Virginia Books

Despite the mixed review from Booklist, I would argue that this book is excellent at doing what it does. Brackett is an excellent writer, and her descriptions are vivid and thorough. Of course any book about literature is subjective. This one, however, does just what it claims to do.

Finely detailed in research and detailed photos of an oten overlooked period of American furniture.

Between 1910 and 1930, one million people moved into the coal fields of central Appalachia. The biggest concentration of the half of them who were African Americans moved into West Virginia's southwestern counties, especially McDowell county where my mother was born a Black miner's daughter. Yet, when folk think of West Virginia and the Appalachians, these Black folk are ignored or forgotten. When people think of the battles of the coal miner's union, they neglect the question of Black folk. Likewise, to understand African American history properly, it is important to understand the struggles and life experience of such significant sections of the black proletariat like these Black miners, the Black autoworkers of Detroit, or the Black steel workers of Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Chicago.

Trotter provides an exhaustive study of the whole process of Black proletarians moving to West Virginia's coal fields, the construction of Black communities, and the lives of African Americans in the mining camps and mining towns. He presents a very good picture of the conflicting forces involved including the mine owners and the state and local governments they controlled, white American and immigrant miners, the bureaucrats who ran the UMWA, as well as the black middle class that grew up in West Virginia.

What interests me is the way he shows that the mine companies increased segregation and racism in West Virginia in an attempt to stem the unity of Black miners with white miners in the many battles that took place over unionization. He is also quite good at showing that the rising African American middle class came to serve the interests of the mine owners and the white ruling class in attempting to dampen the militancy of Black miners on both the working class and black rights fronts.

What is interesting is the glimpses Trotter gives of the potential power of Black miners in West Virgnia. He gives one instance where an African American was lynched were hundreds of Black miners marched on the coal camp where the lynching took place.

It is unfortunate that his study ends in 1930 so he does not cover the successful battles in the 1930s by the UMWA that organized many of these miners and provided one of the basis for the mass organizing campaigns of the CIO.

This book is very near and dear to my heart as I am a descendant of R.M. Ward. I grew up hearing these stories and I also knew the author Richard Chase who was a family friend. I went to sleep almost every night with one of the Jack Tales as my bed time story and always asked for" just one more daddy". I am glad that this book is still in print so that I might pass on these beloved stories to my two children in hopes that they will in turn pass them on to their children. These "Tall Tales" will keep your children asking for "just one more".

This paperback textbook was required for a college course. Since I could purchase a new copy of the book for over $20 less than the college bookstore was selling it for and I wanted to get it as quickly as possible, I paid the extra $20 for overnight delivery. The book came the next day, as promised, was packed well and arrived in excellent condition. Plus, even with the extra shipping charge, I came out ahead of the game.

Hello Stanley I have a RAY.O.VAV Hunter LANTERN and all I want to do is to find out how old it is. If I give you the Patten # could you find out how old it is for me.

HERE IS THE PATTEN # U.S.PAT.D.173423

This is the most useful guide to collectable china that I have found. It is not only an exhaustive reference guide to Homer Laughlin's "Virginia Rose", but provides much information about other types of china as well. This book provides details and information that you can't find elsewhere.

Well researched, well written. A fascinating read and reference if you're into colonial history.

While Brock's prose can be a bit stuffy by contemporary standards, this is still a seminal work in the field of architectural history and well worth review and ownership. The photographs by Francis Benjamin Johnston are hauntingly beautiful and are the standard by which architecture photographs are still judged today. Published in a limited edition by the Dale Press in Richmond VA 1930.

When I was telling a friend that I'd recently purchased a home in Norfolk, he smiled at me and said, "I bet you bought a house in Colonial Place!" In response, I asked him, "Yes, you're right, but how'd you know?"

"Easy," he replied. "Anyone who loves old houses as much as you do just wouldn't feel comfortable in any other neighborhood."

And it was soon after my new husband and I moved into our 1920s home in Colonial Place, that another friend gave us this book as a housewarming gift. The quality of this hardcover book and the clarity of its photos are remarkable and the sheer quantity of the archival photos is beyond remarkable!

If you're just an old soul (like me) who loves to look at photos that tell the story of a bygone era, you'll cherish this book.

"Colonial Place and Riverview" is an interesting read and something no resident of Norfolk should be without. The Riverview/Colonial Place neighborhoods have a rich and fascinating history and it's *wonderful* that the books' authors took the time (and effort and expense) to create a permanent written record of this rich history.

Although the book's title suggests it's primarily of regional interest, I'd think every resident of Virginia would enjoy reading more about this historic neighborhood on the East Coast of the Commonwealth.