South Carolina Books

This book is essential if you enjoy paddling the rivers and creeks of Eastern North Carolina. It not only gives you all the access points, but the distance between them as well. It is very handy when exploring a new paddle trail or trying to locate an access.

I love this book! I have not had time to paddle any trails yet, except one that I had already done before buying the book, but it will be an excellent resource I'm sure. Highly recommended for eastern NC paddlers!

This guide throughly reviews almost every possible paddling destination in the Eastern 2/3rds of North Carolina. The entries provide great details on the runs including drops and difficulties to be aware of before attempting the trip. Descriptions of put-in and take-out locations are well done. Each run includes minimum paddling levels where they apply. A well done guide book.

The information and the way its presented are time saving, interesting and very hepful for anyone interested in pretty accurate info on paddling in eastern NC. It would even be a good book for the non paddler that just wanted some interesting reading on waterways in NC.

No doubt about it - You can't afford NOT to have this book!
The descriptions are great, the tips are sometimes life-saving, and the thought and planning that went into this book is spectacular!

I have now read all of Frank's books and I love them all. Her characters are so well described and the humidity makes you feel like you are on the beach with them. Her books are the kind to keep for re-reads.

Another entertaining novel penned by Dorothea Benton Frank. The flavor of the Southern atmosphere is almost tangible......you can taste, smell, feel and see it all. The development of the characters is fast paced and memorable it is almost difficult to pick one personality over another with the exception of Miss Lavinia who is the most unforgetable, and spicy, character, to come along in quite some time. It was a book that I hated to put down and it most definitely was a book I hated to see end.

Plantation....I could not put this book down. I found myself waking up on the weekend early just to get to this book.
I have just finished it and wish I could read it again as I read it the first time.
GREAT SUMMER READING!
D. Bell

An EXCELLENT book. My first book by Dorothea Benton Frank, I was sad when this book came to an end....

Having read most of Dorothea Benton's newest books, I was surprised to find "Plantation" on a list. I ordered it immediately. What a thrill. This is just good old Southern reading! You will fall in love with the characters.

If you live, have lived or plan to live in North or South Carolina you have to read this book. I was amazed at the subjects in the book. I had heard of and had seem many of the weird items but that did not distract from the book. It actually enhanced my enjoyement of the book. What supprized me was I never considered the items I had seen or heard of as weird until I read the book and thought "yea that would be weird".

I have purchase this as well as the "Weird USA" book and love them both. The author's theory on "every small town has a tale" is so true and it is neat to see them in print. I plan on buying more of the "Weird...." books.

This bok gives you awesome places to visit when traveling through the Carolinas. Great history and awesome pics.

This is a great book with some very interesting finds in it. Well worth reading.

Excellent, just like all the others. If this is your interest, you won't be disinterested just enjoying your book. Splendid!

Loved this book. The only thing wrong with it is that it just isn't long enough! Good read.

Vicky Hunnings - take a bow. The new queen of suspense weaves an intriguing plot in THE BRIDE WORE BLOOD. Her scintillating characters fill the reader's appetite. The suspensful story baits one's senses and interests eliminating any chance of putting the book down until its finished! Vicky's description of the Lowcountry is so vivid, I can almost smell the marsh!

The murder of the groom in the first chapter sets the pace at which the mystery unfolds. No lulls in this book. Just as you've decided the outcome, the next page holds a different clue....even to the last page. I'm ready for the sequel!! Hollywood producers - - better sign this one up.

I LOVED it! I have never been a murder/mystery type person, but once I got started, I could not put it down.....I cant wait for the 2nd book to come out to see what happens next. Truly enjoyable reading! Good job Vicky!

Vicky Hunnings - take a bow. The new queen of suspense weaves an intriguing plot in THE BRIDE WORE BLOOD. Her scintillating characters fill the reader's appetite. The suspensful story baits one's senses and interests eliminating any chance of putting the book down until its finished! Vicky's description of the Lowcountry is so vivid, I can almost smell the marsh!

The murder of the groom in the first chapter sets the pace at which the mystery unfolds. No lulls in this book. Just as you've decided the outcome, the next page holds a different clue....even to the last page. I'm ready for the sequel!! Hollywood producers - - better sign this one up.

I really enjoyed The Bride Wore Blood, by Vicky Hunnings. I read quite a number of mystery books, & this was time well worth spending to read!
It defintley kept you guessing until the end, & was left wide open for a sequel. I will keep an eye open for more books to come! ***** Stars forsure!

Rhea - his trilogy was excellent but this book is exquisite and is highly recommended.

The author, Gordon Rhea, notes in the INTRODUCTION that "....books about privates are rare" and continues "None tell a story half as fascinating as that of Charles Whilden...." The text is a brief account of Whilden's life stating that his first forty years were characterized by mediocrity and failure. However, Whilden's brief fifteen minutes of glory came at the Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania Court House where he vividly demonstrated the capacity of an insignificant player "to alter the course of history."

Chapter 1 gives a short review of the 1864 strategic conditions in central Virginia which "By most estimates, 1864 loomed as the war's decisive year." In March 1864 President Lincoln made Grant commander-in-chief whose aim was the destruction of the Confederate armies, not to capture territory. The author observed "Thus the stage set for the Civil War's decisive campaign....The campaign would be a duel to the death between Grant and Lee, the best generals either side could field. The prize was the fate of two nations." Chapter 2 presents a concise account of pre-Civil War Charleston, S.C. stating the source of Charleston's wealth was rice and that the city's affluence "rested on the back of slaves." The author gives an interesting review of the area's concern about a slave rebellion and continues "As the Carolina Low country's slave population grew so grew the white minority's unease about servile insurrection."

After a unsuccessful brief career as a lawyer, Charles moved to Detroit where his lack of success continued to plague him.He left Detroit in 1855 and accompanied Colonel Grayson to Santa Fe, New Mexico as the colonel's personal secretary. In Santa Fe his mediocre success continued. When the Civil War commenced, Charles began the long trip home to Charleston. The ship he was on heading for the Carolina coast was badly damaged; and his health was compromised; for the rest of his life he suffered from epileptic seizures. In Charleston he tried to enlist a number of times; but due to his epilepsy he was unsuccessful in enlisting. By January 1864, Confederate manpower shortages were critical; and at age 39 Whilden was at last able to enlist as a private in Company I of the 1st Carolina at Orange Court House in February 1864.

Author Rhea uses Whilden and the 1st Carolina as the narrative vehicle for an interesting account of the battles of The Wilderness and at Spotsylvania. Whilden's unit was "destined to the worst of the campaign's carnage." Whilden received his baptism-under-fire on May 5 in the Battle of the Wilderness, had not run and was appointed as flag barrier when the flag barrier was wounded. Rhea observes "The post of flag bearer was important, not only for sentimental reasons but for practical ones as well." Charles career as a color barrier was off to a bad start as Union General Hancock troops overran Charles's unit. Only the last minute arrival of Confederate General Longstreet on May 6th saved the day. On the night of May 7-8 Grant's and Lee's armies moved south to the vicinity of Spotsylvania Court House where Lee erected sophisticated earthworks. The text briefly narrates Grant's fruitless efforts over the next three days to break through Lee's battlements.

Lee had erected a salient, nicknamed The Mule Shoe, and Grant had selected it for a massive attack by Union General Hancock on May 12. Union troops soon overran the pickets and the outer earthworks including the high ground, referred to as "the angle", to the Confederate left. The author gives a chilling account of the gruesome, bloody chaotic fighting as the Confederates fought to regain the angle and survive. Lee ordered General McGowan's brigade into the Mule Shoe. Charles, "still wracked by seizures" clearly understood the situation and fixing his eyes on the angle, carried the flag never expecting to reach the angle alive. When the flag was shot from its pole, Whilden wrapped the flag around his body. Behind him followed a "motley band of rebels." By ten o'clock in the morning Charles led his fellow Southerners to take over the Bloody Angle thus saving the battle for the Confederates. The butchery of May 12 was horrendous with the two armies suffering approximately seventeen thousand causalities. While Lee had won another battle, "the war in Virginia settled into a siege that would last ten months....but Grant had won the campaign, destroying the Army of Northern Virginia's offensive capacity."

His epilepsy making him unfit for service Charles returned to Charleston in August 1864 and was discharged after only eight months of duty. On September 25, 1866, during an epileptic seizure he fell facedown in a mud puddle, and drowned. While there are no monuments to Charles Whilden, his heroic action on May 12, 1864 at the Bloody Angle lives on as a tribute to the potential of an insignificant player who altered the course of Civil War history.

Gordon Rhea has done considerable research on the campaigns of 1864, having previously written several books on these campaigns. This is an easy book to read. Civil War buffs who want a brief/limited account of the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court and a private who won his fifteen minutes of fame in 1864 at the Bloody Angle, will find this book interesting.

For anyone wanting to learn the specifics of two major battles between Grant and Lee, this book is excellent. I am always glad to see books that resist glorification by detailing the horrendous conditions of some of the most brutal fighting of the war, which is saying a lot. SPOILER--But the author couldn't resist talking about Whilden's actions as heroic and how the day was won for the Confederacy as if it were a truly noble outcome. Now look at it another way: if Whildon were shot down and the Rebels didn't have a rallying point to successfully rienforce the earthworks, then Grant would've plowed through, cutting Lee's army in half and most likely defeat them. With this outcome, you would not have had the endless series of massacres throughout central Virginia, no siege of Petersburg, no Cold Harbor. With the war over, you probably wouldn't have Atlanta and Colombia in ashes and the atrocity of Sherman's March. Just food for thought-Discuss...

A General or a Colonel certainly has the ability to alter the course of
history or make his name well-known to his countrymen through actions.
But does a common private lost within the ranks have the same ability?
Gordon Rhea answers this question brilliantly in this book about a
middle-aged Confederate private set amongst two of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
Charles Whilden went from obscurity to fame at a place called the
Bloody Angle, a key position on the battlefield of Spotsylvania Courthouse, where he carried a tattered battle flag in front of a desperate charge that eventually led to a Confederate victory and prolonged an already endless war. Without Whilden's heroics, the Confederates wouldn't have rallied for victory and would likely have been crushed, along with the Confederacy itself. Does this make Whilden a hero or a villain? After all, the 'victory' that he initiated was only short-lived, and only led to more death and destruction. This is one of the questions that may come across a reader's mind amidst the awe and respect for the common infantryman that develops over the course of this book.Another question is this: How many other Private Whilden's are there scattered about America's short, yet war-ridden, past? Was there a Private Whilden at San Juan Hill, or Iwo Jima, or Saratoga? Rhea's ability to shrink something as grand as war into something as familiar as a common man fighting for a cause has a way of reminding us that wars are not fought by generals. Not only that, but his descriptions of the two brutal campaigns of The Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse would make any Civil War buff foam at the mouth.
One man can change the course of history. This book will teach you
that if nothing else. But, more important, it also teaches that the common soldier, no matter what side he fights for, is driven by a courage that should at the very least be honored and always respected.

"Carrying the Flag" is a gem of a little book telling the story of an otherwise anonymous Confederate Private who found 15 minutes of fame in 15 hours of improbable glory. While Private Whilden's exploits at Spotsylvania's Bloody Angle were unique in their specifics, one can only imagine hundreds, if not thousands, of equally heroic deeds over the course of the war by similarly obscure infantrymen.

Private Whilden's battle experience was limited to the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. Accordingly, much of author Rhea's book details just how unexceptional Private Whilden was. The material, which seemingly holds little promise, in fact makes for an appealing window on the "middle class" antebellum South. In the end, if you can't applaud Private Whilden's take on the world and his place in it, you can surely understand it and, perhaps even applaud the depth of his commitment to it.

One of the most attractive features of the book, for me, is the compelling way in which Private Whilden's two battles unfold. There is the usual blood and gore, but more important, the narrative, complemented by just one map of each of the battlefields, is as clear as any I've read. The tactical story is the focus, but the operational and strategic context is cogently sketched in as well. Indeed, I would recommend the two battle sequences as among the best, most comprehensible short summaries of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania that I have read.

A very nice, very readable addition to the literature; highly recommended.

If you are willing to take the time to read this somewhat short book, I guarentte you will love the contents. It opens your mind to every possible scenario of every possible minute of Lincoln's Last hours. I reccomend this to anyone/everyone!

This little gem combines the readability of journalism (the author's teaching profession) with in-depth historical research, an unusual combination. It is a well-known subject, but here are some new perspectives:

--the photo often described as Lincoln's last portrait was
actually taken in February, 1865. This book shows you the
real last one.
--Booth didn't bore the peephole in the door to Lincoln's
box or make the bar obstructing the door leading to the
corridor of the boxes - that had been done some time before
by or for Lincoln's guards.
--Booth's illegitimacy preyed on his mind as a youth - perhaps shaping his character in a perverse way. One must
wonder about the same effect in some other, modern day
individuals with the same origin (Fidel Castro, Ted Bundy
and a recent US President).
-- Most telling are the widely varied descriptions of events by eyewitnesses. The author evaluates these and tells you the most likely version. Here is proof that circumstantial evidence
(including letters, bloodstains, etc.) is often more reliable than such eyewitnesses.
A minor issue - it is mentioned that the entry in Booth's diary for the day of the assassination states he cried "Sic
semper" - omitting "tyrannis" - and that he may have done so
because he didn't know how to spell tyrannis. It is, however, pointed out that he had asked about this spelling beforehand
(so he knew it). Also, Booth was undoubtedly familiar with the
6th verse of the Confederate song, "Maryland, My Maryland," which runs "Sic semper! 'tis the proud refrain" and he might have used the shortened phrase in his diary just as an abbreviation. Incidentally, as the book states, Lincoln's wallet contained several newspaper clippings. Not mentioned is that among these were laudatory articles. Lincoln had been the
subject of many cruel newspaper attacks and it is pathetic that even a great man apparently needed to know that someone approved of him.

I, too, purchased this book at Ford's Theatre. At first, I thought it would be one of those whodunnit books, but I was wrong. The author obviously put alot of effort, time & research into the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I finished the entire book during the plane ride back to Los Angeles. I lent it to my family members and they, too, enjoyed it!

This book captures the readers attention and takes him on a step by step discourse of the hours before Lincoln's assassination. A very sad image is presented in the book because it's obvious Lincoln's last day of life may have been his happiest day of life. Lincoln was overcoming the anxieties of war, but was cut down when he had a handle on life. In this book the reader learns of the threats to the president's life and what could have been done to prevent Lincoln's death. Infortunately in 1865 all Booth needed to end the president's life was a passion against Lincoln. Great book!

A. Lincoln: His Last 24 Hours is one of the best books I've read about the fateful day in April 1865 when the 16th President was shot and killed at Ford's Theater. It paints a fascinating picture of a very tragic man on the last day of his too-short life. The relief and joy that Lincoln must have felt with the end of the Civil War finally at hand, his concern for how to achieve the nearly impossible task of reconstruction, and the never-ending personal challenges he faced in dealing with his wife are all captured in the words of Mr. Lincoln himself as well as through comments from observers who had contact with him on that day.

The book reads very much like a novel but is obviously very well researched with plenty of reference material documented via footnotes throughout. The author knows the subject well and is careful to note when conclusions not fully supported by documented research are drawn. The result is wonderfully readable and highly informative unlike many other accounts of that day.

This book is one of those great sports tales that they make an move of.It is not written just for the fotballfans.If u are just an guy that likes sports this book will be an great read for u.But if you are an Panthers fan or u got an Panthers fan in your family the book is a must.It covers everything that happened that season on the field in the locerroom and of the field.It makes you wanna play football.And it really touches you when you read how strong Sam Mills was to fight cancer be a couch and father at the same time.Man you just got to read it.That is all I got to say to you.Scott Fowler wrote a great book I became an Panthers fan after I read

Tales from the Panthers Sideline is a must-read for Panthers fans! This book is filled with funny and fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, and includes recaps of electrifying Panther moments on the field. I laughed out loud often while reading; and nodded my head and said, "cool", many times... If you have a short attention span, as I do, you'll appreciate that the book is broken up into short stories, so you can skip around without losing continuity.

I got this book for christmas, and it didnt take me long to find out this was my favorite present. After reading just a few stories, I was hooked. I am a HUGE Jake Delhomme fan, and i even have my own website ( www.cajunpride.cjb.net ). And if you love Jake Delhomme, Steve Smith, or any of the fabulous cardiac cats, you'll LOVE this book. Scott Fowler tells some of the funniest stories you'll ever read in here, and tells everything about the Panthers from the very beginning to the Superbowl last year. Every panther fan should have this book, and it's well worth the money.

As a die-hard Panthers fan and Jake Delhomme fan living in Canada, I knew I had to have this book. I wasn't disappointed after reading it in one sitting - I couldn't put it down.

Fowler's writing style is perfect for conversations over beer and wings with other football fans - Fowler shares short bursts of inside information all organized neatly into sections about either your favourite player or historical season through to last year's Superbowl trip... perfect for sharing "did you know" stories with your football buddies, Panther fans or not.

The stories are amusing (three words... Delhomme. Karaoke. Hilarious...), insightful (just who IS Steve Smith), unprecedented (the story behind THAT Rams game) and even humbling (detailing Sam Mills' and Mark Fields' bouts with cancer).

This book is a must-have for Panther fans and fans of any team will enjoy it too. It is a true behind-the-scenes look into the players you've grown to love every Sunday and I highly recommend this book.

When I read Scott Fowler's book, Tales From The
Carolina Panthers Sideline, I felt like I was pacing the sideline with the Panthers. Fowler was able to take me to the sidelines and locker room of this exciting and mercurial
team. I have been a faithful reader of Scott Fowler's columns over the years in The Charlotte Observer newspaper and felt certain my personal time devoted to reading this book would
be time well spent, and it was. I feel as though I now know the players, coaches and owner in a way the average fan wishes they could. The journey through the storied 2003-2004 season which
took the Panthers to an appearance in the Super Bowl has been captured by Scott Fowler in such a way that any Panthers fan will want to relive the ride again and again. And with Tales From The Carolina Panthers Sideline, they can. This is a must have for any football fan -- and especially Panther fans!! Enjoy!!

The Blue Ridge Parkway, almost 450 miles long, connects Shennandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park astride the North Carolina - Tennessee border. In between it traverses some of the most beautiful mountain areas in North Carolina and Virginia. Although it provides splendid views from the road itself and from its many roadside overlooks, it is much more than a scenic drive. It is a ribbon of land administered by the National Park Service, at several places broadening into wider mini-parks. All of those parks as well as various other spots along the parkway's route have hiking trails that give visitors a closer look at the many natural wonders there. This book, as a comprehensive guide to those trails, is the one most indispensable guide to getting beyond your car and the overlooks in this remarkable National Park Service land. All of its official trails are rated in this book as to difficulty, from very easy to quite strenuous. Thus there are ample hikes for whatever level of wilderness adventure you're up for. Each hike is described in details, with points of interest described in the order you'll encounter them, with mileages to each from the trailhead. Some hikes described herein also get beyond the parkway's own lands, into National Forest lands that border the parkway in many places, as well as occasional adjacent commercial attractions such as Grandfather Mountain. Any visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway should be quite rewarding, and this book is one of the best resources for making it even more so, showing that you'll never be very far from places to park and take a walk for a more intimate view. And you definitely should sample at least some of the shorter and easier walks, if not the longer or more challenging ones, depending on what you're up to. This parkway is a natural treasure well-worth exploring, and this book may well be the quickest way to learn that there is so much more there than meets a casual eye.

for a day trip, a weekend trip, or a long vacation. We have hiked and camped in several of the places mentioned. I have lived in NC all of my life and did not realize there was such enriching trails and escapades off the parkway. I wish I had known about this book while attending WCU! Take it with you, it is very worthwhile.

Designed as a "drive awhile - stop awhile" recreational road, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit in the National Park Service. It has 17 million visitors a year as compared to 10 million a year for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. But the Parkway is more than a beautiful drive; it is also a good base from which to hike. Adkins describes all the ways that we can get out of the car as we explore the Parkway. From a leg-stretcher to a view of Glassmine Falls Trail to the eighteen miles of the Shut-In Trail, Adkins gives a contextual introduction to the hike as well as step-by-step directions. He rates each hike from an easy leg-stretcher to strenuous.

My only objection to the rating is that the author considers too many hikes as strenuous. For example, Adkins labels the Snooks Nose Trail, eight miles round trip and described as "not well-maintained and hard to locate" as strenuous. The two-and-a-half mile round trip hike up to Mt. Pisgah, on a clear, well-marked trail, is also rated as "strenuous". Hikers will have to decide what strenuous means to them. Ratings aside, the book is necessary to anyone looking for a variety of hikes in the area. The appendices are also a wealth of information. He lists every feature on the Parkway along with its mileage, all the inns and campgrounds as well as a roadside bloom calendar

My wife and I have just come home from a 3 week trip along the entire parkway. We started the trip with Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway, but ended up buying Walking the Blue Ridge at one of the visitor centers. While Hiking was ok, we found Walking the Blue Ridge to be the better of the two. It was very easy to use, easy to find information, and full of wonderful tidbits. The way the mileage data was set up in a vertical way made it very easy to use while we were hiking the trails, simple to always know where we were. In the Hiking book we had to wade through a lot paragraphs just to match up the descriptions with where we actually were on the trail. Also, it was obvious that the author of Walking the Blue Ridge had actually walked every one of the trails he was writing about. It was also nice knowing that it gave descriptions of every one of the trails along the parkway, even if it was just a short pathway; the other book neglected some that we found to be truly delightful. In addition, its smaller weight and size made it much easier to carry while on the hikes.
All in all, we were happy to have found Walking the Blue Ridge and will be using it often.

The Blue Ridge Parkway, almost 450 miles long, connects Shennandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park astride the North Carolina - Tennessee border. In between it traverses some of the most beautiful mountain areas in North Carolina and Virginia. Although it provides splendid views from the road itself and from its many roadside overlooks, it is much more than a scenic drive. It is a ribbon of land administered by the National Park Service, at several places broadening into wider mini-parks. All of those parks as well as various other spots along the parkway's route have hiking trails that give visitors a closer look at the many natural wonders there. This book, as a comprehensive guide to those trails, is the one most indispensable guide to getting beyond your car and the overlooks in this remarkable National Park Service land. All of its official trails are rated in this book as to difficulty, from very easy to quite strenuous. Thus there are ample hikes for whatever level of wilderness adventure you're up for. Each hike is described in details, with points of interest described in the order you'll encounter them, with mileages to each from the trailhead. Some hikes described herein also get beyond the parkway's own lands, into National Forest lands that border the parkway in many places, as well as occasional adjacent commercial attractions such as Grandfather Mountain. Any visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway should be quite rewarding, and this book is one of the best resources for making it even more so, showing that you'll never be very far from places to park and take a walk for a more intimate view. And you definitely should sample at least some of the shorter and easier walks, if not the longer or more challenging ones, depending on what you're up to. This parkway is a natural treasure well-worth exploring, and this book may well be the quickest way to learn that there is so much more there than meets a casual eye.

Had this book recommended to me over two years ago; however, just got around to reading it. It is so well written and provides a perspective that is so clear and truthful. Anyone who is interested in the historical perspective of the Deep South and the attitudes which prevail (ed) should read this book. AWESOME!! INSPIRING!!

I applaud Ms. Scott for compiling her father's interviews and writing this book, which has enormous historical significance. It is customary to read and hear about the heavy weights in the struggle for civil rights, such as Martin Luther King and Booker T. Washington. However, this book serves as a reminder that grass roots workers like John H. Scott represented pivotal forces in helping to bring about justice for African Americans. As a South Carolinian, I tend to read with greater frequency about historical events of places like Charleston and Savannah and Atlanta, GA. Reading about Louisiana broadened my knowledge and I was able to garner a history lesson from nearly every page.

It is unbelievable how steadfast John Scott and others were in fighting simply to be able to vote. Equally unbelievable are all of the atrocities perpetuated against them. But they persevered, and the story is very well told.

At a recent book signing in Charleston, SC, Ms. Scott told me that she is writing another book. I look forward to it.

The late John H. Scott and his daughter Cleo Scott provide a griping account of the life and experiences of a civil rights pioneer. The book makes something as bland as history, something engaging and entertaining. I learned a great deal from reading this book and enjoyed every minute. Looking forward the movie...

This book is the testament of a determined person who has raised the consciousness of a parish. He along with others refused to be refused a right that many of us take for granted today. From the Scott Scholarship to the visits Cleo Brown makes to Louisiana (thank you Tallulah for bringing her October 2003!), John H. Scott lives on. His words ring out pride in yourself and hope for your community. I am challenged to not let his and others' efforts go in vain. This book, which certainly has a place in (a certain book club), should be read by every student in the Delta area. They should know that great people can come from humble beginnings. Thank you John H. Scott Memorial fund for helping me through school and thank you Cleo Brown for compiling this book to help me through life.

I just finished this book and am so glad and elated that Cleo Scott Brown decided to document her father's story.

My great uncle is Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr., the other man who testified with Reverend Scott as well as the one who endured financial hardship just because he wanted to vote. My family has been in East Carroll Parish for centuries, and through this book, I have learned a ton of information that I did not have available to me. It also helps me a lot with my genealogical project.

This book was written wonderfully; there were many times I couldn't put it down because I just had to know what was going to happen next! I also enjoyed the perspective from which the story was told, and the righteous spirit that Reverend Scott held onto, even when it was extremely hard to do so.

Every African American owes it to themselves to read this.

Well written recipes that produce delicious dishes. I made several recipies from Ms. Sanders cookbook and they were all fantastic. I enjoyed this book so much that I bought it for my aunt.

These recipes are for simple, comfort foods -- foods that will make you smile and reach for a second (or third) helping.

I saw Ms. Sanders "plugging" her book on Food TV and was captured immediately. She seemed to be the kind of person you would love to have as a neighbor. After checking out the book, I'm ordering her other two. The recipes I have tried are wonderful. They bring back treasured memories of favorite aunts and their country cooking of my childhood. Her background narration for the recipes is an added bonus. Don't miss this opportunity.

I stumbled upon Dori Sanders one day, picking up a copy of Clover on a whim. What I discovered was an authentic southern voice. Dori Sanders Country Cooking is yet another treat. The receipes are all simple and useplain and simple everyday items. While they may require a bit more time, the effort is well worth the extra time. Tipsy Chicken, a peacan pie to die for, a pick of biscuit receipes, gravy and biscuits...many of these receipes bring back summer dinners at my grandmother's home in Buda, Texas(dinner was at the noon hour for farm folk). Intertwinned amongst all these culinary treasures, is a running narrative of everyday life on a farm. I may never indulge in pig lips, but I well remember the nonstop activity on the days my grandfather slaughtered a cow and we all pitched in to help, and ate foods from that cow, things I might have never tasted living in a suburb of Dallas. Dori Sanders is a treasure, a cleareyed look back, seldom sentimental and full of grace. Like a wonderful dinner, she makes you wish she had written more.

Not only can I give Dori Sanders' books a positive review, but a review on Dori herself. I recently met her at her peach farmstand in Filbert, South Carolina. She greets you as if you are an old friend in her warm and friendly manner. She speaks eloquently, her words flowing like a butterfly floating on a breeze. I'm sure she has never met a stranger. One word describes her best: Genuine. She is proud of her past, her life and her accomplishments in a humble sort of way. She is a real treasure and it was an honor to meet her. Nancy

I first saw Ms. Sanders on Cooking Live on the Food Network. I was amazed at her Easy Peach Cobbler recipe, so I looked it up online and tried it out. I really didn't think peach cobbler could be so easy to make until I tried her recipe, and to tell you the truth, I'm not a baked fruit fan and I never really even liked peach cobbler since all I've ever had was cafeteria and buffet cobbler. It was my first attempt at making cobbler, and it came out just right. The recipe was nearly fool proof and insanely easy to make.

I gave myself a sample of my first homemade cobbler and all I can say is this- I never liked peach cobbler until I made Dori's cobbler. I love it now. I ran out and bought Dori's cookbook right afterwards.

The recipes presented in Dori's book are all relatively easy to make. It's southern cooking made non-southerner friendly. I come from an Asian background and my husband's and I are both from California, so we're the sorts that don't know what Creole is, and the only icon we can name of southern cooking is Emeril Lagasse.

This cookbook has been a dream, though. It's absolutely delightful! As another commenter noted, don't start your diet now. This is comfort food, very delicious soulful food. Like I mentioned with the peach cobbler, I'm not a big dessert fan and I never liked anything that resembled fruit pie, but oh my goodness, I downed four servings of that cobbler until I couldn't eat anymore. I've been trying to make all her recipes, finding occasions that would best match them, and all of them have come out better than I expected. It's truly a wonderful cookbook when you can't wait to try making something new from it because you've had such delightful experiences with all the past recipes.

Cooking is a joy with this book, and you don't have to be an experienced cook to enjoy making these recipes. Mothers, girlfriends, wives, husbands, sons, and fathers, if you're looking for good recipes that'll make quality food that'll wow your family, give this cookbook a try. If you're looking for a few recipes to try before making the commitment of buying this book, Food Network's webpage offers free recipes Dori shared with Sara Moulton during her guest appearance on Cooking Live. Give it a try, and I'll bet you'll be back for more!