The Appalachians are an ancient and mysterious mountain range, whose peaks at one time rivaled the Himalayans. The mysteries of these mountains have been cataloged by Native American tribes and settlers alike. One of these mysteries is that Bigfoot inhabits these parts. Building off his book, Tracking the Stone West Virginia’s Bigfoot , Dr. Russell Jones, a certified master naturalist, lifelong outdoorsman and longtime Bigfoot researcher, has put together one of the most complete examinations of these creatures in Appalachia with The Appalachian Bigfoot . From his own field research and hours of interviews with some of the top and most active Bigfoot researchers across Appalachia, Dr. Jones, used a scientific approach of the data collected to help shed greater light on the mystery of the Appalachian Bigfoot and give insight into the existence of these elusive creatures.
This is an interesting book by a renowned Bigfoot researcher, who focuses on Appalachia. It is a large area with a great deal of wilderness that encompasses several states. He describes his methodology and gives tips and stories from his experiences. There are also some photos including well known Bigfoot researchers and various encounter tales close out the book. A strong scientific approach is advised and is his preferred method. A great book for those interested in field research.
It’s refreshing to read NEW stories about Bigfoot sightings instead of the same old stories that are well known since many books and documentaries cover the same.
More often than not, the subject of Bigfoot or Sasquatch yields negativity for anyone broaching the subject matter. Whether it comes in the form of public ridicule, or derisive comments on relevant subject internet threads, the unfortunate fact is many people remain blinded by incredulity and disbelief, which they (we) were fed during years of indoctrination in public schools. Fortunately for those of us who grew up before the graphic user interface of the Internet was commonplace, there is a whole generation of people who are escaping the past.
It seems like a miracle looking back; myself and many others obtained bachelor's degrees and higher educational achievements when antiquities such as card indexes and newspapers on microfiche were hand searched for their secrets.
My hat is off in a show of gratitude and respect for the author's selectivity when deciding which of what must undoubtedly be a huge number of emails on the Bigfoot topic to share with readers of his books. It might seem a bit odd to read this, but the two things I like most in these written encounters aside from the overall flavor each one has, is they aren't simply copied and pasted verbatim. They may receive little correcting or editing, but these short reports are vast improvements of Bigfoot encounters shared word for word by other published authors and podcasters, who have a misguided belief that leaving in all foul language that doesn't emphasize anything, exaggerations of their personal importance, physical prowess, descriptions of the animals, and outright use of deception to overcome their inadequate personalities is the most critical and important aspect of their work.
It is refreshing to be able to read everything from cover to cover with minimal cringeworthy experiences added to prior reading on this topic. My sole critical statement of this book isn't related to the author, but to those who conduct follow-up with people after they submit letters and emails describing their experiences. It could be a byproduct of my career as a law enforcement officer and homicide detective, but there is no need for the person conducting a follow-up interview to type the original encounter report into the follow-up narrative. Thankfully, there is but one partial example of this odd practice in this book.
That leads to my personal concerns regarding any book I read: content, flow, and overall flavor after reading it. So far all three have been put together quite well in what I hope is one of many additional books to come.
If you're on the fence about a published author in the Bigfoot and Sasquatch realm of the cryptid genre, I highly recommend the books written by Dr. Russell Jones.
A very good collection and overview of Bigfoot reports over several decades. Anyone fond and familiar with Appalachia should read it. While it’s likely that the creature is real, let’s hope that doesn’t become official and people just stay out of the real woods and leave them alone.
Russ hit it out of the park with this one. I will definitely look for future books by him. I would recommend this book to anybody that might be interested in Bigfoot.
Great stories and very interesting facts about Bigfoot. Jones has dedicated his life to this subject and it shows in his writing. He is very thorough and no nonsense. A great reference piece of any Bigfoot library.
Excellent no nonsense book , well written, reports of encounters included. One note though: the author is not a fan of the creature's "Woo" traits. Then the question remains: why has not a single specimen been found, caught or killed? Even a good photo or video is impossible to make...
The book is very straight forward and interesting. I have visited the Sasquatch Museum in Georgia and was surprised to learn there were sightings in the Appalachian Mountains, where I live.