Otis K. Rice

5793. West Virginia A History, by Otis K. Rice (read 9 Jun 2022) This is a book published in 1985, so the history is not up to now, but it begins in prehistoric times, covers the years when West Virginia was part of Virginia. and covers the detachment of West Virginia from Virginia during the Civil War, and the years since up to 1985. It is chronological as to various aspects of the state's times, and sometimes is not too interesting reading. I have read state histories of of about 10 other states, and this one is less well written than some of those. But it ends telling of the political history which is of much interest.… (more)

Fascinating look at the family feud to end all feuds! This is a history, written and published by an academic publisher so it is well researched and tries very hard to show all sides of the issues.

No side is given a pass, both families are shown to have a lot of blame for engaging in the battle. Rice read a lot of books, newspapers, transcripts and court records to try and separate the truth from all the fantasy that surrounds the whole lore of "The Feud".

I had a bit of a tough time getting through the whole explanation of the various trials and keeping track of the familial relationships would have been impossible without the two family trees on the end piece.

If you like history and don't know a lot about the famous family feud, give this a try. It isn't terribly long and show sympathy for both sides and the various members of the families who died.… (more)