Mammoth Cave Recommended Reading
Ok. The Specters of Mammoth Cave is out! Yay. Its a paranormal mystery set in Mammoth Cave National Park. The Junior Rangers Investigative Club, and a team known as the Specter Detectors end up ghost hunting in Mammoth Cave. The story… I’d hate to break it to you… is entirely fictional! (I know, the characters are so awesome that I wish it was real too!) I tried, however, to include as much real world history and contemporary information as I possibly could… in a fiction book… with a plot.
Needless to say, I wouldn’t recommend my book being the only book used in a curriculum of study about Mammoth Cave, be it a class on ghost history, geology, normal history or various other related subjects. To that end, I thought I would take the time to recommend several other non-fiction books which might provide more awesome and interesting facts about Mammoth Cave National Park!
A few quick notes:
The promo picture is a sketch photoshopped from one of my pictures. (not from any of these books)
The title links will take you to Amazon’s webpage for each of these books. If you can, Please buy them new to support the authors! Also, each of the recommendations is available in the Mammoth Cave Bookstore,* so if you are in the area. pick them up there to support the authors and the park! *(I’m not sure about the books on my reading list)
I wasn’t paid for any of these recommendations, nor have I met any of these authors. The normal rankings are my own opinion, the JRIC rankings are meant to give you insight into my crew of investigators, and not into the books themselves.
Spooky Stories First
Ok, fall is my favorite season. Kentucky has a nice fall. I like Halloween. So, I wanted to write a spooky story for the Junior Rangers Investigative Club. The ghostly events that the team encounters in my book however are all part of the plot. However there are some real ghost stories told about Mammoth Cave. Some I heard on Cave Tours. Some I read online. I even got one ghostly tale from a now retired ranger. I could write about those, I will write about some of those. But someone else has already done a whole book about it, and I would Highly Reccomend:
#1. Scary Stories of Mammoth Cave by Colleen O’Conner Olson and Charles Hanion
If you are looking for a general guide to the Spooky Stories told about Mammoth Cave National Park, you can’t really do better than Scary Stories of Mammoth Cave. It gives a good description of the average ghost stories told about and within the park, and also delves into the history and origin of many of these tales. It Coverseverything from the Mummies of Mammoth Cave to literature written about ghosts in the early days of the Cave’s popularity. It is a great read if you want to know where to find any specters lurking in the shadows. What makes it doubly fascinating is that many of these stories are collected from the oral tradition shared by guides and other cave explorers.
O’Conner Olson states in her author bio that it was a desire to preserve these stories that lead her to work on the book with fellow park ranger and guide Hanion. They definitely succeed at capturing those stories on the page. It was fascinating to read. Stories I had heard told by other guides on various tours through Mammoth Cave were captured in this book in detail enough to conjure memories of those tours. It’s the type of thing I would have liked to see for Dry Tortugas, as some of the ghost stories I grew up with in that park now seem lost, scattered to the wind. Rangers and other guides (eyewitnesses to these encounters) move often, stories change as they are they subject to natural games of Telephone, and times move on. However, with a collection like this perhaps these ghost stories, and the ghost themselves will linger a while longer.
This book is a great read for anyone interested in the non-fiction haunted history of Mammoth Cave National Park, and it’s readily accessible to readers of all ages. (If you can read The Specters of Mammoth Cave you can read this.) It is very informative, not just of the park’s ghost history, but of park history in general. It has several stories I hadn’t heard elsewhere and a few I bumped into much later. It also does a fascinating job of delving into the history of each of the ghostly tales captured, (including even a few historical debunkings.) Which means that you should ask: “As a book written specifically about ghosts, by guides who have spent years taking tours of the park, which side of the paranormal spectrum does the book come down on?”
The answer is neither. In most cases, readers are left to their own interpretation of the veracity of each ghostly tale. The book highlights believable eyewitness accounts and includes several stories told by the witnesses. However it also analyzes some of these stories, and highlights a few glaring errors. (Case in point, a ghost named Melissa.) If you are looking for a paranormal endorsement of every ghost story, you will be disappointed. You would also be disappointed if you were expecting a detailed breakdown of every haunting story which leaves no room for ghosts to be the answer. Which only makes the book more fun in my mind. If we had all the answers, why would we still be telling the stories? All I know, is that if I am ever given the chance to explore Floyd Collins’s Crystal Caverns and I hear a phone ring, I wont be picking it up. (want to know why? You’ll have to read the book.)
4.5 out of 5 stars. The writing is find, and the stories are interesting. I feel like I’ve heard a few stories that werent mentioned and I would have liked a little more about some of the stories. Overall, I would highly reccomend this for anyone interested in haunted history, especially as it relates to Mammoth Cave. Read it while sitting at the end of Sand Cave trail, or in Floyd Collins Home for added impact.
4 out of 5 Junior Rangers Investigative Club Recommendations. Justin, Bethany, and Rudy love it. The half recommendations come from Lucy, who thinks it’s too scary, and Amelia who think’s it’s not scary enough.
Next: About the cave and the park
Type in “Geology of Mammoth Cave” on any search bar no dearth of results. If this were a Bethany Caulfield list, all of those books would be her recommendation. (with newer books being more current on our understanding of geology and cave formation, while older books provide interesting looks into how that understanding has changed with time and scientific advancement. “Plus sometime the older illustrations and descriptions are just so cool.” - Bethany Caulfield.
However I am going to recommend something specific with a little more broad appeal.
#2: Mammoth Cave Curiosities: A Guide to Rockphobia, Dating, Saber-toothed Cats, and other Subterranean Marvels by Coleen Olson
First, it’s not the dating you think. (Or is it?) What is Rockphobia? Is that a disease you can catch? How do we know the age of Mammoth Cave? Are there any Mammoths in Mammoth Cave? What’s this about a horse that eats rocks? How are caves formed anyway?
Colleen Olson is back, (or, did this book come out first?) I don’t have this book with me at the moment. Which should make you question my skills as a book reviewer. (I’m not one.) So, I can’t remember if the author actually mentions this, but Mammoth Cave Curiosities definitely reads like a book written by a guide trying to answer some of the more interesting questions asked on an average cave tour.
There’s a lot of good information about Mammoth Cave National Park. There are plenty of fun random facts, and answers to all of those questions above and many more. Best of all! The book has a list of sources at the end! To be honest, I’ve read so much about Mammoth Cave in research for my book. (Mostly so that Bethany can drop random bits of information throughout The Specters of Mammoth Cave. ) This book reads like a wonderful compendium of some of the more interesting Cave Facts.
It’s an easy read. The chapters are broken up into good chunks of information, making it a great book to pick up and put down. However, as it is information packed, the focus is not on younger readers, but instead on an older audience. Most of the information is introductory level, so it wont replace the actual texts it sources. However, neither of these warnings should necessarily put you off the book. If you are a younger reader who likes to learn more about the parks you visit, this will help answer some of the more fun questions. If you are a geologist, archeologist, or other -ist, then they book will still cover a wide range of information outside of your area of expertise, and might also lock in some of the more general information about Mammoth Cave if it is not specifically a subject of your research.
All in all, I really enjoyed this, and chose to recommend it over a some of the books available about more specific subjects (even a few others written by the same author) because I liked the broad array of topics, and the entertaining writing style. Plus I am a fan of sources!
4 out of 5 for general readers, 5 out of 5 if you are planning or have visited Mammoth Cave. It’s a great source of Mammoth Cave information, but it definitely shines as a supplement to any trips taken to Mammoth cave National Park.
3.5 out of 5 J.R.I.C. Recommendations. Justin, Lucy and Bethany all recommend wholeheartedly. Amelia gave a half recommendation because there were not enough ghosts. Rudy dismissed it without reading because “I have to do homework already, why would I learn more stuff for fun?” - Rudy Scheer. (maybe he’ll like it when he’s older.)
Historical Reading
Admittedly, that last recommendation mostly focused on the natural history of Mammoth Cave. So let’s recommend a more human history option. The fascinating thing about trying to write fictitious mysteries in National Parks is that I’m sent down a plethora of historical rabbit holes. I write fiction because it’s fun. I write mysteries in national parks because they are fun places with lots of potential intrigue. A lot of that intrigue is set up by the history of the parks, which each include their own interesting characters, settings, and events which would make their own fun plots, All which all just so happen to be real. (and thus don’t plot out like a story.)
I try to squeeze as much of this history into each book as possible. But, there is no way I can do more that brush the surface.
#3 The Kentucky Cave Wars by David Kem
Mammoth Cave has a depth of history (pun intended,) dating back to the woodlands period. That history extends into the modern era, and there are many fascinating aspects throughout time. However, one of the most interesting periods is often referred to as the Cave Wars, and Kem focuses on that timeframe. (You can tell by the title.) The Kentucky Cave Wars happened in period when the industry of Mammoth Cave shifted from mining to guided tours.
Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave. It is perhaps the most famous cave in the world. The longest is a title provided by nature, geology, and time. But that fame had to be nurtured. It’s cultivation involved doctors who hoped to cure disease, hotel owners who wanted to attract guests with the wonders of the underground, guides who worked to earn their freedom and along the way earned respect and a place in history, geologists on expeditions of discovery, tour guides making up tall tales, railroad manganates hoping to grow their business, and many more. There are stories of bravery, exploration, betrayal, mistakes, deception and dynamite which all helped shape the park you can visit today.
There’s way too much history—even in just this period—to fit into one book, but Kem does a great job of walking readers through a lot of the more interesting events of these Cave Wars including the lead up to them, and some of their ramifications. It is a great way to learn about some of Mammoth Cave’s more interesting figures, and also about how the park developed over time. I remember walking along the railroad trail in Mammoth Cave and stumbling onto the site of the old Proctor Hotel. Because of this book I knew who John Proctor was, and some of the history of a place which is now a single sign and recovering forest.
Floyd Collins, one of the more influential figures in the legacy of Mammoth Cave is featured prominently, as does his mentor, and I think that this book might have been one of the key things I read to help me get a better picture of the man. Walking the Sand Cave Trail and reading the informational signs tells you a bit about the tragedy of Floyd Collins, but this book establishes a lot of his background, who he was before the incident which made him famous, and the other people involved in his story. It does that for many of the influential people in Mammoth Cave’s history.
While it does mention a lot of prominent figures in Mammoth Cave’s history, the book also devotes time to some of the more general aspects of history at this time. I set the book down feeling I had a better impression of what life was like for the people of Flint Ridge, a clearer imagination of what someone might have seen driving along the road to Mammoth Cave National Park in it’s early days: (A ramshackle guidepost and a man dressed in something very similar to a park service uniform directing you to another cave just down the road - as an example. ) And a more realistic understanding of why some people, to this day, still hold a grudge for the way the park was formed. You’ll come away more informed about a lot of the people and historical events mentioned on park signs, or in park tours. (There’s only so much board space, and so much time on a guided tour after all.)
4.5 out of 5. It’s not a perfect book. The timeline can be a little unclear, and people crop up out of sync. I found myself jumping back and forth to previous chapters to remind myself of names I’d read previously who become bigger features in other stories. Which, I guess, is kind of how history happens. It’s an easy enough read, and well recommended. Especially if you find yourself driving to Mammoth Cave, and wondering about the history of everything you see along the way.
3.5 out of 5 J.R.I.C. recommendations. Like the previous entry, the target audience probably skews a bit older, so Rudy wouldn’t read it, and Bethany wished there were more details.
For younger readers
Ok. I just recommended two books for older audiences. How about a Kids book?
#4 Lift Your Light a little Higher - The Story of Stephen Bishop Slave Explorer by Heather Henson (author) and Brian Collier (illustrator)
This is a picture book about one of Mammoth Cave’s Most famous Explorers. (Perhaps it’s most famous.) Stephen Bishop was brought to Mammoth Cave as a slave, and he was the first to explore and name many of the things you will see in the park today. He ended up purchasing his, and his wife’s freedom, but unfortunately died soon after that. If you go to Mammoth Cave and visit the Old Guide’s Cemetery, you can see his final resting place and pay respects.
The picture book chooses some highlights from Stephen’s Story, and illustrates them. The prose is easy to read but might be better for reading aloud to younger readers. The illustrations are evocative of both history and of cave exploration. Its a swift and simple read. And a good way to broach one of the more tragic truths of the Legacy of Mammoth Cave.
4 out of 5. It’s a good picture book on a hard subject which it deals with it bluntly. (I actually like that) I don’t think all of the illustrations necessarily matched the prose, but the most important do. This book is more broadly focused on the idea that Stephen accomplished things and despite his background. What those things are seem ancillary. This is partially on purpose. As, stated in the book: “You will not find my story written down exactly as it happend. Because in 1840, …, it is against the law to teach me to read and write.” A sad truth worth confronting. I still feel like it would have been possible to mark some of Stephen Bishop’s specific accomplishments in a way kids could understand, especially because, while he might not have recorded the stories of his adventures himself, we do have many secondhand accounts. Yet, still, I am glad his story is out there in an illustrative form.
And if you want a book with more about the man, also for kids check out the next section.
5 out of 5 J.R.I.C. recommendations. Rudy wishes that they could have taken candlelight tours. (or so he says)
On my Reading list
There are also books about Mammoth Cave that I haven’t read yet but I still think are worth mentioning. These are all titles I will be seeking out in the future. Obviously, I won’t be ranking or reviewing now but I will provide a brief description of each, and I will link them like the books above. I’ve also included some fiction books which seem to explore very different aspects of Mammoth Cave than I did.
Journey to the Bottemless Pit: - The Story of Stephen Bishop and Mammoth Cave . - What I said about going more into Stephen Bishop’s story. This book promises to do just that, taking you on a tour of Mammoth Cave with Stephen Bishop. “Based on the narratives of people who toured with him.“ It has a recommendation from LeVar Burton, and the newest edition comes with guide for teachers. That’s enough to put it #1 on my want to read list, and also on my I’m buying it after I finish this blog list.
Kids to the Rescue: Adventures in Mammoth Cave - Surprisingly, (I jest it’s in the imprint name,) I’m not the only one to write kids books about Mammoth Cave. Here’s another one. And this one focuses on Cave Rescue! I haven’t done any cave rescues, and I left my cave exploration skills back in college, so I didn’t focus on these aspects in my book, (also I have a planned cave rescue story in a different Cave) Still, this would make for another very interesting premise to a story about Mammoth Cave, so check it out. The author apparently worked with cave exploration professionals, so that’s good.
and 4. Here are two more titles by Colleen O’Conner Olson. I really liked both of the books I’ve read by her, and these also promise to be interesting. I also bet they come with sources we can also read. Mammoth Cave by Lantern Light - Another Historical Take on Mammoth Cave and Cave tours. and Prehistoric Cavers of Mammoth Cave - which promises more information on a topic I still feel I lack knowledge of, the indigenous explorers who braved Mammoth Cave by torchlight thousands of years ago.
Well, there are many other books! These are just the ones I would recommend for now. Next time you’re in Mammoth Cave National Park ask the rangers what their favorites are. If my book The Specters of Mammoth Cave comes up, then seek me out and let me know. (it would make my entire week!) When it doesn’t, you might very well find yourself being recommended one of the books above by a professional. If not then, then I am certain you will discover another book as awesome! Mammoth Cave has a lot of stories worth telling, and fortunately people have been putting them on the page!
