Blood Feud: The Hatfields And The Mccoys: The Epic Story Of Murder And Vengeance - Hardcover

Lisa Alther

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0762779187 ISBN 13: 9780762779185

Publisher: Lyons Press, 2012

Synopsis

America's most notorious family feud began in 1865 with the murder of a Harmon McCoy, a Union soldier, by a Confederate Hatfield. But Southern grudges run long and deep. More than a decade later tempers flared over stolen hogs. This accusation triggered years of bloody violence and retribution that led to a tragic Romeo-and-Juliet interlude, a Supreme Court ruling, and a public hanging. The final feud trial took place in 1898, but the rivalry didn't end there. Its legend continues to have an enormous impact on the popular imagination and the people of the region. Here is a fascinating new look at the infamous story of the Hatfields and the McCoys.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

America’s most notorious family feud began in 1865 with the murder of a Union McCoy soldier by a Confederate relative of “Devil Anse” Hatfield. More than a decade later, Ranel McCoy accused a Hatfield of stealing one of his hogs, triggering years of violence and retribution, including a Romeo-and-Juliet interlude that eventually led to the death of one of McCoy’s daughters. In a drunken brawl, three of McCoy’s sons killed Devil Anse Hatfield’s younger brother. Exacting vigilante revenge, a group of Hatfields tied them up and shot them dead. McCoy posses hijacked part of the Hatfield firing squad across state lines to stand trial, while those still free burned down Ranel McCoy’s cabin and shot two more of his children in a botched attempt to suppress the posses. Legal wrangling ensued until the US Supreme Court ruled that Kentucky could try the captured West Virginian Hatfields. Seven went to prison, and one, mentally disabled, yelled, “The Hatfields made me do it!” as he was hanged in the Bluegrass State’s last public execution. But the feud didn’t end there. Its legend continues to have an enormous impact on the popular imagination and to exact an onerous toll on the region itself.
With a charming voice, a wonderfully dry sense of humor, and an abiding gift for spinning a yarn, best-selling author Lisa Alther makes an impartial, comprehensive, and compelling investigation of what actually happened, masterfully setting the feud in its historical and cultural contexts, digging deep into the many causes and explanations of the fighting, and revealing surprising alliances and entanglements. Here is a fascinating new look at the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud.

From the Back Cover:

Praise for Lisa Alther's KINFOLKS:"Alther's voice is clear and purposeful...often tinged with an engaging, dry sense of humor...  Alther weaves her search in a manner that makes readers wish she had written the history books we all read as children." -- Appalachian Heritage Review"Alther employs her considerable narrative skills and well-developed knack for humor in...a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile read." -- Journal of Southern History"Filled with good humor, fine storytelling, and acute observations of small town life...Anyone who enjoys the humor and turn of phrase of Bill Bryson, Garrison Keillor, or Jean Shepherd should enjoy KINFOLKS." -- Lodi News-Sentinel"A fun read lightened by quirky characters and surprising insights...A unique journey through Appalachia and beyond." -- Mountain Xpress"Compelling bits of history, raucous wit, genealogical sleuthing, and charming childhood memories...With equal parts humor, wonder, and investigative journalism, Alther takes the reader on a journey from eastern Tennessee through the wilds of genealogy...Her discoveries are as revealing as much as they are hidden history." -- Wellesley Magazine"A wise, funny inquiry into the complexities of inheritance...Drolly hilarious and incisive."-- Booklist (starred review) "Lively, engaging...Part genealogical mystery tour and part anthropological exploration...The journey is a delight, full of Alther's arch observations." -- Library Journal 

About this edition

• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0762779187
• ISBN 13: 9780762779185
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304