New Book Releases

Experience the historic superflood that decimated the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys and the resilience displayed by the people of Memphis.

The greatest flood in United States history struck the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys in January 1937. Perhaps no single flood in the United States had caused as much damage, displayed as much brutal natural force and displaced as many people. Not even the calamitous flood of 1927, which has eclipsed the '37 flood in terms of historical coverage was as massive. Author and Memphis local Patrick O'Daniel illustrates how this national natural disaster affected Memphis, in particular, and how the politicians of the day, from national figures like FDR to local political bosses like Ed Crump, handled unprecedented infrastructural challenges. Yet beyond politics and policy, O'Daniel tells the story of this historic disaster through the eyes of everyday Memphians, their struggles, care for thousands of desperate refugees and the measures they took to save their city from this devastating flood.

Learn and discover how African-Americans have held a prominent place in the history of Chattanooga dating back to the 16th century.

Did you know that Chattanooga is the hometown of the first African-American appointed to lead counsel on a Supreme Court case? The home of the nation's oldest student, who learned to read at age 116? The home of the African-American blacksmith who put shackles on the "Andrew's Raiders" after the Great Locomotive Chase? The site of one of the first integrated police departments in the South? Author Rita Lorraine Hubbard chronicles the ways African-Americans have shaped Chattanooga, and presents inspirational achievements that have gone largely unheralded over the years - and so much more!

Ghost stories from the Birthplace of Rock 'n Roll have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery!

The haunted history of Memphis comes to life--even when the main players are dead. Come for the blues and barbecue, but stay for the ghosts. Have you heard about the spirits at the Memphis Zoo? Or how about the grisly history surrounding the Grand Carousel? Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained; just be sure to keep the light on.

For locals and visitors alike, read about the events that uncover the history behind the legendary Memphis culture, and examine the stories of music, murder, natural disaster and other River City blasts from the past.

Far more than blues and barbecue, Memphis deep and fascinating culture has evolved one day at a time. Author G. Wayne Dowdy pins an exact date to a host of important, quirky and forgotten events in the history of Tennessee's largest city--an entertaining footnote for each day of the year. Earth, Wind and Fire founder Maurice White entered the world in a Memphis hospital on December 19, 1941. On January 15, 1877, a severe thunderstorm mysteriously left the city covered in snakes. On December 31, 1902, a resident was murdered on Main Street after taunting a Native American named Creeping Bear. A day or a month at a time, enjoy a year of entertaining River City blasts from the past.

The town of Newport, nestled in the foothills of the Smokies, has a rich and storied history. While some of these rare photographs have appeared in local newspapers, many have never been published or seen by more than a few.

This book reveals glimpses of the community's past, where the everyday citizens have gone about their daily lives while playing vital roles in the community's history. Most of these photographs were taken by ordinary citizens who never imagined that they might be preserving history, from the portraits of renowned townspeople like Thomas Sandusky Gorman, ""the father of Newport,"" to images of buildings that have long since been razed to the ground. Journey with local historian Edward Walker through this pictorial account of times gone by in Newport, Tennessee.

Sometimes the coolest places are right outside your front door. Learning about Nashville's interesting and unique culture has never been so super fun!

Did you know Nashville is nicknamed Music City? Or that the famous musician Bob Dylan recorded an album here? Have you ever wanted to visit the Parthenon without traveling to Greece? From the Belle Mead Mansion to the Tomato Art Fest, Super Cities!: Nashville covers it all and is sure to engage any reader with fun facts about the history, culture, and people who make this place great. Attend a show at the Grand Ole Opry and catch a Nashville Predators game, all right here. Take a peek inside to learn more about the impressive, unusual, super history of the Music City!

Enter the forest with author F. Carroll McMahan as he tells dramatic, fascinating and sometimes humorous stories of a man who lived truly on his own terms.

Born in 1889 in the Smoky Mountains, Lem Ownby became one of the region's most recognized figures. Sight-impaired from an early age, Lem spent his life logging, bear hunting, farming and tending his beehives. He welcomed the arrival of logging operations into the pristine wilderness but became an eyewitness to the devastation it brought to land, streams and wildlife. As the last leaseholder living within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Lem became a legend, selling his honey and offering pearls of wisdom to hikers, writers and even the governor. Lem's principles remained solid, his opinions so unwavering that he once refused to entertain two Supreme Court justices.

Take a fascinating journey through the history of Dyersburg, Tennessee with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

In the early 1800s, West Tennessee was wild country, covered with dense hardwood forests and rich soil, with clear rivers and creeks winding through. In 1818, a final treaty was signed with the Native American tribes in the area, bringing white settlers from East Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia.

In 1825, the town of Dyersburg was laid out and quickly began to thrive. By 1911, the present courthouse was completed, anchoring a classic Southern town square that now belongs to the National Register of Historic Places. Just a few months before the historic crash of the stock market in 1929, Dyersburg became the site of a cotton mill transplanted from Oswego, New York. Nearby, the mill built about 100 small houses for its workers, and this neighborhood became Milltown, a name that still shines in residents' memories.

The Dyer County Historical Societyhas offered the best of its photo collection, along with images from the Tennessee State Library and Archives, for Images of America: Dyersburg. In addition, the warm-hearted residents of Dyersburg have supplied photographs from their personal albums.

Author R. Scott Williams details the spectacular exploits of a true adventurer.

Richard Halliburton ran away from his hometown in Memphis at the age of nineteen to lead an extraordinary and dramatic life of adventure. Against the backdrop of the Golden Age, the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, Halliburton's exploits around the globe made him an internationally known celebrity and the most famous travel writer of his time. From climbing Mount Olympus in Greece to swimming the Panama Canal and literally flying all the way to Timbuktu, Halliburton experienced and wrote about adventures that others never even believed possible. His youthful spirit and bohemian lifestyle won the hearts of millions.

Uncover the history of Old Butler, Tennessee in this pictorial history recounted by authors Michael and Lanette Depew.

In 1820, Ezekial ""Zeke"" Smith built a gristmill on the bank of Roan Creek, forming the community known as Smith Hill. Following the Civil War, it was renamed Butler in honor of Col. Roderick Random Butler. Much of the city's early development can be attributed to the establishment of the Aenon Seminary in 1871 and the advent of the Virginia and South Western Railroad, which provided transportation for residents and the developing logging industry. In 1933, the scenic landscape of the Watauga Valley was altered forever when the Tennessee Valley Authority was created by Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal legislation. TVA provided electric power for the state and controlled the flooding of the rivers in the region. In December 1948, the gates of the Watauga Dam were closed and water began to fill the Watauga Reservoir until Butler, Tennessee, was laid to rest at the bottom of Watauga Lake. The residents of Butler and the surrounding communities were forced to relinquish, demolish, or relocate more than 125 homes and 50 businesses.