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November/December 2008: Well Versed |
Well Versed
A selection of new regional reads
by Niki Kourofsky and Michael Pontacoloni
'Tis the season for juicy political debate and long arguments—civil or otherwise—across the dining-room table. But if your household starts to run short on drama, this year's crop of regional titles can provide plenty of fodder for boisterous family showdowns.
Start with the second edition of Philip G. Terrie's Contested Terrain: A New History of Nature and People in the Adirondacks (Syracuse University Press/the Adirondack Museum, 2008). First published in 1997, Terrie's riveting account untangles Adirondack land-use conflicts by rooting them within their historical context. The new volume's final chapter, "It's No Damn Park," taps into current sore spots, including the heated debates surrounding wind power (257 pages, $22.95, black-and-white photographs, softcover, 315-443-5534, www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu).
Like a kitchen packed with too many cooks, the Adirondacks has never run short on competing opinions. One of the most successful mixes of its poetry and politics is The Adirondack Reader, edited by Paul F. Jamieson and originally released in 1964. The Adirondack Mountain Club now offers a third edition of the classic anthology, edited by Neal S. Burdick and the late Jamieson, that adds many new—and almost wholly local—voices to the chorus (512 pages, $39.95, hardcover, 800-395-8080, www.adk.org).
Those who think in shades of green shouldn't miss The Bill McKibben Reader: Pieces from an Active Life (Holt, 2008), a compilation of 44 previously published works from the author of The End of Nature. The essays, collected over two and a half decades, contain surprising turns of logic—in one McKibben argues for the reintroduction of wolves to the Adirondacks while comparing the embattled animals to SUVs—as well as humor and a refreshing pragmatism (442 pages, $18, softcover, 888-330-8477, www.billmckibben.com).
Haven't had your fill of politics this year? Read about the presidential campaign of another first-term senator who preached hope in the face of racial divide, widespread poverty and an unpopular war. Thurston Clarke, of Willsboro, reveals both the pain and promise of 1968 America in The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America (Henry Holt, 2008). Although readers raised in the post-Watergate era may have trouble checking their cynicism at the door, Clarke presents a tempting look at what politics could have been—and still could be (321 pages, $25, black-and-white photographs, hardcover, 888-330-8477, www.us.macmillan.com).
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mirrors his father's idealism in the foreword to The Hudson: America's River (Columbia University Press, 2008) by Frances Dunwell. Kennedy writes, "The Hudson is the Noah's Ark of the East Coast … the last safe harbor for species that face extinction elsewhere." Dunwell follows with an impressive history of the river and its wide influence, capturing the passion this varied waterway has stirred in generations. All royalties from the book will be donated to Hudson River conservation projects (363 pages, $29.95, black-and-white and color images, softcover, 800-944-8648, www.cup.columbia.edu).
Before you decide to head up the river rather than face another cocktail party, take a look at Peter Bronski's At the Mercy of the Mountains: True Stories of Survival and Tragedy in New York's Adirondacks (Lyons Press, 2008). The book begins with tales of 19th-century mountain guide John Cheney, who once hiked 14 miles after shooting himself in the leg, and continues through a 2003 rescue of canoeist Carl Skalak at Alder Bed Flow. Some version of Murphy's Law has always been the maxim of a prudent outdoorsperson, but these accounts are good reminders for anyone who has grown careless (321 pages, $15.95, black-and-white photographs, softcover, 888-249-7586, www.lyonspress.com).
To avoid at least one hazard of a wilderness escape—getting lost—pick up the third edition of Adirondack Trails: Eastern Region (Adirondack Mountain Club, 2008), edited by David Thomas-Train and Neal S. Burdick. This latest version gives information on new treks and changes to old favorites, as well as adding potential winter uses for each trail (200 pages, $19.95, black-and-white photographs, softcover, 800-395-8080, www.adk.org).
And maybe your friends and family aren't so bad after all. For proof turn to the writings of the man convicted of murdering his pregnant girlfriend, Grace Brown, on Big Moose Lake in 1906. The Prison Diary and Letters of Chester Gillette (Richard W. Couper Press, 2008), edited by Jack Sherman and Craig Brandon, chronicles Gillette's thoughts during the months leading up to his execution (193 pages, $25, black-and-white photographs, softcover, 315-859-4475, www.hamilton.edu). Not evil enough to compete with your mother-in-law? Try the blood-sucking stripper in The Vampire Valkyrie (Ravenwolf Publishing, 2008), a second installment in the adventures of undead exotic dancer Mary Hoffman by Indian Lake resident Pete Klein (200 pages, $19.95, softcover, 518-648-0104, www.lulu.com).
Perhaps the best gift to give yourself after a busy season of entertaining is Adirondack Hotels and Inns (Arcadia, 2008), a new title by Donald Williams from the Images of America series. Kick back with this collection of historic photographs and fantasize about other accommodations for out-of-town guests (127 pages, $19.99, softcover, 888-313-2665, www.arcadiapublishing.com). And while you relax, keep the kids occupied with Champlain and the Silent One (North Country Books, 2008), a new historical thriller for middle readers by award-winning author Kate Messner (152 pages, $9.95, softcover, 315-735-4877, www.northcountrybooks.com).
Enjoy a romp through the woods with syndicated humor columnist Tim Rowland in High Peaks: A History of Hiking the Adirondacks from Noah to Neoprene (History Press, 2008). Rowland traces the history of mountaineering in the park, from bagging critters to bagging peaks, in this engaging, often personal account (123 pages, $19.99, black-and-white photographs, 866-457-5971, www.historypress.net).
Acid Rain in the Adirondacks: An Environmental History (Cornell University Press, 2007) by Jerry Jenkins, et al., traces the causes and effects of acid rain in the Adirondack Park and explores how its impact has been studied. Although the volume is grounded in hard science, Jenkins's presentation remains accessible to a general audience. Bill McKibben raves, "This is a definitive book on an important topic; there aren't any even close competitors" (246 pages, $65, hardcover, color charts and maps, 607-277-2211, www.cornellpress.cornell.edu).
If you want to know why you should never trust a girl named Wever or what role Riparius's Riverside Hotel may have played in bootlegging, turn to Glenn L. Pearsall's Echoes in These Mountains: Historic Sites and Stories Disappearing in Johnsburg, an Adirondack Community (Pyramid Publishing, 2008). Pearsall's book captures the fun of a treasure hunt, giving local history buffs GPS locations for more than 50 historical sites, while exploring the legends and the facts surrounding each spot (408 pages, $16.95, black-and-white photographs, softcover, 518-251-5811).
Hopkinton: The Second Hundred Years (AuthorHouse, 2008) by Dale J. Burnett chronicles the history of Hopkinton from 1902, the end date of Carlton E. Sanford's Early History of the Town of Hopkinton, to the town's bicentennial in 2002. A product of 15 years of research and interviews, Burnett's volume supplements the stories of individual houses, schools and churches with local headlines and the oral histories of townsfolk. The book includes genealogical information and an index (724 pages, $46.99, black-and-white photographs, hardcover, 518-328-4653, www.hopkintonhistorybook.com).
Take some time to enjoy The Hudson River: A Great American Treasure (Rizzoli, 2008), a compilation of nature photographer Greg Miller's Hudson River images, from headwaters to harbor. Scenic Hudson, a 45-year-old nonprofit dedicated to preserving the river and its wildlife, offers this attractive coffee-table book in coordination with next year's 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration. Foreword by Bill McKibben; proceeds benefit Scenic Hudson's continuing conservation efforts (224 pages, $50, hardcover, 212-387-3400, www.rizzoliusa.com).
Looking for a good holiday yarn? A Franklin Manor Christmas (Wordstruck Press, 2008) by Paul Willcott, set in a former Saranac Lake tuberculosis sanatorium, offers all of the ingredients for a touching tale: a down-on-his-luck, half-drunken curmudgeon, a houseful of ghosts, a town filled with friendly characters and the inevitable renewal of hope and good cheer (134 pages, $16.95, hardcover, 212-874-2725, www.wordstruckpress.com).
Adirondack Lifestyles (T.E.A.C.H. Services, 2008) is a collection of historical photographs from the northern Adirondacks, originally owned by the Robideaus photography studio, in Malone, and compiled by Jessie Kenyon, with the help of the Franklin County Historical & Museum Society and the Malone House of History. Photographs date from about 1896 to 1920 (303 pages, $49.95, hardcover, 518-358-3494, www.teachservices.com).
Gary Scharnhorst brings one of the nation's first "celebrity journalists" back to the spotlight in Kate Field: The Many Lives of a Nineteenth-Century American Journalist (Syracuse University Press, 2008). Field wrote for the most respected publications of her day, hobnobbed with the likes of Charles Dickens and the Brownings, and provided Henry James with the inspiration for The Portrait of a Lady. In the 1870s she spent a month exploring the Adirondacks with her mother and three friends, later giving a popular series of lectures detailing the exploits of the "Black Fly Club." She ended her talks with a description of her pilgrimage to John Brown's grave; it was through her efforts that the Brown farm has been preserved as a state historical site (306 pages, $27.95, black-and-white photographs, hardcover, 315-443-5534, www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu).
Grace Wickham is at it again: she's up to her bustle in another tangled mystery. This time the spunky 19th-century protagonist of Rosemary Miner's latest historical cozy, Lies and Logs to Die For (Hilliard & Harris, 2008), finds herself in a rough-and-tumble Hudson River logging camp trying to solve a young girl's murder amid the dangers of a springtime log drive (184 pages, $16.95, softcover, 301-432-7080, www.hilliardandharris.com).
The History and Art of 25 Travers (North Country Books, 2008) showcases Greg Montgomery's entire collection of Saratoga Racetrack's beloved Travers Stakes posters. This attractive volume also offers Montgomery's reflections and sketches, along with author Vic Zast's recollections of the last 22 Travers races (144 pages, $45, hardcover, 315-735-4877,www.northcountrybooks.com).
Relive a slice of Adirondack history with two new titles: Mark Bowie shares the stage with Seneca Ray Stoddard in his latest work, In Stoddard's Footsteps: The Adirondacks Then & Now (North Country Books, 2008), placing famous Stoddard scenes side-by-side with his modern recreations (128 pages, $35.95, hardcover, 315-735-4877, www.northcountrybooks.com). And Lake Placid (Arcadia Publishing, 2008), part of the Then & Now: New York series, juxtaposes Laura Russell Viscome's contemporary images with photographs from the Lake Placid–North Elba Historical Society (95 pages, $19.99, black-and-white photographs, softcover, 888-313-2665, www.arcadiapublishing.com).
Echoes From a Small Country Town (Van Al O. Enterprises, 2008) by Louis G. Alexander is a loving account of growing up in Hague in the 1930s and '40s, when Alexander's parents ran a small resort on Lake George (140 pages, $18, black-and-white photographs, softcover, 973-896-6718).
Make your dreams of living the simple life a reality with Cabinology: A Handbook to Your Private Hideaway (Taunton Press, 2008). Architect and self-described cabinologist Dale Mulfinger infuses his start-to-finish guide to building or remodeling the perfect retreat with design tips, pep talks and inspiration from cabin owners around the country, including some in our own backyard (245 pages, $25, black-and-white photographs and drawings, paperback, 203-426-8171, www.taunton.com).
A Brief History of History (Lyons Press, 2008) by Colin Wells, of Westport, is just that—an easy-to-read account of the evolution of history as an idea, examining the lives and times of the western world's greatest historians. (The volume is apologetically Eurocentric, given Wells's assertion that, for right or wrong, "most history so far has been written in a Eurocentric cultural context.") By filling in the backdrop against which western history was written, Wells gives readers new insight into our accepted truths (336 pages, $27.95, hardcover, 888-249-7586, www.lyonspress.com).
This year Mason Smith republished Florida: A North Country Novel (Xlibris, 2006) under the title Toward Polaris: A Novel of the Adirondack Foothills (Syracuse University Press). An Adirondack Center for Writing people's choice winner for best book, the tale focuses on a dysfunctional couple caught up in the drama of an even more dysfunctional town (436 pages, $24.95, softcover, 315-443-5534, www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu).
Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac gives middle-school readers another treat with Bearwalker (HarperCollins, 2007), a spooky story of revenge, heroism and the sometimes-blurry line between myth and reality in an ancient wilderness (208 pages, $15.99, hardcover, 212-261-6500, www.harpercollinschildrens.com).
Arcadia Publishing offers another addition to their Images of America series with Huletts Landing on Lake George (2008) by George T. Kapusinski, a visual history of the popular resort town (127 pages, $19.99, softcover, 888-313-2665, www.arcadiapublishing.com).
Cabins (Gibbs Smith, 2008) is author and photographer Ralph Kylloe's latest contribution to the world of rustic design. This coffee-table book features cabins around America and provides tips and tricks for capturing contemporary rustic style (255 pages, $60, hardcover, 801-544-9800, www.gibbs-smith.com).
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