Best Part of the Book

Mark Perzel
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Books
  • Updated Bimonthly

Mark Perzel hosts engaging conversations with authors of nonfiction books published by McFarland.

  1. 2d ago

    Jesi Stracham: Power in the Roll

    Jesi Stracham was on wheels before she could walk; a pedal car at six months, a Power Wheels Jeep at one, and by ten, drag racing ATVs against boys twice her size and winning. In this episode, Mark talks with Stracham, author of "Power in the Roll: A Life at Full Throttle After Spinal Cord Injury," about a life defined by speed across two very different chapters: her early years as a standout off-road racer chasing attention and validation as one of the only girls in the sport, and the aftermath of a motorcycle accident at 22 that left her with a traumatic brain injury, a spinal cord injury, and paralysis from the waist down. It's not a tidy recovery story. Stracham is candid about the healthcare system's shortcomings, the fight for enough rehab time to become independent, old habits that didn't disappear overnight, and the slow work of finding faith and self-love on her own terms, along with founding the Wheel With Me Foundation to help other survivors bridge the gap between hospital discharge and real independence. It's an honest conversation about identity, resilience, and what it means to rebuild a life on your own terms. LISTENER DISCOUNT CODE: Receive a 25% discount on this title when purchased from McFarland's website by using the code BESTPART at checkout: mcfarlandbooks.com/product/power-in-the-roll FEATURED TITLE: Power in the Roll: A Life at Full Throttle After Spinal Cord Injury. McFarland, softcover (2026) ISBN: 9781476698519 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/power-in-the-roll BOOK DESCRIPTION: In 2015, at 22 years old, Jesi Stracham was left paralyzed from the waist down after a devastating motorcycle accident. In this memoir, Stracham shares the raw and emotional realities of her recovery, from confronting denial and anger to navigating self-destructive behaviors. Her story captures the immense physical and mental challenges of rehabilitation, as well as the resilience required to reclaim a sense of purpose and independence. Through adaptive sports, improved nutrition, and a deep commitment to personal growth, Stracham was able to reshape her life with intention and purpose. Her journey extends far beyond personal healing—she founded the Wheel With Me Foundation to bridge the critical gap between inpatient rehabilitation and independent living for spinal cord injury survivors. Her other ventures, including the Wheel With Me Adapt Fit app and Freedom Longevity and Wellness LKN, reflect a broader mission of promoting holistic health and empowerment. Stracham’s memoir is not only a story of survival, but a powerful call to use adversity as a catalyst for growth, leadership, and lasting change. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jesi Stracham is a trailblazing entrepreneur, speaker, and fierce advocate whose life took a dramatic turn after a devastating accident. Paralyzed but undeterred, she has channeled her resilience and determination into ventures transforming lives worldwide. As the co-owner of Freedom Longevity and Wellness LKN, she pioneers cutting-edge therapies that redefine holistic health and recovery, proving that adversity can be a powerful catalyst for innovation and change. She also is the co-developer of Wheel with Me Adapt Fit app, a groundbreaking tool empowering wheelchair users to reclaim their independence through fitness. jesistracham.com OTHER BOOKS BY JESI STRACHAM: The Impact of Influence Volume 3: Ladies Using Their Influence to Create a Life of Impact. Baker Impact, hardcover/softcover (2022) ISBN: 9781737950134 jesistracham.com/products/self-help/impact-of-influence-vol-3 ABOUT MCFARLAND: McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and general-interest nonfiction books, is perhaps best known for the serious treatment of popular culture. Founded in 1979, McFarland is recognized among authors and readers as adventurous in range and a reliable source of worthy books that other publishers overlook. They have around 8,000 unique works for sale and publish about 350 new titles a year. Meeting high library standards has been a major focus since the company began, and many McFarland books have received awards from the academic-oriented (Choice Outstanding Academic Title, ALA Outstanding Reference Work) to the mainstream (Hugo, Edgar, Stoker, and Eisner, among others). mcfarlandbooks.com SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, eepurl.com/iPkvx2 or FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, @BestPartOfTheBook, BLUESKY, @bestpartbook.bsky.social, INSTAGRAM, @bestpartofthebook.podcast, WEBSITE, mcfarlandbooks.com/connect/best-part-of-the-book-podcast

    Jesi Stracham: Power in the Roll

  2. Sep 18

    Wendy Welch: Nine Lives at a Time

    When bookstore owner Wendy Welch's husband left her for three unsupervised weeks in Scotland, she came home with a rescued dog. Not long after, a mother cat and five kittens were living in the shop. That accidental start became Appalachian Feline Friends, the rural Virginia rescue at the heart of Welch's book, "Nine Lives at a Time: The Inside Story of an Appalachian Cat Rescue," from Toplight, an imprint of McFarland Books. Welch talks with Mark Perzel about learning cat rescue from scratch like spotting coccidia, isolating new arrivals, and being a good judge of character before a good judge of kittens. She also talks about the harder lessons that came with turning a loose group of volunteers into a real nonprofit: setting boundaries, building bylaws after the fact, and learning the difference between people who want to help and people who want to be helped. She shares the story of Hazel, too; a 23-year-old cat surrendered amid a family breakup who nearly gave up entirely, until a flood of well-wishes and a promised new home brought her back. LISTENER DISCOUNT CODE: Receive a 25% discount on this title when purchased from McFarland's website by using the code BESTPART at checkout: mcfarlandbooks.com/product/nine-lives-at-a-time FEATURED TITLE: Nine Lives at a Time: The Inside Story of an Appalachian Cat Rescue. Toplight, softcover (2026) ISBN: 9781476699394 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/nine-lives-at-a-time BOOK DESCRIPTION: When bookstore owner Wendy Welch was swept into the world of cat rescue, she found friends and felines in unusual places. The rescue operation coalesced within a rural Appalachian county that faced challenges in financial support and substance misuse. A plucky band of volunteers founded a nonprofit by thinking outside the box—while scooping inside the boxes. Appalachian Feline Friends associates soon found themselves learning to spell and treat coccidia; encountering members of the public who had great expectations; bottle-feeding orphaned infants; and figuring out how 300 cats per year could be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and adopted. The antics and adventures of well-meaning, untrained do-gooders are by turns hilarious, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. Cat lover or people watcher, these stories showcase human nature’s finest moments. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wendy is the the executive director of the Southwest Virginia Graduate Medical Education Consortium and the author, coauthor, or editor of seven books. She advocates for social justice in health care and other critical areas of development across Appalachia. Coming in 2027, a book about Hurricane Helene co-authored by Roxy Todd (Radio IQ) and in 2028, "No Good Deed," about trying to help a homeless person and winding up in a legal battle. wendy-welch.com OTHER BOOKS BY WENDY WELCH Masks, Misinformation, and Making Do: Appalachian Health-Care Workers and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ohio University Press, softcover/hardcover (2023) ISBN: 9780821425022 www.ohioswallow.com/9780821425022/masks-misinformation-and-making-do Covid-19 Conspiracy Theories: QAnon, 5G, the New World Order and Other Viral Ideas. McFarland, softcover (2021) ISBN: 9781476684673 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/covid-19-conspiracy-theories From the Front Lines of the Appalachian Addiction Crisis: Healthcare Providers Discuss Opioids, Meth and Recovery. McFarland, Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies. Softcover (2020) ISBN: 9781476682266 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/from-the-front-lines-of-the-appalachian-addiction-crisis Bad Boy in the Bookstore: Can she con the con? Sidekick Press, Ebook (2020) ISBN: 9781250031617 www.amazon.com/Bad-Boy-Bookstore-Wendy-Welch-ebook/dp/B0871NCZLR Fall or Fly: The Strangely Hopeful Story of Foster Care and Adoption in Appalachia. Ohio University Press, softcover/hardcover (2018) ISBN: 9780821423028 www.ohioswallow.com/9780821423028/fall-or-fly Public Health in Appalachia: Essays from the Clinic and the Field. McFarland, Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies. Softcover (2014) ISBN: 9780786494149 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/public-health-in-appalachia The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap: A Memoir of Friendship, Community, and the Uncommon Pleasure of a Good Book. St. Martin's Press, softcover/hardcover (2012) ISBN: 9781250031617 us.macmillan.com/books/9781250031617/thelittlebookstoreofbigstonegap ABOUT MCFARLAND: McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and general-interest nonfiction books, is perhaps best known for the serious treatment of popular culture. Founded in 1979, McFarland is recognized among authors and readers as adventurous in range and a reliable source of worthy books that other publishers overlook. They have around 8,000 unique works for sale and publish about 350 new titles a year. Meeting high library standards has been a major focus since the company began, and many McFarland books have received awards from the academic-oriented (Choice Outstanding Academic Title, ALA Outstanding Reference Work) to the mainstream (Hugo, Edgar, Stoker, and Eisner, among others). mcfarlandbooks.com SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, eepurl.com/iPkvx2 or FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, @BestPartOfTheBook, BLUESKY, @bestpartbook.bsky.social, INSTAGRAM, @bestpartofthebook.podcast, WEBSITE, mcfarlandbooks.com/connect/best-part-of-the-book-podcast

    Wendy Welch: Nine Lives at a Time

  3. Sep 4

    Robert Bakos, MD: Six Dead German Composers

    A retired neurosurgeon walks into the Eastman School of Music...and stays for twelve years of lectures. That's really how this episode's book got its start. Robert Bakos, M.D. joins Mark Perzel to talk about "Six Dead German Composers and How They Got That Way,"—a look at what the letters and diaries of Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Robert and Clara Schumann, and Mendelssohn reveal about their health, from the syphilis that shadowed so many 19th-century lives to the still-debated cause of Schumann's ruined right hand, a diagnosis that happens to sit squarely in Bakos's old surgical specialty. Bakos, who studied violin under the legendary Joseph Gingold before choosing medicine over music for college, talks about teaching himself enough German to work through primary sources, the one thing he regrets leaving out of the finished book, and why he was determined never to let the medical details get in the way of a good story. LISTENER DISCOUNT CODE: Receive a 25% discount on this title when purchased from McFarland's website by using the code BESTPART at checkout: mcfarlandbooks.com/product/six-dead-german-composers-and-how-they-got-that-way FEATURED TITLE: Six Dead German Composers and How They Got That Way. McFarland, softcover (2026) ISBN: 9781476698991 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/six-dead-german-composers-and-how-they-got-that-way BOOK DESCRIPTION: Why did Ludwig van Beethoven go deaf? What forced Robert Schumann to give up playing the piano? What possible familial trait caused Felix Mendelssohn’s final illness? This volume examines the lives and deaths of these composers as well as Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, and Clara Schumann. By exploring the medical conditions that led to their deaths within the context of their musical output, it presents a more integrated understanding of how health and creativity intersected in the lives of these composers. Drawing from historical records as well as recent medical scholarship, the book bridges the gap between musical biography and medical literature. Through its exploration of suffering and resilience, it highlights how illness influences innovation and how personal adversity often coexists with artistic triumph. Through this multidisciplinary lens and a physician’s insights, the book invites readers to contemplate art in the context of human fragility. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Robert Bakos, M.D. is a retired neurosurgeon and professor emeritus of neurosurgery at the University of Rochester. He lives in Pittsford, New York. ABOUT MCFARLAND: McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and general-interest nonfiction books, is perhaps best known for the serious treatment of popular culture. Founded in 1979, McFarland is recognized among authors and readers as adventurous in range and a reliable source of worthy books that other publishers overlook. They have around 8,000 unique works for sale and publish about 350 new titles a year. Meeting high library standards has been a major focus since the company began, and many McFarland books have received awards from the academic-oriented (Choice Outstanding Academic Title, ALA Outstanding Reference Work) to the mainstream (Hugo, Edgar, Stoker, and Eisner, among others). mcfarlandbooks.com SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, eepurl.com/iPkvx2 or FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, @BestPartOfTheBook, BLUESKY, @bestpartbook.bsky.social, INSTAGRAM, @bestpartofthebook.podcast, WEBSITE, mcfarlandbooks.com/connect/best-part-of-the-book-podcast

    Robert Bakos, MD: Six Dead German Composers

  4. Aug 21

    David Wayne Russell: Maico

    A small, family-owned German motorcycle company built off-road bikes so good that American racers happily put up with leaky gas tanks, slippery foot pegs, and the general temperament of a thoroughbred because when a Maico worked, nothing else came close. In this episode, Mark talks with David Wayne Russell, author of "Maico: The American History of a German Motorcycle, 1955–1983," about the rise and fall of one of the most influential and most beloved names in off-road motorcycling. David traces Maico's roots back to purpose-built military motorcycles in postwar Germany, through its dominance of American motocross in the early 1970s, right up to its bankruptcy in 1983. LISTENER DISCOUNT CODE: Receive a 25% discount on this title when purchased from McFarland's website by using the code BESTPART at checkout: mcfarlandbooks.com/product/maico FEATURED TITLE: Maico: The American History of a German Motorcycle, 1955–1983. McFarland, softcover (2026) ISBN: 9781476693880 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/maico BOOK DESCRIPTION: Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, a small family-owned German company made and exported the world’s best off-road motorcycles. In 1981, Maico introduced what may be the finest production motocross bike, for its time, ever built, establishing the basic measurements for modern dirt bikes. North American competitors embraced the Maico, paying high prices for an often-infuriating thoroughbred which carried them into a new, exciting sport with physical and financial risks. Yet by 1983, Maico was bankrupt. This work presents the full story of this influential company’s rise and fall. Employing archaeological methods and oral history, this book answers questions which have long fascinated sport motorcyclists: What made Maico so good? How did long-travel suspension originate? Why did the company really fail? The first history published in English, this book fills a crucial gap for enthusiasts of motorcycle history: the story of Maico, and what it meant to Americans. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David Wayne Russell is a retired military officer, pilot and historical artist. In his free time, he writes about the history of American transportation, focusing on artifacts and culture. He has curated seven museum exhibitions on the subject, and he enjoys restoring antique motorcycles. His writings have appeared in academic, professional, and popular venues. David holds a BFA in Communication Design/Painting, as well as MA and PhD degrees in American Studies. ABOUT MCFARLAND: McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and general-interest nonfiction books, is perhaps best known for the serious treatment of popular culture. Founded in 1979, McFarland is recognized among authors and readers as adventurous in range and a reliable source of worthy books that other publishers overlook. They have around 8,000 unique works for sale and publish about 350 new titles a year. Meeting high library standards has been a major focus since the company began, and many McFarland books have received awards from the academic-oriented (Choice Outstanding Academic Title, ALA Outstanding Reference Work) to the mainstream (Hugo, Edgar, Stoker, and Eisner, among others). mcfarlandbooks.com SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, eepurl.com/iPkvx2 or FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, @BestPartOfTheBook, BLUESKY, @bestpartbook.bsky.social, INSTAGRAM, @bestpartofthebook.podcast, WEBSITE, mcfarlandbooks.com/connect/best-part-of-the-book-podcast

    David Wayne Russell: Maico

  5. Aug 7

    Doris Stam: The Early Years of Appalachian State

    Before Appalachian State was a university, before it was even a college, it was a wooden building built with borrowed lumber, fifty-cent donations, and two brothers who refused to let their corner of the mountains stay uneducated. In this episode, Mark Perzel sits down with Doris Perry Stam, author of "D.D. Dougherty, Lillie Dougherty and the Early Years of Appalachian State," to trace the improbable origin story of one of North Carolina's largest universities. Whether you're an App State alum, a North Carolina history buff, or just curious how a regional teacher-training school with 53 students turned into a university of nearly 22,000, this one's worth the listen. LISTENER DISCOUNT CODE: Receive a 25% discount on this title when purchased from McFarland's website by using the code BESTPART at checkout: mcfarlandbooks.com/product/dd-dougherty-lillie-dougherty-and-the-early-years-of-appalachian-state FEATURED TITLE: D.D. Dougherty, Lillie Dougherty and the Early Years of Appalachian State (Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies, 55). McFarland, softcover (2024) ISBN: 9781476696638 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/dd-dougherty-lillie-dougherty-and-the-early-years-of-appalachian-state BOOK DESCRIPTION: The 125-year history of Appalachian State University rests on the ambitious yet selfless dream of empowering impoverished mountain families through education. Dauphin Disco Dougherty, his wife Lillie Shull Dougherty, and his bachelor brother, Blanford Barnard Dougherty, founded a small semi-private high school in 1899 at great personal cost and would only be able to sustain its growth to a state teacher’s college through their fortitude of character and commitment. Drawing extensively on primary sources, some of which have appeared in no previous book, this history presents the first 30 years of the university’s life and background. With over 100 historic images and dozens of first-hand accounts and interviews, the text uncovers forgotten foundations and fascinating personal details of the school’s founders, bringing the first 30 years of App State to life. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Doris Perry Stam’s roots go deep in Watauga County—home to all her ancestors, including the founders of Appalachian State University. She enjoyed a career of music and elementary education before launching into writing and research. In 2025, Doris received the President's Award from the North Carolina Society of Historians. She lives in Durham, North Carolina. MORE BY DORIS: Mountain Educators: The Dougherty Family and the First Fifty Years of Appalachian. Publisher, softcover (2010) ISBN: 9780615332512 (out of print) High Country Magazine. Six-part series on Lillie Shull Dougherty. www.hcpress.com/front-page/lillie-shull-dougherty-co-founder-of-appalachian-state-university.html Ashe County Historical Society presentation on higher education in Appalachia. theappalachianonline.com/local-author-presents-lecture-on-higher-education-in-appalachia ABOUT MCFARLAND: McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and general-interest nonfiction books, is perhaps best known for the serious treatment of popular culture. Founded in 1979, McFarland is recognized among authors and readers as adventurous in range and a reliable source of worthy books that other publishers overlook. They have around 8,000 unique works for sale and publish about 350 new titles a year. Meeting high library standards has been a major focus since the company began, and many McFarland books have received awards from the academic-oriented (Choice Outstanding Academic Title, ALA Outstanding Reference Work) to the mainstream (Hugo, Edgar, Stoker, and Eisner, among others). mcfarlandbooks.com SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, eepurl.com/iPkvx2 or FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, @BestPartOfTheBook, BLUESKY, @bestpartbook.bsky.social, INSTAGRAM, @bestpartofthebook.podcast, WEBSITE, mcfarlandbooks.com/connect/best-part-of-the-book-podcast

    Doris Stam: The Early Years of Appalachian State

  6. Jul 17

    Rich Teahan and Bob Ward: Face to Face with Whitey Bulger

    It's been 15 years since the FBI finally captured James "Whitey" Bulger—and Mark sits down with two people at the heart of that story: Rich Teahan, the FBI agent who led the Bulger Task Force, and Bob Ward, the Boston reporter who covered Whitey for 30 years. Their book "Face to Face with Whitey Bulger" goes inside the 16-year manhunt, the breakdown of trust between agencies that let Whitey slip away, the PSA that finally flushed him out, and the six-hour debrief Teahan conducted with him on the jet back to Boston. It's history, true crime, and a surprisingly human story all at once. LISTENER DISCOUNT CODE: Receive a 25% discount on this title when purchased from McFarland's website by using the code BESTPART at checkout: mcfarlandbooks.com/product/face-to-face-with-whitey-bulger FEATURED TITLE: Face to Face with Whitey Bulger: An FBI Agent’s Account of Capturing Boston’s Most Notorious Gangster. Exposit Books (an imprint of McFarland), softcover (2026) ISBN: 9781476695587 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/face-to-face-with-whitey-bulger BOOK DESCRIPTION: The FBI’s high stakes capture of fugitive Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger at his hideout in Santa Monica, California, slammed shut a 16-year-long international odyssey to find one of the FBI’s most wanted men. But it was not the end of the story. In this firsthand account, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Richard Teahan, who commanded the Whitey Bulger Task Force, brings us face to face with Whitey during an epic six-hour transcontinental debrief on board a Justice Department jet as it returned Bulger to Boston. Teahan details the only interview Bulger ever granted to law enforcement, revealing his ruthless and often paranoid world view. Chronicling his personal quest to confront Bulger, Teahan lifts the veil on the backbreaking, sometimes anguishing effort to bring one of America’s most brutal organized crime bosses to justice. ABOUT THE AUTHORS: RICH TEAHAN: Rich is a highly decorated 26 year veteran of the FBI skilled and recognized expert in the field of criminal investigations and security operations. After graduating from the FBI Academy, Rich was assigned to the New Haven, Connecticut Office where he was a member of the Connecticut Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force. In 2002, he was transferred to Washington D.C, where he worked as a Team Leader for FBI Director Robert Mueller’s Protection Detail. In 2004, Rich was promoted to Supervisor of the National Joint Terrorism Task Force at the National Counterterrorism Center in Virginia. Spanning his career, Rich has received over 35 commendations by state, local, and federal agencies for the myriad of cases that he investigated. www.richteahan.com | Instagram: @RichTeahan | Facebook: @Richard Teahan BOB WARD: Bob is an award winning News Reporter in Boston, MA covering the region’s biggest stories since 1983 for television stations in Manchester, NH, Providence, RI, and Boston, MA. Bob is a highly respected crime reporter for WFXT-TV, the Boston Fox affiliate. In 1999, Bob launched the New England’s Unsolved franchise which earned him industry awards including Boston/New England Emmys and recognition from the Associated Press. In 2022 Bob was inducted into the Boston/New England Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Science’s prestigious Silver Circle for 25 years of outstanding contributions to broadcast journalism. Facebook: @bward3 ABOUT MCFARLAND: McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and general-interest nonfiction books, is perhaps best known for the serious treatment of popular culture. Founded in 1979, McFarland is recognized among authors and readers as adventurous in range and a reliable source of worthy books that other publishers overlook. They have around 8,000 unique works for sale and publish about 350 new titles a year. Meeting high library standards has been a major focus since the company began, and many McFarland books have received awards from the academic-oriented (Choice Outstanding Academic Title, ALA Outstanding Reference Work) to the mainstream (Hugo, Edgar, Stoker, and Eisner, among others). mcfarlandbooks.com SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, eepurl.com/iPkvx2 or FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, @BestPartOfTheBook, BLUESKY, @bestpartbook.bsky.social, INSTAGRAM: @bestpartofthebook.podcast WEBSITE, mcfarlandbooks.com/connect/best-part-of-the-book-podcast

    Rich Teahan and Bob Ward: Face to Face with Whitey Bulger

  7. Jul 3

    Roy Sucholeiki: The Sand Art Bottles of Andrew Clemens

    You've probably seen a sand art bottle in a tourist souvenir shop but Andrew Clemens' work is nothing like that. Mark talks with author Roy Sucholeiki about his book "The Sand Art Bottles of Andrew Clemens (2d ed)," the story of a deaf, 19th-century artist from McGregor, Iowa who built impossibly detailed eagles, locomotives, and flowers inside glass bottles using nothing but naturally colored sand he gathered near his hometown. Learn how he did it and why some of his bottles now sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. LISTENER DISCOUNT CODE: Receive a 25% discount on this title when purchased from McFarland's website by using the code BESTPART at checkout: mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-sand-art-bottles-of-andrew-clemens-2d-ed FEATURED TITLE: The Sand Art Bottles of Andrew Clemens, 2d ed. McFarland, softcover (2026) ISBN: 9781476696959 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-sand-art-bottles-of-andrew-clemens-2d-ed BOOK DESCRIPTION: The sand art bottles of Andrew Clemens (1857-1894) draw reactions of astonishment and disbelief. Deaf by the age of 6, Clemens had a challenging early childhood. But growing up in a supportive family and community, he persevered. In his youth he began creating sand art that he sold from his home and local shops in his hometown of McGregor, Iowa. In time, he developed his craft to an extraordinary degree using simple tools to precisely position grains of naturally colored sand inside glass bottles. His works were an inspiration to other artists that tried to follow in his footsteps, only to find they could not match the master of the craft. In his short life Clemens made hundreds of sand bottles, only a portion of which survive in museums and private collections. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Roy Sucholeiki has been a neurologist for almost 30 years in both academic and community based practice. Apart from his career in medicine, he has maintained an interest in history and art, which led him to learn about the little known artist, Andrew Clemens. After several years of gathering information, he wrote the 1st edition of the Sand Art Bottles of Andrew Clemens and the soon to be published 2nd edition. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Andrew-Clemens-sand-artist-100057551632779/ Iowa History 101: Sand and Silence: The Art of Andrew Clemens of McGregor, Iowa: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMTAq0yfC6E ABOUT MCFARLAND: McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and general-interest nonfiction books, is perhaps best known for the serious treatment of popular culture. Founded in 1979, McFarland is recognized among authors and readers as adventurous in range and a reliable source of worthy books that other publishers overlook. They have around 8,000 unique works for sale and publish about 350 new titles a year. Meeting high library standards has been a major focus since the company began, and many McFarland books have received awards from the academic-oriented (Choice Outstanding Academic Title, ALA Outstanding Reference Work) to the mainstream (Hugo, Edgar, Stoker, and Eisner, among others). mcfarlandbooks.com SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, eepurl.com/iPkvx2 or FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, @BestPartOfTheBook, BLUESKY, @bestpartbook.bsky.social, INSTAGRAM: @bestpartofthebook.podcast WEBSITE, mcfarlandbooks.com/connect/best-part-of-the-book-podcast

    Roy Sucholeiki: The Sand Art Bottles of Andrew Clemens

  8. Jun 19

    Brian Patrick Duggan: General Custer, Libbie Custer and Their Dogs

    If you think you know everything about General Custer, Brian Patrick Duggan is about to prove you wrong—and he's going to do it through the dogs. Duggan's book "General Custer, Libbie Custer and Their Dogs" traces the remarkable story of the Custers through their lifelong passion for hounds and one very sheet-wrecking English greyhound named Byron. Mark Perzel and Brian dig into how Libby Custer (sheltered judge's daughter turned frontier army wife) became every bit as devoted to the dogs as her famous husband. There's history, myth-busting and stories that didn't make it into any history book. Worth a listen if you ever wondered what General Custer was like when he wasn't being, well, General Custer. LISTENER DISCOUNT CODE: Receive a 25% discount on this title when purchased from McFarland's website by using the code BESTPART at checkout: mcfarlandbooks.com/product/general-custer-libbie-custer-and-their-dogs FEATURED TITLE General Custer, Libbie Custer and Their Dogs: A Passion for Hounds, from the Civil War to Little Bighorn. McFarland, softcover (2019) ISBN: 9781476669540 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/general-custer-libbie-custer-and-their-dogs BOOK DESCRIPTION: General George Armstrong Custer and his wife, Libbie Custer, were wholehearted dog lovers. At the time of his death at Little Bighorn, they owned a rollicking pack of 40 hunting dogs, including Scottish Deerhounds, Russian Wolfhounds, Greyhounds and Foxhounds. Told from a dog owner’s perspective, this biography covers their first dogs during the Civil War and in Texas; hunting on the Kansas and Dakota frontiers; entertaining tourist buffalo hunters, including a Russian Archduke, English aristocrats and P. T. Barnum (all of whom presented the general with hounds); Custer’s attack on the Washita village (when he was accused of strangling his own dogs); and the 7th Cavalry’s march to Little Bighorn with an analysis of rumors about a Last Stand dog. The Custers’ pack was re-homed after his death in the first national dog rescue effort. Well illustrated, the book includes an appendix giving depictions of the Custers’ dogs in art, literature and film. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brian is a retired university technology educator with 33 years experience in the University of California and California State University systems. A canine historian, he has published numerous articles that have been published internationally and in AKC Family Dog, AKC Gazette, Dogs in Review, Sighthound Review, Show Sight, Saluki International, American Saluki Association Newsletter, Classic Saluki, The Private Journey, and Greasy Grass: The Journal of the Custer Battlefield Historical & Museum Association. Together with his wife, Wendy (also an AKC judge), they have had Salukis for forty years under the Kyzyl Kum prefix with 81 owned and/or bred, 35 show champions, and several grand champions to their credit. He and Wendy were honored with the American Saluki Association’s Top Breeder Award for 1994. brianpatrickduggan.net | FB @brian.duggan.71 | Insta @b.duggan_himself | X @BDugganHimself | Mastodon @BPDuggan@mas.to | Threads @b.duggan_himself OTHER BOOKS WRITTEN BY DUGGAN Horror Dogs: Man’s Best Friend as Movie Monster. McFarland, softcover (2023) ISBN: 9781476685878 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/horror-dogs Saluki: The Desert Hound and the English Travelers Who Brought It to the West. McFarland, softcover (2009) ISBN: 9780786434077 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/saluki Series Editor for the Dogs in Our World series (22 titles): mcfarlandbooks.com/series/dogs-in-our-world ABOUT MCFARLAND: McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and general-interest nonfiction books, is perhaps best known for the serious treatment of popular culture. Founded in 1979, McFarland is recognized among authors and readers as adventurous in range and a reliable source of worthy books that other publishers overlook. They have around 8,000 unique works for sale and publish about 350 new titles a year. Meeting high library standards has been a major focus since the company began, and many McFarland books have received awards from the academic-oriented (Choice Outstanding Academic Title, ALA Outstanding Reference Work) to the mainstream (Hugo, Edgar, Stoker, and Eisner, among others). mcfarlandbooks.com SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, eepurl.com/iPkvx2 or FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, @BestPartOfTheBook, BLUESKY, @bestpartbook.bsky.social, INSTAGRAM: @bestpartofthebook.podcast WEBSITE, mcfarlandbooks.com/connect/best-part-of-the-book-podcast

    Brian Patrick Duggan: General Custer, Libbie Custer and Their Dogs
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Mark Perzel hosts engaging conversations with authors of nonfiction books published by McFarland.

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