I stumbled on this delightful collection and enjoyed it thoroughly. Ms. Sullivan has assembled a treasure trove of Vermont lore that will charm any lover of New England and its history.

As a lifelong Vermonter, now wintering in Florida, this book is a "must have" to remind me and my family of the special quality of life in the Green Mountains of Vermont. The book is a well written history of the state and includes splendid photographs of diverse scenes throughout the state.

Okay, so why give it 5 stars if it's not "outstanding"? Because it's about Vermont, and Vermont is perfect. That's the rule. Objectively, I'd have to give the book 4 stars.

This book is an ideal coffee table book because it contains only pictures with very little accompanying information aside from the caption. Obviously all of the pictures are aerial, but some are focused on a small area -- like a building or bridge -- and others are of landscapes. Most of them were apparently taken after foliage season and throughout Winter; I would've liked to have seen a little more seasonal diversity.

My favorite picture is on page 79 because I hope to have one of those myself someday.

My least favorite is, unsurprisingly, on page 27. For some reason Feil has a tradition of including a shot of an auto salvage yard in his books, but I thought it took up the space where a good picture could be.

Overall, Feil (and Rooty) do a nice job of capturing some unique moments in a one-of-a-kind place.

The View From Shanty Pond is a unique blending the historical writings of Joseph Blanchette with those of Peter Cassidy, the author's late great-grandfather to present the reader with a true and compelling account of the Irish immigrant experience in America at the turn of the 20th Century. Blanchette combines his own prose with the period poems and songs of his great-grandfather and in doing so deftly weaves a rich fabric of folk, local and national history that is as entertaining as it is informative. Lively, charming, original, painstakingly researched, incorporating a wealth of information from Peter Cassidy's scrapbooks of poetry, songs, newspaper articles, photos, and memorabilia, The View From Shanty Pond is a compelling window-in-time through which we can come to understand and appreciate the Irish immigrant experience in the burgeoning and industrial America of yesteryear. Highly recommended.

This is a charming book about life aboard American coasting schooners. Focusing almost entirely on the Maine coast, this book covers a wide variety of topics; from the gear of the vessels, the general types of schooner, the use of the gear and coaster seamanship, as well as a facinating collection of stories about the gallant schooners and the larger than life men who sailed them, like "Old Zeb" Tilton and the Alice S. Wentworth. The author worked on these vessels in their dotage, and his love for these old ships permeates every page. A thoroughly rousting read!

Impeccably researched, Ms. Weddle's book illuminates the unstudied area of the practice of pacifism, as it was in England, then on board ships to the New World but mostly as the Quaker leaders began to govern the colonies in 17th New England. The Quaker leaders had a huge dilemma as pacifists: on the one hand they faced danger constantly and needed to protect their settlements, on the other hand they had renounced war and fighting as part of their "Peace Testimony". Not unlike today, the leaders were forced into compromises at times while under tremendous pressure to practice their principles. A large focus of the book is King Phillip's War of 1675-1676 between the Indians and English settlers. Ms. Weddle is not only a brilliant scholar but an entertaining storyteller, the book is a feast of captivating stories. History, philosophy, and theology buffs should have this in their libraries, certainly, but any reader with an inquiring mind and a love for good story should read this book. Looking forward to Ms. Weddle's next work. One suggestion: take your time to savor it. A sparkling concatenation of insights will be the reward.

Outdoor types will love this guide to walking America's most dramatic coast, from southern Maine to the Canadian border. Different walks in many localities and lots of how-to-get-there information and concise trail descriptions get you started and home again safely. Highly recommended.

This book takes readers to the best walking routes along New England's Atlantic shores. Full details of where to find the best walking, how to get there, what to wear, etc. With lots of helpful maps and directions, this book really gets one out to the most attractive places without delay wherever one is along the New England coast. Loved it!

Hiking enthusiasts visiting Cape Cod will definitely want to take this book along. On my last trip to the Cape I sampled several of the hikes in this volume and found them all to be wonderful. The book's detailed descriptions and clear maps of dozens of hikes of varying length and character make it easy to find the kind of places you want and navigate them easily. Don't leave home without it!

Ken Weber has done an excellent job describing these walks. His descriptions and difficulty assessments are usually dead on correct, so you can easily judge which hike to take and how hard it will be. I have done most of the hikes in this book in 2001, and the 3rd edition is quite up to date. The companion book is excellent too (More Walks and Rambles in Rhode Island).