"Holt Collier was a legendary character in the Mississippi Delta of my youth. His biography is long overdue, for he was a noted pioneer of one of the final wilderness areas of this country. With this biography, his name may now be placed alongside those of other famous men for his many contributions."

-Shelby Foote, author The Civil War, A Narrative (3 volumes)

"Skillfully translating legend into history, Minor F. Buchanan presents the fascinating story of Holt Collier, a man whose life and values defies stereotypes and generalizations and illuminates the complexities of race, honor, and masculinity in both the Old South and the New."

-James C. Cobb, author The Most Southern Place on Earth, The Mississippi Delta and the Roots of Regional Identity

"This well-researched and well-written biography of Holt Collier illuminates the life and times of one of Mississippi's most unforgettable characters and provides a factual account of the origin of the Teddy Bear. Minor Buchanan has made a lasting contribution to Mississippi history and folklore."

- David G. Sansing, author The University of Mississippi, A Sesquicentennial History

"This is a book that rescues from oblivion one of the truly fascinating figures in Mississippi history. The story of the life of Holt Collier adds yet another intriguing saga to the mystique and wonder of our region. Minor Buchanan has done a remarkable job of researching and presenting this absorbing narrative."

-William F. Winter, president Board of Trustees, Mississippi Department of Archives and History

"Buchanan has done a fine job of research and lets his source material do most of the talking in this book. There are no polemics or special pleadings. Just the story of a most remarkable man, a pioneer in one of America's last wilderness areas. It will be hard for most modern folks to accept the affection and loyalty Collier felt for his former master, but such things happened. Human beings are far too wonderfully complex to fit the ideological stereotypes so popular today. The several white men he shot to death in gunfights would never have called him an Uncle Tom."

-Charley Reese, King Features Syndicate columnist