Colorful Characters of the Great Smoky Mountains (The History Press)
Bob Plott is a third-great-grandson of Johannes "George" Plott, who first brought the Plott bear hounds to America in 1750, and a great-great-nephew of Henry Plott, who introduced the breed to the Great Smoky Mountains in 1800. He has spent most of his professional career working as either a manufacturing executive or martial arts instructor, though he is now employed in the racing industry.Bob's first book,Strike and Stay: The Story of the Plott Hound, won the 2008 Willie Parker Peace Award for best North Carolina historical book. He has also written two other books--A History of Hunting in the Great Smoky Mountains(2008) andLegendary Hunters of the Southern Highlands(2009)--both of which were named among the top fifty regional books by theAsheville Citizen Timesand have received outstanding nationwide reviews. He has written numerous magazine articles as well for publications such asN.C. Wildlife, Smoky Mountain LivingandCarolina Country.Plott and his friends Charles Brown and David Brewin also do programs on Plott hounds and southern mountain history and culture. They have been featured on UNC Public Television, the History Channel and National Public Radio, as well as at various venues across the Southeast. In 2009, they were advisors for the Western Carolina University Plott Hound Exhibit at the Mountain Heritage Center. The exhibit continues to tour extensively in museums across North Carolina.Bob is a member of the National Plott Hound Association, American Plott Association and the North Carolina Bear Hunters Association. He and his family and their dogs live near Eufola, North Carolina.