JAMES B. JONES is the retired public historian of the Tennessee Historical Commission/State Historic Preservation Office based in Nashville. He spent thirty-five years on the staff of the commission and as a consequence is well versed in the history of Tennessee and its built environment. Jones has written countless articles about aspects of the state's past, and has authored six books on politics, the Civil War, and social history seldom covered by conventional narratives. He lives in Middle Tennessee with his spouse and their four cats.
