"In a time when the world has become a global village and America a global nation, there is one place where things are largely as they used to be. Protected by mountains, largely ignored by modern industry and developers, Appalachia is America's first and last frontier. Encompassing more than 195,000 square miles in thirteen states, it possesses the least understood and most underappreciated culture in the United States." "A companion volume to the PBS documentary narrated by Naomi Judd, The Appalachians fills the void in information about the region, offering a portrait of its history and its legacy in music, literature, and film. The text includes essays by some of Appalachia's most respected scholars and journalists; excerpts from never-before-published diaries and journals; firsthand recollections from native Appalachians including Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, and Ralph Stanley; indigenous song lyrics and poetry; and oral histories from common folk whose roots run strong and deep. The book also includes more than one hundred illustrations, both archival and newly created. Here is a book celebrating a unique and invaluable cultural heritage."--BOOK JACKET.