It was a thrill to read the following review of my "Stories from the Underground: The Churchyards of Charleston" by Francis Ford, a diector and lecturer at Clemson University’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, located in downtown Charleston in the Cigar Factory building on East Bay Street. Ms. Ford wrote the review at the request of the Association of Gravestone Studies, a national organization of fellow taphophiles.
The newest publication from Patrick Harwood follows the template of his previous book, In the Arms of Angels: Magnolia Cemetery Charleston’s Treasure of History, Mystery and Artistry. In this volume, Stories from the Underground; The Churchyards of Charleston (ISBN# 978-0-9847498-4-3) Harwood turns his photography skills and research to 13 Charleston, SC churches and churchyards as well as one synagogue and cemetery.
Published in full color 8 ½ x 11 format on glossing pages with heavy bold print this hardcover volume catches one's eye with its bright green cover.
Harwood's writing style is simple and easy as if he was having a conversation with you directly. I suppose cultivated after many years of teaching college undergraduate students at the College of Charleston. In creating his narrative, he quotes historians, archivists, and online sources such as the church web sites, Wikipedia, blogs, printed church histories, and interviews with those closely connected to the sites among others. He supplies an index in the rear for those looking for specific information. He also supplies his sources and additional notes for readers.