Reviews (2)

one of my favorite all time books
this is simply put, a wonderful honest read.this is one of my all time favorite books.i am currently reading it for the third time in about 8 years.it is a pleasure to read EACH time.i know that this will not bemy last time in reading it!

Heartbreaking, beautiful, honest, and entertaining
A beautfiul, poignant memoir of growing up in a less-than-perfect family (who didn't?But how many of us will admit it?) in a now vanished America (the rural South of the pre-World War II years).Dabney's clear-eyedreflections on her childhood memories will strike a chord with anyone whohas looked back at their youth across the experience of years.This is nosweetly sentimental reminiscing; Dabney pulls few punches when relating herparents strengths and their failings, as well as her own sometimesless-than-lovable younger self.The pitfalls and prejudices of life insegregated Virginia are clearly spelled out, also.Yet, this is a poetic,moving book, delighting in the slower pace and rich detail of a life livedclose to the soil and the seasons, with much beauty to enrich the spirit ofan artistic person like the author.Painful episodes like the difficultmarriage and premature death of her beautiful older sister are disclosedwith grace and sympathy.As the author herself states, this is a book thattruly took a lifetime to write, and every page sings with truth, beauty,and the joy and pain of life! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a stark and thought provoking comparison
As I began reading William Drennen's and Kojo Jones' book, I anticipated an enjoyable experience. I was intrigued and impressed that a black man and a white man could come together for such an undertaking. I too grew up in West Virginia and felt great pride that they were products of my State and would perhaps give readers an example of how they were able to lessen the racial gap. However, what I experienced was a stressful and somewhat sad journey.

William Drennen's recollection of "growing up white" seemed to be a happy-go-lucky account of a privileged life. He had no reason to take things seriously. There were no barriers to his success as long as he followed the rules of his race and class and didn't make waves. However, in one account of his life's experiences, his conscience was pricked and perhaps he did long to make a few waves. Drennen tells the story of his black friend Albert coming to a party at his home after Thomas Jefferson Junior High School's first football game of the season. When it was discovered that a black youth was present, his parents asked him to leave and offered to drive him home. Drennen's father ended up dropping him off at the downtown post office, at Albert's request.

As I continued to read Drennen's words, I felt that something may have begun to smolder within him, much like the nagging feeling one gets when he wants to speak out or rebel against something he feels is wrong. Perhaps it increased a spark that was actually lit two years prior when he invited Kojo Jones to his home and was asked not to do so again. That time he did question. He obviously hadn't learned all the rules yet. In Albert's case however, nowhere did I read that Drennen went to his father and asked for an explanation. If he did talk to his parents, nowhere did I read that he told them he didn't feel the same way. And nowhere did I read that he went to Albert to say, " I don't feel the same way my parents do". Looking back now, Drennen acknowledges he had an opportunity to make a difference and didn't.

Reading about that incident brought back a memory of similar circumstances with just the opposite outcome. I was at Horace Mann Junior High School and my friend Kathy invited me to a slumber party at her house. My first thought was, "Didn't she tell her parents I'm black?" It turns out she did and after much communication between my parents and hers, I was allowed to go. It was a little awkward for me and I'm sure for them, but we all had a good time. In this case, the rules were different.

Reading further, I found myself questioning the explicit account Drennen gives of his sexual encounter with a black woman while he was in the military. Did it mean that since he was an adult and no longer under the direction of his parents, he was now making waves? Did he have a desire to make this a permanent relationship or was it a fling? If it was a fling, then, was he merely satisfying a curiosity about what it would be like to be with a black woman? How did their relationship help to bridge the gap between the races? What did it confirm or refute in terms of his beliefs about African Americans in general or African American women in particular? Finally, why was it important to retell this encounter? Personally, I found it disgusting and insulting not only because of the content, but also because of his seeming delight in telling it. He left me with many questions and no answers about the significance of relating the affair at all and in such detail.

By way of contrast, Kojo Jones' recollection of "growing up black" reveals one who took life far more seriously, no doubt as a result of early and unfortunate racial encounters. I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness reading his account, because I was reminded that he and many other gifted young black men found it difficult to focus on their potential because of constantly having to overcome racial barriers. Reading Jones' account of not being allowed to drink a cherry smash at the counter in Shumate's Pharmacy was sadly, typical. What wasn't typical and what I thought deserved more attention was the fact that the five white boys who were with him refused to pay and left as well. While no information is given about those five, I wondered if they might have been from a less privileged class and were therefore, more willing to make waves and question authority. Jones' experience of being tied and whipped at ten years old by four children as a reminder to "stay in his place" was very disturbing and an incident I'm sure made an indelible impact on his life. I would venture to surmise that it had much to do with his decision to get involved in the Civil Rights Movement.

Reading Jones' memoirs brought back many of my own and one in particular. My sister and I were the only black students at Clifftop Elementary School in 1954. During recess I remember trying to play with the other kids and being told that they couldn't play with me because somebody's grandfather said, "Black men have tails." Perhaps even more absurd is the fact that I couldn't wait to get home to ask my mother if it was true.

To summarize, Jones focuses his account more on the issue of race. It shaped his entire existence. Drennen, on the other hand, led a life shaped by class and in fact seems to refer to race as a byproduct of his existence. In other words, blacks worked for his family, but had no bearing on the decisions or choices he made in life.

Drennen and Jones give readers a lot to think about. They give what their title implies, "A Dual Memoir of Race and Class in Appalachia." They give readers a glimpse into how individuals of different races and socio-economic backgrounds view the world and how such views shape their interactions in it. Finally, they reveal how two men, one black and one white, can come together to write a book revealing such opposite life experiences.

Entering a relationship
Some years ago in the course of a study of school desegregation in Little Rock, I interviewed an African-American man who'd been of high-school age at the time. He recounted story after story of losses and wounds to himself, his children, and his community as a result of desegregating the schools. At last he commented sadly, "My frustration centers around how much effort and how many people we've put through that process, only to sit in a room rather than really to enter into a relationship."

Kojo Jones, a black man, and Bill Drennan, a white man, were ninth-grade classmates in the first year of desegregation, in their case in Charleston, W. Virginia. Red, White, Black & Blue is their attempt to "enter into a relationship" many years later through the medium of a shared memoir. What I found most striking about their book, beyond the courage and respectful engagement of the authors, is an eloquence of form that emerges from the pages. The story of class and race is told far more vividly through contrasts in the way the two men write than through what they write. The stark honesty of their differing versions offers to American readers a rare and valuable window into enduring and largely ignored dynamics of privilege and protest, of ease and struggle, of unawareness and urgent perception.

Mr. Drennan, for instance, writes that his earliest contacts with black people were with servants in his home, people who cared for him with warmth and humanity. He writes nostalgically, noting little awareness of the privilege expressed by so cushioned an experience of race. Mr. Jones, however, tells of a series of encounters, ranging from unpleasant to violent, winding through his life from childhood on. His earliest contact with white people happened in public spaces, in stores and playgrounds, away from the safety of home. This contrast between places where people discover race - at home through warm dealings with employees or in public through hostile confrontations with (usually older) strangers - is one I've found typical in my own work on racial dynamics. Also typically, Mr. Drennan tells his tale and moves on to other life experiences, while Mr. Jones organizes his entire narrative around defining racial encounters. To the white man, race is as incidental in his memoir as he experiences it in his life; to the black man, it is central in both.

The memoirs are accompanied by an analysis written by Dolores Johnson, a scholar of communication styles. She gives us an erudite essay that illuminates many of the dynamics I've mentioned. Unfortunately, Ms. Johnson's tool is discourse analysis, an academic approach rich in yield and interest but limited in scope. When the eye is drawn to communication between individuals, there is a tendency to miss the surrounding context. And in the case of racial inequities in America, context is key. Mr. Jones' and Mr. Drennan's accounts beg for linkages with those systems of domination that underlie relations of class and race in our society. It is certainly interesting to note contrasts in the lengths of each man's contribution and to connect wordiness with privilege. But I regretted the missed opportunity to go deeper, to echo the memoir authors' honesty and earnestness by speaking that unjustly discredited word, racism, in the analysis.

Despite its shortcomings (neither primary author is a writer by trade, so their stories lack elegance and polish), Red, White, Black & Blue is an enormously useful contribution to an understanding of racial inequities fifty years ago, and still today.

A pretty good book, but it strays from its subject
This book contains the accounts of two southern men, one white and one African American, whose lives have coincided with the tumult toward racial equality in America. Mr. Jones and Mr. Drennen deserve much praise for starting a dialogue. It contains honest feelings and raw memories.

The Supreme Court's 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision ruled that segregated schools were inherently unequal and thus violated the 14th Amendment's tenet of equal protection under the laws. The ensuing desegregation of (mostly) southern school systems had a deep impact on millions of students, teachers and administrators, and formalized a broader movement toward racial equality in our society. It was a disturbance to all, though, as have been the succeeding steps toward racial equality. I was hoping the book would provide much more about the early years of desegregation, based on its billing as "a memoir of growing up through the turmoil and anguish of desegregation." But the book actually offers relatively little about that aspect of the 1950s. The authors bare a lot of feelings and anecdotes, but they don't always seem to be part of any particular message to learn from.

Jones stays more on point with racial issues in his narrative, establishing that desegregation - also called "integration" at the time - did not integrate the races to any significant degree. It simply put them in coexistence, but not as America's melting pot. He is less clear in justifying his final point that reparations are the kick start needed to provide African Americans a stimulus to economic success. There is no evidence or precedent anywhere that gives weight to this argument. Jones also leaves the impression that he would just as soon the schools had not been desegregated, which is forthright but also suggests resignation on the prospect of racial harmony.

Drennen points out that West Virginia promptly and unequivocally complied with the Supreme Court ruling. Otherwise his reminiscences, while interesting, aren't very relevant to race and class in Appalachia. It addresses the racial chasm only obliquely, in what he isn't able to say. African Americans are bit players in his narrative, which essentially is about himself. His life has not been that of the typical white man he suggests he is. He experienced the first year of desegregation, and then departed to a life he describes of exclusiveness, license and privilege. It would have been more interesting to hear about his parents' discussions of why he should leave public schools than some of his other material in the book. Far more typical of whites - and blacks - were those who remained in public schools and lived the changes desegregation brought.

The editor, Delores Johnson provides a concluding "socio-linguistic rhetorical analysis" that may be of interest and use to scholars but was of limited use in evaluating the authors' messages. Language obscures racial differences and likenesses rather than illuminating them. You can analyze it for a thousand years and you'll never get to the bottom of it. The chasm and the answer exist at a level below language. That level is experience. Rent American History X for an evening, and you'll learn more about racial chasms, experience, despair and hope than syntax will ever reveal.

I attended the same junior high and high schools as Jones, two years behind him. I remember Mrs. Gregory, my African American 10th grade English teacher, who was tough as nails and left an indelible mark on every student she had; I recall more about her course than any other. I remember sitting in a luncheonette on Hale Street on a school day in 1958 and seeing a black man refused service; and the look on his face and feeling the blank in mine. I, like Jones, remember the First Baptist basketball teams; and the level they played was so far beyond my First Presby team that it wasn't even the same game. I, like Jones, remember Moses Newsome and Coach Jarrett, agents of change with entirely different styles. Wealthier white students who addressed the mothers and grandmothers of their black peers by their first names; these women were maids and cooks in the homes of white students who by day sat beside their black children in school. I remember black girls fighting in junior high school and reinforcing every prejudice the whites had to just stay in a different world. And a hundred others. It may or may not be of solace to Jones to know that whites' attitudes towards blacks in general were even worse then than he portrays them, and today are much more enlightened than he seems willing to grant.

For different reasons, each author of RWB&B has essentially led a life with his own race. Based on their narratives, it appears that neither has experienced the trials and successes of working closely with the other race, and learning through experience that they're not different at the core. What Jones and Drennen say is true and honest, yet there is much more that can lead us out of the woods. Many others have, through fate or determination, hung in there with the other race and gotten beyond the words. And it has taken decades. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Will bring even the manliest man to tears.....
I read this story in one sitting and I can honestly say that it is, by far, one of the most poignant books I've ever read. The descriptions found on these pages are the makings of heaven. You will find just where Smith's inspiration comes from on these pages and you will begin to understand why she became such a warrior for the early civil rights movement as she also demonstrates her deep devotion to family values and the family unit.

Most of all, the section about the chain gang still captivates me - and althought I'm not a betting man, I'd bet the farm that it will have the same affect on you.

Please buy this book - or borrow it!

A Christmas Tradition
I received this book at the age of eight. Every November since then my brother insisted I read the entire book aloud to him. A true Christmas tradition at our home.
Somehow I misplaced the original over the years and I'm thrilled to be able to order another copy at this time.
All children, young and old can learn/relearn about a true country Christmas.
Written about a much simpler, less commercial Holiday season; where love of family IS what Christmas is about, this book is a must-have for the family library.

A Christmas tradition at our house
Lilian Smith's recollection of Christmas as a child at the turn of the century transports one to a kinder and gentler time--one where the anticipation of hog killing is at once a wondrous and dreaded occasion! My family and I roll with laughter at the exploits of a large family in the south. Our mouths water at the descriptions of traditional southern delights. Truly a book of rare insight and warmth. A must read every Christmas season. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

An OLYMPIA 10 all the way across the board!!!!!
The lives of every person who reads this book will be enriched regardless of their age! The book is informative, interesting as well as entertaining! Great gift for anyone in your life! It flows as you read it and you won't want to put it down! Treat yourself to a wonderful experience!!!

Beautiful Bit of Work!!!!!
Reading this captivating book was a pleasure!!!!! I feel as though I personally know this wonderful man now. SUCH AN AUTHOR to capture him!!!!!

Fasinating reading..........
The book was bought for my son-in-law, but I couldn't resist reading it first. I am truly glad that I did as it is sure to improve my skills with dealing with people as it will yours when you read it!

Inspiring!!!!!
Miss DeLoach truly got into the head of a truly remarkable man! The book has everything, facts, figures, sad and happy times - all laced with humor. Couldn't put it down!

Truly banal
This book is a wildly self-indulgent extension of every cliche in other people's books. It's truly banal. I agree, however, with the reviewer who said it could be worthwhile "for those who do not read a lot." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The strength of spirit
Though Emma writes from the perspective of the losing side of the Civil War, and though her beliefs on race clash greatly with our times, her persistence in the face of horrible suffering is a magnificent example to us all.She stands as testimony to the powerful spirit of the South and of Southern women in particular.Were we as committed to the ideals of our day as she was to those of her day, ours would be a powerful society indeed.Her diary is all the more shocking when you realize that she was only seventeen when she began writing ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Heart warming!
I purchased this book a couple of years ago. I was taken with it right away. It brings back wonderful old memories of Christmas long gone. It is beautifully illustrated!! The illustrations attracted me to the book, the words won my heart!

A Lovely Read
It was a simpler time and these succulent memories bring back my own.Better yet, my special little ones are privy to what it was like to be a child in the "olden days".A beautiful thing to read together.Loved it.

Great Christmas gift!
I loved this story of a time in rural Texas before life was so rushed and hectic. This is a beautifully written and illustrated story and a wonderful Christmas gift. I originally was interested because of the author, Elithe Hamilton Kirkland. And this book gives a new look at her altogether. I gather it is a true story written by Kirkland for friends and family and then this publisher picked it up to share it with a larger audience. My husband and I have given many copies of this book to friends who have loved it. They all identify with the relationship between the girl and her family and the wonderful old-fashioned Christmas. What a great Christmas gift for such a reasonable price!

Not the original publication of this work by Kirkland
The original work was published in 1985 by the author and Nancie Austin (illustrator). Kirkland passed away in 1992 and this edition was NOT authorized by Kirkland as it was published after her death.In my opinionElithe H. Kirkland would NOT have approved of this edition. The firstedition is now a collectors item and very limited in number. ... Read more

Book Description

Home? Why must there be a place called Home? Why is there, somewhere in each human soul, a void that can be filled only by remembrance of that special place?

Reviews (1)

One of the best writers in the business!
A very talented writer. The translation requirements of such a book dictate that Ms. Goyne must be a very talented individual and, obviously, very intelligent. ... Read more

Book Description

In this marvelous anthology thirty-one of the South's finest writers--from Kaye Gibbons and Reynolds Price, to Eudora Welty and Richard Wright--make their intensely personal contributions to a vibrant collective picture of southern life.

In the hands of these superb artists, the South's rich tradition of storytelling is brilliantly revealed. Whether slave or master, intellectual or "redneck," each voice in this moving and unforgettable collection is proof that southern literature richly deserves its reputation for irreverent humor, exquisite language, a feeling for place, and an undying, often heartbreaking sense of the past. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Daring Escape to Freedom!!!
Ellen and William Craft were a young (mid-20's) slave couple who made a daring escape to freedom. Light-skinned Ellen cut her hair short and dressed in the suit and tophat of a white planter. Since she was illiterate, her husband William made a sling for her arm, so she had an excuse not to sign hotel registers. And since she had a womanly voice, the couple devised a poultice tied around her jaw indicating she had a bad toothache and could not speak. William played the role of his white massa's slave. And the couple traveled by train, steamship, and wagon to their destination in the north. They soon became popular lecturers in the United States and Europe. This is a remarkable story of daring and bravery and should be read by everyone. Anyone who wants to introduce their children to good historical fiction should get them The Journal of Darien Duff, an Emancipated Slave, The Diary of a Slave Girl, Ruby Jo, and The Journal of Leroy Jones, a Fugitive Slave.

Engrossing
I read this for a college history survey course before it was mistakenly announced that the book was out of print. The book was dropped from the syllabus, but I am glad I read it anyway.

The first and shortest part of the book is William Craft's powerful account of how he and his wife Ellen executed a daring escape from servitude in Georgia. Their plan was remarkable in its ingenuity: The almost white Ellen, outfitted with a master's clothes and a poultice on her face to prevent incriminating speech with strangers, and her husband William, disguised as a servant, escaped to freedom in the north. Travelling by rail, the pair exultantly crossed over into Canada and from thence headed for England.

The second part of the book is a third person summary of the couple's travels after their ambitious escape. It follows them from Georgia through the slave and free states, in which they were well received and protected (especially in Boston), up to Halifax and across the water to England. I found the final two thirds of the book the most enjoyable, as it treated of foreign travel, in which I have a keen interest. Both portions of the book are beautifully written and often gripping. I hope a few of my classmates read this before that announcement. This book is both pleasurable to read and historically vital.

The Freedom you will get when you read this book.
This book is a captivating account of the injustices of slavery and a amazing story of two fugitives running for there freedom. This book is a great story that should be taught in schools and should not be ignored in American History classes. It opened my mind to the horrors slavery actually caused. It represents a part of our history that should never be repeated. 5 plus stars.

Unique Plot and Style for a traditional topic
While taking an African American literature course in college I was introduced to this novella written by William Craft. It is a must-read for American and African American history classes. The novella is a quick and easy read, with the capacity for great discussion and in-depth analysis. Humor, suspense, mystery and action is all provided in this wonderful tale of escape and hypocrisey.

A must read for American history students
Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom is a must read for all American history students and should be required reading at least at the high school level. This book gives the reader a first-person view of that "Peculiar Instition" known as slavery and to what lengths one will go to achieve personal freedom. This book will change your view of slavery forever. ... Read more

Book Description

Burly men with stern expressions, coal dust on their callused ready hands, and Christian values in their hearts settled the mountains of Appalachia over a century ago. G.C. "Red" Jones, a determined boy from Harlan County, Kentucky, found himself in the company of these "true mountain men" in the early 1900s. After being thrown out of his home without money or food, Jones set out to prove his independence and strength against the backdrop of the Coal Wars, Great Depression, and World War II.

Although his encounters were often difficult and his adventures unsettling, Jones’ classic memoir, Growing Up Hard in Harlan County, depicts an unexpectedly rewarding way of life. Jones found joy in family life and comfort in the kindness of strangers as he fought to get work, struggled to care for his loved ones, and vowed to represent the rights of coal miners in Washington. Despite the poverty and strife that frequently characterized the region, Jones’ memoir is suffused with gratitude and pride for a rich life in Appalachia. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

life of a self made man
A must to read........
I felt I was there with him. I was eating the food and drinking the cold buttermilk. I could hear the heavy breathing of the mules going up the mountains of eastern Kentucky. This is a simple and straight look at a true and honest man, who taught himself and those around him that you choose your path in life. His seemed to be rewarded with an abundance of love. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Another forgotten hero
It's not often that staff officers receive the kind of attention combat commanders do, but even in the War Between the States, when staff officers frequently had as much front-lines time as private soldiers, Sandie Pendleton was something exceptional. W.G. Bean does an excellent job showing us why.

I first encountered Alexander Swift 'Sandie' Pendleton in Douglas Southall Freeman's essential 'Lee's Lieutenants,' in which he cites the need for a comprehensive biography of this important officer. A few years later (Freeman wrote in the 1940s, and 'Stonewall's Man' was first published in 1959), W.G. Bean -- appropriately, the Douglas Southall Freeman Professor of History at Pendleton's alma mater, Washington and Lee University -- took up the challenge. This is a sympathetic, but still thorough, look at the man 'Stonewall' Jackson 'loved like a son,' and Dick Ewell called 'the most promising young man' in the Army of Northern Virginia.

Pendleton was something of an intellectual, having graduated from Washington College (later W&L University) and entered the M.A. program at the University of Virginia when the War began. His quick and organized mind was ideally suited to the needs of a military staff, and he quickly made himself invaluable to Generals Jackson and Ewell. By the time of his death in 1864, shortly before his 24th birthday, he had risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and was assistant adjutant general (essentially, chief of staff) of the Second Corps.

Bean does a fine job of relating all this. He also doesn't skip on the equally important details of Sandie's personal life, particularly his romance with, and marriage to, Kate Corbin. This book is filled with excerpts from Sandie and Kate's personal letters, as well as those of their families and friends. By the time the book is complete, I felt I knew Sandie well, and, with his wife and family, genuinely mourned his untimely death.

Freeman said that part of his motivation in writing 'Lee's Lieutenants' was to rescue from obscurity some of the lesser-known commanders and officers of the Confederate armies. Today, when any acknowledgement (let alone defense) of the CSA is considered in some quarters a 'hate crime,' Freeman's mission is more important than ever. I'm very pleased, therefore, that 'Stonewall's Man' has been re-released, and urge its study by anyone interested in the Army of Northern Virginia. The staff corps, too, has its heroes, and Sandy Pendleton's is a life worthy of remembering and respecting. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The man & his Craft
I am sorry, but I never read the book, but I purchased it as a gift for friend. However I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Simmons on a tour of Charleston, South Carolina in 1998. He is an incredibly lively person who is full of humor and has countless stories to share. I remember one in particular, when he spoke of his years as a boy when there were only horse & carriages for transportation. Then he said the age of the automobile came to be and folks would stop whatever they were doing to watch in awe as the automobile went by. Then he chuckled quietly as he descibed the same behavior today when a horse & carriage goes clamoring through town. There are no words to describe the artistic craftmanship of Mr. Simmons iron works, you simply have to see for yourself. As for Mr. Simmons, he is a proud yet humble man about his craft, his works and his life, you should meet him for yourself.

A stirring and fascinating account
a stirring and engaging account of a man whose life spans almost the whole century, who grew up in a fascinating environment, regularly crossing between worlds while he served an apprenticeship, and went on to cross between other worlds, a folk artist who is regarded by the art world as a peerless sculptor, whose work is exhibited in museums. THis is a great study by a preeminent folklorist that will interest anyone. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ride The Butterflies Back to School with Donald Davis
This was an exceptional book that covers a school boy's memories of teachers and fellow students that left impact on his life. These memories are vivid with the tall, but true, tales that we can call relate to in our childhoods. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Despicable, worthless book
In my opinion, Frankie McWhorter should be in prison.
I would caution anyone against purchasing this book. I was hoping to discover another perspective on traditional training methods but instead was appalled by the abject cruelty that Mr. McWhorter advocates. Anyone who would subject horses to being shot repeatedly, or stabbed with a pitchfork over and over and exposed to countless other atrocities cannot be taken seriously as an educator. There is little to be learned from this individual. Passing off his methods as quaint, old-fashioned, and anecdotal do nothing to diminish the fundamental immorality of his techniques.
I have returned the copy of the book that I unwittingly purchased as I begrudge Mr. McWhorter a single cent from the sale of his perverse approach to horsemanship. Instead, I prefer to spend my time and money adopting credible, effective methods pioneered by men like Chris Irwin. Such trainers clearly know that training often requires considerable strength and assertiveness, but never do they resort to sickening, savage brutality.

The absolute truth about fixing bad habits and more
If you don't know much about true horse nature or how a horse actually thinks, you aren't going to like this book. You will think the author is too crude. However, if you are looking for "real" answers to horse behavior problems, this book will give you some ideas that really work. This author knows horses and he's had a lot of experience dealing with dangeruous habits. His advice is probably the most "honest" I've read in a long time. Seems like nobody wants to admit that to change a horse's habit of behavior, you have to make the "bad behavior" very uncomfortable and the "good behavior" very rewarding. The author of this book gives several good examples of this.

The forward of this book, states the author's methods may be outdated and are not appropriate for our modern times. That's not true. Every top trainer I know uses the same kind of logic explained in this book. Why? Because it's the truth.

If you are interested in learning training techniques that really work, go to my web site and read my "training tips". Go to www.HorseTrainingVideos.com

Larry Trocha

Experience Talks
I loved this book.Granted a lot of the advice is old fashioned and by today's standards harsh, but if you look at the "cause and effect" reasoning behind the methods they are mostly sound.Throughout the book the author does acknowledge how times have changed, and does not expect people to accept everything.Mostly he is telling horse stories from his life.The advice for handling horses that buck and rear was invaluable. Simple methods for correcting and fixing behavior is much more valuable than the cliche "a horse never misbehaves on purpose" which most authors hang on.Or the old "does your saddle fit" sidestep.

A Book NOT to Read!
This book is a horrible example of how horses have been abused by men who feel a need to exert their dominance over them.The atrocities Frankie McWhorter inflicted on horses he worked with disgusted me and I hope no one follows any of his suggestions like tying a horse's head in the air and leaving him that way for hours, or tying a horse up on the ground and stabbing it with a pitch fork until the horse bleeds, or shooting a horse with a BB gun.Who in their right mind would cause any animal such pain and anguish and call themselves a "horseman". If Mr. McWhorter is not dead yet, someone should do these things to him and see how he likes it.I pity the poor horses that crossed paths with this monster.Thank God there are trainers in the world now who preach and practice working with these beautiful creatures with patience, love, and understanding.

Old Timer Wisdom
Although the author admits (several times) that alot of the techniques he used in the past are no longer acceptable, he does give a lot of very useful information in a humourous way.For example, one thing he mentions is that a horse can only think of one thing at a time.If he is doing something wrong, get his mind on something else to stop the bad behavior.Maybe some of the techniques are outdated, but alot of the thoughts behind them are VERY useful.I learned alot from this elder horseman. I only wish the book was longer. (thus 4 stars) ... Read more

Reviews (11)

An insightful and fascinating history
The author of this book, Dr James Kibler, bought a derelict plantation house in the South Carolina upcountry in 1989 and proceeded to restore it. For those of us who wish we had the time, money and energy to do the same, this book is a wonderful Walter-Mittyesque escape. However, it is also something a great deal more significant, recently winning a major book award, as the non-fiction winner alongside the best-selling "Cold Mountain", the winner in the fiction category. Narrowly considered, "Our Fathers' Fields" is the history of only one house and only one family and their neighbors in one small area. However, this material is presented so that it becomes a "case history" for a more universal experience, namely the overall history of the agrarian South. The Hardy family followed the same migration routes and came from the same cultural context as those who populated the rest of the South. Southern genealogists will see many familiar surnames in this work, further increasing the sense of identification. (It is no accident that "The Bonnie Blue Flag", anthem of the Confederacy, began, "we are a band of brothers", although a band of cousins might have been more accurate). While the Hardys were quite rich by the 1830's, the beginnings of their plantation were humble -- 200 acres and a cabin, and their early pioneer story mirrored that of most families that left Virginia and headed south or west. The book looks at plantation life in the broader context of all strata and presents the history the whole Hardy family, black and white, over these generations in a sympathetic but not over-romanticised light. It is one of the very few local history works that has managed successfully to present as a cogent whole the complete history of a house: its architecture, the genealogy of its family, the cultural and historical framework in which both developed over two centuries, and such engaging details as furnishings, garden design and natural history, which other historians might have discarded as trivial but which tell us a great deal about these people and how they lived and what they thought. Dr Kibler's meticulous research has clearly become a labour of love. This comes through clearly in the book and the work is the better for it because of the insights that he has developed. The Hardy family comes alive in this book, not as stiff, enigmatic figures in a tintype but as flesh and blood folk with hopes, dreams, and opinions, who experience tragedy and loss with grace and strength. In some ways it is almost as if Kibler has acquired the viewpoint of an early planter, and some of the book reads almost like a first-hand account as a result. Dr Kibler's exhaustive cataloguing of the biodiverse flora & fauna of the area perhaps was the most telling -- it was exactly as a plantation owner would have done in the 18th and early 19th century -- reminiscent of Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia, or of William Byrd's diaries -- and of the "game books" at the great English country houses. The head of England's Historic Houses Association once remarked, "We don't own our houses. They own us." This quintessentially English sense of stewardship, of holding heritage in trust for future generations, survives outside of England uniquely in the American South. Through this book, James Kibler has become perhaps its foremost exponent. This book is an un-put-down-able read that has something for everyone -- history buffs, students of Southern culture, genealogists, people who like old houses, antiques or garden design. There's even a ghost story!

A Love for the Land
James Kibler does a masterful job of relating the story of a South Carolina family and their home on the Tyger River. Not only does Kibler tell a compelling story, he conveys the uniquely Southern question of the property ownership. 'Do you own land or does the land own you?' In the South, one does not just own property. He does not simply possess a piece of real estate. The land has prior claim and possesses its owner. In turn, the owner of record becomes its custodian and responsible for all that came before him.
In Massachusetts, when Bob Villa fixes up an old house, he is simply fixing up on old house. In Atlanta, (unlike the real South) they fix up an old house and call it 'property rehabilitation,' just another investment. But outside the metro-monstrosity, to rescue an ancestral home is to rescue history itself. To work in its gardens and find an occasional arrowhead or musket ball is to experience a piece of life. To salvage the work of a long ago carpenter (even though you cannot immortalize him) is to save his efforts and art for the future to enjoy. Saving someone's refuge from history is to become a part of history yourself, yet another tale that must be rescued from the condos and strip malls.
Unlike the rest of America's empire, the South remains conscious of its history. We cannot ignore what we tread on every day. We live our lives up to our necks in the results of history. In turn, there is no greater honor than to be a part of our history and its land. If Yankee legions could not destroy the land and its story, then modern corporations and termites haven't got a prayer. Here we do not measure history with years; we measure history with lots, acres, family and true Christian friends.

An Ancestors' Repsonse
This work by Dr. Kibler reveals the history of this family, their life style, the impact that the members of the family had on southern society during that time period, and the impact of that time period on the family.

As an ancestor of the Hardy family he so elequently describes, I thank Dr. Kibler for the efforts he relentlessly pursued in order to reveal the life of this southern family.

Additionally, I thank the reviewers - all of you, pro and con - that have taken the time to extend their personal thoughts and feelings about Dr. Kibler's work.

I assure each and everyone one of you that the ancestors of this proud Southern family are alive and well, and that the history of the Hardy family is a Southern history that ALL of us share that reside here in the deep south. It will always remain a vital part of this family, and of this culture, through all time.

My children are well aware of their heritage, and are filled with pride to be personally related to the family that lived and survived in this historical, colorful past. My brother and sister, both residents of South Carolina, are just as proud.

God bless all of you.

Allen Key Hardy

Masterful recreation of the family of a restored plantation
Kibler brings back a slice of the Old South with detailed research and rich, descriptive narrative. Some may accuse him of romanticizing but recent scholarship places him much closer to reality. The Hardy's (the original family of the home Kibler himself restored) while atypical of the prosperity of the larger South are representative of their class. A good read & highly recommended.

A stroll thru Southern honeysuckle and sunshine.
Maybe it's just my agrarian "roots," but I am sure I smelled honeysuckle and felt a cool Southern breeze as I strolled thru Dr. Kibler's latest work, 'Our Fathers' Fields.' At last! Someone from academia has come forth with a work about the South that is not infused with politically correct gobbledygook. Unfortunately, if one is in possession of a closed mind, i.e., an anti-South cultural bigot, this book will not smell of honeysuckle. Yet, for those who understand that history is written and enforced by the victor, 'Our Fathers' Fields' will surely become a must read. After reading this book, I am convinced that one day Dr. Kibler's name will be etched upon the wall of honor along a side the names of such men as Donald Davidson, Richard Weaver, M. E. Bradford, and other defenders of true Southern history. Take it from a Louisiana Southern Partisan, this book should be read by Americans in general and Southerners in particular---Deo Vindice. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Everyone will love this book
I am not a sportsman; I do not ride, hunt, fish, or shoot. However, I loved this book because the stories are universal; they illustrate life and human nature. I laughed and learned at the same time. Everyone will like this book, even if you do not engage in any of the sporting activities around which the stories take place. I also like the fact that you can start reading at any point in the book--you do not have to read the entire book in sequence, although you will want to read it again and again. ... Read more