North Carolina Books

I must admit 4 1/2 stars would be most appropriate.
In "Hiroshima Diary," Dr. Michihiko Hachiya recounts his experience as both a victim of the atomic bomb and a first-responder of aid.
Hachiya's account graphically depicts the confusing, terrible weeks that followed the atomic attack on Hiroshima. His matter-of -fact interpretation revels how little modern portrayals of the bombing compare with reality.
The destruction wrought upon the Japanese people at Hiroshima is not to be underestimated, however, Hachiya bares facts that today seem unbelievable in light of the vast devastation.
For all his suffering and all he has been witness to, Hachiya demonstrates little resentment towards the Americans who completely altered his way of life.
A profound book that is both troubling in its imagery and beautiful in its language. No less poignant today than so many years ago.
REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ! AUTHORS DESERVE YOUR OPINIONS!

In "Hiroshima Diary," Dr. Michihiko Hachiya recounts his experience as both a victim of the atomic bomb and a first-responder of aid.
Hachiya's account graphically depicts the confusing, terrible weeks that followed the atomic attack on Hiroshima. His matter-of -fact interpretation revels how little modern portrayals of the bombing compare with reality.
The destruction wrought upon the Japanese people at Hiroshima is not to be underestimated, however, Hachiya bares facts that today seem unbelievable in light of the vast devastation.
For all his suffering and all he has been witness to, Hachiya demonstrates little resentment towards the Americans who completely altered his way of life.
A profound book that is both troubling in its imagery and beautiful in its language. No less poignant today than so many years ago.
REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ! AUTHORS DESERVE YOUR OPINIONS!

In "Hiroshima Diary," Dr. Michihiko Hachiya recounts his experience as both a victim of the atomic bomb and a first-responder of aid.
Hachiya's account graphically depicts the confusing, terrible weeks that followed the atomic attack on Hiroshima. His matter-of -fact interpretation revels how little modern portrayals of the bombing compare with reality.
The destruction wrought upon the Japanese people at Hiroshima is not to be underestimated, however, Hachiya bares facts that today seem unbelievable in light of the vast devastation.
For all his suffering and all he has been witness to, Hachiya demonstrates little resentment towards the Americans who completely altered his way of life.
A profound book that is both troubling in its imagery and beautiful in its language. No less poignant today than so many years ago.
REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ! AUTHORS DESERVE YOUR OPINIONS!

This is my first review, so it may come off kind of shabby but I really thought this was a very good book that may appear to be less than it's worth and not all that exciting but hoped writing something positive would encourage others to buy it because there is not a single line in it's entire 128 pages that is worthless!

I had purchased and only noticed after that it was only 128 pages, and I thought for the stated Length of it, it was a rather high price -- but after reading it, I know, it IS worth it. It doesn't come off at all like a cheap, short, basic 'done a million times' story nor make you feel at the end like something was missing and the author did a quickie just for the bucks.

First off, and OF COURSE, the love story has a happy ending, and I knew it would, we all know romances will, but we read each page as if we aren't sure anyway, because what is different and special (or UNspecial) about each book is HOW it comes about to the happy ending when it seems it won't, and how the author decided to direct the characters towards that ending -- and I must say that the way this author chose to create each circumstance leading to the next, the way she connected chapter to chapter and the way the two characters thought and reacted was so wonderfully realistic, for once.

There is no ridiculous "he's the most gorgeous, she's the most beautiful" and no PERFECT witty/intelligent/profound replies and lines that NOBODY would ever think to say to another human being 'on the spot' in real life. (I think some people may know exactly what I mean... ) They were both the sort of characters that may not be like yourself... but you could relate to, anyway. They may be in situations you never have been, but can understand.

Personally, I enjoyed how there were not pages of extreme detail. I find that if I were to take out all pointless information in a typical romantic story, there would be about 50 pages! The purpose of romance books is to create characters that create the romance, not the other way around. Settings do not create the romance and I, myself, find reading page after page of "the lush velvet sitting chair to the left of the room overshadowed the simple yet elegant ottoman slightly off center and adding a subtle careless beauty to the room" more than boring, no matter how exciting the two characters may be.

This book had JUST the right amount of explanation and observation without detracting from the fact that it is supposed to be what the CHARACTERS think and what the CHARACTERS would notice... NOT something the author feels like talking about because he/she feels like showing off their vivid imagination and ability to put it into words!

As for the plot of the book, the synopsis really does say enough without giving away too much, I couldn't do a better job, only worse.

There's also an extra plus to the story (and perhaps this is why you don't feel like you are missing out on ANYTHING) and that is that it shares and adds to the story the MALES point of view and the MALES thoughts, as well as the females! It truly does make a complete story, and shares just the right amount between the two, there is no one-sided perspective. And yet the author goes between them in a very unconfusing way. Unlike the review tends to make you think, there is no real MAIN character. And that makes the most sense to me, it is a love story about TWO people, after all! :P

And last, the very end of the book closed the story so simply yet profoundly and with entire satisfaction -- it makes you realize the most amazing thing about the whole story - about love and acceptance, how there is so much truth in realizing the imperfections of another make them perfect for us, and in it's final line, telling you who those beautiful feelings are REALLY about and between.

I think the statement on the back of the book "You will not want it to end!" is wrong, to be honest. You will be so thoroughly pleased with the story, so fulfilled by the characters created, that there is no feeling untouched, and the inspiration to look into your own life and yourself, the good things about you, and others around you, will be far better a gift of new perspective and enjoyable a desire than the want to read for hours and hours more.

What you WILL want to do is read more by this author, though. She writes with pure quality and does not focus on quantity. It's amazing a writer that realizes the difference! And now I do too. 400 page romances do not hold a candle to this, that is for certain. (With the one exception of Cindy Holby) Though you could be lucky enough to have found other authors as great and if so, do share!! =)

Hope this helps in deciding on this book! Either way. Thanks for trudging through my review! Have a wonderful day! =)

David Cecelski's A Historian's Coast provides over twenty essays blending history, ecology, and a survey of the coastal past of North Carolina. Explorations of peoples and coastal places are filled with insights and will please North Carolina residents and visitors alike.

I've spent a majority of my life not too far west of Charlotte, North Carolina, but I never really knew much about the big city itself. When I was a kid, we could never manage to get the Charlotte stations to come in perfectly clear with our antenna, but we weren't about to miss Fred Kirby & Uncle Jim, the Gospel Jubilee every Sunday morning, and - for my mother, at least - Betty Feezor's cooking show. Beyond television, I saw Charlotte as an obstacle between home and parts east of the Queen City (Charlotte was named for the wife of King George III). As an adult, I still don't know a lot about the city because Charlotte traffic can be a nightmare, leaving me perfectly happy to cruise through the city on I-85 rather than tackle its busy streets. Nowadays, of course, Charlotte is an important and well-known city, the banking capital of the South, the home of several professional sports teams, and of course the very heart of NASCAR. Clearly, the Queen City has a story to tell, even to those of us born and raised in the North Carolina Piedmont.

In this gorgeous coffee table book, Historic Photos of Charlotte, Ryan L. Sumner takes you through the progression of the city from its humble origins to its modern-day glory, using over two hundred carefully researched, vintage black and white photos (many of them never seen before by anyone but archivists). These vivid snapshots of history offer a fascinating look at the many changes Charlotte has seen over the course of its history - economically, culturally, technologically, etc. You'll see important people and places in Charlotte's history, as well as a number of perspective shots looking down various streets as they evolved over time. Informative captions help place each photograph in its proper historical context.

The book is divided into four main sections. The first one features historical photos from the late nineteenth century, when Charlotte was in its infancy. The city didn't really start booming until the years following the War Between the States, when its location made it a perfect hub for the burgeoning industrialization finally taking root in the South. With financial stalwarts like D.A. Tompkins leading the way, this central stop on the Southern Railway between Washington, D.C. and New Orleans became the center of a booming business in textile manufacturing during the second era covered in this book (roughly 1900-1920). The next historical era, 1920-1950, was one of great ups and downs. Profits from the textile industry led to the creation of large banks (and, because North Carolina was one of the few states allowing for the creation of statewide banks at that time, those that survived the Great Depression helped make Charlotte the prominent banking center that it is today). The advent of the automobile also played a huge part in the city's development. As Model T's and Model A's rolled out of Charlotte-based factories, new businesses were formed to support the nascent auto industry, and streetcars gradually yielded way to buses as the primary means of transportation. Additionally, a number of speed records were set on the 40 degree banks of the original Charlotte Speedway in the mid-1920s. The Great Depression hit Charlotte hard, but the city eventually rebounded, with New Deal programs helping to build such important infrastructure as Charlotte Memorial Hospital. Finally, the book takes a look at Charlotte after 1950.

My personal favorite picture in this collection features a class at the Charlotte Open Air School, with the kids all bundled up in winter coats, toboggans, etc. The caption informs us that this unusual school was an experimental one, intended to test the 1920s belief by some that cold air was beneficial for students. I think we can safely assume that this belief was proven wrong pretty quickly, as these poor kids look like they're freezing to death in the picture.

At over two hundred pages, Historic Photos of Charlotte opens quite a wondrous historical window into the past of this Southern jewel. The book really brings home the incredible pace at which the city has developed, adapting over time to grow stronger every year. Most Charlotteans won't even recognize many of the historical views down prominent streets of yesteryear, while many of the city's most beautiful historic buildings can be seen only here, having fallen victim to fires or wrecking balls over the intervening years. Anyone with a personal interest in Charlotte - especially those who have migrated to the Queen City during the last few decades - or any interest in Southern industrialization and history should find Historic Photos of Charlotte to be a most welcome addition to his/her library or, even more appropriately, coffee table.

Clark's massive compilation of five volumes totaling more than 4,000 pages is the most accurate and comprehensive account of the Old North State's Civil War fighting history.

It is the most detailed history of the many North Carolina regiments and battalions in the numerous Civil War skirmishes and battles.
The regiment and battalion histories are derived from "Unit Historians," field officers, memoirs, diaries, archives, and special collections. There are several hundred portraits included.

Clark's: HISTORIES OF THE SEVERAL REGIMENTS & BATTALIONS FROM NORTH CAROLINA:
Vol. 1: Bethel Regt. __ 16th Regt.
Vol. 2: 17th Regt. __ 42nd Regt.
Vol. 3: 43rd Regt. __ 69th Regt.
Vol. 4: 70th Regt. __ 83rd Regt.
& 1st Bn. __ 16th Bn.
Vol. 5: Battles, Navy, Addenda, Index
IN THE GREAT WAR 1861-1865.

In summary: Is considered the "bible" of each regiment and battalion from North Carolina in the Confederate States Army.

The collection is a "must have" for students, historians, researchers, genealogists, and scholars.

For a less expensive, but very brief alternative of North Carolina in the Civil War, consider: Confederate Military History Of North Carolina: North Carolina In The Civil War, 1861-1865 by D. H. Hill, Jr.

For comprehensive North Carolina American Civil War regimental and battalion rosters (excellent source for genealogy), consider "North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster, by Weymouth T. Jordan and Louis H. Manarin."

Matthew D. Parker

When I discovered I was related to Robert Beverley, I bought this book just to have. It is a wonderful, rich look into early Virginia with special (and favorable) focus on the Native Americans in that area in the early 1700s. I have enjoyed the book, as have my children, on its own merits and not simply because this is an ancestor of mine.

The reason I ordered this book to begin with is that my mother grew up in a small town in Cabarrus County, and several of our relatives continued to live there so that we would visit every few years when I was growing up. As with a lot of smaller communities, the families tended to stay there over time, so many of the names in this listing of Cabarrus County residents in the armed services were familiar to me, and I was able to pick out some relatives, even as far back as the Civil War. The people who put this record together should be applauded, as the research must have been exhaustive. If you don't have some interest in the area, it's probably not a book you would want to read.

More than just a history, this book covers the agriculture, botany, economics, and native Indian history of this North Carolina county. Fascinating read for genealogists and local historians.