West Virginia Books

An interesting book of letters written by Lieutenant Theodore Laidley during the historic Mexican War.

"'Surrounded by Dangers of All Kinds': The Mexican War Letters of Lieutenant Theodore Laidley" is edited, with extensive commentary, by James M. McCaffrey. The book is Number 6 in the War and the Southwest Series. Spanning the years 1845 to 1848, these letters tell of Laidley's journey through Mexico as an ordnance officer in the U.S. Army. These letters combine with McCaffrey's illuminating commentary to tell a fascinating story.

Laidley and McCaffrey cover many topics: concern about disease, battlefield medicine, the impact of guerilla activity on the U.S. campaign, the importance of mail to the troops, the challenge in getting volunteer troops to reenlist, cultural sensitivity issues involving U.S. troop contact with Mexican civilians, and conflict among senior U.S. military officers. Laidley describes the reality of 19th century combat; he notes that "the horrors of war one can not understand until you have seen it." Particularly interesting are Laidley's observations on the Mexican land and people; he writes about climate, religion, architecture, agriculture, food, and language.

One thing I found quite striking about the book was how relevant many of McCaffrey's and Laidley's topics are to the U.S. operations that are going on in Iraq and Afghanistan at the time I write this review. Laidley's observations are full of interesting details. His voice is at times quite feisty, and his style is consistently very readable. Overall, this book offers a remarkable look at the U.S.-Mexican War.

You are about to embark on a journey to many places untouched by modern man, giving you a glimpse of the past mirrored with stories and brief histories of battles long since silenced by time. As you open this book you will be begin your Civil War trek at Manassas, stopping at the National Battlefield and it's museum. From there you will work counterclockwise around Virginia and West Virginia, through one historic site to the next, stopping sometimes at battlefields, other times at simple out-of-the-way museums or perhaps nothing more than a few relics ravaged by nature.

Each stop is clearly marked on easy-to-read maps accompanied by side notes or script detailing the historical significance of the stop. My particular favorite is the Harpers Ferry tour where the author gives an interesting overview of the town along with a brief account of how West Virginia became a state. Although one could spend days going over the surrounding historical sites the author does not drag you into detail after detail, but gives you a brief synopsis of what occurred. Coming from someone who has visited this site many times I've become very familiar with the back-roads and sights to see, and Mr. Johnson does a fine job in taking you around to many of those same areas. However, this book won't give you the detail you need to understand every site, but that can be obtained from the Harper's Ferry National Park visitor center, or by taking a ranger guided tour of the town.

By using this book the average reader will enjoy his journey into the past with stops along the way at several key historic areas. This is not a book for the well-read historian or a tactical study on terrain and warfare, but simply a good book for those mildly intrigued by the Civil War. It may serve to whet their appetite and further their desire for more research.

If you purchase this book and choose to go forth, your trek will take you to numerous battlefields, both small and large. It is my hope that you will leave with a better understanding of what took place during that bloody struggle we now call the Civil War. So, in finishing your journey you will find yourself as did Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, in a quiet little place known as Appomattox Court House. "This is a quiet reverent place, the spot where one country died and another was reborn."

Just like Johnson's book on Civil War Sites in the Carolinas, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Johnson's writing style is engaging without being simplistic and he takes the pains to write excellent directions to the many Civil War sites in both Virginias. Thankfully, he groups the many sites by geography instead of time frame.

While the better-known sites are covered (Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Wilderness, Chancellorsville, Richmond, Petersburg, both Bull Run battles, Appamattox, etc.), Johnson also covers lesser-known events (Saltville, Mine Run, Chantilly, etc.). Doing this gives the reader a better appreciation of the quantity of Civil War engagements in the area and also makes the reader aware of sites the typical person may miss.

All in all, an excellent and highly recommended read!

I enjoy historical narratives about turn of the century logging in West Virginia. Many texts cover the economic aspects of logging in terms of the timber processed. Other books detail the milling process or the lifestyle of the lumberjack in the WV wilderness. However, this is the first book I have encountered that describes the social ramifications of the logging industry in defining the WV culture. Ronald Lewis has opened up new discussions of how early steam technology impacted the remote lifestyles of West Virginia. This book gives a fresh viewpoint that is needed in re-evaluating the romanticized description of Appalachian lumbering in the last century.

The subtitle to this book is "Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia 1880 - 1920." The principle reason for the deeply-embedded poverty in Central Appalachia is the fact that the region continues to be a colony of industrial powers. Beginning in the mid-19th century, iron, coal, railroad, and timber companies teamed with national, state, and local politicians to exploit the natural resources -- coal and timber -- and the people of Central Appalachia. The result was devastation of a culture, destruction of a people, and destruction of the environment. And, I am incorrect to use the past tense -- clear-cutting of forests continues and "mountain-top removal" mining continue to destroy the culture, communities, and landscape of Central Appalachia. Lewis' book is an excellent description of what happens when politicians and industrial leaders join in league to exploit a region.

Note that this book deals with events of 1880 - 1920 -- so why is it important today? Because what was done to Central Appalachia in that period is being done to the rest of us today under the guise of "economic globalization." For example, the people of McDowell County, WV, are powerless in the face of Norfolk Southern (railroad company) because NS owns 85 percent of the land in the county. Just exactly what do you think will happen when "global" corporations own the factories, the minerals, and the workers? The experience of Appalachia with industrial and political exploitation is the same experience that awaits all of us under "economic globalization."

This book contans pictures, text and maps showing the location of and the trains that worked the logging railroads that penetrated the vast stands of hardwood lumber in the eastern part of the state of West Virginia.

You can still ride on one of them. The Cass Scenic Railroad climbs the mountain on switchbacks just like it did when they hauled timber down that same railroad. The book contains mostly black and white pictures, with a few in color in the very back. It also discusses the main types of logging locomotives, the Shay, the Heisler and the Climax. All were "geared locomotives" meaning that the pistons drove a driveshaft that was linked by gears to all the axles. They were slow, they made a lot of noise because the pistons moved faster than the train seemed to move due to the gearing.

The Elk River Coal and Lumber Co. Shays ususlly crossed the creeks with out the aid of bridges and the cover painting depicts one doing just that! Why bother to build bridges that you were going to abandon in a few months anyway?

I have been to Cass and ridden up the mountain behind a Shay and the pictures brought it all to life again.

The world will not see the likes of the mountain lumber railroads again and this book explains it very well.

There is one picture showing many acres of stacked hardwood in the edge of Rainelle, WVA in 1952 that you will not see the like of again.

Well researched and enjoyable 108 pages (6th printing 2000) full of terrific WV logging railroad photos and useful maps. Covers WV logging history and iron horses; Includes chapters with many photos on the railroad operations of: Mower Lumber Co - WV Pulp & Paper; Elk River Coal & Lumber Co. - W.M. Ritter Co. - Georgia Pacific; Meadow River Lumber Co.; Cherry River Boom & Lumber Co.; Ely-Thomas Lumber Co; plus stories on Pardee & Curtin Lumber Co., Moore-Keppel Co., Beech Mountain Railroad and other railroads including Buffalo Creek & Gauley RR and West Virginia & Pittsburgh RR. Great for research as well as a pleasant and entertaining memory trip.

This book is wonderful. Very informative, well written. I would like to see more on this company.

This book is an incredible resource for a collecter. Webster's passion for thorough research is evident as he weaves stories about WDC's history into a very practical price guide. He approaches the subject as a storyteller, researcher, curator, and glassware dealer. This reminds the reader of why we get into collecting in the first place; it goes beyond the object and into how the object came to be. Webster's book teaches us about why this glassware was made and encourages us to ask similar questions about the material world around us. He strikes a fine balance between the technical, practical, and personal aspects of telling the story of the Wheeling Decorating Company. This is a most impressive debut and I hope we will see more from this fine author.

Written by the son of one of the leaders of the Battle of Blair Mountain, this book is the REAL story of one of the nation's historic moments. The story follows the United Mine Workers from its birth to the fights to unionize mines in Mingo County, then to the 1921 Battle of Blair Mountain, the treason trial of battle leaders, their acquittal, the near death of the UMW, and finally to the rebirth of the labor unions under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
William C. Blizzard wrote the articles that make up the book in the 1940s and early 1950s, while many who figured prominently were still alive. Such a treasure of "real" history about such historic events.

A simply incredible book. The Columbia educated son of Blair Mountain hero Bill Blizzard wrote this in the early 1950s. It sat unpublished for over half a century while professional scholars wrote about the mine war and lamented the supposed lack of material on Blair Mountain(Shogan, Savage, Corbin...). This is the real deal written while Bill Blizzard was still alive. The appendix contains pictures and copies of documents that have never been seen by the public. The author is still alive(91) and can be seen on the History Channel special: Hillbilly The Real Story

Maybe I'm just biased because I love my sister so much (she is featured in this anthology) or because I'm very proud of my state, but I think this book is a great edition to any library.

By Mary Sue Kessell Rosen

Wild Sweet Notes Fifty Years of West Virginia Poetry 1950-1999 is a quintessential collection that depicts the sensibilities of West Virginians to their landscape and gets the reader thinking about what matters. This book reminds me of a choral group singing loud and clear, the kind you know has no pretense. The sounds are coming straight from the heart. Such sounds resonate throughout West Virginia. Many of the poems can be sentimental or confessional, but all the writing is accessible. Therefore, this first collection has been a tough act to follow.

However, Wild Sweet Notes II has an entirely different feel but is equally pleasing. "New voices" are striking thus creating a literary democracy in West Virginia. Both books tell me there are plenty of `serious' poets in West Virginia. Among the contributors in Wild Sweet Notes II are those with impressive academic credentials as many have had careers in education and/or are currently serving on college faculties. Other professions such as law and medicine are also represented, but in general, academic institutions are well positioned in this collection, including Marshall University, West Virginia State College, and West Virginia University.

The strength of Wild Sweet Notes II rests in the representation of a wide variety of forms and styles; therefore, it is an excellent reference to have in terms of understanding the expansiveness and flexibility the poetry genre offers. This collection as a whole, offers a lulling or lyrical quality, and also elusiveness. The reader can be motivated to analyze and "play" with interpretation and meaning. Elusive writing calls for re-reading and re-thinking or "critical thinking." Among the contributors, those with the rigors of academic training in writing and literature come through with clarity.

No doubt some readers who have the first edition will wish some of their favorite poets were represented in Wild Sweet Notes II. This is only natural, but the good part is that this edition celebrates more writers. For far too many years, Poet Laureates have come from the Northeast, but that is beginning to change. I sincerely think the nation is ready for a Poet Laureate from West Virginia. If Publisher's Place keeps the editions of Wild Sweet Notes coming with all new contributors for each publication, there will be well documented evidence that throughout West Virginia, there are large stakes in advancing poetry not only within the state but on a national level.

We must believe that among West Virginia's many natural resources are its gifted poets who address not only the rich heritage of the past but the needs of the present and our dreams for the future, not only for West Virginians but for people everywhere.

Bio
Mary Sue Kessell Rosen is on the writing faculty at The New School, New York City, and on the governing board at Pen and Brush, Inc. in New York City. She has authored a poetry book and contributes to small press publications. She was born and raised in Charleston, W.V., and is proud of her West Virginia roots.

I have been very happy with this field guide. I do not consider myself very strong with plant identification; however this manual is easy enough for the amateurs to use (like myself) while satisfying veterans of the botany world. Also you will receive a great bang for your dollar. Enjoy!!

The book came earlier than I expected and was a major help with the class that I am taking. It was reasonably priced especially since it was brand new. Thank you for the fast service and excellent product.

I was answering a question on askville and came across this cookbook. I had put it away and now am thankful that I came across it again. The recipes are all homecooking, not too difficult, even for the beginner.One section, that I really like, has great recipes for things like Apple Butter, Pickled Cabbage, a great Raisin sauce. This cookbook was given to me by my mother-in-law. I had best give her a call and thank her again.

This is an excellent book for students who are in, or who plan to enter AP US History. It's also excellent for History lovers.