Kentucky Books

Crystal Wilkinson's first collection of short stories is a feast for the senses, with imagery that lingers long after the stories end, and rich, finely drawn characters that invite you in to commune with the sisterhood that is black women, bringing to mind a kitchen filled with the tales of women's lives told as garden fresh vegetables cook on the stove. I will recommend this rising star to everyone I know!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book of short stories. Wilkinson has a great country dialect and appeal. She reminds me a great deal of another great short story writer, by the name of J. California Cooper. Her characters were real and compelling. Her first literary effort was great and definitely outstanding.

Ms. Wilkinson gave me the understanding and inspiration to complete my own work...hats off to this great author. I will forever cherish this book and I anxiously await her next project.

This collection of short stories is told in a wonderful voice that sounds both black and Appalachian, which is no surprise as the stories are set in small town Kentucky with mostly African American characters. There are some real knock-out stories including "Waiting for the Reaper" about how a woman's life is colored by how she's always expecting/wanting to die and be with her loved ones. "Peace of Mind" is a monologue during one afternoon while a woman tries to have some time to herself and gets called by her ex husband and her kids and camp at her best friend while her lemonade melts; "Tipping the Scales" is a novel-in-miniature.

Blackberries, Blackberries is a beautifully written collection of short stories that manage to bring both laughter and tears to the reader as awareness of the realness of the stories captures the heart and mind. The stories explore mother-daughter relationships, love, soul searching, desire, loss, servitude, adultery, violence, and always the struggle to know one's self through characters that leap off the page immersing the reader in their daily lives. Wilkinson's use of vernacular and descriptions provide a taste of Kentucky that is all at once welcoming, unique, refreshing, familiar, provocative, comforting and honest.

'The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice' is a phrase that is certainly applicable to the nectar that flows from Blackberries, Blackberries.

The short stories of this succulent read are rich, sweet and satisfying. Though the tales are short, they last forever in your memory. After each bite, you'll find yourself saying, "aahhh", "mmm", and other expressions that signify that your appetite has been quenched.

Blackberries, Blackberries is a collection of short stories of beautiful Black, southern women whose ages range from 8-80. Each woman is as uniqe as the tale she serves readers. The stories are creatively seasoned with wisdom, humor, romance, and other flavors that awaken your senses. Wilkinson arrests your attention with vivid scenes, animate characters, soothing sounds and tantilizing scents that will have you going back for 'second helpings'. Don't panic when the images leap from the pages; they are designed to make you feel at home in Kentucky.

Some of the delicacies that had me returning for seconds include: "The Awakening", "Chocolate Divine", "Mine", "Women's Secrets", "Tipping the Scales", "The Wonderer", and "Need". Wilkinson has prepared a delicious feast of stories, and there is plenty for everyone. No sharing please!

I had read a hard copy of this book, borrowed from the library, several years ago. The pictorial section was not as complete as the original and I suspect other portions may have been left out also. The reason I purchased this book was to get one of the pictures I saw in the hard copy and it wasn't there.

Mr. Ardery lays out an excellent recounting of his WWII experience is a frank, open style. I enjoyed this book very much.

Ardery's account of his life as a B-24 pilot is excellent. From all the training it took to simply get into the planes, to combat in the skies over the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, Ardery's account is an even-handed account of what a bomber pilot's life was like.

The chapter about Ploesti is especially fascinating. James Dugan and Carrol Stewart used Ardery as a source for their book on the subject, and the details of Ardery's part in the raid offer some really interesting stuff. Especially intruiging is the background and fate of Medal of Honor winner Lloyd Hughes, who was flying on Ardery's wing when when he perished.

This book is really good stuff; Steven Ambrose's "Wild Blue" pales in comparison. Ardery doesn't place himself on a hero pedestal, he merely tells of his experiences in a very interesting and easy-to-digest style.

The cover of Bomber Pilot displays a photograph of a Liberator skimming the ground on a low level attack on the Ploesti raid. This photograph alone makes you want to reach out to grab Bomber Pilot assured that you will have an exciting read. And you won't be disappointed. Pilot Phil Ardery won a Silver Star, two DFCs, four Air Medals and the French Croix de Guerre with palm. He didn't get those sitting around some Officers' Club.

He flew 24s on missions ranging from icy Norway to baking North Africa. Some Eighth Air Force crews were detached to Libya to join in the fight to drive the Axis from Bengasi, Tripoli and all of the Mediterranean. You'll be able to compare bombing in hot and dusty Libya and lurching through the Norwegian sky trying to find any identifiable landmark.

Ardery flew missions to eastern Mediterranean islands. He says when he was stationed in Bengasi with Ninth Bomber Command there was no Protestant Chaplain and no Jewish one but there was a remarkable Catholic chaplain who was capable of conducting services for Jewish personnel. Ardery, a Protestant, notes that Fr. Beck could conduct a Jewish funeral with perfect form and dignity. He never missed an opportunity to give all possible aid and comfort to the Protestant boys. He never pushed his religion on any of them.

Fr. Beck actually flew on combat missions from time to time . Crews thought it was lucky to have him aboard. One day the Group Commander found out and grounded him. He apparently feared having to explain what the chaplain was doing up in the air if he got wounded, taken prisoner or shot out of the sky.

Read this book. My library got it for me which means most Massachusetts's libraries should be able to get it for you. Ardery, who later became a successful attorney, will take you on raids as far north as Oslo as well as deep into Naziland. He describes the buzz bombing of London, flying over the D-Day beaches, the courage of the British civilians. He dedicates this book to the officers and men of the 564th Bomb Squadron, the 389th Bomb Group and the Second Combat Wing. Do these outfits sound familiar to any of you? Bet they do!

Mr. Ardery has written a superb account of an Army Air Corps pilot's experience starting from his days as a "cadet" training at Randolph and Kelly Fields in Texas through his combat experience flying B-24s from North Africa and England. His narrative illustrates that the threat of injury or death was constant for every member of the crew and that either was just as likely to happen whether one was in training, flying through flak, trying to avoid German fighters or avoiding mid-air collisons while flying in tight formation with your squadron mates. Readers will have an excellent idea of what our airmen endured during World War II.

This book is a five-star winner all the way.I read this book years ago but lost it during one of my many moves.I came across it here on Amazon and couldn't wait to read it again.It's a true grit kind of book and Skeeter tells it like it is.She had an amazing career and life and she will always be fondly remembered.

it was with trepidation that i bought this book in the first place.But being a skeeter fan i had to check it out.Am so glad i did .what a wonderfull and moving story of one of the great icons of country mucic.the reader is taken on a journy through the life and times of this lady and we get to see and feel how she lived.

I received this book as a gift simply because my family knows that I am hooked on music & biographies. I'm not what I would consider country music fan, nor have I ever even heard of Skeeter or the Davis Sisters. Nevertheless, this was one of the best books I've ever read. This is an incredible journey of triumph over tragedy, more tragedy and yet more tragedy (most of it attributable to Skeeter's naivety and her desire to please everyone). Skeeter kept an incredibly positive point of view throughout all the adversity her life threw at her, which is astounding considering all that she endured. In the end it gets a little too "Jesus Saves" for me, but that did not take away from her story or this woman's incredible struggle just to give her voice to her fans. I couldn't put it down and finished it in 3 days.

Skeeter Davis was one of a kind! You never had to worry about where you stood with her because she stood her ground and stuck to her principles! This autobiography ranks among the best and I, like many have read many great Country Music Autobiographies, some great like Loretta Lynn's, Tammy Wynette's, Jeannie C. Riley's, Jan Howard's, Brenda Lee's and some downright stinkers and self promotion like Reba's and Barbara Mandrell's. Only Loretta's comes close to matching Skeeters point for point. Skeeter's story is moving and poignant without being overly sentimental and syrupy. I was riveted to her story from page one living her life with her as she rose from the depths of Kentucky poverty to Country and Pop stardom of the highest magnitude. She weathered many, many storms along the way, most particularly the loss of her dear friend and blood sister, Betty Jack Davis and her disastrous marriage to "devil incarnate" Ralph Emery. Her final battle was lost to cancer last September and the heaven gained a new angel for its angel band. Betty Jack and Skeeter are at last reunited in Hillbilly Heaven. Through it all Skeeter never waivered in her faith and she received the ultimate reward. The one reviewer who posted a one star review here obviously missed so much of Skeeter's witness that one has to wonder if he/she even read the book at all. Skeeter was truly one of a kind and this autobiography will make you laugh, cry, and rejoice all at the same time. Skeeter's music still stands the test of time and her autobiography should be updated by someone who knew her during the last few years of her life. I am sure there are many who were close to this loving, caring and god-fearing woman. We are richer for having had her with us!

This is one of the best, most moving biographies I have ever read. Mary Frances Penick, better known as Skeeter Davis, is an excellent writer, and the tale she tells of her rise from poverty to world renown is devastatingly heartbreaking, and yet tremendously inspiring.

I came to this book wanting to know more about one of my favorite records of all time, 1963's "The End of the World." From my first hearing of it as a teenager, I identified on many levels. Much later, when I had taught myself how to read music and write songs of my own, I came to understand just how good the song was. Let's face it: if you're going to call a song something so cosmic as "The End of the World," it had better be worthy. Even in my teens, I could sense the excellence of the melody and the lyric, and how appropriate both were to the theme; as I learned more about songwriting, my appreciation only increased.

When I found out about this book, I rushed to borrow it so that I could find out more about the background of this record I so admired. I did not expect to be so enthralled by the twists and turns of a story so full of tortured struggle as to make me wonder how the protagonist could have survived, much less achieved so much.

Many of Skeeter Davis' achievements were not made alone. With Betty Jack Davis, her soul mate and "blood sister," she performed and recorded under the name The Davis Sisters. Their innovative harmonies inspired many that came after them, including the Everly Brothers and the Beatles, and was even responsible for the invention of the double-necked steel guitar. As she describes it, instead of singing in alto below the melody, Skeeter--completely by instinct--sang above the melody. This was something apparently not done in this type of music before.

To hear the beauty of the result, listen to an Amazon clip of "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know." Or listen to the middle section of "The End of the World":

I wake up in the morning and I wonder
Why everything's the same as it was.
I can't understand, no I can't understand,
How life goes on the way it does.

One can only speculate how far the duo might have gone, had not Betty Jack suddenly died in an automobile accident on August 2, 1953.

The title of the chapter dealing with that tragedy is "The End of the World and the Day After," and it begins with an epigraph consisting of the lyrics I have just quoted. (The late author, however, erroneously wrote "Why" rather than "How" in the last line, contrary to what she sings on the record and contrary to the sheet music.) Skeeter Davis has said that she had Betty Jack in mind while singing the song, since it expresses so exactly how one feels when someone has died.

This book will make you understand why the depth of loss expressed in that record is signally appropriate to the case of the Betty Jack. It is not just that the love between Mary Frances Penick and Betty Jack Davis was so profound and so crucial to the survival of both, especially Betty Jack who had so little in life besides her music and Mary Frances. As the creator and the driving force of The Davis Sisters, Betty Jack had the seeds of greatness and was denied her full flowering. This fact becomes clearer and clearer as one reads her story.

True, Skeeter Davis achieved a greatness of her own. But I am sure she would rest with an extra measure of peace if she could know that "The End of the World" is not the only monument she has erected to Betty Jack's memory. The other one is this book.

I picked up this book in a grocery store on my lunch break, just needing something to pass the time. I did not expect much from this story, but upon cracking the spine, I almost immediately dove into the story- finding myself fifteen minutes late back from lunch because I just couldn't put the book down. I then found myself stealing away five minutes here and there, and when I got home, I finished the story in one remaining sitting. It was not a "grab you by the seat of your pants" kind of story, but it was one that you did not want to stop journeying along with.
Both main characters, the mom and the 14 year old daughter, are struggling women trying to get over the loss of their husband/father when he walks out of their lives to live DOWN THE ROAD with a new beautician. Though one would expect the author to center the story around the bitter anger toward the cheating husband, Janna McMahan weaves together a beautiful story, like poetry, and pulls in strong co-staring characters. The daugher's first boyfriend, whom I personally fell in love with; the southern- gossipy type neighbors; the new romantic interests in the mother's life; and yes, even the husband gets a part in the story and I don't hate him as much.
This was a wonferful story and I definitely cried at the end with bittersweet tears- and I'll admit I was ANGRY at the daughter for her decision!!! But was well worth the trip to the grocery store, as well as the angry words spewing from my boss' mouth that one day.
Great read- very much enjoyed.

Enjoyable to read a novel set in Kentucky! This book gets better and better as you go along. It is a real page turner the last half of the book!

What a wonderful novel! Very rich descriptive characters keep your interest....you wont want to put it down. A book you will want to read!

What an enthralling new book by a hot, young writer!
Be careful when you start the book, because it is hard to put down. You will want to learn what the characters will do next!

Can't wait to read her next book!
MLF

The opening chapter of "Calling Home" is a grabber. Right from the start, Virginia Lemmons shows us what she's made of. Like the lone Wild West scout in the desert, she confronts the reality of the gangrenous wound threatening to kill her and lances it despite fear of the pain.

Wondering how the events of the book will affect this central character kept me turning the pages of this complex narrative of a family in central Kentucky during the 1970s. The other characters -- her children, her cheating husband, her vaguely involved boyfriend -- seem to bounce off Virginia's tough, resilient hide as she bears up, holding things together through a series of some of life's hardest blows.

Shannon, Virginia's teenaged daughter, seems oblivious to the pain swirling through her family. The reality of it, however, lurks in her peripheral vision, muffling joy as well as pain and limiting her ability to read potential danger. In her concentration on daily events and the framework of her teenage life - grades, boy friends, girl friends - Shannon seems her mother's daughter. All in all, this young woman seems a true representation of a good girl trying to survive a dysfunctional upbringing.

As other reviewers have stated, "Calling Home" demonstrates the author's considerable skill at exposition. Some of the sections on processes - curing tobacco, taxidermy, etc. - could be the beginnings of how-to manuals, so thorough are they. In contrast, her descriptions of tragic events seem somewhat detached, perhaps deliberately echoing her characters' self-protection mechanisms.

The resolution of the bad season of the Lemmons family is the most satisfying part of the book. Virginia finally realizes that what she thought was weakness may be not only her greatest strength but the only way to begin the healing the family so desperately needs. The freedom she finds by at last giving herself permission to feel brings the whole family into a place of new peace and hope. At the end, we leave the Lemmons family expecting that they will survive, maybe even triumph.

I gave "Calling Home" four stars instead of five because I would have liked the first part of the book and the last to be more equal in length and because of McMahan's tendency to embed otherwise excellent prose.

The strength of "Calling Home" is in the personalities McMahan has created. Very real ordinary people, stilted by their culture, repressed by trauma, and devastated by loss, struggle to survive and find a new way to live. The Lemmons family is very easy to root for. This is a book about a family that you won't soon forget.

Brandilyn Collins explores broken hearts, betrayal and bitterness through the emotional screen of hunger for parental love and affirmation. A tale of consuming grief that seems to have no remedy, Celia tests God's limits to repair gaping wounds down through generations of mothers/daughters and fathers/sons. A gripping read.

I've read other Brandilyn Collins books, but this one stands out as my favorite. Known for suspense, Collins takes a detour in this novel, exposing the emotions of two women in a tug-of-war of love and conflict. Family ties are not always neatly woven in real life, and Collins unravels the past and the present stories of a mom and a daughter who love fiercely, but struggle to let go of childhood hurts.

Good book, but it doesn't have a lot of action or suspense. I like a book I can't put down. This deals a lot with peoples emotions, which is also good.

This book is an easy read, but the main character's personality surprised me. The author is obviously Christian, as the theme is recurrent throughout the book. The protagonist constantly comes back to the fact that she must repair her faith, but she is so selfish it's hard to get past it. I found the suspense factor was good, keeping me riveted to the end. I just had to find out what the end result was - a nice surprise at the end when it all came together. I had a really hard time with the characteristics of someone being portrayed as being so selfish and narrow-minded. Just my own opinion.

Color the Sidewalk For Me is about a woman, Celia, who returns home after a 17 year absence to nurse her father back to health after having a stroke. She struggles through her tumultous relationship with her mother and unresolved feelings for the love of her life, Danny.

This book was so good that I had a hard time putting it down. The way the author wrote the romance and the love between Celia and Danny made me ache and root for this couple. This couple clearly loved each other very much.

I liked how Collins used the past/present sections of the book. Some authors lump the past in with the present in a chapter, and it becomes confusing to read. But the way this author wrote about the past was excellent, giving us a good foundation of the problems between Celia and her mother, and what went wrong between Danny and Celia.

I loved how Collins brought in the characters from Book 1 of the Bradleyville series. Jessie and Lee had gotten married, Mrs. B was portrayed as a nosy busybody, and she continued the "feud" between Jake and Thomas. That feud added humor into a book with so many serious overtones.

The character development was wonderful. The characters weren't goody-goody characters like in some Christian books, but are real people with flaws, hurts, etc. From this book, I had a good idea of why Estelle was so coldhearted at times and why Celia led such a lonely existence.

And the Christian theme came out really good, about turning your eyes towards Jesus and not letting the past destroy you. There was also the theme of forgiveness and reconciliation.

I can't wait until I read the next book in the Bradleyville series. I know that the focus of the book will be on another group of characters, but I am hoping to find that Celia and Danny have worked things out and gotten married.

I am a genealogist that have family that came to central Kentucky from Clay County, Kentucky. I also made sure growing up, that the one article that I did not fail to read in the daily Louisville Courier Journal, was John Ed Pearce's article.
Most only know about the Hatfield-McCoy feud and do not realize that there were larger and more deadlier feuds. John Ed Pearce is the first writer of the feuds that allowed me to grasp the connection between the 100 years war in Clay County, and its negative effect on the social and economic development in this area, and why so many people migrated away from this area for better (and safer) opportunities to raise their families. Contrary to another reviewer, John Ed does an excellant job of weaving his storytelling skills with the research and oral interviews that he conducted for this subject and does not perpetuate but reports the facts of this era, whether you like the facts or not...they existed. When people are afraid to have a light on after dark in town for fear of someone shooting through the window, some sterotypes are reality. The hillbilly stereotypes were developed and perpetuated by the media, and is acknowledged by Mr. Pearce, and credited in photos that were staged of the Hatfield-McCoy feudists that were staged by a magazine photographer of the era. The interviews that he conducted personally would have never come to light if it had not been for Mr. Pearce and some of those he interviewed may have already passed. I am thankful that he had the contacts to find these interesting individuals and put down their story on paper.
I had the pleasure and honor to have a brief e-mail correspondance with Mr. Pearce during his retirement in Florida before he died, about some topics of interest to me in his book. One was about whether he had ran across any of my family line in his research, and the other was about Big Jim Howard. He wrote back: "No, I cant recall any mention of the Reams or Burdettes in my research for the Clay County feud. But I had few records to go on; most of what I used I got from word of mouth, plus a lot of newspaper accounts, especially the Hazel Green Herald, Cincinnati Post, Courier-Journal and files at the Filson Club and Historical Society, plus a few at the University of Kentucky library. Perhaps I encountered someof your people,. but didn't use them in the account and so lost memory of them. I wish I could help." He also responded in another e-mail that unfortunately had not found any other information on Big Jom Howard. He confided that he did not expect that we would ever know the full story of whether or not Big Jim shot the governor or not.
I read of his passing in the Louisville Courier Journal with great sadness. As I read the accolades of those recounting his many accomphishments, I thought to myself that his greatest accomplishment to me was his ablility in his writings to touch the average Kentuckian on their level, and this was no less typified in his taking the time to answer the questions of someone who had read his book and was left wanting to know more. If you are interested in the overall view of the feuds in Kentucky and their impact on the social and economic climate of the time, and how they impacted the migration into other areas of the state, you will want this volume in your collection. I have referred to it many times.

The book arrived, when I was told it would, in perfect condition, and exactly what I'd wanted.

I purchased this book, since it contained information about my Mother's family. It was interesting to read about this part of my family history, since we did not get a lot of information from her mother or grandfather. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that is interested in the feudal aspects of Eastern Kentucky, and the different dynamics that took place.

This is a very compelling, honest look at the history of the Feuds that took place in Kentucky.Very well written and should be read by every person interested in State History.The names have not been changed and this book makes the area come alive, for good or bad.

Mr. Pearce totally brushes aside recent historical research, sticking with the same stereotypes that he claims to dispel. He does not put the feuds into their historical or social context, and does not seem to do a very good job of analyzing the biases of the sources he found. I wrote a paper on the stereotypes that came out of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, and found this book quite helpful in displaying that the stereotypes still exist.

A great collection of backwoods Americana. What gets me about some of these stories by Offutt/Brown/Woodrell, et al, is how much more hardboiled they ultimately are than the so-called "bad streets of the city". What makes them more important is how real they all taste (and probably are). The other half not only lives, it will survive.

A well written short story is my favorite thing to read. Mr. Offutt's book "Kentucky Straight" is full of ones that more than suffice. I enjoy his honesty. He allows the reader to objectively peak around a hickory tree and truly see Appalachia. His stories ring so true, that i would not be surprised if someone from his holler might mistaken them to be fact. Mr. Offutt vividly brings the woods to the reader. I suggest that anyone reading these stories for the first time read them outside, under a shade tree. Xer...

Dream tinker, Chris Offut, takes us into the woods with a kerosene lamp and holds the light to a place in ourselves we visit even less often. There's no room in these stories for anything but the story being told and there lies the straight, no chaser. If this book was a season it'd be the spring rains. If this book was a car it'd be a tow-truck. If this book was a a museum piece it'd belong in the American Museum of Natural History. After reading the third story in this collection, THE LEAVING ONE, I knew I was going to begin this book again after finishing it. It's difficult to place the corect amount of stars on a book such as this. I'd probably have to give it a planet, like Venus, as well.

These stories literally broke my heart....then made it sing. Chris Offutt is a word magician, pure and simple. I loved his memoir, "The Same River Twice" and this collection of stories is as good or better. I can't remember when I've loved an entire collection of short stories more than these. I checked this book out at the library, but will definitely buy a copy for my permanent, never-loan-out collection. This book is a treasure!

This remarkable collection of stories is well named; it is, indeed, Kentucky, straight. No frills, no gimmicks, no adornment, just a clear voice telling stories that draw a reader in from the first paragraph. "Old of the Moon" took my breath away. "Smokehouse" should be required reading for any boomer tempted to whine their way through mid-life. "Nine-Ball" makes you look at gun racks in pick-up trucks in an entirely new light. In his pure voice, this writer leaves us with extraordinary images: bills of cash twisted around barbs in a stretch of fence; splitting a wooden match and saving half for later; roads not good for hauling things in, but only for taking coal out. Each of the stories in this collection is a gem and this reader found herself thinking about them long after they'd been read.

This book is about a truly remarkable woman. I have never known anyone so devoted to God, family and friends. She loved so many people and so many people loved her. The last year of her life she spent in a nursing home and although she couldn't talk (intelligibly) or move very much she had visitors all day every day. You don't receive that kind of love and devotion unless you have spent your life demonstrating that love to others. I know I am biased because I knew her very well but she has taught me so much about a life well spent. I recommend this book to keep her memory alive.

Kentucky Woman certainly seems to epitomize Roosevelt's famous quote. This book is so historically real that you sweat when reading about the summer days. I couldn't help but appreciate my carefree world compared to Viebie's and many times wondered just how many of my relatives she may have known due to geography and time. I enjoyed reading about a true Kentucky woman and the strength that she possessed. So many people today are so self-absorbed that life's lessons are lost but we could all learn something from Viebie.

Kentucky Woman, by Mary Ellen Klatte, really touched me. The book shares the life story of a strong, loving woman in a challenging time. It stirred up memories of my Grandmother, a kentucky woman born just 4 years before Viebie and from a nearby place. References to such things as apple butter, custard pie and sun-bonnet girl quilts brought back vivid scenes from my childhood experiences with my Grandmother. Even the slang terms made me smile as I remembered my Grandmother calling me "fleshy" when I put on a few pounds. Viebie's life is a testament to determination, love and making the most of your life. I highly recommend this book. It is a love story but also a keen reminder of another time and place, so different from today.

Although I thouhgi that I would only read a few pages, I was captivated by this book and didn't put it down until I finished it. Her picture on the back cover of the book reflects much of the great humor, pride, and positive nature of this fine woman. It was with great interst that I read of her life, and as a historian I am always interested to read and reflect on the lives of people who have made a contribution to their country and their community. So often people are only interested in the biography of the rich and famous, and they tend to forget the dogged hard work, perserverance and love that comes from the so called "common folks." Certainly Viebie was not the common folks, for within her determination and self sacrifice without complaint we see the real family values and real profiles in courage. Our young folks tend to think that all the modern conveniences have always been in the United States. They tend to forget that much of America was small and provincial and that gratification and desires were not instantly met and that great sacrifice was often the life of many before us. The life of Viebie Catron Cantrell is inspirational, in that it tells us of the spirit of a well reflected life, in her hopes and dreams of her community and her family told in letters and sweet poetry. We see here the small trials and tribulations of a young woman undergoing her daily tasks of getting an education, teaching, experiencing the hopes and despairs of everyday life, and seeing through her eyes the hard times of the 1930's, and her special courtship through her letters and reflections. Many of the colloquial expressions are also very interesting. This book is a fast and fun account of a proud woman and her family, and it was a joy to read despite the sad times that were met with this uncomplaining God fearing woman.

Let me start this review by saying that I am completely biased. This book is about my grandmother. This book is a wonderful depiction of her life and shows what a strong Christian woman she was. The chapter about the courtship between her and my grandfather is the best in the book. Since he died when my father was very young, I learned things about him through reading this book that I ever knew before. A very quick read, with some great pictures and some of the best poems my grandmother wrote included.

I'm sure there's not much I can add that hasn't been said, except....

The First edition had a chapter about an Aleister Crowley cult that may have been part of the input for Manson (at least the author thought). That chapter got dropped from future editions, but it should have been kept. It's worth the price of the book alone. The cult had a lot of similarities to The Family, i.e. racism, the occult & drugs. Get a nice HB first edition, which are selling pretty cheap

Of the several books addressing these horrible events, this is probably the best as to details and massive amounts of information. It is quite readable and well done. I must admit to not being a big fan of this particular genre of book, i.e. true crime, etc. but this event was so a part of our cultural make up at that time (and still is to a certain extent), I thought I would give it a try. I am glad I did...I learned much that I did not know before. Recommend this one highly.

I enjoyed this book much better than Helter Skelter because this book explained how the murders actually happened. Who died first etc. I felt Helter Skelter was left wanting in this area. I also liked the information about the family. I highly encourage others to read this book.

if you're intersested in the real true crime novel this is the book. while helter sketer was entertaining, it didn't provide the background this book does. sanders deals with this subject with a sence of ironic humor that makes this book easier to enjoy(the subject matter is of course brutal) but this is historically an important part of the 60s. sanders leaves nothing out. you get a real sence of manson as a man, not the urban legend/monster other books turned him into. that's what makes this book terrifying, the fact it makes him a real person. from a litteral,historical, and phycological point of view, this is a most for any true crime fan. this book will "creepy crawl" into your subconcience

A decent read, but not something I would spend a lot of time trying to get a hold of.

Brings a different "light" to the Manson Family, though I suspect that it's not exactly 100% true.

If you're building a true crime library, add this to your Manson collection. If you're just looking for the Manson story stick with Helter Skelter.

There are some better books covering this subject, but this book is still a decent read and I recommend it for those interested in this theater of war. Hunt's story of survival from the Bataan death march and his eventual work with a guerilla detachment were very good and include many personal aspects. But if you are looking for a lot of "combat" recollections, those are not here. This is a more general and personal account of survial. In addition, at times, the author's main purpose in writing this book seems to be to respond to and challenge other US-led guerilla leaders who have either written their own accounts or were considered rivals to Hunt and his leaders. This detracted from the overall story in my opinion, but perhaps this is important contribution from a purely historical aspect.

We received the book promptly however preferred hardbound copy, which Amazon may not have had in stock. We are still seeking hardbound copy although this extra paperback will suffice for our research.
This should be required reading re WW2 history in schools and colleges; and should be in all libraries.
jdm

What I wanted out of this book was not really what I got. I wanted a personal memoir filled with interesting anectdotes, recountings of battles the author fought in and guerilla operations, in short: adventure. Perhaps you will think that a little bloodthristy of me, but it is what I bought the book for.

However, I found these things to be few and far between. There are a trifling amount of these kinds of episodes, but mostly Ray Hunt and his ghost writer gloss over these points of interest (for me, anyway) to comment on generalities of guerilla life in the Philippines and "to set the record straight." Though this was the first book I have read on guerilla operations in the Philippines, it quickly became clear that there are several camps with opposing views about what really happened during the war among US/Filipino guerilla forces, and each tries to get its version of events to be taken as history. Mr Hunt makes an effort to give his side of the story throughout the book from mostly personal information, so in this respect I think he did a good job.

He also takes the opportunity to unapologetically wax patriotic. He is unflinching in his thoughts that the US and MacArthur are always doing right, a tone which sometimes was too strong for me to take seriously. At one point he claims that the best thing for the Philippines after the war would have been to make it "the 49th state,"(this was before Hawaii and Alaska were admitted) presumably because America was and is the best thing going anywhere.

In short, this book is not one of men in battle and the hardships they undergo. It is one man's first person view of a seemingly ongoing argument about this particular bit of history, as well as providing a wealth of general background on the subject. I suspect that there are other, better books to buy on all these categories, and would recommend this book only to those who are deeply interested and want to read everything they can find on it.

Ray Hunt has turned out an informative book of his World War II years, first as an American soldier in the Philippines, secondly as a prisoner and escapee from the Japanese, and third as a guerilla fighting the Japanese until the American army finally re-captured the islands.

Personal accounts of guerilla war are likely to be replete with fabrications as the participants build themselves up, tear others down, and exaggerate their exploits. Hunt seems more honest than most. He doesn't sugar-coat his actions, nor portray himself as the second coming of Napoleon. The book alternates between describing his personal experiences and putting them in context with descriptions of the various guerilla movements in the Philippines, including the Communist Huks, local politics, an account of the American invasion, and his own role as a guerilla leader. He strives to be fair and balanced and comes closer to achieving that than does Fox News.

The best part of the book, in my opinion, were the several chapters in which he described his life on the run from the Japanese, the hardships and disease he suffered and overcame, and the assistance he received from Filipinos. My criticism of the book would be that Hunt never really describes in detail the military operations the guerrillas undertook. Thus, it is somewhat difficult to evaluate the contribution guerilla groups made to winning the war.

Hunt's story of his three years as a guerilla in the jungles, mountains, and rice paddies of Luzon is vivid and credible. This is probably one of the better books you can read about the Philippines under Japanese occupation.

Smallchief

This book is one of those excellent works by the University Press of Kentucky. They publish a great number of WW II personal narratives concerning the more obscure activities and less known theatres. I recall one written by a bandsman, the only one such I ever saw.
This review is based on the 1988 Pocket Book newstand edition of the 1986 hardback original.
The book is well written, quite thorough, and extensively sourced and noted, in contrast to many such works in which all that is set down about the author is in the blurb on the cover. There is also a handy map of Central Luzon printed on the inside back cover, a really great idea so that one can easily find it. Why don't other publishers do that? There is also a very useful index which covers not just personal names, as do so many, but has also subject listings to various topics.
As contrasted to the original book published during WW II, with the title "American Guerilla in the Phillipines", this one does not whitewash the dirty and brutal aspects of the war and its aftermath. All in all, a very interesting and well written work which deserves a place on the shelves of Spec Ops, "grunt" history, and personal narrative collections.