Ozark Tales and Superstitions [Paperback]

Phillip Steele (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 1983

Phillip Steele has collected 26 stories in an attempt to preserve the rich lore indigenous to the Ozarks.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Western writer Phillip W. Steele is a past board member of the Arkansas History Commission and has served as president of the National Outlaw and Lawman History Association. A member of the Western Writers of America, he also is president and founder of the James Younger Gang. Steele's other books include Starr Tracks: Belle and Pearl Starr, The Last Cherokee Warriors, Civil War in the Ozarks, The Many Faces of Jesse James, Jesse and Frank James: The Family History, The Family Story of Bonnie and Clyde, and Outlaws and Gunfighters of the Old West. All are published by Pelican.

From the Back Cover

The art of storytelling is one of mankind's oldest methods of keeping historical records. This collection of 26 stories stands as an attempt to preserve the rich lore indigenous to the Ozark region. Here are tales of the supernatural, including "Lady of the Valley" and "Monster of Peter bottom Cave," and Indian legends such as "Legend of War Eagle" and "Legend of Virgin's Bluff." Treasure tales, outlaw stories, and nature lore accompany a collection of superstitions, moon signs, and regional cures and remedies.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing (May 30, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882894048
• ISBN-13: 978-0882894041
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,369,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars POORLY WRITTEN AND POORLY RESEARCHED, August 13, 2006

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ozark Tales and Superstitions (Paperback)

I gave this one two stars simply for the vague effort put into it. Overall the books is rather poorly written, source documentaiton is almost nonexsistent and to be quite frank, the writing style is beyond boring. Having lived here in the Ozarks for all of my life (well over 60 years) and having accomlished some modest research in this area myself, I was very, very disappointed in this work. Actually, I am not at all sure if this author ever lived here, or even visited. If you are interested in this area of study, I suggest "Ozark Magic and Folklore" by Vance Randolph. This is a older book, but well worth the search to find it. I Do not recommend this work.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A waste of time and money, April 1, 2003

By 

Carolyn Elder (Colp, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ozark Tales and Superstitions (Paperback)

I love stories about supertitions and myths but this book really falls short. The stories are mostly dull and lack details that could have been used to make them interesting. The section about outlaws was very boring and pitiful. The (very short) pages about supertitions was entirely without merit. All that was written was a list of superstitions and the author gave NO detail about how they came about. I also found the book to be very short and I read it in less than one hour. For the price, it was ... not worth the money ...

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ozark Tales and superstitions, March 28, 2000

By 

brandoncplott (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ozark Tales and Superstitions (Paperback)

WOW This book was great. I am into the superstitions and I really enjoyed this book.. I live in Baxter Springs Kansas which is only 10 miles from the "ozarks" and I enjoy hearing about all of the awesome tales. I highly recomend this book to anyone who is superstitious