The gripping new history of the most famous blood feud in American history, by the bestselling author of Skeletons on the Zahara.
Dean King is the author of the national bestseller Skeletons on the Zahara. He has written for many publications, including Men's Journal, Esquire, Garden & Gun, Granta, Outside, New York Magazine, and the New York Times. He lives in Richmond, Virginia.
"Fast-paced....Scrupulously documented....The Feud is popular history as it ought to be written." ---Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal"4 Stars." ---Matt Damsker, USA Today "King's well-researched narrative confidently separates hearsay from fact, and bulges with bloody set pieces and visceral family passions which exploded into savage fighting that went on for nearly a decade."---Matthew Price, Boston Globe"Well-documented, authoritative, and entertaining....King has done an admirable job of research, and his able narrative matches the convoluted, bloody facts." ---Mark Gamin, Cleveland Plain Dealer"The definitive account of the feud...as riveting as it is informative." ---Doug Childers, Richmond Times-DispatchA fast-paced...fascinating and lurid tale. King's entertaining chronicle sheds new light on a legendary chapter in American history. - Publishers WeeklyWell-written, superbly researched....An outstanding reexamination of a mythic and savage story. - Booklist"Engrossing....Riveting yet nuanced...Highly recommended."---Claire Houck, Library Journal
The feud between the Hatfields and McCoys has been clouded by a century of yellow journalism, contradictory accounts by participants, and the development of a national myth. King (Skeletons on the Zahara) draws on a range of sources to dispel those fables and reconcile the differing versions of the events that tore two families apart for a generation. The result is a riveting yet nuanced retelling, discussing the two families, their neighbors, their allies, and the state governments, detectives, and lawmen who tried to stop the bloodshed. Though the book aims at objectivity, it does read as sympathetic to the McCoys. The large cast of participants may at times confuse readers (a biographical list of all major players would have been helpful). VERDICT This readable, engrossing book is for those with an interest in the events leading up to, during, and after the feud. Less biased than Lisa Alther's Blood Feud, it also breaks some ground that Otis K. Rice couldn't when he wrote The Hatfields and McCoys 30 years ago. Highly recommended, especially for those whose interest in the topic has been piqued by the recent TV series.-Claire Houck, New York (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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