| Book Review | The American Historical Review, 109.3

You have not been recognized as a subscriber to the AHR online. About 247 words from this article are provided below; about 516 words remain.

If you are a individual member of the American Historical Association, you may:: • login here if you have already registered for online access.; • Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time. AHA members can go to the AHA individual membership section to locate their member numbers.
If you are not a member of the American Historical Association, you can:: • Join the AHA and receive many member benefits including print and electronic issues of the American Historical Review.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of the American Historical Review (104.3-present). Note: the Research Pass does not provide access to JSTOR's holdings of the American Historical Review.
Instititutions can:: • Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.

| Book Review | The American Historical Review, 109.3 | The History Cooperative

Richard F. Hamm. Murder, Honor, and Law: Four Virginia Homicides from Reconstruction to the Great Depression. (The American South Series.) Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia. 2003. Pp. xi, 263. Cloth $49.50, paper $18.50.
Richard F. Hamm's book is more than a detailed look at four murders. It is an ambitious attempt—and a successful one—to analyze media coverage of the trials, to explore aspects of Virginia law, and to describe the unique aspects of southern values and culture. In addition, the author provides a detailed overview of societal forces shaping Virginia society at the time of each trial.	1
In many ways, the thesis of this text frames the debate as an "us versus them" tale pitting northern values against southern ones. Hamm's argument is an interesting one, but his choice of crimes and trials does not always neatly fit that thesis. The murders Hamm studied included an 1868 ambush of Richmond's most controversial journalist, the 1892 murder of a Danville abolitionist minister, the 1907 murder of the son of a local sheriff, and the 1935 murder of an Appalachian backwoodsman. Each is fascinating, and the first three clearly fit the title of the book as it applies to honor. Hamm's final example—a schoolteacher accused of killing her father—illustrates more the budding women's rights movement than a case based in honor. The result is an interesting chapter, but one that lacks the underpinning of the first three.	. . .

There are about 516 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.