Maryland Books

This is a great series - esp. if you'd like to introduce a place before visiting. We bought L is for Lobster before visiting Maine & found it was fun for many levels of readers and great pics for the little ones.

I bought this book for a 2-year-old, but it is definitely for an older child, so I am giving it to a 5-year-old instead. The illustrations are colorful and realistic -- almost photographic in detail. Each letter represents something about Maryland. For instance, E is for Eastern Shore. There is a short verse pertaining to each letter, as well as a side-panel that gives a longer, more detailed explanation about that thing. This is the type of book that should stay in the family library, and can be enjoyed by adults too. If my grandmother were still alive, I would buy it for her, because she had so much Maryland pride.

Rails criss-crossing vitually every street in gritty downtown baltimore. A 4,000+ foot long "EL" somewhere in the central city.....trolleys traveling down dirt roads with horse-drawn carts. Trolleys over rivers and lakes. PCCs and deck-roof cars running at the same time until the end in 1963.

These are just some of the fine collection of images you will enjoy within the covers of this book. True - it is missing some key technical information on rolling stock, and a more detailed map would have been nice. But the photos in this book wil without doubt take you back to a more simpler "analog" time that existed in America.

To be sure, some of Baltimore has improved since the 1950's, but it was a time when its streecars had character, and was its main mode of transport.

For an escape back in time for the transit enthusiast, this book will not dissapoint you.

On one hand, a reviewer of this book COULD demand more narrative analysis of the Baltimore Transit Company as a business operation, or more details about its roster of rolling stock and maps of the routes served. What were the dynamics between the company's top leadership and the public utility commission that regulated public transit back in those days? One suspects that some colorful personalities were involved, but this book doesn't delve into that subject. A review Baltimore's streetcar operators and their work-a-day culture would have added another layer of interest, especially in light of the post-war era's rapid changes in technology and society. That is also absent.

On the other hand, this book's fascinating collection of photos and captions are the reader's reward. Resplendent streetscape details are captured in prints derived mostly from large-format, black & white negatives. While the streetcars are of course the subject, the same photos are also a window on post-war Baltimore and its unpretentious people in unposed, candid moments. This time-capsule quality alone makes this book very enjoyable. In the end, the lack of operating stats and other trivia is forgivable.

Anyone who has been to Lexington Market knows that it is a unique and colorful part of the social and economic fabric of Baltimore. This wonderful book tells the market's story in rich and compelling detail. It not only conveys the big picture of the market's historic place in the city's evolution, but also relates the stories of individuals and families who helped to make the market such a special place. "Baltimore's Lexington Market" should be read not only by those fascinated by Baltimore, but also by anyone with an interest in urban history and the evolution of the American economy, because the market's story is in many ways a microcosm of America's general development over more than two centuries. The book is also liberally illustrated with gorgeous prints and photographs. Schultheis should be highly commended for writing a book that is as fascinating and pleasurable as the market whose story it tells.

Lexington Market in Baltimore, which was founded in 1782 by John Eager Howard, a hero of the American Revolution, is the largest continuously running market in the world. Yet its incredible roller coaster history hasn't really been explored until now. For anyone interested in how American commerce has evolved in the past two centuries, Patricia Schultheis has produced a fascinating must read.

Another great photo history book of the area in which I grew up. I've recommended it to friends and several have told me they purchased it and are just as happy with as I am. My children and some of my grandchildren have also read and enjoyed it.

An interesting background of an inner city park with a history. Local residents have brought the park back to an active community roll from several decades of neglect. The current multi-cultural stage still leaves room for improvement but progress is on-going. Wonderful photographs. A joy to read. Thank you, Tim.

Tom Flynn has compiled a wonderful array of vintage photographs telling the story of Baltimore's colorful baseball past. I am not a baseball fan but still enjoyed this book. Fan or not, no one can deny that baseball plays an important part in the American story. Tom does an excellent job of telling Baltimore's slice of baseball history.

Wonderful book recalling Baltimore baseball, especially during a time of innocence in baseball history. Interesting facts, photos and a great start to the book with the forward by Examiner writer Sean Welsh. Bravo!

One of the best books I have read on the military court-martial process during the MaCarthy/Cold War era. Very revealing, especially regarding unlawful command influence.

Everybody knows about Gen. George Patton and his Third Army, but few people have heard of Gen. Robert Grow and his 6th Armored Division. Grow's 6th AD was one of the units that was responsible the success and fame of the Third Army.

You might expect General Grow to return from World War II and enjoy accolades and well-deserved retirement. Instead, he was court-martialed and railroaded in the 50's, and at least one of his persecutors was a fellow general with whom he had a conflict during the Battle of the Bulge.

Author Dr. Hofmann has produced a meticulous study of the case and the events leading up to it, and provides a disturbing look at Pentagon rivalries and politics.

...this book is a culinary and historic gem. I am fortunate enough to own a first edition of this highly entertaining collection of recipes and folklore, not to mention the copious illustrations, and believe me, I don't keep in the kitchen with the workaday cookbooks! It is my personal favorite among my many books about food (which are different than cookbooks) Yes, it is surely politically incorrect, but that's the way it was, and we can't change history. Those of us who delight in the wonders of Maryland ccoking and the eccentricities of the Maryland (Baltimore) personality will be higly rewarded. And the recipes are good, too! To quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes, to whom Stieff dedicated his book, "Baltimore...the gastronomic metropolitis of the Union... Why don't you put a canvas-back duck on top of the Washington column?...Why ask for other glories when you have soft crabs?..." Any lover of culinary lore will treasure this work.

I can't believe that this book is coming out in reprint. This is a marvelous look at the food of Maryland in the 1930's. From this, however, some of the foods to be found in here - like terrapin (turtle) - are not to be found in the Maryland restaurants today, but some - like the Crab Cakes Baltimore - are made just as they are nowadays. I lived in Maryland for 20 years and reading these recipes gives me fond rememberences. These recipes were gathered by Stieff by talking to people he met in his travels and writing down what they had to say. These were never published before, and hence are an important historical document from the times. The reason I can't believe this book is being reprinted is that it would never pass the politically correct standards of the '90's if being printed as a new book. It (at least the original hardcover edition) is printed with cartoons to make it entertaining to read. Here's 3 of them: (Picture of an old woman talking to a fish merchant at his counter) Woman: "I don't like the looks of this 'ere 'addock." Merchant: "Well, if it's looks ye're after, lydy, ye'd do better by the goldfish !" (Picture of an old black gentleman in glasses and a beard) Man: "Chickens, suh, am de usefulles' animal dey is. Yo' can et dem befo' dey's born and after dey's daid". (Picture of a middle aged black woman with a corn cob pipe talking to a black preacher) "Parshon, Ah'd like to kill dat low-down husban' o' mine." "Why, Car'line, what he done ?" "Done ? Why, dat hunk o' black trash lef' de chicken-house do' open and all de chickens has gone." "Why, Car'line, dat ain't nothing to get worried about. Don't you know dat accordin' to de gospel of Luke and John dat 'Chickens Come Home to Roos'!' " "Come home ! Why, Parson, dose chickens'll go home." I know this is authentic because this is exactly how my grandfather used to talk. In spite of, or maybe because of, this down homeness, I still love this book. The recipes are authentic and good, and reading it will send you back to the time of the 30's. Just remember to take a deep breath before re-entering the '90's

Very well written and informative book of one of footballs' greatest teams. The Colts were a Baltimore icon, and this book is wonderfully descriptive in regard to how the club formed, the winning tradition, and the fateful day they left a heartbroken town. A must read for any Baltimore Colts fan! Also contains great pictures of memorabilia.

My Dad grew up in Baltimore and played football for Loyola High and Johns Hopkins University. We gave him this book for Christmas last year and he loved it - a wonderful gift for bringing back memories.

I am the animal care specialist in our park. We recently added a few new sunfish to our aqarium. In trying to ID them I was confused at the pictures in your book on plate 133(mud sunfish) and on plate 146 (redear sunfish). Could they be possibly mis labeled? Other than that the book has been extremely helpful.

Excellent field guide! I have netted fish with Rohde and Arndt on numerous occassions in South Carolina, and this book was good as gold! The authors accurately depict each species, its habitat preference, and where exactly they occur in the states covered. This book is very easy to read for anyone. This is a must have for anyone serious about fish in the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. The pictures are rather good, as any wildlife photographer would know that fish are among the hardest to photograph as they constantly move and lose color when stressed out. -Anthony J. Chodan

Today we think of baseball as almost a gentleman's sport, with only occasional outbursts over disputed calls. In the late 19th century, however, the Baltimore Orioles epitomized the rough and tumble aspect of the game, and turned it from "baseball " into "basebrawl".The life of an umpire in that era was a very stressful one, with only one man assigned to cover the entire field, and be subjected to scorn and abuse, and often physical danger, from not only the players, but from the "cranks" (that's what fans were called then, and perhaps it's a very apt name). This well-written book tells the story of the 1897 season, that came down to a fight for the pennant between the "outlaw" Orioles, and the "gentlemanly" Boston Beaneaters. There is an almost day-by-day account of the season, and it's quite captivating to the reader. Once the main tale is finished, the author gives some brief summaries of the further careers and lives of a few of the participants. Some went on to further acclaim and eventual enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and some died suddenly and tragically, often by their own hands. This is a story of a bygone era when the "sport" of baseball was more of a war than a game. It's fascinating reading, and I highly recommend it.

This book covers the 1897 pennant race between the Boston Beaneaters and the Baltimore Orioles, or the Bostons vs. the Baltimores. Baseball at this time in its history was, indeed, a game of brawl. Players fought on the field, there was rowdiness among fans, umpires exchanged punches with players, oftentimes without penalty, and teams took turns seeing who could invent new profanities to hurl at one another. Games often had only one umpire, two if it was of special significance, and players took advantage by cutting corners while running bases while the lone umpire wasn't watching. With a runner on base an umpire would position himself behind the pitcher to better make calls on the bases. Games were played on ill-kept infields, and players literally kept their eye on a ball and suffered injury. Treatment for a swollen closed eye was leeches to draw out the blood. Boston sent their Royal Rooters contingent to Baltimore to cheer on their heroes, chief among them, John Francis Fitzgerald, better known as "Honey Fitz", grandfather of our late President Kennedy. The book primarily covers the 1897 pennant race between the Beaneaters and Orioles, won by Boston. The top two teams then faced off in the Temple Cup series since there was no World Series at the time. The final section of the book covers what happened to several of the participants, many of which ended up in Baseball's Hall of Fame. Some died from consumption (tuberculosis), Chick Stahl and Patsy Tebeau were suicides, while Marty Bergen murdered his family and then slit his own throat. One drawback for me in the book was too much of a play-by-play from one game to the next as the season is covered. The game of baseball was going through a chaotic time during this period with ineffective leadership in the league, and a thorough cleansing was necessary. If you are interested in this period of the game's history I would recommend this book to you.