Virginia Books

The sequel to "Promise & Honor", and the second volume of a riveting trilogy, Honor & Glory continues author Kim Murphy's Civil War saga. Set in the aftermath of the battle of Fredericksburg, two armies wait for the spring campaign on the Rappahannock River banks. Two sisters are drawn into the war, their loyalties split - one betrothed to a Union major, while the other cannot forgive the Northern army that levelled her home. A momentous, sweeping, and emotional novel.

Kim Murphy's second Civil War novel, HONOR & GLORY, takes a roller coaster ride of a journey through smuggling, war prisons, battle wounds, sickness, childbirth, and other tests of endurance--while at the same time depicting the joys and hopes of both Northerners and Southerners who lived and loved during the turbulent time period.

The novel opens after the bloody Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862 and focuses on two Virginian sisters, Amanda and Alice, the former of whom has experienced both widowhood and a new marriage since the war's start. Alice, the younger sister, finds difficulty in accepting her new brother-in-law's background and position in the war--and falls for a former love interest of Amanda's. Despite the familial tension, the two women's relationship grows stronger as they themselves gain strength, shedding Victorian morals and delicacies to do their part in helping ailing soldiers...and to protect their own lives and properties as the war stretches to 1865.

Each central character experiences dark depths of anguish at some point in the novel, yet Murphy also portrays supreme moments of joy that help them persevere and rise above their physical and/or emotional pain. Alice especially stands out as an exceptional character, transforming from a frivolous young lady to a multilayered, heroic woman. And the novel offers one of the most heart-stopping escape scenes ever written.

Either read with its predecessor, PROMISE & HONOR, or standing alone, HONOR & GLORY is an entertaining and emotional example of historical fiction at its finest.

I very much enjoyed "Honor Thy Sister." I thought the author developed the characters well and kept a level of suspense throughout the book.

The ending was a real surprise! I thought I had an idea of how things would turn out, but I was way off - and really wowed!

"Honor Thy Sister" was an excellent follow-up to the author's first book "False Witness." However, each book could easily stand on its own.

This book was just as good as the first one. It's got mystery and drama, romance and comedy. I read it every chance I got and found it was hard to have to close the book and stop reading. Larry Buttram is a great author. His books are easy to read and hard to put down. I'm looking forward to the next one.

An amazing book. I couldn't put it down. Travel into remote areas of Appalachia with a country doctor who responds to the needs of people lacking running water, sanitation and basic health care. This doctor is sensitive, perceptive and learns from his patients who suffer from an array of common and uncommon afflictions. We should all be lucky enough to have a doctor like James Banks.

Without a doubt one of the most connecting books on West Virginia I have read. I was born and raised in Beaver, often a patient of Dr. Banks. The names and locations in his book are so easily recalled, along with the faces and memories of them.
For anyone from that area east of Beckley along New River and the Flat Top mountain area..a plus reading. I have purchased 10 to pass to family and friends as well as to my children.

I was simply charmed by this book. It manages to be thought-provoking, interesting, highly useful and poetic all at the same time. The ceremonies themselves are surprisingly original and moving. My wife and I used one recently to commemorate the passing of my father-in-law a year ago. We were tearful at first, laughing soon thereafter, and somehow made a little more whole by the end. The personal stories the authors tell are also well worth reading. Their warmth and wisdom come across beautifully. Highly recommended.

I had a copy of Ms. Lang and Ms. Nayer's earlier edition of HOW TO BURY A GOLDFISH, but a friend borrowed it and never gave it back. So I eagerly bought a new copy when this new Skinner edition came out, and it's better than before. The authors give charming insights into their lives and advice about how to celebrate all occasions. Burying a goldfish is one kind of ceremony; welcoming a newly adopted child is another. You should order two copies of this helpful enchanting book, because you'll be lending it to someone who won't part with it!

Excellent for my summer program! It should teach children to be proud to be from the state of Maine. It also teaches children to be proud of their heritage, no matter what it is. We have Coon cats visiting us at the library. I can't seem to find any information about the author and would like to know more about her, where she is from etc. We have other books by her and are certainly keeping them as I see they are out of print.

This childrens' book about the life of a sea-going Maine Coon Cat should be in the library of everybody who loves Maine Coons. Delightful illustrations and lovely story.

This was a great book! It is my all-time faveorite book, and I loved it! I take it out of the library all the time, and read it over and over again. I never get sick of it! Go Vriginia Vail!!

One of the best books I have ever read. I recommend this book to all horse lovers and non-horse lovers! Vail has done another outstanding job.

This interesting volume contains hundreds of images of West Virginia made during the time of the Civil War, and includes photographs, sketches made by soldiers, hand-drawn maps of battle fields and camps, and drawings that originally appeared in newspapers of the day. The book does not try to give a history of the war in the state, but rather arranges material by type of image: photographs, soldier art, civilian art, newspaper sketches, and broadsides. Some of the most intriguing items include the hand-drawn maps already mentioned (one by future President Rutherford B. Hayes), the lithographs of Corp. John Nep Roesler, and, of course, the many different photographs of everything from natural landmarks (Hawk's Nest) to regimental poses to towns and locations (Gauley Bridge, Harper's Ferry). There is not a lot of text other than captions accompanying the images, although there are some lengthy official documents thrown in. One particularly useful inclusion is a listing of all the battles, engagements, and skirmishes that took place in West Virginia during the war. Not an absolutely essential book to have in one's Civil War library, but what it does, it does well and in an interesting manner.

By reading the brief introduction one gains insight into the struggle that Terry Lowry and Stan Cohen endured during their research for this work. Had it not for their intro the reader might have come away believing poor quality reproductions were used in compiling data for this book. Many of the items used in this work were from private collections, some of which were too expensive or not open for publication by the authors. Given the cost of reproduction these days, mirrored with the advanced age of the material used, both authors have come together to put fort an excellent work involving the war in West Virginia.

Even though some of the images are fuzzy the presentation of the material lends itself as a valuable resource for the modern day historian. The book reads well and is actually quite durable for a paperback. It's traveled back and forth from home to Antietam National Battlefield, more specifically Bloody lane, and has stood the test of traversing the fields.
From "Secession" to "Carrying on the Memories" the book flows smoothly through the various transitions of the newly formed state, giving the reader an excellent account of the turmoil of becoming a state. Many actions in regards to statehood via images, sketches and maps are now seen in print for the first time.

With over 450 photographs, drawings, maps and images this book will fill the bill for many West Virginia historians. The authors even note that more material has been unearthed so the possibility remains for a Volume II on West Virginia. As it stands, this is a well-written and researched work on West Virginia and the authors have done a beautiful job in putting the material together in such an interesting manner. Whether you hail from West Virginia or California this book has interesting snippets involving the Civil War for everyone. I highly recommend this book to fellow enthusiasts and civil war Buffs alike.

My one year old son who has tons of books picked this one up at the libarary and we had to buy it! He absolutly loves it and has to hear it time and time again. I have it memorized!

Ba wants to play with George. George, like the typical busy parent, is too busy to play right away and needs to finish chores first. When George finally has time to play Ba surprises him with what he wants to play! A good life-lesson for us all! Super cute!

Hoskins' book is engaging and enjoyable for the history buff, although if your looking for a lot of politically correct pablum this book isn't for you because it deals with some subjects that aren't always understood. "In the Beginning..." is written in an easy to follow manner and covers ancient religions and characters, tying them in with the international trade cartel (ITC). Hoskins focuses on the teachings of Hinduism and how they influenced religious and international trade policies down to the present day. Overall it's an excellent and uncommon historical account.

For those who seek a greater understanding of global governance and the machinations of the International Trade Cartel, this book is a Must Read!

In it Hoskins displays a brilliant comparison to the Russia under Soviet rule and the feudal Russia of old - the names and faces were changed, but it remained the same with the near totality of the populace remaining mere serfs.

From the very start, Hoskins captivates your attention, with this opening passage:

"In the Holy Land during the Wars of the Crusades, crusaders defended a seaport being besieged by Muslims. The seige had lasted almost a year. The fighting had been violent, many had died.

Suddenly, trumpets sounded. Instantly the fighting stopped. A camel train appeared, one camel plodding along in front of the next - a long line stretching back into the distance. The Arab armies parted; the gates to the city opened, the drawbridges dropped. One after another, camel after camel - an endless chain of camels plodded into the city. Two thousand of them.

It was a smaller camel train, all that was left of 20,000 animals that had arrived at a terminal city inland and been divided into smaller trains and sent on to their final destinations. On the back of each animal rested a cargo so precious that it could have made a man rich for life - if he could but seize it. But few tried. Those who tried and failed were punished with a painful death.

Once in the city the camel drivers directed their charges through twisting, narrow streets down to the harbor. There their cargoes were off-loaded by sweating stevedores who re-loaded them on waiting Christian ships . . . As soon as the last ship had departed, the Saracen ships re-established their blockade, the camels departed, the gates closed, the drawbridge raised, and arrows began to fly and large rocks again were catapulted against enemies as the fighting recommenced."

This really is a very nice book, with fabulous photgraphy which makes the book worth every penny of its price. The book was written just before the admission of women to its school, and therefore focuses on it being an all male school.

One of the things I loved about this book is how contemporary it is. Normally when I have picked up books on military colleges, the author spends pages and pages going on about the schools hisotry and its early formation and those who were involved in it. A miniscule amount of time is spent looking at the lives of cadets and how the school is structured (such was the case with Drawing out the Man, a historical book by a VMI grad). Fortunetly this is not the case with the Institute. The book looks at the lives of Rats (first year cadets) as it is right now and their transitions through the school.

This book has also taught me how far VMI has come. VMI is not afraid of positive making positive changes. Unlike another somewhat infamous military college. VMI will shed some of it more archaic traditions in order to be welcoming to others (There were several shots of multi-ethnic cadets). The school has seemed to shed some of its old emphasis on worhipping the Confederate Old South. And has now turned into a school dedicated to educating young people and building them up with character and fortitude. Which in my eyes is what makes this school truly great and unique.

I am too old to attend VMI now, but if I could I would quickly enter.

Rah! Rah! VMI

This is a very impressive book. The photography is exceptional, and the reproduction of the images on these pages is of high quality. You can practically count the individual threads in the cadets' coatees. I was also pleased to find that the captions accompanying the photos tend to explain what's happening in them, or at least provide some sort of context to the images.

An explanation of the Ratline and the phenomenon of Rat year is an essential component of any book about VMI, and Geoffrey Norman's text does a fine job here, too. This book was produced with the cooperation of VMI itself, and that access shows in the detail and thoroughness with which the VMI experience is explained. It may well be true that nobody who hasn't been through the Ratline can ever truly understand it -- but within those limitations, I feel like I have a much better grasp of what is involved, and what it all means, than I did before.

Certainly this book would make a fine gift for a VMI alum, or something he (or she!) would like to get for themselves. VMI parents and friends would get a lot out of it too, as would students and parents thinking about attending the Institute. I've been doing what I can to find and read as many books about "the I" as possible, and so far this is one of the, or perhaps THE, very best. I don't see that evaluation changing any time soon