The oft-difficult to find poetry of Robert Francis is included in this nice collection. Hopefully the publishing companies will realize that the poetry lovers out there will appreciate more Robert Francis.

I have shown this book to many of the past residents the Brighton Allston area and they are so impressed with how much of the past is covered in these wonderful pictures and stories. It brings back many memmories of my growing up in an area that now seems so ideal even though we lived through a depression era. Thanks for the memories.

If you have been lucky enough to visit Lake Damariscotta, in Maine's midcoast region, you will love poring through the beautiful photographs in this collection. Ms. Blanchard has gathered numerous turn of the century black and white photos of both the Lake and Damariscotta River, as well as Boothbay Harbor, and assembled them here with some explanatory text. The book is relatively small, and could've been helped out a little with better paper and a larger, coffee-table format. But in any event I love this region, having visited the lake this past summer, and I enjoy picking up this collection periodically to get a glimpse of Maine's history.

A real gem on how Noel Perrin started sugaring from his own trees. He's revised the book over 20 years, so he's learned from his own mistakes and successes. He has some pithy commentary on Thoreau's costs of cabin making versus his own, as well. And did you know that milk (just a drop) will calm a roiling boil?

This little book covers the history, geology, weather and climate of the New England mountain summits. It takes you upward through the northern hardwood forest, transition zone, spruce-fir zone, balsam fir zone and the alpine zone. It is an identification guide to the plants, their habitats and communities. Animals -- birds, amphibians, mammals and insects -- are described. The book design and layout are clear and attractive. I give the photos A, the reproduction A-. There is an index to the illustrated species, scientific and common names. Altogether it is an exquisite, small book to carry on the trail and to enjoy by the fireside. 96 pages.

Alison Robb

This is the guide book to get if you are thinking of doing a river trip in Maine. The information in it has been thoroughly checked and is very accurate. It tells you if you need permits for campsites and even tells you the quality for those sites. It has excellent detailed descriptions of all significant rapids and even suggests the best route to take. It has every conceivable trip from a half-day to a week or more. As a professional in the field, this is a book that I rely when planning any canoe expeditions in the state.

AN EXCELLENT BOOK ON AMERICAN LEVELS, ANYONE INTERESTED ANTIQUE TOOLS WILL BE WELL ADVISED TO BUY THIS BOOK.

First published in 1950, Weis improves with each new edition; they're now up to the 7th. "Bad" lines are excised completely each time, the lengthy text-notes are very useful, and extensive citations appear for almost every entry. There's hardly a noble family in Europe west of the Dnieper River that does not appear in this book. Dr. Weis died in 1966 and Walter Lee Sheppard, himself a renowned genealogist, undertook (successfully) to main-tain his high standards; the 4th and subsequent editions have been the result of his own editorial labors. A very inexpensive work, especially compared to many of the other titles on this subject; this one should be on every genealogist's bookshelf.

Excellent treatment - easy to read narrative style coupled with good bibliography and notes.