No comments about A Roadside Guide to the Geology of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

2 comments about Tennessee Birds.

1. This is a useful guide for identifying common birds in Tennessee. However, it includes only the drawings and sizes. I use mind to hand to friends when I am birding; it keeps them out of my Peterson's and Audubon guides.



2. I have found this chart very helpful, because I have only lived in Tennessee ten weeks. My backyard is so thick with trees that often I'll only see a flash of color--I can see a bird's approximate size and its colors, but not its shape or any details. This chart narrows down what kind of bird it might be, and I can then look up the bird in my bird books and look to see if I have the correct bird once I get another glimpse of it. It can't really be used alone, as it doesn't give much detail or even a very good picture, and I've seen one or two birds already that aren't in it because they aren't common in the state, but it is very helpful for what it does do.

2 comments about 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Nashville, 2nd: Including Clarksville, Gallatin, and Murfreesboro (60 Hikes - Menasha Ridge).

1. This book is fabulous! I get in such a habit of going to the same park all the time for hiking...it's beautiful, but I like to have a change of pace and scenery. Molloy's collection of easily accessible hikes from the city has taken the "same-ol-same-ol" out of my weekend hikes, and has helped me to see new and different (but of course still beautiful) areas around Middle Tennessee. From enjoying views of the Cumberland River I've never seen, to exploring different section of the Natchez Trace, Molloy gives very accurate trail descriptions and length of hikes, making for an enjoyable day outside alone or with a group.



2. There are quite a few typos in this book, some of which are quite frustrating - it's hard to find a hike when the street names in the directions are incorrect. Additionally, the information given on the hikes is insufficent for us retentive types. Elevation gains aren't given (you have to guess what "moderate" means), maps don't include segment lengths, and sometimes the maps aren't very detailed.
   
   That said, it's the only hiking book centered on Nashville, and it includes a good selection. Do be aware that many of the hikes are short, and whether they're worth the drive from Nashville is a toss-up - but that's the nature of the hikes within 60 miles of town.

3 comments about The Best in Tent Camping: Tennessee: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos (Best in Tent Camping - Menasha Ridge).

1. Just what I was looking for! I live in Middle Tennessee and was surprised at the tent camping places in my own backyard that I didn't even know about. The easy directions and important information like camping rates, opening and closing times, and a detailing of all the fun activities at each campground, really make life easier. I have been looking for fun tent camping with my child that's close to home and this really helped me to narrow my options. I can't wait to get camping! Molloy did the leg work, now I get to have the fun! Mr. Molloy, you are my camping guru!



2. As an avid camper, although one who seems to have less and less time to camp the older I get, I often buy guidebooks to steer me in the direction of destinations I may find interesting. Usually I am disappointed, either by the format of the book, the accuracy of details, or the quantity of info. Molloy has surpassed my expectations. The book is user friendly, accurate in detail (I've been to many of the sites reviewed, and now plan to go to many others with this as my guide), and the quantity of sites reviewed will fill many many trips. It would be very easy to plan an entire trip using nothing but this gem. Way to go Molloy, I'll definitely check out your other guides in the future.



3. This book is excellent. The author lives in East Tennessee and has spent untold hours in the woods of this state. His detailed account of each campsite is a wonderful resource for those wanting to go camping away from it all. He details many sites which I would not have known exist if I hadn't bought this book. The layout of is great, with a 1-5 star rating of each campsite's privacy, spaciousness, quiet, security, and beauty. Also included is a (semi) detailed map of the campsite itself.
   I like his candid writing: he is not afraid of PC, and so if he likes or dislikes a site, he will come right out and say it, even indicating which sites are his personal favorites in the book.
   I own one more of his books, and any time I camp in another state, this will be the first authority I check, because of his ability to steer you in the direction of nature and not just some commercial campsite.

No comments about Tennessee Off the Beaten Path, 8th (Off the Beaten Path Series).

2 comments about Winter Lightning: A Guide to the Battle of Stones River.

1. At the end of 1862 after a series of defeats, the Union won a clear victory here. This is one of those under reported battles and more important than we think. Lincoln thanked Rosecrans saying that the nation could not have taken another defeat. Additionally, Lincoln said he would remember this victory as long as he lived.
   
   The Spruills continue the tradition of excellent Civil War battlefield guides that are so valuable to walkers. These detailed guides contain directions, participant's accounts and good historical information telling us what we are looking at after telling us how to get there. Each one is a required addition to my library and packed for any trip to the field.
   
   This is truly the "don't leave home without it" item.



2. In the library of Civil War literature the Battle of Stones River, December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863, is one of the most under represented large scale battles of the war. One can easily count the number of volumes dedicated solely to the battle on the fingers of one hand.
   
   Having moved to Murfreesboro nearly five years ago I am a regular visitor to Stones River National Battlefield, but I have never been able to make much sense of the battle by my battlefield visits, even when using the park brochure's guided tour. I suppose my confusion about the battle stems from the fact that the park's current 600 acres represents only about 15% of the total area where fighting took place.
   
   Matt & Lee Spruill have come to my rescue with their book, Winter Lightning: A Guide to the Battle of Stones River. With twenty-one tour stops (as opposed to the National Park's six) the Spruill's lead you on a driving tour over the ground, both outside and inside of the park, where the three day battle between the Confederate Army of the Tennessee with General Braxton Bragg at its head, and the Federal Army of the Cumberland under General William S. Rosecrans.
   
   The evening of December 30, 1862 found both armies facing each other northwest of Murfreesboro, Tennessee in opposing lines of battle, stretching diagonally from the town's west to its north, and each preparing to attack the other's right. Which ever side to launch their attack first would have the advantage. At sunrise, Bragg and his Confederate Army was the first to strike.
   
   The Spruill's follow the battle chronologically as it progressed, following the action as the Confederate troops rolled up the Federal right and sending Union regiments, one after another, fleeing to the rear, to the Federal's stand at The Round Forrest, and finally to the fighting at McFadden's Ford on January 2nd. At each stop we are provided narration by the authors, giving the reader an overview of what happened, and then we are presented with a balanced view of the action from both sides with first hand accounts from the soldiers who were there, usually from official reports, but some times from diaries or letters.
   
   The book contains 41 maps, which vary widely in scale from theater maps down to maps on the regimental level, depending on the situation or topic being covered. One only reading the book may find the maps a little cumbersome as north is not always oriented to the top of the page. This book was intended to be a tour guide, and the maps are presented to the reader at each of the stops as the reader would see the landscape that is in front of him. Therefore if you are directed to look to the southeast, southeast would be oriented to the top of the page. Not only do the historic roads appear in the maps but also the roads of the present and are clearly marked, for example: "Medical Center Pkwy (today)."
   
   Not only have Matt & Lee Spruill added a book to the small library shelf dedicated to the battle, they have also given me a greater understanding of it. I can now point to a spot of land just south of the present day Medical Center Parkway and say with confidence that is where my great great grandfather, Walter E. Partridge (Company F, 36th Illinois Infantry) was during the battle.

1 comments about Cades Cove: Window to a Secret World.

1. I bought this book expecting beautiful photos of my one of my favorite places on earth, Cades Cove. I certainly was not disappointed. The photos are masterfully taken with great sense of proportion and composition. The beauty of the mountains and this special valley shine through. The photographer's love for his subject is obvious. What a pleasant surprise to find so much interesting and informative narrative on the people and history of the Cove. I learned so much and will treasure this book for many years. Thank you, Bill Lea.

1 comments about Touring the East Tennesee Backroads (Touring the Backroads).

1. Now in a newly revised and expanded second edition, "Touring The East Tennessee Backroads" by travel writer and historian Carolyn Sakowski is an illustrated compilation of driving tours through the scenic and historic landscapes comprising the eastern Tennessee country. There are twelve distinctive 'user friendly' tours laid out, ranging from 'The First Frontier' that includes the Sycamore Shoals, Elizabethton, Wilbur Lake, Watauga Dam, Siam, Gap Creek Road, happy Valley, Milligan, and Johnson City; to 'The Trail of Tears Tour' that includes the Red Clay State Historical Area, Benton, Charleston, Cleveland, Blythe Ferry, Dayton, Pikeville, Fall Creek Fals State Resort Park, Dunlap, Signal Mountain, Jasper, and Lookout Mountain. Enhanced with an appendix, a select bibliography, and an index, "Touring The East Tennessee Backroads" is especially recommended for anyone planning a visit to the East Tennessee country -- and is perfect for the armchair traveler who would like to!

3 comments about Memphis Elvis-Style.

1. Memphis Elvis Style Cindy Hazen and Mike Freeman A phenomenal number of books have been written about Elvis. Recently it would seem that ever more such books are being published. Some are just rehashes of the same old story; others are the recollections of a five-minute fling, being as much a flight of phantasy as a worthwhile document; a few, a very few, are really worth buying and can be returned to again and again. "Memphis Elvis Style" by Memphis residents Cindy Hazen and Mike Freeman is most definitely one of the latter. It has not been launched under a blaze of publicity, but it is nevertheless an almost indispensable addition to the Elvis library. "Memphis Elvis Style" is, in fact, a guide book of Elvis related sites in and around Memphis. The no less than 129 sites have been cleverly organised firstly by their chronological relationship with Elvis and then further grouped by type. In addition, maps and an index help searching both in the book and in Memphis itself as simple as possible. And if this wasn't already enough, each entry contains detailed instructions on how to find its site and exactly what to expect, many buildings having been flattened or modified in the course of the years. But the book is also for those who have never been or never will go to Memphis. Cindy and Mike have achieved this by expanding each entry with some background information and an anecdote directly relating it to Elvis. This additional information provides some excellent reading and is sometimes quite amusing - I particularly liked the story of Elvis's visit to his local McDonald's with girlfriend Linda Thompson., but there are lots more stories and Elvis lore to satisfy all readers, even those looking for information about Hi Records, car dealerships, and just about everything else associated with Elvis in Memphis. Definitely a book to get! David Neale September 199



2. This is the ultimate read for any Elvis fan. Especially if they are going to spend any time in Memphis. It's eerie, even chilling, to walk the grounds where Elvis walked as a teenager, and even during stardom. This is a step-by-step narrative of how to find nearly every address related to Elvis in Memphis, and every one of them with a used-to-be secret. It's really cool!

   I had this book on my bedstand for months as a gift from my wife. Once I picked it up and read the first page, I couldn't put it down. Every page is loaded with "Man, If I would've only
   known."

   But you better hurry! These sites are rapidly falling by the wayside. As we saw in a store window in Memphis, you can contact the authors for a personalized tour. Although we haven't taken it, this would be a way-cool afternoon.

   Thank you Cindy Hazen and Mike Freeman,
   Dave-n-Tina Campbell
   Mt. Vernon, Texas




3. When I started reading books about Elvis, I began to take notes on where he'd lived, played, recorded, etc., knowing one day I'd travel there. Then I discovered this book! Mike and Cindy had done the work for me. The book is not only well written, but there are informative stories AND they tell you if a place has been demolished, or moved -- information that saved me a lot of time. After reading the book I decided that I HAD to take Mike's tour of Memphis -- it was well worth it. I had a glorious time -- Mike is a walking Elvis-encyclopedia (and fun too!). After the tour, my niece, who was traveling with me said, "well, I think we've done it all and seen it all"! And yes, thanks to Mike and Cindy, we had.

1 comments about The Memoirs of Lt. Henry Timberlake: The Story of a Soldier, Adventurer, and Emissary to the Cherokees, 1756-1765.

1. I was amazed at the life of Mr. Timblake. If you wished to get insight into the Pre Revolution Era life, then Read this Book.