"A thoughtful and fine local geography. Scott Sanders, judging little and settling forth much, gives us texture and depth in southern Indiana, a place that's dressed a phenomenal number of the nation's enduring buildings." -Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams and Of Wolves and Men

Alfred Wainwright, author of the inimitable best-selling Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, here describes thirty-four selected walks in the interesting limestone area around the Three Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales. Each has its particular charm or special objective. Each is the subject of a separate chapter containing a diagram, a map, and an illustrated narrative. Also included is a detailed description of the route of the marathon Three Peaks Walk. Walks in Limestone Country was first published in 1970. For this new edition, every footpath has been re-walked, and every map and diagram checked by Chris Jesty, who assisted with the maps on Wainwright’s last two large-format books. It is now fully up to date for 21st century walkers. Also available: Walks on the Howgill Fells Cover photograph: Attermire Scar © Derry Brabbs

A book about farming, wildlife, culture and the personal experience of living in limestone country.

Though Limestone County was established on April 11, 1846, the first Anglo settlers arrived in 1833, while Texas was still part of Mexico. They built Fort Parker, the site of an 1836 Indian attack. Of the five captives taken, Cynthia Ann Parker grew up as a Comanche, married a Comanche chief, and became the mother of Quanah Parker, the last great Comanche chief. Springfield was the first permanent settlement and first county seat. The Houston and Texas Central Railroad began construction of a line through the county in 1869 and established the towns of Kosse, Thornton, Groesbeck, and Mexia. Following the Civil War, cotton became the major agricultural endeavor. During the 1920s, the Mexia Oil Boom brought prosperity to the county. Sadly, many of the small farming communities disappeared after World War II, when cattle ranching replaced farming. Today, major attractions include Lake Limestone, Old Fort Parker, Fort Parker State Park, the Confederate Reunion Grounds, and the Prairie Hill Drag Strip.

“Another fine, reflective, anecdotal look at rural Texas.” —New Yorker “Graves writes eloquently about a countryman’s concerns. There's not a false note in the book.” —Boston Globe “Like the unmortared stone fences of Graves’s native hill country, From a Limestone Ledge is constructed of bits and pieces never designed to fit together, yet made to achieve a unity that is more enduring than the sum of its individual parts by the hands of a master craftsman.” —Southwestern Historical Quarterly “The beauty of his work endures, and there is a greater pride in Texans’ hearts for their home, I think, than there would be if he hadn’t written the books he did.” —Rick Bass, Garden & Gun “In describing the particulars of his surroundings, Graves often was describing the world in microcosm and the place and plight of humankind in it.” —Bryan Woolley, Dallas Morning News

In the late 18th century, Limestone, Tennessee, saw a quick succession of fascinating events. Washington College Academy, named after Pres. George Washington, was opened in 1780. In 1786, Limestone was the birthplace of Davy Crockett, America's most famous frontiersman and folk hero, and in 1792, the community's signature stone dwelling, the Colonel Gillespie House, was built. A Civil War battle was later fought in the town. Limestone prospered in the early 20th century as a watering stop for livestock trains but then declined as a rural trading center with the popularity of the automobile. Through fire, floods, war, and economic downturn, this unincorporated community's rural spirit enabled Limestone to successfully meet the needs of its citizens into the 21st century.