Books and research guides

Books and research guides

From edited primary source documents to scholarly studies and exhibition catalogs, the Virginia Historical Society has published many quality history books. 

Below is a list of our publications, many of which are available for purchase in the Museum Shop.

A Time for Moderation: J. Sargeant Reynolds and Virginia’s New Democrats, 1960–1971
This book examines the short-lived yet influential career in elected office of J. Sargeant Reynolds, illuminating some of the most consequential political developments in twentieth-century Virginia. 

Bound Away: Virginia and the Westward Movement
This book studies three stages of migration to, within, and from Virginia. Together they offer an opportunity to study the westward movement through three centuries. 

Commonwealth and Community: The Jewish Experience in Virginia
The history of Jews in Virginia is as old as the history of the commonwealth itself.

The Correspondence of the Three William Byrds
Nearly one full century of Virginia history is mirrored in The Correspondence of the Three William Byrds . . . 1684-1776. Two volumes. Out of print.

The Correspondence of William Nelson
This collection represents the correspondence of William Nelson during his tenure as acting governor of Virginia, from October 15, 1770, to September 1771.

Eye of the Storm: A Civil War Odyssey Written and Illustrated by Private Robert Knox Sneden
One of the richest descriptions of Civil War soldier life in Virginia and the only fully illustrated eyewitness account of life inside a prisoner of war camp. Read more about Robert Knox Sneden in our Virginia History Explorer.

George Washington: The Man Behind the Myths
This book brings together Washington's own words, observations by his contemporaries, decorative objects, and visual images to separate the fact from the fiction of the father of this country.

Guide to African American Manuscripts
This new guide provides access to a diverse and significant set of records that chronicle African American life in Virginia and the nation. Second edition. Online guide available.

A Guide to the Records of Best Products Co., Inc.
This guide describes the records of Best Products Co., Inc., a company that left an indelible mark on the financial and cultural landscape of Virginia.

Images from the Storm
This volume features 300 watercolors, sketches, maps, and diagrams by Robert K. Sneden. Read more about Robert Knox Sneden in our Virginia History Explorer.

Lee and Grant
This study provides the first major re-assessment of the lives, careers, and historical impact of Civil War generals Lee and Grant. Read more about the Lee and Grant exhibition in our Virginia History Explorer.

The Letterbook of John Custis IV of Williamsburg, 1717–1742
The letters of John Custis are revealing about economic life and the material culture of colonial Virginia.

The Letters and Papers of Edmund Pendleton
This collection of documents provides insight into the life and career of one of America's foremost Revolutionary-era jurists. Out of print.

Lost Virginia: Vanished Architecture of the Old Dominion
This book documents and reconstructs the appearance of Virginia architecture in earlier times. Out of print.

Marching to Victory: Capt. Benjamin Bartholomew's Diary of the Yorktown Campaign, May 1781 to March 1782
The Revolutionary War diary of a Pennsylvania soldier.

The Official Papers of Francis Fauquier, Lieutenant Governor, 1758-1768
This collection of Fauquier's official papers while lieutenant governor provides fascinating and informative views of the pre-Revolutionary decades in colonial Virginia.

Old Virginia: The Pursuit of a Pastoral Ideal
This book examines conflicting conceptions of the region's heritage. Out of print.

Painted History: The Landscapes of Valley View Farm
Andrei Kushnir's paintings of Valley View Farm depict a place where the Old Virginia tradition of rural living in an idyllic setting has survived.

Photography in Virginia
A companion to a previous museum exhibition, Photography in Virginia covers images made within the state's borders from the 1840s to the 1960s.

Pocahontas: Her Life & Legend
This study examines the historical evidence about Pocahontas and compares it to the mythology as recorded by artists and writers. Read more about Pocahontas in our Virginia History Explorer.

The Story of Virginia
The incomparable history of Virginia comes alive in words and images in this important new book. Learn about the Story of Virginia exhibition.

Sydney and Frances Lewis: A Guide to the Papers
This guide describes the Sydney and Frances Lewis papers, a manuscript collection at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Treasures Revealed from the Paul Mellon Library of Americana
This exhibition catalog features items from Paul Mellon's collection of rare Americana and Virginiana. Out of print.

The Virginia Landscape
The Virginia Landscape gives a unique view into the cultural history of Virginia, as depicted by landscape pictures over centuries. Out of print.

Virginia's Civil War: A Guide to Manuscripts at the Virginia Historical Society
This guide contains more than one thousand detailed entries that provide a finding aid for Civil War manuscripts at the Virginia Historical Society. Online guide available.