Family Feud Books

These books, though written so long ago, are timeless and very enjoyable. Stout's forte was character building, and let me tell you there is no one out there like overweight Nero Wolfe! This book is all about a pedigree bull if you can imagine, but it is really good. Wolfe and his sidekick Archie are out of their element here again since they are in the countryside attending a country fair with Wolfe's orchids, and they happen to stumble upon a murder that occurs in a bull pasture. Wolfe knows its murder, but has to convince the local yokels of this fact. There are something like 46 Nero Wolfe novels, and I'm very tempted to read the entire series, since these are just so good.

It is amazing that a book written so long ago is still so entertaining. I will be reading the entire series and I bought the 1st seasaon DVD for a friend.

This is a great example of why this series is so enjoyable. Nero Wolfe proven right about automobiles, Wolfe trapped in a pasture by a bull, (Threatened by food, how appropriate.) Archie meets the one woman who sticks around (Lily Rowan) and a mystery that only gets solved with one of Wolfe's outrageous, but plausible (well, almost plausible) schemes. All the usual pleasures are just a bit better in this one, Archie gets arrested (as per usual) but instead of just suffering comically, he decides to organize the inmates. The banter between Goodwin and Rowan is another highlight (You'll see why Stout kept her around) and the twists and turns all have purpose. This one is one of the true classics of the series.

And it's not Hickory Caesar Grindon, the bull, either. This early Wolfe introduces Archie to his lifelong companion Lily Rowan.

Lily sticks with Archie (God knows why) for the rest of the series, which means from 1939 to 1975.

Some would say that Archie should be ashamed that he never makes an honest woman of Lily - I mean, isn't 36 years long enough? But that shows that they've not understood Lily - or Archie, for that matter.

Lily is a classic proto-feminist. She is independent and wilful. SHe thinks and acts for herself. Marriage, as she would define it, poses unacceptable terms to her: having to conform her actions to the expectations of someone else.

A great pleasure was seeing Kari Matchett play Lily in the much-lamented A&E series on Nero Wolfe. She was perfect: beautiful, self assured, charming and very much her own woman.

Oh, the story: a prize bull is killed and so is another person associated therewith...Wolfe, already grossly inconvenienced and in a highly uncomfortable place, must unravel this to assure that Archie does not languish in a provincial prison.

And, of course, a relationship begins which lasts a lifetime. The language and the characters in this story are irresistable, and Michael Prichard does his usual, wonderful job in capturing the spirit of Rex Stout's writing.

It's a story that stands up to multiple listenings. Enjoy!

Some Buried Caesar begins with an auto accident as Archie Goodwin is driving Nero Wolfe to an orchid exhibition. Wolfe, in his own considerate way, loses no opportunity to tell everyone he meets that Archie has wrecked his car. While this definitely helps fuel some of the comedy in the book, it's not quite the central plot thread. It turns out that Wolfe and company get sucked into a murder investigation where the prime suspect is a prize bull. Wolfe knows that the bull is innocent but has to prove it to the police to earn his fee. There is plenty of enjoyable snappy patter and the story moves along at a nice brisk pace. Archie also picks up something of a girlfriend, Lily Rowan, who will be around off and on for the rest of the series.

Most Wolfe novels have him safely at home in the city but this one pulls him out of his cozy confines and this definitely helps add spice to the story. Speaking of the story, it's one of Rex Stout's best. The characters are varied and interesting and the murder mystery is just as baffling as you could hope for. Some of the dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny, just as you would expect from Wolfe and Goodwin.

If you've never read a Nero Wolfe book, this one would make a great introduction to the series. If you have read some of the novels, this one is well worth adding to your collection. In short, I would recommend it without reserve to almost anyone.

Wonder why people get hurt or angry? This book will reveal how our minds work and why pople react if treated differently in such an easy way that it is almost too good to believe.

I sent this book to my son who is an inmate in a state prision and he read it without stop. He is now learning to use the power of forgiveness to find peace of mind.

It's the same story over and over and over and over. The whole book was a repetition of the first concept in every chapter. No eye - opening advice, and lame strategies.

This is an easy to read book plenty of psychological tips and advices that will help you got a better life. There are no tricks here, just proved techniques which being totally honest with yourself they will help you solve almost any personal, familiar or business problem. You will learn a very important think after reading this book: self esteem and respect is the solid base you must have and promote in any relationship you could have. Treat others like you want to be treated to; this is the big lesson Lieberman wants teach to us.

This is an excellent book. It really is helpful as far as solving disagreements between people. It doesn't matter whether it is a spouse, friend or just an acquaintance whom you are having difficulty getting along with. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to mend any type of conflict between themselves and others.

This book is a cruel masterpiece of cynical and nasty slapstick humor. The protagonists, the Bullards and the Beelers, are both families of barely sentient wit who behave in ways that are competely understandable, completely human, and completely stupid. Berger's writing and plotting, though, are first-rate-- I laughed out loud throughout this thing, and I've read it three times over the last 25 years (time to read it again). You've met people like this before in the works of Flannery O'Connor, Faulkner, Charles Portis, and Erskine Caldwell, but Berger's light touch makes "The Feud" a real find.

Memorable characters, a fun story, and insidiously amusing throughout. I can't believe someone hasn't made a movie of this great book.

I picked this book up in the bargain rack at a mall bookstore in South Carolina while on a road trip in college. It is still one of my favorite books of all time. I read everything else Berger ever wrote because of this novel. It will make you laugh out loud. The characters are great and the plot is hilarious. As for the previous reviewer- it was made into a movie- a low buget comedy filmed in North Carolina in the late 80's. It went straight to video. Berger is a wicked writer.

A great book. Hilarious. Offensive. Subversive. It is like "Mayberry on Acid". Coincedences and misunderstandings abound in Berger's best.

Stacy Moore is engaged to be married, but she's having a tough time finding just the right wedding gown. In the middle of yet another shopping trip she finds herself kidnapped along with a good looking, white-knight-wanna-be, who gets knocked out with a cold six pack.

Nick Franklin may be looking for the right occupation, but he's crossing rescuing damsels in distress off his list of possibilities. This damsel isn't just in distress, she's distressing him. If she wasn't engaged and practically married, he could think of a thousand things he'd like to do with her. But instead he tries to be noble and pushes her aside. So what's a knight in slightly tarnished armor supposed to do with a damsel who's distressing him?

Jennifer Drew pens a story that will make you laugh and leave your heart warmed to the core!

Duets once again provide a hearty dose of love and zany humor with two fun novels. Both stories are delightfully amusing as Carol Finch and Jennifer Drew provide romantic romps that have become a trademark of the Duets line. This Duets selection, part of the Bad Boy Grooms series, will definitely keep the reader highly entertained with its outrageous hilarity.

THE FAMILY FEUD by Carol Finch: Living in Oz, Oklahoma does not guarantee a happily-ever-after for Jan Mitchell's dysfunctional family. After thirty-three years her parents have split up. Her father wants to tour the country from a Winnebago, while her mother wants to advance her career at her dress shop. Jan's high school crush Morgan Price owns the hardware store across the street from her mother' dress shop, and employees her father part-time. Consequently, with the elder Mitchells not on speaking terms, it falls to Jan and Morgan to barter for peace and reconciliation. But Jan finds Morgan as infuriating as he was in high school, and his plans to reconcile her parents outrageous!

Finch has a gift for creating dysfunctional families and ridiculous situations that result in a humorous read. Middle aged, fickle parents trying to recapture their youth, a change in the groom a month before Jan's sister's wedding, and well meaning but meddlesome small town interference keep the fun coming. And there's always my personally favorite line, spoken during a mother/daughter pity party: "[Men are] the bottom feeders in the cesspool of life."

STOP THE WEDDING! by mother/daughter writing team Jennifer Drew: After five dress shops, bride-to-be Stacy Moore still hasn't found the right wedding dress. As she tries on yet another, she's distracted by sexy stranger Nick Franklin, who's accompanied his mother while she tries on wedding dresses. Then two strangers kidnap Stacy and bash Nick over the head with a six-pack when he tries to be her knight in shining armor and rescue her. Now Stacy and Nick must combine efforts to escape the six-pack wielding kidnappers. A wild romp across an island in an effort to escape their kidnappers leads Stacy and Nick into extreme circumstances and the discovery of love and forever can begin in the most unlikely of situations.

Writing team Jennifer Drew bring their marvelous talent for deftly combining humor with the improbable to STOP THE WEDDING! An Elvis cake, served on a bedspread the King might have slept on, and combat boots worn with wedding dresses serve as a backdrop as this hero and heroine escape their kidnappers. Even the method of kidnapping, will keep readers in stitches. Lighthearted vibrant characters make this an incredibly amusing read.

THE FAMILY FEUD by Carol Finch. In Oz, Oklahoma Jan Mitchell is frustrated with her parents separating after three plus decades of marriage. Her dad wants to go touring while her mom wants her dress shop to succeed. Hardware storeowner Morgan Price tries to help Jan negotiate a compromise and peace settlement between her parents even as he has his own personal agenda to marry Jan. Carol Finch provides an amusing tale of discordant relationships that will keep the audience laughing especially with mom's theory of the male's spot in nature's food chain.

STOP THE WEDDING! by Jennifer Drew. The hunt for her wedding dress has so far proven futile for Stacy Moore. In her fifth store, two thugs kidnap Stacy. Nick Franklin, accompanying his mother on her wedding dress quest, tries to intercede, but is knocked out with a six-pack. Stacy and Nick need to work as a team if they are to escape from their kidnappers. As they flee, Stacy and Nick fall in love. Jennifer Drew combines a very humorous romantic romp that is almost short of impossible into a wonderful satirical tale that keeps the reader amused with the antics of the cast.

These two irrelevant stories are what Duets is all about: wild, weird, and wacky, but wonderfully warm and witty.

Harriet Klausner

What a delightful page-turner this book turned out to be. I needed information, fast, and this sounded like a good buy. It sure was. The author makes very complex ideas and medical procedures understandable for lay people, but doesn't sacrifice the seriousness of his subject. His wry wit does not demean the eminent and not-so-eminent figures he writes about but, rather, brings them back to life. In fact, the author himself seems to be sitting in the room with you, relaxed and talking about some people you both know.

Men. I can say that, because all of these feuds involved men, except for one concerning Rosalind Franklin and the DNA fiasco...with one of my least favorite scientists, Watson.
It never ceases to amaze me the amount of ego that gets involved in scientific and medical discoveries. It's humongous! Fights concerning rights of discoveries or inventions, fights concerning doing the right thing for the patient (rather than the doctor), etc. have existed since the beginning of time and are continuing today. The very last section of the book had to do with the discovery of the AIDS virus by Gallo (American) and Montagnier (French).

Some of the earlier feuds had to do with the discovery of how the body really works through doing dissections of both animals and human cadavers. This was frowned upon by the Church, which basically ran society during the middle ages and into the Renaissance, but some brave men like Harvey and Di Vinci went ahead and did what needed to be done. So when they actually published their findings, all hell often broke lose. This often put these physicians and scientists at risk for life, but their refusal to rely on ancient theories from Galen is what paved the way for modern medicine.

I enjoyed the way Hellman writes. He's a little bit of of a cynic and smart aleck, just my type...since I'm that way myself. The information is concise and interesting. I knew about some of the fights from previous medical histories, but Hellman often gave information that wasn't available in these books. The story concerning Semmelweis who discovered the real reasons behind women dying in childbirth from pueperal fever (exhange of germs from cadavers to women in labor by doctors not cleaning up prior to touching those women) is probably one of the saddest stories I have ever read, especially since he ended up being brutalized in an insane asylum, and it killed him at an early age.

This should be on a list of required readings for medical and research students. Perhaps if more of them realized how ridiculous these spats are, especially if they involve ego and money (which is a current huge problem thanks to the pharmaceutical companies and kickbacks to physicians), they would learn to allow ethics to govern more of their behavior.

People who enjoy medical history, and teachers can use this book to interest students in medicine and research, because these are areas of a good percent of the jobs today.

Karen Sadler
Science Education

A sprightly romp through three hundred years of medical history, focusing on ten major contretemps. Entertaining and educational, it's also a cautionary tale for would-be medical researchers: many of the "heroes" of these tales (Semmelweis, Bernard, Franklin) meet extremely unkind fates. If you enjoyed Hellman's previous outing on feuds in science, you'll find here more of the same.

This book helped my family so much.(his daughter has such a cute name)This book covers everything you need to khow about fueding familes!!!!

Heilveil shares his wisdom in this extraordinarily well-written book on how and why families feud. And how they can heal. A must read for anyone who aches from a relationship with a sibling, parent or child. Dr. Heilveil offers no easy solution, but he provides hope for anyone willing to work on failed or troubled relationships.

Hidden undercurrents in families can wreak tremendous damage. Heilveil shows the reader how to unmask and deal with the issues underlying family feuds. One of the best self-help books I've ever read, and it appeared at just the right time to help me through a crisis. Highest praise!

When one talks about Organized Crime in North America ,everyone knows what the subject is.This book is about a crime wave in Ireland ;in and about the City of Limerick.It is nothing like the Rackets or the days of Capone,Schultz,Dillinger,Gotti,or any of the mobs we are used to.
This present day crime wave is more like the days of the Hatfield's and McCoys ,the Lincoln County range wars,shootouts at the OK Corral,and so on.This is downright,drawn out, bitter to the n'th. degree famiy feuding with it's basis on the drug trade as opposed to cattle rustling;using modern tools of the trade such as car bombs and AK47's instead of horses and six-shooters.
What it also reminds me of is the times of The Black Donnelly's here in Ontario between 1840-1880.This feuding is well written about and there is an excellent web site to be found under The Black Donnelly's.It is by far Canada's most famous feuding family story.
Fighting never gets worse than when it involves people who know one another as well as their extended families and friends.
After a bar fight and several injuries;no one had any information.One retired detective joked:"They were all in the toilet when the row broke out.It must have been the biggest toilet in Ireland" Another garda (cop) confirmed the collective amnesia,and the reluctance of witnesses to make statements,saying:"That was the night everyone was in the toilet."
"That night the bodies of the two brothers were brought from Cross's funeral home to St.Munchin's Church ,almost across the road from where they had met their deaths.A large crowd attended the removal.The following day,after a requiem Mass at noon,a large crowd followed the cortege to Mount St. Lawrence cemetary,where the McCarthys were laid to rest.The gardai kept an unobtrusive presence."
In an attempt to quell violence the Bishop of Limereck pleaded "May the Prince of Peace be with us and our city."
"The Prince of Peace was not what was concerning the gardai.They were more worried about the Rajah of Revenge.An eye for an eye is good feuding etiquette ,and they were trying desperately to second-guess who would be next ,to prevent a bloodbath"
"It takes two sides to make a feud,and two sides to make a peace.The problem has always been that one side,almost invariably the same side,has been unwilling to consider compromise."
Even the women are involved:
"May a widow's curse be on them for the rest of their lives."
If you like reading True Crime;you'll really enjoy this book.

I don't know how my review got here.It was written for a book "Family Feud" by Anthony Galvin and appears there too; but not here with all my other reviews.

I tried to correct this as you can see by the above.It still doesn't appear with all my reviews as Family Feud but a title of Blinded by "Lite" by Patricia McGraph Morris---Sorry!

Chronicles one of the most famous feuds in Texas. This book contains 23 pictures of the people and places involved, but does not include an Index. 171 Pages.

Preface
Publishers Foreward
Prologue

Chapter 1: The Townsend-Stafford Feud,Larkin Hope Elected Marshal, John Stafford, Bob Stafford's Son in Law, The Laying of the Cornerstone, Assasination of the Stafford Brothers, Arrival of Sheriff J.L. Townsend, Mass Meeting Organized, Insert of Mass Meeting's Finding, The Appended Copy, Sheriff Townsend Disqualified

Chapter 2: Enter Sam Reese, The Gamblers, Murder Plot Frustrated, H.H. Moore, The Messenger
Another Close Call, Court Session-Danger, The Anonymous Letter

Chapter 3: Assasination of Mose Townsend, The Posse Goes after Braddock, Handicapped, Dick Bridge- Mrs. Reese
Killing of H.H. Moore, The Vengeful Hope, Out to Kill

Chapter 4: Marcus Townsend and Walter Reese, Marcus Got Told, The Jealous Hope, Hope's Sinister Idea of a Joke, What the Children Saw

Chapter 5: Another Campaign Lie Nailed
Sam Reese's Answer, Pretty Good Corn, Sheriff Schilling, Crockett Family, Woolsey's Store Burned, No Accident, Sheriff Reese's Detective Work, Horse Theif Captured, Wharton County Tragedy, It Could Only Have Happened in Columbus

Chapter 6: The Feuding Town of Columbus, Texas, The Sam Reese Home, Sam Reese Was a Family Man, The Swimming Lesson, The Bully, Rifle Practice, Dead Doll, Respect for Old Age, The Goat, Long Pants, The Beloved Spence, Kinfolks, Accidental Meeting at the Depot in Columbus, Will Kolb, Advice

Chapter 7:
Larkin Hope Killed, Political Merchandise, Ten Were Cleansed but Only One Returned

Chapter 8:
Thursday, March 16, 1897, Assasination of Sam Houston Reese, John Walter Reese, Kill the Damn Women, Herbert Reese, Political Jealousies, Heritage

Chapter 9: The Scott Tale, Bill Miller, Walter Neal, Will Paulsen, Proving Pistols

Chapter 10: "Ike" The Black Beauty, Brutality, Bull-Dog Versus Bird-Dog, The Dream, An Unusual Dream, A Dream About Sam Reese

Chapter 11: Assasination of Dick Reese, Correction by Walter Reese, Where was Mrs. Reese?, Murder Trial of Dick Reese, The Aftermath

Chapter 12: The Killing of Arthur Burford, Fast Runners, The Trial at Bastrop, Search-Indignities, Colorado County Sheriff Enters, The Return Trip to Bastrop, Bail Granted, Bafore and After

Chapter 13: The Neighing Horse, A Friendly Warning, The Armed Train and Geroge Martin, The Counter Plan, George Martin was Threatened

Chapter 14: Sister Milloe, The Utter Fearlessness of Mrs. Reese at Alleyton, Why the Dramatics?, Herbert Reese and his Negro Alece, Walter Reese and the Flowers, Altair Reese, The Tramp on the Roadside

Chapter 15: Shooting Affray, Statement of Walter Reese to the Editor of the Houston Post, Walter Reese and Ham Proctor, A Mother's Effort to Save Her Sons

Chapter 16: Miss Emm, Perkins Barber Shop, Herbert Reese and John Wilson, The Pledge, Cattle Thief, A Harrowing Experience

Chapter 17: Brothers, Electioneering, The Office of Sheriff, Plotical Speeches by Walter Reese 1902, The Cowardly Killing of Charles Boehme, Stephen Murray, Excursion, Walter Reese on the Job

Chapter 18: The Skating Rink, Walter Tried to Invoke the Old Reese Rule, Killing Of Hiram Clements, Excerpt From the Houston Post, Arrested, An Eye-Witness, Are You In Very Much Pain?, Laelessness and Crime, Citizens Mass Meeting Thursday, City Council Ignors Citizen's Petition, Election

Chapter 19: Seath of S. Herbert Reese, Horace's Hunt Flushes a Few

Chapter 20: Jim Coleman, Walter Reese Meets Jim Coleman's Murderers, Assasination of Jim Coleman, Where Coleman Resided-Testimony Disputed

Chapter 21: The Man-John Walter Reese, Ploce Inspector J.W. Reese Dying From Injuries, The City of El Paso Paid Tribute to J. Walter Reese, Native of Texas, Tragedies in Family

Chapter 22: Senator T.H. McGergor, Joseph Frnka

Chapter 23: How Did They Die?

Chapter 24: Descendants of Reese-Townsend-Burford-Clements Feud

I read this book first and am so glad I did. Between was so funny and she writes with such a creative style. I so thoroughly enjoyed it, laughed out loud and absolutely could not put it down! People complained it was unrealistic - who cares - it's fiction - it was fun entertainment! She is a very gifted writer. She describes my own world so well - being from the other side of Atlanta from her and now living in Alabama as well!

I'm sure I'll be called a prude, but I don't usually like books with tons of locker-room language. Don't really see the point. Same with movies - they are just as good.......anyway, for anyone who cares, any occasional language didn't effect the story at all.

But when I read god's in Alabama, I had a hard time getting through it for that reason only.

And today, I finished The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. Again, it was so very well written. Not all that much language, but just tough, tough subjects. I applaud her for tackling these subjects. Although she invoked about every emotion that exists, which I guess is what defines a good author, I wish she will stick to the humor side of her giftedness. She is just so good with humor!! I love reading her Acknowledgments as much as the books because you can hear her very descriptive humor as if she were talking directly to you! Thank you for a fun read!

Loved this book! Characters had depth and were insightful! All of her books are GREAT READING!

I didn't want this book to end! I thought it was very well written and all in all a good book!!

I would recommend it!

So I've just read all three of Ms Jackson's novels in a row. (I wish now I'd begun with her début and gone chronologically, as I usually do.)

Wow.

Besides having the skills of a good writer, the deftness of touch, the craft, the love of words, she possess two other vital elements:

1) She's a storyteller, and
2) She has something to say.

You'd think that most writers would own both of these. Few actually do. On the first count, writing a novel is not necessarily the same as being a storyteller. It's the subtle difference between being a comic and a comedian. A vocalist and a singer. A star...and an actor. And, I have to say that, on the second count, many writers really don't have anything to say. That is, what they write is not infused with much of themselves. There is no compulsion, artistic or otherwise, and therefore, the book has no real integrity of its own. Ms Jackson's need to tell a story, and tell it in her inimitable fashion- Let me put it this way: reading one of her novels is like having her come up to you, take you by the arm, lead you away, while saying 'I've got a story to tell you, it's a good one...take a deep breath, now...'

Maybe this is the best thing I can say about Joshilyn Jackson's talent: her Forwards and Acknowledgements have more oomph to them than some writer's novels' contents.

'Between, Georgia' was a joy to read. It transcends 'chick-lit' (which I do NOT consider to be a negative term) and is continued proof that we have lots and lots to look forward to from her.

I can't wait.

When you read the synopsis, this book doesn't sound like it would be all that interesting, but this is a great example of how really good writing can turn a simple idea into a terrific book! Lots of emotion - you'll cry and laugh and be mad and in the end you'll just be happy you read such a wonderful book! I'll be reading all of JJ's adventures from now on! Truly enjoyable story! The audio version is read by the author and she does a terrific job.

I never knew about this side of American history, and I would suspect that these types of feuds were fairly common during the time period. However, this family-feud seems extremely excessive and horrorific; and there were inner-state complications after the gunfire ended which left feud survivors with extreme anxiety of being carted off across the border to face the gallows. I believe Coleman Hatfield should be honored for bringing this story to light.

This book takes away the old stereotypes of barefoot, bibbed-overhauled, corncob pipe smokin', hayseed idiots who walk with a limp due to climing the rugged mountain terrain. Instead, we get to read about a Civil War confederate soldier who who eventually went AWOL so that he could head back to his West Virginia home along the Tug River. Though a Hatfield and McCoy once fought as comrades in the same troop, they eventually became mortal enemies and through the account there was a Logan County bloodbath.

If I were to pick a book for any of my history buff-buddies, I would certainly choose The Tale of the Devil.

Buy it, own it and cherish it -- then pass it down to the grandkids. This is good history.

I grew up around the tales of Devil Anse Hatfield because Dr. Hatfield happens to be my grandfather as well. They way he told them to me when I used to sit on his lap is exactly as they are portrayed in this book. I was reluctant at first to read it, because his storytelling is so vivd and I didn't think the page would capture that. It has, and I'm proud to see such a meticulously researched account of my ancestors being praised as it should. My grandfather put an infinite amount of work into this account, history buffs enjoy!

I read this hardback book, and I have to candidly admit this biography is great! I love pioneer and American history, and this work vivedly portrays the mountain life of Appalachia in the 1840s through the turn of the century. These Hatfield family members were tough hombres, and the McCoys were hardheaded as well. The thing that makes this a real unusual story for its time is the inter-state rivalry, the WV Hatfields and the KY McCoys. For instance, Cap Hatfield, the son of Devil Anse, spent the rest of his life worried about being deported to the Kentucky side of the Tug River. The time period is expertly displayed through Dr. Hatfield's prose, and the words of Robert Spence. In all, this is a magnificent biography of historical proportions. Although I suppose the chances are slim, I still hope that this work earns literary accolades and a solid place in the library of great American biographies. I recommend this book for everyone who wants to know more about this country and its people.

A collaborative effort of Coleman C. Hatfield and Robert Y. Spence, The Tale of The Devil purports to be a biography of Anderson Hatfield, more commonly known as Devil Anse Hatfield, of Hatfield and McCoy fame, but it's more than that. Assisted by original manuscripts from Coleman A. Hatfield, a grandson of Devil Anse, the authors describe several significant members of the Hatfield family in their changing mileaus.
Not intended as an account of the infamous Appalachian feud, The Tale of The Devil nevertheless describes the issues surrounding the feud from an insider's perspective, admittedly from the vantage point of a Hatfield, yet respectful of the McCoys, and written with an awareness of the existence another point of view.

"Geography explains people." The story goes on, beyond this opening statement in the forward to prove the truth of it, including a description of the geography in which the events will take place, and of the people who lived there, in the area along the Appalachian mountain chain, near the Kentucky border in what is now known as Logan County, West Virginia.

The authors depend heavily upon research conducted by Coleman Alderson Hatfield, the son of William Anderson (Cap) Hatfield, and the eldest surviving grandson of the legendary Devil Anse Hatfield. Coleman A. Hatfield was a lawyer with a photographic memory and a passion for the truth of his heritage, even when it wasn't pretty.

Chapter one begins where you might expect, with the birth of Anse Hatfield in a log cabin on the Straight Fork of Mate Creek, a tributary of the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River which marked the border of western Virginia, now known as West Virginia, and Kentucky.

Then the authors back up briefly, introducing the reader to the lives of Ephraim (Big Eph) and Nancy Hatfield, the Devil's parents, and describing the importance of the land to the people who lived there.

While we know Anse Hatfield as the leader of the Hatfield family during its feud with the McCoys, the Devil would rather have been known for what he enjoyed most, bear hunting. His first bear hunt took place in the fall of 1854, when he was fifteen years of age. Out of bullets, the bear treed, he determined to stick it out. That he did, for two days, until his brother finally found him, and went to get some bullets. Anse Hatfield was to kill many more bear during his long life.

While the book is a biography of the Devil Anse Hatfield, the reader is invited into what is known of the lives of many of the people around him, including the first Ephraim (Eph-of-All) Hatfield, his great-grandfather, who died when Anse was sixteen years old.

A great deal of space is devoted to effectively describing the setting in which the Hatfield family lived, so that the reader can understand decisions that have so often been misinterpreted.

Other Hatfield family members, friends, and allies that you will learn of include Abner Vance, Anse's great-grandfather on his mother's side of the family, who was executed in 1819 for the murder of a man who had taken advantage of his daughter.

Other significant Hatfields appearing in these pages are Anse Hatfield's eldest children, Johnse and Cap Hatfield, both of whom were born during the Civil War. Often described by feud authors as being the meanest of the Hatfields, Cap Hatfield is given a human face by the authors, although not excused for all of his actions.

Cap's older brother, Johnse, was popular with women and had frequent love affairs, including one with Roseanna McCoy, the daughter of Randal McCoy, which many authors have cited as the cause of the Hatfield-McCoy feud. The authors dismiss this theory, pointing out that Johnse's first wife was Nancy McCoy, the daughter of Harmon McCoy.

Around 1870, Anse Hatfield took in a young man by the name of Dan Christian, who became like a brother to Johnse and Cap. During the later feud years, Dan was to save the life of Cap and his stepson, Joseph Glenn.

Readers of this book will learn about James Nighbert and Henry Clay Ragland, both of whom were to have a lot to do with the changing economic landscape of Logan County.

While various authors have traced the beginning of the Hatfield and McCoy feud to the Civil War, and the fact that the Hatfields were mostly in the area of southwestern Virginia, a Confederate state, while the McCoys resided in Kentucky, a Union state, the authors of The Tale of The Devil point out that many of the McCoys fought on the side of the Confederacy, and that Anse Hatfield and Randal McCoy were together involved in the killing of General Bill France, an action that was indirectly connected to the feud only because of events later in the war and by the impact it had on the lives of the two men.

While Randal McCoy was a Confederate, his brother, Asa Harmon McCoy was a northern sympathizer and close friend of General France.

Learning that Asa Harmon McCoy was was seeking revenge against Anse Hatfield for the killing of France, Jim Vance, Anse's uncle on his mother's side, took preventative action, capturing McCoy and, perhaps accidentally, killing him.

The authors cite, as the beginning of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, the week of August 7, 1882, when Ellison Hatfield, Anse's younger brother, was shot in the back and killed by a group which included Tolbert, Pharmer, and Randal McCoy, Jr., the sons of Randal McCoy.

That night, someone took the McCoy brothers across the Tug where they bound them to pawpaw bushes and shot them dead. Devil Anse Hatfield was suspected of the crime, but was never convicted of murdering the McCoys.

And the feud was on. The authors follow its progress, describing the roles played by several other family members, friends, and others.

The book doesn't end with a conclusion to the feud, however. The end, in fact, is gradual and uncertain, while the reader shares in the changing times and politics of Appalachia, the birth and actions of other Hatfields who were to have an impact on their worlds.

The Tale of the Devil includes a mixture of humor, darkness, and insight, told with a sense of reality that can only result from familiarity.

Anyone with an interest in American history will enjoy this book, and those who desire to learn more about a tale of which so much has been written will appreciate learning the truth about the Devil Anse Hatfield.