Product Description

The first single-volume reference to the events, institutions, and cultural forces that have defined the state, the Encyclopedia of North Carolina is a landmark publication that will serve those who love and live in North Carolina for generations to come. Editor William S. Powell, whom the Raleigh News & Observer described as a "living repository of information on all things North Carolinian," spent fifteen years developing this volume. With contributions by more than 550 volunteer writers—including scholars, librarians, journalists, and many others—it is a true "people's encyclopedia" of North Carolina.

The volume includes more than 2,000 entries, presented alphabetically, consisting of longer essays on major subjects, briefer entries, and short summaries and definitions. Most entries include suggestions for further reading. Centered on history and the humanities, topics covered include agriculture; arts and architecture; business and industry; the Civil War; culture and customs; education; geography; geology, mining, and archaeology; government, politics, and law; media; medicine, science, and technology; military history; natural environment; organizations, clubs, and foundations; people, languages, and immigration; places and historic preservation; precolonial and colonial history; recreation and tourism; religion; and transportation.

An informative and engaging compendium, the Encyclopedia of North Carolina is abundantly illustrated with 400 photographs and maps. It is both a celebration and a gift—from the citizens of North Carolina, to the citizens of North Carolina.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #87857 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-20
• Released on: 2006-10-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1328 pages

From Booklist
Powell, professor emeritus of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, spent 15 years compiling this first single-volume encyclopedia of the Tarheel State. The encyclopedia is intended to serve "those who love and live in North Carolina," and it is clearly a product of great affection as well as scholarship. It completes a trilogy of reference works on North Carolina, following Powell's North Carolina Gazetteer (1968) and Dictionary of North Carolina Biography (1979-96).

The encyclopedia consists of more than 2,000 signed, alphabetically arranged entries written by 600 contributors. There are brief entries (Cardinal, Cheerwine ); substantive articles (Biltmore House, Pirates, Pottery ); and in-depth surveys (American Revolution, Lumbee Indians, Mining ). The expected historical, political, and economic topics (Civil rights movement, Wine and winemaking ) are included, but also here are articles about food (Barbecue, Okra, Ramps, Scuppernong grape ); popular dance (Buck dancing, Clogging, Step dancing ); and words with North Carolina etymology (Hooker, Mooning ) that make the encyclopedia fascinating to browse. Four hundred illustrations and 22 maps enhance the articles. Many articles conclude with references that would have been otherwise difficult to identify. The detailed index pulls together scattered information on broad topics such as music and railroads.

There are indications that articles were not updated after their initial submission. The article on Ice hockey mentions the Carolina Hurricanes' loss in the 2002 Stanley Cup finals but not the team's 2006 victory. The article on Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation mentions its reaching "icon status" in 1997 but not its difficulties of the last few years. Southern Indian Studies is cited as a publication of the North Carolina Archaeological Society, but that publication became North Carolina Archaeology in 1997.

The only comparable encyclopedia is the Encyclopedia of North Carolina, edited by Frank Gille (Somerset Publishers, 1999). The State Library of North Carolina [http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/] offers the free, online EN*CYCLOPEDIA, which is a fine source for many factual out-of-state school assignments. Neither of these sources approaches the scholarship of the new work. The University of North Carolina Press plans to offer Encyclopedia of North Carolina Online eventually but focused first on this print edition. No date for the electronic version has been announced.

Its scholarship, abundance of engaging details, and reasonable price make the Encyclopedia of North Carolina an essential purpose for academic and large public libraries and for secondary school libraries supporting regional interests. Christine Whittington
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Inside Flap
The first single-volume reference to the events, institutions, and cultural forces that have defined the state, this volume was developed by William S. Powell, whom the Raleigh News & Observer described as a "living repository of information on all things North Carolinian." With contributions by more than 550 volunteer writers—including scholars, librarians, journalists, and many others—it is a true "people's encyclopedia" of North Carolina. The volume includes more than 2,000 entries, presented alphabetically, consisting of longer essays on major subjects, briefer entries, and short summaries and definitions. Most entries include suggestions for further reading. Abundantly illustrated with 400 photographs and maps, it is both a celebration and a gift—from the citizens of North Carolina, to the citizens of North Carolina.

About the Author
William S. Powell is professor emeritus of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is author or editor of many reference books about the state, including the six-volume Dictionary of North Carolina Biographyand The North Carolina Gazetteer, both from the University of North Carolina Press.

Jay Mazzocchi is an experienced managing editor who was previously a developmental editor and writing fellow for the 24-volume American National Biography.

Customer Reviews

A Fine Contribution Toward A Neglected History
I am very pleased with this book. I use it quite often to read about N.C. things and places that I've always been curious about, but wasn't quite sure where to look. This book solves that problem, and having watched several interviews with Professor Powell on public television, I can obviously tell that this work is his magnum opus. It was lovingly compiled with supurb scholarly detail. For a one volume "encyclopedia," it is great. Of course its not going to be comprehensive enough for critics (despite 1237 pages), but that someone took the time to compile something like this is an achievement in and of itself. If you want to learn more about N.C. history, this is the book for you. I might add that I know the other compiler/editor, Mr. Jay Mazzocchi, and he too is a first rate mind like Prof. Powell. I recieved this book as a Christmas gift last year from he and his daughter whom I taught in an A.P. U.S. History class. I feel not only honored to have a signed copy of an outstanding N.C. history text, but have truly used it and learned new and exciting things about my home state that I did not know before.

Great Book
A great book by a great historian. Not only is this an essential reference guide to all things in North Carolina, but it represents a culmination Professor Powell's career, one of North Carolina's greatest treasures. I purchased it not only because I wanted it but also as a means of honoring Professor Powell. In regard to the comment about the lack of biographies in this book, I assume that comment was made in jest. But for those not familiar with Professor Powell's previous works, he previously published (in the late 1970's and 1980's) a six volume "Dictionary of North Carolina Biographies."

Good, but reader beware: There are serious omissions.
Encyclopedic guides to states, cities and regions are coming hot off the presses now. I was anxiously awaiting this one, but I've come away slightly disappointed. Most obvious to me at first are the serious omissions in the book: There are absolutely ZERO biographical articles in here. What happened there? There's an article for every imaginable institution of higher learning, including many long extinct, but not an entry for James K. Polk, William Tryon, James Iredell, William Styron, James Duke, Elizabeth Dole, Andy Griffith, Michael Jordan, Jesse Jackson, James Taylor, Tori Amos or Jessie Helms. Not all North Carolina natives, mind you, but all with profound impacts on the state's history. Some general entries (such as "Mealtimes") aren't immediately applicable to North Carolina at all, but are linked by a contrived peculiarity, as could be done for many other states in the country. Otherwise, this book is a nice compilation of popular topics related to North Carolina.

This book is certainly impressive in scope and not a failure by any means, but incomplete enough to justify a much improved second edition. I know that Dr. Powell is a highly respected and beloved historian in North Carolina, and I'm not trying to diminish his accomplishment. I just think he should add a good biographer to his staff.

Dare I suggest that the Encyclopedia of "Another" Carolina is a better book? Not the content, per se, but the format and editing of that book set the standard for these large volumes. Have a look.