Harry M. Caudill (1922-1990) grew up in the coal fields of Letcher County, Kentucky, with a zest for history and reading. After being seriously wounded in Italy during World War II, Caudill went to the University of Kentucky Law School and later practiced law in Whitesburg, in Letcher County. He held some local political offices, in addition to a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives. Caudill's 1963 book, Night Comes to the Cumberlands: A Biography of a Depressed Area was and is a very...See more
Harry M. Caudill (1922-1990) grew up in the coal fields of Letcher County, Kentucky, with a zest for history and reading. After being seriously wounded in Italy during World War II, Caudill went to the University of Kentucky Law School and later practiced law in Whitesburg, in Letcher County. He held some local political offices, in addition to a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives. Caudill's 1963 book, Night Comes to the Cumberlands: A Biography of a Depressed Area was and is a very influential work on Eastern Kentucky, affecting local and national government through individuals ranging from President Kennedy to Kentucky governors and Appalachian writers such as Denise Giardina. After retiring from practicing law, Caudill wrote 6 more books, more than 80 articles, and many editorials in the local Whitesburg paper, The Mountain Eagle . He delivered frequent speeches on strip mining and other Eastern Kentucky issues. See less
Very interesting book - I wish I had read it in college in the '60's. I would love to find a follow-up book on the same region of KY to see if things have improved there - particularly the ... Read More
A witty satire of the destruction of coal mines on the peoples lives that depend on them for sustenance. Caudill taps into veins of deceipt, humour, and humbles anyone who thinks they have a rough ... Read More
Night Comes to the Cumberlands: A Biography of a Depressed Area
This is probably one of, if not best, books on the Sociological basis of the Appalachain people and how big business took their pride, land and self-esteem, with returning nothing to the people or ... Read More