2013 GOLD MEDAL WINNER of the BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AWARD for BEST NEW VOICE in NON-FICTION, Ghosts of Grandeur: Georgia's Lost Antebellum Homes and Plantations is a compelling look into 94 of Georgia's most historic lost mansions and plantations which have been lost to the ages. The author has filled this book with more than 210 images, many of which have never been published before. While there is at least one image for every house featured in the book, many of the homes featured in the book have fascinating images of the homes interior and/or its gardens. His stories capture the historic people (both master and slave) and events that once emanated from these homes and helped to shape a state and a nation. Marc Matrana, author of Lost Plantations of the South, purchased and read Ghosts of Grandeur and offers this review: ". . . [Michael W. Kitchens] provides readers with a highly engaging text, peppered with little-known details and fascinating pearls of information, truly bringing these lost estates and their sometimes long forgotten occupants back to life on the page. Those readers interested in historic preservation, antebellum Georgia history, or Southern architecture in general will certainly not want to miss Ghosts of Grandeur: Georgia's Lost Antebellum Homes and Plantations!"