Virginia Books

I hope they do a reprint of this book, as there are a few errors in it. As my family is included in book. My family & I bought this book for $25, and it shows a price of 150.00 . I cannot understand why...Please let me know, as it is a great book, and the inaccurate info can be re-written, (like spelling names of my first name, and sisters son's name...just to note a few.
It is a remarkable book, that I am proud to be a part of.

The book was fine and I would have loved it if it had turned out that this was my family. I must keep searching.

This book is a wonderful resource of information for my genealogical research of my family. This book covers the immigration of the Lewis family from Ireland in the early 1700's and the early settlement of Virginia. I enjoy it immensely and reference it often.

This book is just what you're looking for if your family line goes back to John Lewis. Plenty of information and great pictures.

This is a great book for teachers and Christians to read! I really enjoyed the different perspectives that the two voices shared.

This is an excelent book for all people all ages.Mrs.Whited I am so happy for you,and I hope that you continue to suceed with your writing and teaching.

Parents, students, future educators, and Christians should all grab a copy of this book. I thought it was a very insightful book into a world in which we tend to overlook. Very few people realize the impact that educators have on our children and the challenges that face them.

I was unable to put the book down. This book gives a new perspective on educators and the hard, thankless job they perform day in and day out. Now throw in the fact they are Christian educators with an even higher responsibility! Wow, you just have to read it to understand.

The 2 voices speak loud and clear.

You must own this book. It will open your eyes and change your heart.

I agree that great men have been neglected in the overtures of history, such as General Lewis.However, he is intered at East Hill Cemetary just above downtown Salem, VA.

I really enjoyed this book after searching for it for years! The General was one of my ancestors. My Gr. Grandmother was Samantha Lewis Westfall. It was a well researched book. However, the General's burial is in Hampton W. Va. As a small child I used to put flowers on his grave. This is near Buckhannon W.Va. I feel the same way that Johnson does, that so many greats were ignored while too much attention was paid to George Washington. General Lewis was at the very least, equal to Washington during and before the revolutionary way. A great book for history buffs!

I really enjoyed this book after searching for it for years! The General was one of my ancestors. My Gr. Grandmother was Samantha Lewis Westfall. It was a well researched book. However, the General's burial is in Hampton W. Va. As a small child I used to put flowers on his grave. This is near Buckhannon W.Va. I feel the same way that Johnson does, that so many greats were ignored while too much attention was paid to George Washington. General Lewis was at the very least, equal to Washington during and before the revolutionary way. A great book for history buffs!

I really enjoyed this book after searching for it for years! The General was one of my ancestors. My Gr. Grandmother was Samantha Lewis Westfall. It was a well researched book. However, the General's burial is in Hampton W. Va. As a small child I used to put flowers on his grave. This is near Buckhannon W.Va. I feel the same way that Johnson does, that so many greats were ignored while too much attention was paid to George Washington. General Lewis was at the very least, equal to Washington during and before the revolutionary way. A great book for history buffs!

Ivan Bunin is a great writer. And as for the readers, reading his stories and enjoying them are a mark of achievement. As you read his stories fierce chill pierces through you simultaneously as grand pictures fill your imaginations.

Bunin is one of the most brilliant Russian writers of the early 20th century. His short stories express more in a couple of pages than most novels do in hundreds. It is poetry in prose.

In the meditation entitled "Night," Bunin's unnamed narrator says: "Why did God choose to brand me so deeply with wonderment, thought and `wisdom', and why is that fatal mark constantly growing inside me?" Although the voice is abstract, I think it works as a description of Bunin himself. He wasbclearly a man with (again in his own words) "the capacity to feel with a singular intensity ... not only their own identities but those of other people...." And although he may feel that his capacity is somehow unusual, he does a remarkable job of imagining (or is it projection?) that capacity in others. Everybody, he says somewhere (although I can't put my finger on it), has a story that deserves to be told.

In his introduction, David Richards calls Bunin "egocentric." In context I think I know what it means, but it's an odd choice of words and I suspect misleading. Conceded that Bunin is not a "social" novelist in the sense that Tolstoi is, nor a dramatist like Dostoevsky: his metier is, indeed, the minute attention to feelings. In some sense I suppose these feelings are "his own," but in some sense, every artist's feelings are "his own." Perhaps closer to the mark to suggest that at some level every one of us is an egocentric, and that Bunin may be able to capture the egocentricity in all of us.

Caution: Bunin won a Nobel Prize, but don't be misled into disappointment. He's a fine and rewarding writer, but not better than several others who did not win the prize, the award of which inevitably has more to do with politics than with intrinsic merit.

No wonder he won the Nobel Prize! Four hauntingly magnificent short stories, all but the third with death as the end. Or maybe not the end, but the raison d'etre of the story. "The Gentleman from San Francisco" almost half the book, translated rather badly, I suspect, in the version I read, by D. H. Lawrence; "Gentle Breathing", an incredibly subtle story; "Kasimir Stanislavatch", and "Son". In each, he takes the human tragedy and contrasts it with beautiful nature. His detail is remarkable. The stories are all short, plots not intricate or even eventful, but he manages to make each one simply live and breathe and have being. It rather reminds me of all Russian writers; they're all so tragic. What is it about being a Russian? And nobody remembers him as they do Chekhov, or Tolstoy. I wonder why. Perhaps his volume of writing was not large enough.

General George H. Thomas was a Southern born Union officer who commanded the outstanding Army of the Cumberland and he was one of the great generals of the American Civil War. In military circles he will forever be known as "The Rock of Chickamauga". However today, for a number of reasons, he is relatively unknown to the American public.

Any author writing a biography of George Thomas is faced with a major hurdle in that most of Thomas' private papers were burned at his request when he died, and the fact that he died suddenly of a stoke soon after the Civil War which left no chance for a memoir. The author addressed these problems by relentlessly researching every collection of Thomas Papers available and reviewing as many private letters that he could. Other authors may have done this also, and used them to influence their writing, but Mr. Christopher Einolf has done more. He quotes from the Thomas letters giving the reader a glimpse of the real Thomas.

The author uses an understated writing style that I think would have been appreciated by Thomas himself. He lets the facts speak for themselves in many cases and lets his readers draw their own conclusions. However he is not shy about sharing any new understanding of Thomas that he has reached. His description of how Thomas' attitude about blacks changed, from one of a conventional Virginia land owner to a real Civil Rights advocate and that this change came not so much as an evolutionary process but more of a `frame-break' moment after the Battle of Nashville when he saw for himself how well his black troops fought, gives us a new major insight into the man. This view came as a revelation for me as I never agreed with some early Thomas biographers who assumed Thomas had some innate goodness in him that would not allow him to treat blacks unequally. With his aristocratic Virginia upbringing, it did not make any sense. To me Mr. Einolf's analysis rings true.

The author's battle descriptions and analyses are very good with the notable exception of the Battle of Chattanooga. He basically subscribes to the standard `miracle theory' or to luck, as he has the soldiers saying, for the great success at Missionary Ridge. He states that `military historians' say the artillery was badly placed, and that the Union soldiers could scurry up the ravines unseen by enemy soldiers. This may be true, but the author misses the point that the prime factor in winning the battle was the effort of General Joseph Hooker and the fact that Thomas delayed his attack as long as he could to allow Hooker time to flank the ridge from Lookout Mountain. Confederate veterans on high ground and in good defensive positions would ordinarily not have been worried about any Federal charge, but with the added knowledge that a Union Corps was marching across their line of retreat, they decided it was time to skedaddle. That aside, the author's description of Stones River, Chickamauga, Nashville and the other battles is very good and his conclusions are astute.

Mr. Einolf's chapters on Thomas' post war actions and decisions during the occupation and the early reconstruction periods are given the detail they deserve. The author shows how Thomas had a unique perspective on the situation due to his being a Southern gentleman, a Unionist and knowing first hand the qualities of the black men who fought for their freedom. These two chapters really differentiate this book from other Thomas biographies.

In his concluding chapter entitled "Thomas in Historical Memory" Mr. Einolf goes into the reasons for loss of Thomas' place in history. This makes for very interesting reading especially in what he has to say about the Southern Historical Society. While I personally think he is too mild with regard to Generals U. S. Grant and William T. Sherman in their treatment of General Thomas during the war and later in their memoirs which contributed to the loss of George Thomas in history, Mr. Einolf's opinion on this matter has merit.

Overall this biography is excellent and a very creditable addition to the literature on the American Civil War.

Anyone who is mildly interested in history should read this biography. Mr. Einolf has thoroughly researched George Thomas and while providing an extensive account of his life, he has managed to create a work that is entertaining. Civil War buffs should enjoy this work as it shares an interesting and valid view of loyalties to fellow man and country.

In reading about the Civil War, I was intrigued by the story of Union General George Henry Thomas. How fortunate that Christopher J. Einolf recently published George Thomas: Virginian for the Union. This book does much to introduce 21st Century readers to this once famous general who has pretty much dropped off the radar screen.

The background of George Thomas is very similar to Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Coming from a prominent Virginia family, Thomas went to West Point, served in the Mexican and Indian Wars, and then taught at West Point. But unlike Lee, when the Civil War began, Thomas placed his oath to the Constitution above his loyalty to his family and his state and sided with the Union. He never saw his homestead or his sisters again.

While both armies had more than a few eccentric characters in key leadership positions (think Grant, Sherman, Stonewall Jackson, McClellan, J.E.B. Stuart, etc.), Thomas proved to be one of the most steady, consistent but understated generals during the Civil War. His friend and West Point roommate, William Tecumseh Sherman said of Thomas that "He was never brilliant, but always cool, reliable, and steady--maybe a little slow." After the war, Sherman praised Thomas as "the second-best general of the war, after Grant, and argued that Thomas was a better general even than Robert E. Lee."
His greatest successes were at the Battle of Chickamauga and the Battle of Nashville. His actions at Chickamauga helped to save the Union army from total annihilation and earned him the nickname, The Rock of Chickamauga. He finished the Civil War as the sixth highest ranking general in the Union army behind Grant, Sherman, Halleck, Mead and Sheridan.

While I found George Thomas: Virginian for the Union to be engrossing, it's very long on military information and short on personal facts. The reasons for this are the same reasons that Thomas is not very well known today. First, he had all his personal papers burned upon his death and he rarely spoke to his colleagues about his personal life. He never published his memoirs, unlike many of the key players from the war. He also was the first general to die after the war at the young age of 53 (in 1870). Three friends wrote biographies of Thomas after his death and respected his wish for privacy. This book doesn't even contain a photograph of his wife, Frances. Frances was also a very private person, and they had no children. While I would have preferred more personal information, I can't hold it against Einolf is very little is available to researchers.
But despite this shortcoming, George Thomas is still an excellent book and one that I would strongly recommend to others.

Volume 13 of the "Campaigns and Commanders" series, George Thomas: Virginian for the Union is the in-depth biography of one of the Union's most prominent and successful generals, who was at one time considered for overall command of the Union Army. Remembered today as the "Rock of Chickamauga", George H. Thomas was a slaveholding Southerner who chose to fight for the North, and his experience with the heroism of black soldiers on the battlefield forever changed his view of African-Americans, transforming him into a defender of civil rights. While George Thomas: Virginian for the Union makes a solid case for Thomas' integrity and competence, neither are Thomas' flaws and ill decisions neglected. Notes, a bibliography, and an index enhance this evenhanded appraisal of a truly remarkable commander.

I openned this book expecting to read a story about a house and how it was built. I was surprised, and impressed, to discover that what went on as Mt. Vernon took form was far more interesting than I had expected. This is not so much a book about a house as it is the story of how George Washington related to the slaves on whom he relied to execute his architecture. In other words, the story here reverberates far beyond the boundaries of the plantation. It went to the heart of the republic, and it goes to the heart of this nation. Slavery is encoded in our national DNA (sorry, Jefferson). The Dalzells make it clear that it is also mortared in the wood and plaster (cut and painted to look like stone) of our national edifice. Are you tormented, or at least intrigued, that a slaveowner could style himself father of a republic dedicated to freedom? Maybe Washington was, too. Find out. Visit Mt. Vernon, and do it by reading this book.

Knowing Professor Dalzell and Mrs. Dalzell personally, I was incredibly curious to see how they blended the two seemingly connected but perhaps contrasting topics of George Washington and his home. Essentially, they were connected very successfully. The entire history of the home itself is told vividly with photographs, anecdotes, and objective descriptions of its development. Following, Washington's own personal, military, and political history is told in light of the times, and in the book's shining ability, in relation to the home itself. The Dalzell's cleverly-melded arguments and discussions leads the reader to a full knowledge of Mt. Vernon and its inspiring owner.

For an Architect practicing in any era since Monticello was built, it has always been easy to enter into Jefferson's process--to commune with the models and the methods he sat down with as he designed (time and again) the house that he built as a monument to his ideas and his place in history. In part, this has been because he planned and drew much as we do today. We have the drawings. We know (and can quickly avert our eyes from) the form of labor. We can hold these two-dimensional maps up to the brilliant artifact, and be satisfied, with ourselves, that we have made a connection to the past. Mount Vernon, however, has had to wait for the Dalzells to read, for us, the full and fully three-dimensional process of its becoming. This beautifully written book brings to George Washington's home, a context of meaning and National symbolism that time and distance had almost obliterated. The book is a restoration project: and as such, it is a key compliment to the preservation work so ably executed over the years by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. I heartily recommend this book to architects (amateur and professional), their clients (who may find comfort in learning that building has always been a trial), architectural historians, or anyone at all who is curious about the faithfulness of our democracy to the designs of one of its primary draftsmen.

Mount Vernon was both architecturally innovative and a true mirror of Washington's feelings and mind. He never wrote an autobiography and his diaries consist largely of farm accounts, but in Mount Vernon, the authors write, "he produced a text from which it is possible to coax a remarkably full sense of his political convictions and of how, over time, they changed." The book, George Washington's Mount Vernon, combines the public and the private sides of his life and uses the combination to enrich our understanding of both.

This is by far the best and most definitive biography of George Washington to date. Meticulously researched with extensive and interesting footnotes, it is a must for anyone looking for an accurate account of this amazing man's life. I have read hundreds of books on Washington and this one is at the top of my list. The author won a Pulitzer Prize for this one and it is well deserved.

THE definitive biography of our first president. Freeman can only be faulted for providing too much detail. If you really desire to find out about George Washington, read this book. It should be required study material for contemporary, so called historians.

Ok well I read this book for the first time, and I can say confidently that Freeman must've known Washington personally. The detail in which Freeman goes into does not leave the reader questioning anything about Washington. Everything is there in the book!! A must read for the lovers of history!

Volumes 3, 4, & 5 are the essential bedrock of any respectable American's library -- the starting point from which any serious investigation of the American Revolution commences -- there is only one word to describe Freeman's achievement -- SUPERB -- to fault Freeman for his detail suggests the mind of an adolescent seeking easy crib notes for a school paper -- the footnotes (relegated to back pages of less scholarly histories) tempt the reader down little-trodden paths of historical investigation leading to new & fascinating insights -- it is the detail and Freeman's lean transcendent prose that make the difference in comparison to the abridgement -- for any American with an interest in our history -- how independence was wrested from defeat by the sheer will perserverence & determination of one man -- a man who refused to be cowed or mentally defeated by the world's great superpower or by even more insidious enemies -- those selfish conservatives who wished to find common cause with Britain to return to the status quo & maintain their perogatives without risk of loss -- how Washington overcame all odds despite the obstinate stupidity of Congress -- the incompetence of state legislatures & governors (including Jefferson) as well as the greedy selfishness & studied indifference of the propertied classes -- these volumes describe Washington's monumental achievement -- but the biography does not concern itself solely with the man himself but also with that dedicated band of true-believers inspired by his example -- some of modest talents -- some of great -- and some who proved unable to keep the faith -- but most important of all it descibes the achievements possible what a great leader can achieve with an army of starving ragamuffins & scarecrow refugees, the refuse of colonial society, unmarried men of small means representing all races, nations, & ages (& not a few women as well) bound together by hope for a better future (based on promises Congress failed to keep) and their undying love & respect for Washington -- volumes 3, 4, 5 represent the essential core of classical American history -- books I'd want along if I were marooned on a desert island -- these volumes are nothing less than the prose outline of an AMERICAN ILIAD.

This short biography of the author's childhood is a wonderful coming of age story in the harsh mining environment of Southern West Virginia, and is somewhat similar to "Crum", a fictional novel by Lee Maynard. This remembering and re-telling of the youthful thoughts, fears and emotions is incredible, as is his vivid portrayal of the harsh lives of the coal mining families. This needs to be required reading in West Virginia schools.

Here's a sample: "About 90 of the registered Democrats had to be paid with cash or liquor before they would come to the polls and vote. But, they were honest. Once you bought them, they stayed all day, refusing to sell out to the opposing side even at a higher price. It was a matter of honor."
Despite the sterotypical portrayal of West Virginians, I embrace my WV heritage. Andrew Chafin is one of the reasons why. He exemplifies the inherent creativity, dry wit, intuition, determination, and intelligence that characterize many Appalachians. His memoir is a fun and enlightening read. I highly recommend it.

AN EXCELLENT STORY! REQUIRED READING FOR MY ENTIRE FAMILY! SHOULD BE ON EVERY BOOKSHELF IN AMERICA! Growing Up in Bloody Mingo was a joy to read. I couldn't put it down. This coming-of-age story set in the West Virginian Mountains of the 1950's offers the reader both an enjoyable read and a lesson in history. I was impressed by the originality of the story, the unique characters, and the author's honest portrayal of adolescence in America. I laughed myself to tears as I read about the adventures of the main character, but I have also obtained a newfound respect and admiration for West Virginains, especailly the brave and proud coal miners that suffered so our nation could prosper. Growing Up in Bloody Mingo awakens the childhood and high school memories that lie dormant in all Americans, regardless of age.
If I could compare this book to any other, it reminds me somewhat of Stand by Me.

This is the best book I have read in months!

I have read and studied the Hatfield and McCoy Feud for years. This is a great companion book to anyone wishing to learn more about the Hatfield and McCoys. It offers a unique perspective on both the people involved and the land where it occured. This is not a history book of facts and figures, but a well-told story of warmth and pride.

The author, a descendant of the Hatfields, has bathed the mountains of his boyhood home with pride, and restored the unfortunate suffering image of the West Virginian.

I think this book is now A Falcon Guide HIKING VIRGINIA by local
hikers Bill & Mary Burnham. ISBN 0-7627-2747-0. HIGHLY RECOMMEND also.
I also have the Hike Pennsylvania (Hike America Series)too. GREAT BOOK.
Hikes in order of region and close proximity (great for planning)
Hike Specs, how to get there, Hike Miles and Directions to the 1/10th of mile.
Trail Map overlaid on TopoMap. Elevation Graph in verical and horizontal measurements.

In my opinion this is the best hiking book for Virginia. The trail guides are accurate and provide great information. I originally borrowed this book from the Library and then had a hard time finding this book online for sale, eventually discovered that this book is now under the title of "Hiking Virginia" and is published by Falcon.

Terrific book! Not only does it provide all the necessities for hiking in Virginia, it also provides a great deal of entertainment. Anyone considering braving the wilds of the Old Dominion shouldn't be without this book. The authors assembled everything a person needs to know about hiking the state. I was dumbfounded by the volume of information provided including: nearby lodgings for those nights before (or after) a trek, trail maps, things to watch for and things to avoid. Novice and experienced hikers will get value from this book.

Most suprisingly, I found it a really funny read! The authors have a great sense of humor and the anecdotes they share will tickle you. I found myself wanting to hike some of the trails they cover just to see where some of these events took place!

Overall, a great book - they obviously love hiking and their enthusiasm for it rubs off. Fortunately, they couple it with sage guidance.

Everything, and we're talking every last thing, you will want or need to know about hiking in Virginia. Comprehensive, yet does not overwhelm with information. This feature owes a great deal to the editorial layout. The pages themselves are aesthetically pleasing, with beautiful photos and interesting sidebars, and information is easy to find. No digging through indexes and tables of contents and flipping through endless chapters to find trail information. You can give it a quick read and get all the essentials, or take a little bit more time and peruse the more in-depth accounts of the trails (which are delightful, by the way).

A special recommendation for including some of the more out-of-the-way and unique hiking destinations (such as the Eastern Virginia shore points, and the Southwest Highlands). I want to Hike Virginia!

This guide leads hikers on some of the best trails along the Parkway. As a summer resident of the area I have been hiking the area for several years and I still learned from this guide. As a biologist, I particularly liked the coverage of plants and animals of the area.

As an avid hiker, I struggle to find detailed maps and descriptions of hikes. My time is limited, so I love to find out exactly what to expect on a hike before I begin. "Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway" has become my primary reference to discovering new hikes that are easy to find. It is very evident that Mr. Johnson has hiked all of the trails because of the great details such as "don't get sucked down the old trail... bear right to reach the junction with two signs."

I know how easy to take a wrong turn on hike, so such details are very helpful. However, my favorite part of the book are the detailed topo maps. When I set out on a hike from the book, I make a copy of the desription and map to take with me. I refer to the map a lot (to avoid those wrong turns!). The mileage log in the back of the book gives a great mile-by-mile account of the Parkway.

There are many amazing hikes along the Parkway. Don't miss them!

As someone who lives near and regularly hikes trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway, I commend Randy Johnson's excellent "Hiking The Blue Ridge Parkway." First, I love the author's dedication . . .

To past and present Appalachian families - the people who know how much you have to love the mountains to make a living there. And to the men and women of the Blue Ridge Parkway - who help the rest of us appreciate why it's worth the effort.

It shows the author's love, and indeed respect, for the region he so ably writes about.

As a guide, the book features 72 maps, the great majority of them, 68 by my count, being detailed topographic maps that will satisfy even the most serious hikers. The author has included a topo map for virtually every hike, something that is fairly unprecedented in this book genre. I've never understood how you can have a trail guide that expects people to read a trail description without a map to look at. The book also includes lots of good photos.

I appreciate the fact that the author provides broad cultural, geographic and historical overviews aimed not only at educating the reader about the region but also at explaining how to craft a hike to match the hiker's interests.

The mileage log in the rear of the book also provides travel information and observations that make this back-of-book section almost worthy of a separate guidebook itself.

Moreover, the author not only covers trails along the Parkway but also trails near the Parkway. The summit of Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak in the Eastern United States, for example, is five miles off the Parkway, but thankfully the author covers the beautiful trails there. The book also includes the region's only truly urban hike, Asheville's Urban Trail.

Between the book's overall introduction, its maps and photos, and the travel-oriented introductions to the different sections of the Parkway, this book truly lives up to the claim in the book's subtitle, "The Ultimate Guide to America's Most Popular Scenic Roadway."

No wonder best-selling author Robert Morgan, who hails from this region, and Blue Ridge Parkway author Harley Jolley, both quoted on the cover, say this is the guide book to buy. If I had been able, I would have given this book six stars.

As a child, I first hiked trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway with my father more than 40 years ago, and over the decades I've continued to return with a sense of awe at the area's spectacular beauty and rich seasonal variety. But what has been lacking for all of that time is a trail guide that mixes knowledgeable commentary and accurate descriptions with good topographical maps and photos. "Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway," which I picked up just last week on the way to the mountains, now fills that void in exemplary fashion.

I've hiked a good many of the trails, but I was surprised and pleased to see that there are many that I've not yet tried-and now plan to experience. I can attest that my favorite hikes are described very accurately, with historical and geographical commentary that gives me a new appreciation for some of the places I thought I knew quite well. Details such as the topo maps, elevation gains, difficulty levels, and key-points lists really open up the trails for both beginners and experienced hikers. A 38-page Parkway mileage log at the back of the book is a handy reference for trails, facilities, and resources. I'm sure that this book will accompany thousands of hikers who want to get the most out of their Blue Ridge Parkway hiking experiences.