The Hatfields and the McCoys

The Hatfields and the McCoys explores, with vibrant illustration, the historic feud between two iconic American families that ran for nearly three decades between 1863 and 1891. On the heels of the popular History Channel miniseries starring Kevin Costner, Bruce Wexler brings this chapter of American history to life for a new generation of readers. Here is an intimate look at the feud, the era, and an iconic cast of characters, including the two family patriarchs that started it all, William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield and Randolph “Ole Ran’l” McCoy. The two led their families into a war marked by bloodshed and loss on both sides of the Tug Fork River that flows along the border of West Virginia and Kentucky.

Part American folklore, part cautionary tale, The Hatfields and the McCoys separates the fact from the fiction and stands as a testimony to how this terrible episode became symbolic for pointless and bitter animosity. Wexler presents the reader with all of the crime, romance, betrayal, and violence that makes this America’s most infamous family feud. Through impressive storytelling and rare images, this book portrays the dramatic life and times of two extraordinary families unique to American history—from the developing hostilities towards the end of the Civil War to the New Year’s Night massacre of 1988 and the ensuing trials, imprisonments, and hangings that signaled the end of the feud.