This is a very well researched book. The author included a lot of sidebars, photos and illustrations that make it more entertaining. It still has moments when it drags if one attempts to read it straight through, but it is a good coffee table book and fun to browse. Mr. Soos is also the author of an excellent series of baseball related mysteries set from 1912 -1922.

A very informative work regarding New England base ball. There are numerous pictures, boxscores and newspaper accounts covering college, club and professional base ball.

Very few books give enough credit, in my opinion, to the important role women played in the development of American society. French Canadian women are probably at the very end of a long line of feminist ethnic groups frequently overlooked for the formidable standard they set, later a prototype characterized by Rosie the Riveter during America's darkest days during the middle of the last century. The Belles of New England is a well researched history about the development of New England's dinosaur textile and shoe industries and how hard working immigrant women made moguls of their owners. Although the Franco-American woman were a large workforce in these now largely empty brick buildings, hopelessly stuck on the landscape of New England towns, they weren't the only ones to contribute to the industrial age success of these mega-industries. Still, Franco-American women were unusual. Largely from Quebec, they raised extraordinarily large families while working labor jobs to raise money for their extended families. Franco-Americans are different than other American ethnic melting pot varieties in that they could always go home again, to Canada, by train or by foot. But, they stayed, raised their families and contributed to the wealth of a few industrialists who probably never said thank you. So, author Bill Moran has said in "Belles" what the moguls couldn't even conceptualize if their lives depended on it to do so. Nice selection of historic photos, too. Moran gives long overdue credit to the women who helped make New England prosperous.

The next time I complain about MY job, I'll try and spend a moment thinking about what it was like to work in the mills described in this excellent book. Deafness, arthritis caused by repetitive hand motion, young children put to work because their families were desperate for money, fires in the mill, job-related injuries, long hours of work, poor ventiliation and light - you name it.

I heard about this book while watching C-Span and today I'm ordering a copy for a friend in New England whose long-ago relatives came from Canada to work in the mills.

It has strengthened my resolve to visit Lowell, Mass. and see what has been preserved.

It's fascinating and enjoyable to read - I'm just glad I didn't have to live through the experience myself. Highly recommended.

Best Hikes in CMR is a great book for parents and kids to utilize for day hikes in the area. We found the most critical piece was that their ratings of difficutly and timeframes to complete are accurate. Also has many hikes in area's that are not the typical "tourist" hikes. The only negative was the limited maps that went along with the trail descriptions. Would be great if the author could point us to better maps or have a web site with them.

The series is a must-have for hiking with children. I use the CT-MA-RI book to scope out which trails would be good for hiking with my 5 year old son. We have done about 8 of the 79 so far. Each one had accurate descriptions and good indicators for difficulty. Highly recommended.

This is quite a good map, and as someone who's lived in Boston for nearly three years, I find myself glad to have it more than I'd care to admit. However, purchasers should note that there are significant portions of metro Boston that are not covered by this map, (Cambridge, Allston, Brighton, Brookline, East Boston, for starters) and that to have a guide to most of the city you will need more maps or a larger one.

This is a great map of Downtown, though, and provides plenty of detail for those walking the Freedom Trail, trying to find anything in the Copley maze of hotels, etc.

If you are trying to find your way around Boston then this is the map for you! It's laminated so it can take a beating, hold up in the rain, and...my favorite part...you can use a dry erase marker to map your route from one place to the next. How cool is that! Also, Boston is pretty congested and some maps don't do a good job of breaking things down so you can see what's where. This map gives a clear picture of Boston with streets and landmarks clearly marked. The colors help too.

I have been intriqued with the idea of ancient celtic contact with the New World ever since reading America B.C. I am impressed that the authors have taken this unusual approach of looking at the enigmatic barrows from a "paranormal" viewpoint, rather like a mystery that surrounds a mystery. If there is any deficiency that I have found it is that they authors seem to begin more with the assumption that the barrows are of ancient celtic origin and work from there, rather than spending more time supporting their conclusions regarding their origin. Still, it is enough to spark the imagination and, hopefully, to preserve these mysterious sites for the future.

I read the book and found it one of the most interesting that I have read in years. I am familar with the authors and their last book Contact Of The Fifth Kind greatly impressed me so I had to read this one. Mr. Imbrogno is the first paranormal researcher that applies scientific principles to a conterversoil topic.. A great read.. I suggest the book to anyone who likes the paranormal, ancient history and a good mystery

I've skied most of the routes in this book, since I picked it up in 1990. The trail info is great - complete and reliable. However, there is too much historical and contextual information. I love to read it, but I hate to carry the extra weight in my pack. I suppose I could photocopy the specifics, or acquire an extra copy and rip out the needed sections. But a small-format book, much like a serious climbers guide, would be much better. (P.S., when's the new edition going to come out??)

I've skied many of the trails,following Goodman's extraordinarily detailed descriptions. It is wonderfully written with terrific suggestions and leads. My goal is to complete each one of his recommendations.Each one, so far, is a winner.

For full coverage of any travel destination, it often takes two different kinds of travel book. First, there are the books on the history, social and cultural highlights of an area. Many of these books have glossy pictures. Second, there are books with maps, directions, up-to-date information on prices and hours and a quality rating system.

This book has both. Ziffer gives full and interesting details on each of the different regions of Connecticut. Her history starts with geologic origins of the region, extends through Native American and Colonial times and continues up to the present. This alone is fascinating reading. She also gives good information on cultural, artistic and historic places of interest. Like a Mobil Travel Guide, she includes listings for various restaurants with indications of how expensive your meal will be. You can probably find the right hotel for you using this book.

However, this book is not a substitute for a Mobil Travel Guide-type book in a strictly practical sense. The maps are not detailed or particularly helpful for navigation. Restaurants, hotels and B&B's are reviewed, but there is no overall rating system. Unlike a Mobil Travel Guide, this book has many black and white pictures. And, the detail provided about each town provides a good sense of just what kind of place you will find. Ziffer gives many suggestions for interesting things to do, including various festivals and events throughout the year.

I highly recommend this book for anyone planning travel to or through Connecticut. It is a particular aid to anyone who likes to scratch below the surface of a place. I would also recommend a Mobil Travel Guide or Fodor's to bring along in the car for the nitty gritty details of the trip. But, I would start my trip planning here.

This is one of the most painstakingly well-done travel guides you'll find on any region anywhere, let alone CT. The book intelligently divides the state into seven regions: Far Northwest (Litchfield Hills), Central Valley, Far Northeast, Seafaring Southeast, Lower CT River Valley, Southwest Coast, and the Housatonic and Naugatuck River Valleys. Each section starts with a clear map showing the towns and major roads in detail, along with an inset showing how that section fits into the state. The text is filled with wonderfully researched stories of local history, interspersed with logically laid out descriptions of local events, attractions, seasonal activities, and places to stay and eat. If you're serious about touring Connecticut and you want to carry along just one book, this is the one!

Bullen was a 19th. century sailor turned whaler who gives a graphic picture of life in a hard and dangerous business conducted with little regard for life and limb, nature or the peoples encountered by those involved in making a living at a time and in a place where it was work or starve, sink or swim, dog eat dog, everyman for himself and the devil takes the hindmost. A bit overstated, perhaps, but not by much if Bullen is to be believed. I enjoyed the writing about, if not the fact of killing, whales which evan Bullen regreted occassionally between recounting with enthusiasm the joy of killing and surviving danger and harsh conditions. Life on the ocean, hard work, adventure, loyalty, courage, man's right to dominate nature and Anglo-Saxon man's right to dominate all others is the gist of this life and book, as far as I can tell. Small wonder that it was included in the Boy Scout Edition (1913) of Every Boy's Library, eh? Some things have changed and most readers today might disavow the racism, chauvanism, species-ism call it what you will of Bullen's views but it is a good read on the times and the nature of man, humankind and the political correctness of the late 19th. century. At least that's my view for what it's worth. Dated, but still readable especially for it's candid picture of life in the last century. Yes, the last century since the 20th. century does not end until Dec.31, 2000!

A very exiting book about the life of fishing ship of de XIX centur

Alice Morse Earle's work is a fascinating study of everyday life in 17th and 18th century New England and is recognized as one of the historical classics. She looks at child life, courtships, holidays, marriage, drinks, medicines, letters, sports and diversions. She makes use of diaries, letters, household inventories, and church records to write a history of this period. Earle's choice of topics combined with her melodic style of writing and pioneering use of first person accounts has resulted in a well documented, easily readable classic about our American past, well suited for the researcher and casual reader alike.

First published in both England and American in 1893, Alice Morse Earle's work met with very positive reviews. She pioneered the use of diaries, chruch records, newspaper accounts, letters and household inventories in the preparation of this work. Her engaging writing style made her works very popular. She presents fascinating, unvarnished views of child life, travel, taverns, table plenishments, home interiors, courtship, marriage, sports, diversions, medicine along with funeral and burial customs. The reader will find this work humorous, entertaining, thoughtful and her subjects picturesque, bizarre and curious. To this unabridged text has been added a new introduction along with biographical material on and photograph of the author. This is a widely referenced, widely consulted classic.