David Crockett_ The Lion of the West - Michael Wallis [147]
Another person who figured prominently in the development of this book is James Fitzgerald. Jim is my literary agent and also happens to be one my wife’s trio of Irish brothers. Jim and I have known each other for more than forty years. At times we also have been known to battle like a pair of boar bears, but I always know that ultimately I can count on Jim, one of the savviest individuals in the strange and sometimes turbulent world of publishing.
As they have done in the past with my other books they have published, the entire editorial, design, marketing, and promotional team at W. W. Norton is once more to be commended for helping make this book a reality. Robert Weil, my esteemed editor, was at the helm of this effort and was there for me every single step of the way. Throughout my career as an author I have been fortunate to encounter some topflight editors. All of them play second fiddle to Bob Weil. He is bar none the most diligent, driven, and dedicated editor drawing breath today. I defy anyone to tell me otherwise. Likewise, Bob’s hardworking assistants—in the case of this book, Lucas Wittmann and Phil Marino—never let me down. Both of these young men have learned well from Bob, a proven mentor whose long line of editorial assistants from over the years have gone on to much success in publishing.
During the long research and writing process, I also was fortunate to have happened upon other knowledgeable and helpful sons and daughters of Tennessee. Much like Joe and Becky Swann, these people opened their hearts and homes to me and made the development of this book much more enjoyable. Two Tennesseans at the top of this list are Jere Ellis and Jim Claborn. Jere took care of me in West Tennessee, and Jim was one of my primary guides in East Tennessee. Both men deserve medals on their chests for their assistance.
Jere resides at Blue Cut near Tiptonville, Tennessee, not far from one of David Crockett’s favorite hunting sites at Reelfoot Lake. Beside staying active in his community and taking the time to show authors the secret places and hidden corners of Crockett’s former stomping grounds, Jere maintains the Eagle Tree Gallery, where his vast inventory of museum-quality Southwestern Indian art, crafts, and artifacts attracts people from all over the country. Unquestionably, this book would not have been the same without the assistance and input I received from Jere. Thank you, my friend, for your graciousness and guidance, and also a special thanks for introducing me to Boyette’s, a dining oasis since 1921 that consistently turns out catfish, hush puppies, and coleslaw to die for.
Jim Claborn, who hails from Talbott, a small community near Morristown, Tennessee, the site of the Crockett Tavern Museum, was recommended to me when I sought out people with a passion for history to show me the ropes in “Crockett Country” of eastern Tennessee. Jim is an accomplished historian and teacher, but most of all he is a masterful storyteller. Together with another excellent teacher and historian, Bill Henderson, Jim coauthored Hamblen County, Tennessee: A Pictorial History, and he often portrays Crockett in full costume for a variety of audiences. His guidance and infusion of information and knowledge was of great help to me. Thanks, my friend.
I was fortunate to have a pair of capable and resourceful researchers helping me every step of the way. In Knoxville, Tennessee, the research assignment went to Kevin Pettiford, a fine journalist and freelance writer, who prowled and probed archives, libraries, and museums in my behalf. Kevin never came up empty-handed, and I appreciate not only his consistency and hard work but his ability to go over and beyond when it came to finding those elusive morsels of the past that often remain undiscovered.
On the home front, I was fortunate