Altina l waller biography of william

We welcome a guest post from Altina L. Waller, author of Feud: Hatfields, McCoys, and Social Change in Appalachia, The famous family feud was the subject of the recent History Channel miniseries &#;Hatfields and McCoys&#;. Waller was interviewed extensively for the accompanying documentary to the miniseries. We asked her what she thought of the dramatic portrayal, and this is her response.

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Almost twenty-five years ago I finished writing my book on the violent conflict in Appalachia that came to define feuds everywhere. After ten years of research I thought I had clearly laid out what happened and why, at least as far as the historical documents allowed. I tried to cut through the myths and legends associated with this iconic event and bring it into the realm of a documentable historical event. Somewhat self-satisfied I went on to other projects, gratified by many reviewers’ comments that the book actually did reveal social roots