A. Merritt Books

Merrit wrote spooky fantasy for Argosy Magazine in the 1920-1930s. Fans argue endlessly about which is his best. These stories are pretty good. (Shadow is a sort of sequel to Burn Witch Burn.) The evil old witch makes lifelike dolls that come to life and kill people. She is brought down by a rational doctor and a superstitious Mafia boss. Made into a movie with Lionel Barrymore as the witch (really!). Strong stuff for the time it was written.

A.Merritt is definatly an underpreciated writer. If you are a fan of horror novels do yourself a favor and read this book. the story is set in the 1940's but the story holds up very well. I give it my highest recomendation to horror fans!

Having conquered the field of fantasy (with such classics as "The Moon Pool," "The Ship of Ishtar" and "Dwellers in the Mirage") as well as the field of the bizarre yet hardboiled crime thriller (with his wonderful "Seven Footprints to Satan"), Abraham Merritt went on, in 1932, to prove that he could master the field of supernatural horror, as well. That he succeeded brilliantly should come as no surprise to readers of those earlier works. His first foray in the occult, "Burn, Witch, Burn" first appeared in the pages of "Argosy" magazine in 1932, and was then expanded into book form the following year. In it, we meet Dr. Lowell, an eminent neurologist who becomes curious when a series of mysterious deaths comes to his attention. Men and women in the NYC area have been dying of no apparent cause, but with horrible grimaces on their faces and with very rapid onsets of rigor mortis. Lowell is aided in his investigation by Ricori, a mobster chieftain, as well as by Ricori's very efficient gang. The trail of bizarre deaths leads to one Madame Mandilip and her doll shop, and before long the reader is immersed in a world of supernaturalism and escalating tension. Lowell, hardheaded man of the 20th century, is hard put to explain the unfolding creepy events by the lights of his mundane science. Merritt writes simply in this book; one would never recognize him as the author of "The Moon Pool" and "The Metal Monster," with those books' lush, purple-prose passages. All of our questions regarding the strange events in "Burn, Witch, Burn" are not answered by the tale's end, and this only seems to make what has transpired seem all the more mysterious. This is the type of book that a reader may feel compelled to gulp down in one sitting, and with its short, 160-page length, that could easily be accomplished. This tale was loosely adapted for the screen as "The Devil-Doll" (1935), but this film has little to do with its source novel. (Incidentally, the movie "Burn, Witch, Burn" (1962), also known as "Night of the Eagle," has absolutely nothing to do with Merritt's book, but is rather based on Fritz Leiber's novel "Conjure Wife," another tale of modern-day witchcraft that I highly recommend to amazon readers.)
Good as Merritt's "Burn, Witch, Burn" is, however, its successor, "Creep, Shadow, Creep," is even better. "Creep, Shadow, Creep" also saw the first light of day in the pages of "Argosy" magazine, in 1934, and was released in book form later that year. This novel is a direct sequel to "Burn, Witch, Burn," and is longer, more detailed, more stylishly written and scarier than the earlier work. Readers will delight to find Lowell and Ricori back to fight the supernatural once again, but this time, these characters play only subsidiary roles. The action mantle in "Creep, Shadow, Creep" falls mainly on a young ethnologist named Alan Caranac, who becomes involved in the investigation of the apparent suicides of a number of wealthy NYC men, one of whom was Caranac's old friend. He is soon drawn into the schemes of one Dr. Keradel and his daughter Dahut, who are attempting to conjure into existence one of the elder gods; a god that was worshipped in the legendary city of Ys. In "Creep, Shadow, Creep," Merritt's last completed novel, the author revisits several of his old favorite themes. As in "The Moon Pool" and "Dwellers in the Mirage," we have two women--one good and virginal, the other evil and lustful--fighting over the book's protagonist. As in "Dwellers," the hero is subject to atavistic memories that tend to submerge his present-day personality, while at the same time aiding him in conjuring up a monstrous entity from beyond. And as in "The Moon Pool," "The Metal Monster," "The Face in the Abyss," "The Ship of Ishtar" and "Dwellers," in this novel we are given a glimpse of a vanished, lost civilization (in this case, Ys, in ancient Brittany) and see that, in many real ways, it survives in the present day. "Creep, Shadow, Creep" is not for the squeamish reader, containing as it does some truly horrible passages of pagan sacrifice and torture. It also contains some surprisingly risque sections, in which Dahut and Caranac's girlfriend, Helen, appear mother-naked. Risque for 2004, how these passages must have impressed 70 years ago! Despite the truly frightening goings-on in this book--the shadow people, the Gatherer in the Cairn, the atavistic memories, the visions and so on--Merritt insists on offering rational/mundane explanations for all this...but the reader, as well as Caranac by the tale's end, knows better. "Creep, Shadow, Creep" is a wonderful tale, a perfect sequel, and one of Merritt's finest accomplishments. Despite Merritt's occasional inability to adequately describe geography so that it is clear to the reader (this reader, at least), and despite one or two minor glitches (such as when he describes Dahut's eyes as being green, after having long established that they are violet), the book succeeds on many levels. Taken together, the two books make for one thrilling little series. I heartily recommend them both to all amazon readers.

I almost passed this book up but because I love Irish tales, ti bought anyway. This is a book that os a true fairy tale or magic and love. It has become a part of my treasured collection.

I love books with misc magical love stories. Even though there were no fairies to speak of - there was alot of magic in each story to keep me bound to this book. Each tale was a good as the one before it. I only wished there were four additional stories. I love this book! It was short, yet, oh, so very sweet.

What a wonderful little collection! Even if you generally don't care for romance novels because they are slow reads, you'll love this book. The stories are fairly short (about 100 pages each). There is no offensive subject matter (like rape or excessively foul language). The romances are each distinctly different, my personal favorite was "Green Willow." I hope to see another set like this soon!

I'm a R&D Engineer for hydraulics, since I've discovered this book I still using as main reference for system and component modeling. Steady state and transient (dynamics) are both developed enough deeply to be useful for profession. You can easily start from this book for create models to predict system and component performances. At the same time limits of those models are exposed and useful tricks are supplied.
Very good book, you must have on your desk if you design component for hydraulics.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to model the individual COMPONENTS that make up hydraulic power-circuits. Great detail is paid to the description and mathematical representation of their dynamic behavior. Dynamic SYSTEMS are also addressed, but to a much lesser degree. Standard control theory approaches are used, like block diagrams, frequency response methods, and various stability methods (the book assumes that the reader is already familiar with these).

While nonlinear effects are discussed, the book does not well-address the dynamic analysis of complete nonlinear systems. However, there is a good reason for this. Despite the 2001 date-of-publication listed by Wiley (on AMAZON), this "new" book was in fact published in 1967 (the current edition is simply a re-release). This pre-dates the ready availability of computers and advanced simulation software that now make feasible the simulations of complex systems. Personally, I don't find this to be a problem, since there are plenty of other books that deal with the subject of solving nonlinear dynamic systems. What Merritt's book does very well is enable one to model the systems that must be solved. The level of detail provided is rare in my experience, so his book is extremely useful - perhaps even more than it was in 1967.

Finally, I do wish Wiley would just own up to the fact that it is republishing an older work. This is the second time I have come across what appears to be a deceptive marketing tactic. The other work is titled "Engineering Optimization" by Reklaitis (see my review for further details). To imply that a scientific work was written decades later is dishonest. In spite of this, I still recommend the book by Merritt - but only if you can find a good used copy for a decent price. Wiley's $200+ price tag for the "new" edition is inappropriate.

I do not know why I buy books that are entitled "1000 (fill in the blank)". It's a weird compulsion. So, this book falls under the category. I like dogs. 1000 dogs is a lot of dogs, but the book makes it seem like six or seven hundred max.

This is a wonderful book for dog-lovers about our best friends! This thick book is filled full of BEAUTIFUL black and white photographs (of which the majority have not previously been seen) of all different kinds of dogs and their humans, ranging from yesteryear to present day. Accompanying the wonderful photos are lovely quotes and poems about these little furry miracles that God has blessed us with. I highly recommend this book! Enjoy!

Jane Merritt makes an excellent addition to the discussion of Indians in the Mid-Atlantic region during the age of empire. This is a complex topic and Merritt does an excellent job of sorting it out. On that note this is a complex topic and this is not a book a novice in the subject would want to start with. It assumes knowledge of the Iroquois and the covenant chain as well as the Seven Years war. (See my other reviews for suggestions on those topics).

Merritt's book analyzes a variety of cross sections of Delaware Indian culture and their relation with Pennsylvania's (Quakers, proprietors, and frontiersman), Iroquois, and the French. She looks at the role of language, women and religion and how these each affected the relationships between the various groups. Utilizing sources from local to state level she is able to get at a large cross section that allows for significant corroboration. Unlike many where there is an Indian view and a colonial view in this case there we have a variety of colonial sources since they each represented a different viewpoint. The book chronologically covers the famed Walking Purchase during the time of William Penn to the conclusion of the Seven Years War (French and Indian War) and how it shaped the frontier. The idea that Indians and colonists lived at a crossroads where trade dictated interactions are thoroughly explored. For those who want to gain a greater understanding of the Mid-Atlantic world in colonial times you cannot go wrong with this book.

Jane Merritt gives an inside expose, on the clash of cultures in the Mid-Atlantic frontier(Delaware,Pennsylvania,Virginia etc.). The early relationship between a young Colonel George Washington of England and the Delawares is highlighted. The initial interaction between Washington and the Delawares, was poor. This lead to early military defeats to the French. The dynamics of the 7 years war, which changed the harmony of this region dramatically, is examined.

The odd antagonistic relationship between the Delawares and the Iroquois 6 Nations is analyzed to the fullest. It appears the Iroquois sold Delaware land inappropriately (walking purchase Treaty). You will gain insight into famous chiefs such as Delaware chief Shingas and chief Teedyuscung.

The shrewd business dealings of the European settlers is analyzed. You are made aware how simple semantics could misconstrue entire Treaties and agreements. Overall this book does a good job in clarifying, certain key points, in a very complex period, in American history.

I was raised in the city, with almost no exposure to fishing and hunting. (Brooklyn c. 1975, the only shooting I knew was an occasional gun shot outside my apartment building in the middle of the night.) For a city boy like me, this book was a wonderful introduction into love of outdoors through hunting and fishing.

This collection contains over 50 stories from Field & Stream, ranging from 3-12 pages. Nature, calm or threatening, is a protagonist in every story. We sense how much the early 20th century landscape has been overrun by human sprawl.

There are many other wonderful themes in this collection - courage, fear, lost and found friendship. Among my favorites were the handful of stories about old hunters and their beloved dogs.

This book will transport you to another era - one very much worth traveling to. My only critique is women rarely appear in these pages, reflecting a strongly male-oriented editorial hand.

Of all the books I've gotten as a gift throught the years, this was the most pleasant find. The book has some terrific short stories from Field & Stream, with great adventures of all aspects of the outdoors. It also has classic illustrations of old F&S covers. I'd recommend this as a must have for any outdoorsman's library.

COMFORTS OF HOME is an awesome book that tells (in beautiful pictures as well as words) the story behind all the household conveniences we have grown accustomed to. After spotting this title in the architecture section of my local independant bookstore, I knew I would be leafing thru it for the next several minutes--I love a good illustrated history or technical book. What I didn't know is that just browsing this really interesting volume would lead me to purchase the book. And not just one copy, either. I ordered several copies on the internet for a number of my friends that I know will appreciate the old pictures and the story behind toilets, kitchens, microwaves, etc.

Good job, Merritt Ierley!

The author makes horizontal sections in time recounting then current household technology. He covers heating, lighting, waste removal, plumbing, and major appliances.
Having grown up in a house built in the twenties and several times modified I am quite familiar with the use of anthracite coal for heating, and regular refuse removal including clinkers from the furnace. I hauled many a ton of coal, basket by basket, to stoke the fire and dragged out many an ash can full as a young lad.
On the other hand my father grew up in a house heated only by the kitchen range and a Franklin stove in the parlor. He was born in 1901.
Later we converted to gas and then moved to a house built in 1878 which also had been upgraded to have showers and gas heat. Up until the forties and fifties we had enormous hot air furnaces which depended on natural convection to distribute heat. Post WW II with the use of forced air heating the size of furnaces shrank to the size of a small wardrobe, instead of taking up half the basement.
This work is not much of a technical history but covers enough to carry the story, tracing from the inventions of the 1700s on. By the 1920s the major equipment of the modern home was all developed but was still to be refined and made automatic with thermostats and regulators. And the general use of central built-in air conditioning was not until the late 1950s. Only a few public buildings had chilled air and most of those were movie palaces and theatres which could not be left open to the natural environment.

I have not yet read this particular book, however, I am interested in edible wild plants. I have found a good book by Tom Brown, Jr. on the topic and thought I would inform other interested persons of this author because it seems not many people except those on the east coast have heard of him. So, if you are into edible wild plants, check it out! : > )

I first came into contact with this one at a school library. After looking at it once, I found myself buying a copy. It actually surpasses its title. It claims to be only about edible plants, but it also directs you in the process of making Mescadine Grape leather (a type of cold drink) and other recipes, and it even tells about edible fungi.

Douglas Merritt is the unica person who has compiled, seriously organized and presented/displayed an ample analisis on the design in the television. Given the present development of the mediatica culture, the new book of Douglas Merritt asi like his anterior¨Television Graphics: from pencil to pixel¨, is convertiran the doubtless review of all those that they want to investigate on this fenomeno of masses to which we called Television.

Douglas Merritt es la unica persona que ha recopilado, organizado y presentado seriamente un amplio analisis sobre el diseño en las television. Dado el actual desarrollo de la cultura mediatica, el nuevo libro de Douglas Merritt asi como su anterior¨Television Graphics: from pencil to pixel¨, se convertiran en la indudable reseña de todos los que quieran investigar sobre este fenomeno de masas al que llamamos Television.

Inventing America is exactly as expected. It expands coverage of the impact of technology in a general American history textbook. We are treated to as many as three pages of technology summaries in some cases. The treatment of manufacturing technology and transportation is especially well done.

How did a collection of primitive, largely agricultural British colonies acquire technical skills for the machine age? We learn that in an effort to simplify battlefield requirements for parts and ammunition, the government caused gun manufacturers to adopt similar designs. These efforts were led by Springfield Armory and Harpers Ferry Armory and eventually resulted in interchangeable parts. The US Military Academy at West Point founded in 1802, began engineering training under Superintendent Sylvanus Thayer's tenure in 1817; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, founded in 1824, was "the only serious rival" until after the Civil War. Army Engineers on loan to numerous private companies surveyed many of the railroad routes. We get an overview of the manufacture of steam engines for steamboats in Newark, NJ and Philadelphia, and a survey treatment of the Lowell, MA textile complex. In agricultural technology, the usual John Deere and McCormick Reaper stories are expanded to include the story of hog butchering in Cincinnati, a forerunner of the modern assembly line. The development of the steam powered rotary press in 1835, made possible high speed printing which gave us daily newspapers, dime novels, and widespread distribution of political tracts.

Numerous areas can be named where additional technology coverage would be of interest. Public health is a particularly interesting area because life expectancy in the US nearly doubled in the last century. The text gives us the usual coverage of smallpox and yellow fever, but there is little mention of Asian cholera, which caused numerous, frightening epidemics in the 19th Century. Similarly, the fact that more soldiers died of disease than wounds in the Civil War gets only brief mention. The development of public sewer systems and water supplies is noted briefly, but no mention is made of the technology impact of developing pump technology. There is no mention of firefighting technology. These technologies made urbanization possible. Without them, life in cities was hazardous.

The development of the electric power receives some coverage. The well known AC/DC conflict between Edison and Tesla gets reduced to "...after direct current (which had a limited ability to travel distances) was replaced by alternating current..." Samuel Insull's development of electric utilities gets half a paragraph. There is no mention of the Niagra Falls hydro power project. Ball Corporation's leadership in the use of electric motors as power sources in manufacturing is described.

Coal, steel, and railroads are usually considered necessary elements of the Industrial Revolution. We learn nothing of the coal industry's history or of the manufactured gas and gas lighting industry. Coverage of sawmills, gristmills and water wheels is very good.

Each volume includes a CD of additional materials. Some are audio segments. Some are maps. This is a nice implementation of computer assistance, but not as useful as a list of internet links with additional detail might have been. As it stands, its more a demo of what might be than a true asset to the student.

Generally this is a nicely done text. The writing style is clear and direct. Illustrations and maps are appropriate and adequate. In many respects the technology approach leaves us hungering for more. No doubt page limitations in a general history textbook handcuffed the authors. About 100 more pages could have made for a more complete whole. The text provides brief suggested reading lists in each chapter, but there are no references for in-depth follow-up. References and more extensive reading lists would have been helpful. Author Pauline Maier has noted the technology helps make history interesting to some who otherwise find it boring. This will likely be the text of choice at engineering schools. Most readers will find this a useful new perspective on American History.

I am developing a course in the History of Technology in America for my local community college, and find this book an invaluable resource. There is a hard-back one-volume edition as well as a soft-cover two-volume edition available. The authors hail from Harvard, Yale and MIT, with backgrounds in history, politics and technology.

This is an American history with a difference. While the student and instructor will find the basic chronological outline of American history that is familiar, the development of themes here often draws in much more explicitly than the normal text the issues of technological innovation, scientific discovery, manufacturing and business development as engines for growth and progress in the course of American history. The authors state in their introduction that Americans 'have long considered this penchant for innovation a distinguishing feature of their culture and history.'

Technology in terms discussed here is hardly confined to the modern age. For example, very early in the text the authors state that the development of maize/corn 'was perhaps the most important plant-breeding achievement of all time' - the creation of a stable staple food crop that was adaptable and resilient spurred the growth of civilisation in dramatic ways. Technology includes that related to architecture (from the earliest buildings in the Native American cultures to modern skyscrapers, bridges and underground complexes), agriculture (the aforementioned maize development being but the earliest of these examples), transportation technologies (from canals to railroads to automobiles and aircraft), medical technologies (from early hygiene and vaccine developments to modern pharmaceutical and genetic innovations), information technology (telegraph and telephone to digital and internet), and much more.

History is naturally selective, and any history text is going to have to walk the fine line between being thorough in development and being comprehensive in scope. The whole work weighs in at well over 1100 pages (inclusive of index and appendices), which is a lot of material for a two-semester course that will include supplemental readings. As an overview of American history, it hits the high points well and develops many sidelines of interest. My own particular teaching responsibilities for this will be to students who are primarily interested in technical education - this method of developing American history has more appeal for this audience, given its more direct applicability to their courses of study.

In the two volume edition, the first volume covers the pre-Columbian scene in the Americas through to the era of Reconstruction following the Civil War; the second volume goes through the presidency of the current George W. Bush, and includes issues of 9-11 and the issues of ongoing wars against terrorists. There are CD-ROM supplements that come with the books, which include many helpful elements for the students, as well as some multi-media offerings. These are keyed to chapters in the text.

The text is written in an interesting and informative manner, with appropriate use of humour and wit as situations permit. For example, from the text on the exhibition in London's Crystal Palace in 1851, the authors write:

'Among the winners was the New York firm of Day and Newell, manufacturers of locks. In one of the more flamboyant competitions, an employee of Day and Newell successfully picked the locks of several well-known English lock makers, while an English locksmith failed to pick Day and Newell's locks. The American won a cash prize for his efforts, while the Bank of England, whose vault he opened, subsequently placed an order with Day and Newell for a new set of locks.'

The text is supplemented by a very generous sampling of graphics, pictures, woodcuts, maps, charts and other colourful elements. Every page has some element of colour and something to make it visually interesting apart from the text.

This is a wonderful book for undergraduate courses in American history as well as for general readers who want to refresh their knowledge of American history.