Kenneth Johnson
MUSCLE SHOALS-Dr. Kenneth Johnson, Professor Emeritus of the University of North Alabama in collaboration with Bluewater Publications and the Tennessee Valley Historical Society (TVHS) will launch and autograph his new book Life in the Muscle Shoals on Saturday, February 8, 2014 at the Coldwater Bookstore’s annually sponsored Loving Locals event for authors located 101 W 6th St, Tuscumbia, AL. The event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dr. Johnson is not only a historian and scholar, but a captivating storyteller; thus Life in the Muscle Shoals is a combination of textbook accuracy and campfire romance. It will not only appeal to local citizens, but to history lovers everywhere.
Dr. Johnson tells his story chronologically, beginning with the first occupants of Northwest Alabama – Native 
Americans and early white settlers – and the inevitable clashes between them. After laying this historical foundation, Dr. Johnson describes the establishment of major landmarks and cities in the area during the antebellum period. National issues, such as slavery, religion, and education, are explored. Along with most of the South, the Muscle Shoals area was directly affected by the Civil War and Dr. Johnson vividly portrays how the war influenced and altered conventional life temporarily as well as permanently in the Tennessee Valley. He wraps up his historical narrative with the changes in growth during the post-Civil War years and how the Muscle Shoals area transformed economically, socially, and culturally.
MEDIA RELEASE/THOMAS MCKNIGHT
