North Carolina - Asheville Books

This audio tour of the Blue Ridge Mountains was much more than I expected. It was chock full of interesting facts and historical notes of the area and the people who first settled there. It was very well done, easy to follow and even humorous at times. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who wants to make a trip through this part of the country even more enjoyable. It turns a nice drive into a memorable learning experience. It's inexpensive and for the money represents very good value.

Travel Narrator's Blue Ridge Parkway audio tour brings out the best of this section of the Blue Ridge mountains. Travelers play the tape while driving the Blue Ridge Parkway between Asheville and Cherokee, North Carolina. This is not simply a look to your right, look to your left, tour. It teaches you about the history and landscape of the North Carolina mountains as you drive through them and it highlights key overlooks and hikes for you to take along the way. It's the next best thing to having a personal tour guide with you . . . and sometimes better. The tape is well worth it.

Travel Narrator's audio tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway is a MUST for anyone travelling the southernmost section of the Parkway for the first time. Those who know this section well will find the audio tour a delightful, useful companion.I have traveled the Parkway for over 30 years and have done extensive research for a Parkway course I teach, so I can assure that the historical information in the audio tour is extremely accurate. The Parkway is more than a scenic road; it is an interpreter of the region through which it passes. Trevel Narrator enables the listener to enrich his/her understanding of the Blue Ridge region. I hope this is only the first in a series of audio tours that will cover the entire Parkway.

Adults everywhere should have the wisdom Jason Summey displayed as a young teenager. High school dropouts are a terrible problem for society in general, but the perspective this young man presents in his little book is the unique view of a peer who sees and hears, first hand, the problems and difficulties that cause young people to make such a destructive decision. The way he describes the difficulties he encountered while trying to help is classmates is well worth the read. His compilation of reasons to stay in school that other students submitted, range from funny to serious to sad to just plain common sense. The value of this little book is evident by the fact that it is endorsed by everyone from Jason's principal, to his school superintendent, his congressman, the governor of his state and even President George Bush, Sr. It's a must read for anyone interested in education.

Knowing Jason Summey personally, i can tell you he is a great guy with a true passion for his work. I heard him give a speech on his program with his school and he is a truly amazing person. This book is the proof that there really is a spectacular reason to stay in school. Jason Summey has saved multiple pepole's careers, and this book is the proof. Thank you Jason Summey, you've helped me.

As a former North Carolina resident, our secret's out. "Coasting the
Mountains" depicts Western North Carolina as a magical place full of the
finest arts and crafts, antiques and an abundance of natural beauty and
outdoor activities. And it is! This guidebook covers a 200 mile
stretch from Murphy to Boone and uncovers lots of hidden treasures along
the way. It's a fun read too, with unusual facts and recipes. My
personal favorite: Kudzu Jelly!

Editorial Review

Call dibs on the shotgun seat as four enthusiastic travelers take you on a lively ride through western North Carolina in "Coasting the Mountains". The authors are friends...whose love of discovery shines through.

Their personal insights validate our enthusiasm for places we've visited and whet our appetites for those we haven't. Scattered throughout the book are recipes gathered during their rambles as well as boxes with notes of interest, little-known facts and insider tips. Plus they steer travelers to the best shopping and antiquing.

"Coasting the Moutains" is thorough and a lot more fun than most guidebooks.
Excerpted from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
September 16, 2001

As with the other titles in this series by Bishir, they just don't get any better. The three books together offer a complete survey of historic architecture in North Carolina. There are many small black and white photographs included, good maps, essays that place the structures in historical context, addresses and precise dating, all grouped by county and organized around the principal towns in each. Many an AIA guide attempts this format and falls far short.

I liked this series so much I bought it twice--one to save and one to use.

This is a book of wonder and revelation, illuminating the history and splendor of one of America's most magical regions. It will make you want to learn more and more and then drive the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The book purports to provide just that -- an overview of a beautiful city nestled strategically between the Blueridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains. The reader gets a glimpse of Asheville's rich heritage -- the down-home hospitality of its downtown and the mystic beauty of its mountains; the folk arts and crafts of its multi-ethnic community and the splendid out-door recreational and tourist attractions offered to its visitors; its numerous cultural resources, including art museums, galleries, live theater, symphonies, as well as a description of its growing economy with its developing communications networks,its manufacturing and technology industries, its business, financial and real estate industries, and its educational and health care centers.

The book will warm the heart of readers who are interested in visiting Asheville on a holiday as well as those considering a move to the area for more reasons than its temperate climate and cultural amenities. Though this work is a typical over-sized coffee-table book, its authors (all residents of Asheville) ably provide a well documented text to complement the outstanding picturesque, colorful photography by Tim Barnell. As a recent retiree having moved to the area after a year of careful research about Asheville, I love this book -- the only one on the topic with fabulous photographs as well as well written supportive textual materials covering a variety of topics. Excellent reading and viewing for someone who might consider moving to Asheville, a city frequently rated as one of the top ten places to retire! It has been just rated #1 in AARP's May-June, 2000 issue of Modern Maturity, for the best small city in the USA which to retire!

This poignant book by Sebastian Matthews is listed as a memoir of his father, but it could just as easily be found in the biography section. In recounting the life of a brilliant poet and, sometime less than wonderful father, Matthews turned his thoughts inward to give insight into the person he was and eventually struggles to become.

This book often reads like a novel, a story of falling and then climbing to reach solid emotional ground. Anyone who struggles from the baggage left by parents who achieved success professionally but lacked parenting skills, can benefit from the story honestly told here. In understanding divorce, alcoholism, sexual infidelity and intimacy issues, Matthew ends the book on a high note where his career is now on solid ground and his personal life fulfilling. A great non-fiction read, I hope this is a starting point for other books from him outside of his normal poetry venue.

I've ridden several rides following the book, and I found the milage accurate, the rides interesting, and the cue sheets very easy to use. The maps are separate from the cue sheets in the book, but flipping back and forth was not a problem. I personally found the cue sheets adaquate without the maps, but the maps provide a useful overview. If you're familliar with Jim Parham's other books, his mapping technique, while always good, has gotten better. These maps are really clear. However, on some of the rides, some intersections were too complicated for me to figure out from the map alone. The cue sheets were perfectly clear in these instances. Overall, this book is a model of ride information.

The most useful book we found about Asheville. Fun to read, full of info and excellent photos. For visitors or new residents. Only problem is it is out of print.

This book is an interesting relic of history, but it's now completely outdated. Most of the locations and stores are closed, and much of the "underground" information is wholly inaccurate. Only worth buying for that limited set of people who have a nostalgia for what the town used to be.

This book is a must have for anyone living in Asheville,moving to or just visiting Asheville.I moved just outside of Asheville a couple of years ago and this book has been a great guide to find things to see and do around the Greater Asheville area,this book has alot of places to go and see that usally you only find out about by living here for years or word of mouth so this book is a great information guide for showing your out of town guest around the city and the near by mounatins.Tom's Great humor adds a friendly feeling to it and you feel like your talking to a friend and it keeps you reading right though until
the end!Also Gail's great photos are great to look at but I wish there were more of them and I would like to see a Part Two to this book and maybe some more of Gail Forsyth-Kerr's great photos of Asheville added to it.So order this book you will not be sorry until you get to the end and still want to hear more about this great mountain City!Thanks Tom + Gail!!
Ken Benjamin
APPLE CREEK FARM
SPRING CREEK,NC

This book is what all travel guides should be. It makes suggestions for great places to visit and gives detailed instructions on how to get there.

This book did not leave my side for my entire visit! It was like having a (really fun) friend in the city! Found places we never would have on our own. A+++!!

A great book, we have used the book to plan our trip, from the UK to Asheville, we are now looking forward to the trip, and experiencing sights and tastes of north carolina,

Not having been to North Carolina previously, we are heavilly dependant on research material, of which this book is great.

Another review will be made after testing the book out, but if Asheville is as good as the book, then we should have no worries.

Pantas' guide book offers a wide range of topics to suit every interest: outdoor/indoor team sports, camping, antiquing, historic walks and driving tours, kid activities, drama, music, food, lodging....the list goes on. The guide tackles Asheville & Hendersonville - the largest WNC cities - and also includes the major surronding attractions like the Great Smokies National Park, Cherokee, Maggie Valley, etc.

The accompanying drawings, made by Pantas, in pen and ink are exquisite and make this tome as much an art book as an information source.

Whenever available, Pantas includes websites and/or email addresses to suit virtual trip planners such as myself. These resources even make it an excellent tool for the local that wants to find out more about what's just down the road in their own WNC communities.

The only failing of the book is that it doesn't cover surronding areas of Asheville/Hendersonville very well in the accommodations and dining sections. The counties in which these cities are situated have many fine accomodations and restaurants all within a short drive of their county seats (15 miles or less). He should also consider including restaurants and accomodations near the outlying attractions so that people taking a day trip to one of the places he suggests that is not so close to Asheville will know where to eat or where to stay if they're too tired to drive back the same day.

One other small thing is Otherwise, the book is beyond reproach.

Pantas lists activities, events, galleries, antique shops, kid stuff, historic info, architectural tour info, and so much more....There is something for everyone in this tome. And, though it focuses on Asheville and Hendersonville, this book touches on the major attractions in surrounding areas as well--perfect for day trips or even longer side excursions.

My only complaint is that, if readers do choose to tour outside the book's focus, they'll have to look elsewhere for dining and lodging options as this text only includes that information in for Asheville and Hendersonville.

My wife and I had bought several books about Western North Carolina before we found Mr. Pantas'. After spending the last week reading over the information inside the book, all I can say is that we did ourselves a dis-service in purchasing all of the other books. I have never seen a more comphehensive and detailed outline, before this book, about a place I was scheduled to visit and potentially relocate too. The "pictures" are great and I hope to see more of his works of art while in Western North Carolina. The Ultimate Guide is a an extraordinarily valuable research tool.

Much too much information to be really useful, because most of it is pretty superficial. How can it be otherwise, when the author has crammed every possible thing he can think of into a book that can't accommodate so much information? The book is also poorly organized/structured, and with such a large amount of material, good organization is critical. The multitude of cross-references is extremely annoying -- the reader shouldn't have to keep flipping around the book to find information on one subject. The author's drawings are very nice, but on the whole the book looks like it was not professionally produced (just looking at the cover gives me a headache.) If you want a book on Asheville, you're much better off with something less comprehensive that has more depth. (E.g., a lengthy list of attractions or restaurants or other things that provides little or no description doesn't do me any good . . . ) Try "The Underground Asheville Guide" as an alternative -- it's a little too cute, but ultimately more helpful . . .

We often use this guide to locate special places our clients would like to see. With the vast array of activities and sites in the western NC area, you would need several volumes to cover most of it. This book goes along way to providing extensive, unique and accurate information on the area. Several reviewers were worried about the map(s) or lack there of. I would urge you to buy the book then hit the Visitor Center in Asheville and C of C's in the smaller towns for very good, simple maps that will work very well with the book. Best of all, they are FREE!!!! This book is one of three that we use extensively in planning self-guided tours.

I've used Insider's Guides for individual cities; this is the first I bought for a region. Insider's Guide to North Carolina mountains divides the region into 3 sub-regions, and then by county in each sub-region. Restaurants, accommodations, shopping, activities, etc. are all grouped together in individual chapters, thenw those chapters are grouped by subregion and county. So there isn't, for example, a single chapter on Asheville giving you some history, city layout, neighborhood descriptions, restaurants, accommodations and activities. To find Asheville listings, you have to jump from chapter to chapter (e.g. restaurants), find the "Central Mountains" section and then the Buscombe County sub-section. Its tedious and lacks flow. I much prefer guides that group all resources for an area together. Yes, the information is here, but you don't get a good overview. It feels more like a telephone book than a narrative travel guide with listings.

We went to Asheville and Boone for our Honeymoon a few weeks ago and took the Insiders' Guide to North Carolina's Mountains with us. It was extremely helpful in providing good choices for restaurants and local attractions. We knew very little about the area before visiting and the book directed us toward many unique eateries and destinations.

My only two complaints are that: 1) there are no maps of downtown areas of any of the towns. This is understandable for some of the tiny towns, but it seems to me that including a map of downtown Asheville would be a given...not so! 2) There were no prices included for any of the hotels, attractions, etc. Granted, they do give phone numbers for each place, so it's not hard to find the information, but it would be nice to have a price range for hotels and restaurants (other than $, $$, $$$, or $$$$)

Man, if anyone is planning on going up to the North Carolina Mountains should first read what the Insiders' have to say about. This book is kinda like your guide around the mountains when you are traveling. The authors know what their talking about because they live there. It's Awesome!!!