Customer Reviews

Bloodletting in Appalachia: The Story of West Virginia's Four Major Mine Wars and Other Thrilling Incidents of Its Coal Fields

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This book is a classic and a must-read for anyone interested in union history in America. The author is fair, too, which is a rarity in this genre: he tells of the union atrocities, as well as the ones committed by the companies and their goons. He's more interested in telling facts than pursuing a particular agenda. It was a time of evil and mean-spiritedness by both sides, which he reveals better than most. It explains the roots of the "us-against-them" culture in which the West Virginia economy has floundered for 80 years.

In plain, unvarnished style, Lee relates the history of greed and evil by the outside capital interests who came into West Virginia to rape and pillage. The miners wouldn't stand for it, and war broke out.

The president had to declare martial law - twice.

While Lee doesn't exactly have a beautiful, rolling style, he tells it like it was; he was there.

If you want to know about the true character of the Appalachian people, read this book.

This is the most unbiased telling of the struggles in West Virginia between the coal operators and the union. Mr. Lee offers an impartial insider's view of the birth (and or death) of the real West Virginia.

This is the incredible story of the decade of labour unrest(1912-1922) known as 'The Mine wars". The author is not a great writer or stilist, but he witnessed much of the events in a variety of capacities (State Attorney General, among others) and he has the good sense to let the facts speak for themselves. This part of American history is as shocking as it is fascinating and richly deserves the attention Lee has given to it.

great book. great information of a period in american history that many would just as soon not be written about. should be read by all rednecks, if you know anything about the west virginia coal field wars, you will understand what the term redneck really is.

Many of my realitives have spent their lives in the coal mines of West Virginia..Through stories handed down and some first hand knowledge, this book Tells it like it really was....West Virginia History at its finest..