Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1990. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover with Dust Jacket.

No Flaws or Blemishes but minimal shelf handling with the board having a slight flair open, and age-toning on the top edge of the text block.  8vo; 8.75 inches tall; 185 pages with an index and b/w photo illustrations.

A Near Fine Hardcover in a Fine Dust Jacket. Item #16611
ISBN: 0807818739

Northernmost of the southern swamps, the Great Dismal sits astride the Virgnia-North Carolina border and is perhaps the most mysterious wilderness area in the U.S. It has a colorful history: George Washington invested in a rice farm there; it was a refuge for runaway slaves, home to moonshiners and lumbermen and a rewarding spot for hunters and trappers.

The author, Simpson, grew up in the area; here he reminisces about childhood visits to the swamp, talks to oldtimers and describes recent developments. The Great Dismal Swamp Canal, connecting Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound, is the oldest extant manmade waterway in America. The swamp's natural history, encompassing black bear, bobcat, a bird paradise, rare ferns and wildflowers, is also examined in this engaging portrait.

Price: $19.95