All Non-Digital Titles

Author Larry Humes traces the events and characters that put Venice on the proverbial map. Venice is certainly not among the oldest cities in Florida. The fact that it even survived its rocky beginning is nothing short of remarkable. But it was luck and persistence that transformed the little City on the Gulf into one of Florida’s most sought-after destinations. Venice wouldn’t be what it is today without the Kentucky military school that saved the town from bankruptcy and the construction of an army air base that helped America win World War II while increasing the local population tenfold. And don’t forget the “Greatest Show on Earth,” which called Venice home for more than three decades.

Venice’s remarkable history covers its growth as an agricultural community in the nascent days of the Florida land market expansion with developers and promoters such as Bertha Honoré Palmer and Dr. Fred Albee.

Its growth seemed assured when the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers decided to develop it as a planned community to be a vacation spot and retirement destination. The Great Depression dashed those plans, and the city teetered on the edge of becoming a historical footnote until it was saved by two key occurrences. The Kentucky Military Institute decided to take advantage of its climate and its railroad to use it for its winter quarters. The other was based on the efforts of another local promoter, Finn Caspersen, who in the days before World War II convinced the Army that the local vacant land and year-round flying weather would be perfect for an Army Air Corps training base. These events reinvigorated the area and foretold its growth into the city known today.

Author Margaret Mackle Kapustiak is a local historian, genealogy speaker, and researcher. The images in this book are courtesy of local city and county museums, libraries, archives, and historians. 

Join author Gregg M. Turner as he recounts the history during the ecomomic boom in Venice, Florida in the 1920’s.

In the 1920s, a tremendous land boom gripped Florida, and waves of people descended upon the Sunshine State. Between just 1923and 1925 an estimated 300,000 people came to permanently settle in the state, and over a dozen new counties were created in this single decade. Fueled by postwar prosperity, tourists and new residents poured money into the state's economy and dramatically increased the demand for land, homes, hotels, industry, recreation, commerce, and services. At the height of the boom, when many believed that the bubble had to burst, there came news that a new resort city was under development on the Gulf Coast below Sarasota, and all eyes turned to Venice. Over the decades since its creation, Venice, with its balmy climate, unlimited boating and fishing, and pristine mainland beach, has grown to be a Mecca for thousands of tourists, snowbirds, and retirees. Carved out of a tropical wilderness by America's oldest and wealthiest union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Venice was made into a Gulf Coast oasis with Spanish-style architecture, beautiful landscaping, and a friendly network of tree-lined streets and boulevards. Visual documentation of this early era has captured a city in its infancy and a valuable piece of Venice's heritage.

The Treasure Coast of Florida had been inhabited by indigenous peoples for many centuries when pioneer settlers began arriving from other parts of the United States in the late 1800s.

When the town of Vero was incorporated in 1919, it was one of several growing communities in the area. By 1925, when it became known as the city of Vero Beach and was designated the seat of the newly formed Indian River County, this small but prosperous coastal city was poised to become a thriving tropical destination that has managed to maintain a small-town atmosphere. In addition to its captivating natural beauty, Vero Beach has been home to a world-renowned citrus industry, a World War II naval air station, the Dodgers major-league baseball organization, the Piper Aircraft Company, and a vibrant cultural life.

This volume explores the history of Vicksburg National Cemetery, reveals recent discoveries, and notes how the addition of various elements through the years helped to beautify this sacred ground. It examines the lives of a small fraction of the cemetery’s approximately 18,000 interments, which include veterans of the Mexican-American and Civil Wars through the Korean War and three Vietnam memorials. Included among the interments are cemetery superintendents, a Civil War nurse, a female veteran, a member of a popular local band (the Red Tops), a former Vicksburg alderman, a Tuskegee airman, and a Vick family descendant (Vicksburg’s namesake). Military service is the common thread that all of them share. This book focuses on the untold stories of those interred within the hallowed ground of Vicksburg National Cemetery.

Elizabeth Hoxie Joyner—a retired employee of the National Park Service, museum curator, and author of USS Cairo in Arcadia Publishing’s Images of Modern America series—has tracked down images from a variety of sources around the country to illustrate who these people were, what they did, and the sacrifices they made to protect this great nation. A burial index is also included that documents the section and number of each interment to aid in grave location.

Author Lee Lancaster unearths the delectable history and classic recipes of the Peach State’s top vegetable.  The Vidalia onion may be small, but it’s as sweet as an onion can be, and it means big business for Georgia, too. Officially christened the Georgia State Vegetable in 1990, it can only be grown in Southeast Georgia. Once sold mostly off a truck tailgate, Vidalia onions now produce an annual crop worth $150 million. And after years of perfecting and fighting off posers and pirates, Vidalia onions are presented as gifts to presidents, governors, close friends and relatives. They are hand planted and handpicked but worth all the trouble to produce the King of the Onion Rings. They are so good, they have their own Vidalia Onion Museum, mascot named Yumion, and a Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame. Vidalia, there’s just something about that name.

Vietnamese cooking has become a staple of Crescent City cuisine. Fans of the fresh, flavorful offerings once had to travel to New Orleans East or the Westbank, where there were concentrations of Vietnamese immigrants and family restaurants. Now, however, this cuisine is found throughout the greater New Orleans area.

This tantalizing book brings together information and photos on the Vietnamese dishes, culture, and history in New Orleans. Recipes from restaurants such as CafMinh, Tan Dinh, and Pho Tau Bay are included. Local chefs have embraced this newest addition to the palate of New Orleans, and international luminaries such as John Besh, Emeril Lagasse, and Brian Landry have contributed their personal recipes for this volume. This immersive experience into Vietnamese culture will leave readers and cooks asking for seconds.

Many Alabamians may not realize how many of their fond memories involve advertising signs.

Although these neon spectaculars, billboards and even signs painted directly onto brick walls were created expressly to persuade customers or tourists to patronize businesses, many such signs remained in place for so long that they became landmarks in their own right. From the California-inspired sign for Art’s Char House and the ubiquitous signage of Bargain Town USA to Tuscaloosa’s famed Moon Winx Motel neon masterpiece, author Tim Hollis guides readers on a hunt for signs that wormed their way into the collective Alabama memory.

Author Tim Hollis celebrates classic Peach State signage. Many Georgians have never stopped to realize how many of their fond memories involve advertising signs. Although these neon spectaculars, billboards and even signs painted directly onto brick walls were created expressly to persuade customers or tourists to patronize businesses, many such signs remained in place for so long that they became landmarks in their own right. From a bevy of signage for Georgia’s own Coca-Cola to tourist attractions from Okefenokee Swamp Park in the south to Tallulah Point in the mountains, revisit the signs that have wormed their way into the collective memory.

Author Tim Hollis takes readers across Louisiana for a celebration of signs that have wormed their way into the collective memory.

Many Louisianans have never stopped to realize how many of their fond memories involve advertising signs. Although these neon spectaculars, billboards and even signs painted directly onto brick walls were created expressly to persuade customers or tourists to patronize businesses, many such signs remained in place for so long that they became landmarks in their own right. From the colorful signs of Pontchartrain Beach to the dazzling signage along Canal Street in New Orleans and the eclectic collection of motel and restaurant billboards and signs found along the Louisiana highways.

This history details the tumultuous lives of Miami Beach’s mid-twentieth century jet set, and features archival photos.

From roughly 1930 to 1960, Miami Beach attracted an exclusive colony of socialites, who mixed with Hollywood celebrities and dignitaries, such as Winston Churchill, as effortlessly as tonic mixes with gin.

Elizabeth Taylor announced her ill-fated engagement to the son of a former ambassador in Miami Beach. Other movie stars, such as Veronica Lake, were filmed in the enclave. Beautiful model Bab Beckwith, the first Orange Bowl Parade queen, dated John F. Kennedy while he was in Miami in 1944. Speedboat king Gar Wood bought his mistress a $100,000 bayfront home and then sued to force her to vacate the property. A tumultuous affair between John Jacob Astor VI and Lucille Stiglich led to the young model serving time in the Miami Beach jail.

Deborah C. Pollack delves into an era filled with excitement, style, humor and panache.

In this never-before-assembled collection of lost landmarks, historian Sarah Downing evokes the Outer Banks of yesteryear.

Drawn from the vast collections of the Outer Banks History Center and from locals mourning the forever changed character of the area, these vintage images reflect the hotels, stores, restaurants and bandstands that appeared in the boom time following World War II but have since been lost to progress. An honorary native, Downing has preserved the Pirate's Ball at Nags Head Casino, Doc Watson playing at the Sound Side on Kitty Hawk Bay and grits at the El Gay in this collection of hangouts and haunts of yesterday's summer.

The award-winning barbecue cook and author of From Barbycu to Barbecue: the Untold History of an American Tradition shares the flavorful history of the Old Dominion’s unique culinary heritage.

With more than four hundred years of history, Virginians lay claim to the invention of southern barbecue. Native Virginian Powhatan tribes slow roasted meat on wooden hurdles or grills. James Madison hosted grand barbecue parties during the colonial and federal eras. The unique combination of vinegar, salt, pepper, oils and various spices forms the mouthwatering barbecue sauce that was first used by colonists in Virginia and then spread throughout the country.

Today, authentic Virginia barbecue is regionally diverse and remains culturally vital. Drawing on hundreds of historical and contemporary sources, author, competition barbecue judge and award-winning barbecue cook Joe Haynes documents the delectable history of barbecue in the Old Dominion.

"Is Virginia the true motherland of Southern barbecue? If you want to say it isn't, you should be prepared to go toe-to-toe—and footnote-to-footnote—with Joseph Haynes, author of Virginia Barbecue: A History. Across 236 exhaustively documented pages (another 42 of notes), Haynes lays out the historical foundations supporting his argument that “the only unbroken line of Southern barbecue history begins in Virginia.”" ~Caroline Kettlewell, Virginia Living

A fascinating collection of rare and vintage images documents the evolution of Virginia Beach throughout the twentieth century.

Virginia Beach: Jewel Resort of the Atlantic, takes us back in time to the days when the sparkling resort strip of Virginia Beach drew crowds by the train-full. This new book takes readers back to the days when there were only summer cottages and inns at Virginia Beach. In days gone by, sea breezes and incomparable landscapes created the backdrop for excursionists, and the wild country of Back Bay, Croatan, Sandbridge, and Fort Story was untouched. We follow the development of the resort as it changed to include grand hotels, clubs, nightlife, and watersports. Readers are invited to take a walk on the boardwalk of yesteryear and follow Virginia Beach through World War II and the big band era, to the fabulous fifties and the 1960s, when Virginia Beach formally incorporated as a city.

Virginia Beach: A History of Virginia's Golden Shore brings to life the people, places, and events that contributed to the city's celebrated reputation. Through stories and memories, readers are introduced to the varied citizens who called this land home, including such characters as Sarah Offley who married three of early Virginia's most powerful settlers, and to the city's illustrious visitors. This volume also details, in both word and image, the influential resort age, which began in 1880 and saw the community flourish as people flocked to the Atlantic shore to dance, picnic, and enjoy the surf at the Princess Anne Hotel. Everyday vacationers mingled with notables such as Alexander Graham Bell and John, Lionel, and Ethel Barrymore at the landmark hotel with the railroad at its front door. Although little of the golden shore remains unchanged, modern residents continue to preserve what they can-especially their memories, pride, and love for the city.

Take a holiday to beautiful Virginia Beach and discover the area's rich history, dating back to the 17th century.

Virginia Beach offers a variety of attractions, but few who visit know that there is an area with a history that dates back to the 17th century. Many early structures remain intact and appreciated, while others fell into ruin and exist only in photographs and memories. Then & Now: Virginia Beach is a road trip through the past and present.

Dig into the long history of cider in Virginia—the Old Dominion’s original craft beverage.

When the adventurers aboard the Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed stepped foot on Virginian soil they brought with them the traditional English love of cider. Required by statute to plant orchards, the apple played a central part in the development of the colony as its juice became the favored libation of every class of society. From the modest laborer to the table of Thomas Jefferson, cider was Virginia’s tipple of choice. More than 400 years later, the libation is enjoying a renaissance. Read about a new generation of makers re-introducing Virginians to their original craft beverage.

Local author Alistair Reece tells the story of cider in the Old Dominion, aided by the stunning photography of J. Mark Stewart.

Raise a glass to Virginia, birthplace of American spirits, and its long history of distilling and imbibing.

Colonist George Thorpe first crafted “corn beere,” an ancestor to bourbon, in 1620 at Berkeley Plantation, and George Washington once operated one of the nation’s largest distilleries. Icy mint juleps were first served in Virginia until the state was one of the first to enact Prohibition. That dark period gave rise to bootlegging, moonshining, and even NASCAR.

Through well documented research, interviews with key stakeholders, and plenty of cocktail recipes for the reader to shake and stir at home, author Patrick Evans-Hylton showcases the rich history of 400 years of drinking in the Commonwealth.

Cured with a unique combination of salting and smoking, Virginia ham stands proudly alongside the most delectable meats in the world in taste and in heritage.

Born of Native, African, and European practices, savory hams were an ever-present fixture on the tables of Virginia’s elite, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. The smoked and salted hog retains its place in the Old Dominion diet to this day and has become synonymous with one town in particular: Smithfield.

Journalist John DeMers leads a lively tour through ham’s journey from China and Italy, across the Iberian Peninsula, and through England on its way to becoming the perfect meat for Britain’s ever-carnivorous Virginia colony. 

Cured with a unique combination of salting and smoking, Virginia ham stands proudly alongside the most delectable meats in the world in taste and in heritage.

Born of indigenous, African, and European practices, savory hams were an ever-present fixture on the tables of Virginia’s elite, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. The smoked and salted hog retains its place in the Old Dominion diet to this day and has become synonymous with one town in particular: Smithfield.

Journalist John DeMers leads a lively tour through ham’s journey from China and Italy across the Iberian Peninsula and England on its way to becoming the perfect meat for Britain’s ever-carnivorous Virginia colony. 

Honeybees have been a part of Virginia's history since they arrived with the first European colonists.

They were Jamestown's valuable addition, a Civil War soldier's sweet if painful temptation, and served as home front heroes when the world wars caused sugar shortages. In recent years mead has seen a resurgence along with beekeeping, and has claimed a place as a craft beverage in the Old Dominion.

Join author Virginia Johnson to hunt escaped swarms flying wild in the forests, visit modern-day observation hives and follow the mead path across the Commonwealth for a taste of history.

Discover the untold stories of Virginia’s heroes in the Revolutionary War—grief, sacrifice, and courage.

The stories of the passions and personalities that placed Virginia in the forefront of the Revolutionary War were replete with grief and sacrifice. The breakup of families over political differences was common. Bereavement spared few, as evidenced by the death of George Washington’s stepson. But courageous characters persisted, from the “Paul Revere of Virginia” to the enslaved man turned American spy who helped ensure the Continental Army’s final victory at Yorktown. Author and TV host Chuck Mills documents the human side of the Revolution in the Old Dominion, including chronicles of battles, leaders and the impact of war on ordinary men and women.

In 1839, the Virginia Military Institute became the nation's first state-sponsored military college when the state arsenal in Lexington, Virginia, adopted an additional duty providing a college education to a small group of cadets.

This humble experiment became the nation's model for educating the citizen-soldier. Today cadets live a military lifestyle while pursuing an undergraduate degree and may choose to accept a commission in any branch of the armed forces upon graduation. Noted alumni include Pony Express organizer Ben Ficklin (1849), Nobel Peace Prize recipient Gen. George Marshall (1901), Polar explorer Adm. Richard Byrd (1908), U.S. Supreme Court Justice Tom Clark (1921), and actor Dabney Coleman (1957). Numbered among the alumni are over 260 general officers, 13 Rhodes Scholars, and a saint in the Episcopal Church. The Post, as the campus is called, is a National Historic District with its distinctive Gothic Revival architecture surrounding the central parade ground.

Unsung heroes of the Old Dominion

Historians have spilled plenty of ink on the leaders of the Continental Army and French forces at the 1781 Siege of Yorktown. But less is known about the top leadership of the Virginia militia forces who were also at that decisive engagement. Several—including Brigadier General George Weedon, Colonel James Innes and Lieutenant Colonel William Darke—were former Continental Army officers with extensive battlefield experience. Others—such as Colonel Sampson Mathews, Colonel John Page and Colonel Sir John Peyton—were prominent civic leaders who took to the field to defend their native state.

Using a wide array of sources and compelling images, Sean M. Heuvel explores the lives and service of the regimental and brigade-level Virginia militia commanders who served at Yorktown.

Tour the camps, learn stories of the daily lives of the POWs, and discover the impact they had on the Old Dominion.

During World War II, Virginians watched as German and Italian prisoners invaded the Old Dominion. At least 17,000 Germans and countless Italians lived in over twenty camps across the state and worked on five military installations. Farmers hired POWs to pick apples. Fertilizer companies, lumber yards, and hospitals hired them. At first a phenomenon of war in Virginia’s backyard, these former enemy combatants became familiar to many--often developing a rapport with their employers. Among them were die-hired Nazis and Fascists, but they benefited from double standards that placed them in better jobs and conditions than African Americans.

Historians Kathryn Coker and Jason Wetzel tell a different story of the Old Dominion at War.

Take a tour of Virginia's scenic rail trails with author Joe Tennis as he explores restored train stations, discovers a railroad's lost island graveyard and crosses the commonwealth on its idyllic paths.

These classic rail lines of Virgina that were once only accessible to train engineers or a few lucky passengers can now be enjoyed by anyone looking for a scenic hike or bike ride. The trails highlight the natural beauty of Old Dominion, from the sunrise side of the Eastern Shore to the setting sun at the Cumberland gap, and each trail, with names like the Virginia Creeper and the Dick & Willie, has a personality and grandeur all its own.

Virginia has more shipwrecks than any other state in the continental United States.

With 112 miles of Atlantic coast, Virginia includes almost half of the Chesapeake Bay and many major tributaries: the Lynnhaven River, the Elizabeth River, the James River, the York River, and the Rappahannock River. Since the Jamestown settlement in 1607, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of military and merchant vessels have sailed through “the Capes,” an important economic lifeline linking the United States to the rest of the world. With 3,315 miles of tidal coastline and natural enemies such as water, fire, wind, age, and human fallibility, countless ships and lives have been lost. Virginia Shipwrecks vividly illustrates their story.

Alpheus J. Chewning was born and raised in Virginia and has spent many years fishing and sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. In his 27-year career with the Virginia Beach Fire Department, he served several years assigned to the city’s first fireboat. He was on the board of advisors of the Virginia Beach Maritime Historical Museum and now serves on the Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach Historical Society Board of Governors.

“Undoubtedly the most thorough work of its kind on this defunct Richmond institution that had occupied the same spot on Spring Street for almost 200 years. Dale is thorough in his research, digs deep for data, excavates through layers of ancient papers like an archaeologist. In the bibliography there are more than 300 sources cited. But this is much more than a work of history.”—North of the James

Thomas Jefferson developed the idea for the Virginia State Penitentiary and set the standard for the future of the American prison system. Designed by U.S. Capitol and White House architect Benjamin Latrobe, the “Pen” opened its doors in 1800.

Vice President Aaron Burr was incarcerated there in 1807 as he awaited trial for treason. The prison endured severe overcrowding, three fires, an earthquake and numerous riots. More than 240 prisoners were executed there by electric chair. At one time, the ACLU called it the “most shameful prison in America.” The institution was plagued by racial injustice, eugenics experiments and the presence of children imprisoned among adults.

Join author Dale Brumfield as he charts the 190-year history of the iconic prison.

130 years after its opening, the once small agricultural college has become Virginia's largest university- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

When Charles Minor opened the doors of his new land-grant institution in late 1872, there were only 29 students, 3 faculty members, and a single building in the town of Blacksburg, Virginia. From the humble beginning of donated livestock, seeds, machinery, and books, the university now known as Virginia Tech has emerged as a leading research university that is consistently ranked among the nation's best colleges. In addition to housing some of the top engineering and business schools, the university also has a tremendous athletic program that continually produces many of the nation's top ranked athletes. The Campus History Series: Virginia Tech illustrates the university's evolution through over 200 archival photographs, including rare and fun bites of campus history, such as the old cadet rat parades, the first ring dance, the Highty-Tighties, the Huckleberry, and even the evolution of the school's mascot, the Hokie Bird.

A part of the Underground Railroad, read here of enslaved people and their stories of using Virginia's waterways to achieve freedom.

Enslaved Virginians sought freedom from the time they were first brought to the Jamestown colony in 1619. Acts of self-emancipation were aided by Virginia's waterways, which became part of the network of the Underground Railroad in the years before the Civil War. Watermen willing to help escaped slaves made eighteenth-century Norfolk a haven for freedom seekers. Famous nineteenth-century escapees like Shadrack Minkins and Henry Box Brown were aided by the Underground Railroad. Enslaved men like Henry Lewey, known as Bluebeard, aided freedom seekers as conductors, and black and white sympathizers acted as station masters. Historian Cassandra Newby-Alexander narrates the ways that enslaved people used Virginia's waterways to achieve humanity's dream of freedom.

In 1924, the Virginia State Legislature passed the Racial Integrity Act.

The act banned interracial marriage down to “a single drop” of African blood. Just three months later, Curtis W. Harris was born in Dendron, Virginia. Harris was the sixth child of impoverished sharecroppers, living in a desolate outpost of the Commonwealth, but in time he would lead the fight against the Racial Integrity Act and many other racially restrictive laws. Despite being arrested multiple times and beaten, Rev. Harris would help reverse centuries of racial discrimination that began when slaves first arrived in Virginia in 1619.

Author William Paul Lazarus tells the story of Harris’ determination in the face of intense hostility, which took him to the forefront of America’s Civil Rights Movement, arm-in-arm with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Walk in the footsteps of Virginia’s earliest hikers.

For more than two decades hikers on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia walked through some of the most beautiful landscapes of the southern mountains. Then, in 1952, the Appalachian Trail Conference moved the trail more than 50 miles to the west. Lost in that move were opportunities to scramble over the Pinnacles of Dan, to sit on Fisher’s Peak and gaze out over the North Carolina Piedmont, or to cross the New River on a flat-bottomed boat called Redbud for a nickel.

Historian and lifelong hiker Mills Kelly tells the story of a 300-mile section of the Appalachian Trail that is all but forgotten by hikers, but not by the residents of the Southwestern Virginia counties that the trail used to cross.

This postcard book takes a visual excursion to the homes of the eight Virginia-born men who served as president of the United States: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson. Virginia, nicknamed the Mother of Presidents, is the birthplace of these eight men who were key to the success of the American Revolution, the forming of the U.S. government, the War of 1812, the annexation of Texas, the Mexican-American War, and World War I. Coming from diverse backgrounds and classes, their residences ranged from simple wood-frame structures to elegant, brick-pillared mansions and estates. Through 15 sepia toned postcards, this book will bring to life their homes and family life.       

Travel the Old Dominion and visit the museums and historic homes that tell the stories of Virginia’s presidents.

George Washington. Thomas Jefferson. James Madison. James Monroe. William Henry Harrison. John Tyler. Zachary Taylor. Woodrow Wilson. More US Presidents were born in Virginia than in any other state in the union. From Mount Vernon, Monticello and Montpelier to the Wilson Presidential Library, read the stories of the sites that shaped the lives of presidents.

Historian and author Heather S. Cole is a guide to the places they called home.

One of Atlanta's most desirable neighborhoods, Virginia-Highland enjoys a rich history, a diverse urban fabric, and a distinct sense of identity.

In the last years of the 19th century, city folk escaped from downtown on trolley cars to appreciate the natural springs and cool breezes of higher elevations; by the 1920s, clusters of subdivisions had created affordable homes in which the city workers could live. The community suffered a period of decline in the mid-20th century due to the impact of desegregation and a planned highway that would have cut through the neighborhood. After the highway was halted by community activists, young professionals and families began to move back into the city, renovating houses and embracing in-town living. Many historic structures, coupled with eclectic business activity, a number of parks, and vibrant culture, have influenced the identity of Virginia-Highland.

A glimpse into the wonders of the French Quarter.

The French Quarter has placed countless tourists and locals under its spell for centuries. From iconic sites like the St. Louis Cathedral to elegant, early nineteenth-century private residences, this striking collection of photographs reveals the vibrant and majestic world of the Vieux Carré. With 30 color photographs and full captions, this work transports you through the Quarter’s most classic sites and hidden courtyards to uncover the true, enchanting spirit of the city.

Discover the contributions notable Black South Carolinians gave to bring encouragement and inspiration to their communities.

Did you know that eighty-eight years before Rosa Parks's historic protest, a courageous black woman in Charleston kept her seat on a segregated streetcar? What about Robert Smalls, who steered a Confederate warship into Union waters, freeing himself and some of his family, and later served in the South Carolina state legislature? In this inspiring collection, historian Damon L. Fordham relates story after story of notable black South Carolinians, many of whose contributions to the state's history have not been brought to light until now. From the letters of black soldiers during the Civil War to the impassioned pleas by students of Munro's School for their right to an education, these are the voices of protest and dissent, the voices of hope and encouragement and the voices of progress.

Camp Forrest is a microcosm of the immensity that was World War II, all inside the small community of Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Originally named Camp Peay and built in 1926 as a National Guard Camp, Camp Forrest was renamed for Confederate General and first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, Nathan Bedford Forrest, and became a World War II induction, training and prisoner of war facility in Tullahoma. The self-sustained city was home to seventy thousand soldiers and about twelve thousand civilian employees, including German and Italian prisoners of war as well as Japanese, German and Italian American citizens who were forcibly incarcerated. After the war ended, the base was decommissioned and dismantled, but the memories of those who lived, worked, trained and grew up during this time of sacrifice and war recount a time the world has not seen since. Author Elizabeth Taylor uses numerous personal interviews, newspaper articles, diaries and biographies to tell the stories of those who lived through the era.

Stories of the Greatest Generation come alive in the hands of longtime local journalist Adrian O’Connor

What made the D-Day attack on Omaha Beach so remarkable was that it was carried out largely out by National Guardsman – men of the 29th Infantry Division who had never before seen combat. One of the companies that was part of this historic day hailed from the environs of Winchester, Virginia. Winchester’s martial gallantry was hardly restricted to the beaches of Normandy, though. A future city councilor came ashore at Anzio, Italy. A future school principal fought in what may have been the Pacific’s toughest battle, Iwo Jima. Local men held the line at the climactic Battle of the Bulge, flew over Europe and the oil fields of Ploesti and even escaped a German prisoner-of-war camp.

New paperback edition from Pelican Publishing!

"Robert Tallant speaks with authority . . ." —New York Times

"Straightforward handling of sensational times and tricksters, of the cult of voodooism in all its manifestations. From its first known appearances in New Orleans of 200 years ago, here are the . . . rites and dances, the cures, charms and gris-gris. Here were the witchdoctors and queens, and in particular Doctor John . . . and Marie Laveau.” —Kirkus Reviews

"Much nonsense has been written about voodoo in New Orleans. . . . Here is a truthful and definitive picture." —Lyle Saxon

The word “voodoo” elicits reactions from fear to fascination; thoughts of pins stuck in dolls, hexes, and strange rites immediately come to mind. But few people know the true origin of voodooism or anything about its practice in America, particularly New Orleans. This examination of voodoo rites and beliefs is sure to fascinate every reader.

Originally published in 1946, this intriguing book examines the rites and beliefs associated with voodoo through the legends of the art—its charms, trances, rituals, and difficult-to-explain occurrences.

Robert Tallant was one of Louisiana’s best-known authors. Born in New Orleans in 1909, he attended the city’s local public schools. Before “drifting” into writing, Tallant worked as an advertising copywriter, a bank teller, and a clerk. It was his friendship with Lyle Saxon that led Tallant to his position as editor on the Louisiana WPA Writers’ Project during the 1930s and 1940s. In that position, he coauthored Gumbo Ya-Ya: Folk Tales of Louisiana with Lyle Saxon and Edward Dreyer.

By 1948, Tallant’s career had launched, and over the next eleven years he produced eight novels, six full-length works of nonfiction, and numerous short stories and articles on subjects of local interest. He is also known to have corresponded with, as well as applied to, the Julius Rosenwald Fund for a fellowship in creative writing. During the last years of his life, he was a lecturer in English at Newcomb College as well as a reporter for the New Orleans Item. Robert Tallant died in 1957.

Author D. Michael Thomas presents the previously untold story of the Iron Scouts for the first time.

Serving from late 1862 to the war's end, Wade Hampton's Scouts were a key component of the comprehensive intelligence network designed by Generals Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart and Wade Hampton. The Scouts were stationed behind enemy lines on a permanent basis and provided critical military intelligence to their generals. They became proficient in unconventional warfare and emerged unscathed in so many close-combat actions that their foes grudgingly dubbed them Hampton's Iron Scouts.

A once-thriving economy, Wadmalaw Island boasted cotton, indigo, and rice plantations, but even after hardship, Wadmalaw has remained a timeless representation of a bygone era.

Wadmalaw wasn’t home to just plantations, but also the town of Rockville, a quaint, seaside retreat for the local planters. Lowcountry architecture was seen throughout the island in the designs of the plantation and summer vacation homes, and it became a favored holiday spot for the wealthy elite. Time and events did not leave the island unscathed though, and Wadmalaw fell victim to war and financial hardship as did the rest of the South after the Civil War. Wadmalaw weathered the harsh conditions and was able to continue its sleepy way of life into the 20th century. Rockville also became home to the well-known Rockville Regatta that brings thousands of visitors to the island every year. Despite surrounding growth that has threatened it, Wadmalaw has continued to maintain its unique noncommercial air and retains the agricultural focus on which it was founded.

The enduring spirit of Wake Forest is celebrated in this memorable collection of more than 200 vintage photographs.

Wake Forest College was founded in 1834 to train Baptist ministers. Now a nationally and internationally recognized university, it is renowned for both its graduate and undergraduate programs. Over 6,000 students attend this university nestled within the beauty of the North Carolina Piedmont. The school's motto, pro humanitate, meaning ""for the good of humanity,"" reflects the university's emphasis on the importance of values, ideals, human service experiences, and faith in the educational process. Wake Forest University explores the founding of the college in 1834, its move to Winston-Salem in 1956, and its development into a modern university beginning in the 1960s. Wake Forest University features many notable alumni that walked the campus pathways including Arnold Palmer, Tim Duncan, Brian Piccolo, W.D. Cash, and Al Hunt.

The port area of St. Marks, host to the Panfilo de Narvaez expedition in 1528 and the Hernando de Soto expedition in 1539, was an important shipping port to Middle Florida and South Georgia. Wakulla County was also once the site of long forgotten settlements such as Magnolia and Port Leon, ports along the St. Marks River that played important roles in the economic development of Middle Florida during the antebellum period. Home to outlets to the Gulf of Mexico along Apalachee Bay such as Panacea, Spring Creek, and Shell Point, Wakulla also boasts one of the world's largest and deepest freshwater springs and a premier tourist attraction. Capturing the spirit of Wakulla's pioneering settlers, as well as the county's magnificent landscape, this one-of-a-kind pictorial retrospective showcases the region's singular past through vintage photographs and other visual memorabilia.

The discovery of black rocks that glow along Lost Creek transformed Walker County.

The coal brought scores of settlers who began to open wagon mines and ship coal in barges along the Warrior River; the railroad soon followed, which brought corporations and big mining camps. Every town is littered with stories, from Dora's Uniontown to the union wars in Carbon Hill to the Gorgas mining experiment. It was only thanks to the coal mining industry that these dozens of towns came into existence. Today in a society relying less on coal and looking more to greener energy alternatives, it’s easy to forget the progress made due to coal. In Walker County Coal Mines, readers will learn about the people and the industry that made Walker County special.

Originally published in 1936, an invaluable guide to wander with.

Wander the history-filled streets of Savannah. Saunter through Savannah's varied streets and squares with this invaluable guide. Tour the city's oldest buildings and majestic homes, such as the Mercer House and the De Soto Hotel, and savor the histories and traditions of the relics of the romantic past. Accompanied by charming photos, this work provides insight into life in the 1800s, Savannah's Historic Plan, industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and local art, all of which are revived in these pages.

But it is not only this tragedy that has given Walton County a sense of identity. Indeed, other lesser-known events and accomplishments have contributed to its history. Whether boasting Atlanta's first black millionaire, a member of the U.S. Olympic basketball team, or a high school state football championship, Walton County has thrived both in and out of the national spotlight.