Reading Hunting Arkansas is like walking alongside acclaimed Arkansas outdoorsman and writer Keith Sutton as he searches for the elusive woodcock in bottomland timber near the L'Anguille River, stalks deer across farmland, or treks through woodlands hunting black bears. Sutton weaves hunting know-how with personal stories and histories of various regions to produce this book telling you when, where, why and how to hunt in the Natural State.
What do Scott Joplin, John Grisham, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Maya Angelou, Brooks Robinson, Helen Gurley Brown, Johnny Cash, Alan Ladd, and Sonny Boy Williamson have in common? They’re all Arkansans. What do hillbillies, rednecks, slow trains, bare feet, moonshine, and double-wides have in common? For many in America these represent Arkansas more than any Arkansas success stories do. In 1931 H. L. Mencken described AR (not AK, folks) as the “apex of moronia.” While, in 1942 a Time magazine article said Arkansas had “developed a mass inferiority complex unique in American history.” Arkansas/Arkansaw is the first book to explain how Arkansas’s image began and how the popular culture stereotypes have been perpetuated and altered through succeeding generations. Brooks Blevins argues that the image has not always been a bad one. He discusses travel accounts, literature, radio programs, movies, and television shows that give a very positive image of the Natural State. From territorial accounts of the Creole inhabitants of the Mississippi River Valley to national derision of the state’s triple-wide governor’s mansion to Li’l Abner, the Beverly Hillbillies, and Slingblade, Blevins leads readers on an entertaining and insightful tour through more than two centuries of the idea of Arkansas. One discovers along the way how one state becomes simultaneously a punch line and a source of admiration for progressives and social critics alike. Winner, 2011 Ragsdale Award
Few possessions are as highly prized by duck hunters as their favorite calls. Enabling the hunter to attract waterfowl by mimicking their sounds, the skillfully crafted and highly individualized calls are revered for the craftsmanship and rich history associated with this uniquely American art form. In this book, avid Arkansas duck call collector Mike Lewis chronicles the history of Arkansas duck call making and captures the spirit of over fifty renowned call makers. He recounts how Arkansas artisans dominated the early market and continued to influence the design and refinement of the modern duck call through the vivid combination of images and stories. He traces the evolution of call design from 1890 to 2017, featuring the work of call makers whose contributions of handcrafted duck calls are highly regarded as among the most prized in the world. Lewis includes over three hundred call makers and over seven hundred photographs that facilitate identification of the calls.
The Arkansas Regulators is a rousing tale of frontier adventure, first published in German in 1846, but virtually lost to English readers for well over a century. Written in the tradition of James Fenimore Cooper, but offering a much darker and more violent image of the American frontier, this was the first novel produced by Friedrich Gerstäcker, who would go on to become one of Germany’s most famous and prolific authors. A crucial piece of a nineteenth-century transatlantic literary tradition, this long-awaited translation and scholarly edition of the novel offers a startling revision of the frontier myth from a European perspective.
Fishing Arkansas is a comprehensive guide to the angling opportunities that the Natural State offers to its 500,000–700,000 licensed fisherman as well as to visitors to the state. In addition to conveying the very drama and excitement of the fishing experience itself, the month-by-month organiziation of the book allows the reader a detailed look at the life histories of many Arkansas sport fish, the best lakes and streams in which to find them, and the most successful tactics and tackle to use. Enhanced by Sutton's excellent photographs, the guide includes twelve sections on popular game fish, such as largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, catfish, bluegill, and trout. It also provides an introduction to often-overlooked species like bowfin, gar, carp, paddlefish, and pickerel. Hundreds of valuable fishing tips gleaned from decades of on-the-water experience and interviews with dozens of guides, biologists, and expert anglers enhance the engaging narraive. From the glistening trout in the cold tailwaters of the White River, to feisty catfish on the muddy bayou bottoms of the Delta region, Keith Sutton has served up a tempting array of the fish that can be sought and caught on hook and line in the teeming waters of Arkansas.
When Hillary Clinton spoke of "a vast right-wing conspiracy" determined to bring down the president, many people dismissed the idea. Yet if the first lady's accusation was exaggerated, the facts that have since emerged point toward a covert and often concerted effort by Bill Clinton's enemies--abetted by his own reckless behavior--which led inexorably to impeachment. Clinton's foes launched a cascade of well-financed attacks that undermined American democracy and nearly destroyed the Clinton presidency. In vivid prose, Joe Conason and Gene Lyons, two award-winning veteran journalists, identify the antagonists, reveal their tactics, trace the millions of dollars that subsidized them, and examine how and why mainstream news organizations aided those who were determined to bring down Bill Clinton, The Hunting of the President may very well be the All the President's Men of this political regime.
