The McCoys : their story as told to the author by eye witnesses and descendants

About this book

Since its initial printing in 1976 The McCoys: Their Story by Truda Williams McCoy has become the premier account of the McCoy involvement in the feud. Since its recounting of the feud is based on actual interviews with feud participants the book offers a first-hand view of feud events. As a descendant of John McCoy an uncle to Randolph McCoy Truda was able to begin her research in 1920 by interviewing the notoriously tightlipped McCoys. When she married a distant relative Rex Calvin McCoy in 1921 the family opened up even further and provided Truda with a number of details that had never been published before. Truda completed her manuscript about 1935. Following fifteen years of research she made several unsuccessful attempts with New York publishers to have the book published. Finally she retired the manuscript to her attic where it remained until her death in February 1974. Trudas son Paul was left the manuscript as a part of Trudas will. In 1976 Trudas daughter Judith happened on a television interview that caught her attention. In the course of the interview much was made of how little written documentation regarding the McCoy side of the confrontation was available. She contacted the Pikeville Preservation Council and with the help of editor Leonard Roberts the book was published with an initial run of 5000 copies. To compliment the text the Council assembled a team that produced the first and most comprehensive genealogy of the McCoy family. Also included were many rare photographs collected from McCoy family members. To date The McCoys: Their Story has been the definitive source of McCoy genealogy information and the single best recounting of the McCoy side of the feud. Due to its limited number and the great demand for it this book has become a family treasure.