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Generations: An American Family
The saga of the Ledfords of Lancaster, Kentucky, Generations transcends family biography to become a social history of our national experience, a metaphor of America. This twentieth anniversary edition brings the Ledfords' remarkable story up to date.
- GenresHistory
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 3, 2018
Cool idea for a book and Egerton does a good job with the structure, weaving it all together, but the family's story just wasn't that compelling to me. I wish he had done more work on the historical/social context and less work in the weeds of their extended family.
April 24, 2016
This is a family history compiled from interviews of a long-lived Kentucky couple and their offspring. The couple were aged 102 and 93 and had been married for about 74 years when the author sought them out, and they died at ages 106 and 102. Other than longevity the couple had no other claims to fame. I'm not sure this book succeeds at becoming "a social history of our national experience, a metaphor of America". I love history and genealogy, but doubt this book will be of much interest to those not interested in the region (Harlan and Garrard Counties Kentucky) and family. I read this book as I am interested in whether family history can be made relevant to an audience beyond other genealogists and descendants, but I would say sections of this book were quite dry even for me. I do have some mild interest in the history of Harlan County, Kentucky as there was an excellent documentary, Harlan County USA, on the mining industry in the county which is touched on in the book, but the family did not work in the mines.
June 7, 2009
John Egerton’s 1983 book about the remarkable centenarians Burnam and Addie Ledford is reissued for its 20th anniversary with an update of the Ledfords’ descendants.
The Ledfords’ story in many ways resembles those of other Kentucky families – right down to the earnest claim that their ancestors treated their slaves well. But the Ledfords were eyewitnesses, and keen observers, of times that most of us only hear about from our elders or read about in books. As a boy, Burnam Ledford also met his great-grandmother, who was the last of the party that brought the first Ledfords across the Cumberland Gap in 1802, and absorbed from her and others the history of the Ledford family all the way back to early 18th century England.
The old family stories paint a vivid pictu
The Ledfords’ story in many ways resembles those of other Kentucky families – right down to the earnest claim that their ancestors treated their slaves well. But the Ledfords were eyewitnesses, and keen observers, of times that most of us only hear about from our elders or read about in books. As a boy, Burnam Ledford also met his great-grandmother, who was the last of the party that brought the first Ledfords across the Cumberland Gap in 1802, and absorbed from her and others the history of the Ledford family all the way back to early 18th century England.
The old family stories paint a vivid pictu
December 29, 2013
One of my personal favorites of all time....any shortcomings it has as a book, as a work of art, are more than compensated for by the incredible human beings you get to meet---and I'm talking about both the family under discussion and the author.
January 24, 2014
It took a long time to read this book, a great family history of an ordinary family. Those who do genealogy like I do will enjoy the narrative John Egerton weaves from oral history, interviews and historical records.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews