About the Author

JOHN SHELTON REED and DALE VOLBERG REED live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Both are members of the Southern Foodways Alliance and the North Carolina Barbecue Society. They have collaborated on other books, including 1001 Things Everyone Should Know about the South and Cornbread Nation 4: The Best of Southern Food Writing. WILLIAM MCKINNEY founded the Carolina BBQ Society while a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He now lives in Virginia.

Reviews

[A] funny, fantastically southern memoir of the infamous East-West brawl over North Carolina barbecue. . . . Everything we ever wanted to know about the history of the 'cue, the sauce, and the people behind this Tar Heel tradition.--Southern Living

[A] most worthy book about Tar Heel Barbecue. . . . An indispensable reference work. . . . The authors have carefully recorded first-person accounts of how these restaurateurs go about their business. It is as if they turned on the mike, asked the right question and got out of the way. . . . A fascinating account.--Jack Betts, CharlotteObserver.com

A celebration of the pig's deep connection to the history and culture of the Tar Heel State. . . . The research is astounding, as evidenced by an impressive collection of anecdotal facts and historical photographs. . . . No stone is left unturned, and the book, as well as the story of North Carolina barbecue, is the better for it.--Journal of Southern History

A comprehensive and entertaining exploration of the Tar Heel barbecue tradition. . . . Holy Smoke is full of everything you might want to know about Tar Heel 'cue, and probably more.--The Weekly Standard

A cultural and culinary history of barbecue . . . the book includes directions on shaping cornmeal into perfect hush puppies, a who's who of the region's pit masters, and mouthwatering photographs of sizzling pigs.--The Chronicle of Higher Education

A dance through the legends, history, fables and reality of North Carolina barbecue. . . . While laughing along with the fun stories, don't forget to take the recipes seriously.--Edible Piedmont

A darn good book.--Kathleen Purvis, The Charlotte Observer

A definitive guide.--Appetite for Books

A fascinating book presented in an interesting fashion. It's not wide, but man is it deep.--BBQ Links

A fine book, one that every Tar Heel, whether born and bred or merely welcomed and fed, needs to read carefully.--Tim Tyson, Raleigh News & Observer

A refreshing, informative, and focused portrait of one of the region's iconic food traditions.--The Journal of Southern History

A valuable addition to the barbecue lover's bookshelf.--Charleston City Paper

An apogee on all things barbecue. . . . Much more than a simple collection of recipes, the book supplements its exploration of this regional favorite by delving into the history of North Carolina barbecue. . . . And of course, there's no shortage of recipes and cooking techniques presented here, covering not only the meat, but a variety of side dishes, deserts, and even that signature Southern beverage, iced tea.--WNC Magazine

Brings to life the state treasure that North Carolina has in barbecue, and in the people who practice it.--Michael Hastings, Winston-Salem Journal

Captures the near-religious fervor that devotees have for this succulent sustenance.--Duke Magazine

Does the world really need another barbecue book?' The answer is yes, thanks to the book's dozens of useful recipes (some lending credence to the claim that three pillars of Southern cooking are sugar, salt and fat), hundreds of evocative illustrations and photos, and a narrative spiced with historical anecdotes.--The Wall Street Journal

Filled with history, interviews and all kinds of kooky heirloom Southern recipes, this is a lovingly curated book on the 'barbaculture' of the Tar Heel state.--Chile Pepper

Highly entertaining and guaranteed to whet your appetite for you-know-what.--Fayetteville Observer

If this book doesn't set your mouth to watering, then you need your taste buds checked.--Ben Steelman, Wilmington Star-News

It is a treasure trove, a testament (in the Holy Roller sense), an exuberant celebration of the one thing served in the South that is better than fried chicken.--Nicki Leone, BiblioBuffet.com

It's here. Not another guide to North Carolina barbecue restaurants . . . [but] 'an exploration of the Tar Heel barbecue tradition.' While Holy Smoke is assuredly about food, it is more, in my mind, about 'foodways'--the roots and evolution of the food, which more than any other, is identified with the people of this state and its history and traditions.--Carroll Leggett, MetroMagazine

John Shelton Reed and Dale Volberg Reed . . . really have written the book on North Carolina barbecue.--Mountain Xpress

Maybe . . . you're wondering where the difference in barbecue styles comes from and why this difference is so fiercely contested. Or maybe you're interested in history or cultural history or North Carolina history. I've got just the book for you. . . . True Tar Heels will have a hard time giving this one away, so buy two.--Moreton Neal, MetroMagazine

One of a kind, offering a comprehensive exploration of the Tar Heel barbecue tradition.--Sandlapper

Part cookbook, part how-to manual for the backyard barbecuer and part historical treatise. . . . This well-researched book is a hymn of praise to those pitmasters who have long labored over fires fueled by hickory and smoke.--Blue Ridge Country

Part cultural history, part cookbook, Holy Smoke . . . may be the best tome ever written about pulled pork.--The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Part-cookbook-part-manual . . . and an excellent guide to the Tar Heel state's distinctive interpretation of a great American cooking style.--The Christian Science Monitor

Sheer fun. . . . Informative, fast-paced, thorough, and filled with facts. I was reading through it the other evening and could have sworn I smelled the sharp, smoky aroma of pork slowly cooking over hickory coals.--Jack Betts, The Charlotte Observer

Should bring readers to a deeper respect for an American art form.--Southern Cultures

Southern studies guru John Shelton Reed and fellow pork pro Dale Volberg Reed have teamed up with pig-pushing alum William McKinney to give us the first definitive guide to the people, places and culinary secrets behind the world's best barbecue.--Carolina Arts & Sciences News

Sure to be a favorite with folks who love the Tar Heel state and its history and foodways.--Metro Magazine

The authors show that barbecue is more than just a meal. Love, hardship, and generations of striving go into every morsel of this 'white and brown.' All visitors to North Carolina should keep this relevant guide at their fingertips.--Gastronomica

The book leaves no glowing coal unturned in its examination of our state's barbecue history, cooking techniques, recipes, and characters who have honed the fine art of turning hogs into something heavenly.--Our State

The most definitive book . . . on the food that ties sons and daughters of The Old North State together by the taste buds.--Burlington, NC Times-News

This heartfelt, thorough, witty compendium of the state's barbecue places, pitmasters, pig pickins, history lessons, tall tales and basic recipes makes me bone-deep homesick in a way I haven't felt in years.--Rachel Wharton, The Art of Eating