Customer Reviews

The Beautiful and Enduring Ozarks

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THE BEAUTIFUL AND ENDURING OZARKS not only looks like the Ozarks, it has the feel of it. I live there. Ozark rivers are photographed in their best light. The region's folklore is integrated into the text. Really high quality book and true to its title. Perhaps the best flavor of the Ozarks in book form I've seen.

Anyone who loves the Ozarks will be touched and moved by Leland Payton's photographs, which capture the hills, plains, parks, towns and people of the place in all of their rugged, yet fragile beauty. Books of regional photography often feature dirt-dry text, but not this one! Mr. Payton's brief history of the Ozark landscape is fresh, easy to read and full of interesting ideas. As an added bonus, he has included images from antique postcards and tour books, not to mention photos of wonderful vintage hillbilly souvenirs! This book is almost as much fun to explore as the Ozarks themselves.

I received this book as a Christmas present last year and read it in about an hour. I was pleased with the simple, organized information presented and the rich photography. The black and white photos give a sense of the Ozark Plateau's far-reaching history and beauty, while the color images detail a unique heritage that continues today. In general I enjoy the details afforded by black and white images and the vividness revealed by color photographs. My only criticism is that this book seems to rely heavily on contemporary black and white photos and a few washed-out pictures. This may have been deliberate to keep publishing prices down, but I feel the book may have benefited better had more (still, not all) of the photos been color.
In all, I appreciate the beautiful places and people represented in this book and believe it is an excellent introduction for anyone who hasn't viewed this rustic American region in person. For anyone seeking more detailed information about the history and present struggle of the Ozarks, in addition to details about popular vacationing spots in the region, I suggest A Living History of the Ozarks, by Phyllis Rossiter.
A Living History of the Ozarks