North Carolina is one of America's most temperate, scenic, and historic states. It is the home of exquisite colonial mansions, Civil War battlefields, and energetic midsized cities. It is one of the nation's most modern and distinct states, and many localities have been rated among the nation's top-ten places to live. In North Carolina: A Photographic Tour, photographer Carol M. Highsmith and writer Ted Landphair take the reader on a guided tour of the state's incomparable sites and scenic vistas that highlight its remarkable diversity. You will visit Durham, the home of the venerable Duke University as well as one of the world's most modern research enclaves. In Raleigh, "the City of Oaks," with its oak trees, magnolias, and restored Victorian houses, the reader will discover the epitome of the classic city of the Old South. In Chapel Hill, the home of the University of North Carolina and legendary Sutton's Drug Store, one will encounter what has been called "the southern part of Heaven." If you love to decorate, High Point—the "Furnishings Capital of the World"—full of furniture factories and outlet shops, will become a must to visit in person. A great surprise will greet the admirer of architecture in Asheville, which has more Art Deco structures than any other southeastern city—except Miami Beach—and is the home of the Biltmore Estate, a Victorian mansion that is the largest private residence in North America. These and many other memorable cities and places are brought vividly to life in North Carolina: A Photographic Tour. With its striking photos and thoughtfully insightful text, it is an exceptional book that makes a superb memento or gift for anyone who has visited or is planning to visit this unique state.