Bugle book review…
‘My Kentucky Life’ provides evidence
as to why residents love their home state

“My Kentucky Life,” by Dave Shuffett, 105 pages of text and photos, Butler Books, 2013, $25.

Reviewed by
ED FORD
Bugle Editor

Politician, baseball commissioner and Bluegrass personality Happy Chandler once said a Kentuckian either thinks about returning to the Commonwealth or is actually doing it.

Storyteller, photographer and television host/producer Dave Shuffett fits that description. But, in his new book, My Kentucky Life, Shuffett gives evidence of why Kentuckians have such a love for their home state.

In 21 short chapters illustrated by his colorful photographs, the star of Kentucky Educational Television’s “Kentucky Life” unveils a breathtaking story of the Commonwealth. Shuffett may have traveled over more of the state than any other Kentuckian as he has told the stories of the people and places that make the Bluegrass such a special place. His book succinctly captures the spirit and color of his journeys.

One of Dave’s most popular segments on “Kentucky Life” was the feature he did on his great-great grandfather, Michael Shuffett, who was probably the last Civil War casualty of the 13th Kentucky Regiment of Kentucky Volunteers. In his book, the Greensburg native uses photos and some concise prose to focus on Kentucky’s participation in the War Between the States.

“Our backwoods ruggedness and willingness to fight would not be lost in the generations that followed (the American Revolution and War of 1812),” he writes.   “Kentucky supplied more than 100,000 men to the Union or Confederate cause during the Civil War. The 13th Kentucky Regiment of Infantry Volunteers is a good example of the strength and spirit of the Kentuckians. This Union outfit, consisting primarily of country boys from south central Kentucky, fought in one battle after another across the western theater, including the Battle of Shiloh.”

In his Civil War commentary, the author also tells how Hawesville was bombed by Federal troops as the Hancock county seat harbored marauding Confederate soldiers. He also explains how the Owen County community of Sweet Owen got its name from a famous U.S. vice president and Confederate Major General, John C. Breckinridge.

When he was running for congress in 1851, his opponent asked Breckinridge to concede. But he refused.

“No, I’m waiting for Sweet Owen (meaning Owen County) to come through for me.”

The county did and Breckinridge won. And, in honor, Owen Countians gave one of their communities the name, “Sweet Owen.”

War stories notwithstanding, “The Great Deer Attack” is another great yarn. It’s about Dave’s 45-minute encounter with a whitetail deer at the Fish and Wildlife Resources game farm. That segment rivals the Michael Shuffett feature.

“There’s no need to book an expensive vacation,” Shuffett suggests. “Just explore the ‘paradise of Kentucky’ that’s just a county away, or, at most, a day’s drive.”

This is a book that will whet your appetite for such a journey. It’s well worth your read and photo-viewing pleasure.