Reviews & Media Coverage


Super-Scenic Motorway is a thoroughly researched, clear-eyed analysis of the genesis and development of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Righteously revisionist, it provides a most needed corrective to the prevalent romantic vision of both the Appalachian region and the National Park Service.” --Dwight T. Pitcaithley, Chief Historian, National Park Service (Retired)

"Exploding one myth after another, Anne Mitchell Whisnant takes readers deep into the hidden history of Appalachia's beloved scenic road. Brilliantly researched and stylishly written, Whisnant's work demonstrates that many of the Parkway's most famous landmarks--Peaks of Otter, Little Switzerland, Grandfather Mountain--are as much man-made as natural, having evolved out of human struggles over power, class, and the elusive meaning of 'public good.' This is must reading for anyone interested in the southern Appalachians, tourism, national parks, and our ongoing struggle to create a place for ourselves in nature." --Timothy Silver, author of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains: An Environmental History of the Highest Peaks in Eastern America

"[Whisnant's] knowledge of how one of the country's most celebrated roadways came to be trumps anything previously published, many times over." -- David E. Brown, "Behind 'The Scenic,'" Carolina Alumni Review, July/August 2006, pages 108-09

"[T]he history here is abundantly documented and deployed with an analytic sharpness and contemporary insight that will be hard to challenge."--Roy Pattishall, "Long and Winding Road: The Messy History of an Appalachian Treasure", The Independent Weekly (Durham, NC), January 17, 2007

"A parkway that took over a half century to complete and that stretches across 400 miles of mountainous terrain is not just a daunting engineering undertaking, but the focus of a complex mix of socioeconomic, political, and even historical issues, from the regional to the national level. Not a construction epic, this is an investigation of how the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) actually became a reality, considering the conflicting interests involved. Stripping the BRP of the fabricated myth and propaganda that have clothed it since its inception, Whisnant (Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) brings the true parkway to light in a skillful demonstration of the historian's craft at the highest level of excellence--thoroughly researched, especially well documented and presented. The overall content and methodology alone recommend this volume, which examines the project not only from the perspective of the prevailing National Park Service's wilderness protection and maintenance philosophy, but its interpretation and display of the region's history. Conceived as a public project, the parkway served specific interests, some benefited, some sacrificed. Of course, this involved politics at the local, state, and national levels, and the book therefore will interest a wider range of readers than the title implies. *Summing Up:* Highly recommended. All levels/libraries." -- M. J. Butler, emeritus, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, in Choice, March 2007.

"[A] a compelling, and discerning, chapter in the history of the national park system." --Kurt Repanshek, review in National Parks Traveler, May 14, 2007

"[A] well-researched, richly detailed and thoughtful examination of a monumental public works project that, for all its turmoil, turned out beautifully." -- Jack Betts, review in the Charlotte Observer, August 12, 2007.

"[A]n overdue addition to the historiography on American tourism and the politics of preservation, especially in regard to park development east of the Mississippi River. With a discerning eye, Whisnant provides “a series of case studies” that reveal the contentious relationship between government-sponsored tourism and private enterprise (p. 9). Her work provides vital lessons on historic and environmental preservation, forcing engagement with the “conundrums” created by efforts to conserve historic and natural sites while simultaneously satisfying modern expectations for profits, comfort, and the exotic."
-- Anthony J. Stanonis, lecturer in modern U.S. history at Queen’s University Belfast, review in the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, v. 115, no. 3 (September 2007).

"[A] meticulously researched and carefully analyzed study . . .an important contribution to tourism history." -- Christina L. Fulcher, Department of History, Western Carolina University, review for H-Tourism (an H-Net discussion network), September 2007.

"Historian Anne Mitchell Whisnant deserves an award for this wonderful history of the Blue Ridge Parkway . . . This reviewer recommends this book to all cultural resources professionals and land managers whose decisions affect neighboring communities and whose success depends on the goodwill and participation of those communities and the public." -- James Bird, Tribal Preservation Program, National Park Service in CRM: The Journal of Heritage Stewardship, vol. 4, no. 2 (Summer 2007).

"Anne Mitchell Whisnant's impressively researched and impassioned Super-Scenic Motorway offers a welcome and convincing challenge to . . . overly sentimental mythologizing by documenting the creation of the parkway as a rich, complex history . . . . Her scholarly account of the disputes and difficulties, hopes and disappointments, winners and losers that were integral to the origin and maintenance of the parkway can provide inspiration to landscape architects who have worked on complicated projects and struggled with the larger values of their own efforts." -- Stephanie Pankiewicz, ASLA, and Richard Laws, Landscape Architecture, December 2007.


Carolina-Themed Books Hit Shelves
Mountain Times
(Boone, NC), September 14, 2006

Author: Myth surrounds parkway
Lynchburg (VA) News & Advance, September 22, 2006

Author sees more than pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 2, 2006

Scenic subtext: Author sees more than just pretty views on BlueRidge Parkway
Press of Atlantic City
, October 2, 2006

Blue Ridge Parkway: A surprise history
Yahoo News, October 2, 2006

Scenic subtext: Author sees more than just pretty views on BlueRidge Parkway
Anchorage Daily News, October 2, 2006

Scenic subtext: Author sees more than just pretty views on BlueRidge Parkway
Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Washington), October 2, 2006

Put down the dulcimer, sir
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC), October 4, 2006

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 5, 2006

Scenic subtext: author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Vancouver Sun, October 5, 2006

Scenic subtext: author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Canoe.ca (Canada) online, October 5, 2006.

Scenic subtext: author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Montreal Gazette
, October 5, 2006.

Super-Scenic Motorway on "The State of Things"
WUNC Radio interview. Air date October 5, 2006. (Click the link to visit the program's audio archive and listen.)

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Durham Herald-Sun, October 6, 2006

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Myrtle Beach Sun-News
, October 6, 2006

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
WRAL.com (Raleigh, NC), October 6, 2006

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Morganton (NC) News Herald, October 6, 2006

Travel: Blue Ridge Highway
Multimedia slide show from the Associated Press.
Plattsburgh, NY Press Republican, October 2006

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
WVEC.com (Hampton Roads, VA), October 7, 2006

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
WWAY.com (Wilmington, NC), October 7, 2006

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
WHNS.com (Greenville-Spartanburg, SC), October 7, 2006

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Richmond Times-Dispatch, October 7, 2006

Book details forces that shaped parkway
Raleigh News & Observer, October 8, 2006

CHHS graduate publishes book on Blue Ridge Parkway
Troy (Alabama) Messenger, October 8, 2006

Blue Ridge Parkway legends debunked
Myrtle Beach Sun-News
, October 8, 2006

Author Dispels Blue Ridge Parkway Myths
WXii12.com (Winston-Salem, NC), October 8, 2006

The myths of the Blue Ridge Parkway
Wilmington Morning Star, October 8, 2006

Blue Ridge Beauty: Popular road was shaped by historical, cultural forces
Daytona Beach News-Journal, October 8, 2006

Scenic subtext
Southeast Missourian, October 8, 2006

More Than Just Pretty Views Author eyes scenic issues in Blue Ridge
Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, October 8, 2006

More than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Berkshire Eagle.com, October 8, 2006

Book details forces that shaped parkway
Raleigh News & Observer, October 8, 2006

Book peeks beyond scenic views of Blue Ridge Parkway
Charleston Post & Courier, October 8, 2006

Scenic Subtext: Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Gainesville (FL) Sun, October 8, 2006

Author sees more than just pretty views on North Carolina motorway
Chattanooga Times-Free Press, October 8, 2006

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
News14 Carolina online, October 9, 2006

Author uncovers Blue Ridge Parkway's scenic subtext
CNN.com, October 9, 2006

Beneath the Beauty: Author's history of Blue Ridge Parkway details political, economic forces at play
Winston-Salem Journal, October 12, 2006

North Carolina Report with Bruce Ferrell
North Carolina News Network broadcast, October 15, 2006 (click to listen)

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA), October 15, 2006

Blue Ridge Parkway more than a pretty face: Author encourages visitors to understand the history behind it
Ocala (FL) Star-Banner, October 15, 2006

A scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Pasadena Star-News, October 16, 2006

Q: Is the Parkway in Trouble?
Raleigh News & Observer investigative report about the Parkway's woes, which includes Whisnant op-ed titled "The Parkway has never been easy, but it's worth it"
October 15, 2006

Blue Ridge Parkway...Running on Empty?
Commentary on the blog National Parks Traveler about the News & Observer's "Q" story.
October 16, 2006

Author sees more than just pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Asbury Park Press, October 22, 2006

Forgotten Forces Drove the Blue Ridge Parkway's Birth
Washington Post, October 22,2006

Author sees scenic subtext of Parkway
Knoxville News Sentinel, October 22, 2006

Swiss chalets in North Carolina
Book excerpt published in Raleigh News & Observer, October 22, 2006

More than a great drive: Parkway has a history
Canoe.ca Travel, October 24, 2006

Author, alumna uncovers Parkway's secret past
UNC University Gazette, October 26, 2006

Utenzi Blog entry
October 26, 2006

Author sees more than pretty views on Blue Ridge Parkway
Tennessean.com, October 29, 2006

Behind the Beautiful Drive
Review by George Kegley
The Roanoke Times, December 10, 2006
(Not available online)

North Carolinians Will Enjoy Story of Parkway
By Faye Dasen
The Pilot (Southern Pines, NC), January 27, 2007

Peaks were booming in early 20th century
By John Barnhart
Bedford (VA) Bulletin, March 15, 2007

Blue Ridge Parkway's birthday bash starts early
By Cody Lowe
Roanoke Times, October 3, 2008