Virginia: An Illustrated History

by Deborah Welch

Virginia's history is America's history - the first permanent English settlement in the New World was in Virginia, and the state went on to join the original revolt against British rule. During the Civil War, it seceded from the Union to join the Confederacy and during Reconstruction it had the country's first African-American governor.

220 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2006

Reviews

[Suzanne LaPierre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, readable overview to the history of the state of Virginia, with black and white photographs of some of the landmarks and sites. The tone and length lend it to be read cover-to-cover (just over 200 pages) as opposed to some loftier tomes on Virginia history that are more useful for reference. The author, a professor at Longwood University, has a knack for breaking down complex material into easily digestible chapters. I wish there had been a map for reference during the chapters related to the Civil War.