The North Carolina Gazetteer is amazing! The book has historical information about any place and any area in the state! The amount of time it must have taken to compile this information is mind-blowing! This book is a must for anyone interested in North Carolina and the state's history. This book IS North Carolina!

This is an exceptionally well written book on the various eras in the architectural development of what I consider to be the most architecturally diverse state in the union. I have lived in North Carolina all of my life and I have seen at least 3/4 of the structures mentioned in the book. Bishir does a great job of explaining the forces that lead to the development of these great monuments to society. The photography is quite good, but for some strange reason all of the color photos are in the back of the book out of the context of the writing. I don't like having to flip to the back to see a "pretty" picture (there are plenty less "pretty" B & W photos within the text). This is a huge book that you will have to have a custom bookshelf built for. If you wish to put it on your coffee table please reinforce it first. I've lost three tables due to is mass. All kidding aside, this is a definate must read.

Through prose, pictures and poems, this book gives one the "feel" of truely being a North Carolinian. Even if you have never visited the state, you can laugh, cry and dream as Charles Kuralt paints picture words of his home. A lovely relaxing read.

This photographic portfolio of North Carolina emphasizes the natural beauty of the state, with breathtaking images of everything from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the sandy Atlantic beaches. Some images of the cities are also included. The images were carefully selected from over twenty different photographers. Most of the images were shot on large format film (4 x 6) resulting in a high level of resolution in the printed reproductions. This is one of the best books of its kind - and I have purchased quite a few.

North Carolina is so often overlooked as the subject for a beautiful coffee table book. Yet it's a "natural," with so much variety (seashore, steamy lowlands, Piedmont, rugged mountains). So I was dubious that an affordable book like this could do the job. But congratulations to Carol Highsmith and Ted Landphair for pulling it off. The photography is absolutely magnificent. There's a compact introduction with delightful old photos that sort of sets up the "tour" of the state. And then a very logical trip across North Carolina. I especially loved the unexpected and quaint shots, like the old general store exterior in Catawba, two guys playing checkers inside another general store in Valle Crucis, and some nostalgic shots of tobacco farms and wildflowers and a Civil War re-enactment. The photographer and writer even managed to include a great shot of the Dismal Swamp. Next to taking a month and touring the Tar Heel state on your own, this surprising book is the best way to see North Carolina.

This book stands out amongst all the publications of its kind for the good taste with which it was written and the nobility of its purpose. It intends to illuminate your darkening path, lonely traveler, and will take you to the ancient Salem, even if you never step upon it.

This book is an almost indispensable tool for genealogists researching in South Carolina and the area known as the old Orangeburgh District. Lack of official records in South Carolina, especially in the "burned counties," makes it frustratingly difficult to track down the kind of information that fills in the gaps for family historians. Culler's efforts have brought together a wealth of information about the area, not only the bare facts and figures, but the kind of details that make the people and places come alive. Chapters include Nineteenth Century Homes, Churches and Their Influence, Newspapers and Periodicals, Blacks--Slave and Free, Schools Academies and Teachers, Lawyers Legislators and Public Officials, among others. There is also information from the 1850 Orangeburgh District census, listings of Confederate Military Companies, listings of local legislators, and more. While there are occasional factual mistakes, the book is well-researched and generally quite accurate.

"Origins of Southern Radicalism..." traces the evolution of Upstate South Carolina from a frontier of subsistance farms to a cotton and slave dependent society preceding the civil war. It reflects the economic situation (supported by a surprising amount of data), the development of trading, merchants and towns, the religious sentiments of the time, and how the mixture of cotton, money, society and externally ineffective religious conviction led to disharmony and war. If anyone wants a clear window into the conditions and issues that led to our Nation's worst horrors, read this book.

"Origins" is academic in nature, and a "slow read". But, it needs to be in order to accurately document what was going in the decades leading up to the civil war. The book is built on primary evidence, and is as unfiltered a flow of facts and events as is possible. The author shows no Northern/Southern bias - just reveals the facts of the times. More than any of the numerous books I have read on the civil war, this one answers the biggest questions: "How was this tragedy of slavery perpetuated and how did this horrible war happen?"

There is a lesson here for all future generations concerned about human rights and the failure of politics to achieve favorable outcomes.

This is the premier history of the Outer Banks area, written by the region's premier historian. It begins in the 16th Century, when European explorers first touched the sandy barrier islands. It carefully traces the course of human and environmental events through the modern era, with special emphasis on the Revolutionary War and Civil War. This is a truly remarkable piece of work that will enlighten anyone interested in Carolina history.

This very informing pocket companion is an essential guide when visiting the Outer Banks.

From famous places to see to more obscure spots in the area it relates with clarity and an obvious insiders knowledge all this incredible part of the USA has to offer to the seasoned or family travler