Our Southern Highlanders: Introduction By George Ellison [Paperback]

Horace Kephart (Author), George Ellison (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 6, 1976

No other book on the Southern Appalachians is more widely known or cited.  

"Awonderful book. I like it especially for its color and anecdotes. It is a classic, not only for its accuracy and breadth of insights into the people of the region, but because these people themselves are so interesting and strong."
—Annie Dillard, author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

No other book on the Southern Appalachians is more widely known or cited.  

"Awonderful book. I like it especially for its color and anecdotes. It is a classic, not only for its accuracy and breadth of insights into the people of the region, but because these people themselves are so interesting and strong."
—Annie Dillard, author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

About the Author

Before coming the mountains, Horace Kephart (1862-1931) served as librarian of the prestigious Mercantile Library in St. Loius. His significant work, however, was done after he came to live in the Southern Appalachians in 1904. He played important roles in the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian Trail.

Product Details

• Paperback: 530 pages
• Publisher: Univ Tennessee Press; 1 edition (December 6, 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870492039
• ISBN-13: 978-0870492037
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1.4 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading in every Appalachian school. September 2, 1998

By A Customer

Kephart shows the Southern Appalachian Mountaineers as they were, and in some cases, still are. Warts and all. A fair, truthfull account of his experiences while living among us, as well as the historical background for the area. It should be remembered that the book was first published in 1913 and revised in 1922, and while it is not an accurate picture of the mountains of today, if you would understand Appalachia, read this book.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful but not romanticized view February 3, 2001

By kelly howard

Kephart's engaging, entertaining style does a terrific job of bringing realism to a heavily stereotyped people; his approach is balanced, illustrating the people's good and not-so-good characteristics with anecdotes (some hilarious) and facts. He provides historical and topological frameworks for the character of mountain people. He lived a bare-bones existence among them for several years and so his narrative is richer--and truer--than that of a drop-in-ask-get-out historian's. The book provides a realistic basis for understanding people of today's mountains, where personal background is often still important.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Special November 24, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

I love Appalachia history and would rate this as my favorite book on the subject. I hated to see the book end!