With the recent near miss with Hurricane Dennis, the one-year anniversary of the day Hurricane Ivan ripped through the area is fast approaching.

With that in mind, the staff of the Greenville Advocate, with help from its readers, will publish a hardbound "coffee table" book reflecting on Ivan.

"After living through and covering Hurricane Ivan, we felt it appropriate to produce something that chronicled the devastation and recovery the people of Butler and Crenshaw County experienced during the worst natural disaster in the history of the county," said Greenville Newspapers' publisher Dennis Palmer. "The format of the book will allow people to keep it for generations and use it to tell the story of how they survived Ivan to their children and their grandchildren"

Several months ago, the call went out for readers to bring in their photos taken leading up to the hurricane and the devastation that followed. Representatives from Pediment Publishing came in and scanned in the photos as well as took statements from those involved with the storm. The result is a breathtaking look at the days leading up to the storm, actions during the storm and the aftermath it left behind. It was by far the most horrendous event in the county's history.

"To mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ivan, we're making the book available in mid-September," Palmer said. "Due to the cost outlay to have the book printed, there will only be a very limited number available for people to purchase, so I suggest people call and reserve their copy now before they're gone as we will not be doing a reprint on this book."

The 128-page book is currently being offered on a pre-order basis for $43.54 each. For an additional charge of $5, the book can be mailed to your home. After September, the books will be available for $54.46 plus shipping and handling. Please visit the Greenville Newspaper offices at 103 Hickory St. to place your order or mail to P.O. Box 507, Greenville, AL 36037.