Monday, May 7, 2012

Selected Climbs in North Carolina

Selected Climbs in North Carolina Review



Selected Climbs in North Carolina Feature

  • Author: Yon Lambert and Harrison Shull
  • ISBN: 9780898868555
Don't think of North Carolina for a climbing destination? Think again. Located in the southern Appalachians, intimidating granite domes, steep quartzite walls, and a variety of terrain offering short and long climbs will whet the appetites of beginning to more advanced climbers.

The 10 climbing areas are organized into three geographical regions: Piedmont including Moore's Wall; Stone Mountain; Crowders Mountain; the Northern Blue Ridge covering the infamous Linville Gorge-often referred to as the Grand Canyon of North Carolina; Ship Rock; and the Southern Blue Ridge with Looking Glass, Rumbling Bald, Cedar Rock, Big Green, and Whiteside Mountain.

Yon Lambert has spent more than a decade climbing in the Appalachian Mountains and across the U.S. As a freelance writer, his articles have appeared in many publications including The Washington Post and Climbing magazine. He is also the assistant director of Palmetto Conservation Foundation, a nonprofit conservation group in South Carolina. Harrison Shull has climbed extensively in the U.S. and spent six years living and working at Seneca Rocks, West Virginia as a climbing guide. He moved to Asheville in 1998 where his work as a freelance photographer specializing in outdoor adventure sports allows him plenty of time to be out in the North Carolina woods.


Friday, May 4, 2012

Insiders' Guide to Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill: North Carolina's Triangle (Insiders' Guide Series)

Insiders' Guide to Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill: North Carolina's Triangle (Insiders' Guide Series) Review



A first edition, Insiders' Guide to Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill is the essential source for in-depth travel and relocation information to what is one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. Written by a local (and true insider), this guide offers a personal and practical perspective of the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill area.


Thursday, May 3, 2012

North Carolina: Change and Tradition in a Southern State

North Carolina: Change and Tradition in a Southern State Review



In this long-awaited survey history, William Link examines the fascinating history of North Carolina through the lens of strong but seemingly contradictory historical patterns: powerful forces of traditionalism punctuated by hierarchies of class, race relations, and gender that seemingly clashed, especially during the last century, with potent forces of modernization and a progressive element that welcomed, even embraced, change. The result answers meaningful questions that all Tar Heels ask about the history and the future of the unique and quickly growing state they call home.

Taking the North Carolina story from moments before first contact all the way to the elections of 2008, this book provides a great new resource for all college-level instructors and students of North Carolina history.


Monday, April 30, 2012

Carolina Whitewater: A Paddler's Guide to the Western Carolinas (Canoe and Kayak Series)

Carolina Whitewater: A Paddler's Guide to the Western Carolinas (Canoe and Kayak Series) Review



The ultimate guide to paddling whitewater in the western Carolinas, Carolina Whitewater has guided boaters to the best water in the Tar Heel and Palmetto states for almost 30 years. This latest edition includes expanded and updated information for the classic rivers, like the Chattooga, French Broad, and Nantahala, in addition to many new steep creeks including Cove, Rockhouse, and Hurricane. New to this edition is a section on flatwater that is suitable for canoe camping and can be handled by beginner and novice paddlers. Profiled runs are from the Broad River and two of its tributaries, the Enoree and the Tyger. The convenient at-a-glance format for each river section makes it easy to find critical details such as difficulty, length, paddling time, gradient, and more. River descriptions, shuttle and gauge information, and topographic-based maps complete the useful information needed to help boaters pick rivers to match their ability. With over 80 detailed profiles and more than 60 maps of the best canoeing and kayaking waterways in the Carolinas, this guide is indispensable. From quiet float trips on the French Broad to exciting runs on the fast-flowing Nolichucky, Carolina Whitewater details the best paddling experiences in both states.


Friday, April 27, 2012

North Carolina Quilts

North Carolina Quilts Review



This magnificent volume features color photographs of more than 100 quilts crafted in North Carolina between the early nineteenth century and 1976. Included are chintz applique quilts, intricately pieced and appliqued quilts, crazy quilts, and examples of ingenious thrift in quilting with found and salvaged materials.

The quilts were chosen from more than 10,000 that owners brought to be recorded by the North Carolina Quilt Project during a series of statewide Quilt Documentation Days in 1985-86. Because the quilts are privately owned, many have never been seen publicly. The text presents the lives and times of the quiltmakers, accompanied by many vintage photographs from family collections. Whether these women made quilts to pass the time, warm their families, beautify their lives, or serve as symbols of love and togetherness, they used their fabric with uncommon artistry and craftsmanship.


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

North Carolina State University (NC) (College History Series)

North Carolina State University (NC) (College History Series) Review



North Carolina State University opened as a land grant institution in 1889. Born out of debate and indecision, it was established as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts the college of the common man. There was indifference and resistance from the educated about the usefulness of a program for the sons of farmers and mechanics with a curriculum of useful and practical arts. Within three decades, the school surpassed all expectations in its contributions to the state's economy. In 2000, NC State was the largest educational facility in North Carolina and had outgrown its early derogatory epithets. This work passes the formality and function of the brick and mortar of buildings and gets to the heart of the students, alumni, and educational community. It is truly a celebration of possibilities and dedication and a tribute to the history of North Carolina State University and the citizens of North Carolina.


Saturday, April 21, 2012

A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Piedmont North Carolina (The Richard Hampton Jenrette Series in Architecture and the Decorative Arts)

A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Piedmont North Carolina (The Richard Hampton Jenrette Series in Architecture and the Decorative Arts) Review



Central North Carolina boasts a rich and varied architectural landscape--from the early plantation houses and farms of its northeastern reaches, to the red brick textile mills and tobacco factories that line railroads across the region, to the glamorous New South skyscrapers of downtown Charlotte.

This richly illustrated guide offers a fascinating look at the Piedmont's historic architecture, covering more than 2,000 sites in 34 counties. Highlights include cabins and stone houses dating to the region's early settlement; mill villages and main streets that depict its subsequent industrial and agricultural growth; and twentieth-century landmarks such as Durham's Duke University and Winston-Salem's Wachovia Building. As North Carolina faces massive changes in its economy and landscape, residents and travelers alike will value this unparalleled portrait of an American region, which traces its history and culture through its buildings and communities.

A project of the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office of the Division of Archives and History, the book reflects more than twenty-five years of fieldwork and research in the agency's statewide architectural survey and National Register of Historic Places programs. Previous volumes cover the eastern and western portions of the state.