Kingdom of the Hollow: The Story of the Hatfields and McCoys. Mad Monk Productions, 339 pps., pap., $16.82 in print. May be downloaded from Lulu for $5.50. ISBN 978-1-4116-81279-9. Not, strictly speaking, a Western, Kingdom of the Hollow should be of special interest to many of our members who study feuds in the West. The Hatfield-McCoy feud may be the most famous feud of all time in America, and has gripped the imagination for well over a hundred years. This book is an action-filled, fictionalized account of the feud, with a strong sense of place, rich descriptive narrative full of regional detail, and crisply drawn characters. If you ever had any questions about this feud and the reason behind it, Kingdom of the Hollow should give you answers in a dramatic form.

Midwest Book Review/The History Shelf
May 2006

Hatfield And McCoy Feud: Kingdom Of The Hollow, The Story Of The Hatfields And McCoys by Phillip Hardy (Staff Writer for the "Sound of the Sirens" online magazine) is the famous story of a blood feud between two struggling families and their kinfolk and friends in the years following the economic hardships which descended upon their mountain region after the end of the debilitating American Civil War. With a skillfully presented narrative account of the background and initial causes of the feud between the Hatfield and McCoy clans, Hardy informatively reveals how in 1878 Randolph McCoy accused Floyd Hatfield of stealing one of his hogs, which in short time thereafter escalated in a "tit-for-tat" fashion what eventually would result in the deaths of a dozen people and an eventual Supreme Court hearing. A highly detailed and informed account of the legendary tale of two stubborn southern families, the Hatfield And McCoy Feud: Kingdom Of The Hollow is a welcome contribution to personal, academic, and community library American History collections.

Kingdom of the Hollow, the Story of the Hatfield's and McCoys
By Phillip E. Hardy
Lulu Press (2006)
Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (4/06)

Most people have heard of the famous feuding families the Hatfields and McCoys. But how many of us know what actually transpired between the two? “Kingdom of the Hollow” is a work of historical fiction that retells
this legendary American story. In 1878, Floyd Hatfield and Randolph McCoy are neighbors in rural Kentucky. Randolph accuses Floyd of stealing one of his hogs. This accusation starts a chain reaction of fighting between the two families that lasts over a decade and results in over a dozen deaths.

Author Phillip Hardy provides the historical events of this feud in a straight-forward and chronological manner. At the same time, we get to know the many members of the two families and how they live. The descriptions of Kentucky and West Virginia remind us of the remote cabin life of these mountain men and women and how important family can be in such a lifestyle.

Hardy writes "The Tug River region of the Appalachian Mountains was sparsely inhabited by a durable group of men and women. Their families lived for generations sometimes suffering the wrath of nature or the hardships of the difficult terrain. Yet it was a territory of lush green hills covered with endless thickets and narrow, almost hidden valleys."

Even though the circumstances Hardy writes about happened in the late 1800s backwoods of Kentucky, it is still relevant today. We can learn a lot from these two families about the price that is paid for letting anger and revenge take over in a situation. Violence begets violence in an endless stream of killings. Yet each time, the killer feels confident that he is taking the necessary steps to avenge his family. As the Hatfield's set off on an attack of the McCoys, Hardy writes, "By their reckoning, this final raid seemed the only way to abate the violence..." Yet they were wrong. The end was not near.

Before reading “Kingdom of the Hollow,” when I heard the phrase "feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys", I pictured neighbors bickering over silly things and letting that anger pass down among generations with the original reasoning forgotten, but not forgiven. After reading the book, I will not throw this phrase around so lightly. The Hatfield-McCoy feud is less like a fight between neighbors and more like a gang war. Anyone interested in American cultural history will enjoy this book. It is also a br>good read for any fiction lover who enjoys a good gun-slinging western, a crime novel with courtroom drama, or a Romeo and Juliet-style romance.

http://www.readerviews.com/ReviewHardyKingdomoftheHollow.htm

After reading the review of "Kingdom of Hollow" I was almost in tears. The story showed the anger of one man toward another and the painful killing of innocent blood . I was into every word of the preview and found this to be very iteresting read. I usually don't read westerns but this one pulled me in right away. I was ready for the next line whe I realized the preview was over. I now wonder what the begining of the book held and how the ending will play out.
The author potrays a very good western feel within the story and the characters are very good in their speach as well as showing individual personalities and mannerisms. I give this book a thumbs up! Bravo!

The whole time I was reading the sample chapter, I kept thinking "This is the type of story I would walk in on my mother watching on television." She loves Westerns and dramatic, fighting scenes. On the other hand, I am a huge fan of dialogue, so that was the first thing I paid attention to when reading this chapter. After that, I look for how interesting the characters are. In this chapter, I see that the writer and I definitely have some of the same writing tactics. I could imagine the characters jumping off the page and hear their words in my ears...and I can definitely dig that. I love the name "Cottontop."
The only con from the sample I read was miscellaneous editing issues; but a comma before a quotation mark can easily be switched. Good dialogue and an imaginative story is more complex. In the case of this author, I think he's got the images & conversation downpack!

Shepherd of the Hills, although in a totally different vein of thought. I only read Chapter 6, and what I perceived from these few pages was that I would definitely be interested in reading more when my pocketbook allows it. He keeps the story moving at a fast pace, never once losing your train of thought. Great job!!

They say the devil is in the details. From the preview I read I have to say that the details are definitely in this tale of the most famous feud of all times. Many people think about "The Beverly Hillbillies" or "Deputy Dog" when they think about the Hatfields and McCoys but Phillip Hardy's book gives the reader a new, realistic, and gritty vision of what the feud was really like.

They also say that a picture paints a thousand words. If that is true, then how many words do Phillip's word pictures paint? His talented word smithing makes it easy for the reader to not only picture the rag-tag group of "Logan Regulators"; you can almost smell the bacon sizzling in the pan, hear the rifle shots echoing through the woods, and feel the sorrow of Randolph McCoy.

This quick paced, well crafted book makes it easy for the reader to quickly immerse themselves and live the feud through the eyes and lives of those who fought it, as put on paper by Phillip Hardy.

Let me start by saying that I have only read the preview, but it was of sufficient length for me to deduce some things. First, Phillip Hardy is a talented writer who can keep a story going at a breakneck pace. Second, he obviously enjoys the subject matter and researched it thoroughly. I enjoyed the preview in all it's gritty, violent, old-west glory. The cowboys were vividly presented and the characters well-realized. With a little editing this should sit well next to the big boys in the major bookstores - but it does need a little editing. The spelling and grammar are for the most part well done, but the punctuation, at least where conversation is concerned, needs some touch-up. Overall, this looks to be a story worth reading and a ride worth taking.

Phillip E. Hardy, staff writer for Sound the Sirens, as well as a contributing editor for New Artist Radio has surpassed himself with his latest creation, a novel about one of the most famous feuds in our nations' history--the Hatfield's and McCoys.
This carefully researched and well paced novel moves quickly, bringing us back into a time in our history where neighbor fought neighbor and jealousy, murder,and vengence walked hand in hand with unrequited love.
I found Kingdom of the Hollow, to be dramatic and compelling, and I was fascinated with Hardy's depiction of everyday life and characters. Names ring out within the pages of this book, and Devil Anse and the Logan Country Regulators come alive in stirring battle scenes and lively dialogue.
I feel Kingdom of the Hollow presents an historically accurate portrayal of the feud between the Hatfield's and the McCoy's and at the same time is " a really good yarn" that anyone who enjoys historical fiction would find compelling. I give this book and its writer 6 stars! Trish St. John

Once you start reading the book you get the feeling of the old days and how it used to be. The history in the novel is very accurate. I like how the details draw you into the story and keep you interested until the very end. Excelent read and I would recommend it to anyone!

This took me back to a more comfortable, more simple age - when litigation involved the Winchester '73 and lawyers were shot on sight. I miss that simplicity! Warm and engaging, like the political version of Rawhide - Yeehah! In other words, written in style of pulp fiction, which I love.

I much enjoyed the preview and wish you all the best with this historical novel. (On p. 12 I think "shed" should be "shred"!)