Customer Reviews

Very Charleston: A Celebration of History, Culture, and Lowcountry Charm

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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Charleston is one of the most charming cities in the US, and it is fitting that Diana Hollingsworth Gessler has written a delightfully charming book about the Holy City. "Very Charleston" is a small book, but big on snippets of Charleston. It is also wonderfully illustrated by Gessler with watercolors. This 159 page book is packed with a myriad of entertaining tidbits. It includes historical facts, famous festivals, Charleston vocabulary, places of interest, interesting characters (past and present), famous restaurants, some traditional recipes and LOTS of trivia. It also touches on such diverse topics as The Civil War, The Citadel, Slavery, making indigo, architectural details and places to shop.

Very Charleston is the perfect book for a new visitor to Charleston. There are a few minor inaccuracies (for example, there are more than 3 zones for carriage tours). But these do not detract from the book. However, a visitor seeking a more in-depth look at the Holy City would be better served by more serious reading. Still, Very Charleston is a very enjoyable and interesting introduction to this beautiful and historic city.

My mother-in-law gave us this book before our move to Charleston, SC. My own family came to visit and while driving around downtown with the book it felt like a tour of our very own. The next day we did in fact go on a real Charleston tour and they restated many of the interesting facts of Charleston found within the book! The book is not only a wealth of information, but also a beautifully illustrated book!!! I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! :) I recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about Charleston!

Very interesting little book with great illustrations. Gives insight to many of the things we South Carolians have always heard about Charleston like the derivation of Charleston Green paint, why the pineapple is a welcome sign, etc., etc.

I saw this book while I was in Charleston visiting and upon returning obtained a copy. I used it to document where I went and plan out my next visit. Full of facts, and things of interest it will direct you to places you might not normally think to visit. Excellent if planning to travle there, and in fact I tured the book into a sort of scrapbook... putting my pictures in it, souveiners, ticket stubs, postcards.. and writing on the pages of the places we went to, my thoughts and dates of things. It turned out very nice, and is an all in one memory book for me.

The wonderful watercolor drawings and short descriptions make this book a must have for those people who have been (or will soon go) to Charleston, South Carolina. The spirit and color of Charleston is captured in this small volume. I traveled to Charleston with three other women and we all bought this book! One lady even used it as her trip journal, making comments in the book about places we had been. I bought one for another friend going to Charleston and she, too, loved this little book.

I recieved this book as a gift from my mother and was impressed with the watercolors and the excentric details of her artwork. Her ability to go into a city and get to the heart of it while learning a bit of history as well was "very charming". I reccommend this book for everyone.

This book was a quick read with beautiful pictures that caught much of the essence of Charleston. During a recent visit, I enjoyed seeing many of the things mentioned, such as "Charleston Green" paint. It pointed out many of the areas of Charleston with clarity. If you already are familiar with Charleston you may not be as interested, but might enjoy the illustrations and pick up a few tips. If you are planning a trip to this delightful city, then you will likely enjoy this delightful book.

Well written and hightly entertaining.
This small book captures the remarkable
charm and southern sleekness of this
city. AND the recipes are wonderful.

I've been going to Charleston since I was a small child, and I learned a few things from this fun little book. I bought it for the illustrations- I love maps and "Did you know" kinds of books-and thought this was the perfect marriage of the two. Charleston is so interesting that I think there is more to tell, so I wish it were a little longer.

My daughter had this book with her when we visited Charleston for the 2nd time. After reading it (couldn't put it down), we found more reasons to return to this wonderful area; learned more interesting facts about already viewed streets, homes and history. It is a light read with beautiful watercolor pictures throughout the book. Don't pass it up!