Covered bridges are gaining public attention as states and counties make investments in their repair and preservation, offer tours of them, and build new ones. This work documents all extant covered bridges in the southeastern United States: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. (Mississippi has none.)

The book is arranged by state, then by county and bridge name. The bridges are in four categories: authentic historic, authentic modern, non-authentic historic, and non-authentic modern. For each, a history and description, the World Guide Covered Bridge identification number, and length and width dimensions are given. To be included, a bridge must have been originally built as a true covered bridge, used as a means of traveling over an obstacle, usually water, not for access to a building or between buildings, and have a covered portion at least ten feet in length. There are 65 black & white and 55 color photographs.