"In 1925, Paul Adams was appointed custodian of Mount Le Conte, the third-highest peak of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. His job was to welcome tourists, give guided tours, and establish a camp that would become known as LeConte Lodge, which still stands in what has become America's most popular national park. Adams had everything he needed for the job: a passion for the outdoors, a love of hiking, a desire to preserve the native habitat while welcoming visitors, and the companionship of a remarkable dog. During his time on the mountains, Adams trained Smoky Jack to be a pack-dog -- not just carrying supplies but actually making the four-hour trip to the store in Gatlinburg and back alone. Throughout Smoky Jack, readers gain a unique glimpse into the early days of the Great Smoky Mountains region during the decade before it was name[d] a national park in 1934. Adams describes the trials and triumphs he and the indomitable German shepherd faced as they exemplified the ancient relationship between man and dog on Mount Le Conte, building trails, guiding visitors, and making a life in nature." -- Provided by publisher.

Recipes from the Jack Daniel's Distillery

How to smoke a variety of foods, including turkey, cheese, sausage, fish, beef, nuts, wild game. A classic reference.

If you’ve ever ventured seventy miles south of Nashville to the quaint farming town of Lynchburg, you already know that it is justifiably famous for two things: Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 and the legendary spread of Southern cooking at Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House. The recipes in this collection combine two of Tennessee’s most celebrated cultural treasures into a guide for home cooks eager to capture the spirit of Lynchburg in their own kitchens. Written by Miss Mary Bobo’s own Lynne Tolley and food writer Mindy Merrell, this cookbook distills the essence of Lynchburg life into something tangible you can experience whenever you need it. Join Lynne, Jack Daniel’s own great-grandniece, as she shares family secrets, legacies, and heirloom recipes. You’ll get a crash course in Southern cooking along the way, with a primer on the ingredients and techniques found in any good ol’ Lynchburg kitchen such as: grits and ham hocks, iron skillet seasoning, self-rising cornmeal and more All the pillars of a country kitchen are covered. Push up your sleeves, pour yourself a tall glass of Lynchburg Lemonade, and get ready to whip up some Moore County favorites. Jack Daniel’s Cookbook gives readers a taste of life in the old Bobo Hotel and shows how you can treat your own guests with the same trademark hospitality Miss Mary extended at her boarding house.

Suspended high above the desert floor like a hanged man dangling at the end of a rope, Shot Harry is detonated at exactly 5:05 a.m. on May 19, 1953. The predawn tranquility is butchered with three times the atomic rage of Hiroshima and “Dirty Harry’s” iridescent pink cloud rains burning radioactive particles on southern Utah. This event, plus an ill-fated volcano prank that kills two men (a friend and a sheriff’s deputy) and leaves another critically injured will change the lives of J.T. Kunz and Mick Graff forever. J.T. and Mick are charged with manslaughter in the deputy’s death. J.T. is devastated. Manslaughter is a felony and if convicted, he would have no chance of fulfilling his deathbed promise to his mother, namely, going on a mission for the Mormon Church. Mick, however, is unaffected. Though a Mormon, he has little time for religion. Mick’s health soon begins to deteriorate and he is diagnosed with acute myeloblastic leukemia, ostensibly from the radiation fallout. Faced with the prospect of his own death, Mick turns to God. J.T., on the other hand, is now becoming more cynical and disillusioned by God’s apparent indifference to Mick’s plight. He is forced to re-evaluate his own life and try to reconcile Mick’s imminent death with his religion’s conventional explanation of life, death and the hereafter.

* “We see through this book the immense power of language…to change the minds of lawmakers and tourists alike.” —The New York Times Book Review * “A poignant portrait of an era when mere words could change the world.” —San Francisco Chronicle * The dramatic and uplifting story of legendary outdoorsman and conservationist John Muir’s journey to save Yosemite is “a rich, enjoyable excursion into a seminal period in environmental history” (The Wall Street Journal). In June of 1889 in San Francisco, John Muir—iconic environmentalist, writer, and philosopher—meets face-to-face for the first time with his longtime editor Robert Underwood Johnson, an elegant and influential figure at The Century magazine. Before long, the pair, opposites in many ways, decide to venture to Yosemite Valley, the magnificent site where twenty years earlier, Muir experienced a personal and spiritual awakening that would set the course of the rest of his life. Upon their arrival the men are confronted with a shocking vision, as predatory mining, tourism, and logging industries have plundered and defaced “the grandest of all the special temples of Nature.” While Muir is devastated, Johnson, an arbiter of the era’s pressing issues in the pages of the nation’s most prestigious magazine, decides that he and Muir must fight back. The pact they form marks a watershed moment, leading to the creation of Yosemite National Park, and launching an environmental battle that captivates the nation and ushers in the beginning of the American environmental movement. “Comprehensively researched and compellingly readable” (Booklist, starred review), Guardians of the Valley is a moving story of friendship, the written word, and the transformative power of nature. It is also a timely and powerful “origin story” as the towering environmental challenges we face today become increasingly urgent.

Contains portions of Muir's autobiography, letters, his lesser known books, and essays