Book Review: Southern Appalachian Celebration: In Praise of Ancient Mountains, Old-Growth Forests, & Wilderness

Southern Appalachian Celebration: In Praise of Ancient Mountains, Old-Growth Forests, & Wilderness, by James Valentine and Chris Bolgiano is, in short, a beautiful book. Turning the pages of this large-format, coffee table-style book, the reader is treated to James Valentine’s stunning photographs, which capture the beauty and uniqueness of the landscapes and ecology of southern Appalachia. Chris Bolgiano’s text, while spare, provides considerable information that is both interesting and accurate. Valentine’s photographs and Bolgiano’s text present some of the most scenic and biologically significant places across the region, drawing from the Appalachian portions of Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and especially North Carolina.