New Appalachian Books

New Appalachian Books by George Brosi* Fink, Paul M. Jonesborough: The First Century of Tennessee's First Town. Johnson City, Tennessee: The Overmountain Press. 203 pages, illustrated, with an index. A 1989 second edition of a 1972 release. Hardback in dust jacket. $14.95. The late Paul Fink (1892-1980) was a major figure in both recording and making East Tennessee history. The official historian of Washington County, he was also an officer of the Tennessee Historical Society, honored by the Appalachian Trail Conference as a guiding influence, and given the highest award or the Tennessee Conservation League because of his role in helping establish the Appalachian Trail Conference and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Because of the central role Upper Tennessee has played in Southern Appalachian history, this book would be particularly important no matter who wrote it. Because it was written by Paul Fink, it has greater stature. This second edition is enhanced by numerous illustrations throughout. Hoffman, William. Furors Die. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1990. 308 pages. Hardback in dust jacket. $18.95. William Hoffman was born in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1925; attended Kentucky Military Institute; and served in the army in World War II. He graduated from Hampton-Sydney College in Virginia, spent a year in law school before attending the Iowa Writers' Workshop, then returned to his alma mater for a career as a professor. He and his wife, the former Alice Sue Richardson of *George Brosi is the proprietor of a business called Appalachian Mountain Books and publishes a periodical by that same name twelve times a year. He sells books, both new and out-of-print, through the mail and brings a display of books for sale to regional events. His address is Appalachian Mountain Books, Route 2, Box 238, Whittier, North Carolina, 28789. His phone number is 704-5865319 . 74 Bluefield, West Virginia, are now retired and living in Charlotte Court House, Virginia. This is the tenth novel in Hoffman's distinguished literary career. This novel follows two West Virginia boys from opposite sides of the tracks as they pursue careers in law. Unfortunately, it lacks a compelling character that most readers can relate to sympathetically. Homan, Tim. Hiking Trails ofJoyce Kilmer-Slickrock and Citico Creek Wilderness Areas. Atlanta, Georgia: Peachtree Press, 1990. 256 pages with 40 drawings, seven photos, and three maps. Trade paperback. $9.95. The state line that separates Graham County, North Carolina, from Monroe County, Tennessee, just southwest of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is the center of a fabulously beautiful and remote mountain area. This guidebook by the author of The Hiking Trails of North Georgia does an excellent job of introducing the reader to an area that would otherwise be difficult to gain access to. For the combination of virgin forests, sparkling water courses, and relatively low density of usage, this area has to be considered one of the very best places for hiking in the Appalachian South. Houk, Rose. Exploring the Smokies: Things to See and Do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Pittsburgh: Gatlinburg, Tennessee: Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association, 1989. 80 pages, profusely illustrated with color maps, photographs, and illustrations. Trade paperback. $9.95. This rather basic, even elementary, guidebook gives the reader a sense of what to do and what to see in the Smokies. As a person who has spent a lot of time in the park—and lived in Gatfinburg and near Cherokee—I was most impressed with the job done. If you are planning a trip to the Park, this book is likely to help you a great deal, and may easily double—with its wonderful photographs—as a nice souvenir of your visit. Hudson, Charles. The Juan Pardo Expeditions: Exploration of the Carolinas and Tennessee, 1566-1568. Washington, D.C.: The Smithsonian Institution Press, 1990. 400 pages with 44 black and white illustrations. Hardback in dust jacket. $39.95. There are mountain towns like Murphy, North Carolina, that bear proud historical markers proclaiming their history to date back to the 1500s. Imagine the chagrin of the town historians and town fathers when they learned that Charles Hudson, the foremost academic authority...