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FORESTS, ALLIGATORS, BATTLEFIELDS: My Journey through the National Parks of the South
Danny Bernstein has traversed seventy-one national parks in the American South to discover that these protected lands are not just places for tree-huggers and avid hikers, but where the country’s history is rooted on the trail. Danny takes you into the stories of the people⎯ the rangers, volunteers, and visitors⎯ and goes beyond the sites shown on the map. Raised as a Yankee, Danny set out to become a Southerner, one national park at a time. Forests, Alligators, Battlefields: My Journey through the National Parks of the South is a personal and passionate tale of national and self-discovery.
299 pages, Paperback
Published March 15, 2016
8 people are currently reading
397 people want to read
About the author
Danny Bernstein
8 books21 followersDanny's new book, DuPont Forest: A History published by The History Press September 2020.
Danny Bernstein is a hiker, hike leader, and outdoor writer. She's been a committed hiker since her early twenties, having completed the Appalachian Trail, all the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the South beyond 6000 peaks, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail across North Carolina and three Caminos de Santiago. She currently leads hikes for Carolina Mountain Club, Friends of the Smokies and the Asheville Camino group.
She’s written two Southern Appalachian hiking guides, "The Mountains-to-Sea Trail across North Carolina" published by The History Press and "Forests, Alligators, Battlefields: My Journey through the National Parks of the South" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.
In her previous life, she worked in computer science, way before computers were cool, first as a software developer, then as a professor of computer science. Her motto is “No place is too far to walk if you have the time.”
Danny blogs regularly at hikertohiker.com.
Danny Bernstein is a hiker, hike leader, and outdoor writer. She's been a committed hiker since her early twenties, having completed the Appalachian Trail, all the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the South beyond 6000 peaks, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail across North Carolina and three Caminos de Santiago. She currently leads hikes for Carolina Mountain Club, Friends of the Smokies and the Asheville Camino group.
She’s written two Southern Appalachian hiking guides, "The Mountains-to-Sea Trail across North Carolina" published by The History Press and "Forests, Alligators, Battlefields: My Journey through the National Parks of the South" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.
In her previous life, she worked in computer science, way before computers were cool, first as a software developer, then as a professor of computer science. Her motto is “No place is too far to walk if you have the time.”
Danny blogs regularly at hikertohiker.com.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 4, 2016
I was lucky enough to have been sent a advanced review copy of this book by Rowe Carenen Copeland and Danny Bernstein.
What a great book, and interesting read it has been. The Author who has written other hiking books through some of these sites that she lists here, gives us a thorough description of the sites history and a look into how our country was formed, by what happened at these sites. She has also included an immense amount of personal, facts and insight about what she finds in each place, from what is blooming when she visits, to birds in the area and other wildlife that may be seen, to how attentive, and informative the rangers and volunteers may be, what to ask them or to how well trails etc are maintained.
One can see that she has a big love for our National Parks and she has instilled in me the want to know more and to visit as many of these places as I can.
The way she has laid out the chapters of this book was a bit confusing to me at times, which was done by meaningful themes, but in the back of the book she has the areas listed by States and which chapter to find that specific National Park, so that was helpful for me.
What a great book, and interesting read it has been. The Author who has written other hiking books through some of these sites that she lists here, gives us a thorough description of the sites history and a look into how our country was formed, by what happened at these sites. She has also included an immense amount of personal, facts and insight about what she finds in each place, from what is blooming when she visits, to birds in the area and other wildlife that may be seen, to how attentive, and informative the rangers and volunteers may be, what to ask them or to how well trails etc are maintained.
One can see that she has a big love for our National Parks and she has instilled in me the want to know more and to visit as many of these places as I can.
The way she has laid out the chapters of this book was a bit confusing to me at times, which was done by meaningful themes, but in the back of the book she has the areas listed by States and which chapter to find that specific National Park, so that was helpful for me.
February 14, 2022
As a Southerner and an outdoor-enthusiast who has visited many of the parks mentioned in this book, I expected to enjoy it. I didn't expect to find it as fascinating as I did.
I was figuring on a travel guide format - how to get there, where to stay, and (hopefully) a bit about what sets it apart from other parks. This book is much more than that. It's the story of one woman's love affair with the precious shared spaces that are our national parks.
Normally Southerners look askance at a "Yankee" who writes about the South, but Bernstein's charm and enthusiasm would win over even the most suspicious local. A Brooklyn girl who jokes that the presence of a tree in Brooklyn was so amazing it got its own book, she and her husband first started hiking in New Jersey. After moving to North Carolina, they became staunch supporters of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. She knows first hand what goes into keeping our parks ready for the millions of visitors who enjoy them every year.
I love the way she contrasts the vast "Y-Chromosome" parks in the western US with those in the Southeast, which range from the huge (by east coast standards) Great Smokey Mountains to Civil War battlefields to the Selma-To-Montgomery Trail where the on-going battle for freedom and equality shocked the world.
The Southeast was densely populated when Europeans arrived. Every square foot of land has been owned, bought, sold, stolen, and fought over. The greatness of the national parks in the Southeast is that they preserve our natural heritage AND our history as a people. This author celebrates that and every description of every park is rich in stories of those who shaped it and those who maintain it.
This book is a "travel guide" only in the sense that it makes you want to get out of your chair and GO. The parks that Bernstein writes about are close at hand for millions of people and yet many are neglected. That's a shame, for we are passing up a fascinating, economical opportunity for activity and enlightenment. National parks are the "Great Leveler" and people of all races, ages, ethnic and economic groups can (and do) work together to preserve and improve them. Go to the nearest park and find out what you can contribute. You will be welcomed with open arms and the sense of satisfaction is priceless. (As is this book.)
****** The author kindly provided a free copy for review. It could not have been given to a more grateful recipient. I enjoyed every page.
I was figuring on a travel guide format - how to get there, where to stay, and (hopefully) a bit about what sets it apart from other parks. This book is much more than that. It's the story of one woman's love affair with the precious shared spaces that are our national parks.
Normally Southerners look askance at a "Yankee" who writes about the South, but Bernstein's charm and enthusiasm would win over even the most suspicious local. A Brooklyn girl who jokes that the presence of a tree in Brooklyn was so amazing it got its own book, she and her husband first started hiking in New Jersey. After moving to North Carolina, they became staunch supporters of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. She knows first hand what goes into keeping our parks ready for the millions of visitors who enjoy them every year.
I love the way she contrasts the vast "Y-Chromosome" parks in the western US with those in the Southeast, which range from the huge (by east coast standards) Great Smokey Mountains to Civil War battlefields to the Selma-To-Montgomery Trail where the on-going battle for freedom and equality shocked the world.
The Southeast was densely populated when Europeans arrived. Every square foot of land has been owned, bought, sold, stolen, and fought over. The greatness of the national parks in the Southeast is that they preserve our natural heritage AND our history as a people. This author celebrates that and every description of every park is rich in stories of those who shaped it and those who maintain it.
This book is a "travel guide" only in the sense that it makes you want to get out of your chair and GO. The parks that Bernstein writes about are close at hand for millions of people and yet many are neglected. That's a shame, for we are passing up a fascinating, economical opportunity for activity and enlightenment. National parks are the "Great Leveler" and people of all races, ages, ethnic and economic groups can (and do) work together to preserve and improve them. Go to the nearest park and find out what you can contribute. You will be welcomed with open arms and the sense of satisfaction is priceless. (As is this book.)
****** The author kindly provided a free copy for review. It could not have been given to a more grateful recipient. I enjoyed every page.
August 25, 2016
I just finished this delightful conversation with Danny Bernstein. The author did all the talking via the pages of her story "Forests, Alligators, Battlefields: My Journey Through the National Parks of the South." I was engaged throughout as though she were in my midst relaying her views, responding to my wonderings about one place versus another, and providing details I wanted to know but hadn't yet thought to question.
This book is a treat, not a treatise. It's a dialogue, not a diatribe. It does not just list, it enlivens. You learn just enough history and just enough "when you go" guidelines while benefitting from one person's pursuit. Danny walks and talks every "National" property in the South. If you're a casual vacationer like me, you have seen some of them, heard the names of many others, and will marvel that there is much unknown to you but significant in some special way to the United States and perhaps the world.
Parks are covered as though they are the author's children, with an emphasis on each being unique and special in their own way, clearly held close to the heart. Succinct virtual visits are organized by category to keep the reader focused on the commonalities that bind groups of them together like a family, such as battles, nature, events, or historical figures.
The Parks system includes places that aren't pretty, but 'portant, such as "Camp Sumter at Andersonville ... a sad, depressing, horrible place." She covers them all.
Author Bernstein intrigued me through her stories to look for more information on places and persons such as John Muir and understand terms like "live oak." She mentioned why the Tortugas islands off Florida have the word "dry" in their name, which had intrigued me, and described the location that put the "dead" in "deadline." I finished this book with an education about much more than parks.
What could I criticize? The book lacks maps, at least my Kindle edition. This tour of land and sea has not so much as one orientation diagram. Let's not lose sight of the value of visuals.
Fun quotes:
"[The Rangers' approach] "is a very optimistic view of the world -- just educate people and they'll protect the parks and not litter, harass a bear, or carve their names on a cabin wall."
"A magnificent gumbo limbo tree ... known as the tourist tree because 'it stands in the sun, turns red, and peels.'"
This book is a treat, not a treatise. It's a dialogue, not a diatribe. It does not just list, it enlivens. You learn just enough history and just enough "when you go" guidelines while benefitting from one person's pursuit. Danny walks and talks every "National" property in the South. If you're a casual vacationer like me, you have seen some of them, heard the names of many others, and will marvel that there is much unknown to you but significant in some special way to the United States and perhaps the world.
Parks are covered as though they are the author's children, with an emphasis on each being unique and special in their own way, clearly held close to the heart. Succinct virtual visits are organized by category to keep the reader focused on the commonalities that bind groups of them together like a family, such as battles, nature, events, or historical figures.
The Parks system includes places that aren't pretty, but 'portant, such as "Camp Sumter at Andersonville ... a sad, depressing, horrible place." She covers them all.
Author Bernstein intrigued me through her stories to look for more information on places and persons such as John Muir and understand terms like "live oak." She mentioned why the Tortugas islands off Florida have the word "dry" in their name, which had intrigued me, and described the location that put the "dead" in "deadline." I finished this book with an education about much more than parks.
What could I criticize? The book lacks maps, at least my Kindle edition. This tour of land and sea has not so much as one orientation diagram. Let's not lose sight of the value of visuals.
Fun quotes:
"[The Rangers' approach] "is a very optimistic view of the world -- just educate people and they'll protect the parks and not litter, harass a bear, or carve their names on a cabin wall."
"A magnificent gumbo limbo tree ... known as the tourist tree because 'it stands in the sun, turns red, and peels.'"
July 12, 2016
After reading Danny Bernstein’s Forests, Alligators, Battlefields: My Journey Through the National Parks of the South (or FAB, for short) you’ll want to get up from the couch, lace up those sneakers, grab a water bottle and hit a national park in your neighborhood. Yes, there are national parks all over the place and many don’t look like Yellowstone and Yosemite. Do you know that the Martin Luther King, Jr. site in Atlanta or the New Orleans Jazz site or the Charles Pinckney site in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, are all national parks? Danny’s book is especially relevant this year, 2016, because it’s the 100th birthday of the National Parks Service. She visited 71 park units in the South to include Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and sites in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. There are a lot of battlefields, swamps and visitor centers to discover. FAB made me appreciate the work of dedicated volunteers who devote hundreds, if not thousands, of hours cleaning up others’ trash, teaching schoolkids, and giving directions and so much more. FAB is well-organized into geographic and historical sections that give the reader historical markers. Examples include “The Europeans are Coming, “Coastal Defense,” and “Prehistoric America.” This is especially important when the same place and person comes up again, such as Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was imprisoned at (in the “Coastal Defense” chapter) Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park for being a conspirator with John Wilkes Booth and who later was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson (in chapter “The Civil War” in the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site section). Read this book and buy one for your friend! There’s so much history captured within these pages. Did you know that many historical plaques at Vicksburg had to be melted down because of the metal shortage during WW II? Or that state legislatures were filled with Civil War veterans and that’s why they pushed for the battlefield national park sites and memorials for remembrance and national unity. So here’s your homework: get this book and then get out there!
March 18, 2016
Forests, Alligators, Battlefields is a book for everyone who likes to spend time outdoors from the bravest backpacker to the most timid picnicker. Danny Bernstein's conversational tone makes for easy reading, but this book is full of information. I learned facts about American history that I didn't hear about in school, I learned a great deal about our national parks and the National Park Service, and I learned a bit about the author, too. Bernstein's descriptions of each park were not only a great advertisement, but they contained practical information for those considering a visit. I had the pleasure of reading early drafts of Forests, Alligators, Battlefields, and I was inspired to plan our spring break trip to one of our national parks. Danny Bernstein has done a tremendous job honoring the National Park Service during its centennial year by showing readers just how accessible these parks are. This book would make a great gift for the history buffs, outdoor enthusiasts, and travelers in your life.
April 16, 2016
Southeast National Parks
Wow, I have been to very few national parks but reading this book makes me want to stop instead of just driving by them. Take a look at this book and you will find great information before you go to the parks. I am actually leaving in two days to go to three parks in Florida and it was great to read up on them!!
Wow, I have been to very few national parks but reading this book makes me want to stop instead of just driving by them. Take a look at this book and you will find great information before you go to the parks. I am actually leaving in two days to go to three parks in Florida and it was great to read up on them!!
October 13, 2016
What an entertaining and informative book! The author actually writes like she is speaking personally just to you. I am not a hiker and never really paid close attention to historical signs and markers but I will now. I usually pass a book along for someone else to read but I am keeping this one so that my husband and I can visit some of the interesting places she mentions. Thank you Danny!
April 14, 2016
What an absolutely delightful read! I loved learning not just about the parks, but the people who work/volunteer/visit them. I've not been to many, but I plan to now. Bernstein's funny and personal trek is inspiring and entertaining. I highly recommend it.
May 2, 2016
Lots of good information and stories in this book. Makes me want to get out of the house and do some traveling.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews