1 comments about Seasonal Guide to the Natural Year: A Month by Month Guide to Natural Events : North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee (Seasonal Guide to the Natural Year).

1. In the sea of books that detail the locations of the best restaurants, souvenir stores, waterslides, amusement parks, and putt-putt that humans have to offer - this book and the other seasonal guide books float on their own - and tell readers where they can find the best that Mother Nature has to offer.

2 comments about The Marble City: A Photographic Tour of Knoxville's Graveyards.

1. As a regular reader of "Colonel" Jack Neely in MetroPulse (Knoxville's alternative newspaper) and one who appreciated his previous volumes, Knoxville's Secret History I and II, I eagerly awaited this book. If you are interested in East Tennessee history and the people who made it--"Parson" Brownlow, Paul Y. Anderson, Lloyd Branson, the McClungs, General William Caswell, Joseph Mabry, Captain William Rule, Thomas O'Conner, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Edward T. Sanford, Calvin Johnson, the Bethel Cemetery, blues singer and composer Ida Cox, James Agee's father, Frances Hodgson Burnett's mother and many others--you need this book. Many of the gravesites are in Knoxville's Old Gray Cemetery. Take this book and visit the cemetery and revisit East Tennessee History and those who made it. The photographs are also outstanding! Highly recommended!



2. Another excellent work by Jack Neely

3 comments about Paddling the Tennessee River: A Voyage on Easy Water (Outdoor Tennessee Series).

1. Trevathan's account of his canoe trip with his dog Jasper on the Tennessee River is an easy paddling sort of read. Like the trip itself, it's musing, meandering, a little slow in some places, but rapid and tense in others. The book is at its best with sidebars about the river's place in history - more specifically TVA history, descriptions of the Trail of Tears motorcycle ride in Florence, Alabama and conversations with real life characters who manage to make the Tennessee River their livelihood.

   Trevathan wrestles with the divergent interests that often conflict with each other. On one hand the TVA dams prevent widespread flooding and destruction of homes, but it also strips the river of its natural beauty. He rails against the large cabin cruisers that create wakes that toss his tiny boat, but then makes friends with a married couple who offer him cold beer and a tour of their luxury houseboat. The book is a reflection of the river --- a flotsam of history, travel, and an indictment of the insanity called "progress." Trevathan has successfully completed two voyages: one was canoeing the Tennessee, the other was writing about it.




2. Kim Trevathan's Paddling the Tennessee River: A Voyage on Easy Water is that rare bit of travel writing that manages to be informative, entertaining, and well written. As Trevathan makes his way down the essentially tamed Tennessee River looking for clues to its former wildness and beauty, he goes beyond a mere recording of visual observations and ends up with a story that reads more like a good novel than anything else. In the course of this book, which covers his five week journey down river, he touches on the history of the river and the region, modern eco-politics, the anti-septic world of corporate America (from which Trevathan is on brief hiatus), the prevailing southern stereotypes (will he or will he not be required to squeal like a pig at some juncture of his journey) and the still-surviving beauty of the great Outdoors. In short, this is an ambitious book, a commendation in itself. That Trevathan manages to chew what he has bitten off with humor, insight, and intelligence is a testament to his many talents.
   Oh, and you'll love the dog.



3. This book is fun to read. The historical aspects of the book hold the book together. As for the narrative it is too self centered. He worries too much about too many things. I can relate to the conflict between powerboaters and others. Some of the areas that he paddles my wife and I have paddled. He offered few details he doesn't side trip at Wheeler into the wildlife refuge,he just rushes through. He set an impossible schedule that made it hard to enjoy the trip. He talks way too much about his dog. We have a dog. Maybe he should have noticed the eagles and the turtles. When we paddle we enjoy the time well spent.

4 comments about Adventure Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains (Adventure Guide to the Great Smokey Mountains).

1. This exciting update covers Eastern Tennessee, Western North Carolina and Northern Georgia. Outdoor activities, plus craft hunting and fairs. All the information you need for an activity-filled vacation. Maps. Index. Photos.



2. "[Adventure Guides] direct you away from the theme parks and into the great outdoors... the information on trekking routes, canoeing, wildlife refuges - even golf courses - is well researched." The Sunday Telegraph



3. "...intended for the adventure-minded travelers with special affection for the outdoors and nature. Each Adventure Guide packs in outdoor-oriented activities set in different regions. There's something for nearly everyone." Midwest Book Review



4. "Recommended for visitors who want to research a trip ahead of time and take the book along for repeated reference. An outdoors-oriented guide which includes all the best fishing spots, hiking trails in largely uncharted areas and whitewater rafting. An excellent guide." The Bookwatch

5 comments about Hiking Trails of the Great Smoky Mountains : A Comprehensive Guide.

1. This book has everything you could possibly want to know about hiking and backpacking the smokies. the only downfall is that there's almost too much information.



2. Plenty of information on pretty much all the trails in the park (including some that aren't officially maintained, and some informal routes to trailless peaks). Not as useful as the "standard" guidebook (which is just called "Hiking Trails of the Smokies"), partly because it's too bulky to take along on the trail and doesn't have elevation profiles. Lots of good historical material though: good for reading at home before and after your hike.



3. Yes a very complete guide, but a little over the top. reads like "the Hobbit" in places. More of mediocre prose than a hiking guide. With so many Smokies guides out there guess you have to be different. Quite short on facts on off trail routes...this is a shortcoming.



4. I've owned my copy about a year. At first, I was a bit overwhelmed with the comprehensiveness. After using it to plan and go on two 3-night hikes in the GSMNP, I have come to greatly appreciate this book and especially its layout. Mr. Wise needs to be commended on the organization of the material. His trail descriptions are arranged by sections or watersheds, which corresponds to entries points to the Park. This allows the hiker to more easily plan since all the connecting trails descriptions are grouped together. I own three hiking trail books on the Smokies, and I keep coming back to this one.



5. At 446 6" by 9" pages, this guide is one of the largest hiking guides you will find on the market. Unfortunately, much of this ink and paper has not been put to particularly good use, in my opinion.
   
   First let me start with some basic facts about this guide. This guide describes in categorical and systematic fashion every hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The author even includes some routes that are not official trails (more on this later). If there is a trail in the park to suit your ability and desire, you will find it here. The author divides the park into 13 distinct sections, mostly by watershed. The author does not describe hikes per se, only trails. Since most of the trails in the Smokies do not form loops, you will be on your own to choose a route to hike. Each trail includes a list of major points of interest and the mileage to each one from the trailhead, a set of driving directions to the trailhead, and a detailed description of the trail. The descriptions are a bit dry, but they are informative and actually work rather well given the format of this guide. Each section has a map, but maps for individual trails are not provided. Also, there are some nice old pictures in this guide. While they sometimes give a false indication as to what you might see on the trail because they are so old, someone with an historical bent might find them interesting.
   
   While describing every trail in a hiking mecca such as Great Smoky Mountain National Park would seem to make a good hiking guide, such is not the case in my opinion for the following reasons. First, the author describes some trails that are not actually trails. For example, the author describes the Porters Creek Trail as terminating at the Appalachian Trail (AT) when, in fact, the official trail ends at a campsite 2 miles below the AT. If you try to hike this last 2 miles, you will find that the trail quickly disappears past the campsite, so you end up bushwhacking through dense forest over very steep terrain, assuming you don't give up and turn around or, even worse, get lost. The author doesn't indicate that this last 2 miles is not maintained, so a hiker using this guide expecting to hike to the AT would be in for a very unpleasant and perhaps dangerous hiking experience. I know of a few other cases where this problem arises, but for a review, I think one example makes the point.
   
   Second, the author does not indicate how trails could be combined to form a loop. Moreover, no summary table is provided to help you choose a trail to hike. Thus, you will have to read large quantities of this guide to find a trail suitable for your hiking abilities and desires. This fact makes the guide hard to use. Third, the guide does not include trail maps. A map is provided for each section, and these maps may serve to get you oriented with the section, but they are too general to be of much use once you get on the trail.
   
   In summary, this guide has enough problems that I can't go too high with the rating. If you are looking for a guide that systematically and categorically describes every trail in the Smokies, this guide may be for you. If you are planning a vacation or just looking for a guide to give you some nice day hikes, you will definitely want to look elsewhere. Overall, given the large quantity of good Smoky Mountain hiking guides available on the market (the Falcon Guide by Kevin Adams is my personal favorite), I can't really recommend this guide to a wide audience.

No comments about Nashville in Photographs.

No comments about Six Months Off: An American Family's Australian Adventure.

4 comments about Historic Photos of Nashville, TN.

1. We just received Historic Photos of Nashville and who knew that Nashville had such a rich history. This book has hundreds of photographs of Nashville covering nearly 200 years and is just the right coffee table book size.
   Historic Photos of Nashville is well-made, educational, and just subtle enough to make a real an elegant statement no matter where it's placed. This is a must have for anyone who loves Nashville History.
   We're ordering more copies to give as holiday gifts to all of our friends.
   Joe



2. I recently received "Historic Photos of Nashville" -- what a top quality book throughout! Over 200 beautifully printed pages, depicting scenes from Nashville history since the mid-1800's. These extraordinary old photographs have been found in various archives, and provide a great historical representation of the people, places, and events that have occurred in Nashville. This book was intended as a gift for a friend -- but looks like I'll have to order another one, because this one has become MINE!!



3. I bought this book for my fathers 80th birthday gift.
   It arrived in perfect condition and on time and we
   even discussed it last night. He is a native nashvillian
   and my sister gave him a television set and he hasn't taken
   that out of the box but carries the book around all day,
   every day enjoying photos of the past.
   I and my family love, love it and I appreciate the great service
   that I get when I order from Amazon. I work for the library
   and can order here with an employees discount but prefer ordering
   from Amazon instead. Thanks, Vickie L. Jones



4. "A gorgeous book, these photographs of one of the world's most interesting cities makes this book a real joy for the photography collector."

2 comments about 100 Secrets of the Smokies: A Savvy Traveler's Guide (The Savvy Traveler's Guide).

1. This book was written by people who really know the Smokies. They found some of the coolest places for all ages. I strongly recommend this book.



2. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is an area of rare natural splendor. It is surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountain region which is a ... tourist trap. I bought this book hoping to find 100 secrets of the Park: the best sunrise view, the best hike for small kids, the best fishing stream, etc. The book does have a few secrets of the Park, but mostly it's about the tourist traps: the Exotic Petting Zoo, the best steakhouse, the backdoor entrance to Dollywood. If these are the things that interest you, you will like this book. However, if these are the things that interest you, then you should seriously consider vacationing in Orlando instead of in the Smoky Mountain region.

5 comments about Our Southern Highlanders: A Narrative of Adventure in the Southern Appalachians and a Study of Life Among the Mountaineers.

1. This is another excellent source to better understand these people in their very unique culture.



2. Don't buy this book. My family has lived in the heart of Appalachia 200 years and these quaint stereotype are just not true. We are, and have always been, much like Scotch-Irish people anywhere else in America, (after all, they came from us). Ohhh, O.K., maybe we're a teensy bit better.



3. We northeasterners have little knowledge of our Southern highlanders or the reasons for their unique lifestyle. This book, written by a participant, is a real eye opener, and a fascinating one. The subject area may as well be the moon for all we know. I couldn't put this down. Especially good was the discussion of how these people came to live where they do, where they came from and why. Enjoy this look at a life we seldom think about and know so little of.



4. I believe that the author, Horace Kephart, gave a very vivid and true descripiton of life in the western part of North Carolina in the Great Smokies during the early 1900's. I live in Asheville, NC and was raised here, as was my ancestors as far as I can remember or have been told. My grandmother and great grandmother often told stories of their childhoods living next to laurel thickets and getting their water from the springs. The mountains here are so beautiful and haunting and Mr. Kephart apparently found this as he says in one section of his book "the richness of the Great Smoky Forest has been the wonder and the admiration of everyone who has traversed it". This book was a pleasure to read and would recommend it highly.



5. My favorite book of the past ten years. The view of the mountain people of North Carolina and Tennessee is somewhat dated, but many of the human chacteristics of the people are true to this day. If you want to know about the Scotch-Irish of the mountains in the early part of the 20th century, this is your book.