I first found this book at my local library, and checked it out for the maximum renewal times just to absorb all the great details of the Cumberland Plateau. Now after buying my own copy I am wearing it out! The depth that Russ goes into and the wonderful insights into not only history, but hiking, camping, canoeing, and other outdoor activites make this book a must for any outdoor adventurer. The information he provided in this revised/updated version was very helpful in planning one of many vacations I will take in the Cumberland Plateau area in the future! Highly recommended!

Landon Covington Bell's Cumberland Parish, Lunenburg County, Virginia 1746-1816 is an excellent research tool and historical account of the area. Included are family descendants of the Rev. James Craig and the Rev. John Cameron. Many other families are included in this work: Gee, Hardy, Bacon, Claiborne, Stokes and many more. The second part of this book includes the Vestry Book 1746-1816. This is a valuable source of marriages, tithes and property information.

Clear and concise! An adventure in reading and very historically accurate! This is a must read for history buffs (especially Elizabethan!)

This is my favorite book on early life along the Cumberland Valley (Middle Tennessee and lower Central Kentucky), especially after getting past Chapter One, which is an imaginary narration of an "early adventure" which seemed unnecessary. That is a small complaint though. The book has some really interesting information on all aspects of settlement of the area and I highly recommend it! Many of the details described are applicable to pioneer life in other areas east of the Mississippi as well, I would think.

Describes an oft-neglected part of the American Revolution in great detail, a well-researched book. But just as important, the book is not dry or uninteresting. While the actions described are small even by the standards of the day, the descriptions are excellent.

Twenty-six years after its chartering, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad had finally reached its original goal - To build a railroad 352 miles all the way from the growing seaport town of Baltimore, MD to its terminus of Wheeling, VA (now WV) on the Ohio River. The intent was to provide a transportation link for grain and manufactured goods coming east from Ohio and the surrounding area to Baltimore.

In accomplishing this goal, the greatest physical obstacle that this railroad faced in its drive to Wheeling was traversing the daunting Seventeen-Mile Grade west of Cumberland, and sixty miles later, to descend the equally-daunting Cranberry and Newburg grades immediately west of Terra Alta, WV to Grafton, and on to Wheeling. We may never learn about the actual numbers of laborers, tons of rock, and dirt either removed, drilled, or used to fill ravines to as level a grade as possible to allow the actual and safe passage of freight and passenger trains. But one thing is certain - the experience gained from this engineering feat formulated important principles for future railroad construction jobs, not just on the B&O, but for other railroads as well. It was from these "lessons learned" that earned the B&O the name of "The Railroad University of America," a sobriquet given by Mr. in his article, "

Charles Roberts' book, "West End", relates the obstacles faced by the B&O in getting up Seventeen-Mile Grade and west down Cranberry and Newburg Grades in the 1840's, plus the years after reaching Wheeling where the B&O continued to grow. Also, the various construction projects to improve on the original route over the mountains as well as the B&O's acquisition and improvement of smaller rail lines in the intervening years is covered. Charley Roberts has an earthy style of writing that seems to fit the subject matter covered, which may not be to every rail historian's liking, but the result is a volume that comprehensively covers this geographic area of the B&O that no one until now has done to such an extent. This book was the first in a trilogy that Charley later wrote, "East End" (in collaboration with Jeffrey Hollis), and "Sand Patch."

I am enjoying the Thoene westerns as a real change of pace from their other work. The big historicals have required a huge amount of research and are filled with emotional impact. They have changed the way I look at life and historical events. The westerns are a great escape. Written in the first person, each book in the Wayward Wind series is like hearing some old story teller spin a tale about his life. To sum up:Winds of the Cumberland and the others are suitable for readers of every age. They do not require the brain power of the Thoene historicals, nor the deep emotional involvement with the characters. But if you like a plain good tale about American legends, these are great books to read.

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine takes place in the Kentucky mountains, bordering Big Stone Gap, Virginia. It is a story of love, as well as change. At the heart of this novel are the Tolliver & Falin families, who have been in a feud with one another for as far back as anyone can remember. The story begins as life in the mountains is beginning to change..coal mining is starting to boom, and the oustide world is creeping into the simple ways of mountain life. A town is blossoming in Big Stone Gap Virginia..and the Trail of the Lonesome Pine connects the town with Lonesome Cove, home of the Tolliver family, and a pretty little mountain girl named June. When John Hale enters the Tolliver/Falin territory, June is immediately drawn to him. The entrance of this "furriner" will change June's life forever.

Not being from the region that the Trail of the Lonesome Pine is written about, I was definitely reading it from a "furriner" point of view. The Trail of the Lonesome Pine is really two stories in one. Part of this novel is a love story, centering on a young girl, June Tolliver & her love interest John Hale, the "furriner." The other side of this novel focuses on what life is like for the "mountain people" and the effects of the coal mining boom, and the influx of foreigners into their way of life. Both stories are very interesting and blend well together. At times though, I felt the writing was hard to get through and difficult to follow. The last 1/4 of the book really picked up, and by the time the story concluded, I was glad that I read this and look forward to reading more by John Fox, Jr.

My 75-year-old father remembered this book from when he was a teenager--it made an unforgetable impression! I highly recommend this novel for several reasons: lovalable and believable characters (although the lead can do no wrong to an exaggerated point), well-flowing and interesting story that you can't predict (I like suspensefulness), beautifully described setting, historically set in Civil War Kentucky. I bought a copy for myself and then bought one to share with my family and another for a friend. I will save this for my pre-school aged children to read when they are older.

This book shows the mtn and city people in Kentucky as they go through the Civil War. However, my favorite part is at the end, when young Chad chooses to leave the area and go the westward way, to start all over again. When I was 15, I decided not to marry but rather to start all over again like Chad did. I'm grateful to John Fox Jr for showing me that choice.

General George H. Thomas deserves recognition not only for his bravery in Civil War battle but also for his brave choice to fight for the Union despite his Virginia birth. Education in Violence grants this recognition, but with a shortage of style. Francis F. McKinney's prose is often wooden and he is short on drama - his long, droning passages sometimes fail to give a sense of a battle as a whole or its significance. He doesn't answer the great question of why Thomas remained with the Union while fellow Virginians like Robert E. Lee and Joe Johnston went over to the rebel side. There is also a transparent partisanship here: Thomas and Grant were at odds, and there is no doubt which side this book favors. A recent book, The Warrior Generals by Thomas B. Buell, does a better job explaining Thomas's superb organizational abilities, his mastery at using maps in battle, and his grasp of how the technological advances of his day could tip the tide in battle. Read Education in Violence as a good source book on the General that is entirely devoted to the subject but limited in style.

This is easily the best account of General Thomas' life - just about everthing you ever wanted to know about his life is here, although I wish that the author had included more examples of his writing. Much more, the book is a great history of the war in the West and of how and why the Union won so decisively. The author writes very well and has an extremely broad (and opinionated) view of the war and this book was simply a great pleasure to read.

"Education in Violence" examines the life of the most admirable general of the Civil War and the army he led, with accuracy and literary clarity. Chapter 16 provides the best overview overview of the battle of Chickamauga in print and serves as a model of visualization of the geography and complex action occurring on a battle site. The account of Stones River is somewhat superficial by comparison, but the book's strengths make it one of the very finest volumes on 19th Century American history.

Taking a quote from the book, it could well have been subtitled: From 'Root Hog or Die' to 'Can You Spare a Dollar, Please.' Although it traces the history primarily of the Eastern Kentucky Cumberland Plateau area, there are probably some similarities with the character of life in similar mountain country in parts of West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee. While it describes the history from the time of the first non-native settlers until about 1963, the book is essentially a plea for outside help for the area. The author suggests the formation of a Southern Mountain Authority to be much like the Tennessee Valley Authority. He states "The T.V.A. demonstrated the means by which many of the world's trouble spots can be rescued. It's example now offers solid assurance that, for low direct cost to the taxpayers, America can successfully attack the ills of the Southern highlands in a campaign that will eventually benefit every one of the fifty states." He does not let TVA off without criticism, though, because he blames TVA for much of the motivations that lead to increased strip mining rather than deep mining. He claims that in 1953 TVA began changing from a "benevolent government agency whose masters gave every evidence of a wise dedication to public service" into "a mammoth corporation which subordinated all other considerations to low costs and balanced budgets."

Other than the concluding plea for help, the book is depressing, and offers little hope. It traces the history from fiercely independent settlers, through company coal towns, to a severely depressed welfare state with poor schools, which threaten to perpetuate the problems indefinitely. Despite the depressing aspects, the history is well written and interesting.

In predicting the continued decline of the coal industry, the author does reasonably well, but does not foresee the formation of an organization like OPEC, and he makes an interesting, perhaps over-confident comment about nuclear power. He says, "The growing petroleum glut and the network of natural gas pipelines lessen coal's importance with each passing season. Within a few years tireless atomic reactors will provide much of the electric power now made from coal."

This book would easily serve as an excellent history book for 8th graders living in and near south-eastern Kentucky. It doesn't read as easily as Caudill's stories and tales about the people and politics of this region, but it is valuable for anyone who wants to know about his or her history and why it happened the way it did. Sometimes sad and depressing but still factual and truthful, this book will define the area and its people for many years to come.

I read this book for a rural sociology class. Being a native Kentuckian, I was amazed how much I actually learned about this part of our state. I knew all the negative stereotypes, but this book gave a foundation on which to explain them. Very good book - although depressing. For someone who loves Kentucky and thinks it's the most beautiful place on earth, to read of the exploitation of the people and the destruction of the natural beauty of the Cumberland Plateau is upsetting. Even more upsetting is that little progress has been made. A definite read if you are interested in Appalachia or Kentucky.