Posted: 4/9/2025 11:10:15 AM EDT
| My late wife's mother had this 12-book series. I see it retailing for about $270. Does anyone know which books have the technical articles vs cultural articles? Has a compilation of just the technical articles ever been made? Wikipedia only has tables of contents for the first 2 books. |
| Here is the first book as a pdf to give you an idea as to how the books are written. https://theswissbay.ch/pdf/Books/Survival/Farming,%20Animalraising,%20Homesteading/foxfire%20books/Foxfire-Book-1.pdf |
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Book 3 - Animal Care, Banjos and Dulcimers, Hide Tanning, Summer and Fall Wild Plant Foods, Butter Churns, Ginseng Book 4 - Fiddle Making, Springhouses, Horse Trading, Sassafras Tea, Berry Buckets, Gardening Book 5 - Ironmaking, Blacksmithing, Flintlock Rifles, Bear Hunting Book 6 - Shoemaking, 100 Toys and Games, Gourd Banjos and Song Bows, Wooden Locks, Water Powered Sawmill Book 7 - Ministers and Church Members, Revivals and Baptisms, Shaped-Note and Gospel Singing, Faith Healing and Camp Meetings, Foot Washing, Snake Handling Book 8 - Southern Folk Pottery from Pug Mills, Ash Glazes, Groundhog Kilns to Face Jugs, Churns, Roosters, Mule Swapping and Chicken Fighting Book 9 - General Stores, The Jud Nelson Wagon, A Praying Rock, A Catawban Indian Potter, Haint Tales, Quilting, Home Cures, The Log Cabin Revisited Book 10 - Railroad Lore, Boardinghouses, Depression-Era Appalachia, Chairmaking, Whirligigs, Snake Canes, Gourd Art Book 11 - The Old Homeplace, Wild Plant Uses, Preserving and Cooking Food, Hunting Stories, Fishing, More Affairs of Plain Living Book 12 - Square Dancing, Crafts, Cherokee Traditions, Summer Camps, World War Veterans, Personalities |
"It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen." ~ Herodotus
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We have a set bought many years ago. I would say they are worth having, but I would also shop around for a used set. They are a oral history of rural America, telling about traditions and skills from years ago. In general, I would say they are more attractive to older people reminiscing history and tradition than young people of today. If you are looking for extremely detailed books on how to do something, they are not what you are looking for. If you are looking for a general oral history of rural America told in a short story form, they are what you are looking for. |
It's true no matter who you are, the worst thing you can do for someone is give them something for nothing. - 3rdpig
Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy. - Heinlein
Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy. - Heinlein
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Originally Posted By chuckg413: Here is the first book as a pdf to give you an idea as to how the books are written. https://theswissbay.ch/pdf/Books/Survival/Farming,%20Animalraising,%20Homesteading/foxfire%20books/Foxfire-Book-1.pdf Lots of other good stuff to download on that site, from the looks of things |
*post contains personal opinion only and should not be considered information released in an official capacity*
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Originally Posted By chuckg413: Here is the first book as a pdf to give you an idea as to how the books are written. https://theswissbay.ch/pdf/Books/Survival/Farming,%20Animalraising,%20Homesteading/foxfire%20books/Foxfire-Book-1.pdf Very useful link! Thanks! |
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| Local library book sale starts this Saturday. I intend to look for physical copies of the books because I only have the first three or four books in physical copies |
*post contains personal opinion only and should not be considered information released in an official capacity*
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| Technically there are (at least) 14 books. There is a 40th and a 45th anniversary edition. |
"It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen." ~ Herodotus
| Interesting. I recall my parents having at least a couple of those books, I wonder if they are still around (probably, they rarely get rid of stuff). I never read them. |
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Great books! I read book one through five in high school and bought one through seven later on. Interesting they are mentioned in the Janissaries books by Jerry Pournelle. I think the are also mentioned in Lucifer's Hammer but its been to long since I read it. |
"An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life." - Robert A. Heinlein
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Originally Posted By lumper: We have a set bought many years ago. I would say they are worth having, but I would also shop around for a used set. They are a oral history of rural America, telling about traditions and skills from years ago. In general, I would say they are more attractive to older people reminiscing history and tradition than young people of today. If you are looking for extremely detailed books on how to do something, they are not what you are looking for. If you are looking for a general oral history of rural America told in a short story form, they are what you are looking for. That’s what I got out of it. More of a scattered and unorganized group of historical ruminating than a ‘how to live rurally’ manual. I looked through several books at a local library years ago after reading about it here. It wasn’t for me, but it may be for you. Ollie’s discount store has a good selection of survival and hunting how to books on the cheap that I find far more valuable. |
| Mine are packed away in our storage unit. Sigh. I will probably never see them again. However, I have started a SHTF bookshelf to leave behind for my daughter and grandchildren. Books like the Carla Emery book. medicinal plant books/first aid, foraging/wild foods, the Story series of farm animal care, certain cookbooks. If the balloon ever goes up, that might help them. Of course, they may be all piled up on the free table at my estate sale. Who knows? |
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Foxfire Series Book Collection Set Books 1-12 Brand New The fox fire books are good to have around the first four books have a lot of information. |
"An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life." - Robert A. Heinlein