hadn't been a local resident I would have NEVER found the place. The book's directions were to look for the turn off 6 miles east of Burlington; it should have said WEST of Burlington. Also, the sign at the small road you are supposed to look for that says "Kentucky Nature Conservancy 1.9 miles" actually is an "adopt-a-highway" sign that indicates that the KY Nature Conservancy has adopted the next 1.9 miles of road, meaning they are responsible for picking up trash along the road. I drove past this sign several times before I realized it was the sign I was supposed to be looking for. Ok, other than that, it was a great hike in a beautiful forest. I'm glad the authors wrote this book, they just need to update it with better directions.

As a resident of Cincinnati for almost twenty years, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book offered walking tours in places I had never been to much less heard of. In addition to the unexpected, this book's greatest strength is in the number of walking tours it offers (almost 60). It is also a great companion book to Cincinnati Observed since it offers walking tours of many suburbs and parks that Cincinnati Observed does not cover. However, for those looking for indepth analysis or history of sights you will be seeing on the walking tour, you may be disappointed since the walking tour descriptions are rather short. Also, many areas of the City of Cincinnati are ignored in favor of outlying suburbs. However, since Cincinnati Observed does such a great job with the walking tours inside the city of Cincinnati and Walking Cincinnati picks up areas not covered by Cincinnati Observed, if both books are used, you will be sure not to miss anything interesting in the City of Cincinnati.

"Adventures in Paranormal Investigation" is the latest collection of Joe Nickell's investigative essays from "The Skeptical Inquirer" magazine. Previous volumes include "Real Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal," and "The Mystery Chronicles: More Real Life X-Files."

Many skeptics approach the paranormal with a condescending and even insulting tone, implying that those who believe in paranormal phenomena are stupid or venal or both. Not surprisingly, it's awfully hard to get someone to agree with you if you begin or end your argument by insulting them. Nickell avoids this mistake, and he makes a serious effort to evaluate and test claims about hauntings, UFOs, alien abductions, ghost towns, Roswell, the Nasca lines, ghost ships, bleeding statues, crops circles, crystal skulls and a whole host of other pseudoscientifc "mysteries." Generally speaking, Nickell is not too hard on the people he disagrees with, with the exception of fraudulent psychics and healers who use "cold reading" and other unscrupulous methods to separate grieving or injured people from their money.

True believers probably aren't going to be convinced by this book, but for the most part they won't be put off by it either. Skeptics, on the other hand, will learn to think about unexpected phenomena in new and different ways. This book will give the card-carrying skeptic some new insights that will make those cocktail party conversations with "true believers" even more entertaining.

If you enjoy this sort of "gentle but insightful" skepticism, you may want to pick up some of Nickell's other books--among my favorites are "Unsolved History" (an updated version of "Ambrose Bierce is Missing"), "Secrets of the Supernatural," and "Entities: Angels, Spirits, Demons, and Other Alien Beings." In the same spirit (so to speak) are Brian Dunning's "Skeptoid: Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena" and his ongoing "Skeptoid" podcasts.

A great, if brief, collection of Mr. Nickell's studies of various paranormal happenings across the globe in the service of Skeptical Inquirer Magazine. The book will not convince true believers of their errors but skeptics will find his tales light and entertaining reading. Several times I would have liked a more thorough study or investigation done, or perhaps more of the author's thoughts and insights... I guess we'll have to wait for Mr. Nickell's next "real" book for that!

During the Mexican Revolution, Woodrow Wilson needed a pretext to seize the Mexican port of Veracruz from the forces of the dictator Huerta. His basic intentions was to prevent the port from supplying Huerta with arms for his fight with the rebels. In deciding to intervene, he uses the detainment of American sailors for one hour as the justification. Events then slide out of control with the capture of Veracruz. Twenty US soldiers and hundreds of Mexican citizens become the victims of Wilson's policy. This book portrays Wilson negatively, because his policy was not justified. Mexicans remember this event more than the earlier wars with the United States. Although Wilson may have been an idealist, the portrait in the book is of a self righteous man, not capable of understanding another viewpoint. Accounts in the book show the American occupation as being progressive and in the best interests of the people of Veracruz. Wilson returned the port to the rebels after nine months.

This is a nice read for a little known chapter in American and Mexican history. People would be wise to read it, especially in light of the use of American forces worldwide.

Very well written book about an incident in American history that the American Government would rather forget. The book is savage in its accessment of Wilson and the reasons that America chose to interfere in the affairs of another country.

Very easy reading, short book.

Wes Jackson describes a growing perspective that we need to interact symbiotically with the earth rather than considering the earth a "resource" at our disposal. He mixes philosophy with actual personal experiences to further illustrate the story.

The fact that he began the Land Use Institute in Kansas and is still and active participant lends credibility to his dialog.

I purchased this book because I have become very interested in agriculture and rooting it and our communities in the local ecosystems of the places we live in. I this book looked like it was going to be a good introduction to this. Well, it was a good introduction to the values of Jackson's practice but doesn't say much about the practice itself. But perhaps that's because trying to apply something other than principles from a book would be counter to the respect for local specifics that Jackson has. Either way the book is well written and inspiring, but i still wish there were more specifics.

A very interesting and thorough examination of the film-related work of mystery legend Raymond Chandler, creator of the ultimate film noir gumshoe, Phillip Marlowe. The books follows Chandler's career and work from pulpy dime detective story-writer, to novelist, to screenwriter. Chandler was an odd, cantankerous fellow who hated working in Hollywood, but the character he created is forever in the pantheon of American detective film heroes.

Is it possible for a book to be both invaluable and annoyingly almost unreadable? If so, this is the one. Phillips is absolutely on target in both his evaluation of Chandler's place in literature (High) and his fascinating comparisons of book to film of EVERYTHING the author wrote. Fans of Marlowe, fans of detective stories, fans of film noir, and film fans in general, will find a treasure trove within these pages. B U T.... Phillips writes like a student who has been given a writing assignment of "x" number of words and has to fulfill it. Either that or someone who is being paid by the word! Not only does he repeat the same information, often with virtually the same words, two, three, four, and more times within the book, he often does so within the same paragraph, and, on occasion, the same sentence! If you can, as I did, learn to spot this trend and skip whole passages as less necessary than a sequel to "Little Nicky", there is much to be gleaned from the book. Just resist throwing it against the wall in exasperation.

Daniel Boone: His Own Story

I HAVE BOTH OF THESE BOOKS, AND REALLY ENJOYED READING THEM. I LOVE TO READ ANYTHING ABOUT DANIEL BOONE AND DAVY CROCKETT. I ALSO ORDERED THE DANIEL BOONE BOOK BY ROBERT MORGAN. HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO READ IT YET.

THEY ARE DEFINITELY WORTH BUYING.

SALLY REPASS

Here's a word from someone who should know more about history but does not (I'm working on it). This book on Crocket is really not quite what some of you might expect. Only the very beginning is by Crocket himself and it's quite brief. I was very disappointed by that. Had I known more about history I might have known ahead of time that he did not write a whole lot (although he comes across as quite intelligent and learned). The rest of the book is just not that great. Worth a read, but not a hearty recommendation.