Foxfire 10 [Paperback]

Inc. Foxfire Fund (Author), George P. Reynolds (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1993 | Series: Foxfire (Book 10)

Chock full of the wit and wisdom that has become  the Foxfire trademark, this entirely new volume in  the acclaimed, 6-million-copy best-selling  Foxfire series is on oral history of  Appalachian lives and traditions, homespun crafts,  and folk arts.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although about a quarter of this collection of oral histories is devoted to folk arts and crafts, such as chair-making and gourd art, the focus in this Foxfire volume is on Appalachian history. The Talluhah Falls Railway's impact on the economy and daily life of Rabun County, Ga., gives the setting for interviews on railroad construction work and operation. Other sections consider the boardinghouses that flourished during Tallulah Falls's late-19th-century era of popularity as a vacation spot, and the building of the Fontana Dam. Interviews also explore Depression life--one man tells how his family got by through snitching apples and hunting possum--and the impact of federal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, with its army-style camp, and dollar-a-day jobs in the Works Progress Administration. Although interviewees occasionally enliven the work with their anecdotes and irrepressible personalities, much of the writing and handling of the interviews is pedestrian, though admirable for high-school students. This volume is likely to interest primarily those who are seeking out material on Appalachia, the CCC or the WPA. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Continuing the popular "Foxfire" series begun by teacher Eliot Wigginton as a class assignment for the students of Rabun County High School in northern Georgia, this book retains the homespun wisdom and charm of the original ( LJ 3/15/72). The new volume attempts to give its collection of oral histories a unifying theme. Each topic focuses on the impact of change in the Appalachian region since the turn of the century. There is an excellent history of the Tallulah Falls Railway, as well as recollections of the Depression and federal assistance programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps. The book concludes with the series' customary coverage of regional crafts. Recommended for public libraries.
- Eloise R. Hitchcock, Tennessee Technological Univ. Lib., Cookeville
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; 1 edition (March 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385422768
• ISBN-13: 978-0385422765
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL REFERENCE BOOK AND INTERESTING READ, August 19, 2007

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Foxfire 10 (Paperback)

The Foxfire books are a wonderful thing and we are so lucky to have them. Many of the ways, crafts, planting lore, animal lore, and as the book says "affairs of plain living" are preserved here. This particular volume includes oral histories of the Great Depression, CCC Camps and their impact on the local areaa and ecomomy, folk art, chair makeing, and of special interest to me, gourd art. This is a wonderful recording of life the way it was and probably never will be again. The book is quite well written and has faithfully recorded even the dialect of these wonderful people, from which so many of us sprung. That is a big part of the charm of these works. This book includes actual interviews with folks from that region of the country which I am sure are long dead now. Their knowledge would be completely lost without works such as this. Another generation or two and it will all be completely gone. This book will cetainly be of great interest to those, like me, who are interested in the depression era and in the CCC in particular. Thank goodness we have recordings such as this. Recommend this one highly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Foxfire 10 - A Sound Part of the 12 Part Series, February 21, 2011

By 

jmoonx14 - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Foxfire 10 (Paperback)

As most readers already know, the Foxfire book series is a true treasure. Book 10 is no exception but it must be noted that as the series progress from book 1 through 12 the content does move from specific 'hands on how to' toward more of an historical review of the people of the Appalachia. There are some sections in Foxfire 10 that are dedicated to details of craft (most notably that of Chairmaking) but the majority of the content is about individuals and their colorful lives.

This does not detract from the importance of the book however. The craft-heavy content of the earlier books in the series are priceless but only because of the people who pass it on through the text. Many of the wise people of the Appalachia are covered in this book and it makes the series more well rounded. Most notable for me was the chapter on "Hard Times" as told by those Americans who lived through them. It will either make you appreciate what you have or it will urge you to prepare for similar times...perhaps both.

If you are considering collecting all of the Foxfire series book 10 will be no disappointment. I only held off on five stars as the first half of the series gets that accolade due to more practical content.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An old 'hillbilly's' opinion, October 17, 2007

By 

Teddy H. Jones (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Foxfire 10 (Paperback)

It's a great deal of fun to read about the historical needs and solutions of the Appalachian people that applies as well to my own history. There are great reminders of a simpler and maybe happier life.