Just a Country Boy

About the Book

At eighty-five, Gentry still has the mischievous glint in his eye that he surely had as a child. An aging face tells no lies and Gentry’s face is full of guile, curiosity, joy and sass. He quips, with no apologies, that he has led a somewhat selfish life, indulging his passions and interests – never having a family of his own until he married very happily at sixty. From his modest beginnings, he led a bigger life than might have been expected and has enjoyed every minute of it.

And so begins Edgar Gentry Barton’s Just a Country Boy, a witty, meticulously crafted tribute recounted by Tish Lynn. As the engaging narrative transports readers through the twentieth century, he regales them with slice of life stories about his small town Tennessee roots, life during the Depression, WWII, true love, good fishing, playing baseball, and everything that came after. A mix of humor, detail, and accessible writing attracts readers with an interest in twentieth century America—and a life well lived.

About the Author

Engaging, insightful, and with a touch of humor, Just a Country Boy by Edgar Gentry Barton is the sort of autobiography that illustrates the just rewards of a just life. For Barton, it’s been a long, satisfying, and accomplished one. Born in 1922, in a small town in Tennessee, Gentry recounts his country boy roots and how his kin coped during the Great Depression. He also provides fascinating anecdotes about his college experience, the DuPont Chemical Company slogan that inspired his career choice, his service in the Navy, and eventual travel throughout the southern states. Detailing his family relationships, he focuses on his close bond with his brother as well as his one true love, an unforgettable woman whom he married at the age of sixty. Drawing readers in on page one with an accessible, unassuming writing style, this tribute to the simple life is more than one family’s history—it’s a snapshot of America during the twentieth century.

Edgar Gentry Barton, Jr., told the story of his life to Tish Lynn, who prepared it into the story you see here. Tish Lynn is a northern transplant come to Charleston, SC thirty years ago. She lives and has raised a family there, and has worked as a freelance writer in communications, marketing and development for non-profit organizations she admires. She enjoys bringing the voices of others to the page and may, one day, sing for herself.