I received an electronic ARC of this book via NetGalley for honest review.

This is a well-written and interesting account of the history of Appalachian Movement Press, which operated in West Virginia during the years stated in the title. The book introduces the general history of movement presses in the United States, but really is focused specifically on this one example--enough overall information to let even a rather uninformed reader (I was almost entirely unfamiliar with movement presses) understand the context, while still having a clear focus on the particular press in question.

Part biography of the variety of people involved with Appalachian Movement Press, part loose overview of the various veins of political and philosophical thought in Appalachia that gave birth to the press, it's both enjoyable and informative. The endnotes are extensive, and Slifer's use of a variety of both printed and oral sources makes for a compelling read.

The latter portion of the book presents some of the publications printed by Appalachian Movement Press, in the form of images of the pages. This made this portion a little harder to read on my e-reader, but I'm sure would be less of a problem in print. The selections are interesting, and the introduction provided for each provides valuable context.

Unfortunately, this book ended up being essentially a literature review. I had high hopes coming into it, as I have connections to regional presses in the area today, but it was more limited in scope than I had anticipated, and I would have preferred for the author to use more of his own voice.

Really enjoyed this piece of DIY publishing history previously unknown to me! Warning: this book will rile you up to start your own radical publishing distro and the next thing you know you will be trying to figure out how to fit an offset printing operation into your tiny apartment.