West Virginia Books

The history of Kodak photography and Kodak's advertising, which influenced American culture and the arts, is revealed in Kodak and the Lens of Nostalgia, a survey of the Kodak campaign to make photography a part of daily American life. Included are unused campaigns never published, in this fascinating survey of Kodak's ad history.

As a student of Professor West's at the University of Missouri-Columbia, I was excited to read her work after enjoying her as a teacher. With "Kodak," she has meticulously reconstructed the campaigns used by Kodak throughout the late 1800s to mid 1900s. Initially, snapshots were seen as a means of leisure. Towards the early 1900s, however, Kodak's advertising scheme shifted the emphasis towards nostalgia and preservation of memories (more specifically, familial). Kodak even went so far as to use their advertising for propaganda (see "The Death Campaign"). All of this and more is included with beautiful illustrations. The book is a fascinating read, one that will provide a true sense of Americana through the ever-changing Kodak lense.

The information in this book allowed me to correct a very painful
condition and restore my mobility. What started out as a minor twinge in my low back turned into a serious problem because I thought that I could work out what I thought was a muscle cramp by walking without giving in to the discomfort. This was a big mistake as it resulted in the Psoas and Rectus Femoris muscles on one side becoming very painful and caused a sacral shear condition. This gave new meaning to my concept of pain. At this point I finally sought help from medical professionals. The sacral shear condition kept recurring until the muscle spasm was corrected, so I made multiple visits to a chiropractor and a DO. Once the muscle spasm was cleared up I was left with the original symptom. The medical professionals stated that I just had low back pain and there was nothing they could do to correct it. My fear was that if I walked any further than about 200 feet, the muscles would go into spasm again. In an effort to avoid such a severe limitation to my mobility I searched the Internet for information. In that search I had the good fortune to discover Dr Essig-Beatty's book - Manipulation at Home. The sacroiliac mobilization exercise that he describes in his book cleared up the original symptom and I have not had any muscle or joint related trouble since then. I returned to the state where I could walk for hours at a time without any discomfort. I also found some of the other stretches in his book helpful in maintaining my flexibility. The spirit of this book is a major departure from the approach to medical care that I have experienced up until now. It encourages people to actively participate in treating their condition based on structural evaluation and supervision of a professional. Prior to this experience I had no knowledge of any type of anatomy or bodywork. Getting to the point where I understood what was causing my low back pain and had learned enough to get rid of it took a great deal of time and energy devoted to research. I'm sure that I am not the only consumer of medical services who would really appreciate receiving the kind of self help information that is in this book but tailored to my needs from medical professionals.

I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis, causing heal pain. My foot doctor prescribed orthodics, but little else. Then, I found this wonderful book where I could heal the problem, and work on preventing, at home! much cheaper and less painful than just repeated cortisone shots. I later also used it to solve my "golfer's elbow" pain from forehand tennis, or just pushing heavy drawers closed. It is like having a physical therapist on your shelf! Written so well, clear, easy to follow, with great explanatory illustrations. Get it!
Thank you Dr. Essig-Beatty.

Prof. Howard Seeman, Professor Emeritus, Education

The story of the Monongah Mine Disaster written by Davitt McAteer honors the memory of the men and women whom helped to build this country with the sweat, blood and tears of their years of toil. McAteer takes the reader through the background of not only the mine disaster itself but also through the historically important moments that led up to and through the time period of 1907. These moments cascade upon the reader as they experience the events through the actual recollections of the miners themselves.
McAteer has done a wonderful job of combining the exacting details of the day while pulling the reader into the very lives of the miners and the industrialist that had such a cause and effect relationship. This volatile relationship of the American Miner and their counterpart; the Industrialist, has lasted throughout today.

As the tragedy of that fateful December day unfolds the reader can not help but see and fully understand how the countries desire for growth, driven by the reckless push for forward progress, was destined to collide in a very tragic tragic accident.

Brien Jones-Lantzy

On 6 December 1907, an explosion in the Fairmont Coal Company's Mines 6 & 8 in Monongah, Marion County, West Virginia, killed 500+ miners. This is a detailed study of that disaster. Before I actually put these words to paper, I was somewhat negative about Monongah, but for the wrong reasons. That would have been pretty stupid on my part, and would have placed form over substance. (Also, it would have run afoul of TR's comments about it not being the critic who counts, but that the credit belongs to the one "who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly . . .".) The author, Davitt McAteer, is a native of Fairmont (right up the road from Monongah) who now practices law in Shepherdstown. (His sister is a friend and very gracious lady.) He served honorably as the head of MSHA during the Clinton Administration. Having come out of the United Mine Workers of America, he was less than the darling of the coal operators while in government. (The owner of the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah, which collapsed killing 6 miners and and 3 rescuers in 2007, spoke of McAteer with fluent contempt in a press conference broadcast on CNN.)
To grade this book, we have to grade several subjects:
Research/Scholarship - A
Organization - B+
Editing - D
Overall Value - A+
McAteer researched Monongah for 30 years. (If he plans to match the output of a Michener, he needs to move a little quicker.) The length and depth of the research shows. Nearly all of the sources are primary ones, and the book is extensively end-noted. McAteer's writing isn't Michener, but particularly when he is talking about people, and how people lived, he does so with passion and such unusual detail that one can clearly see the images. The descriptions of the miners' poverty in the squalor of company houses are so real that they are painful. The organization is a touch chaotic, but I might be unfair about that one. McAteer is covering a single large event which had several coherent lines of development going at once, so a strict chronology is impossible. At times, the book is redundant, but that's really more of an editing problem.
Ah, editing. Monongah is the unfortunate victim of inadequate, even inept editing, so much so that it takes willing suspension of disbelief to get past that to the value of the work. Whoever edited this used spell-check but didn't read the manuscript itself very closely. There are several instances where homonyms or similar words are confused ("to" rather than "too", "road" rather than "roar", "Triangle Shirt Waste Factory" rather than "Triangle Shirt Waist . . ."), poor grammar (" . . . they were paid a hourly wages") and some silly factual mistakes. (West Virginia was formed in 1863, not 1865; the hotel in Wheeling is McClure House, not McLure House; President Taft's Christian names were "William Howard," not "Howard A.") For 30 bucks, more attention should have been paid to the details. There are also errors that I'm probably too petty in noticing that wouldn't distract any reader save one who has walked the ground where the disaster happened. (I've been there many times, and every time I go to my father-in-law's house, I park on the streetcar right-of-way that figures prominently in McAteer's account.) McAteer isn't heavy on historical interpretation (an attitude that I heartily approve of), and most of what he does sounds reasonable to me. (I think he misses the point of Theodore Roosevelt's intervention in the 1902 Anthracite Strike, but that's subject to honest disagreement.) SO, overall, if you set aside my own literary/grammatical fastidiousness, Monongah is an engaging and timely look at an important event and a turbulent time in our nation's industrial and social history.
There is a children's book (The Monongah Mining Disaster, by Jason Skog) due to be published in January 2008. It will be interesting to see what view that author presents to youngsters.

Like the previous reviewer, I too am a descendant (grandchild) of the Spanish immigrants of the Simpson, Harrison, West Virginia area. This book was well-written and very informative.
Any descendants of the Spanish zinc workers want to form an e-mail group, and possibly a reunion? Contact me at ctjedda@yahoo.com

I have to admit, the reason I loved this book is because my grandparents came from Spain and actually lived and worked in this this very same town that Mr. Gonzalez described. In fact, they were probably neighbors. This book allowed me to get a glimpse into what life was like for my grandparents in the early 1900s.

The story is fairly well written and probably would appeal to people simply interested in the history of various minorities in the US.

Once again the author has put together a fantastic tour book that contains all of the highlights of the area in one easy to follow guide. I own several of this series and have not been disapointed in any of them. Very well written, accurate and complete. I have been studying the Shenandoah Valley history for about 18 months. This books is a detailed summary of all that I have been able to find in that time. I wish it would have been available when I started my research, it would have saved me much time!

We just returned from a driving trip through the Shenandoah Valley. Picked up this guidebook in New York City before we left. It was perfect. All the recommendations for things to see and restaurants were just as described. Driving directions were also good. Based on the author's recommendation, we decided to stay at the Long Hill Bed and Breakfast in Winchester, VA and it turned out to be the highlight of our trip. A very worthwhile travel guide.

Baumler is an interpretive historian for the Montana Historical Society, and she brings her professional credentials and storytelling ability to create what has become a very popular book here in Montana. Baumler travels around the state, and people tell her their stories, which she takes further through historical research. The sites covered in "Spirit Tailings" include:

Virginia City: Tollhouse ruins in Meadow Valley; Boot Hill and Hillside Cemeteries; House on Cover Street; Elling House; Bonanza House and Bonanza Inn; Episcopal Church; Lightning Splitter (house); Bennett House Country Inn; Gohn House.

Nevada City (only a few miles from Virginia City): Cabin #5; Nevada City Hotel

Butte: The underground mines; Anaconda Hill; Speculator Mine/Granite Mountain shaft; Quartz Street Fire Station (now Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives); Metals Bank Building; Butte-Silver Bow County Courthouse and Jail; Forsythe house; Maury house; Dumas Hotel/Brothel; East 2nd Street house

Helena: Grassy slope near Public Library (story of John Denn); Robinson Park/Sixth Ward Old Catholic Cemetery; Mamie's Bells (Cathedral; Resurrection Cemetery; Zastrow House; Lenox Addition house; Pioneer Cabin and Reeder's Alley; 10th Avenue rowhouse; Grandstreet Theater; Tatem House; Montana Club and Rathskeller; and even Baumler's own home in Helena has had paranormal happenings!

A great collection of Montana stories, not to be missed!

Spirit Tailings recounts tales of hauntings in three of Montana's mining towns. The author, a historical researcher, has done considerable investigation into the background of the hauntings. Not content with legend, she has sought out present-day witnesses wherever possible, and also recounts her own eerie experiences in some of the buildings. Well-written and at times absolutely chilling!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All in all, an excellent and highly recommended read!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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