Virginia Books

Excellant book. I borrowed it from the library a couple of years back and thought so much of it that I wanted to purchase a copy for my personnal library. A very insightful look into the lifes of Robert E. Lee's daughters and their lifes.

Anyone interested in Robert E. Lee the man, will be delighted with the insights into his family provided by author Coulling. Lee was an exceptional leader, but his role as a father was even more revealing of his loving nature and the nuances of his personality. In my opinion, this book does a lot to demystify Lee. I do not see him as such a complex and mysterious individual as some historians have labeled him. His consistency is especially evident in this chronicle of family life.

Apart from Lee, the book focuses extensively on the lives of the daughters. Each daughter is portrayed as a complete person, and their individuality is celebrated. One can learn quite a bit about Mary Lee the mother, too, and even the grandparents who were so deeply loved by the girls. The sons are not ignored, either.

There is an overcast of sadness about the story, at least I felt a little sad, because they did have a difficult life. It's true that the Lee family was prominent in society and certainly they can be seen as privileged, but these privileges carry their own burden.

I highly recommend The Lee Girls to all those who want to escape to the past for awhile and enter into the Lee household.

The book was a wonderful view into the life of Robert E. Lee's family as well as perfect picture of what the social, educational and family scene was in the mid 1800's. The dairies of family members allow us to picture their journey through life with intimate detail. The book points out the closeness of family, as well as the lost art of letter writing, as our society has progressed from pen and paper to e:mail and instant messages.

This book is a well written and very well documented account of the four Lee daughters. Most of us are aware of the generals and battles of the Civil War. This book gives an insightful look into the lives of women during this time period. The author gives us an accurate account of the attitudes and behaviors of the time even when they are not currently acceptable. She also portrays the individuals in a very balanced manner. You realize that aside from being a prominent military family they are also a loving family with the struggles and triumphs all families share.

The Lee Girls by biographer Mary P. Coulling is the informed and informative story of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's four daughters: Mary Custis Lee; Eleanor Agnes Lee; Mildred Childe Lee; and Anne Carter Lee. Diaries, letters, paintings, and other contemporary records were utilized as primary source materials upon which to base an bibliographically historically accurate narrative of these women's lives through girlhood, the horror of war, and the era of reconciliation and rebuilding. A truly excellent and well balanced chronicle, The Lee Girls is a welcome and highly recommended addition to American Regional History, Civil War Studies, and Reconstruction Era Studies collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Photograph, by Virginia Ellis, was such an amazing story! I hardly put it down until I was finished with it. The story had so many twists and turns; most books you can predict the outcome so early on. I always would think that I knew what was coming next and then found myself shocked. It also seemed kind of realistic for the time period, with all the women supporting the war and the conservativeness of society. At the same time it was really difficult to accept everything that happened to Maddy, and I felt really sorry for her to have to go through all of that.

I really enjoyed this book! I finished it quickly (2 days). It dealt with some pretty heavy subjects such as war and rape, but I thought that Ellis kept it very "readable". It wasn't depressing like a lot of books written about those subjects can be. I read her previous book The Wedding Dress and enjoyed that as well. The way Ellis writes makes you believe that you are really in the era that she is writing about. This takes place during World War II, and although I wasn't alive at the time, I certainly could envision the world at that time through her writings. She really draws you in with the characters, and you feel as if you really know them and have a vested interest in what happens to them. I thought that this was well written and definately worth reading.

On the advice of a friend I read this book. I was very glad I did. The story takes place during WWII when Maddie and her sister-in-law Ruth move to Miami to be closer to Ruth's husband before he departs for war. Although they intend to be in Miami for just a short period of time, a tragedy happens and they continue to live there until after the war.

The author is very gifted at developing people who you genuinely grow to love. Ruth and Maddie are finely drawn characters, as are Tully, Jack, Davey, the Silers, and even Maddie's mother. Ellis also does a great job at telling a good story. This one has it all: heartbreak, loss, fear, motherhood, love, friendship and family.

She also does a very credible job of making us feel that we are present during WWII and we can understand the hardships, uncertainties and deprivations that the main characters are going through. I also found it interesting how close Maddie and Ruth became and how loyal they were to each other.

Whatever your reading interests are, I am sure you will be charmed by this sweet and unassuming book.

December 7, 1941. The day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and the day Maddy Marshall turned seventeen. Maddy had lived a relatively quiet small town life in Radley, Pennsylvania, until now. Suddenly her fiancé has announced that he has joined the Navy and is leaving. Her brother Davey had joined the Marines previously and is getting ready for Paris Island. So all within one week Maddy is left with her mother, Davey's wife (Ruth), and heartache ... until that fateful letter arrives and Maddy's life changes forever.

Miami brings a whole new world to Maddy and Ruth. It also changes their lives. As these two sisters of the heart find themselves in trials they never dreamed of, their bong grows stronger. But will one fateful night, down at the pier, and the photograph be too much for the sisters as they wait for their men to come home?

***** Romance, intrigue, and heartfelt bonds set the stage for this wonderful saga that brought me into the world of these two women. Author Virginia Ellis has a way of bringing a time long gone to life again. I definitely loved this book. If you are looking for a good heartfelt book to help pass the winter away, then pick this one! *****

Reviewed by K. Blair

After just recently finishing 'The Wedding Dress' and being only somewhat pleased with it, I was a little reluctant to pick this up, but I'm soooo glad I did. This is an excellent story of two girls and their struggles with life, war, and family.

Taking place during WWII, Maddy and Ruth (Maddy's brother Davey's wife) head down to Miami to spend what little time they have left with Davey before he ships out. He sets them up at a friends parents house, the Silers. There are a bunch of great characters in this book, too many to name, but in short, a terrible thing happens to Maddy, and her and Ruth must stick together to sooth each others fears and concerns. And there is of course the photograph, a picture of a group of them taken the night before the boys depart. Only Ruth can see it, but it shows whats happening to each person in it, so the girls cling to it as their only hope to know the truth behind what the war's doing to the one's they love

Told from the alternating view point of both girls, this book is very hard to put down. I very highly recommend this read, especially if you like war period romantic type books. Don't get me wrong, this is NOT a romance novel, but the whole story has a romantic feel about it. I was very pleased, and feel much better about picking up another one of this authors books in the future.

David L. Thompson's River of Memories: An Appalachian Boyhood is a walk back in time for Appalachians in general and West Virginians in particular.

Having grown up in an area just a few miles from David and only a few years later, I was filled with nostalgia, as I recalled the simpler times from some fifty years ago.

He showed us a scared little boy being wheeled off to surgery. I felt every bit of his trepidation, but had to laugh when I pictured his wide, fearful eyes on their way to the operating room.

I cried when he drew me into the deep respect for a mother who had always demonstrated the love and caring of the mothers of yesteryear. As we witnessed her family mourning her passing into the arms of God, I had to set the book down and weep.

For a feel-good read of a wholesome, stirring book, full of laughter and tears, I can think of no other I would recommend more highly than River of Memories: An Appalachian Boyhood.

I have just spent the day enjoying River of Memories An Appalachian Boyhood. It has taken me to a world I knew little of, growing up at the same time in West Virginia in very different circumstances.

What an engaginging and wonderful way to preserve the past!

This is a well written account of country life in West Virginia in the 40 and 50's.I could not put it down!
BeBe Beatty

I really enjoyed David Thompson's book River of Memories. I to grew up in WV and his words brought back visions from my own childhood. This is just a good read to escape from the everyday stress and hassles and return to a time when we valued family more than the materialisms we strive for today.

There once was actually a time and a place that the author David Thompson talks about; but I used to think that it was only in our collective dreams from the old movies of the 1950's. He captures a part of Americana that is forever lost and is no more. He takes us through his early life leading up to his tour in Vietnam much like a river flowing through our heart. It is a well written account of not just what it was like but how it felt to be a young boy of the "Baby Boom Generation" in West Virginia.

This book is not about war or its aftermath but about the human spirit and the values that make us and define who we are. This is a treasure of unique experiences and feelings. It is a pleasure and a joy to read.

MWSA's 2004 Gold Medal Award for Non-Fiction Personal Memoirs

The following are some of the comments I have received regarding River of Memories:

As I read well into Saturday night, I had the feeling you were actually writing about MY childhood. The winters, the one-room school, the stream, the grapevine swing (Snap! Thud! you lost your breath, and your body met the ground) and the challenges we faced but were so content, well fed, and happy we didn't realize how strong we would become because we learned that mountains were there to "go over, around or tunnel through." (Ginger Davis)

I bought a copy of your book at long last. I read it today. I really enjoyed it!!! You did a great job. Patrick was really talking up your book at our last meeting this spring. Mary Williams, one of our writing classmates, died last week. She, too, was looking forward to reading your book. (Brenda Beatty)

I wanted to share with you the inspiration I've had from the introduction of your book. I've many times mentioned that I should keep a journal for each of my girls with my view of things they do throughout their childhood. You statements in the introduction made me realize I should stop talking about it and do it before time slips away and they're no longer small children. (Che'rie Collins)

I have just completed your book, a gift from my daughter. It is a most enjoyable book, and you should take great pride in it. You capture our heritage and our humanness from crowning glory to warts. We live in a great corner of this world. Those of us, the senior generation, have been protected not by terrain but by culture, small enough to know and be known. (Jim Waugh)

While attending 'Festival of the Hills' in Ironton on Saturday, my wife and I visited your display and bought a copy of River of Memories. That next day, I took up temporary residence in our swing on our front porch and never ventured far from there until two thirds of your book had been read. It just wouldn't let me put it down! While my wife and I grew up in Waterloo, Lawrence County, Ohio, which is about as far north of Huntington as Bowen Creek is south, we both had a similar childhood as yours, but, you tell your stories much better. And, I'm sure others who have had the pleasure of reading your book can readily identify with it, too. Every little community had its unusual characters and an Emmitt and Lessie store. But, of all your stories, "Magnolias Forever" holds a special place for me. Your book is truly gratifying. Well done, David! (Duane Null)

Thank you for sharing your work with me and for using your talents to help preserve the culture and history of our state.
(Nick J. Rahall, II, Member of Congress)

Can't imagine any trip could be better than what you described in your book. Well done. "River of Memories" would make a great movie. You have shown how wonderful growing up in the '50s was for many. Laura wrote all her books (5 or 6) after she was 65 years old. Hope you keep writing. (Pat Phillips)

I finished your book last night. Please forgive me. I do not have your gift of expression in writing. I loved the book. What a wonderfully blessed life you have! Thank you so much. (Teresa Radcliff)

I absolutely loved this little book. I prefer this kind of personal reminiscing to works of fiction. I think what I loved most about it was the fact that your life in West Virginia, growing up was a bit similar to my own upbringing in Northwestern Nebraska. I also attended a one-room schoolhouse with an outhouse and a hand pump for water from 1st through 8th grade. Gee, it was fun! (Shelley Thorton-Roby)

Thank you for writing "River of Memories." I enjoyed, laughed (and cried a little). Many thanks for the memories. (Imogene Adkins Wilson)

I have read many books on Appalachian life, but yours was the best. I could actually see the house, smell the cooking, and hear you kids fighting and playing as I read the book. How lucky your family is to have all of this on paper to share for generations. (Debi Herbert)

I absolutely loved your book. You don't write...you paint a picture. (Jane Kolstad)

I finished your book last night. I read it in two sittings. It was the only book, other than the Bible I have read in years. I enjoyed it very much, and it touched on so many memories of my life. (Verlin J. Adkins, Jr.)

C. Vann Woodward's "The Strange Career of Jim Crow" remains one of the most important books written about post-Reconstruction Southern America. In the space of very few pages, Woodward brings to us the proposal that the assumptions we have all been making about Jim Crow laws and the development of segregation were all wrong from the very beginning. We are taught the lie from grade school forward that "that's just the way it always has been in the South." Not so, according to Woodward.

We learn very quickly when reading this book that not only were there three or four decades following the Civil War wherein there was virtually no major segregation in the South - but the conditions with regards to segregation and equal rights in the South were actually better than in the North for several decades as well.

The lies of a racist South and a desperate North (desperate to make a moral issue of something that they too were guilty of in trying to keep blacks from having equal rights) somehow stuck in the Southern psyche, and all along we've been thinking that people were racist because "that's all they knew." Woodward blows this theory out of the water, and exposes the truth about the post-Reconstruction South.

Not only was segregation not popular in the South in much of the late 19th Century, but blacks voted often. There was very good participation - enough to put a lot of blacks and Republicans in public office in the South - for a time. It was not until the 1870s that a gradual change began in the South. That change brought about the Jim Crow laws - changes that were unwelcome to all of humanity. Booker T. Washington believed that the South could not advance and still leave the blacks behind: Woodward came about a few decades later and showed us all just how right Washington really was.

C. Vann Woodward's "The Strange Career of Jim Crow" was the first major effort to analyze the segregation system in the American South. Appearing in 1955, the author's treatment of this institution refuted contemporary statements made by several public figures who argued that racial separation was an ancient phenomenon that would last indefinitely. Not so, argued Woodward, as he proceeded to prove that the South experienced a time after the Civil War when the two races often intermingled without widespread hostility on the part of southern whites. Woodward's book expresses the heartfelt belief that since segregation was a recent development, the possibility existed for the South to reject its separatist doctrine and eventually embrace integrationist principles. The first chapters deal with the period during and after Reconstruction, what Woodward refers to as the First Reconstruction, when the South grudgingly accepted conditions forced upon it by the North. The author argues that blacks in southern urban areas often lived side by side with white citizens, as well as rode in the same streetcars and dined in many of the same restaurants. There were exceptions to these incidents, but overall monolithic, legalized segregation measures simply did not exist.

One of the reasons for this lack of overarching segregation policies concerned southern politics in the post-Civil War South. The author outlines three political philosophies during the 1880s and 1890s that worked to capitalize upon black support. Southern liberalism went nowhere with its arguments that all citizens must have equal rights in all social spheres. Conservative southerners took a position between liberals and radical racists, arguing that in every society there existed superior and inferior elements. Obviously, conservatives claimed, blacks occupied an inferior position to whites. This did not mean that blacks should be treated harshly or denied privileges. The conservatives were paternalists and used the goodwill they earned from blacks to capture elective offices from the Redeemers. The conservative political philosophy collapsed when widespread corruption swept its proponents from office. The Populists, the last southern political structure Woodward discusses, also attempted an alliance with blacks. The movement was short lived, and with external pressures of the 1880s and 1890s such as economic depression and northern indifference to blacks, southerners blamed blacks for their social ills. Moreover, southern politicians weary of the years of malicious infighting decided to seek a measure of unification, and they achieved this fusion by blaming black voters for economic and political discord. It is at this time, writes the author, when segregation laws blossomed across the South.

The second section of the book deals with the emergence and consequences of what Woodward calls the Second Reconstruction. Starting during the Second World War and emerging fully during the 1950s and 1960s, this era of race relations saw increasing waves of attacks directed against Jim Crow in the South. The first maneuvers came from the White House, with Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman launching several initiatives aimed at integrating defense jobs and the armed services. The second wave came with a series of Supreme Court actions seeking to integrate the school systems. With action came reaction as the segregationists finally launched an offensive against Brown vs. The Board of Education when lower court judges in the South upheld the higher court's ruling. The resulting attempts to undercut the judgment by southern state governments coupled with periodic outbreaks of violence led to even more civil rights initiatives from the federal government. Kennedy proposed and Johnson pushed through Congress measures aimed at accelerating integration and restoring the black vote in the South. The Second Reconstruction ended after the riots of the 1960s in northern cities caused civil rights organizations to shift from a role of non-violence to militant black nationalism. Woodward's book concludes on a rather pessimistic note when he observes that black-white relations seem to be reverting to a new form of racial separation.

It is difficult to find problems with "The Strange Career of Jim Crow." The book was the first work to sum up the civil rights movement in the United States. Moreover, the author wrote a book broad enough to give historians plenty of material for further research, something scholars always appreciate. Even the form of the book, with its lack of footnotes and energetic style, is more of a plus than a minus. By writing a friendly, accessible treatment of the issue, Woodward managed to reach beyond the walls of academia and find a wide public audience. It is not difficult to imagine that many of the young people registering black voters or going on freedom rides could cite this book as a major influence in their decision to make a stand against segregation. As the afterword shows, even Martin Luther King, Jr read and quoted Woodward on occasion. Finally, the fact that this book has never gone out of print underscores its seminal influence on the country at large.

No book is immune to criticism, however. Woodward often fails to incorporate into his narrative what actions blacks took in response to segregation. This critique is not always valid: the author does cite a black newspaperman who toured the South in the late 1800s, along with several members of the Black Panther Party. But in several places the book needs some description of black agency, especially the chapter concerning southern politics. Woodward presents the black population in the 1880s and 1890s as a passive force palmed off from one white political faction to another. Are we to assume that black voters simply bowed their heads and acted the role of dupes to savvy white politicians? Perhaps many did due to a lack of education and a lingering submissiveness from the days of slavery, but there were people who attempted to participate in the system in order to earn their rights.

The most fascinating thing about this book is not just the particular events in history, or the misconceptions and myths that Woodward discusses, but rather how truly complex the issue of race is in America. Since emancipation, there has always been a struggle between and among whites and blacks to figure out how to understand each other and themselves, and how to occupy the same place. This history is indeed strange, and to have an idea of why race is still such an issue today, it helps to know how racism, segregation, and civil rights changed over time.

Woodward's book cautions us against taking simplified views that the South was always racist, and the North was not, and he begins by describing various accounts of life in the South right after the Civil War. According to Woodward, the venomous prejudice that sustained the Jim Crow laws decades later wasn't foreseeable at that time. Much of his explanation of the racist sentiment that so desired segregation is framed in the context of politics, and he tries to analyze many of the events he discusses in terms of political and economic pressures, as well as in terms of reactions to preceding actions.

If the Civil War is to be seen as a war for racial equality (and there are many other ways of seeing it), then it can easily be argued that it continues to this day. It is often most comforting to think of the wiping out of Native Americans, and then the enslavement of Africans as hideous scars that America carries in the past, while believing that America today is a different, tolerant place. But Jim Crow laws were a product of the twentieth century, and the racial tensions still exist in a very real way. Woodward's book, first published in 1955, and last revised in 1974, is still immensely relevant today, and reading it can only enhance your sense of American history.

I have the 1957 edition of the book, and so can't comment on the new chapter.
This is a fascinating book which should be read by anyone interested in racial issues, US history, or US politics.
The major surprise to me is Woodward's description, complete with many contemporary quotes, of a time in the late 1800's post-Reconstruction South where African Americans were treated largely equally with regard to public accomodations and voting. Segregation, then, was considered to be a "lower-class white attitude."
It wasn't until approximately 1900 that a very segregationist attitude came about in the South, largely as the result of the interplay of Republican, Democratic, and Progressive politics.
This is course gives the lie to assertion through much of the 1900's that de jure racial segregation was a time-honored part of Southern life, and there was no possible alternative.
Woodward then goes on to describe the depths to which Jim Crow legislation sank, describing the effect of African American migration within the country, World War II, how our segregationist policies hurt the US image abroad, and on to the beginnings of the civil rights movement, ending shortly after _Brown v. Board of Education_, well before the major civil rights events and legislation.
Fairly quick read, and a great book!

C. Vann Woodward's The Strange Career of Jim Crow is not only a fine introduction to its topic -- the segregationist period in the South -- but one of the most significant and influential books of its time.

Originally published in 1955 (by Oxford University Press), Professor Woodward's tome kicked off the Civil Rights era with a bang, debunking the ludicrous myth (and mantra among segregationists) that separation of the races had always existed in Southern life, and generally dissecting an ugly monstrosity which had come to be accepted simply as "the way things are." Ten years later, in a second revision which came just as the legal battle against segregation was almost won, Woodward added a wealth of information which helped finish the job of winning the people's hearts and minds: in the words of Robert Penn Warren, Woodward's work was "a witty, learned, and unsettling book. The depth of the unsettling becomes more obvious day by day; which is a way of saying that it is a book of permanent significance." And ten years later still, in this -- the third and final revision -- Woodward capped off the era with an examination of the more violent, less integrationist movements which arose after Watts, with leaders like Huey Newton, Eldridge Cleaver and Bobby Seale.

Woodward is an equal-opportunity myth-exploder. On the one hand, he demonstrates at great length that segregation was not a mere expression of racism, but in fact a complex and corrupt outworking of many political and economic interests in the impoverished, post-Reconstruction South. On the other hand, he also shows conclusively that segregation took time to develop: it was not, as its supporters claimed, the way things had always been, or even the way things had come to be immediately following the war, but had actually arisen thirty and even forty years later, with the removal of Northern troops, the disintegration of Republican influence, a national "taking up of the white man's burden" with regard to "colored" peoples abroad, and increasing economic distress which allowed successive Populists and Democrats to consolidate power by limiting white exposure to the threat of competing (and competitive) blacks. These things, combined with a series of Supreme Court rulings sanctioning segregation, produced a wicked stew which more modern readers found extremely unpalatable upon Woodward's closer examination.

Beyond these things, Woodward's treatment of the Jim Crow era itself, as well its demise, were and are excellent, and were especially provocative at the time of their writing. Based on a series of lectures delivered at the University of Virginia in 1954, the book is not annotated, and even in a third edition remains quite brief; yet it is thorough and engaging, and suffers only a bit for these points. In all, it remains not only an excellent history -- produced by one of America's finest scholars -- but also a key source document of its era, and is a very good read as well. It continues to be vital to a proper understanding of the South, as well as the whole misbegotten concept of "separate but equal."

The "Writings of Thomas Jefferson" is an outstanding book...

Not a classic book, though: it is a compilation of many of the letters that Thomas Jefferson wrote during his long life.

My only regret here, is that many of these letters, are reply to other letters.
And it would be great to have, in either the same book, or another books, the "Letters to Thomas Jefferson" to better understand the topic, the whole story! Ideally, and easy cross-reference would be available!

There are a few letters, that I especially recommend to my friends, but it is better if you find them on your own!

I hold Thomas Jefferson Writings in such esteem, that I offered several copies (four so far) to my friends.

Thomas Jefferson is also a great bridge between European and American philosophy, wisdom... or lack of it!

This book, should be on your bookshelf, next to:

Montesquieu "Spirits of Laws" (Also "Causes de la grandeur et du declin de l'empire romain")
Rousseau "Du contrat social"
John Locke "First and second treatises of tolerance"
Edward Gibbons "Fall and decline of the Roman Empire"
And a few more, "golden nuggets of knowledge of recent US/Europe history".

At approximately $10.00 I expected a little more material than this 32 page, index card size book, provided.

I have this book (I checked the IBSN#). It's 32 pages of quotes, and that's it. No papers, no index, etc. I think the other customer reviews are innacurate in that they are probably about an entirely different book.

So about *THIS* book, I love it. It's got the well-known quotes like "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." and lesser-known quotes like "When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."

It's not a scholarly work. It doesn't have citations to explain where the quotes came from, but it was exactly what I was looking for.

If you are a fan of Liberty, this book is a must buy.

I will never be able to write a suitable review for this book - the scope of what lies between it's covers is far too great to do justice to in a review, and I am vastly inadequate to the task in any event. So, the one I write today comes from the heart - as one of the "posterity" they speak of as they went forward in their remarkable undertaking. As one of those they "did it for."

The constructive writing of the "Articles of Confederation" was especially intriguing. The pesky issue of slavery presented an immediate and daunting problem early on within the erection of the articles of confederation. It forced an issue never dealt with before, from those educated, mostly wealthy men who would "free themselves from oppression" but had obviously never before seriously considered the oppression of others - or that it would present so large a problem in the overall picture of establishing Independence "for all". They struggled with it, agonized over it; and as can be imagined, could not agree over it. It was spell-binding to watch the process unfold - not from the pen of the "historian" but from the rapidly evolving mind of the Rebel himself - because no matter how you view it, these brilliant men were elitists within their own, considered themselves to be conceived in somewhat of a Royal Nature, too, while at the same time viewing the Crown itself as a symbol that could not longer be tolerated. The "free labor population" (Benjamin Franklin himself would have been categorized into this second group early in his career) presented essentially the same problem to them as did the slaves in the proportioning.

As a result, they found themselves dealing with their own consciences too, something that may have been a unique concept for most of them - an exercise much needed of themselves as they extended their own quest for Independence and found themselves having to deal with "all of us" into the bargain. They knew they would have only "one shot" at establishing the best of it; and amazingly they were honest and earnest in that Quest. (try that today with the political assortment we have now)

In the "republican legislature" and "revisal of the law" section of this original accounting, the struggle for the distinct separation of Church and State is one of the most important conquests ever undertaken; uprising from a birth in the human mind; and clearly demonstrates the chasm of thought processes that existed between Jefferson and other honest, though less broad-minded men who still clung to the "status quo" and did not possess the courage, judgment or the vision to want to support the concept which became a cornerstone of our Constitution.

The 'original papers' poignantly illuminate the intimate, internal working of the mind of Thomas Jefferson for the reader as nothing else can, something the "historical accounting" written by others somehow leaves wanting in the translation. To read the words straight from the mind and the pen of the "original", uncensored language, spelling, phrasing and all - is an experience anyone interested in keeping the torch of the Forefathers burning will enjoy.

This book highly recommended.

Mr. Jefferson was a brilliant man. I enjoy reading his works and appreciate this opportunity to gain insight into his logic and thought process as it evolved throughout his lifetime. His intellectualism and that eternal curiosity about his world place him head and shoulders above those men of his time. He bought Louisiana upon the suggestion of Thomas Paine and our nation spread westward as a result. He no doubt made major contributions towards the creation and founding of this nation. Thousands of accolades for his brilliance and achievements are in order. I'm not putting him on a pedestal, there was a dark side. He did own slaves. He was however in many ways morally and intellectually bound by the time he lived in. His thoughts regarding the mentality of slaves scream racism. His solution was to abolish slavery and export them back to Africa. He believed most would never fit in to American culture based on their resentments against enslavement and the racism they endured from white society at the time. His letters to American Indians in which he addressed them as "My Children" and assured them of his eternal blessings belied the fact that their lands were being taken away from them and they were being forced to be assimilated or slaughtered. He did not foresee the industrialization of America and wanted to leave manufacturing to the Europeans to preserve the American way of life. In short, Mr. Jefferson was all too human, who no doubt would be appalled at the antics of modern day Republicans and Democrats.

This is such a great series I wish the author had written more books!!! If you love History and Adventure this is an excellant series to read.
I've read and reread these books so many times and I still get drawn in at how beautifully it is written. DEFINETLY BUY THIS SERIES!!!!

I must say first, I enjoyed reading this book and could not put it down! The mystery and suspense was quite intriguing. If you will permit me to say so, although this book fulfills the reader's desire for thrill and excitement, it is the most unrealistic Civil War novel that I have ever read.

In particular, the characters Salina Hastings and Jeremy Barnes. Seemingly they are able to go everywhere and do everything, but traveling in those days was a major ordeal, and nothing to be planned in a few short hours. They are portrayed as entirely perfect in words and appearence, yet their actions and composure suit the modern public school teenager, not the gentle, modest character which was truly present in those days.

I found the historical events very accurate, though Salina's involvement was quite extraordinary for a girl of sixteen.

Word of Honnor is one of the best Civil War books that I have ever read. Salina is like every teenager girl her story just takes place in the 1800s. I really enjoyed reading a book that was so full of adventure and excitment.

The books in this series are absolutely incredible. The characters are very well developed, they are historically rich, and they are easy and fun to read. I read them until the covers were falling apart and I had parts of them memorized. I highly recommend them to anyone - even those who don't usually enjoy reading.

I enjoyed this book very much. The mystery/intrigue was well written and believable. It's a fun easy read..

"... contains a great deal of useful information on outdoor activities." Prodigy Travel Board

"Leonard Adkins has done it again! Clear, easy-to-read maps and crisp photos make the book visually interesting.... It's a must for anyone who loves to hike, bike or auto-tour in the Old Dominion." Charleston Daily Mail

"Virginia's 'something for everybody' is well revealed in Adkins' descriptions." Bon Voyage

"This is the ultimate guide to romantic weekend getaways." San Antonio Express

This highly detailed travel guide covers the entire state, from Virginia Beach to the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Great Dismal Swamp. All the best hikes, canoe trails, whitewater routes, from an author who has hiked the Appalachian Trail from start to finish three times! This is a book for all seasons, taking you from the sun-drenched shores in the summer to the ever-beautiful hills bathed in fall color to the snow-covered peaks that offer winter fun. Scenic drives are recommended, so you can catch the best of Virginia on film, if you wish. Places to stay and eat to suit all tastes and budgets. Sightseeing sections tell you of the best attractions.

This is the best book on the history of the Afrikaners despite its shortcommings. It is ironic that the policy of apartheid, which made Afrikaners a household name and a single Afrikaans word, a derogative international slogan, receives only 50 pages covering. In a timeline of their history this is befitting, although one might criticize it. Yet, one must also remember that Giliomee as sociologist published numerous books on the evils of apartheid. What is more dissapointing, is that he skipped a whole generation, who grew up on the renegate protest newspaper "Vrye Weekblad" and who rebelled with the rock music of the Voëlvry movement, his focus being too much on politicians and intellectuals.

This is a wonderful new full account of the Afrikaner people of South Africa. This narrative history ranges from the first Dutch settlements to the post-apartheid era. It covers the Great Trek, the Zulu Wars and gives special attention to the harsh treatment of the Afrikaners at the hands of the British during the Boer War, in which many were forced into the worlds first concentration camps. A very fluid history and one of the only books to focus on the history of the Afrikaners as a people and a culture. The author is an eminent South African Historian, and an original fighter against Apartheid, yet he argues passionately to explain the reasons the Afrikaners, their nationalists having come to power in 1948, choose apartheid over majority rule. Important leaders are revealed such as Mr. Smuts, Mr. Botha and Mr. De Klerk as well as insights into Mandela and Mbeki's rule. A must read for scholars of south Africa and those interested in Apartheid, its creation and consequences.

A wonderful book and the first of its kind to bring the Afrikaner historical experience up to date. From their beginnings as Dutch colonizers to their Brutal wars with the Zulu as they trekked northward to escape British imperialism. The Dutch of Africa became a hardened and embittered people. As they grew from a paltry group of colonists to become their own tribe, whose roots in S. Africa predate the migration of the Zulu, they also became hardened against those who wanted to crush them, namely the British and the more viscous of S. Africa natives. This book tells the tale of a people between two worlds, on one hand the African world of the Natives and the European of the imperialists. In the end the Afrikaans, being so numerous and having no country to call home could not simply move, the way so many whites did when fleeing black nationalism in Africa. The Afrikaners became victims of their own situation, although the first to suffer the horrors of the concentration camp, and although a poor and starving people in 1900 they grew to dominate S. Africa, and many opposed helping the English in WWII. A marvelous account that brings to life the history of the region this is a muct read for anyone interested in Africa, Aparthied or colonialism's consequences.

This fascinating book is subtitled, "Biography of a People," and it certainly lives up to it. The book follows the history of the Boers of South Africa, from their arrival in the seventeenth century, through to the final collapse of apartheid and beyond (the book having been published in 2003). Along the way, the reader is treated to an in-depth and yet highly readable history that makes South African history come alive in an exciting and highly informative way.

I must say, this book is nothing short of a tour de force! I have read several books on South Africa, and I must admit that I was at first intimidated by this book's size and appearance, which convinced me that it was a school book. But, while this book is eminently useful as a school book, it is still highly readable, making South Africa's history interesting. It covers many details without sounding dry and academic.

So, while I have read several books on South Africa's history, I can easily say that this is the best one that I have read so far. If you are interested in South Africa and the Boers, then this is the best book you can get on the subject. I give this book my highest recommendations!

Nog nooit het ek geskiedenis so pakkend ervaar nie. Die boek lees soos 'n roman wat jy net nie kan neersit nie. En dit laat allerhande vrae -- dit bly jou by. Lees dit!

I bought this book for my mom and she loves it! Especially, how identification is based on color. It makes it so much easier to determine the bird.

Excellent field or home guide, fits a lot of information into a small package. Includes many species not found in some other books. Organized by color, which is very helpful. Unlike many guides, this one also has images of both male and female, a valuable plus since coloring can vary greatly.

I bought the book "Birds of Ohio" because that's where I live. I really like using it because of the color coding used to find the bird identity and the great pictures. My son & daughter-in-law who recently moved to VA have lots of birds on their property so I looked for a similar book and found the authors had done one for VA. Because the pictures are so good, anyone can identify birds using it. My kids love it. It is a great book for the casual bird watcher.

Nice pictures on one page with the facts on the facing page. But contains only 140 of the 425 birds recorded found in Virginia. Too many missing birds for me.

very nice book, pictures of birds very good. i like how they have them separated by color makes it easy to look the birds up

Rhea - his trilogy was excellent but this book is exquisite and is highly recommended.

The author, Gordon Rhea, notes in the INTRODUCTION that "....books about privates are rare" and continues "None tell a story half as fascinating as that of Charles Whilden...." The text is a brief account of Whilden's life stating that his first forty years were characterized by mediocrity and failure. However, Whilden's brief fifteen minutes of glory came at the Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania Court House where he vividly demonstrated the capacity of an insignificant player "to alter the course of history."

Chapter 1 gives a short review of the 1864 strategic conditions in central Virginia which "By most estimates, 1864 loomed as the war's decisive year." In March 1864 President Lincoln made Grant commander-in-chief whose aim was the destruction of the Confederate armies, not to capture territory. The author observed "Thus the stage set for the Civil War's decisive campaign....The campaign would be a duel to the death between Grant and Lee, the best generals either side could field. The prize was the fate of two nations." Chapter 2 presents a concise account of pre-Civil War Charleston, S.C. stating the source of Charleston's wealth was rice and that the city's affluence "rested on the back of slaves." The author gives an interesting review of the area's concern about a slave rebellion and continues "As the Carolina Low country's slave population grew so grew the white minority's unease about servile insurrection."

After a unsuccessful brief career as a lawyer, Charles moved to Detroit where his lack of success continued to plague him.He left Detroit in 1855 and accompanied Colonel Grayson to Santa Fe, New Mexico as the colonel's personal secretary. In Santa Fe his mediocre success continued. When the Civil War commenced, Charles began the long trip home to Charleston. The ship he was on heading for the Carolina coast was badly damaged; and his health was compromised; for the rest of his life he suffered from epileptic seizures. In Charleston he tried to enlist a number of times; but due to his epilepsy he was unsuccessful in enlisting. By January 1864, Confederate manpower shortages were critical; and at age 39 Whilden was at last able to enlist as a private in Company I of the 1st Carolina at Orange Court House in February 1864.

Author Rhea uses Whilden and the 1st Carolina as the narrative vehicle for an interesting account of the battles of The Wilderness and at Spotsylvania. Whilden's unit was "destined to the worst of the campaign's carnage." Whilden received his baptism-under-fire on May 5 in the Battle of the Wilderness, had not run and was appointed as flag barrier when the flag barrier was wounded. Rhea observes "The post of flag bearer was important, not only for sentimental reasons but for practical ones as well." Charles career as a color barrier was off to a bad start as Union General Hancock troops overran Charles's unit. Only the last minute arrival of Confederate General Longstreet on May 6th saved the day. On the night of May 7-8 Grant's and Lee's armies moved south to the vicinity of Spotsylvania Court House where Lee erected sophisticated earthworks. The text briefly narrates Grant's fruitless efforts over the next three days to break through Lee's battlements.

Lee had erected a salient, nicknamed The Mule Shoe, and Grant had selected it for a massive attack by Union General Hancock on May 12. Union troops soon overran the pickets and the outer earthworks including the high ground, referred to as "the angle", to the Confederate left. The author gives a chilling account of the gruesome, bloody chaotic fighting as the Confederates fought to regain the angle and survive. Lee ordered General McGowan's brigade into the Mule Shoe. Charles, "still wracked by seizures" clearly understood the situation and fixing his eyes on the angle, carried the flag never expecting to reach the angle alive. When the flag was shot from its pole, Whilden wrapped the flag around his body. Behind him followed a "motley band of rebels." By ten o'clock in the morning Charles led his fellow Southerners to take over the Bloody Angle thus saving the battle for the Confederates. The butchery of May 12 was horrendous with the two armies suffering approximately seventeen thousand causalities. While Lee had won another battle, "the war in Virginia settled into a siege that would last ten months....but Grant had won the campaign, destroying the Army of Northern Virginia's offensive capacity."

His epilepsy making him unfit for service Charles returned to Charleston in August 1864 and was discharged after only eight months of duty. On September 25, 1866, during an epileptic seizure he fell facedown in a mud puddle, and drowned. While there are no monuments to Charles Whilden, his heroic action on May 12, 1864 at the Bloody Angle lives on as a tribute to the potential of an insignificant player who altered the course of Civil War history.

Gordon Rhea has done considerable research on the campaigns of 1864, having previously written several books on these campaigns. This is an easy book to read. Civil War buffs who want a brief/limited account of the battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court and a private who won his fifteen minutes of fame in 1864 at the Bloody Angle, will find this book interesting.

For anyone wanting to learn the specifics of two major battles between Grant and Lee, this book is excellent. I am always glad to see books that resist glorification by detailing the horrendous conditions of some of the most brutal fighting of the war, which is saying a lot. SPOILER--But the author couldn't resist talking about Whilden's actions as heroic and how the day was won for the Confederacy as if it were a truly noble outcome. Now look at it another way: if Whildon were shot down and the Rebels didn't have a rallying point to successfully rienforce the earthworks, then Grant would've plowed through, cutting Lee's army in half and most likely defeat them. With this outcome, you would not have had the endless series of massacres throughout central Virginia, no siege of Petersburg, no Cold Harbor. With the war over, you probably wouldn't have Atlanta and Colombia in ashes and the atrocity of Sherman's March. Just food for thought-Discuss...

A General or a Colonel certainly has the ability to alter the course of
history or make his name well-known to his countrymen through actions.
But does a common private lost within the ranks have the same ability?
Gordon Rhea answers this question brilliantly in this book about a
middle-aged Confederate private set amongst two of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
Charles Whilden went from obscurity to fame at a place called the
Bloody Angle, a key position on the battlefield of Spotsylvania Courthouse, where he carried a tattered battle flag in front of a desperate charge that eventually led to a Confederate victory and prolonged an already endless war. Without Whilden's heroics, the Confederates wouldn't have rallied for victory and would likely have been crushed, along with the Confederacy itself. Does this make Whilden a hero or a villain? After all, the 'victory' that he initiated was only short-lived, and only led to more death and destruction. This is one of the questions that may come across a reader's mind amidst the awe and respect for the common infantryman that develops over the course of this book.Another question is this: How many other Private Whilden's are there scattered about America's short, yet war-ridden, past? Was there a Private Whilden at San Juan Hill, or Iwo Jima, or Saratoga? Rhea's ability to shrink something as grand as war into something as familiar as a common man fighting for a cause has a way of reminding us that wars are not fought by generals. Not only that, but his descriptions of the two brutal campaigns of The Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse would make any Civil War buff foam at the mouth.
One man can change the course of history. This book will teach you
that if nothing else. But, more important, it also teaches that the common soldier, no matter what side he fights for, is driven by a courage that should at the very least be honored and always respected.

"Carrying the Flag" is a gem of a little book telling the story of an otherwise anonymous Confederate Private who found 15 minutes of fame in 15 hours of improbable glory. While Private Whilden's exploits at Spotsylvania's Bloody Angle were unique in their specifics, one can only imagine hundreds, if not thousands, of equally heroic deeds over the course of the war by similarly obscure infantrymen.

Private Whilden's battle experience was limited to the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. Accordingly, much of author Rhea's book details just how unexceptional Private Whilden was. The material, which seemingly holds little promise, in fact makes for an appealing window on the "middle class" antebellum South. In the end, if you can't applaud Private Whilden's take on the world and his place in it, you can surely understand it and, perhaps even applaud the depth of his commitment to it.

One of the most attractive features of the book, for me, is the compelling way in which Private Whilden's two battles unfold. There is the usual blood and gore, but more important, the narrative, complemented by just one map of each of the battlefields, is as clear as any I've read. The tactical story is the focus, but the operational and strategic context is cogently sketched in as well. Indeed, I would recommend the two battle sequences as among the best, most comprehensible short summaries of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania that I have read.

A very nice, very readable addition to the literature; highly recommended.