First published in 1966, this is one of the most popular substantive non-fiction books ever written about our region, still in print after numerous editions. The title hints at the focus on individuals who played important roles in the Smokies, but fails to recognize the crucial place that Cherokee natives hold in this book. More than fifty years later, this book has not been surpassed as a readable introduction to the formative influences, both through culture and through individuals, upon what has become a National Park. Michael Frome (1920-2016) taught at the University of Vermont and the University of Idaho and won many awards for his more than 20 books including the Wilderness Writing Award.
New York: Doubleday, 1966. 394 pages with and Index, Bibliography and Notes, and a Camping and Hiking Appendix.