Peaceful Panther Mountain became a war zone in the summer of 1861. Virginia had broken away from the United States and families in the western part of the state had to choose sides or face jail, exile, or death. 18-year-old Lydia Renick watched her world crumble. Her best friend was forced to sign the Confederate oath. Her father fled the state because he wouldn't, leaving the teenager, her mother and seven siblings to fend for themselves. Faced time and time again with danger, Lydia is forced outside of the world she knows and to act with courage and quick-thinking like never before. She takes on the roles of guard, mountain guide, and detective, all while navigating a life in the 19th century that intersects with the country-molding Civil War and the Chicago World's Fair. Lydia's story is a reflection of the bravery, innovation, and excitement of a country that is truly on the verge.

This genealogy classic, written in the bad old days of shoe leather and courthouse basements before the Internet, tells of a Southern man's discovery of his Native American ancestry in the 1990s. Among fascinating regional and local stories, you'll discover how the Yateses of Virginia coped on the frontier…how some Cherokees escaped the Trail of Tears…what the Southern drawl really means…where The Tree That Owns Itself is…how Elisabeth Yates stole her cattle back from Gen. Sherman. Out of print for years, this sought-after family history is available in electronic form only. Fall under the spell of all its local color, storytelling and genealogy help also in the exciting audiobook version.

Lydia Davis's collection Almost No Memory is richly inventive array of playful philosophical investigations, involuted domestic disputes, and fables of the dark fantastic. With wittily restrained intensity, she again portrays the contemplative self caught in the paradoxical world. In 'Pastor Elaine's Newsletter,' a harried mother studies a Bible passage; in 'Foucault and Pencil,' a troubled analyst on her way home from a session attempts to distract herself with a difficult French text; in 'Glenn Gould,' a former pianist tries to justify her dependence on a certain television show. The stories in Almost No Memory reveal an empathic, sometimes shattering understanding of human relations, as Davis, in a spare but resonant prose all her own, explores the limits of identity, of logic, and of the known and the knowable.

UNCHAINED - Powerful & Unflining Narratives Of Former Slaves anthologizes the profound and varied experiences of individuals who endured slavery in the United States. This collection showcases an expansive range of literary styles, from autobiographical accounts to essays, each providing a unique lens through which the harrowing reality of slavery is examined and understood. These narratives, rich in historical and emotional depth, offer readers a comprehensive insight into the resilience and courage of those who lived through one of the darkest chapters in American history. The anthology stands out for its inclusion of seminal works that have significantly contributed to both the literary and cultural discourse on slavery, freedom, and human rights. The contributing authors and editors of this anthology bring a diverse array of backgrounds, from former slaves like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs, who became leading voices in the abolitionist movement, to activists like Ida B. Wells-Barnett, known for her crusade against lynching. Their collective experiences and literary talents provide a multifaceted exploration of slavery and its lasting impact on American society and culture. Positioned at the intersection of various historical, cultural, and literary movements, this collection embodies a significant period in American history, offering perspectives that challenge, enlighten, and inspire. Recommended for scholars, students, and general readers alike, UNCHAINED serves as a compelling entry point into the complexities of slaverys legacy. This anthology not only educates its audience on the historical realities faced by these individuals but also highlights the enduring spirit of humanity in the face of unimaginable adversity. For anyone interested in understanding the nuanced and diverse narratives that compose the fabric of American history, this volume offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the voices of those who fought not just for their freedom, but for the recognition of their humanity.

"Lydia Peelle has given us a collection of stories so artfully constructed and deeply imagined they read like classics. It marks the beginning of what will surely be a long and beautiful career." —Ann Patchett In Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing, Lydia Peelle brings together eight brilliant stories—two of which won Pushcart Prizes and one of which won an O. Henry Prize—that peer straight into the human heart. In startling and original prose, she examines lives derailed by the loss of a vital connection to the land and to the natural world of which they are a part. Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing conveys an almost Faulknerian ache for the pre-modern South, for a landscape and a way of life lost to the ravages of money and technology.

With its prominent profile recognizable for miles around and featuring vistas among the most beloved in the Appalachians, North Carolina's Grandfather Mountain is many things to many people: an easily recognized landmark along the Blue Ridge Parkway, a popular tourist destination, a site of annual Highland Games, and an internationally recognized nature preserve. In this definitive book on Grandfather, Randy Johnson guides readers on a journey through the mountain's history, from its geological beginnings millennia ago and the early days of exploration to its role in regional development and eventual establishment as a North Carolina state park. Along the way, he shows how Grandfather has changed, and has been changed by, the people of western North Carolina and beyond. To tell the full natural and human story, Johnson draws not only on historical sources but on his rich personal experience working closely on the mountain alongside Hugh Morton and others. The result is a unique and personal telling of Grandfather's lasting significance. The book includes more than 200 historical and contemporary photographs, maps, and a practical guide to hiking the extensive trails, appreciating key plant and animal species and photographing the natural wonder that is Grandfather.

"The History of the Ancient Civilizations" in 6 volumes is one of the best-known works by historian Max Duncker. The author's object in regard to the ancient East was not to retrace the beginning of human civilization, but rather to understand and establish the value and extent of those early phases of civilization to which the entire development of the human race goes back. The narrative embraces the independent civilizations of the ancient East which came to exercise a mutual influence on each other. First it follows the realm on the Nile and the kingdoms of Hither Asia as far as the point where the nations of Iran began to influence their destinies, and then it attempts to set forth the peculiar development of the Aryan tribes in the valleys of the Indus and the Ganges, down to the times of Tshandragupta and Asoka. Then follows the history of the Bactrians, the Medes, and the Persians, until the period when the nations of the table-land of Iran were united by Cyrus and Darius with the countries of Western Asia, when Aryan life and Aryan civilization gained the supremacy over the whole region from Ceylon to the Nile and the Hellespont. The forms of life at which the great empires of Asia had arrived are finally brought face to face with the more youthful civilization attained by the Hellenes in their mountain cantons. This new development is followed down to the first great shock when East and West met in conflict, and the Achaemenids sought to crush the Hellenes under the weight of Asia. With the failure of this attempt "The History of Antiquity" concludes.