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; "Mountain Spirits")
Mountain Spirits is a scholarly yet entertaining look into this staple of Southern Appalachian history. The folklore of moonshine whiskey is full of fact and fiction, but the real characters tell stories even more humorous and exciting. Dabney’s interviews with actual moonshiners and his documented history allow one to take a trip through the mountains — and through history — to discover both the origins and development of the art of making whiskey.
With a complete glossary, extensive history, photographs, illustrations, and interviews, Mountain Spirits offers a most complete exploration of this craft which has been passed down from generation to generation. From distilling for personal use to the moonshining gangs that emerged during Prohibition, this is absorbing reading about one of the most colorful eras in American history.
"It’s rich reading — wild chases through the Appalachian backcountry, anecdotes of the wild and wooly Prohibition days, and a
pervading sense of nostalgia. Of all Americana, this book presents some of the most authentic history and the liveliest reading."
— Hal Burton, Newsday
; "More Mountain Spirits")
More Mountain Spirits is an expansion of its predecessor (see above), but it's also a treasure all its own. Recipes for all kinds of spirits are included: brandy, wine, and beer made from every fruit or vegetable you can think of, ranging from blackberry brandy to tomato beer to rhubarb wine. Of course, recipes for corn whiskey and real apple cider are included, too.
You'll also meet more colorful characters — those who were making, transporting, and selling spirits, as well as those who were tracking and arresting them. Whether they were the "moonshiners" or the "revenooers" makes no difference — each tells a first-hand account filled with humorous appreciation for the craft, or even downright suspense. There’s also a 36-page, step-by-step illustrated guide to building a copper pot still! Whatever your interest, More Mountain Spirits is sure to satisfy.
"[More Mountain Spirits] centers on the individual persons throughout the mountain regions [who] share
their tales about a simpler lifestyle and a bold occupation....All had their own story of moonshine to tell, and Dabney relates
their conversations complete with all the color and humor of mountain talk."
— Donna Espy, The Cobb County Times
"This 200 pages of excellent pictures and cold hard facts about whiskey and whiskey people, mountains, revenuers,
and county sheriffs is the best thing I’ve read lately. As we say up here in the mountains, this book is a dandy."
— Jimmy Townsend, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
More Mountain Spirits is a sort of Foxfire book on moonshining, complete with recipes. [But] the best
part is right at the front—a free-wheeling interview with Simmie Free, a genuine American character."
— Jerry Bledsoe, Charlotte Observer
; "Joseph Earl Dabney")
Joe Dabney’s versatility as a writer is apparent from the success of each of his books. Herk: Hero of the Skies is acclaimed as an essential text on the C-130 Hercules aircraft. Mountains Spirits and More Mountain Spirits have also done well, chronicling corn whiskey from King James’ Plantation to America’s Appalachians. Smokehouse Ham, Spoon Bread, & Scuppernong Wine: The Folklore and Art of Southern Appalachian Cooking, a 500-page ode to Southern mountain foodways, won the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook of the Year Award in 1999.
In 2005, Joe received the Jack Daniel's Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi. He is currently working on a novel based on life in the Cherokee Nation in the 1820s, dividing his time between his home in Atlanta and a writing cabin in Euharlee, Georgia.
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