Bill Leslie: New book shares ABCs, magic, history of UNC

Nothing makes me happier than a good book arriving in the mail unexpectedly, especially in these extraordinary times of library closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The University of North Carolina Press sent me a copy of "UNC A to Z – What Every Tar Heel Needs to Know about the First State University."

Authors Nicholas Graham and Cecelia Moore say you can’t be a real Tar Heel without reading this book due for release on April 13.

I love books full of interesting facts and little-known histories. My former desk at WRAL-TV contained many volumes of North Carolina history and trivia books.

This one is a keeper! Even if I weren’t a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill I would highly recommend this book.

I learned about the precise hue of Carolina Blue and the famous alum who set the standard.

I was delighted to read the history of the Old Well and its pretty columns added for a touch of “beauty to the grim, austere dignity of the old campus.”

The book also educated me on gathering places like the Pit and the many student traditions including the Cardboard Club, the Cake Race and High Noon.

The book is loaded with historical photographs including one of Hippol Castle, home of the mysterious Order of the Gimghoul.

Comedian and UNC alum Lewis Black may have said it best in summing up this 282-page book:

“It’s wonderfully written. It gives the nuts and bolts of Carolina without losing any of its magic," he said "It’s a beautiful achievement.”