In this age of union bashing, it is important to remember what the cost of not having a union by looking at what existed before collective bargaining. It is also important to look at what it cost to unionize. This novel examines in fictional form the most violent war to obtain some equivalence in power between management and those who were denigrated by management, perceived as less than human, disposable to maximize profits. What seems like Hollywood overdoing of violence was the literal cost. Many human lives. It is history that should be known and understood. Read. And learn.

Maybe you have seen a movie called Matewan or you have heard about or read about the Matewan Massacre and the battle of Blair Mountain these are tragic events in America around the turn of the 20th century with these events taking place in Appalachia and the State of West Virginia. While fictional in nature many of the people mentioned in this story and many of the events are pulled right from history. These events involved coal mine workers who were fighting for better work conditions and better living conditions for themselves and their families. The coal mine owners and their bosses worked harder to protect mules instead of the men and boys who worked in these mines. If you are familiar at all with this history or labor history around this time you may recognizes names like Mother Jones, Bill Blizzard, Sid and Devil Anse Hatfield from the Hatfield's and McCoy feud, Don Chafin and the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. These are important stories about events in workers and Labor history. For any that be offended by the term Redneck read the book and see what this referencing and you will understand. This author has some great reads so give this and his other books a read. Last as you get to the end of this book it is atrocious what they do, try to do to these men who are trying to stand together and who they let run the show.

How have I never heard about this part of history? “Rednecks” is a powerful story about the Battle of Blair Mountain. It tell the story of the men who work in the coal mines who are treated lower than low. The greedy mine owners don’t care about these men- just the bottom line. The author, Taylor Brown, definitely did his research. This book doesn’t shy away from violence, but it was part of the history of the story.
I never knew the phrase referred to the men who wore red bandanas around their neck in solidarity with the labor unions. I need to check out other books by this author. Many thanks to the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for my copy of Rednecks by Taylor Brown.

I was intrigued by this book and reading about a topic I don't know as much about in the West Virginia Mine Wars but I really struggled with the writing style and tone of Rednecks. I found it overly repetitive and a little too detailed.

I see so many wonderful reviews of this book, but it wasn't for me.

“Rednecks” is the story of the largest battle on American soil since the Civil War, the Battle of Blair Mountain. West Virginia in 1920-1921 was the site of the West Virginia Mine wars where 10,000 multiethnic coal mine workers battled mine owners, state militia and the Unite States Army in the largest labor uprising in America.

I found the topic of this book fascinating, starting with Sid Hatfield of the Hatfield and McCoy fame to the United Mine Workers Union and the term redneck. While I learned a lot from this book, which is always a good thing, I struggled getting through it. It felt much longer than it 320 pages. Unfortunately, even after 320 pages, I still could not figure out why I struggled. I was invested in the factual pieces, which really was my driving force, but maybe not the characters or the fictional pieces enough? Overall, a super fascinating story and time in America’s history the was all but brushed under the rug, but may not have been the book for me.

*4.5 stars rounded up. An excellent piece of historical fiction that dramatizes the fight to unionize mine workers in West Virginia in 1920-1921. There were 'protests, picket lines, intimidation, sabotage. One side had power and influence; the other was willing to die.' It was very nearly a second civil war in Appalachia with the US army being called out and even a bomb or two being dropped on the workers.

Several years ago we stayed at Hawks Nest State Park Lodge in Ansted, WV, and during our stay, actors presented a play dramatizing this part of their state history. Through their stories, we learned the origin of the term 'rednecks' was for the bandannas the strikers wore.

The best part of this book are the characters. I had many favorites, such as: Big Frank Hugham and his grandmother, Miss Beulah; Dr Domit Ibrahim Muhanna, known as Dr Moo; Smilin' Sid Hatfield, chief of the Matewan Police; Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, once called "The Most Dangerous Woman in America;" and of course, all the brave men and women who fought for what was right, namely decent pay and safe working conditions. Read this book to learn more about a little known piece of US history and labor struggles.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Rednecks by Taylor Brown is an historical fiction based on the West Virginia Mine Wars between 1920 and 1921 culminating in the Battle of Blair Mountain. An army of 10,000 coal miners fought back against mine owners, state militia and the United States government in the largest labor uprising in American history and largest armed conflict since the Civil War. A powerful story of rebellion against oppression, in a land where coal companies used violence and intimidation to keep workers in line. Told from the perspectives of “Doc Moo” Muhanna, a Lebanese-American Doctor, who witnesses the blood toll and injustice occurring in the mining camps, and Frank Hugham, a black World War I veteran and coal miner, takes the dramatic steps to lead a miners’ revolt. Many historical figures make appearances as their roles in the conflict from the fiery Mother Jones, labeled as “The Most Dangerous Woman in America” to the sharp shooting police chief “Smilin’ Sid Hatfield.
The Battle of Blair Mountain and the West Virginia Mine Wars were quickly forgotten by the world outside of Appalachia while the people who live in the region, the memory is alive and well. Taylor Brown is an award winning novelist who brings these events to life in vivid color and reminds the world of the lengths that were taken to achieve the labor protections we take for granted today. As someone who was raised outside of the Appalachian regions, I knew of the conflicts between miners and the mine owners, however; I was shocked to learn the details of the injustices suffered, the acts of heroism, and cheered at the power of a community when they band together. I was also surprised to learn the unexpected origin of the term redneck. Redneck details the grittiness of the region and the people’s determination to stand up and fight back against all odds with realism and authenticity. I highly recommend Rednecks.

Rednecks will be available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook May 14, 2024

This book was so informative, and I am a huge lover of historical fiction that I had this feeling that I would love it, and I did. And the politics of the times, between the miners and the fight against getting union, this is something I love reading about. And the word “Redneck,” I never understood the word, except for the negatives of it, but to read this book and get an understanding as to how that word came about was a mind-blown moment. Lol.

Readers who like American history will enjoy this book. The West Virginia mine wars
are portrayed in this detailed account of the events. Set in the 1920's, workers rose up for their rights as coal miners. Rich in history details, readers will learn much from this dramatic novel.

I'm very glad I read this book and will be recommending it widely. Before reading Rednecks, I knew nothing about the Battle of Blair Mountain and very little about the plight of West Virginia's early 20th-century miners. I was particularly interested in the multi-racial, multicultural makeup of the people involved, who I would have thought to be more homogeneous.

Brown does an excellent job of fleshing out multiple characters and writing descriptions in a way that immerses readers in the story. I hope and anticipate Rednecks will be well-received.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

Powerful historical fiction that would be an amazing supplemental read for a course on Appalachian history as it intersects with the history of the labor movement in America. It's obvious that this was deeply researched, and that the author has immense love and care for the region, the people and the history. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in advance.

Will not be giving feedback for this title due to the SMP boycott but I'm sure it's a good title. I will read and review once SMP speaks up.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It is tragic. Part way through I was thinking how ironic that the founding of America was meant to throw off tyranny, but that the entire nations seems steeped in tyranny in one form or another. How this slice of history that I've never even heard about epitomized that fracture in the promise of equality.

Then I read this: 'This country had attempted a "Great Experiment" for the promotion of human happines—a written recognition that all men were created equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights, and that the state existed to guarantee those liberties, not to impede them. In practice, those high ideals made it a nation of deep hypocrasy—a country ever on a knife's edge, ever flailing to live up to its own principles. A nation ever in conflict with itself.'

That sums up what this book is about. That deep rift in American society. A rift as deep as those coal mines. As dark as the coal, pulled out of those mines. And if certain parts of society don't like it, they bury it again, or blow it up.

This book made me deeply sad, and glad (once again), that I am not an American.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

I was really excited to read a book about the coal mine union strikes at the beginning of the United Mine Workers Union. The oppression of the men by the owners and their thugs was very eye opening. The workers lost their jobs and were kicked out of company housing if they signed up with the union. The thugs brought in by the owners could kill someone in the middle of town and know that they would not be brought to justice, the owners also owned the cops and the judges,

When the coal miners went to war on Blair mountain they were up against greater guns but fewer men. The Governor of West Virginia asked for help from the US government and the army was brought in to stop what they called an insurrection. It's truly fascinating how close they came to another civil war.

I learned a lot from this book but I had a hard time feeling a part of it since it was stronger on the facts than on the personalities of those involved. I finally felt like I knew a few of the characters towards the end of the book. I normally prefer character driven books and this was not that way.

If you are interested in reading about this time then I recommend reading Rednecks, just know it is not a happy read.

Thaks to NetGalley for the ARC.

4 red bandana stars

Have you ever heard of the Battle of Blair Mountain or the Matewan Massacre? This slice of history has been mostly forgotten when it was the largest armed conflict since the Civil War. Author Taylor Brown brings it back to life in this book with wonderful writing.

In the early 1920s, coal mining ruled the state of West Virginia. The owners of those mines were kings. They ran the company store, had their own police, and bribed everyone else. They also did not create a safe workplace for the miners and used violence and intimidation to keep everyone in line. It’s no wonder that unions tried to take hold to improve things.

Things built to a huge uprising, with 10,000 coal miners (from several states) up against the mine owners, state police, and eventually even the US government. This is also where the term redneck (the miners wore red bandanas around their necks) became part of slang, “originally used in the popular media to denigrate an Appalachian working-class uprising as backward, uneducated, and dangerous, and the stereotype and negative use of the term persists today.”

This was not an easy book to read as countless men were killed, and the underhand tactics the mine owners used were appalling. They even dropped two bombs filled with shrapnel to kill and maim as many as possible.

There was a great character in this one – Doc Moo – a Lebanese doctor who treats everyone, but eventually sides with the miners. This character is based on the author’s own great-grandfather. There are other real historical people in this one – Mother Jones and Smilin’ Sid Hatfield.

I am glad to have more knowledge about these historical events, and this book will stay with me.

Don’t miss the author’s note and resources at the end.

Great historical fiction about coal miners in WV. My dad was from WV and his dad loaded coal on the mountain trains so I was fascinated by this story that I knew nothing about. Very well written. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this early copy for read and review

A true poetic recounting of what it is to give your life so other people can enrich themselves, so your family can survive. A story of people driven by whats right, and some by what's wrong.
Words can't do justice to this masterpiece.

Rednecks by Taylor Brown

Now I know one of the origins of the term redneck. Through this book I've also learned details of the Virginia Mine Wars which include the Matewan Massacre through to the Battle of Blair Mountain, covering 1920-1921. The author makes use of characters based on real people but we also see the actions of historical figures during this story. Some of my favorite characters are Dr. Moo and his son, Frank and his grandmother, and the brave unnamed people who stepped in to help those who needed help.

The treatment of the coal miners and their families was horrible. When miners demanded better pay, living conditions, and the ability to get out from under being forced to have all their wages go to company owned stores, the mine owners refused the demands of the miners. Instead they hired agents to clear out the miners and their families. Since the companies kept the miners in such dire straits that they owned nothing, they were reduced to living in union coal camps or where ever they could set up a tent in the mud and muck.

Both sides armed themselves, the miners and the company owners with their hired agents, and events led to a second Civil War. The coal companies had the advantage of mercenaries who were experienced after their successes in various wars, people who would work for the highest bidder and that highest bidder would be the coal companies since the coal miners had nothing to offer.

But the coal miners also had war experience and the physical strength of years of hard work (if that hard work under bad conditions hadn't worn them down too much). They were fighting for their lives and the lives and futures of their families and each violent act of the coal companies fired up the coal miners more...that is unless the threats from the coal company and the agents didn't scare them enough to back off. These were not idle threats, men were being "disappeared" never to be seen or heard from again. Men were beaten to a literal pulp and/or left dead for all to see.

These battles were never going to have a happy ending but they did eventually lead to reforms. This book is hard to read and there is nary a bit of fluff to make the reading easier. The resourcefulness of man to harm man never ceases to appall but it's important to know the past so we can try to do better in the future. This story made for a great buddy read with DeAnn.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Five screechin' and blazin' stars for Rednecks.

It seems that whatever Taylor Brown presents guarantees a literary imprint on the surface of one's mind. Brown takes on a heavy-duty subject that leans with its weight on American history. America is a surface of rolling terrains and profound beauty. But then, lifting the curtain sheds light on deep pockets of a darkened past.

Taylor Brown takes us to May of 1920 and to Tug Valley in Mingo County of West Virginia. It's there that King Coal has a mighty grip on the coal mines and on the unfortunate workers who find themselves there. Life offers few options for those limited to the work of their hands. These were home grown men and those who newly immigrated such as the Poles and the Italians. King Coal set up company towns where families were relegated to shanty life or to flimsy tents on the properties. Food was at a premium and company stores charged exorbitant prices. You owed and you worked.

Worse yet were the dangerous working conditions in unvented mine shafts deep underground, An accident could end your source of income. Black Lung disease did an even quicker job. Coal dust was embedded in your trachea and seeped into the skin. Seeing daylight was a luxury.

Taylor Brown works his magic with his chosen characters.......some from real life and some that he has created in order to add flow to this profound storyline. We'll meet Dr. Domi Muhanna, a Lebanese-American physician, who worked among the miners. "Dr. Moo" brought hope along with his medical knowledge. He and his family were put in danger time and time again.

The story of the miners cannot be told without the real life character of Mother Jones, a ninety year old Irish woman who worked tirelessly as a labor organizer on behalf of the miners for years. Her black garbed figure was easily recognizable as she made her way from town to town.

Evil flowed in the veins of the coal companies who were heartless in their efforts to produce product. It all came to a massive head in the Battle of Blair Mountain with the miners against the companies and their Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency. Taylor Brown holds nothing back. Workers were exposed to gunfire and even bombs. Many recalled the same atmosphere while serving during World War I. Rednecks is a memorable read and one in which Taylor Brown goes even beyond the printed word.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Taylor Brown for the opportunity.

Is it acceptable to say that I found this book to be so amazing that I can't possibly form a review? (At least not one suitable for sharing here.)