The Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover, 1709-1712 (Research Library of Colonial Americana) [Hardcover]

William Byrd (Author), Louis B. Wright and Marion Tinling (Editor)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 622 pages
• Publisher: Arno Press (New York Times Co.) (June 1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0405033044
• ISBN-13: 978-0405033049
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.8 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,427,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent glimpse of the routine of a colonial plantation, November 13, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Okinawa, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover, 1709-1712 (Research Library of Colonial Americana) (Hardcover)

The diary is a colorful and frequently candid commentary by William Byrd annotating the triumphs, obligations, and frustrations of a landed colonial gentleman. Although entries, at times, resort to bare bones notations of his meals, exercise, and literary pursuits, others offer key opportunities to view plantation management, slave issues, travel, sickness, economics, social life, and politics of the early 1700's. This diary is a complement to any personal library/study and required in any collection even faintly touching upon the early American and/or British colonial period. It's a shame that it and Wm Byrd's other diary are not available to the public at this time.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Shows just how sick and twisted people were then..., May 18, 2006

By 

Ellison "E" (Orlando, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover, 1709-1712 (Research Library of Colonial Americana) (Hardcover)

This journal includes graphic depictions of human torture. It is not a romanticized version of a lovely plantation. Byrd shows his true nature with vivid depictions of how cruel he treated his "slaves". Great book to help research plantations.