The Mountain the Miner and the Lord: And Other Tales from a Country Law Office

Rating:
Summary: Harry M. Caudill's "The Mountain, the Miner and the Lord"
Review: I think this book is an excellent and accurate account of the stories and traditions of this area. Having been associated with south-eastern Kentucky all my life,I can attest to many of the characters and nearly all the places he mentions. Who of us with close ties to Appalachia hasn't heard of the wild politics of Kentucky mountain people, not just 150 years ago, but in recent years as well? His account of why life is as hard as it is for these people (and was for their ancestors) is right on target!

Rating:
Summary: Some good, some bad
Review: Mr. Caudill's stories about the people of the hills and their times had a few problems. As I was reading the book, I came across a story regarding my great-great grandfather and his demise. The story was told in the third person by someone claiming to be a grand-daughter of the person in the story. I did a little research of my own and found that the person used to tell the story was not a family member of the main person (my great-great-grandfather)and, in fact, was not related to our family at all. When I brought this story up at a family reunion, I was told the author "took creative liberties" with the story to make it a better story then it was.
In short, be careful what you read.