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Rating: 
Summary: Sorry I bought it
Review: A tedious and self-serving paean to the Scotch-Irish of the American frontier. Billy Kennedy has a knack for recycling his own material and presents us nothing new, he simply trots out the usual vainglorious accounts of the American frontier and a few of the more famous people of Scotch-Irish descent who lived there. My great grandmother always told us that we were "Part Scotch-Irish, part Indian, and a little bit French," so I bought this book hoping I would learn something about this aspect of my heritage, but I didn't. For the reader who wants to learn real history and not just a parade of famous names, a book like The Great Wagon Road gives a much more honest and balanced look at the Scotch-Irish and other settlers of the Appalachian frontier. The Great Wagon Road, firmly buttressed by facts, gives real insight into the conditions and challenges faced by our ancestors. For a more detailed look at a microcosm of the frontier, a work like Carolina Cradle traces in excruciating detail the settlers of the northwestern Carolina frontier. There are any number of good solid history books treating the Appalachian frontier in general and the Scotch-Irish in particular, so skip the works of Billy Kennedy.
Rating: 
Summary: Billy Kennedy
Review: I found this book to be very informative. It provides some information genealogically and describes the historical perspective of the region. I bought both the Carolinas and the Tennessee book and found that there was repetition. Therefore, I recommend buying one book on the Scotch-Irish written by Mr. Kennedy. I preferred the Carolinas book.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent reading book
Review: If you have ever wondered if your Tennessee ancestor was Scots-Irish, then this book will answer some of your questions. The book is an easy read and one I will be recommending to the relatives that want to know why ancestors left Scotland, went to Ireland and ended up in the colonies. Especially interesting for those wanting a nice-to-read book is the treatment of well known people like Daniel Boone, Sam Houston, TN Gov. Blount., and others. If you want a comprehensive treatment for further research, then this is probably not the book for you. I found Mr. Kennedy to be very entertaining while delivering excellent summaries of genealogical and historical information.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent reading book
Review: If you have ever wondered if your Tennessee ancestor was Scots-Irish, then this book will answer some of your questions. The book is an easy read and one I will be recommending to the relatives that want to know why ancestors left Scotland, went to Ireland and ended up in the colonies. Especially interesting for those wanting a nice-to-read book is the treatment of well known people like Daniel Boone, Sam Houston, TN Gov. Blount., and others. If you want a comprehensive treatment for further research, then this is probably not the book for you. I found Mr. Kennedy to be very entertaining while delivering excellent summaries of genealogical and historical information.
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