Virginia Books

The author, Virginia Fields has lovingly written her insights and inspirations that help seekers of any age find enlightenment and tread their spiritual path to God. After trying many years to study the original "Search for God" texts channeled by Edgar Cayce, I find "Beginning the Search" is not only easier to read, but more relevant to my spiritual needs. Each lesson or chapter in the book ends with spiritual growth activities the reader can use to integrate the teachings into his or her daily life. Individuals or groups who study this material will not only improve their lives, but will help change the world.

L.Kain, Garner, NC

Civilians do not fair well near Civil War armies, no matter which side they are on. Armies are voracious consumers of fences, chickens and the contents of smoke houses while producing large amounts of filth. Until now, no book has so completely explained what these statements means in personal terms. In 1860, Winchester is a growing town at the head of the lower Shenandoah Valley. Sitting astride the main roads with railroad connects to Harpers Ferry and surrounded by productive farms. The town contains numerous nice homes, shops, a hotel, a large market building and a brick courthouse. At the end of the war, the railroad is destroyed, most of the remaining town buildings are vacant or badly damaged and much of the population gone. Farming is only a memory; the surrounding area has no fences, few buildings and no crops in the fields.

Reading this book, you become a citizen of Winchester, subject to occupation, libration and all the problems this causes. Your fences become firewood. The family chickens become the armies' dinner. You fear arrest and suffer as Winchester declines. Your resisted the enemy by passing letters and information to your side when occupied by the enemy. You run into the street to welcome "your boys" and peeked through the curtains as the other side marches down the street. This is a very personal story of courageous women maintaining homes during the worst of times. The reader comes to identify with these women, admire them and wonder that they could endure.

This is not a history of the battles that take place around Winchester. It is a history of the impact these battles have on the town's people. Each battle is a combination of fear, rumor, noise, wounded, POWs and fleeing troops. If any fighting takes place within the town, it only adds to the confusion, increases fear and causes more damage. Each change of possession is a victory for some but a defeat for others. The author deftly maintains an ongoing account of both sides, chronicling their experiences as the town changes hands.

Winchester is the looser, no matter who is in charge. Arrest, release, exile beyond the lines or being allowed to return depends on current policy. Current policy depends on the shifting mood of the public, the chance of ending the war, the amount of bitterness among the participants and what happened when the "other side" last occupied the town. We see the change from the soft war policies of 1861 to the burning of Chambersburg in 1864, not in abstract but as real events resulting in more or less restrictions on the people.

Most of all this is a story of Southern resistance and defiance in the face of Northern occupation. The Southern women of Winchester fought the war just as much as their men did, exhibiting boundless courage and determination against the occupying army. However, they were Christians and while they never "loved their enemies"; they do care equally for the sick and wounded. The Union regiments come to understand this and a respect grows between them that in time may have save the town.

Richard Duncan has a very easy readable style that makes this an interesting and rewarding book. It will give the reader valuable insights into what the Civil War was like for the civilian population in occupied areas. Of special value is the Epilogue that chronicles the recovery process. Telling us how the citizens of Winchester became Americans once again, not an easy process with some rough spots in the road.

Those interested in the home front and civilian issues war must read this book. For the military student, this book details the issues involved in the occupation of Southern towns. Not as a history of guerrilla warfare but as the relationship between the military and civilian population. For those interested in 19th Century America this book allows us to see the steel beneath the hoop skirts.

The correspondence between Gibran and Haskell was so well documented that you feel a part of their unique relationship. They exchange so many huge ideas and beautiful thoughts. I found myself taking notes when I'd come across these clear, heart-jolting ideas. I felt at times like I was eating my favorite food or drinking my favorite drink. Enriching reading although Gibran's personal beliefs wander farther and farther from my own as his life progresses.

Full flavor traditional recipes. Full of wonderful anecdotes. The best lemon meringue pie recipe and egg nog recipe anywhere.

As Continental forces and Virginia militia units were engaged in winning independence, American quartermasters and provisioners struggled to provide these units with all the necessities of life, from meals and guns to meat, fodder for horses, the horses themselves, firewood, and every other type of material. Much of this was requisitioned from the civilian population and certificates were issued payable in either continental or state funds, depending on the units supplied, upon presentation to court authorities. Thousands of these certificates issued to Virginians were duly entered by the courts, and they provide a fascinating insight into the period of the Revolution. These "Publick" Claims booklets contain interesting and useful information about the contributions of ordinary people to the Revolutionary War. They provide some details of people's service in the militia or as guards for prisoners of war; they indicate where some bodies of troops were at particular times; and they identify providers of horses, wagons, cattle, grain, or other supplies. Much of the information in these booklets cannot be found anywhere else, which makes the surviving records particularly valuable. Also remarkable is the fact that records survived from virtually every county in the state at that time with the exception of the newly formed Kentucky counties. This makes the collection even more valuable in covering areas which heretofore in this time period have suffered from a lack of personal data. The "Virginia Publick Claims" are published by counties. In addition to a faithful transcription by Janice Luck Abercrombie and the late Richard Slatten, a complete index is provided for each county booklet. This series is an extremely important genealogical tool for searchers in Revolutionary-era materials.

This is a very enjoyable book. My daughter loved the surprise ending, and I liked the example of young girls with goals and dreams. A little taste of the woman's movement before there even was a woman's movement, too.

C. Brian Kelly and Ingrid Smyer have put together yet another volume in their short story collections series. This one is entitled,"Best Little Stories from Virginia." It's number seven in a series that covers such diverse topics as World War II, the White House, and the Wild West. Kelly and Smyer wrote this book in anticipation of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia. Published by Nashville based Cumberland House Publishing these books are a welcome addition to any library. I found this volume to be quite interesting. There is something about reading about the early days of our country that fascinates me personally. I urge all "History Buffs" that love "personal eyewitness history" to add this one to your book collection. The story about old "Route 5" towards the end of the volume makes for interesting reading too.

If you are of appalachian descent and you want to understand how you got the way you are; if you read Oxford magazine and are amazed that someone from your background can write great literature; if you are amazed that you left the country but the hills never left your soul, this is the book to start with to begin to understand yourself.

The food in this book is simply wonderful! It has a good selection of both Tidewater Virginia recipes and also of cuisine from the Shenandoah Valley and the mountains. I grew up eating a lot of these foods and this book describes how to prepare them in a way that is very easy to follow.

This is one of the best books I have ever seen on land use planning and growth management. It is filled with color photos of conventional(i.e. bad) development and its alternatives. The book provides great data and arguments for improving the quality of new development.