Troubled Times in Tennessee, by James B. Jones, is a detailed look at various lost or hidden aspects of Tennessee history. Historians of the Volunteer State’s past have overlooked the stories in these chapters while paying more attention to political, biographical, economic, and war-time history.

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The chapters in this book deal with topics such as the control of prostitution, drug abuse, disputes between newspaper editors, dueling, moonshining, criminals, and lynching. Troubled Times in Tennessee offers a glimpse at unheralded historical stories in the Volunteer State’s past and unparalleled coverage of some topics once considered taboo.

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.