Review of the original first edition of Ohio Legends..(it took me a while to complete the second edition!)

 ....Here is an old review of 'Ohio Legends' (The First Edition)

Review: Ohio Legends by Jeff Wilson

By Randy McNutt

December 10, 2012

Overview

Jeff Wilson’s Ohio Legends is a small but fascinating look at Ohio history through people, places, and things. In his words, it contains “strange but true Ohio oddities, trivia, and people.” Some of the people included in the book are well known and others are not. But they all contribute something fascinating to a book that is highly entertaining, even to a writer of Ohio books.

Audience/Market

Wilson’s audience would be of all ages. Adults would enjoy it because it offers things to ponder and discuss—such as the bizarre “Loveland Frog” incident that began in 1955 and the “Lake Erie Mystery Tsunami of 1882 and 1942.” These tales, coupled with ones about famous people such as William McKinley and Annie Oakley, provide light (and good) reading for anyone who enjoys tales of the Buckeye State. If priced right, the small book could be marketed to gift shops in county and state parks, restaurants, gift shops in small towns and big cities, and bookstores all over the state. The book also would make a good gift for children as well as adults. As I read the brief stories, I immediately thought of how it fit into the lobby sales scheme at Bob Evans restaurants, a chain based in Rio Grande, Ohio.

Importance/Uniqueness

The strong point of Ohio Legends is its artwork. The reader could get a good idea of how Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz, looked like in character, as well as how the Marblehead Lighthouse on Marblehead Peninsula looks today. Most entries in the book have their own art. Because of this, the book is attractive and appealing. Although such pictures have been used in books in the past, this book does it with original and numerous drawings. The importance of Ohio Legends is that it pays tribute to Buckeye history while smiling all the while.

Essentials

I believe Jeff Wilson has assembled a worthy cast of characters, places, and things. It is the kind of book that could be the first of two or more such books, if his first effort sells sufficiently. There are no rules governing the people and places that should be included. This is up to the author, and he has chosen well, blending the famous, the infamous, and the obscure.

Errors

I can’t find any noticeable errors and omissions.

Summary

I had a good time reading the author’s copy of Ohio Legends, and I believe readers would like the book too.

--Randy McNutt