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On September 26, 1918, during the devastating Battle of the Meuse-Argonne Forest, Kentucky native Willie Sandlin, acting alone, attacked and disabled three German machine gun nests and killed all twenty-four occupants. During the day’s fighting, Sandlin “voluntarily and deliberately” raced forward into dangers so great that he could hardly hope to survive. For his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty,” Sandlin received the Medal of Honor, which was presented to him by General John J. Pershing before Sandlin returned to America at the end of the war. HARDBACK VERSION FULL COLOR INTERIOR By James M. Gifford -
This book examines Jesse Stuart's life in a broad historical context and shares his enduring legacy through his broad range of accomplishments as an author, educator, conservationist, spokesman for Kentucky and Appalachia, compulsive correspondent, world traveler, father, husband, and community-minded neighbor. In a broad historical context, it shows how Stuart has immortalized himself through personal relationships as well as through people who read his books. SOFTBACK & HARDBACK By James. M. Gifford -
The Big Sandy Valley — sometimes called Kentucky's last frontier — has been shaped by a series of extraordinary individuals and families over the course of the past 200 years. Hidden Heroes of the Big Sandy Valley profiles and celebrates an exclusive group of these people. The book contains 22 biographical essays and one cultural essay by 17 authors. The people who are profiled in this book are true representatives of millions of people who have populated the Big Sandy Valley for more than two hundred years. HARDBACK Compiled and edited by James M. Gifford -
This is the journal Jesse Stuart kept following his near fatal heart attack in 1955. It was a time of his severest trial yet greatest fulfillment which began in an oxygen tent and ended with his happy return to a full and vigorous life. Here are the innermost feelings and moods of a man whose heart may give out at any moment, the new respect and even love that he develops for his heart, his thoughts about God, life, land, and home. By Jesse Stuart -
Historians tend to tell our history through the lives of famous people, and certainly biographies and autobiographies play an important role in understanding Kentucky history. However, since history is the sum total of all human experiences, the lives of everyday people should shape our history, too. That’s why memoirs like the one presented here by Harry J. Rust are so important. Harry grew up on a farm in Campbell County in northern Kentucky, and, more than eight decades later, he still lives in that same area. His story of family life covers four generations. It is a strong contribution to our understanding of the hardworking middle class that has made America a great nation – a middle class that is beginning to appear more frequently in Kentucky and Appalachian memoirs. It is an important remembrance that neither exploits nor exaggerates the difficulties of rural life in Kentucky. It is a rich tapestry of the work, emotions, thoughts, and words of a man who represents millions of unrecognized rural people who are the true flesh and blood of history. This book is a valuable contribution to Kentucky history. HARDBACK VERSION Harry J. Rust -
John McCauley has assembled a fascinating collection of unpublished essays by Jesse Stuart, a very prolific writer in many genres. There emerges from this collection an informative view of Stuart’s relationship with the land and people of Appalachian Kentucky. This book makes the work of a world famous author more accessible to today’s readers. —James M. Gifford SOFTBACK VERSION (164 PAGES) Compiled and edited by John W. McCauley -
Appalachian Murders & Mysteries: True Stories from West Virginia, Kentucky, and Southern Ohio, 23 stories by 17 authors compiled and edited by James M. Gifford and Edwina D. Pendarvis. The tragic events described in this book could have happened anywhere, but they happened here in central Appalachia. They are a part of our history. Together, these stories create a literary “mourning quilt,” commemorating the innocent and the guilty and piecing together significant remnants of 200 years of life in eastern Kentucky, southern Ohio, and West Virginia. HARDBACK & SOFTBACK Compiled and edited by James M. Gifford and Edwina D. Pendarvis -
Looking through the pages of this amazing book is like traveling back in time. The brilliant black and white photography of Joe Clark and a forward and descriptive text by Jesse Stuart, makes these rural Tennessee images come more alive than a Norman Rockwell painting. There is something so refreshing in this age of digital photographic trickery and enhancements to see the purity of these incredible images. Do yourself a favor and check out this book. Whether your interest is photography, nostalgia, or history, you will not be disappointed. By Joe Clark Foreword by Jesse Stuart -
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This book contains the memoirs of Harry J Rust, a lifelong Kentucky attorney and farmer. The significant events are written from family accounts, written history and office records retained in Rust's 52 plus years of legal practice. Details of his farm life, particularly from the 1930s through the 1960s, are intertwined with his legal beginnings and career with Appalachian culture as the backdrop. HARDBACK VERSION Harry J. Rust