Encyclopedia of North Carolina [Hardcover]

William S. Powell (Editor), Jay Mazzocchi (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2006

The first single-volume reference to the events, institutions, and cultural forces that have defined the state, the Encyclopedia of North Carolina is a landmark publication that will serve those who love and live in North Carolina for generations to come. Editor William S. Powell, whom the Raleigh News & Observer described as a "living repository of information on all things North Carolinian," spent fifteen years developing this volume. With contributions by more than 550 volunteer writers—including scholars, librarians, journalists, and many others—it is a true "people's encyclopedia" of North Carolina.

The volume includes more than 2,000 entries, presented alphabetically, consisting of longer essays on major subjects, briefer entries, and short summaries and definitions. Most entries include suggestions for further reading. Centered on history and the humanities, topics covered include agriculture; arts and architecture; business and industry; the Civil War; culture and customs; education; geography; geology, mining, and archaeology; government, politics, and law; media; medicine, science, and technology; military history; natural environment; organizations, clubs, and foundations; people, languages, and immigration; places and historic preservation; precolonial and colonial history; recreation and tourism; religion; and transportation.

An informative and engaging compendium, the Encyclopedia of North Carolina is abundantly illustrated with 400 photographs and maps. It is both a celebration and a gift—from the citizens of North Carolina, to the citizens of North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Powell, professor emeritus of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, spent 15 years compiling this first single-volume encyclopedia of the Tarheel State. The encyclopedia is intended to serve "those who love and live in North Carolina," and it is clearly a product of great affection as well as scholarship. It completes a trilogy of reference works on North Carolina, following Powell's North Carolina Gazetteer (1968) and Dictionary of North Carolina Biography (1979-96).

The encyclopedia consists of more than 2,000 signed, alphabetically arranged entries written by 600 contributors. There are brief entries (Cardinal, Cheerwine ); substantive articles (Biltmore House, Pirates, Pottery ); and in-depth surveys (American Revolution, Lumbee Indians, Mining ). The expected historical, political, and economic topics (Civil rights movement, Wine and winemaking ) are included, but also here are articles about food (Barbecue, Okra, Ramps, Scuppernong grape ); popular dance (Buck dancing, Clogging, Step dancing ); and words with North Carolina etymology (Hooker, Mooning ) that make the encyclopedia fascinating to browse. Four hundred illustrations and 22 maps enhance the articles. Many articles conclude with references that would have been otherwise difficult to identify. The detailed index pulls together scattered information on broad topics such as music and railroads.

There are indications that articles were not updated after their initial submission. The article on Ice hockey mentions the Carolina Hurricanes' loss in the 2002 Stanley Cup finals but not the team's 2006 victory. The article on Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation mentions its reaching "icon status" in 1997 but not its difficulties of the last few years. Southern Indian Studies is cited as a publication of the North Carolina Archaeological Society, but that publication became North Carolina Archaeology in 1997.

The only comparable encyclopedia is the Encyclopedia of North Carolina, edited by Frank Gille (Somerset Publishers, 1999). The State Library of North Carolina [http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/] offers the free, online EN*CYCLOPEDIA, which is a fine source for many factual out-of-state school assignments. Neither of these sources approaches the scholarship of the new work. The University of North Carolina Press plans to offer Encyclopedia of North Carolina Online eventually but focused first on this print edition. No date for the electronic version has been announced.

Its scholarship, abundance of engaging details, and reasonable price make the Encyclopedia of North Carolina an essential purpose for academic and large public libraries and for secondary school libraries supporting regional interests. Christine Whittington
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"An extremely valuable and vitally useful contribution, full of important insights, interpretations and intelligence."
— Journal of Southern History

"An informative and engaging guide of North Carolina. Never before has the entire history and culture of the state been skillful[y] explicated in a single all-inclusive book."
— The Courier

"An outstanding single-volume encyclopedia spanning the 400-year history of the state. . . . An important contribution to regional history collections and is indispensable for all North Carolina libraries."
— CHOICE

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1328 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (October 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807830712
• ISBN-13: 978-0807830710
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9 x 2.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #839,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedia of NC - Must Have Reference for North Carolinians, January 18, 2007

By 

J. Hall (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Encyclopedia of North Carolina (Hardcover)

I got the Encyclopedia of NC as a gift for my Dad. I was able to browse through it before I gave it to him. The variety of entries on North Carolina is exhaustive (the subject "privies" is included). Most entries are concise but others longer. My dad keeps it by his easy chair and reads it regularly. I can easily say it is the best gift I have given him in his 85 years. I think it belongs in at least every native North Carolinian's home.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedia, January 11, 2007

By 

K. Walker (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Encyclopedia of North Carolina (Hardcover)

What a wonderful book...We can`t put it in the bookcase...it stays on the table, and everyone that walks in the room picks it up.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedia of NC, January 18, 2007

By 

Freddie B. Hill "retired teacher" (Fuquay Varina,NC) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Encyclopedia of North Carolina (Hardcover)

This book has lots of wonderful information about the Tar Heel State. I recommend the book to newcomers to our state as well as to NC natives. This would be a great resource for students in the fourth grade to use.