Virginia Books

I wanted to read this book because of the family connection I have with it. My gg-grandfather was a member of the West Virginia 8th Mounted Infantry. As I read the book I realized I couldn't put it down. As Averell rushed to escape to the North, his decision to burn the Island Ford Bridge, my heart began to sink. For I now know what my gg-grandfather must have felt like to know that he was part of the rear guard that was left behind on the wrong side of the river. If you want interesting reading of a little known event in the history of the Civil War, then this book is for you.

I ordered this book hoping to learn more about my great-grandfather's regiment, which served under Averell in the Army of West Virginia. The excellent Order of Battle appendix told me right away that the 8th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry hadn't joined Averell's command by the time of this December 1863 raid, but that was my only disappointment. This is an easy reading, well documented story of a little known episode that shocked the Confederacy. More important, it is a gripping tale of men succeeding against the elements, and against overwhelming odds. Averell and his small brigade "marched, climbed, slid and swum" 355 miles through enemy held territory in the dead of winter, going without food and sleep, climbing mountains and crossing rivers, avoiding Confederates sent to intercept them, and striking the depot at Salem (today a suburb of Roanoke, Virginia) to threaten the lines of communication between Richmond and Knoxville. The book documents the extraordinary leadership and tenacity of Brigadier General William Averell, but it also highlights the streak of hesitancy that eventually caused Phil Sheridan to sack him during the Shenandoah Valley campaign of 1864 (in which my great-grandfather's regiment did take part). Abundant photographs and simple, readable maps complement the text and help bring the characters and the story to life. A truly good book, highly recommended for descendents of the Gray as well as the Blue, and for anyone else interested in the Civil War.

Excellent book which moved me beyond words.

With this book, Edmunds Bunkse (Professor of Geography at the University of Delaware) has produced both a moving autobiography, and a compelling account of humanistic geography. Bunske's life experiences and his professional projects are here intertwined, each motivating or informing the other. As an autobiography, this book offers an account of Bunkse's developing "geographic sensibilities" - or "knowing how to be in a place and how to find one's way about in geographic space" (13) - as these have been affected by experiencs of war, travel, parenthood. As a defense of humanistic geography, this book offers an account of how individuals' geographic sensibilities affect their understanding of and, more profoundly, their "orientation" in the world. This a geography of "heart and soul," wonderfully illustrated with the author's own life experiences.

Bunkse's choice of metaphor is apt. He links the practice of geography, and the development of geographic sensibility (which is nothing like geography education), with the humanistic concept of an "art of life." Humanists, certainly since Montaigne, have long upheld the view that each individual human life is like a work of art; each individual should be appreciated as a work of art is appreciated. Unfortunately, in many fields of study, such as geography, this humanistic perspective is overlooked. As Bunkse states, geography as a whole is generally lacking in humanity. Humans are present in geography, but not as complex and deep individuals. Bunske's book - and the work of other humanistic geographers such as Yi-Fu Tuan - attempt to redress the lack of humanity in the field. Bunkse achieves this by revealing the intimacy or depth with which he has experienced different environments (in both natural and urban settings), and the manner in which his imagination and experiences have informed each other.

Bunkse's book appears at a very propitious moment. Geographers are increasingly taking an interest in autobiography, or, more generally, the close study of individual lives. Hopefully, this broader interest in autobiography may promote more geographers to engage with humanistic thought.

All in all, this is a fine book. It is an enjoyable read, intelligent without being 'academic', and moving without any hint of sentimentalism.

Peter Rachleff writes this narrative of the Hormel Strike from the prospective of the common man. His unique vantage into the Labor movement is both intriguing and compelling. He breaks with the standard fodder of analyzing union structure and instead delves into the plight of the "every-man" (i.e. the rank-and-filer). Excellent.

Rachleff, labor historian who "studies the past because he is interested in the future", writes the perfect and much needed antidote to Barbara Koppel's Academy Award-winning documentary about the Hormel Strike, a film that cast the P-9ers and their supporters as "hapless victims" engaged in a hopeless cause. As an academic AND an activist who personally participated in this struggle and became the chair of the Twin Cities P-9 Support Committee, Rachleff succeeds in putting things into their proper historical perspective, describing the betrayal of a community by a formerly paternalistic family owned corporation (and a DFL governor) and a rank-and-file by their own international union, but most importantly, he inspires all working stiffs by showing union democracy in action and the potential of a movement that motivates family, friends, and workers from around the country. The final chapter outlines the positive lessons drawn from these experiences and gives hope for the future of the labor movement. This is a must read for any union member and anyone thinking that they need a union.

How could anyone not love this heartwarming novel. It takes you on journeys unimaginable, makes your mind race to figure out what will happen next. Lets you travel into the past where many things were previously left unexplained. Leaves you grateful that you have never suffered the losses this family did.

This book, which sounds more like fact than fiction, is an inspiring story of the human spirit which can endure so much.
Georgiana is the tale of the life of a child (through senior adulthood)who has endured one hardship after another and manages to still find beauty and meaning in life.
I'd like to see this book be made into a movie!!!

This book is more of a historical fiction type. It is about ghost encounters in the town of Fredericksburg. While the encounters are not of the authors own, he tells them as though they are.

I enjoy the supernatural. The thought of reading about real ghost encounters intrigued me very much.

The ghost encounters can get a little scary for some but it is an enjoyable read. I recommend this book for ages eight through adult.

The writers writing style was very interesting. He would do a couple of paragraphs of history on the house or tavern where the encounter took place. Then he would tell how it all started. L.B Taylor also included quotes of the homeowners and their experiences along with past homeowners. He also included what has happened to the house. One of my favorite ghost stories is one where the appeared a headless lady in blue. The community had no records of ghost encounters ever. One night there was a woman standing by her kitchen window doing dishes when she saw a headless lady dressed in blue nineteenth century clothing just kind of floating towards her. Then she just disappeared. At the same time someone else in that development was watching TV on his porch when she just appeared. She stood there standing there and even tough she had no head, she appeared to be staring at him. A minute later she floated through the wall and into the dining room and just disappeared.

One of the weaknesses of this book is that sometimes he will have more history in the ghost encounter than the actual experience of the ghost encounter.

I thought the book was very good and interesting. I enjoyed reading about the encounters and history of them.

The ghost encounters can get a little scary for some but it is an enjoyable read.I even got scared by some of them! I recommend this book for ages 8 through adult.

This book was and continues to be excellent. I have to admit I don't like to read very much. Im an audio visual learner and I like to watch movies or do the writting rather than read. These books I have been collecting by Mr. Taylor have turned me into a lover of reading. I would have to say this new book was excellent to me mainly because I have been in many of the areas mentioned in the book as I am from Richmond Va. (a near by environ.) I would love to assist in a future book by sharing some contacts for stories and even some of my own. Thanks, Jason Lacy

Delightful book that gives insight into what it might have been like for a boy to travel and move to Texas back in 1850. I was able to meet the author and can tell you her enthusiasm for her book is very catching and you can see the love that she has for each of her characters. I definitely recommend the book to younger children who enjoy true-to-life or historical adventures.

This is an excellent book that can easily be considered a classic in its style. The fact that the story is derived from a true story about a member of the author's family really draws you in and makes you wonder what the next chapter will bring. This is a real page turner. I hope the author decides to write another book that will tell us more about what happened to the slave boy. A++++++

Henry Wise is an interesting and enigmatic character in himself, but he is brought to life with brilliance by Dr. Simpson. This well written, scholarly work brings the person of Henry Wise into our lives as a real erson, and puts us into Wise's world. We realize the relationship between the "Good Southerner" and the other leaders who populated his world. It offers a fresh look at the period that must be seen as the most interesting and highly influential period. We anxiously await your next great volume, Dr. Simpson.

Professor Simpson's scholarship is an admirable feat. He provides an extensive biography of Henry A. Wise, and the politics of the union, with the purpose of asserting the supremacy of individual agency. Simpson's treatment of the John Brown raid, and the over laying psychology behind it, is of particular interest. The work's oratory and articulation is of the highest quality.

This is an indepth look into the life and times of a woman who was immensely talented. It is written by an author who obviously takes great pride in her subject and is quite thourough in her presentation of her subject. It would be a fascinating A&E special.

A wonderfully told and illustrated life sketch of the inimitable Gordon Conway, "That Red Head Gal". Conway is a little known, but extremely talented fashion artist and designer from the early 20th century (Worked 1916-1936). Those interested in 1920's fashion and design history should consider including this fine volume in their library today.

Good flow, really holds your interest. No extraneous information to read, right to the guts of the story. Very enjoyable....

Grand View presents a literary buffet in Wayman Redden's tale. Readers with eclectic tastes will enjoy the intermingling of mystery, romance, history, and intrigue. Perhaps as importantly, those who may not care for all of these genres will not feel bogged down in brushes with any of them. Who knows, Hancock may even convert them to the wonders of beyond their normal scope of reading.

This is my favorite book of the author's because he takes you across the landscape of the great Lee and Grant campaign of 1864 right up to the Petersburg siege. Here you see the less famous pictures of the long and ferocious campaign that decided the war. The author/photographer shows you pictures of river crossings, earth works, battlefields, albatis, historically significant homes and he often finds the exact locations in present time where he gives you a present day photo on the scene where the initial picture was originally shot. These reflective pictures give the historian the knowledge and ability to stand where that point of history was made. Excellent for those that follows the Civil War trails and who like to stand in those historic places. Also includes many pictures of Officers and staff that are famous and in some cases obscure. The healthy size book has a sprightly narrative that ties the pictures and events together to give the reader a quick reference to all the pictures as the campaign unfolds. Frassanito's work on Gettysburg is famous because he finds the exact location of historical pictures taken just days after the battle and corrects their location on the field through photographic research. This book steps into a less famous campaign compared to Gettysburg but it is a jewel as it covers the many months of campaigning creating a great visual appreciation of it making it a great guide to the decisive Lee and Grant campaign.

There are several photographs that are frequently used in documentaries describing the last year of the American Civil War in the Eastern Theater. One is a full length of Lee standing in his best uniform hat in his right hand staring at the camera. If you know the story behind the photograph, you can see the fatigue in his eyes but also his fiery eyes that his contemporaries often mentioned. The one of Grant shows him leaning against a tree with his right hand, a tent behind him and his left hand on his hip. This photo is often used in documentaries when Grant's doggedness (bordering on stubbornness) is mentioned.

This book describes these and many other photographs of this period of the war, some frequently used, many others less so. The history of each photograph is described in careful detail. For example, you can read here that the Lee photograph was taken on his back porch, within a week of his having surrendered his army to Grant, probably on April 16. Frassanito also indicates that this photograph is part of a series taken in one session including photographs with Lee's staff officer (and biographer) Walter Taylor and Lee's eldest son Custis Lee. The photograph of Grant was taken near Cold Harbor and is part of a series of photographs taken of several generals and their staffs.

Other frequently used photographs are of a wagon train leaving Petersburg (often erroneously associated with Lee's withdrawal from that city, the dead southern soldiers in Petersburg's trenches and Grant's headquarters at City Point, Virginia. Particularly interesting is the description of a series taken at Massaponax Baptist Church near the intersection of present-day route 1 and the road to the Spotsylvania battlefield. The pews had been taken out of the church to the yard and three photographs were taken of Grant, Meade and their staff officers while supply wagons rolled by in the background. Frassanito explains that Grant and Meade discuss a message brought by a cavalry officer in one photo, Grant writes a dispatch in the second and all relax in the third. Frassanito even identifies the message that Grant probably wrote while the photograph was taken.

As in his other books, Frassanito explains how many of the photographs were misidentified over the years. Further, Frassanito always indicates when he's making an educated guess and why he made that guess. However, these errors are not as dramatic as the instances covered in his "Gettysburg: A Journey in Time". But they do give you further insight to this period of the war.

Frassanito was an intelligence analyst during the Vietnam War and won the Bronze Star. I feel that only from a lot of practice analyzing photographs during the war could he have developed the skill needed to make the many insightful observations in his books.

I would recommend all of Frassanito's books to Civil War buffs, but this one in particular to those interested in the last year of the war, the period where Grant and Lee faced off against each other in Virginia.