Tennessee Books

The book's table of contents serves as the index: all 125 waterfalls are listed. At $9.95 this book is an exceptional value (8 cents per waterfall).

This book does a great job of giving detailed maps and directions to some waterfalls that are very remote and obscure (as well as some that aren't). The author, a former surveyor, is very precise with his descriptions with milages accurate to .05 miles. The chief drawbacks are a lack of commentary and information on the fauna and flora of the region and a complex identification system that becomes rather cumbersome. Overall, an excellent catelog of some of the prettiest waterfalls in the region.

The title might make this seem like a fairly comprehensive waterfall guide for three states. It does cover waterfalls of Georgia better than any other book I know of. It's section for Alabama is relatively short. I'm less familiar with Alabama and don't know whether that means the book's coverage is sparser there, or whether there are far fewer waterfalls (or at least far fewer public-viewable ones) in Alabama. But as for Tennessee, the book's title is a bit mislesding to the extent that it would seem to claim general coverage for waterfalls in that state. There are whole good-sized waterfall-rich portions of Tennessee that are completely left out. The north part of the Cumberland Plateau is one part left out and the other is the northern district of Cherokee National Forest. Those areas are more or less as waterfall-rich as their more southerly counterparts that are covered in the book. Also omitted from this book is the Tennessee portion of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but another book by the same author does cover waterfalls of that park. Another drawback of this book is that it has no index. But the upside is that, in the areas it does cover this book provides good directions to the waterfalls in question and maps in most cases. The maps show contour lines, which makes the trails easier to follow for those who know something about reading topographig maps. For the falls it does cover, it is therefore a good guide. It also has in the middle a section of beautiful photographs, most of them in color. Possibly it is the most comprehensive waterfall guide for Georgia, and I wouldn't konw about Alabama. But as for Tennnessee, there is a much more complete waterfall guide that covers all parts of that state that have waterfalls, and that is WATERFALLS OF TENNESSEE by Gregory Plumb.

My family has been drug up to North Georgia to hike on every Waterfall in this book. We love Blood Mountain falls and Wildcat Creek falls, because you can slide down them. Barnes Creek in the Cohutta Wilderness is another great place to play, right when the trail starts at the bottom, and all the way up to all the multiple falls. There is a big grass camping field on top of the mountain for a wonderful all downhill hike on Barnes Creek too. The falls in the Tallulah Basin and over by the Chattooga River are so exciting to find and explore. The scary cliff clinging hike in the Three Forks is as good as it gets. Mark even mentions Rock Town, an area of house size boulders you have to climb on , around, and under. You could spend all day there and still not see everything. It's amazing how many waterfalls the great state of Georgia has. Get this book and start enjoying some of the best weekends in some of the best wilderness area's in all of the Eastern U.S. There are so many more waterfalls past Anna Ruby and Amicalola. Please pack out though, and be safe. Another great waterfall book is Waterfalls of the Southern Appalachians, which covers waterfalls in North and South Carolina. Go Mark Go.

The title might make this seem like a fairly comprehensive waterfall guide for three states. It does cover waterfalls of Georgia better than any other book I know of. It's section for Alabama is relatively short. I'm less familiar with Alabama and don't know whether that means the book's coverage is sparser there, or whether there are far fewer waterfalls (or at least far fewer public-viewable ones) in Alabama. But as for Tennessee, the book's title is a bit mislesding to the extent that it would seem to claim general coverage for waterfalls in that state. There are whole good-sized waterfall-rich portions of Tennessee that are completely left out. The north part of the Cumberland Plateau is one part left out and the other is the northern district of Cherokee National Forest. Those areas are more or less as waterfall-rich as their more southerly counterparts that are covered in the book. Also omitted from this book is the Tennessee portion of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but another book by the same author does cover waterfalls of that park. Another drawback of this book is that it has no index. But the upside is that, in the areas it does cover this book provides good directions to the waterfalls in question and maps in most cases. The maps show contour lines, which makes the trails easier to follow for those who know something about reading topographig maps. For the falls it does cover, it is therefore a good guide. It also has in the middle a section of beautiful photographs, most of them in color. Possibly it is the most comprehensive waterfall guide for Georgia, and I wouldn't konw about Alabama. But as for Tennnessee, there is a much more complete waterfall guide that covers all parts of that state that have waterfalls, and that is WATERFALLS OF TENNESSEE by Gregory Plumb.

After the first review by "A reader from London" and a Sherman apologist, and "One Star", and no review... just diatribe, I will buy this book and see what it says. It must be good.

Mr Garrison should stick to writing `Cartoon Comic` Civil War books, and I would love to suggest further titles to add to his funny papers collection such as "Did you know any old professor or teacher can write a thesis about General Sherman`s March and as long as it is derogatory to the great man it will be met with respect in certain quarters" Or perhaps that title is too long - Howabout Much More Civil War Curiosities, or Civil War Curiosities I have Known - or even Top Ten Civil War Hits of 1863? Another piece of advice, Mr Garrison do not, sir, give up your day job and try to run with the big boys of American history such as McPherson, Catton, McFeely - this book belongs in the section marked jumping on the band wagon with nothing new to say along with Lee Kennett`s Marching Through Georgia and Burke Davis Sherman`s March. If I were a teacher, which thank goodness I am not, I would give all three books 1 out of 10 ( over generous)and keep all three `authors` in to copy out the following lines: " I must always do thorough research before I write a book...I must always do thorough research before...

I found this book on the advancement of General Sherman from Tennesse through the state of Georgia very interesting.
The book has a good supply of pictures from beginning to end. Many books of higher prestige are very sparse with photos, this was not. As with most civil war books there are not many maps of key skirmishes, small battles, or important movements. Its like many authors say to the reader, "go ahead and imagine what is going on here".
It is hard to be a real fan of the way the way that Sherman conducted himself in war, yet he was relentless in his pursuit of The Army of Tenn., battering the city of Atlanta, and paralyzing the railroads in Ga.
I am glad I found this book.

This book provides more detail on the march to Atlanta than other histories I have read. It also provides maps of the various battles, as well as some pictures.
The major fault is that the author says there are not remnants of the battle. There are many. The Kennesaw Mountain battlefield is a national park. The Resaca and Dalton battlefields are identified. Picketts Mill battlefield is a park complete with re enactors working there. There are hundreds of signs all over Georgia and especially the Atlanta area identifying battle sites, and units engaged at the sites.

Through other reading, I had developed a negative opinion of Gen Hood. This book shows him not only to be stupid and overly agressive, oblivious of the wasting of men his poor generalship accomplished, but also a backstabber, writing negative comments about Johnston's generalship to Jeff Davis, but also in disobeying orders to fight at the critical battles of Resaca, and Tunnel Hill. He also did not obey Jeff Davis's orders to defend a move by Sherman east to the sea. Having been to the battlefield areas, of Resaca and Tunnel Hill,I wondered how the Union Army could penetrate those impregnable positions. Since Hood did not occupy them it made it easy for the Union.
A very good read for one who wants to know more detail about the battle of Atlanta.
A forced evacuation of the city, documented in few other places, is described.

Those looking for technical, scientific information or Manhattan Project secrets wont be satisfied with this book. However, it provides an incredibly detailed account of social issues, and the effects of a secret city on a person's psyche. It highlights stories of human sacrifice, class warfare and living under Big Brother's thumb in the name of National Security and scientific proweress. Its yet another story of how the government attempted a secret project and succeded, but as a dismal failure on the human front.

Unfortunately, the story was written by a couple of UT (Tennessee) professors, who are not exactly professional writers. Gramatical errors and poor sentance structure plague each chapter. But despite the quality of writing, this is an incredible story that I could not put down!

Anyone interested in The WWII home front, baby boomers, E Tennessee history, and governement secrets would find this a fascinating read!

I was born in the Atomic City during the 60's, and grew up hearing the stories of my parents life 'behind the fences'. The book provided a glimpse of the way in which people endured hardship and sacrifice in the name of national security and for an often misunderstood (and rarely discussed) science. Many of the places mentioned in the story still exist today. This story may have meant more to me as a native to the area than to those simply looking for a story about the Manhattan Project, as it focused more on the daily lives of the people than the scientific matter.

Most people have heard about Hanford and Los Alamos, yet Oak Ridge also played an important part in the atomic energy program. This book gives insight into a town that was created by the government during WW2.

The book is filled with great archive pictures of the town during the war years. A lot of the places described in the book are still standing in the town.

I may be somewhat biased as I grew up in the 70's and 80's in this interesting town.

My husband always told me his Mom and Dad met and married in Oak Ridge, TN and he has always been after them to write - or tape - the story of their lives in Oak Ridge. His Mom always says "Oh, nobody wants to hear about that!" We attended a family reunion there and as part of the trip, visited the Museum of Atomic Energy in Oak Ridge. In the bookshop, I spotted this book, and couldn't leave without it. It was so interesting! I believe the people of Oak Ridge were in shock the days that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed, and they were so used to not talking about what they did there, the silence just continued. My inlaws confirmed that they truly did not know what they were building. When they saw news footage of the devastation, many Oak Ridgers didn't want anyone else to ever know. My inlaws say that a family member who worked there suffered such emotional trauma upon finding out, she was never normal again. No one knows what a unique place - in all the world and perhaps for all time - Oak Ridge, TN was - and is. If you believe that truth is often stranger than fiction, you'll enjoy this history lesson.

The way Sam's revisions were incorporated was highly effective. I felt the labeling of the picture of General Jeb Stuart as General John Bell Hood was a major publishing error & highly damaged the book.

Co Aytch was the only book in memory that I wanted to re-read all over again after finishing it. Funny, gripping, sad, uplifting, romantic, - the book has it all. Sam Watkins reflections as a private confederate soldier through four years of a terrible war should be a must read for all Americans-- especially those not enamored with history.

I did not read the original Co. Aytch but this revised edition with SW's actual handwritten revisions seemed to flow very well-- it was hard to put this book down.

This book was fantastic! I first read it in 1982 in paperback form when I bought it at Fort Donelson National Battlefield. It created a deep love and respect for the "common soldier" that fought in the Civil War, regardless if they wore blue or gray. Sam Watkins' family is owed a huge debt of gratitude by releasing this edition with Sam's notes. If you want to know about how the average soldier felt about the war, his cause, fellow soldiers, and his leaders, then this is the book for you!

Many years ago, I read "Co. Aytch" and it quickly became one of my favorite Civil War memoirs. Recently, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Pvt. Watkin's family had published a new edition of "Co Aytch" with Sam's intended revisions. I've purchased a copy of revised edition, and I must say that I still enjoy this book.

With the revision, I came away with the feeling that wartime hatred for the Union soldiers had mellowed with Sam changing the use of the word Yankee in earlier editions to Federal. His remarks regarding General Bragg are interesting.

In my opinion, if you've read the earlier editions of "Co Aytch", you must read the revised edition.

I was researching a relative who served in the 2nd Rgt Engineers, PACS, and there is not much information available on the three Confederate Engineer Regiments. This book is more of a biography of Wampler, who was a staff officer and not a line officer in an engineer organization.

I didn't think this book would mean so much to me but it did and I'm pleased. I am a mother, feminist, and yankee; certainly not a student or enthusiast of the Civil War. Somehow this book came to my attention and I read it at first out of boredom. But I could not put this book down. In feminist studies we say "the personal is political." Through the depiction of John Wampler, this book masterfully demonstrates that concept. Kundahl tracks this man's life in careful detail, from his uniform to his marching orders. Kundahl delves where other historians fear to tread; the homelife. It doesn't matter that he fought for the South or the North. It doesn't matter that he was an engineer rather than a foot soldier (although the description of 1800's engineering principles is fascinating.) Fundementally, John Wampler was a man, a husband, a son, a father who sacrificed everything for duty and maybe even just a sense of adventure. Kate Wampler demonstrates the concept of bravery as well. While John went off to war, she kept her family and community together. Very rarely does a historical text bother to address in such detail the effects of war on women and families. Perhaps the fact that Kundahl is related to this extraordinary woman serves as the impetus for that desicion. Perhaps we should all look to our family trees to find such matriarches. I would highly recommend this book. It reminds me of another excellent book entitled "Galileo's Daughter" by Dava Sobel. That book chronicals the life of Galileo through corrispondence with his daughter.

Kundahl's biography of Morris Wampler is an excellent read! The story of Wampler's life and untimely death has an appeal for Civil War enthusiasts, for those interested in the development of the engineering profession, and for those who would like to learn about the life and times of an average citizen in a tumultuous period in American history. The material of the book has been gathered from Wampler's personal diaries and from the painstaking research of the author, who is Wampler's great, great grandson. The rich source material and Kundahl's deft handling of it give the reader the immediate experience of Wampler's life from his early education at the Mercer Academy to his work with the U.S. Coast Survey, an important scientific body that was mapping the Nation's expanding boundaries, and, finally, to his labor and ultimate sacrifice in support of the Confederate cause. Viewing the progress of the Civil War from the vantage point of and, at times, in the very words of a mid-level officer is an extraordinary experience.

Kundahl had done a masterful job for transforming Wampler's life into a compelling experience for the reader. Four stars!

This is an interesting book for a variety of reasons. The subject is John Morris Wampler, a young man whose life we follow from an inauspicious start in pre-civil War MD, to his untimely end as a Confederate Captain in Charleston, SC. The story is made doubly interesting, as Wampler is the author's great-great-grandfather, and one can feel Kundahl's personal investment to tell the story completely and without embellishment. One strength of the book is the insight it gives us into the institutions that built our country. Prior to the war, Wampler finds his early niche with the U.S. Coast Survey; at the time, an organization considered to be the premier scientific organization in the country and charged by Congress to conduct a thorough survey of the US coastline. For those with a technical bent, they will enjoy Kundahl's detailed description of the surveying techniques used by Wampler in his work along the Texas coast. Another strength is the unadorned manner in which we follow Wampler's somewhat unsuccessful pursuit of fame and fortune, both prior to and during the war. Kundahl provides a solid record of Wampler's attempts to advance his career, to include the sometimes clumsy use and abuse of mentors. The underlying story could probably be written about any aggressive 30-year-old, however, and that adds credibility to the book, showing us that human nature has not changed. The real strength--and in some respects the weakness--is Kundahl's description of Wampler's involvement in various actions during the war. At best, Wampler's involvement was alwyas peripheral. Kundahl's strength is his ability to take the perspective of the periphery and show how it played into the greater scheme of things. For those without a detailed knowledge of the Civil War, however, the view is sometimes hard to grasp. While the book is well-illustrated with Wampler's maps--his forte--battle maps showing the greater picture would be a very welcome addition. Nonetheless, the thorough accounting of Wampler's actions does give an excellent insight to the life of a staff officer. This duty is not usually depicted in typical histories, which tend to focus on the generals at the top or the infantryment at the bottom. In addition, the book gives a good review of the art of military engineering during the war and opens the idea of other books focusing on specialized staff functions at the time. The book ends with the very personal story of Wampler's widow trying to place his sacrifice into a framework that brings it the dignity and honor she feels it deserves. Kundahl's ability to draw on family records gives this section special poignancy. Given his access to family records, Kundahl's book also raises an interesting question: In this age of e-mails and telephone calls, will such books be able to be written in the future? There will always be a large public record to help document the actions of the generals and a corpus of front-line reporting to reveal the ordeal of the privates. It is doubtful, though, that these personal accounts from the periphery--which is no doubt the view of the vast majority of the participants in any period of history--will be preserved. If for nothing else, Kundahl's telling of one particular individual's peripheral view is a valuable addition to our understanding of this period in our history.

Crystabelle has no choice but to the run, to run far away. She knows that God did not call her to this marriage. She goes to Tennessee to teach and meets Drew. Drew and his friend Bear add some fun to this wilderness. Crawford tells her story about the westward movement of pioneers, their beliefs, their fears, their joys, and their courage. Try it you will like it. Ruth Thompson author of "The Bluegrass Dream" and "Natchez Above The River"

Desperate to escape the cruel man her parents insist she marry, Crystabelle grasps at the chance of a teaching position in a remote settlement beyond the mountains. Surely neither her betrothed nor her father will find her there! And she will be free to pursue the independent life of which she has always dreamed.

A beautiful, refined heiress is the last person Drew would expect to be seeking passage overmountain to Tennessee Territory. But the lovely miss seems determined to procure the position of schoolmistress to Reardon Valley's youngsters. Dubious but intrigued, Drew finds himself helping her achieve her goal. Once he gets her safely to the valley, though, he'll be off again. Not even the growing threat to Crystabelle's safety can dissuade him from exploring his beloved wilderness...or can it?

As the two join forces, they learn the true meaning of adventure and freedom--but a shocking betrayal threatens to tear it away from them forever.

Drew Reardon defines the word "wanderlust." Although he has declared a life of roaming and freedom, but struggles when an unusual situation puts a single young woman in his path. Although Crysta desires the freedom to make her own choices, she finds fulfillment in teaching, a job which requires roots. The batter between two tenacious, obstinate individuals (who both believe a future with the other is totally unattainable) is amazing and amusing. If you enjoy historical Christian fiction, you must add this to your collection.

While I enjoyed the first two books in the Reardon Brothers Triology and looked forward to this last book, I am sad to say that disappointment in the last three chapters of the book abound. While it was predictable to a point, the ending did not meet my expectations. The ending of the book was quite far-fetched to say the least. Any of us who read the first two books and remember the portrayal of Drew, the youngest of the Reardon brothers will find that Freedom's Belle did not follow the same path. The entire book up until the end was exactly what we had pictured and contained the detail we love from Dianna Crawford, however, the ending unfortunately overshadowed the great beginning. You would be better off not reading the third book of this triology and keep Dianna's first two as memories of a great story.

"Nursing America" is a chronicle of Balfour's year interviewing nurses at Memphis' Med. The Med began in 1829 as a hospital for those traveling the Mississippi; it now is a large public hospital serving primarily those in the Memphis area, but also those in Arkansas and Mississippi. It claims five centers of excellence - burn, trauma, high-risk OB, newborns, and wound care, and Balfour spend time in several of them.

The "good news" is that nurses, mostly black - as reflecting the area - are well educated (many have Master's degrees), well-paid ($1,000/week and up), generally happy - they particularly appreciate the autonomy afforded them at the Med, provide the best care they can - even when they know the patient will soon die, and competent. Some are males, even a former SEAL. The "bad news" is that the Med is in constant financial trouble due to the large amount of uncompensated care it provides - especially in the Burn Center.

"Nursing America" helps one better appreciate nurses and public hospitals.

This book gives us insights into what it's like to work at an under funded urban American hospital. The author profiles several specialty nurses and follows them on their daily rounds for a few weeks at a time. It's informative and very readable for anyone interested in contemporary nursing.

Nursing America: One Year Behind The Nursing Stations Of An Inner-City Hospital by journalist and television producer Sandy Balfour is a straightforward look at the daily lives of skilled nurses who must deal with the tragedies of sickness and all too often violence in an urban American public hospital. "Nobody ever came to the hospital to see a nurse", one of the profiled nurses mentions, yet it is often the nurses whom the patients remember most vividly. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this detailed account of a profession so often misunderstood, and the men and women who hold human lives in their hands from day to day, as surely as air traffic controllers and law enforcement officers do. Especially recommended for anyone looking to better understand what a nurse's life is like, from students considering a career in the field to writers striving to accurately portray nursing to lay readers looking to enrich their knowledge.

The inner-city hospital is Memphis' chronically under funded Regional Medical Center, known as "the Med." Unlike the city's private hospitals, the Med has to take everybody, which means lots of non-paying patients, many of whom are addicts, people without family, the homeless, the mentally ill. British journalist Sandy Balfour spends a year walking its corridors and talking to its nurses, the backbone of the hospital.

The nurses at the Med are a proud, dedicated bunch. Many are black and most of the ones Balfour talks to have been there for years. One of the things he doesn't say is how much turnover there is; going by this book, not much. Pay is the same as at private hospitals and the nurses have greater autonomy and authority. "We work as a team," is a refrain that comes up again and again.

He spends much of his time in the trauma center, burn unit and HIV clinic. Nurses who work trauma (including airlift trauma nurses) are a special breed; people who thrive on the challenge of emergency, and the rush of adrenaline. Most of them wouldn't work anywhere else.

But then nurses who work the ever-depressing burn unit are a special breed too; people who can spend months with a patient in constant pain, whose best will never be as good as it was. Death is frequent. It's not one of the more popular specialties.

And it takes a special sort of person to work with HIV patients all day. Like many of these nurses Marye Bernard takes her faith as seriously as her responsibilities. Patients respond to her determined optimism. Her goal is to prevent HIV becoming AIDS. "What this means is I do everything. Pap smears, teeth, dietary advice, antibiotics. You name it. I do palliative care, symptomatic care, and preventative care. I give anti-retroviral drugs. I do education."

Money and race come into the story frequently: constant threats by the state to shut down a place that runs deeply in the red; the differences in ambiance between a place like the Med and the private hospitals where everyone has insurance; the chasm in general health between people who get regular care and people who don't have insurance; the color divide inherent in all those differences.

At the Newborn Center about 30 percent of the Med's newborn babies require intensive postpartum care. The infant mortality rate for white babies in Memphis is 5.8 per 100,000, a bit better than the national average. The rate for black infants is 18.7. Here too, the Med has a dedicated staff, run by 79-year-old Dr. Sheldon Korones who believes "health care is a right, not a privilege," and that the worst faults of our system stem from making medicine "a product." He raised the money himself to start the Newborn Center in 1968, his reaction to the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.

The nurses, many of them considerably more conservative than Korones, talk comfortably to Balfour, inviting him to watch them work. He meets FSAs (failed suicide attempts) MVAs (motor vehicle accidents), GSWs (gunshot wounds), watches an operation to reconstruct a girl's face after she was shot by her boyfriend, attends a three-hour church service with the head nurse.

Frustrating, depressing stats and monetary issues punctuate Balfour's anecdotal, informative and inspiring narrative. The nurses are wonderful people, with a heartening sense of the importance of their work. As fascinating as this material is, though, it doesn't go deep enough. Why does Marye Bernard refuse to sign off on disability for even very sick patients with AIDs? Why a 24 hour shift for some nurses (enabling them to run other businesses, including a farm and a pet cemetery)? What about that patient at the outset who complained about the rudeness of the nurses at the Med? Are they? Why?

However many questions you may have at the end, Balfour puts his heart into this celebration of a caring profession, while capturing the sad ironies of the system's inequities.

It's 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee. The state has recently enacted legislation requiring that creationism (known now as intelligent design) be taught in all publicly financed schools. John Scopes, a highly principled teacher and "infidel" refuses to comply with this edict. His defiance becomes the catalyst for one of the most anticipated trials in US history, the Scopes Monkey Trial. Attorney for the defense is Clarence Darrow. State attorney A. T. Stewart is the prosecutor, aided by erstwhile presidential candidate, William Jennings Bryan. Covering the trial for the Baltimore Sun and for posterity, is that acerbic scribe, H. L. Mencken.

In a packed 90 degree courtroom, litigants and audience alike endure 11 days of sweltering heat and blistering condemnation from both sides of the most volatile issue since the issue itself.

Mencken's daily reports from July 10 to July 21 are replete with critism and witticism. His, at times, withering commentary is clearly slanted agnostic. He makes no affectation whatsoever toward unbiased reporting. With his amazing command of the english language, he's more an elegant verbal assassin than news reporter. Mencken leaves no earth unscorched, from the "local yokels" to the "ignoramuses" who purport to govern them. His most potent venom is reserved for William Jennings Bryan. Bryan is seated as a bible expert and witness for the prosecution as he faces off against Clarence Darrow. Darrow presents compelling scientific facts refuting creationism, while Bryan defers to meaningless scripture and ridiculous superstition, advancing neither his cause nor his standing amoung the country's thinking elite.

A Religious Orgy in Tennessee is a compilation of newspaper articles. One should probably be an agnostic and Mencken fan to enjoy it. Also, have a dictionary close at hand. You'll need it.

I am a huge fan of H. L. Mencken and this addition to the library doesn't disappoint. Mencken was one of America's most respected, despised, and feared journalists. As the number one literary enemy of the fundamentalist most of his career, Mencken was in his element at the John Scopes trial that pitted the science of evolution against the mythology of fundamentalist Christianity.

In 1925, Mencken drew the nation's attentions to a trial taking place in Dayton, Tennessee that would test the boundaries of a new law (the Butler Act) that prohibited the teaching of: "any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals." One enterprising individual set about testing the law by asking a local teacher (a friend sympathetic with the cause) to teach Darwin's theory of evolution. That teacher was 24-year-old John T. Scopes. Lasting eight days in the courtroom and eleven days in total, the weather was painfully hot probably irritating Mencken even more.

Writing for the Baltimore Evening Sun, Mencken's verbal energy and acute wit are stunning (no journalist, pundit, or commentator today even comes close). And much of his sarcastic eloquence comes, of course, at the expense of the key figure at the trial William Jennings Bryan. As the billing promises, these reports are by the most famous newspaperman in American history are vivid, highly intelligent, scathingly honest, and hysterically funny.

Mencken saw the transparent attempt at keeping evolution from being taught in schools contemptible, and the Scopes trial as ample opportunity to ridicule the "yokels," "half-wits," and "buffoons" who believe that man is not a mammal and the earth is less then 6,000 years old. But Mencken left his most venomous criticisms for those representing the prosecution, especially Democratic presidential candidate and fundamentalist Christian William Jennings Bryan. Five days after the end of the trial, Bryan died. In writing one of three scathing Bryan obituaries, Mencken opines:

"The meaning of religious freedom, I fear, is sometimes greatly misapprehended. It is taken to be some sort of immunity, not merely from governmental control but also from public opinion. A dunderhead gets himself a long-tailed coat, rises behind the sacred desk, and emits such bilge as would gag a Hottentot. Is it to pass unchallenged? If so, then what we have is not religious freedom at all, but the most intolerable and outrageous variety of religious despotism. Any fool, once he is admitted to the wholly orders, becomes infallible. Any half-wit, by the simple device of ascribing his delusions to revelation, takes on an authority that is denied to all the rest of us."

"I do not know how many Americans entertain the ideas defended so ineptly by poor Bryan, but probably the number is very large...though they are thus held to be sound by millions, these ideas remain mere rubbish. Not only are they not supported by the known facts; they are in direct contravention of the known facts. No man whose information is sound and whose mind functions normally can conceivable credit them. They are the products of ignorance and stupidity, either or both."

"What should be a civilized man's attitude to such superstition? It seems to me that the only attitude possible to him is one of contempt. If he admits that they have any intellectual integrity whatever, he admits that he himself has none. If he pretends to a respect for those who believe in them, he pretends falsely, and sinks almost to their level. When he is challenged he must answer honestly, regardless of tender feelings. That is what Darrow did at Dayton, and the issue plainly justified the act. Bryan went there in a hero's shinning armor, bent deliberately upon a gross crime against sense. He came out a wrecked and preposterous charlatan, his tail between his legs. Few Americans have ever done so much for their country in a whole lifetime as Darrow did in two hours."

This volume includes all of Mencken's daily reports for The Baltimore Sun, as well as additional stories filed for The Nation and The American Mercury. It also includes his coverage of Bryan's death just days after the trial, plus numerous rare photos, and the full transcript of Darrow's historic cross-examination of Bryan. Oh wouldn't Mencken have a field day with with our fearless fundamentalist leader were he alive today! Alas, journalists like Mencken just don't exist anymore. Highly recommended reading and very contemporary as it seems little has changed in the "bible belt."

Religious Orgy in Tennessee was like filet mignon for my brain. To think that in 1925 the voice of reason was so strong yet now all we hear are whispers. Chris Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris are all very good, but they don't have the flare and finesse of H.L. Mencken. Yes, he's blunt, but he's right about religion. We need to stop being polite to superstition and H.L. Mencken is a good example to emulate in our endeavors to bring rationality back to our reason-starved nation and planet.

The Scope trial would fit into today's world so easily. Each side was absolutely 100% correct and the other side was 100% wrong. Now compromise was even thinkable.

H.L. Mencken was sent to cover the trial and report on it. I always like first hand accounts of historic events, and find them to be best place to get the true atmosphere of what was going on at a specific time or place.

H.L. Mencken's reporting tells almost NOTHING of the trial, and is page after page of blistering indictment against anyone who has the slightest glimmer of faith in their life. He came across to me as a very sad individual.

And to previous reviewers who states: "We need to stop being polite to superstition and H.L. Mencken is a good example to emulate in our endeavors to bring rationality back to our reason-starved nation and planet.", In this case, 83 years later, the roles are now 100 reversed. Any whisper of "intelligent design" or faith be even mentioned in schools is immediately attacked and squashed as fanatically as the evolutionists were in Dayton in 1925.

If you want an indictment of religion from the media circus that was the Scopes trial, this would be an excellent book. If you want to learn anything ABOUT the Scope's trial, this isn't it.

A surprising look at the Civil War from the perspective of a man trying to process his own experience many years after the fact. Willis Carr was the product of a Unionist family in East Tennessee. At age 13, he was caught up in a war he did not understand when he followed his father and older brothers on a mission to burn railroad bridges. Captured and offered a choice between joining the rebels and being sent to prison in Tuscaloosa ("The very name sounded like the end of everything holy.") Willis chose the Confederacy, and became a sharpshooter. The first third of the book is Willis's first hand account of his experiences in various battles, from the sharpshooter's nest in the tower of Bleak House overlooking the Kingston Pike and the Tennessee River during the siege of Knoxville, through the horrors of Devil's Den at the battle of Gettysburg, to guard duty at Andersonville Prison, where he first learned to read and write -- in Cherokee -- from a black prisoner. The remainder of the book chronicles his quest, later in life, to sort out his memories, fill in the gaps, and find out "what really happened" during the war by retracing his steps and talking to other survivors along the way. More introspection than action; thoughtful exploration of the mind of a soldier, the importance of physical and temporal perspective, and the fallibility of memory. Quite a remarkable read.

This is a unique way of telling the story of a boy from Tennessee, Willis Carr. The first part of the book deals this boy of thirteen who is a sharpshooter in the Confederate Army. In the second half of the book Willis returns from the west where he had a drinking spree. He has a need to come to terms with his part of the Civil War where he had been a sharpshooter. He travels to the battlefields trying to answer his question: was it War or did he commit murder? By Ruth Thompson author of "Natchez Above The River" and "The Bluegrass Dream"

Writing as a Small BusinessQualifying Laps: A Brewster County NovelSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelTravelersThe Bluegrass Dream: A Wilderness Adventure of Early SettlersNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil War

This is a strangely-told Civil War novel. It's the remembrance of Willis Carr, who was drawn into the war at 13 in the hills of East Tennessee. Many localities from that area are mentioned in the story. Sharpshooter is strange because it is told by the narrator many years after the war and he doesn't seem to remember actually being a part of the events. It's a good effort, but could have been even better. Madden's work is pretty well received by critics, probably because he does such a nice job of making "history" readable.

Madden's novel is both entertaining and challenging. The first half is a young adults conversion from non combatant and Tennessee farm boy through an East Tennessee rail road raider and into the CSA army as a sharpshooter. The second half of the novel presents the soldier after the war as he returns from an alcoholic binge in the West. His personal recollections are hazy but he confronts the question: "Was it war or was it murder?" By touring the Civil War battlefields and bumping into assorted veterans, some of whom are truthful and some are liars, he confronts his battlefield wounds of his body and his psyche. Not your usual Civil War novel and at times it may make you restless but Sharpshooter does the work its sets out to do

As another book stated, "He is arrogant". I have never figured out how he got to be the so called endall of records in Nashville. Goes too show you, pickin's must be slim. In my book I will never forget the shoddy treatment of Gram Parsons (a real talent!) by this record spinner.

your first book was 2 thumbs up I will read your 2nd god bless you mr.emery since hee haw has gone and most of any old tm. music it is a pleasure to read about the real country from you some one who was there

This book was a very interesting read and and a minimum offers any reader a real "View" from Nashville, TN the World Capital for Country music and the stars and players involved.. I give it 4 stars and reccomend to all.

When a man has been in a business for all his adult life, he is well quialified to write about that business and the people within. There in lies the story of "View From Nashville". No other living person knows and can tell the story of "Nashville" scene better than Ralph Emery. The reader gets to know as a person one on one Dolly Parton, Marty Robbins, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty and countless others. Loretta speaks of an out of body experience as she stood by the bedside of her dying friend Conway Twitty. Merl Kilgore relates through Ralph the message Jim Reeves sent him from the other side. One finds that being a child star does not always mean living in a big house, and driving a fancy car as Brenda Lee relates. That Elvis might have appeared on a recording after his death. Through the writing of this Nashville Icon one learns the humor of Roger Miller, and gets to know stars Reba McIntre and Brooks and Dunn. For Elvis fans he writes extensively about an interview with Colonel Tom Parker and the book he would never write. One can feel the love the author has for the business, his city, and peers. No one else could or has told the Nashville story like Ralph Emery in View From Nashville. No wonder his TNN program was voted the networks most popular for 10 consecutive years. Thank goodness he has had time to pen these stories in written form so they may be enjoyed forever.