Connecticut Books

James Lomuscio has written a thorough and interesting history of one of the most beautiful areas in the country. As a resident of CT whose daily commute covers the area that he discusses in his book, there were several "WOW" moments in the book where content really hit home. A must read for everyone in Fairfield County, CT (and everywhere else) who cares about open space.
The book would have been greatly enhanced by having a decent map in it. I read it while I was on vacation and was wishing I had my Hagstroms map with me, the map he included was so small I had to use a magnifying glass!

I recently bought a house moved from the Village of the Dammed some sixty years ago, and bought this book to get a bit of background on the project. Mr Lomuscio went way beyond my expectations, to the point where I felt like I was actually in the meetings, planning sessions, and everything else in the book. The history of what one of the most expensive housing markets in the country was some 200 years ago makes this more then worth reading if you have any interest at all in this area. If you live in this area, or have any interest at all in how a big utility can make an entire town disappear (exactly what is happening in China right now, only over there it's on a much larger scale), then you will probably enjoy reading this book. It's a very specific subject matter, with a very specific audience, but well worth reading. I loved it, and as soon as time permits will visit the historical societies to get more information about things I never would have known if not for Village of the Dammed.

I've read all of Parnell Halls books and I much prefer the Stanley Hastings series. The characters in the Puzzle books are very corny and continue to become more so with each subsequent book. I found it very difficult to keep my attention focused on the story. I started this book, put it aside to read other books that caught my interest and only went back to finish it to feel like I've completed the series. I don't think I'll even waste my energy on the next Puzzle book. I do wish there would be another Stanley Hastings book in the future.

Sherry Carter is the real puzzle lady who constructs them for a syndicated column but because she is so shy, everyone thinks her aunt Cara Felton is the puzzle maker because she takes the credit and makes public appearances. The truth of the matter is she couldn?t solve a crossword puzzle let alone construct one but she is very good at solving homicides.

Murder is the last thing from Cora?s mind as she gets ready to marry California businessman Raymond Harstein III but Sherry is frantic because she knows nothing about the man. Matters become much worse when Sherry?s best friend announces she is marrying Sherry?s physically abusive ex-husband Dennis and they want her to be the maid of honor. A series of cryptograms threatens Raymond if the wedding isn?t stopped. When the messages are ignored he is murder with Dennis charged for the crime. Cora is positive Dennis didn?t kill anyone and she sets out to prove it to make sure Sherry doesn?t soften towards him and to get her mind off her own grief.

WITH THIS PUZZLE I THEE KILL is the best book in the series because there are two separate, fulfilling sub-plots and the antagonist from either one could be the killer. Parnell Hall has a wicked sense of humor and it comes out through the dialogues of his characters, especially conversations that take place between Cora and her niece. This amateur sleuth novel will be a thrill for those who like a cerebral puzzle.

Harriet Klausner

John Priest calls the 16th Connecticut an "Average" Federal infantry regiment. I would rather call it an "unfortunate" Federal infantry regiment. Raised in Hartford County in August 1862, the 16th Connecticut was assigned to the Ninth Army Corps and found itself on the extreme left flank of the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Antietam in a cornfield facing A.P. Hill's Confederate division just up from Harpers Ferry, perhaps carrying US flags from the surrendered garrison. The 16th had been mustered in less than a month previously and the soldiers had never been taught even to load their muskets. Hill's men just walked up and opened fire and by the time the 16th's survivors ran to the rear, the unit had suffered about 200 casualties. Twenty years ago I was a museum director in West Hartford and we had a file of letters from a soldier in the 16th and he certainly never got over the trauma of this disaster. The 16th went on to fight well at Fredericksburg, and later in the Suffolk Campaign. However, its bad luck followed as nine companies were forced to surrender at Plymouth, North Carolina in April 1864 when that garrison was captured by the Confederates. The enlisted men ended up in Andersonville where half of them died (including my letter writer). William Relyea was on detached service at the time of Plymouth, so he missed the surrender. His regimental history continues into January 1865 when it simply stops. But, as a result, this is a fuller history than Blakeslee's small history published just after the end of the war.

The editing is generally OK, although nothing fancy. There are no maps, but then again, Priest has had trouble with maps in the past. Because the work was done in Maryland, there is no feel for Connecticut history and locations. The historic town of Simsbury is given as Simburg on page 2, for example. The biggest shortcoming is that there is no account of William Relyea the author and how this manuscript came to exist in the Connecticut Historical Society. Priest and the boys and girls have not consulted pension files, but restrict themselves to printed Connecticut sources to ID the soldiers. I wish I lived within driving distance of the National Archives; they do. Sounds like a great class trip to me.

Unpublished regimental histories are like hen's teeth. I have been fortunate to edit and publish a history of the 1st Vermont Cavalry and have a copy of a fragmented manuscript history of the 4th New Hampshire Infantry. These manuscripts should be published. Priest and his class have done a good job on the History of the 16th Connecticut. Even though it might have been done a bit better, I highly recommend this book and this is a very useful addition to Antietam, Fredericksburg, and the coastal campaigns. Good job guys.

This book is based upon a "large picture collection of the aftermath of the 1938 hurricane on Coast Guard facilities in New England." It is another fine publication of the Images of America series and contains many pictures which have never before been published.

This book was very accurate and to the point in it's time. Several of the areas described have changed substantially since the bok was first published. There were two new books published in 1996 that treat the same material in a more up to date way. Connecticut Birding Guide, Devine and Smith, and Finding Birds in Connecticut, Rosgren and Billings ISBN 96-068691.

I think that this book is a good beginning for anyone who enjoys hiking but doesn't know many places to go in CT. Once you get to know the different areas, this book falls short in the sense that there are many more hikes in CT than 50. This would make a nice gift for someone.

A nice look at the side streets and back roads of Connecticut. This book has many human interest stories and is fine bedtime reading.

This book was great for helping us get around the interstates and highways. It doesn't have much in the way of smaller town road maps making getting around in small New England towns a bit more cumbersome. But I do recommend the book for anyone planning a trip to multiple New England states.

Cities were hot, the country was cooler. This condition before air-conditioning led to summer theatre in America, beginning early in the twentieth century. Later on there would be other incentives for the tonier summer theatres, especially near enough to New York City: summer reruns meant television stars could headline on the summer stage. It was part Straw Hat Circuit, and part tryout venue for Broadway.

But the Westport Playhouse in the affluent Connecticut town also began with high artistic purpose. Its fascinating founder, Lawrence Langner, had already begun elevating the quality of New York theatre by the example of his Theatre Guild productions. He divided his time between theatre and a very successful patent business, scrupulously keeping them separate, but he did transfer at least one idea from one to the other. "All my [patent] clients have research departments to develop new products," he said. "The summer theatre must serve the same function for new plays and for playwrights, for actors and technicians, for directors and stage designers."

Though this large format book is liberally illustrated and generously sprinkled with celebrity names, the text is substantial. With this informal, almost conversational history of some 75 years of this unique theatre inevitably says a lot about American theatre in general.

Westport experimented with various formats and seasons, hit its stride in the 30s and 40s, had great years and not so great through the 50s, 60s and 70s (and the author doesn't pretend the misses were hits), nearly closed in 1989 and stumbled through the 90s, until its latest rebirth began in 2000 when Joanne Woodward became Artistic Director. Westport's 2002 production of "Our Town" with Paul Newman was seen by additional millions on television. Newly renovated, Westport continues to nourish theatre in its many forms with a mix of classics and new plays. Even out there in the country it fulfills a basic element of civilization: to bring live productions together with live audiences in as ancient and as human an experience as we have.

Cozzens' lesser novels are nevertheless enviably well-written. This one is the story of George Bull, the last of a dying breed of general practice physicians in New England in the 30s. Bull is extremely memorable -- a man living in the present, with few regrets, but coping with the cynicism that comes from watching patients die regardless of the level of care. When a public health crisis splits the town into factions, Bull's fate as a doctor hangs in the balance. This is an apt fictional counterpart to John McPhee's "Heirs of General Practice"