Days of Darkness: The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky [Hardcover]

John Ed Pearce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1994

" Among the darkest corners of Kentucky's past are the grisly feuds that tore apart the hills of Eastern Kentucky from the late nineteenth century until well into the twentieth. Now, from the tangled threads of conflicting testimony, John Ed Pearce, Kentucky's best known journalist, weaves engrossing accounts of six of the most notorior accounts to uncover what really happened and why. His story of those days of darkness brings to light new evidence, questions commonly held beliefs about the feuds, and us and long-running feuds -- those in Breathitt, Clay Harlan, Perry, Pike, and Rowan counties. What caused the feuds that left Kentucky with its lingering reputation for violence? Who were the feudists, and what forces -- social, political, financial -- hurled them at each other? Did Big Jim Howard really kill Governor William Goebel? Did Joe Eversole die trying to protect small mountain landowners from ruthless Eastern mineral exploiters? Did the Hatfield-McCoy fight start over a hog? For years, Pearce has interviewed descendants of feuding families and examined skimpy court records and often fictional newspapeputs to rest some of the more popular legends.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""Provides an overview to the major conflicts while laying to rest various mistaken notions about the feuds." -- Journal of Appalachian Studies" --

""If you are pursuing interesting stories of Kentucky's past; if you are seeking an entertaining mythology; if you find the evolution of oral history fascinating or are just curious about feuds in Eastern Kentucky, then read John Ed Pearce's Days of Darkness." -- Lexington Herald-Leader" --

""Taken as a chronicle of several different feuds, the book succeeds admirably." -- Lexington Herald-Leader" --

""A study of the feuds of Eastern Kentucky -- six in all -- and how the violence and brutality they were known for influenced the perception of the Appalachian region of Kentucky." -- Chevy Chaser Magazine" --

""Recounting shatters old myths -- feuds did not result from insignificant squabbles, and many feuders were not ignorant 'hillbillies,' but rather prominent businessmen and college graduates." -- Kentucky Monthly" --

""Pearce untangles the loose threads of conflicting testimony to present the reader with the real truth on six of the bloodiest and longest-running feuds in the history of Kentucky." -- Lone Star Book Review" --

About the Author

John Ed Pearce worked on the staff of the Louisville Courier-Journal for forty years and was a widely published columnist. He was co-recipient of a Pulitzer Prize in 1967.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky; First edition (November 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813118743
• ISBN-13: 978-0813118741
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #255,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Book about the families of Eastern Kentucky, November 5, 2002

By 

Sherry Frazier "Owsley County Historian" (NASHVILLE, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Days of Darkness: The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky (Hardcover)

Being a descendant of the Eversoles portayed in the French/Eversole feud, this book was like walking back into history and meeting them face to face. Wonderful job John.
Its no wonder you won the pulitzer price. I have recommended this book to everyone I know researching the families of Eastern Kentucky.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Overall Book on the Feuds in Kentucky, July 11, 2008

By 

David M. England (Kentucky, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Days of Darkness: The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky (Hardcover)

I am a genealogist that have family that came to central Kentucky from Clay County, Kentucky. I also made sure growing up, that the one article that I did not fail to read in the daily Louisville Courier Journal, was John Ed Pearce's article.
Most only know about the Hatfield-McCoy feud and do not realize that there were larger and more deadlier feuds. John Ed Pearce is the first writer of the feuds that allowed me to grasp the connection between the 100 years war in Clay County, and its negative effect on the social and economic development in this area, and why so many people migrated away from this area for better (and safer) opportunities to raise their families. Contrary to another reviewer, John Ed does an excellant job of weaving his storytelling skills with the research and oral interviews that he conducted for this subject and does not perpetuate but reports the facts of this era, whether you like the facts or not...they existed. When people are afraid to have a light on after dark in town for fear of someone shooting through the window, some sterotypes are reality. The hillbilly stereotypes were developed and perpetuated by the media, and is acknowledged by Mr. Pearce, and credited in photos that were staged of the Hatfield-McCoy feudists that were staged by a magazine photographer of the era. The interviews that he conducted personally would have never come to light if it had not been for Mr. Pearce and some of those he interviewed may have already passed. I am thankful that he had the contacts to find these interesting individuals and put down their story on paper.
I had the pleasure and honor to have a brief e-mail correspondance with Mr. Pearce during his retirement in Florida before he died, about some topics of interest to me in his book. One was about whether he had ran across any of my family line in his research, and the other was about Big Jim Howard. He wrote back: "No, I cant recall any mention of the Reams or Burdettes in my research for the Clay County feud. But I had few records to go on; most of what I used I got from word of mouth, plus a lot of newspaper accounts, especially the Hazel Green Herald, Cincinnati Post, Courier-Journal and files at the Filson Club and Historical Society, plus a few at the University of Kentucky library. Perhaps I encountered someof your people,. but didn't use them in the account and so lost memory of them. I wish I could help." He also responded in another e-mail that unfortunately had not found any other information on Big Jom Howard. He confided that he did not expect that we would ever know the full story of whether or not Big Jim shot the governor or not.
I read of his passing in the Louisville Courier Journal with great sadness. As I read the accolades of those recounting his many accomphishments, I thought to myself that his greatest accomplishment to me was his ablility in his writings to touch the average Kentuckian on their level, and this was no less typified in his taking the time to answer the questions of someone who had read his book and was left wanting to know more. If you are interested in the overall view of the feuds in Kentucky and their impact on the social and economic climate of the time, and how they impacted the migration into other areas of the state, you will want this volume in your collection. I have referred to it many times.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good work John Ed Pearce, November 5, 2002

By 

Sherry Frazier "Owsley County Historian" (NASHVILLE, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Days of Darkness: The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky (Hardcover)

Being the descendant of the Eversoles It was great to see this book get the kind of coverage it recieved. Mr. Pearce has done a wonderful job by interviewing hundreds of descendants of the patriarchs of the feuds. It no wonder he received the pulitzer prize!!! I enjoyed the book a great deal and have recommended it to everyone I know doing Eastern Kentucky research.