Virginia Books

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, an essay in architecture, takes readers on a historical tour of the third U.S. president's cherished home near Charlottesville, Virginia, through well-written text and gorgeous, full-color photography. The book includes floor plans and photographs of Jefferson's original architectual elevations, as well as drawings of the finished building that we are most familiar with today. It describes Jefferson as art collector and plantation life on Monticello's farms, and it explores the four seasons in Monticello's gardens. Published in 2002 by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc.

One of the clichés about Monticello is that few houses do so good a job revealing the personality of its builder. But clichés get to be such generally because there's truth to them, and that's definitely the case here. If Thomas Jefferson was one of the most interesting figures in American history (and I think that's unquestionably true), then Monticello may well be one of America's most interesting houses. And for this colorful book produced by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, we are guided through the house and grounds by people who know their stuff.

Specifically, the chapters of this title are written by Monticello's director of restoration, the curator, the director of gardens and grounds, and other experts associated with the Foundation. Large, colorful photos are accompanied by informed commentary and all the requisite history, as well as documentation of the decades of restoration work it has taken to get the house and grounds to its current condition. A book doesn't make up for a visit in person -- if anything, I wished for more photos of the interior, especially of the book room and "cabinet." But for a general overview of the house, grounds, and collection, and an insight into the man himself, this book is hard to beat. I recommend it as a souvenir, as well as a nice companion to a Jefferson biography.

This work successfully links the many unique qualities of Thomas Jefferson's personality to the unique qualities of the home that he designed and spent most of his life building and rebuilding. All of the intriguing features of this home are covered.
Anyone interested in this remarkable man and his home who is unable to visit Monticello in person should strongly consider this work.

This is a highly informative, well documented book covering all aspects of the design and building of Thomas Jefferson's home, plus insights into why things were done the way they were done, through Jefferson's own notes, sketches and correspondence. Plus,the photographs are exquisite.

Living in an area rich with history, I love a book that draws you into the past with its settings and characters. As a romance writer myself, this has opened my eyes to a whole new possibility in settings. If you like this kind of romantic read, then Through Tempest Forged is a good book for you. Rich with description and imagery!

A good read. I read it for my class -- I'm the teacher -- and I am putting it on my list of "BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ FOR THIS CLASS." Fine effort!

Through Tempest Forged, set in Virginia in 1775, is the story of the Rogers family and how they cope with their changing world as they and their neighbors must choose between the crown and the patriot resistance. Passaris portrays the rancor caused by these dueling loyalties, and the brutality that sometimes erupts, vividly and sometimes terrifyingly.

This novel, however, is as much as a story of the personal as the political. Paul and Elizabeth's sons and daughters are of marriageable age, and the book follows their heartaches, joys, and tragedies as they mature. The characters, particularly the male ones, are complex and flawed, and Passaris brings them to life deftly. The dialogue is lively and realistic, and appropriately coarse at times. (And lines like "Virginia is what North Carolina would like to be" shows that some things haven't changed over the years!)

Though this novel isn't a romance novel, there are plenty of love stories here, including a very moving, unconventional one between John Peter Rogers and the prostitute's daughter he befriends.

At times, I did think that the novel could have used a little more tightening. Sometimes, for instance, Passaris unnecessarily comments on what the characters are thinking and feeling when it's readily apparent from their dialogue and their actions. This, however, is a decidedly minor flaw in an excellent first novel. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Wow! Did I get swept away! The characters in this book are so real, so engaging...I honestly felt that I was there in colonial Virginia. This is a wonderful story that will keep you wanting more. This work is extremely well researched, and has the perfect combination of suspense, romance, and history. I did not want to put it down. As a historian, I appreciated the accuaracy coupled, with the pure entertainment factor-a very fine effort in literature!

This is one of those historical events that is kind of overlooked for various reasons perhaps because most of it occurred in a "backwater" of sorts. Yet, this is what makes it most interesting -- it is not in most people's lists of "top tens." There are also political and cultural factors which have made the story and the topic kind of something that has been ignored. Mr. Savage's account of the Massacre and the related events is engaging, compelling, and concise. I loaned my copy of the book to a friend and, when it was returned, I found myself thumbing through the pages again even though I know the story. The only disappointment I have with the book is the fact that the account of the actual gunfight or battle at Matewan (btw: I have it on good authority that this is pronounced "may-twan") occupies only a short chunk of the book. However, the event was not something in which anyone would have loudly admitted participation for fear of retaliation, etc. The bad blood created during this period lasted for a long time -- another aspect which makes this a compelling read.

This book is probably the most complete and balanced view of the Mine Wars in West Virginia, an almost unknown yet significant part of American history. It details how and why things happened and gives very vivid accounts of the struggles of the day in the coalfields. This was the largest insurrection against our Federal Government outside of the War Between the States, and was the only time bombs have been dropped from planes on American soil. A must read for anyone interested in Appalachia or coal mining.

How could historians have overlooked such an important and colorful piece of American history? The book is a fast read and filled with vivid descriptions. Once you read it, you won't be able to believe that something like this happened in America.

I really enjoyed this fascinating account of the coal wars of west virginia. Not enough has been reported about the events that occured there, and this book sheds light on the subject.

My son loves this book. He likes the way that it reads and he also just enjoys looking at the artwork. It is a good combination of learning letters while exposing kids to fine art.

(...)! I am a parent and have a large family. I am also very well educated and not a librarian! I can only say that the friends to whom I have lent this book say that their children love the text and are captivated by the quality and content of the reproductions. I would like to know why all children's books must have the same idiotic cant? It's as if there is a huge children's book factory out there that pumps out insipid books that have the same monotonous rhymes. Change is scary to librarians and especially to parents. I say buy this book and challenge your child to learn something scholarly, new and different.

Tigers and Sails and ABC Tales is an excellent book for
introducing young children to a variety of art and artists
while they practice their ABCs. Each of the pieces featured
in the book was donated to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon. The artists range from Renoir
to Cézanne, and from Homer to Picasso.

The book comes with an accompanying video, in which a
variety of children read the text of the book while viewing
both the paintings featured in the book as well as some
lovely bonus paintings. The children are enthusiastic and
adorable, although sometimes a little hard to understand.

Particularly enjoyable was the variation on the ABC song.
For all the parents out there who are tired of the same old
tune playing over and over again in their heads, this one is
catchy and fun, and does not cause children to believe that
there is a letter called LMNOP.

Although I rarely find an ABC book I find satisfactory, this one was worse than most as an introduction to the alphabet. "A is for artist" is not a good introduction for the letter A as "ar" is a relatively advanced sound for a beginning reader. "I is for island" has not only the long i but also a silent s; this is most confusing for a young child. It is much better to use the short vowel sounds for the vowels and the hard c and g sounds in an ABC book used as an introduction to the alphabet for a young child.

Thus I will not be using this book as ABC book; I will use it as a art book for my young son. Fortunately it should seve that purpose quite well as the pictures are indeed lovely and quite varied. If I were rating it only as an art book for young children, it would have 5 stars. Truly I look forward to sharing it with him this summer and using it as means of developing his verbal language skills. I just wish I could use it as an ABC book as well without reservation.

Woodward, the dean of southern historians, was the author of numerous definitive works on the south from 1865-1900, including THE STRANGE CAREER OF JIM CROW and ORIGINS OF THE NEW SOUTH. He won the Pulitzer prize for editing the diaries of Mary Chestnut, but he probably deserved it for this, his first work. Woodward was a master prose stylist, but I don't quite think he ever quite matched this book in wit and irony. The first half of the book is replete with CHARACTERS worthy of Anthony Trollope, John Brown Gordon, the "plumed knight of Appomattox" and main player in one of the great stock market scandals of the day; Joe Brown, the former confederate governor of Georgia also known as "Old Judge-MENT"; Alexander H. Stephens, the former vice-president of the Confederacy and a force to be reckoned with even in declining health; and last but not least Robert Toombs, a TRUE unreconstructed rebel, who refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Union after the war, who hated the railroads (and the use of public funds in their development) almost as much as he hated the North. Even though he was unable to hold public office, he maintained influence just by his force of personality. Above them all is Watson, a man who loves (and hates) not wisely but too well. A man of infinite paradoxes. An apologist for the "old south" who proclaimed the common interests between black farmers and white farmers. A white man who, more than once, would defend black political allies from lynching, but later would be the most vociferious defender of the practice. A crusader against corporations, he would grow fearful of socialism. A democrat with authoritarian personality. A man of the people who was one of the largest landowners (and landlords) in Georgia. A powerful "demagogue" (in the root sense of the word) who was a remarkably BAD politician and political strategist, eventually turning on every constituency and ally. Incorruptable, but in the end wholly given over to his (and his region's) prejudices, hatreds, and pathology.

This is a definitive biography, but not the last word on Watson--certainly not the last word on populism. As much as we see of Watson's psyche, this book is very much an account of a public life, the personal dimension and familial relationships are only touched on, sometimes only hinted at. If every there was a subject fit for a "psychobiography" it is Watson.

As to the movement he lead, the somewhat idealized portrait needs to be balance with reference to THE WOOL-HAT BOYS and BLACKS AND THE POPULIST REVOLT. But when all is said, this book is a classic. Worthy of sharing shelfspace with Boswell's LIFE OF JOHNSON and even Trollope's politcal novels and Gore Vidal's historical novels.

Watson's story is a fantastic one, and this book tells it well. This book is superlative to follow Georgia politics in years Watson affected it. One is totally repelled by Watson after 1904, not only by his vicious anti-Catholicism but even worse by his role in the Leo Frank case. This book is a sheerly interesting book about an awful man. It is of interest that Woodward describes Autobiography: The Story of an Old Man's Life, by Nathaniel E. Harris as "one of the most remarkable books ever written." I wonder where I can find the book.

Woodward was a master, and is sorely missed. Tom Watson is an epic and tragic story of a man, and the history of Populism as a movement, with all the aspirations and limits of American democracy. The single best work of history i have ever read. If it is out of print, that is a true shame.

Jimmy Carter has always referred to the demagogic Tom Watson as a political mentor. Hardly surprising since Watson was a phoney and a bigot who began his career supposedly championing Poor Whites - AND - Blacks, and ended it an acolyte of the Ku Klux Klan, a Jew-baiter, Catholic hater, a political hack of the Segregationist Democratic Party and unrepentent Racist who "stabbed" the backs of the very Blacks he once claimed to be as friends. His notorious role in the judicial murder of Leo Frank*, as Woodward related, was especially repugnant. In effect, Watson called for mob rule - and chortled "Jewish Libertines take Notice" after Frank, who was innocent of the murder of Mary Phagan, was judicially murdered by a bunch of Watson's minions and hired thugs.

Carter of course started off in reverse, but there is really no difference between the two outside of their half-baked, suiting their needs "Liberalism". Watson was a coward and a bigot, Carter no different.

Woodward also gives the reader an overview of post-Reconstruction Georgia, with cast of characters including John Gordon, the Confederate General who became a U.S. Senator, pledging loyalty to the United States, yet in effect continuing the policy of the Confederacy including ensuring that Black Americans lived little better than slaves. A fertile breeding ground for a Watson - and later, Lester Maddox and James Earl Carter Jr.

*p.s. Frank was innocent, and the courageous Governor Slaton chose to commute the death sentence pushed by Watson. By doing so, however, Slaton was forced to flee Georgia when his life was threatened by Watson's minions and by the Klan, leaving Frank to a horrible fate. Many years later, the true killer of Mary Phagan confessed. It is interesting though, that Mr. Carter NEVER signed a posthumous pardon for Mr. Frank. It was finally signed by his successor in office.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Scruggs' book. It is written in such a manner that it draws the reader into the family circle while providing an amazing amount of detail into the history of the Legion and the personal recollections of Jud, the author's great grandfather.

I enjoyed reading Grandpa Scruggs' account of his experiences in Company K, Holcombe Legion of South Carolinians fighting for their state's freedom from the tyranny of the Union. The format of night time stories told by Grandpa Scruggs to his grandchildren kept a dramatic tension in the book that helped keep me reading. We learn about the courage and commitment of Judd and other soldiers to their cause. We learn of the hardships, boredom,and horror of life as a foot soldier. The ways captured soldiers were treated changed as the war progressed. Judd experienced both ways. Because of the personal focus of this book, we also learn how the war caught up extended families and effected them. We also get glimpses of life back at home while the men were at war. I highly recommend Eugene Scruggs' book.

Eugene Scruggs has made a valuable contribution to the history of the War Between the States with his account of the exploits of his great grandfather, Judson Puryear Scruggs, as an enlisted man in the Holcombe Legion, South Carolina Volunteers. To be sure, Scrugg's book is another in the "Johnny Reb and Billy Yank" tradition of oral history accounts from the point of view of the ordinary foot soldier. However, it is given context by a body of historical research, and a truly insightful introduction to some of this conflict's enduring themes. For many readers, the most interesting parts of the narrative will be those about life under horrible conditions in the POW camp at Elmira, NY, Judson's resourceful escape therefrom, and his traverse through enemy territory to Virginia.
In my opinion, however, as an avid student of the conflict rather than a professional historian, Scrugg's finest achievement was in his reconstruction of Judson's narrative within a quasi-fictional framework, in which he recreates not only the voice of his great-grandfather, but also that of the grandchildren who are auditors of the story. This teachnique not only creates a sense of immediacy in the flow of the narrative, but instills a kind of novelistic suspense which makes it enjoyable for the reader. This approach also permits Scruggs to render narrative as a truly "oral history," in that he has recreated the language of the period --- the regional dialect of 19th century Southerner. His handling of the artistic problem of the use of "eye dialect," moreover, is deftly handled: instead of generating pages of mangled orthography, Scruggs includes only occasional phonetic spellings, opting instead for the dialectal phrase, the idiom, and the speech rhythmns of his people. Professional historians may take issue with Scrugg's decision to treat his material in this way; other readers may enjoy it as thoroughly as I did.

Roger Cole
January 29, 2007

With the help of his older relatives, Gene Scruggs has gathered together the oral history left by his great grandfather, Sergeant Judson Scruggs, who served in South Carolina's Holcombe Legion during most of the Civil War.

Almost nothing has been written about this effective fighting unit which was organized early in the war by Peter F. Stevens, a former superintendent of The Citadel. 'Shanks' Evans, whose brigade included the infantry regiment of the Holcombe Legion, regarded it as his best fighting unit. During Lee's 1862 campaign, the accomplished Stevens often led Evans' entire brigade on the many occasions when Evans was posted to the divisional level.

In his stories, Judson recalls training camps around Charleston, the battles of Malvern Hill, Rappahannock Station, Second Manassas, Lee's First Maryland Campaign, Kinston (NC), and Jackson (MS). In the summer of 1864, the Holcombe Legion was detailed to guard the Petersburg & Weldon Railroad and (luckily) was not with Evans' Brigade at the Battle of the Crater. However, Judson was captured while guarding the Stoney Creek (VA) station and bridge and sent to the infamous Elmyra (NY) Prison. Perhaps Judson's most interesting stories recount his tunnelling out of prison in October 1864 and his experiences of running, hiding, and working his way home by late May of 1865.

Gene Scruggs includes glimpses of the daily lives of his Spartanburg District ancestors as he fashions the war stories as if his great-grandfather was telling them to his grandchildren in nightly installations. This is a "good read" for anyone interested in this troubled time in American history.

It isn't how it is in the movies. Cops don't go around shooting people causing massive explosions and high body counts in their wakes - in fact killing someone can be a very traumatic experience for many police officers. "Twisted Obsession" is the story of one these cops, veteran and highly celebrated officer Jay Mundie, kills a man and is completely justified in his actions. Not wanting to burden the department with the psychological baggage, he pushes himself further... with disastrous mental results. "Twisted Obsession" is a deftly written and intriguing psychological thriller, and a must for any fan and community library fiction collections with a focus on police thrillers.

On the scale of evil Mark Kearney's book is off the charts. If you've been creeped out and yet at the same time fascinated by folks such as the BTK killer and Ed Gein, you're gonna LOVE Kearney's first novel. After you read this prepare to watch over your shoulder for a long, long time to come. Can't wait to see what horrors Mark Kearney's second novel will reveal.

Twisted Obsession, is about a police officer who while on a domestic call has to shoot a man. The affects of this shooting send Officer Jay Mundie on a roller coaster ride of emotions. He has been cleared by the state police and found that the shoot was justifiable. But the shooting of Moe Jackson, awakens an evil in Jay that the town of Cutler, VA is not ready for. The lead investigator in the recent rash of murders in and around Cutler is beginning to suspect that it could possibly be a police officer that is doing the killings. Are his hunches correct? Can he find out who it is before more murders occur? You will have to read the book to find out.

Twisted Obsession is Mark Kearney's debut novel. He is an up and coming crime thriller author who, if he continues to write this way, may find himself being compared to Patricia Cornwell.

Mark Kearney's debut novel will have you looking over your shoulder and keeping the lights on as you sleep. The intriguing plot line will evoke memories of Stephen King's early works as the main character descends into darkness and evil after a police shootout. With the twist at the end, it will have you thinking of Hannibal Lector. And like "Silence of the Lambs", I am sure readers will be anticipating Kearney's sequel... This is a book that is hard to put down!

Italy in not as renowned as other countries, such as France, for its pastry making. Nor can a good collection of Italian pastry recipes be found. This is quite unfortunate, as Italian bakeries are home to many different kinds of wonderful pastries.

This cookbook offers absolutely the best Italian pastry recipes available. Each recipe is authentic and delicious. The author has done her best to simplify the art of pastry making, so good results are likely with each recipe.

I recommend this cookbook to any pastry lover. It is a treasure chest of hidden treasures.

The best Italian Desserts book I have come across in 50 years. Very authentic

This is the best pastry book I have ever come across. It is now in second printing and can be obtained from the author. Great Great book and reasonably priced.

The recipes in this book are as close to the Italian desserts made in Italy as any other book. The taste of the finished product is superb and it is so easy to read and prepare the recipes. Some of the recipes are to die for. The book is out of print but I understand you can contact the author to get one at vdefendorf@yahoo.com

This is a charming book that adds to the wealth of knowledge the author has about sheep herding and Border Collies. Anyone who loves McCaig's books will want to read this one.

This small book was purchased as a gift for a young lady who wants a dog. She thoroughly enjoyed Donald McCaig's wonderful prose. Any "dog person" will appreciate this delightful story.

Donald McCaig is a fine writer, especially when he writes about those four-legged creatures he knows and loves so well. A wonderful book to have and to give.

You will treasure this little book, keeping it close at hand to read and reread these wonderful stories.

The fifth grade teachers at my school have used this book for a "read aloud" for several years. It has adventure, sympathetic characters, and action. The kids love it and the historical context helps them understand the challenges the Jamestown settlers faced as well as the havoc that they wrecked on the Native American population. It has been a great way to launch our unit on colonial America.

This hard-to-put down book tells the story of Rob, an English orphan, who is kidnapped and sold as an indentured servant to a cruel Tobacco farmer in colonial Virginia. The story is so well-paced and action-packed you don't even realize you're learning quite a bit about American history as you tear through the pages. An excellent choice for summer reading!

This hard-to-put down book tells the story of Rob, an English orphan, who is kidnapped and sold as an indentured servant to a cruel Tobacco farmer in colonial Virginia. The story is so well-paced and action-packed you don't even realize you're learning quite a bit about American history as you tear through the pages. An excellent choice for summer reading!

Virginia Bound is a great story! It grabs you quickly and makes you care about the characters. It's got suspense and adventure and hard hard decisions for the main character to make. Rob's choice ends up making this a book with an important moral, but rather than the book lecturing or seeming saccharine, it shows Rob's dilemma and his decision as part of his growing up-- just the kind of thing that makes kids feel grown up themselves.

This book is also amazing in the way it depicts the history-- not one bit boring, the author brings the time and place alive with amazing details she's gleaned from the best research on Virginia. Who knew that to grow tobacco people had to hoe dirt up over their leg until it reached their knee, jerk their foot out of the pile, and put the plant in that hole? Any kid who reads this book will know a whole lot more about hard labor, hard times, and the complicated history of the beginnings of our country than most adults do...and they won't even realize they're being taught.

One last note...don't think this is just for boys-- there's a strong female character to match Rob, and girls will enjoy her skill, courage, and intelligence.