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An estimated four hundred gold records have been recorded in the Muscle Shoals area. Many of those are thanks to Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, dubbed "the Swampers."

Some of the greatest names in rock, R&B and blues laid tracks in the original, iconic concrete-block building--the likes of Cher, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Rolling Stones and the Black Keys. The National Register of Historic Places now recognizes that building, where Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded the original version of "Free Bird" and the Rolling Stones wrote "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses." By combing through decades of articles and music reviews related to Muscle Shoals Sound, music writer Carla Jean Whitley reconstructs the fascinating history of how the Alabama studio created a sound that reverberates across generations.

This book reveals the battles and events that shaped the history of 'The Heart of Dixie' during the Civil War.

Alabama's role in the Civil War cannot be understated. Union raids into northern Alabama, the huge manufacturing infrastructure in central Alabama and the Battle of Mobile Bay all played significant parts. A number of important Civil War figures also called Alabama home. Major General Joseph Wheeler was one of the most remarkable Confederate cavalry commanders in the west. John ""the Gallant"" Pelham earned the nickname for his bravery during the Battle of Fredericksburg. John Semmes commanded two of the most famous commerce raiders of the war--the CSS Sumter and the CSS Alabama. Author Robert C. Jones examines the people and places in Alabama that shaped the Civil War.

The tranquil waters of the Tennessee River hide a horrible tragedy that took place one steamy July day when co-workers took an excursion aboard the SCItanic.

Lawrence County resident Jenny Brooks used the skull of one of her victims to wash her hands, but her forty-year quest for revenge cost more than she bargained for. Granville Garth jumped to his watery grave with a pocketful of secrets--did anyone collect the $10,000 reward for the return of the papers he took with him? Historian Jacquelyn Procter Reeves transports readers deep into the shadows of the past to learn about the secret of George Steele's will, the truth behind the night the "Stars Fell on Alabama" and the story of the Lawrence County boys who died in the Goliad Massacre. Learn these secrets--and many more--in Hidden History of North Alabama.

Take a juicy foray into the all-but-forgotten history of Chilton County, Alabama.

Join author Christopher Andrews on a delectable romp through the long food history of Mobile, Alabama .

From its founding in 1702 by the French, Mobile has had a lot on its plate. Indeed, the story of food itself is a rich gumbo--a dish created in Mobile--tracing the city's rich history, albeit in far more filling fashion. Native, European and African traditions met and blended here. From the colonial days through the Civil War and up to the present, this history serves up a full menu for foodies and history buffs alike.

On the afternoon of April 9, 1865, some 16,000 Union troops launched a bold, coordinated assault on the three-mile-long line of earthworks known as Fort Blakeley, a story captured here in thrilling detail.

The charge was one of the grand spectacles of the Civil War, the climax of a weeks-long campaign that resulted in the capture of Mobile—the last major Southern city to remain Confederate hands. Historian Mike Bunn takes readers into the chaos of those desperate moments along the waters of the storied Mobile-Tensaw Delta. With a crisp narrative that also serves as a guided tour of Alabama’s largest Civil War battlefield, the book pioneers a telling of Blakeley’s story through detailed accounts from those who participated in the harrowing siege and assault.

While men commit most of Alabama’s crimes, women have written some of the darkest chapters in state history.

Poisoners who murdered dozens. A mob icon who captivated millions. A grandmother cocaine queen. An anti-government cop killer. A madam whose courage lifted her from shame to legend. A mummified woman shrouded in mystery. Whether they enjoyed the spotlight or weaponized their status as unlikely suspects, these infamous women left scandal and misery in their wake. Journalist Jeremy W. Gray digs into the sordid mess left behind by some of the most notorious women in Alabama history.

Relive the final days of the Civil War with this compelling account of Wilson's Raid told by memoirs of those who witnessed it.

In the closing months of the Civil War, General James Wilson led a Union cavalry raid through Alabama and parts of Georgia. Wilson, the young, brash ""boy general"" of the Union, matched wits against Nathan Bedford Forrest, the South's legendary ""wizard of the saddle."" Wilson's Raiders swept through cities like Selma, Tuscaloosa and Montgomery, destroying the last remaining industrial production centers of the Confederacy along with any hopes of its survival. Forrest and his desperately outnumbered cavalry had no option but to try to stop the Union's advance. Join Russell Blount as he examines the eyewitness accounts and diaries chronicling this defining moment in America's bloodiest war.

Auburn. The name resonates among generations who have studied, taught, or worked on the campus. Virtues such as loyalty, patriotism, service, and hard work have been encouraged on the campus from the school's inception.

No matter what the university has been formally named over the years-from East Alabama Male College to Alabama Polytechnic Institute-people have fondly called it Auburn since it was chartered in 1856. Professor George Petrie's Auburn Creed emphasizes the refrain ""I believe,"" which the Auburn family of Plainsmen, Tigers, and War Eagles have embraced. In this fitting tribute to a landmark Southern institution, vintage photographs depict people, places, experiences, and traditions beloved by the Auburn community. With a cooperative spirit, students and faculty alike applaud each other's successes in the classrooms and laboratories as well as in stadiums and on athletic fields. Numerous significant accomplishments in both academics and athletics are associated with Auburn and they are celebrated within these pages. Images of the campus as it has evolved over the years; memorable students, faculty, staff, and alumni; and unforgettable events have been gathered and preserved in this keepsake volume.

While legislators were writing the first laws in Alabama, some miscreant citizens were already breaking them, causing disorder and fleeing the hands of justice.

Among these were cult-leader-turned-murderer "Bloody" Bob Sims, social-activist-turned-anarchist Albert Parsons, the mysterious hobo bandit Railroad Bill and the nefarious outlaw sheriff Steve Renfroe, who was credited with countless prison escapes, thefts and arson. Legendary Wild West figures Frank and Jesse James also appeared in Alabama, along with numerous other well-known gunslingers, pirates, crooks and desperados. Bushwhackers caused widespread chaos during the Civil War and were considered outlaws depending on which side you supported. Join real-life partners in crime Kelly Kazek and Wil Elrick as they recount the atrocities of some of Alabama's most infamous lawbreakers.

Huntsville has served as the unofficial capital of north Alabama since the early 19th century. Yet Huntsville continued to redefine itself and remain relevant in regional, national, and international affairs.

Settled by John Hunt and developed by ambitious cotton planters, enterprising merchants and professionals, and thousands of families looking for new opportunities in the rich farmland, Huntsville has continued to grow and prosper as 21st-century corporations and government agencies develop new technologies that make the city the center of space and defense-related industries in the South. The city has endured military occupation, storms, financial panics, and the constant threat of economic and social stagnation that occurred in so many communities across the South. This positive spirit makes Huntsville a special place for residents and visitors alike. Images of America: Huntsville hopes to capture the uniqueness of the city while simultaneously acknowledging some mistakes that have been made in the past.

Shaped like a dragon protecting its territory, Lake Martin has witnessed droughts, tornadoes, fishing tournaments, boat races, and even World War II aircraft crashes.

Through many decades, this symbol of sustenance has enticed generations of residents, vacationers, and modern retirees to its welcoming shores. Surrounded by its own unique history, Lake Martin also reflects the dynamic personalities of those who sacrificed childhood homes and family land to bring dreams of a prosperous future to fruition.

Before the Tallapoosa River was dammed to feed Lake Martin's waters, it was an ideal environment for the Native Americans who resided on land now submerged. The land's history is rife with discord as British soldiers and Georgia Rangers resisted French spies in the early 1700s and migrant settlers defended their homefront during the Civil War. The Martin Dam became a state landmark by 1927, generating hydroelectric power while memorializing the 31-mile-long lake as the world's largest man-made body of water at the time. It was not long before Lake Martin evolved into a community enjoying unparalleled growth as a vacation site and permanent home for Americans who discovered the satisfaction lakeside living could provide. Lake Martin: Alabama's Crown Jewel chronicles the trials and triumphs of the people who created one of today's leading retirement communities through courageous choices and determination. The story is told through compelling narrative and evocative images, many of which have not been widely published.

The discovery of black rocks that glow along Lost Creek transformed Walker County.

The coal brought scores of settlers who began to open wagon mines and ship coal in barges along the Warrior River; the railroad soon followed, which brought corporations and big mining camps. Every town is littered with stories, from Dora's Uniontown to the union wars in Carbon Hill to the Gorgas mining experiment. It was only thanks to the coal mining industry that these dozens of towns came into existence. Today in a society relying less on coal and looking more to greener energy alternatives, it's easy to forget the progress made due to coal. In Walker County Coal Mines, readers will learn about the people and the industry that made Walker County special.

From settling the Southern Frontier to its reputation as ""wickedest city in America,"" the history of Phenix City is detailed through vintage images.

Phenix City, Alabama, on the western bank of the Chattahoochee River across from Columbus, Georgia, was officially incorporated as Brownville in 1883. However, its history can be traced through Girard, Knights Station, Summerville, Fort Mitchell, the Creek Indian town of Coweta, and several other communities within Russell County. Phenix City has provided a setting for many of the important events in Alabama's history from early Spanish explorers, to its rich Native American heritage, to its role in opening and settling the Southern frontier, to its adherence to King Cotton, to its rebirth after being regarded the ""wickedest city in America. "" Phenix City has undergone profound change and yet has retained its rural charm.

In the first comprehensive photographic account of the Saturn V, relive the drama of the Space Race through the production of the rocket that would carry Neil Armstrong and crew to the moon.

In 1961, Pres. John F. Kennedy set the challenge of landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade. In order to achieve this, NASA partnered with US industry to build the largest rocket ever produced, the Saturn V. It was designed and tested in record time and made its first flight in 1967. Less than two years later and within the timescales set by the president, the crew of Apollo 11 was launched on a Saturn V and watched live by millions of people on televisions around the world. From this launch, Neil Armstrong made his famous giant leap for mankind, later to be followed by 11 other astronauts who also walked on the moon.

Join author and historian Carolyn Barske as she recounts the history of Florence, Alabama through the lens of over 200 vintage images.

On the banks of the Tennessee River, below the once-formidable Muscle Shoals in northwest Alabama, sits the vibrant community of Florence. In the early 19th century, the Chickasaw Nation ceded lands to the US government, and in 1818 the Cypress Land Company held its first auction. The town grew quickly because of the efforts of the company's founders, which included Gen. John Coffee; John McKinley, who later sat on the US Supreme Court; and James Jackson, whose imported Thoroughbred horses became the bloodstock for some of Kentucky's finest racehorses. Schools, churches, hotels, and businesses soon filled the streets. For almost 200 years, the town of Florence has continued to grow, becoming home to the University of North Alabama and people like the ""Father of the Blues,"" W.C. Handy; Maud Lindsay, who operated the first free kindergarten in the state; and four governors in Edward A. O'Neal, Emmett O'Neal, Robert M. Patton, and Hugh McVay.

Join author Wil Elrick as he explores the history behind some of the Cotton State's weird and legendary tales.

Mysterious 1989 UFO sightings brought more than 4,000 visitors to the tiny town of Fyffe, population 1,300. Legends of the Alabama White Thang - an elusive, hairy creature with a shrill shriek - persisted in the state for a century. Just outside Huntsville's historic Maple Hill Cemetery lies an eerie playground where the ghosts of departed children are rumored to play in the dead of night. After hundreds of unexplained sightings, the town of Evergreen declared itself the Bigfoot Capital of Alabama. Alabama is a weird and wonderful place with a colorful history steeped in folk tales passed from generation to generation.

With fewer than a thousand remaining in the United States, the covered bridges of Alabama are an important relic of the paths our ancestors took.

Alabama's covered bridges are reminiscent of a more romantic time, when people rode in horse-drawn buggies and couples stole kisses beneath their roofs. But they are also keepers of history - structures built by former slaves and Civil War soldiers. Such places are steeped in legend, including tales of ghostly children and the hanging of a sheriff turned outlaw. Just eleven historic covered bridges survive in Alabama - the oldest dating to the 1850s - but dozens of more recently constructed spans dot the landscape. Wil Elrick and Kelly Kazek provide photos and detailed information on more than fifty Alabama bridges, reveal the fate of the state's lost bridges and delve into the haunting legends surrounding these nostalgic structures.

Mysterious creatures, strange happenings and ghost stories. Alabama has them all and more - despite its glorious depictions.

Alabama claims an abundance of fascinating mysteries and legends despite being known for its antebellum mansions and sunny beaches, . The White Thang is a Sasquatch-like creature that has terrorized Alabamians for generations. For a brief period in the 1980s, Needham gained national attention because of its "crying pecan tree." In 1854, a farmer named Orion Williamson simply vanished in a field in Selma. From the aquatic beast known as the Coosa River Monster to the story of the Leprechaun of Mobile, these stories have evolved over generations. Author and ghost-story guru Alan Brown presents some of the strangest stories from this collective tradition.