Average customer rating:
- Excellent and amazingly easy to put into practice.
- Blah blah blah
- Psychological tips that works!!!
- Make Peace with Anyone :Breakthrough Strategies to Quickly End Any Conflict, Feud, or Estrangement
- Priceless Information
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Make Peace With Anyone: Breakthrough Strategies to Quickly End Any Conflict, Feud, or Estrangement
David J. Lieberman
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
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Behaviorist David Lieberman thinks all conflicts have something in common. Whether you're dealing with the complaining customer, the coworker with charisma bypass surgery, or the fallout from forgetting a friend's birthday, the resolution lies in understanding what he calls the "conflict recipe." The ingredients of all conflicts are fear and perceived loss of respect, says Lieberman. When people and events don't respond as we planned, we fear a loss of control. We compensate and translate this fear--and the lowered sense of esteem it brings--into anger. Ergo, conflict resolution is accomplished by offering the injured party the ingredients for restoring self-regard and a sense of control.
Based on this recipe, Lieberman creates dozens of step-by-step scenarios for resolving conflicts of every shape, including family money feuds, contretemps with friends, personality clashes, passive-aggressive coworkers, and differences in values. Other particularly strong chapters direct readers to seek forgiveness for their own behavior and provide emergency techniques for standoffs and longtime estrangement. Lieberman explains his basic theory with clarity, and illustrates its practice with smart strategies and chapter summaries. This practicality and consistency allow Make Peace with Anyone to deliver on the title's promise. --Barbara Mackoff
Book Description
Make Peace with Anyone is the first book that shows readers how to quickly resolve any situation, no matter how long it's been going on, or how many people are involved.The techniques and psychological strategies presented here are simple, easy to understand, and work....fast.In this book readers will learn how to: *End any family feud *Get an apology from anyone *Jumpstart any relationship or friendship *Handle any passive-aggressive person *Get the respect you deserve from anyone *Dramatically improve any relationship *Get anyone to forgive you for anything *Align anyone to your way of thinking Dr. David Lieberman provides the path to permanent peace and will show you the way to Make Peace with Anyone.AUTHORBIO: David J. Lieberman, Ph.D., whose books have been translated into fifteen languages, is an internationally renowned leader in the field of human behavior.He has appeared on more than two hundred programs and is a frequent guest expert on national television and radio shows such as The Today Show, National Public Radio, The View, PBS, The Montel Williams Show, and AE.Dr. Lieberman holds a Ph.D, in psychology and is the creator of Neural-Dynamics Analysis, a revolutionary short-term therapy.He is a sought-after speaker, lecturer, and consultant across a spectrum of topics.Techniques based on his work have led to groundbreaking advancements in numerous fields and are used by governments, corporations, and professionals in more than twenty-five countries.He lives in South Florida.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent and amazingly easy to put into practice........2007-08-07
Wonder why people get hurt or angry? This book will reveal how our minds work and why pople react if treated differently in such an easy way that it is almost too good to believe.
Blah blah blah.......2006-11-05
It's the same story over and over and over and over. The whole book was a repetition of the first concept in every chapter. No eye - opening advice, and lame strategies.
Psychological tips that works!!!.......2006-04-07
This is an easy to read book plenty of psychological tips and advices that will help you got a better life. There are no tricks here, just proved techniques which being totally honest with yourself they will help you solve almost any personal, familiar or business problem. You will learn a very important think after reading this book: self esteem and respect is the solid base you must have and promote in any relationship you could have. Treat others like you want to be treated to; this is the big lesson Lieberman wants teach to us.
Make Peace with Anyone :Breakthrough Strategies to Quickly End Any Conflict, Feud, or Estrangement.......2005-07-07
This is an excellent book. It really is helpful as far as solving disagreements between people. It doesn't matter whether it is a spouse, friend or just an acquaintance whom you are having difficulty getting along with. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to mend any type of conflict between themselves and others.
Priceless Information.......2004-11-03
Even if you are not looking to make peace with anyone, this book contains priceless information on understanding your own behavior and others.
Book Description
In Blood Feud, Colorado Avalanche beat writer Adrian Dater not only submits that the Red Wings-Avalanche rivalry was the most feverish match-up in recent years, but also that there was none better played.
Customer Reviews:
AWSOME READ.......2007-06-27
anyone who is a hockey fan would enjoy this read, if your an avalanche or red wing fan its a must read, could not put it down untill finished, have passed on to other hockey fans and have enjoyed as much as I have, I even have read out loud to the guys at work during break bits of the book, anyone who enjoys hockey would find this a great read
Interesting Topic; Average Story.......2007-05-25
'Blood Feud' by Adrian Dater tells the story of the infamous Detroit-Colorado rivalry that was responsible for some of the best hockey during the 1990s.
The strong points of this book include interesting biographical information about some of the rivalry's stars (Roy, Lemieux, McCarty, and Bowman to name a few). Another solid component of this book was the inclusion of some of the 'behind the scenes' chatter among the rivals including the details of the famous exchange between Crawford and Bowman. The material was also presented in a fairly even-handed way (pretty remarkable considering this guy is Colorado media).
This book has its weak points as well. The author attempted to weave in and out of the storyline too much. You'll find yourself reading about a particular playoff series, only to be randomly pulled out of it and thrown into another topic (at times, this really killed the flow of the story). Another notable weak point is the author's statement that the Ray Borque to Colorado trade was possibly the "greatest steal of a deal in NHL history" which is absurd. Finally, there were far too many awkward personal interjections by the author (often unrelated to the story itself).
Overall, for this price, I'd recommend reading this book if you have an interest in the rivalry. Don't buy it with the hopes of it being a literary work of art; just enjoy it for what it is: an insider's recollection of an exciting NHL rivalry.
Wingnut Residing in Denver.......2007-05-23
As a 27 year Detroit native living the last 13 years in Denver, I was in the emotional vortex of this great rivalry. This book was a great read and brought back all the polar feelings from these incredible games and bloody fights. Mr. Dater retells this story in a bioptic fashion, delving into the important characters and the stories behind the story. He points out the strange ironic twists that festered into this Hockey hatred. His fact finding was thorough and impressive on both teams. His writing style is casual, easy to read and similar to Jon Krakauer's "Into thin Air." Anyone who suggests Avalanche bias is way off base. This Denver newspaper writer is arguably tougher on the Av's than the Wings with most negative ink heaped on Lemieux and Crawford and some not too flattering episodes by Patrick Roy. Luckily this was an easy read because I had a hard time putting it down after page 1. Sent a copy to my brother in Detroit and he was late to work the morning he cracked it open. He showed the book to his boss and his tardiness was quickly forgotten and his book quickly borrowed.
Sad Day for the Written Word.......2007-04-21
Whether your an Avs or Redwings fan (I am the former) this book is a disgrace to readers everywhere. While I appreciate the subject matter, which kept me from tossing this book into the flames before I was finished, Adrian Dater's inability to write with any depth or clarity is evident. Perhaps there is a bit more background on the relevant events, but the bios focusing on Bowman, Lemieux, Roy and McCarty are pure filler. Half the book is in quotes so I hope Woody Paige and Mark Kiszla are getting royalties from this. There are also sections about Dater himself and self realizations he has. I don't care! I didn't pick up this book to learn about Dater drinking high protein shakes and mentally pounding his HS tormentors. The editor over at Taylor Trade should submit his/her resignation. This should be a pamphlet, but with misc. facts that stray from the subject combined with 12 point font make it two hundred plus pages of dribble. This "book" is a failure on all levels and it's a shame Amazon forces one to give any stars.
Blood Feud Review.......2007-04-14
First of all, this book is worth the price just for, as other comments have attested to, the screaming match that Crawford had with Bowman in 97; vulgar, but albeit priceless stuff. Second of all, it would be nice to see a Detroit reporter put together a similar account because I don't know how everyone can take this account as "unbiased". This guy is an Avs reporter for the Post for crying out loud! He includes numerous excerpts from the apparently unabashed homer Avs radio man, while providing nothing from Ken Kal, the Wings radio man who, apparently with his middle-of-the-road approach, is too boring for this book. Look, I am an honest Red Wings fan and appreciated the rivalry between both teams, but there are definitely pro-Avalanche slants in this book. Granted there are few, but they are still there. I would appreciate a counter-offer from the Detroit perspective, maybe from Bob Wojonowski, who is probably one of the top three Detroit sports writers.
Book Description
The Hatfield-McCoy feud, the entertaining subject of comic strips, popular songs, movies, and television, has long been a part of American folklore and legend. Ironically, the extraordinary endurance of the myth that has grown up around the Hatfields and McCoys has obscured the consideration of the feud as a serious historical event. In this study, Altina Waller tells the real story of the Hatfields and McCoys and the Tug Valley of West Virginia and Kentucky, placing the feud in the context of community and regional change in the era of industrialization.
Waller argues that the legendary feud was not an outgrowth of an inherently violent mountain culture but rather one manifestation of a contest for social and economic control between local people and outside industrial capitalists—the Hatfields were defending community autonomy while the McCoys were allied with the forces of industrial capitalism. Profiling the colorful feudists "Devil Anse" Hatfield, "Old Ranel" McCoy, "Bad" Frank Phillips, and the ill-fated lovers Roseanna McCoy and Johnse Hatfield, Waller illustrates how Appalachians both shaped and responded to the new economic and social order.
Customer Reviews:
Great Research of the FEUD.......2004-09-07
This book happens to be one of the only studies that Dr. Coleman Hatfield recommended at one of the talks I attended. Dr. Hatfield is the great-grandson of Devil Anse and is quite a history scholar in his own right -- and the author of "THE TALE OF THE DEVIL" the first and only biography of Devil Anse Hatfield.
Waller has meticulously studied the subject matter, and it's worth reading. And American tragedy.
Useful, but flawed in several important aspects . . ........2002-09-21
Dr. Waller attempts to get past the "traditional accounts", usually assembled from the newspaper and popular accounts of the time, but falls into one error which confounds the rest of her presentation: she found a great deal of information for the Hatfield family and for the West Virginia side of the river, but not as much for the Kentucky side and she generalized about the second using what she learned from the first. While the book was exceptionally well-researched, some information was overlooked or missed. Professor Waller unfortunately accepts the claim that the Tug Valley was a Confederate stronghold. However, only the West Virginia side of the river was strongly Confederate in its sympathies. The Kentucky side of the river contained a large number of Union veterans (possibly as many as a hundred or more men from this area joined the Federal army), and, in fact, in Pike County the area bordering the river was the most loyal in the entire county (post-war voting records reveal the largest percentages of Republican voters in the two precincts which were part of the Tug Valley). Waller's initial conclusions lead her to dismiss the Civil War connections of the feud. She was apparently unaware of the high degree of Unionism in the region and how it may have contributed to what could have been a continuation of the 1861-1865 warfare on the border, despite the alleged thirteen- and five-year respites. While it is well-known that Hatfield and his kin were Confederate veterans (though there is a justifiable dispute as to whether Devil Anse was actually a member of the Logan Wildcats), and it is also known that many of the McCoys had served in gray with the Hatfields, in the later phases of the feud (aptly identified by Dr. Waller) the participation of several former Union veterans or their sons in the fighting against the Hatfields indicates a significant Civil War connection. The evidence that the feuding was a carryover from the war is substantial and cannot be dismissed.
Hatfields and McCoys.......2002-07-21
It has long been assumed that the famous feud between the Hatfields and McCoys in the 1880's was a family affair between two clans of primitive hillbillies. In Feud: Hatfields, McCoys, and Social Change in Appalachia, 1860-1900, Altina Waller argues that this view is nothing less than folklore, and the historical reality of the feud has been all but lost. Her work successfully explodes the myths that have surrounded the feuding Hatfields and McCoys.
In her introduction, Professor Waller discusses the previous interpretations of the feud. The first states that, "the feud and the culture from which it emerged were anachronisms in modern society" and "they represented a primitive way of life which had somehow been preserved in much the same way that prehistoric fossils are preserved." The second school of thought suggests that the feud was a result of the transformation that was occurring in the region due to the "onslaught of industrialization." Waller rejects both of these interpretations because of three aspects of the feud that she has identified as violence, family, and timing. Waller has concluded after much research that "in the 1870s and 1880s, the Tug Valley may have been boisterous and rowdy, but it was far from dangerous" and that "something unusual was happening eithin this particular community which drove a few individuals and families to resort to extreme measures." And Waller discounts the family explanation because " supportersof the Hatfields and of the Mccoys consisted of numerous individuals unrelated to those families; in fact, more than half of each group were unrelated to the feud leaders. More puzzling, there were McCoys on the Hatfield side and Hatfields on the McCoy side." Waller rejects also that the feud was caused by the Civil War. She dates the feud from 1878-1900, and identifies two phases with a five year interim. Waller offers that the feud must be examined internally and also in the light of regional and national trends.
The Tug Valley in the years following the Civil War underwent profound changes. Due to rapid growth in population and the finite agricultural resources available in the Valley, a sort of greedy desperation began to emerge in the character of some inhabitants of the Tug Valley. Also at this time outside interest in the vast resources of the Appalachias was taking the form of big money men and local agents purchasing huge tracts of land in order to exploit the mountains for their coal and timber. Gradually the mountaineer was transformed from an inependent farmer to an impoverished wage laborer. attempting to buck this trend is none other than Devil Anse Hatfield. Through hard work and some crafty legal maneuvers, Anse becomes proprieter of a sizable timber busines. And in the process incurs the wrath of Old Ranel McCoy and Perry Cline. Old Ranel through his own foolishness has not prospered, and Anse has bested Cline in a court action and removed him from his lands, which are then awarded to Anse. This is what Professor Waller has discovered to be the crux of the feud--economic power and control and its resultant societal implications. Anse has climbed the ladder while others have watched, and they are jealous.
These truths were initially lost because of the sensational handling of the feud by the newspapers of the day. Altina Waller has been successful in separating the myths from the reality. She states in conclusion that, "the feudists were struggling with the same historical forces of transformation that had been changing Americal since before the American Revolution." This is the larger picture.
Well-researched and written account of the famous feud along.......1998-05-28
Waller has a done a spectacular job of recreating this now infamous event, seperating fact from myth and rebutting many of the stereotypes that were perpetrated about the feud by the Northern press that glamorized it. As a native of Pike County, Kentucky and a distant relative of many involved in this feud, I found the text most informative. It is also accesible to anyone who is not from Appalachia or who is not versed in its history.
Amazon.com
Muhammad Ali once admitted to former Sports Illustrated writer Mark Kram that he and Joe Frazier went to Manila for the third of their three epic fights "as champions and we came back as old men." Boxing is a particularly unforgiving sport for old men, especially those--as Kram tells us in Ghosts of Manila, his thoroughly riveting account of one of the Sweet Science's greatest rivalries--"with too much pride, heart, and unexamined confidence for their own well-being." Which defines Ali and Frazier's essential characters in a nutshell.
Kram begins his saga in the present, looking at the different kinds of isolation that currently surround each man's life, then dances back and forth through time to spar with just who these warriors have been and how they came to be the icons, for better or worse, they became. Ghosts of Manila is more than a twin biography, though; it is an often haunting meditation on how much we project onto our athletes, and how destructive the projections can be. As much as any punishment sustained in three of the most brutal title fights in heavyweight history, the baggage--personal and societal--that Ali and Frazier carried into and out of the ring changed them physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Did Ali earn all the love? Did Frazier deserve all the scorn? To answer the questions, Kram bravely goes toe to toe with Ali worship and Ali's myth. His daring rewards us with knockout profiles of two legends more complex and real than mere iconography might allow. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description
When Muhammad Ali met Joe Frazier in Manila for their third fight, their rivalry had spun out of control. The Ali-Frazier matchup had become a madness, inflamed by the media and the politics of race. When the "Thrilla in Manila" was over, one man was left with a ruin of a life; the other was battered to his soul.
Mark Kram covered that fight for Sports Illustrated in an award-winning article. Now his riveting book reappraises the boxers -- who they are and who they were. And in a voice as powerful as a heavyweight punch, Kram explodes the myths surrounding each fighter, particularly Ali. A controversial, no-holds-barred account, Ghosts of Manila ranks with the finest boxing books ever written.
Customer Reviews:
Ali and Frazier: a welcome revisionist view.......2006-12-29
It's human nature to look for heroes. Few candidates for this level of acclaim, however, especially in an age where little of a public figure's life remains private, can withstand scrutiny and still come out shining. Muhammad Ali's shortcomings have been glossed over during the last thirty plus years and his actions have been recast in a more complimentary light by his many hagiographers to turn him into a sacred cow, a heroic figure who can do little wrong.
Mark Kram's "Ghosts of Manila" is essentially a revisionist view of two great heavyweight champions of the 70s, one whose character has perhaps been overvalued, the other who has never received his due. The tension between the two men, an exploration of their psychologies and their historic trilogy of battles are the subject of the book.
Hardly anybody is shown in a positive light in Kram's book and one can't help but feel that the author has some mysterious axe to grind. Yet much of what is described here can be found in other books about Ali. What makes Kram's book unique is that he analyses the actions of the key figures and the context they lived in to give an alternate picture that leads one to assess both men differently, or more accurately in Frazier's case, to assess him at all.
The Ali who emerges in Kram's book is an opportunist who happens to be in the right place at the right time and whose every proclamation and gesture is spun to take on a level of significance to which he is essentially ignorant. The icon we hold as a model of courage is dismantled to reveal a man who repeatedly turned his back on those who supported him, either because there was risk attached to remaining loyal (Malcolm X) or it was inconvenient to do so (his numerous ex-wives as well as a few of his children).
Frazier is presented in only a slightly more sympathetic light because he is seen as the victim, the target of Ali's most offensive insults. The man who emerges is an embittered figure who has sacrificed his dignity (as well as his friends and family) to his rage.
Kram is a skilled, but occasionally undisciplined, writer. Some of the metaphors are overblown and some of his digressions seem to go nowhere, suggesting that the book could have used more editing. In general though his prose is sharp and devoid of cliche.
This book has aroused a fair bit of controversy, as some of the other reviews here illustrate (some of which, interestingly, go to some length to discredit the author). Yet it is a well written book, which provides an interesting antidote to the popular view of the two fighters. The author's courage in taking a critical stance toward one of our sacred cows is to be lauded. Where the book could have gone deeper is in exploring the reasons Ali's many obvious failings have been ignored in the public's eyes to give him the saint-like stature he currently holds.
"Ghosts of Manilla" should have obvious appeal to those with an interest in boxing in general and Ali and Frazier in particular; it should especially interest anybody who wants to get an alternate view of one of the most famous public figures of our time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (please read).......2006-11-29
Before making a decision on whether or not to purchase this book, I feel I should share some important information about its author, one Mark Kram, so that you can make an informed decision on whether this is the kind of honest man who is going to write a fair and even handed account on anything regarding boxing:
In 1976 Don King arranged the infamous US Championships Tournament for ABC television. This was a tournament involving fighters signed with Don King or his cohorts only. Bribery was used to corrupt ratings to justify the inclusion of undeserving King fighters/exclusion or far more deserving non-King fighters. The more worthwhile fighters who wanted to participate were told they would have to kickback a chunk of their purses to King, whilst also leaving their current manager and signing with King. Those who refused this blackmail were left excluded. And thus a bogus tournament was created with a clutch of retired preliminary fighters and obscure journeymen, dressed up as contenders with fake records and paid for rankings.
Where was Mark Kram in all of this? This `journalist' accepted gifts and gratuities from Don King and penned a puff piece article promoting the tournament for the January 1977 Sports Illustrated. Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen, this `journalist' was bought and wrote a four page article extolling the virtues of this "great tournament" and "the honesty of Don King"! Of course the tournament fell apart half way through and its massive corruption was exposed, as well as Kram's. This `journalist' took money under the table to humiliate the most respected sports publication in the US. No surprises the magazine fired Kram and had to write a full expose/apology by Robert Boyle in the May 1977 Sports Illustrated, atoning for Kram's article of lies.
And now all these years Kram resurfaces from under his rock, attempting to destroy the character of Muhammad Ali. Perhaps a look in the mirror may have been more appropriate. Muhammad Ali is loved by millions worldwide, and accorded major respected by fighters, both amateur and professional. Mark Kram however, is an exposed crook and isn't even accorded respect by fellow journalists, let alone fighters. Maybe if Kram had ever had the guts to lace on a pair of gloves he would have more of an understanding of just how hard it is to do what Muhammad Ali does.
Fascinating read.......2006-11-05
Kram goes beyond much of the shallow coverage that passes for sportswriting these days to deliver a first-rate package that won't disappoint anyone with a modicum of interest in boxing's golden age. He provides fascinating insights into the two central characters and many others in the business. Thoroughly recommended.
The Thrilla from Vanilla..........2006-07-11
Muhammad Ali has received hagiographical treatment for the past thirty years or so. This book has a different perspective, however. Kram was there the whole time, saw everything, knew everybody, and lays out his take, to use an apt metaphor, without pulling any punches. Kram does occasionally lose himself in pretension--using the word "rodomontade" in a boxing book?--but, hey, he was an old guy, close to death, and I guess he wanted his last work to be more profound than the subject matter permitted. For everyone who thought Ali was a keen intellect, or a political visionary, or, indeed, a saint, here is your bucket of cold water. He certainly was a talented athlete--a heavyweight with the speed of a middleweight--and he may have been a symbol of pride to blacks...but that's about it.
Not a Thrilla.......2006-06-26
This book was a major disappointment. If books could be returned for a full refund because of disappointment with the contents, then I would immediately return this one. I liked the title and I am a fan of both Ali and Frazier and I was interested in reading more about their great third fight. Plenty is written about Ali, but I was interested in reading and learning more about Frazier. Well, 90% is about Ali and race. 6% is about Frazier and only 4% is about the fights themselves, including the third fight that the book is based on! This book could have been a short magazine article, instead it is needlessly expanded. I only finished this book because I paid full price for it and I knew that I couldn't get my money back.
Average customer rating:
- The Coffin Quilt: A Quick Thought On My Reading Experience With The Book
- Good, but not the best Ann Rinaldi book
- Smashing!
- One of the Most Famed Feuds in American History
- A great take on the most famous family fued!
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The Coffin Quilt: The Feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys
Ann Rinaldi
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Feuds among the mountain folks of West Virginia and Kentucky, particularly the bloody skirmishes between the Hatfield and McCoy families, are often celebrated in American legend and folksongs. In The Coffin Quilt, Ann Rinaldi mines this rich vein of Americana for a fascinating tale that closely follows the real events of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, but which also has implications for our own violent times. Rinaldi--known for Cast Two Shadows, An Acquaintance with Darkness, and other historical fiction novels for teens--suggests in her author's note that "the Civil War conditioned men who fought in it to kill and to hate." Consequently, men came home from the war to their mountains with minds and rifles primed to react to the slightest trespass upon their exaggerated loyalty to kinfolk. The story is told by Fanny, the youngest of the fourteen McCoy children, who traces the beginnings of the famous feud to a confused Civil War shooting and a dispute over a herd of pigs. When her favorite older sister, the beautiful Roseanna, runs off with handsome Johnse Hatfield, it's like a bucket of gasoline thrown on the smoldering hatred between the two families. Warned by the apparition she calls Yeller Thing, Fanny is nonetheless a helpless witness to ambushes and killings, burials and retribution. Too late she realizes that Roseanna's obsession with sewing a traditional but gruesome coffin-decorated quilt is a sign of her evil attraction to deliberately stoking the fires of the feud--providing a psychological thriller ending for this dramatic tale of hillbilly love and revenge. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell
Book Description
Fanny McCoy has lived in fear and anger ever since that day in 1878 when a dispute with the Hatfields over the ownership of a few pigs set her family on a path of hatred and revenge. From that day forward, along the ragged ridges of the West Virginia-Kentucky line, the Hatfields and the McCoys have operated not withing the law but within mountain codes of their own making. In 1882, when Fanny's sister Roseanna runs off with young Johnse Hatfield, the hatred between the two clans explodes.
As the killings, abductions, raids, and heartbreak escalate bitterly and senselessly, Fanny, the sole voice of reason, realizes that she is powerless to stop the fighting and must learn to rise above the petty natures of her family and neighbors to find her own way out of the hatred.
Customer Reviews:
The Coffin Quilt: A Quick Thought On My Reading Experience With The Book.......2007-01-02
I live in the hills of West Virginia- not very far from where this story is set. When I was younger- I guess in about the 7th grade, we had WV history, which I tried not to pay any attention to as much as possible. Our class did learn about the Hatfields and McCoys, and I wish now that I had paid closer attention. Mostly because I really missed out on a good story- that I never really got a handle on until my own daughter brought home the coffin quilt book for a book report. After she read it, I decided to read it also. Such a good idea! I loved the book so much that I had to buy it for one of my friends to read. She loved it also. This book touched my heart, and I really felt for all of the characters at one point or another in the story. Its a really good read that I would recommend to anyone interested in the Hatfields and McCoys story.
Good, but not the best Ann Rinaldi book.......2006-09-10
The Coffin Quilt is a story about a family fued that went a little to far. The Hatfields and the McCoys are both large familys who have been in a fued since 1878, but becomes uncontrollable in 1882 when the main characters sister (a McCoy) runs off with a hatfield. This book is good, and definatly worth reading, but, for me at least, it is just too weird. Everybody is, or is going, mad. I found it hard to know the main character. It is a somewhat confusing, and very sad book, without a happy-everythings-alright ending. Overall, it was worth reading, but not exactly a 5 star book
Smashing!.......2006-03-16
I've always loved Ann Rinaldi's books, but this has to be one of her best yet. Told from the point of view of young Fanny McCoy, this novel tells the heartbreaking tale of the famous Hatfield-McCoy Feud. It was interesting hearing the feud told from the point of view of a child, especially after having viewed the 1949 movie, Roseanna McCoy (which leaves out all but four siblings of the famous McCoy daughter and was innaccurate to boot, though still good) and reading nonfiction books concerning the events. I highly recommend it to anybody who enjoys history. Fans of Rinaldi will not be disappointed.
One of the Most Famed Feuds in American History.......2006-01-20
In modern times, people don't know much if anything pertaining to the feud between the Hatfields and the Mccoys.This book contains so much information, while educating the reader on an actual, historical event. I personally could relate to Fanny McCoy while reading, being in a family of five brothers and four sisters. Fanny is the youngest in an even larger family. I would highly reccomend The Coffin Quilt. It makes the reader feel, which is the sign of a good book.
A great take on the most famous family fued!.......2005-11-15
Coffin Quilt is the story of the Hatfield,McCoy fued told form the perspective of young Fanny McCoy. Ann Rinaldi is one of my favorite authors and this is one of my favorite of her books. Rinaldi tells it like it is, not felling the need to create a light-hearted character to lighten this deep story. Rinaldi stayed true to history and created a story you don't want to climb out of as you read through the sadness,murder and heartbreak. I would highly recommend this book to any teen interested in historical fiction. Though i would not suggest this to my little sister{age ten}, If you would prefer more light hearted historical fiction I would suggest some of Rinaldi's other books- A Ride into Morning or Finishing Becca.
Other recommended books would be- After the War~Carol Matas, Aquintance with Darkness~Ann Rinaldi,Nory Ryan's Song~ Patricia Reilly Giff.
Product Description
The first biography of Devil Anse Hatfield, written by great grandson Dr. Coleman Hatfield and noted historian Robert Y. Spence, will be published this summer. The Tale of the Devil is the story of Hatfield patriarch Devil Anse Hatfield, beginning with his childhood in frontier Appalachia; it also covers his Civil War days as a noted Confederate soldier. The 320-pages will also enlighten the reader of the true story of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, the killings, and the post-feud years for this character of American History.
Customer Reviews:
The Tale of The Devil.......2005-11-22
A collaborative effort of Coleman C. Hatfield and Robert Y. Spence, The Tale of The Devil purports to be a biography of Anderson Hatfield, more commonly known as Devil Anse Hatfield, of Hatfield and McCoy fame, but it's more than that. Assisted by original manuscripts from Coleman A. Hatfield, a grandson of Devil Anse, the authors describe several significant members of the Hatfield family in their changing mileaus.
Not intended as an account of the infamous Appalachian feud, The Tale of The Devil nevertheless describes the issues surrounding the feud from an insider's perspective, admittedly from the vantage point of a Hatfield, yet respectful of the McCoys, and written with an awareness of the existence another point of view.
"Geography explains people." The story goes on, beyond this opening statement in the forward to prove the truth of it, including a description of the geography in which the events will take place, and of the people who lived there, in the area along the Appalachian mountain chain, near the Kentucky border in what is now known as Logan County, West Virginia.
The authors depend heavily upon research conducted by Coleman Alderson Hatfield, the son of William Anderson (Cap) Hatfield, and the eldest surviving grandson of the legendary Devil Anse Hatfield. Coleman A. Hatfield was a lawyer with a photographic memory and a passion for the truth of his heritage, even when it wasn't pretty.
Chapter one begins where you might expect, with the birth of Anse Hatfield in a log cabin on the Straight Fork of Mate Creek, a tributary of the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River which marked the border of western Virginia, now known as West Virginia, and Kentucky.
Then the authors back up briefly, introducing the reader to the lives of Ephraim (Big Eph) and Nancy Hatfield, the Devil's parents, and describing the importance of the land to the people who lived there.
While we know Anse Hatfield as the leader of the Hatfield family during its feud with the McCoys, the Devil would rather have been known for what he enjoyed most, bear hunting. His first bear hunt took place in the fall of 1854, when he was fifteen years of age. Out of bullets, the bear treed, he determined to stick it out. That he did, for two days, until his brother finally found him, and went to get some bullets. Anse Hatfield was to kill many more bear during his long life.
While the book is a biography of the Devil Anse Hatfield, the reader is invited into what is known of the lives of many of the people around him, including the first Ephraim (Eph-of-All) Hatfield, his great-grandfather, who died when Anse was sixteen years old.
A great deal of space is devoted to effectively describing the setting in which the Hatfield family lived, so that the reader can understand decisions that have so often been misinterpreted.
Other Hatfield family members, friends, and allies that you will learn of include Abner Vance, Anse's great-grandfather on his mother's side of the family, who was executed in 1819 for the murder of a man who had taken advantage of his daughter.
Other significant Hatfields appearing in these pages are Anse Hatfield's eldest children, Johnse and Cap Hatfield, both of whom were born during the Civil War. Often described by feud authors as being the meanest of the Hatfields, Cap Hatfield is given a human face by the authors, although not excused for all of his actions.
Cap's older brother, Johnse, was popular with women and had frequent love affairs, including one with Roseanna McCoy, the daughter of Randal McCoy, which many authors have cited as the cause of the Hatfield-McCoy feud. The authors dismiss this theory, pointing out that Johnse's first wife was Nancy McCoy, the daughter of Harmon McCoy.
Around 1870, Anse Hatfield took in a young man by the name of Dan Christian, who became like a brother to Johnse and Cap. During the later feud years, Dan was to save the life of Cap and his stepson, Joseph Glenn.
Readers of this book will learn about James Nighbert and Henry Clay Ragland, both of whom were to have a lot to do with the changing economic landscape of Logan County.
While various authors have traced the beginning of the Hatfield and McCoy feud to the Civil War, and the fact that the Hatfields were mostly in the area of southwestern Virginia, a Confederate state, while the McCoys resided in Kentucky, a Union state, the authors of The Tale of The Devil point out that many of the McCoys fought on the side of the Confederacy, and that Anse Hatfield and Randal McCoy were together involved in the killing of General Bill France, an action that was indirectly connected to the feud only because of events later in the war and by the impact it had on the lives of the two men.
While Randal McCoy was a Confederate, his brother, Asa Harmon McCoy was a northern sympathizer and close friend of General France.
Learning that Asa Harmon McCoy was was seeking revenge against Anse Hatfield for the killing of France, Jim Vance, Anse's uncle on his mother's side, took preventative action, capturing McCoy and, perhaps accidentally, killing him.
The authors cite, as the beginning of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, the week of August 7, 1882, when Ellison Hatfield, Anse's younger brother, was shot in the back and killed by a group which included Tolbert, Pharmer, and Randal McCoy, Jr., the sons of Randal McCoy.
That night, someone took the McCoy brothers across the Tug where they bound them to pawpaw bushes and shot them dead. Devil Anse Hatfield was suspected of the crime, but was never convicted of murdering the McCoys.
And the feud was on. The authors follow its progress, describing the roles played by several other family members, friends, and others.
The book doesn't end with a conclusion to the feud, however. The end, in fact, is gradual and uncertain, while the reader shares in the changing times and politics of Appalachia, the birth and actions of other Hatfields who were to have an impact on their worlds.
The Tale of the Devil includes a mixture of humor, darkness, and insight, told with a sense of reality that can only result from familiarity.
Anyone with an interest in American history will enjoy this book, and those who desire to learn more about a tale of which so much has been written will appreciate learning the truth about the Devil Anse Hatfield.
Good job Popeye!.......2005-02-03
I grew up around the tales of Devil Anse Hatfield because Dr. Hatfield happens to be my grandfather as well. They way he told them to me when I used to sit on his lap is exactly as they are portrayed in this book. I was reluctant at first to read it, because his storytelling is so vivd and I didn't think the page would capture that. It has, and I'm proud to see such a meticulously researched account of my ancestors being praised as it should. My grandfather put an infinite amount of work into this account, history buffs enjoy!
Hatfield McCoy Feud Continues .......2004-10-07
I read this hardback book, and I have to candidly admit this biography is great! I love pioneer and American history, and this work vivedly portrays the mountain life of Appalachia in the 1840s through the turn of the century. These Hatfield family members were tough hombres, and the McCoys were hardheaded as well. The thing that makes this a real unusual story for its time is the inter-state rivalry, the WV Hatfields and the KY McCoys. For instance, Cap Hatfield, the son of Devil Anse, spent the rest of his life worried about being deported to the Kentucky side of the Tug River. The time period is expertly displayed through Dr. Hatfield's prose, and the words of Robert Spence. In all, this is a magnificent biography of historical proportions. Although I suppose the chances are slim, I still hope that this work earns literary accolades and a solid place in the library of great American biographies. I recommend this book for everyone who wants to know more about this country and its people.
It's really interesting.......2004-09-07
I never knew about this side of American history, and I would suspect that these types of feuds were fairly common during the time period. However, this family-feud seems extremely excessive and horrorific; and there were inner-state complications after the gunfire ended which left feud survivors with extreme anxiety of being carted off across the border to face the gallows. I believe Coleman Hatfield should be honored for bringing this story to light.
Hillibilly Hooligans.......2004-05-27
This book takes away the old stereotypes of barefoot, bibbed-overhauled, corncob pipe smokin', hayseed idiots who walk with a limp due to climing the rugged mountain terrain. Instead, we get to read about a Civil War confederate soldier who who eventually went AWOL so that he could head back to his West Virginia home along the Tug River. Though a Hatfield and McCoy once fought as comrades in the same troop, they eventually became mortal enemies and through the account there was a Logan County bloodbath.
If I were to pick a book for any of my history buff-buddies, I would certainly choose The Tale of the Devil.
Buy it, own it and cherish it -- then pass it down to the grandkids. This is good history.
Customer Reviews:
Hatfields and McCoys.......2007-05-24
Recd the book in a timely fashion and the book was in great shape. Very pleased with the service.
Great book.......2006-12-27
we are decendents of the hat fields and my dad has been doing research on them. I gave him this for Christmas and from what I hear he loves it and cant hardly put it down.
Very thorough.......2005-09-11
I was looking for a book to give me a factual narrative of the Hatfield-McCoy feud. I took a chance ont his book and was nicely rewarded. Heavily footnoted and scrupulously dispassionate, the book gives a clear and concise rundown of the events leading up to, during, and as the feud wound down. In the course of doing so, this book also debunks many of the myths and some of the commonly held beliefs of what took place during this feud. Indeed, the book also gives details on other feuds that occurred during the years that the Hatfield-McCoy feud ravaged the Tug River valley. It is a good, easy to read book. The only failing of the book is that the pictures section is heavily tilted towards the Hatfields. I don't know if this is because the McCoys did have as many pictures or what. But a better balanced photo section would be helpful.
Compact yet informative telling of the famous feud!.......1999-01-02
Much has been written of the feud yet in this book I found a "good read" along with a very historical study. Also inside the front and back covers you will find a family tree graphic to help you trace possible relations.
Book Description
A lively and intriguing tale of the competition between two artists, culminating in the construction of the Duomo in Florence, this is also the story of a city on the verge of greatness, and the dawn of the Renaissance, when everything artistic would change.
Florence's Duomo – the dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral – is one of the most enduring symbols of the Italian Renaissance, an equal in influence and fame to Leonardo and Michaelangelo's works. It was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, the temperamental architect who rediscovered the techniques of mathematical perspective. He was the dome's 'inventor', whose secret methods for building remain a mystery as compelling to architects as Fermat's Last Theorem once was to mathematicians. Yet Brunelleschi didn't direct the construction of the dome alone. He was forced to share the commission with his arch–rival, the sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti, whose 'Paradise Doors' are also masterworks. This is the story of these two men – a tale of artistic genius and individual triumph.
Customer Reviews:
A great story... well told.......2007-07-26
The Renaissance is a subject of great interest and curiousity to me. The author provided for me a depth of information, with supporting detail, I found very engaging. I am a docent at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco where we are blessed with an exact copy of the Ghiberti Paradise Doors.. one of just three in the world stuck from molds of the original panels. I learned of this book from a visitor who told me she could not believe her surprise and good fortune to see the doors here after her enjoyment of the book. She was correct. I believe the author provides a very good mix of history, supporting documentation and story telling to move this beyond a flat text book and into a favorite reference for me.
Interesting Subject - Horriblely Written.......2006-02-28
I love reading about this time period, so I thought I'd really love this book. But I didn't. It was poorly written on three major ways.
1. He was wishy-washy. He couldn't take a stand on the facts he researched. He would say, it isn't clearly documented, or some research said this, some said that, etc. And he annoyingly kept interupting himself to state this! Made me feel that he did some research, but couldn't figure it out. I've read other authors who write about history that can take the facts and distill them into a clear viewpoint. So what if others refute it, take a stand, have an opionion!
2. He kept flip-flopping by referring to the characters by their first name then their last. Pick one and be consistent!
3. It was very disjointedly written. Another reviewer mentioned that he'd start talking about something, then in the next paragraph talk about something else totally unrelated. I kept looking for some kind of organization to the whole thing, but never found it.
If you want to read some good books about this time period - written by a better author, but historical FICTION, read Dorothy Dunnet's House of Niccolo Series. Now THAT's how the Renaissance should be written!
There are better books on this subject.......2005-08-02
I cannot recommend this book for several reasons:
1. The premise of the book is specious. There is no true evidence that Brunelleschi and Ghiberti engaged in a "feud". While they certainly competed with each other for the same commissions on occasion, this was completely expected during that period, and ultimately each distinguished himself well as a master artist and craftsman. There is very little evidence that either character attempted to discredit or destroy the other.
2. Because there is little evidence of this feud, the author spends a lot of time using conjecture to argue an ultimately baseless point. Those pages are largely wasted reading.
3. The author's focus detracts from the incredible contribution each of these men made to the Renaissance. Sadly, it's hard to get a sense of that from this book. Brunelleschi may have been the greatest architect in the history of Western civilization. One gets no sense of that from this book. The brilliance of his achievements are largely glossed over. Much of the same can be said for the author's treatment of Ghiberti. It does a disservice to both.
If you have an interest in the dome at Santa Maria della Fiore and/or Ghiberti's doors at the Baptistry on the same site, please read 'Brunelleschi's Dome', by Ross King. It's a very well-researched book and gives the reader a far better view into these two great artists. That book is highly recommended. Sadly, I cannot recommend "The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance".
A disappointment.......2005-06-15
I was hoping for great things- but was disappointed in the text. There are not many history books that I give up on, but this was one- put it down after the first two chapters and haven't picked it back up yet.
The major problem- more of a Brunelleschi bio than anything. Even worse, - at least in the first two chapters- every paragraph seems to be a new topic, and not related to the previous. I was really hoping for a nice, easy to read, narrative.
Also seemed a little light on facts, but maybe they come later.
A great story and important history to boot!.......2004-05-03
This isn't the type of book I'd be inclined to read, but heard about it from a friend, and when I came across it in a bookstore I decided to give it a try. I'm not one to get excited about art history, but I found this a wonderful story and by the time I finished it I developed a new interest in renaissance art and a desire to visit Florence and see in person what was so vividly described in this book. I think the author did a great job in his research to present a credible but engaging story that I suspect is little known or appreciated outside of art history circles. Perhaps the fact that he is not an art historian by profession helped make this much more readable than what might have come from the pen of a "true expert." The story does take time to develop, but worth sticking with. A few more pictures of some of the art described would have been nice. I'm looking forward to reading what Paul Robert Walker tackles next.
Book Description
With this stunning memoir of growing up in Italian-American New Jersey, Louise DeSalvo proves that your family's past is baked right into the bread you eat.
In Louise DeSalvo's family, in 1950s New Jersey, the kitchen becomes the site for fierce generational battle. As Louise's step-grandmother stubbornly recreates the domestic habits of her Southern Italian peasant upbringing, she clashes painfully with Louise's convenience-food-loving mother, who is set on total Americanization. Louise, meanwhile, dreams of the day when in her own kitchen she'll produce perfect fresh pasta or pan-seared pork chops with fennel. But as Louise grows up to indulge in the kind of amazing food her impoverished ancestors could never have imagined and travels to Italy herself, her adult discoveries give her new insight into the tensions of her childhood. In unearthing the oppressive conditions that led Southern Italians to emigrate en masse to the United States, gaining a subtler understanding of the struggles between her parents and their parents, and starting a more happily food-obsessed family of her own, Louise DeSalvo arrives at a fuller and more compassionate picture of her own roots. And, in the process, she reveals that our image of the festive and bounteous Italian-American kitchen may exist in part to mask a sometimes painful history.
Customer Reviews:
Self analysis, not food lit.......2006-07-20
I usually do not put aside a book before finishing it. In this case, I got about a third of the way through and just skimmed the rest and could not bring myself to read it in detail. I purchased this book hoping (despite prior reviews) that it was more food lit than self analysis. However, the strength of this book is in its description of tense family relationships, and indeed not in its descriptions of food in Desalvo's life. If you are interested in it anyway, good luck - there is a lot of emotion in it.
Still chewing.......2006-04-10
This book is the first in a very long time I've read word by word. Even when I could set aside her subjects, the vitality of DeSalvo's writing style was irresistable for me--elegant, layered, a bit vulgar, self-indulgent, complex, musical, heartbreaking, self-effacing, beautiful.
My maternal grandparents were Italian immigrants to California; my mother and her sisters born in the U.S. DeSalvo's exploration of the Italian culture both here in the States and in the Old County gave me a handhold among my mother's family as no other source has.
You'll either hate this book immediately, like tripe, or inhale it like the best cannoli.
Book as Ipecac.......2005-11-27
OMG....I forced myself to get beyond page 13 and just had to give it up. There really isn't any 'food'in her repetitive writing, but a lot of angst squished up into a white bread samich that apparently NO one wants to eat, each for their own screwed up, twisted reasons.... what this book did for my stomach was put it in knots..... BASTA!
This book makes me happy I am Sicilian NOT "Italian-American".
Not what I expected---far MORE than I expected.......2004-06-25
I picked up this book to read thinking it was like so many other books I have read about Italian-Americans in an attempt to better understand my husband's family---a light-hearted look at the "crazy" antics of a close knit, pasta eating bunch of eccentrics. However, this is not at all what this book is, and what it actually is helped me more than any book I've read in understanding the family I have joined.
When Desalvo says "Crazy in the Kitchen", she is not kidding. Her mother and much of her family really does have seriously crazy tendencies---fury, cruelty, irrational financial habits, long running feuds, etc. And the kitchen is where many of these things are played out---from her mother's poor cooking to her step-grandmother's good but steep in unbreakable traditions cooking, to the cooking and eating of her ancestors in Southern Italy, or the NOT eating---for I finally understood what drove so many Italians to come to America. I had no idea how awful conditions were for the peasants of Italy. What they were subjected to honestly reminded me of accounts of places like Cambodia or China, during the Great Leap Forward.
I learned a great deal about Southern Italian culture from this book, and found myself reading many passages to my husband, a first generation Italian-American who spent much of his youth in Sicily visiting, and who had parents who spoke only Italian, and even he was stunned to find out much of what I read. I now understand my late in-laws much better than I did before this reading.
The writing style of this book took a bit to get used to, until I let myself fall into it. It's written like so many stories told by my in-laws---in a bit of a circular way---you find out a bit here, and a bit there, and it all adds up in the end.
I want to thank Ms. Desalvo for this book. I look forward eagerly to reading the rest of her works.
Excellently written exploration of family interactions.......2004-06-24
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. The descriptions of food were mouthwatering. I appreciated the view into the lives of Italian immigrants and their lives in Italy. The family interactions were well described. Each chapter was a gem of an essay. Unlike many memoire writers, this author sustained the high level of writing and self-exploration to the very end. I really admire her ability to dig into her real feelings and to try to understand her parents and grandparents. I plan to look for other books by this author.
Product Description
Imagine a story of an epic dispute, which has become a part of our American Mythology. Kingdom of the Hollow, the Story of the Hatfields and McCoys is an incredible tale of the most famous feud in our nations history. It is a story of jealousy, murder, vengeance and unrequited love that is rich with vivid historical characters in a post Civil War setting.
Customer Reviews:
Feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys..........2006-04-29
Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (4/06)
Most people have heard of the famous feuding families the Hatfields and McCoys. But how many of us know what actually transpired between the two? "Kingdom of the Hollow" is a work of historical fiction that retells this legendary American story. In 1878, Floyd Hatfield and Randolph McCoy are neighbors in rural Kentucky. Randolph accuses Floyd of stealing one of his hogs. This accusation starts a chain reaction of fighting between the two families that lasts over a decade and results in over a dozen deaths.
Author Phillip Hardy provides the historical events of this feud in a straight-forward and chronological manner. At the same time, we get to know the many members of the two families and how they live. The descriptions of Kentucky and West Virginia remind us of the remote cabin life of these mountain men and women and how important family can be in such a lifestyle.
Hardy writes:
"The Tug River region of the Appalachian Mountains was sparsely inhabited by a durable group of men and women. Their families lived for generations sometimes suffering the wrath of nature or the hardships of the difficult terrain. Yet it was a territory of lush green hills covered with endless thickets and narrow, almost hidden valleys."
Even though the circumstances Hardy writes about happened in the late 1800s backwoods of Kentucky, it is still relevant today. We can learn a lot from these two families about the price that is paid for letting anger and revenge take over in a situation. Violence begets violence in an endless stream of killings. Yet each time, the killer feels confident that he is taking the necessary steps to avenge his family. As the Hatfield's set off on an attack of the McCoys, Hardy writes, "By their reckoning, this final raid seemed the only way to abate the violence..." Yet they were wrong. The end was not near.
Before reading "Kingdom of the Hollow," when I heard the phrase "feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys", I pictured neighbors bickering over silly things and letting that anger pass down among generations with the original reasoning forgotten, but not forgiven. After reading the book, I will not throw this phrase around so lightly. The Hatfield-McCoy feud is less like a fight between neighbors and more like a gang war. Anyone interested in American cultural history will enjoy this book. It is also a good read for any fiction lover who enjoys a good gun-slinging western, a crime novel with courtroom drama, or a Romeo and Juliet-style romance.
Here is what novelist Trish St. John has to say about "Kingdom of the Hollow".......2006-04-05
"Phillip E. Hardy, staff writer for Sound the Sirens, as well as a contributing editor for New Artist Radio has surpassed himself with his latest creation, a novel about one of the most famous feuds in our nations' history--the Hatfield's and McCoys. This carefully researched and well paced novel moves quickly, bringing us back into a time in our history where neighbor fought neighbor and jealousy, murder,and vengence walked hand in hand with unrequited love. I found Kingdom of the Hollow, to be dramatic and compelling, and I was fascinated with Hardy's depiction of everyday life and characters. Names ring out within the pages of this book, and Devil Anse and the Logan Country Regulators come alive in stirring battle scenes and lively dialogue.
I feel Kingdom of the Hollow presents an historically accurate portrayal of the feud between the Hatfield's and the McCoy's and at the same time is " a really good yarn" that anyone who enjoys historical fiction would find compelling. I give this book and its writer 6 stars!" Trish St. John (Reprinted from www.lulu.com)
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