West Virginia Books

I am extremely impressed with Taylor's book, which explores the real and imagined consequences of the Civil War on families in border states, where the question of secession was the most complicated and the most fraught. This book not only documents (in writing that rises to the level of great literary writing -- a rarity in young historians) the actual occurrence of split families and what they had to say for themselves, but also the psychological, moral, and political implications of families at odds with each other. That is, this book gets beyond the idea of "the brother's war" as merely a curiosity or a sentimental metaphor, and shows how the state of the society -- the relations between men and women, white and black -- itself is revealed in the experience of these families, observed in extremis.

The writing, again, is extraordinary. Fans of Doris Kearn Goodwin or David McCullough will love this book, and will be pleased to know that Taylor is of the new generation of historians and likely to be around and writing for a very long time.

A great collection of essays if you want to know how the legend of Dr. Faustus from a literary and cultural standpoint. I have to say the best essay is the second one, in which a DC lawer weighs the testimony of Sernus Zeitblom, the narrator of Dr. Faustus, by Thomas Mann. If want to do a study of Dr. Faustus and are looking for bibliography, I recommend this book highly!

The main character in this book, Joan, is a young Chinese-American girl trying to fit in with the rest of the children her age. She has chores and responsibilities that her American friends do not have. She also does not have as much money as some of the snobby girls she goes to school with. Her and her little brother and sister want to have Christmas more than anything. Their nosey neighbor Miss Lucy (a retired teacher) asks the children to have Christmas with her. Their father tells them they can only have Christmas (since it's not a Chinese holiday) if they behave perfectly up until Christmas. This story is a wonderful example of why children should appreciate their parents. Although Joan's father is not like American father's, he does love her and he shows that love by working hard to provide for the family. This book has many exciting parts as the children are trying to not get in trouble. I liked the book so much I couldn't put it down. The book provides a real insight to what it is like to live within a minority culture. It is also just a wonderful and entertaining story for anyone looking for a good book! :)

Mr. Smith's book on Early Fenton Rarities is incredible. In addition to his very in-depth and informative text, the photos are abundant and well done. No details are lost to shadows. He describes and shows magnificent pieces that are truly one-of-a kind from this early period in Fenton's history. As a Fenton collector, my dream is to find one of these rarities and after reading and re-reading this book, I will be able to recognize them if I should run across any. This book is a valuable resource to any Fenton collector. I highly recommend it.

Written in 1979 during her tenure as West Virginia's Poet Laureate, Louise McNeill's "Elderberry Flood" is an original, thoughtful collection of poems that reflect rural life and mountain heritage. A must-read for every West Virginian!

Excellent book. Great Pictures. A Great Reference book. Well done.

This is a very informative book with a detailed picture guide. Each type of glass design is expained and color pictures help in the identifcation of the glass.A price guide is also included. An excellent tool for identifying Fenton Art Glass. This book is worth the price.

Very informative and wonderful pictures. This book has a section of various miniture baskets with great photos and descriptions. Fairly recent with a 2005 publication date. Recommend book for the Fenton Basket collector.

Very good descriptions and photos of cats and dogs through publication date 2002. The book also includes the Chessie Boxes.

The book is simply wonderful. I have wanted it for some years and now I have it. The problem is with the price guide, I can't find the prices on a lot of the beautiful Fenton pieces. The price guide is very hard to use. I've had the Third Twenty-Five Years book for sometime and it's easy to locate the prices.