New Book Releases

If life is a highway, food is the fuel. The restaurant cuisine of Arkansas was crafted by transportation--and by family heritage.

From century-old soda fountains to heritage candy makers, Arkansas wine country and the birthplace of fried pickles, discover the delicious nooks of the Ozarks and scrumptious crannies of the Arkansas River Valley through this tasty travelogue. Learn how fried chicken came to a tiny burg called Tontitown. Discover a restaurant atop a gristmill with a history predating the Civil War. Dine where Bill Clinton, Sam Walton and Elvis Presley caught a bite to eat. Join author Kat Robinson and photographer Grav Weldon on this exploration of over one hundred of the state's classic and iconic restaurants.

The Arkansas Delta is fertile ground for delicious food and iconic restaurants. It's a thickly layered culinary landscape built on generations of immigrants, farmers and cooks. Savor Delta tamales at Pasquale's Tamales, Rhoda's Famous Hot Tamales and Smokehouse BBQ. Meet the masters of barbecue like Harold Jones at the James Beard American classic Jones Barbecue Diner in Marianna. Dine where Elvis Presley ate, travel to Bill Clinton's favorite burger joint and cross the roads where Johnny Cash grew up. From legendary catfish havens such as Murry's Restaurant in Hazen to divine drive-ins like the Polar Freeze in Walnut Ridge, author Kat Robinson and photographer Grav Weldon explore more than one hundred classic joints, superb steakhouses, pie places and decadent doughnut palaces in this tasty travelogue.

Monroe County is situated on some of the richest soil in the Arkansas Delta region and has supported an agrarian culture for more than two centuries. The initial survey point of the Louisiana Purchase lies here in a black-water swamp, marking the origin of nearly every township boundary and property line in 15 states. The Great Flood of 1927 devastated the county, destroying vast acres of farmland and displacing thousands of families. Monroe County is home to two large wildlife management areas, including the Cache River Wildlife Management area, where the ivory-billed woodpecker, once considered extinct, was sighted in 2004. However, the real history of Monroe County is a story of the brave and diligent people that cleared the land and forged a new life through prosperity and drought, driven by their love of family and friends.

How did the unfettered wilderness of the Ozarks, America's early frontier, evolve into a prized health retreat for early pioneers before settling into a beloved historic town? Eureka Springs was founded for the healing properties of the naturally soothing waters, and that special sense of place has always informed the town's history. Yet a complete chronological history from pre-founding to present-day Eureka Springs has never been written--until now. Respected local historians June Westphal and Kate Cooper tell the whole story of Eureka Springs, recounting the important people and major events that shaped this remarkable town tucked in the Ozarks. Learn how these healing springs were formed and how they, in turn, formed the foundation of a community.

Rediscover the rich heritage of Little Rock through its lost architectural treasures as told by Ray Hanley, a lifelong Arkansan and resident of Little Rock.

Little Rock is a sprawling city of about 200,000 at the center of a metropolitan area of more than 500,000 people, with many residing in bedroom communities in adjoining counties. Arkansas's capital city is much like the rest of Middle America with its outlying suburbs, gated communities, and shopping centers miles from the historic core. A century ago, however, Little Rock was markedly different and served a population of fewer than 50,000. The majority of citizens lived within blocks of the town center and did business downtown along rows of shops that, in many cases, dated to the late 1800s. Images of America: Lost Little Rock uses vintage photographs to reflect upon earlier times and the rich retail landscape that once filled the town. By exploring the legacies of buildings that have since been demolished, repurposed, or destroyed by fire, these images provide a sense of Little Rock's lesser-known heritage.