West Virginia

In his clear eminently readable style Williams organizes the tangled strands of West Virginia''s past around a few dramatic eventsthe battle of Point Pleasant John Brown''s insurrection in Harper''s Ferry the Paint Creek labor movement the Hawk''s Nest and Buffalo Creek disasters and more. Williams uses these pivotal events as introductions to the larger issues of statehood Civil War unionism and industrialization. Along the way Williams conveys a true feel for the lives of common West Virginians the personalities of the state''s memorable characters and the powerful influence of the land itself on its own history.