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

by Lisa Alther

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.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, True Crime, American History, Biography, Crime, Historical

286 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a 3.5, but I rounded up.

I watched History Channel's Hatfields and McCoys mostly because I love Westerns (okay, it was an Eastern, but men with guns on horses, c'mon. Costner is always entertaining if you give him a horse and gun). Much to my surprise, I actually liked it ( Costner aside, it was the History channel). The writing was good, and so was:



among others (there was actually more naked male flesh than female in this movie).



I didn't know much about the feud. I could tell that the History Channel mini-series was a bit in favor of the Hatfields, so I decided to read this book.

It should be noted, and Alther herself notes this to a degree, that the book does make use of testimony and family lore. And considering Alther's conenctions to the McCoys, it isn't really surprising that the Hatfields don't look to good. Even taking a bias into an account, Devil Anse does not sound like a father I would want. Though I getting a story about Cap Hatfield torturing animals from a McCoy descendent does make one question the story's truth.

The book is a good overview to the feud, and not confusing at all - this is a feat considering how people had the same names. While there is some favor to the McCoys, the book does try for a even handed account. Additionally, there is infromation about other feuds as well as historical background allowing the reader to see the Hatfield/McCoy feud in historical context.

While Alther does go slightly off topic in sections, I found the connection of the feud to some of the more recent history in the area as well as the connection to industrialization to be rather interesting.

If you liked the series or want to know more about feud, this book is a good read.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel as though giving this book one star is generous. I cannot begin to describe how disappointed I was in this book. I had such high hopes since it is such an interesting subject matter but it failed to deliver.

The first part of the book deals with the actual history of the feud and describes those involved as well as the events. I found it very difficult to keep track of those involved especially since so many of them had the same or similar names. There is supposedly a family tree on the inside cover of the book but, as my copy was a library book, I could not access it. It may have been helpful but that wasn't my main problem with this section of the book. I thought the author's tone was just wrong and did not appreciate her attempts at humor which I thought was wildly inappropriate given the subject matter. I also found the use of both endnotes and footnotes to be rather confusing especially since most of the footnotes seemed to be completely irrelevant to the story.

The second half of the book includes supposed analysis of other feuds in the area at the same time, mention of the survivors of this feud, and three chapters that supposedly gave insight into both the area and the people of the time. I did not find any of these chapters to be remotely enlightening and actually find some of it to be offensive. To imply that the women at the time got pregnant as a way to relieve their boredom is ludicrous at best.

To be honest, I have no idea what the author was trying to convey with this book. All in all, I felt as though I was reading a poorly written college thesis and would give it a C if I was feeling generous. I definitely would not recommend this book.

[Katherine Addison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hearsay is not evidence.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting topic but the book is weakly constructed -- it reads more like a college term paper than a historical book. Odd mix of the author's personal views and family connection to the McCoys, rehashing of the Hatfield-McCoy feud chronology, followed by analysis of other Appalachian feuds. I really don't like purported history books full of footnotes with snarky editorial comments, but you will find several of those here.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book four stars, but I felt some of the information added at the end was superfluous. After covering the feud, the author discusses some other topics. I enjoyed the chapter on other feuds and wanted more of that. Her discussion of possible reasons for the feud was also superb, and her look at Appalachian culture was interesting. Some of the material on her own genealogy was relevant, but some seemed to drag on a bit, and the author seemed to repeat herself at times.

Having said that, if you are looking for a good overview of accounts of the Hatfield/McCoy feud, then look no further. As Alther points out, no one can know what "really" happened in some cases, since there are differing, biased accounts of several events, but she has obviously researched well. The result is a strong, thorough overview of the feud that takes into account the perspectives of several different researchers, historians, and descendants of the feudists. Definitely worth reading.

[Florence Buchholz · Rating 3 out of 5]

You will need a genealogical chart to follow the events in this book. The lives of the infamous Hatfields of West Virginia and McCoys of Eastern Kentucky are intricately intertwined. Alther not only reports the bloody fued events as accurately as she can - she also analyzes the effect their publicity has had on the people of Appalachia. Known thereafter as ignorant hillbillies (arguably accurate in many cases), the stereotype stayed with the mountain people from the post civil war years up until the present day. Some of the McCoys and their allies served the Union cause. Many of the Hatfields were loyal to the confederacy. Fueled by moonshine, a legacy of violent exploits, a lack of restraint and education, both sides suffered violent losses. No one really knows the details of what happenned. Each side in the feud lays claim to its own version of events. Still, this exotic bit of American history is intriguing.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband's family descended from James McCoy. I have long been interested in the Hatfield-McCoy feud because my daughter is a McCoy. This book provided valuable information served up with great storytelling and a dash of humor. The inclusion of information about other feuds during the same period was interesting as were the chapters on the aftermath and the selling of the story by Hollywood. I would suggest this book to anyone who is interested in Appalachia or the period directly following the Civil war in America. Of course, if you are a Hatfield or a McCoy, this should be required reading. It will clear up any misconceptions one might have as to the start, middle or end of the feud. Ms. Alther provides in depth character studies of the main players and dispels any misconception that this was a Romeo and Juliet story.

[Mary Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull, very speculative, basically not very good writing. If I were not suffering from vacation insomnia I would probably have abandoned it, but I had a mild curiosity about the history so I stuck it out. Not recommended to, well, anyone.

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book! Just stop reading after Chapter 12 . . .

Author Lisa Alther sifts through often contradictory folklore to give us as close to an accurate account of the Hatfield-McCoy feud as is ever likely to be written. The task is not easy. Documentation regarding the origins and events of the feud are hard to come by and, of what is available, much is besmirched by bias – depending upon whether the author of the material was more inclined toward the Hatfield or the McCoy side of things (or, just as likely, was from an area outside Appalachia, and had more to gain from sensationalizing hillbilly stereotypes than in portraying the objective truth). Alther, though, does a credible Sherlock Holms imitation and plumbs the probable origins of the feud to as far back as the Civil War, untangles the often confusing web of kinship among the major families of the region, describes the major protagonists of the feud, and identifies the watershed events of the conflict from the murder of Harmon McCoy to the Hog Trail to the purportedly “Romeo-and-Juliet-like” romance of Roseanna McCoy and Johnse Hatfield to the pawpaw murders to the utterly horrifying New Year’s Night Massacre.

Alther’s narrative is richly enhanced by plenty of pictures, and she traces the fates of the major protagonists (who survive the feud anyway) well into their twilight years and eventual deaths. Chapter 12, which lists other great family feuds of the region, provides some much needed perspective on the conflict, noting that the Hatfield-McCoy feud was neither the longest nor bloodiest feud in the region – but it is perhaps the best known because of the larger-than-life personality of the Hatfield clan leader, Devil Anse, and because the media of the time gave the conflict plenty of purple prose coverage. This is a book that is easily devoured, well-written and engaging, replete with interesting history …

… at least until Chapter 13. After that, the narrative rapidly transitions into preachy sociology and heads right on toward diatribe. The evils of guns and alcohol are prominent and, while firearms and whisky (and certainly poverty) contributed to the out-of-control violence of the feud – the prose is by this time so heavy-handed, that the reader feels lectured. It took me three times as long to read the last three chapters of this book as it did the first twelve and, by the time we get to the last chapter, entitled (ugh!) “Man Toys,” my inner history buff (which made me buy this book in the first place) was in hiding and flipping pages in hopes of reaching the end. (Admittedly, Alther hides some good stuff in chapter 14 about the Battle of Blair Mountain, which pitted union coal miners’ against “scab” security-men, but it was a long way to go to get there).

I hate to be harsh, but the first twelve chapters of the book are oh-so-good. But the last three, made me wish I hadn’t read any farther.

[Dennis Goshorn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having watched the series on the History Channel, I was wanting to learn more. I downloaded the sample of this book and was hooked. Unfortunately, the beginning of the book is much better than the remainder.

The book starts strong and there is a lot of good information and it appears to be well researched. The book begins to disintegrate towards and middle and end. Granted, putting together a "history" based on so much conflicting oral stories had to be difficult and it appears that Ms. Alther was even-handed and balanced in her interruptions.

I agree with this reviewer: "Alther throws in some fatuous psychological conjecture, opining that the feud can give us fresh insights into the political situations in Bosnia, Rwanda, and Darfur, that the men in both families were merely acting out their Oedipal urges, and that she herself inherited the psychic trauma of the violence of Appalachian culture in the 1800s." There was too much of that in the book.

Her opinions on character and her interruption of photographs bordered on ridiculous. Take for instance her thoughts on the photograph of Bud McCoy: "Having your father murdered when you are three years old, and your older brother when you are twenty-four, might put anyone in a permanently bad mood. A photo shows a young man with very dark hair and eyes, and a full mustache. He looks crazed, but possibly because his ears stick out like handles on an urn." REALLY? Alther would have been better leaving the pop-psychology to herself.

I'm glad I read the book and did learn some things. I am dismayed that the History Channel took the liberties it did (for instance, Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy were not in the Civil War together as depicted in the opening scenes of the series) with the story line. I understand that some things have to be changed and condensed, but they deviated from the history too much for my liking; but, then again, the History Channel is a disappointment to begin with—Pawn Stars? REALLY? We used to joke that the History Channel was the "Hitler channel" or the "WW II channel"—I wish they'd go back to those days.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember a kid in grade school named David McCoy who told me all about how his family came from the McCoys of the Hatfield and McCoy feud. I had no idea what he was talking about, I'm sure, but enough of his playground description stuck with me that I've always been vaguely curious about the subject. I'm from Northeastern Ohio rather than Appalachian Kentucky or West Virginia, but there's little rhyme or reason to what subjects interest me when I'm looking for a book, and specialized history books are a particular favorite.

The book itself...there's nothing I can say that hasn't been said numerous times by other reviewers. The first 40% of it is a pretty well written and intriguing play-by-play of the feud told with a clear McCoy bias but some attempts at objectivity. The rest consists of the author's clumsy but occasionally interesting analysis of the causes and effects of the feud, analysis which consists of throwing multiple explanations at the wall to see what sticks. What sticks is pretty interesting incidentally. Oh, and if you're reading on a Kindle, the last 30% is bibliography. The author obviously did a lot of research. I'm glad. I didn't look at the footnotes at all, but it's nice knowing that they're there.

I'd recommend the book to anyone with a passing interest in the feud and some decent critical thinking skills to counteract the occasional bias. It's possible there's a better, more definitive work on the feud out there somewhere, and someone with more interest might do better to seek it out. For someone just curious about this bizarre chapter of US history, this will do just fine.

[Pamela Aidan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After seeing the new made-for-TV movie about the legendary feud, I was eager to learn more about it. The first half of Ms Alther's book was interesting, but as even she admits, the stories that accompany every incident in the long years of the feud are many and varied. The many accounts finally gets so twisted and turned around that even the hope of a coherent time-line must be abandoned. I can't help but think that a better arrangement of the varied accounts might have assisted the reader--a chart, perhaps. But, I have to admit that I finally just gave up trying to sort it all out and bailed out of the last fourth of the narrative of the book and skipped to the attempts to "explain" the feud.

Since I haven't read other attempts to write the history of the feud, I can't say where this one falls. The movie was better, but the director had to choose a narrative and tell a story. The "real" story of the Hatfield-McCoy feud was probably never even known by the participants and the good news that it is forever laid to rest is the best ending for which one could hope.

[Carol Coston · Rating 3 out of 5]

i've been trying to make a decision about whether I would recommend this book. interesting. but short on the titled subject, namely, the Hatfields and the McCoys. only 50% of the book actually discussed the history of and the actual feuding. well, i should be fair, another 10% (perhaps) discussed genealogical, historical, psychological, sociological, and geographical factors that may have influenced the development of this particular feud (and other feuding in the area). sometimes i felt as though the book were written as a tapestry for her own genealogical story, and it was a good way to publish her background and actually have it read. not bad, just a little disappointing. maybe with that in mind, read the book.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the back stories of Abner Vance and the border wars during the War Between the States and England and Scotland, as well as the presentation of the borderland folkways, I felt as if the author's true purpose was in her attempt to lay her fear of the Cumberlands with her ancestry. Ms. Alther's idea that you "inherit the psychic fallout from traumas endured during their lifetimes," has certainly provided lively discussion around our table. I am re-examining the competitive spirit of the volleyball games and Rook games once played on Blackberry Creek with my Hatfield kin. The very fact that a book has presented information and ideas which stir examination and conversation across generations is a reason to recommend it to others.

[Wesley Roth · Rating 3 out of 5]

After watching the mini-series on the Hatfields and the McCoys a couple years ago, I remember that this book by Lisa Alther came out about the same time. I picked it up at a used bookstore a couple months ago. It is clear that the author did hear research, and was able to piece together a narrative of the famous "Blood Feud" that lasted for decades between the two families. She does a great job trying to separate fact from legend, and tries to offer both points of view. I would encourage others interested in The Feud to pick up a copy. I was disappointed that the story ended on page 147 and another hundred pages is basically filler.

[Catherine Chesebro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so interested in this saga of Americana but I am overwhelmed by so many family members and the writing does not give the impact of an epic story. (Reading on Kindle so i don't know if there are diagrams, etc) I made a family tree for both families so I could remember who was with whom. Story is insteresting but not enough to keep my attention for more than 20 pages at a time, so I am reading it bit by bit.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only does Lisa Alther cover the events of the feud, but she also explores the possible causes such as the lack of schools and a possible genetic disease found on the McCoy side. The book is easy to read and very informative. Alther includes all accounts from the sources she gathered and leaves it up to the reader to decide for themselves what they believed happened during the feud.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read, although nobody will really know the truth. Both sides told radically different stories for each feud event. The only thing that could be agreed upon was the body count. The prevailing attitude was "an eye for an eye", and the law basically looked the other way. I did appreciate the analysis of the culture and the impact of current events at the time of the feuds.

[Christine Jeffords · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the late 1700s, a prominent Virginian wrote that the inhabitants of the Appalachian Mountains were still barely known to the people of the lowlands. Sixty years later, Edgar Allan Poe was fascinated and intrigued by them. But it wasn't till the 1880s--260 years since the first lasting English settlements were planted in North America--that the image of the "hillbilly" emerged, chiefly by way of what is arguably the most famous upland feud in U.S. history. (And in fact--as Alther shows in a late chapter--it was hardly the first of its kind: the Appalachian folk had been "a-fussin' and a-fightin'" since at least the beginning of the century.)

Alther traces the Hatfield/McCoy excitement from its roots (which date back to the entirely legal execution of "Devil Anse" Hatfield's grandfather) to the present century, describing the various outrages committed by both sides, the involvement of elected officials (some of whom were members of either or both of the families), and the reaction of the rest of the U.S. She devotes a full chapter to the question of why feuds occurred, ranging from heredity to changes in the economy to--what was probably the main root cause--the fact that the ancestors of most "hill people" came originally from the Scottish Border, where similar interfamily disagreements had been occurring for centuries. A number of books have appeared about the Hatfields and McCoys over the last decade or so--I own some of them--but this one may be the best to start out with if you want an in-depth look at the how, why, who, and when of hill feuds.

[Robyn León · Rating 2 out of 5]

It felt very thoroughly researched, and I believe the author put a lot of work and effort into this but it just... didn't quite work for me. After the beginning I found myself getting more and more distracted by the poor presentation and blatant bias. There was so much dogmatic speculation, I couldn't tell if it was the author's opinion or she was trying to communicate the perspective of those she was writing about. Regardless, it was a turn-off. It was only the ideas that "it might get better" and "I'm no quitter" that kept me going. I usually find myself thoroughly immersed in the historical era and conflict and I generally love stuff like this-- it was just so badly done.
(If I had to read one more weirdly specific description of a picture this author saw but didn't include, I might've put the book down for good. Why describe a frail old man as having "dashing good looks"? Did you seriously use the word "evil" to talk about one of the feud members? Why did this book end the way it did? It made absolutely no sense and showed a distinct lack of understanding about how people of the era understood social constructs. Why did she keep saying things like "people in the audience were appalled... yet thrilled" by the blah blah blah, seriously there is no basis for half of what she said after the first few chapters. Why was this book such a good idea with such a poor execution??)

[Reza Amiri Praramadhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Montagus and Capulets are nothing compared to the gun-toting, moonshine-stilling, Hatfields and McCoys, who feuded during 19th century. Guns were blazing, people were killed indiscriminately, all because of (popularly claimed) the stealing of a hog, although the author pointed out that the bad blood had already run before that with the murder of Harmon McCoy on the hands of Jim Vance. The scorecard tended to tilt towards the Hatfields, since it killed more people than McCoy could. My sympathies lay with Ranel McCoy, who lost many of his family members, all because he was trying to obey her wife's advice to 'turn the other cheek' which went very badly, and he ended up being a ferryman who tried to tell his woeful story to anyone who hadn't bored by it. Meanwhile, 'Devil' Anse Hatfield went on to be some sort of hillbilly superstar, himself appeared in a film. This legendary feud sparked some of similar things around Kentucky and West Virginia, and unfortunately, caricatured the Appalachians as a simple, savage hillbillies who preferred to sort things out by bullets.

[Nichelle Seely · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I didn't know anything about this topic, and I'm not sure what I expected. I found the narrative to be confusing. Lots of similar names, and it was hard to keep track of how everyone was interrelated. There was a note on one of the front pages that I could reference a family tree 'on the inside of the front cover,' but there was no family tree in the edition I was reading. Eventually I just ignored all that. Really, it's just a collection of anecdotes of people killing each other. And since much of the history is oral, the author presents many versions of single events, none of which match up. It must have been a nightmare to research, and also begs the question 'why bother?' Plus, a third of the book deals with other feuds, the coal mining industry, a silent movie, and the author's own experiences growing up in the south. These sections felt like padding to me. I did learn something about the topic, so it wasn't time wasted.

[Guera25 · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a story, but it's not so epic. If anything, it read like a slapdash collection of family anecdotes that was so paltry that it had to be padded with equally sketchy accounts of other feuds in the region and a dollop of confused psychobabble meant to explain the families' bloodthirsty behavior. And despite her protestations to the contrary, the participants did, in fact, come across as stupid, dirty, volatile hillbillies steeped in a prehistoric social order of drunken men and dullard, submissive women who pumped out child after child despite crushing poverty.

Sure, they're people, and as such, they're deserving of dignity, but don't tell me they're just misunderstood, genteel folk with no other choice but to drink and blast holes in each other.

[Wayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, I was disappointed by Alther’s telling of the Hatfield-McCoy rivalry. While the content of the feud itself proved interesting, I found the writing was of a poor quality. The complex relationships within feuds were often not clearly presented, the material was repetitive, and the editorial comments inserted did not add much. The book also covered the feud in first 125 pages. The rest of the book was an examination of the aftermath, an attempt to explain the reasons behind the feud, the author’s own family ties to the feud, and the challenges of Appalachian living.

While I think people might be interested in reading about the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud, this is not the book to do that. I would give it 1.5 stars.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know why this story has always been so interesting to me. The author, a distant relative, (and it seems that many residents of southern Appalachia are) does an excellent job of laying out the timeline. Yes, you do need the provided family tree, as many of the McCoys and Hatfields were intermarried, and most came from huge families. She does try to explain the indefensible, and her own revealed family history is tied to some pretty scary events as well. I am eagerly anticipating a bus tour this summer taking me to the sites described in this book, including a dinner theater re enactment of parts of the feud.

[Amela Bašić · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood Feud offers a detailed account of the infamous Hatfield–McCoy conflict, and it’s clear the author put a lot of research into the history. The book captures the violence, family tensions, and cultural backdrop that turned a private feud into a national legend.

That said, the writing sometimes felt uneven. Certain sections were gripping and dramatic, while others dragged with too much detail, making it harder to stay engaged. The characters and events could have been presented with more narrative flow to keep the momentum strong.

Overall, it’s a solid read for those interested in American history and legendary feuds, but it may feel a bit heavy for casual readers.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interesting take on the Hatfield-McCoy feud. One thing I appreciated about it is that the author is very clear about the many situation in which it is difficult to impossible to determine what "really" happened. The later sections of the book place the feud in more context, by discussing other feuds, the culture in which it occurred, and other factors.

The book also considers the massive changes to the region that occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries. It's a well written take on what is, for many people, a very different world, even if it is in the same country.

[Kbarker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book was pretty good. I thought it was interesting that the author was a decendant of the McCoys. I wasn't real impressed from chapter 12 on. This is where the author tries to explain why the feud may have happened. I like some of the other reviews think that those chapters could have been left out. It was a different time in history and the reasons died with those involved.

[Joan Colby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed account of the Hatfield and McCoy families tracing the famous feud, its causes and casualties. Most interesting are the portraits of the various characters and the history of the region which has via the media been largely fictionalized.

[Barbara Hoke · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a really dry book to read. If you watched the History Channel it had the same thing. It is sad that so many lives was destroyed over a hog. It was interesting to read about the other feuds that went on that was never made public.