Maryland Books

As an internal consultant and leadership coach, I have often shared this book with leaders and leadership teams (at all levels). The profiles in the book are engaging and the development exercises are pragmatic. They are relevant for both men and women. Zichy uses Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as the book's primary frame of reference. The essence of MBTI theory boils down to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment. Perception involves all the ways of becoming aware of things, people, happenings, or ideas. Judgment involves all the ways of coming to conclusions about what has been perceived. If people differ systematically in what they perceive and in how they reach conclusions, then it is only reasonable for them to differ correspondingly in their interests, reactions, values, motivations, and skills. Zichy depicts 8 distinct leadership styles. As you journey through the book and read about the various leadership "neighborhoods", you will learn more about your own personal leadership style, optimal and least preferred working environment, approach to change, contributions to a team, decision-making style, potential blind spots, as well as, the strengths and differences of the other 7 styles.

I've not been able to really complete the reading and excercises in the book because the questions in the digital version of the book were scanned in and are unreadable on my IPaq. I would like to find out if this "problem" will ever be fixed so I can get some use out of the e-version of this book.

This book is insightful and fun. It punctures the usual stereotypes about the difference between male and female leaders. It quickly showed me that it was okay to be competitive and task driven. After all, one in every three women is. I wish I had read it 20 years ago. The test is incisive and Zichy's advice is right on target - become comfortable with yourself, play to your strengths and appreciate what others bring to the table. I also loved reading about the women she profiles - about their backgrounds, ambitions and views on leadership. This book is a unique toolkit. There is something in it for everyone.

To achieve power and influence, people have to know who you are, what you stand for, and why they should promote you, do business with you, or even VOTE FOR YOU! The authors give great tips on creating a leadership role for women, but creating a strategic 'personal' publicity plan needs to be part of the package.Visibility is part of leadership and to really take charge of your future - you have to create a significant image in the workplace, in the community - or on the political scene.

To achieve power and influence, people have to know who you are, what you stand for, and why they should promote you, do business with you, or even VOTE FOR YOU! The authors give great tips on creating a leadership role for women, but creating a strategic 'personal' publicity plan needs to be part of the package.Visibility is part of leadership and to really take charge of your future - you have to create a significant image in the workplace, in the community - or on the political scene.

I really enjoyed this book, and liked the way that it takes you right into the moment with members of the family struggling to keep hold of their birthright.

The writing is crisp and tight and gives a you a good feel for the eras it covers.

I liked seeing pictures and news clippings too.

Great book for the genealogy or history buff!

Thoroughly enjoyed reading about the history of this American family and their home. The book could have read like a dry diary full of boring facts and dates, but the authors kept it very interesting by allowing the reader to go back in history with the key players. I recommend this book highly.

This book was a real eye opener about the people in our history who have done amazing things for love of their heritage. You'll be surprised at what you read! Rather than being dry or dull this is a great combination of history and imagination.

The thing I have always loved most about history was that it tells a story. Not just the story of a nation or the kings, queens and presidents of those nations, but the story of the people that fill those nations. Woodland Hall tells the very personal story of a single family and the home they live in through several centuries.

Very few families are able to follow so many generations through a single home and their history in and out of it, which makes this book even more significant. A great piece of family history.

It is so important in a country like America that is still considered young compared to the rest of the world for families to be aware of their histories and hold on to those legacies for future generations. I really enjoyed reading about Woodland Hall and it reminds me to gather as much of my own family histories and memorabelia to pass on to my children. If you enjoy reading true stories about family histories and their struggles to cling to their birthright then this is a great book to get.

I am very happy with my purchase. The seller wasn't sure if I had been informed that the book had a scribble on inside cover so she discounted the price 30%. I think that is very admirable and honest. I am pleased and astonished at the same time. Rare to find this kind of pleasure anymore. It was even sent and received in a very timely manner. Thanks go to my seller. Charlette

I have been looking to find this book for several years and was so happy to find it on your website! It is a great and gives good instruction on the construction of the Baltimore quilt. Also it gives a good history of this form of quiltmaking.

Great book for learning the basics of a Baltimore Album Quilt in 12 lessons. Try the companion books of patterns by Elly also. This book begins slowly and continues to make you want to do more and more appliqueing.

This book takes you through the steps of Baltimore quilts by hand sewing. Elly is an expert and experienced historian of Baltimore quilts as well as an expert in hand piecing Baltimore quilts. At the end of the 10 lessons you become an experienced in piecing Baltimore quilts. The book includes over 50 pages of quilt patterns to piece. Have fun with this great book.

This book is a real enjoyment and contains a world of knowledge regarding Baltimore Quilting. It covers all areas of information needed to take on a quilting task of this nature. Elly Sienkiewicz is a true star in her knowledge and ability to share it with the rest of the quilting world. I would highly recommend this and her other books gladly.

Only through respect for all creatures can we have true respect for ourselves. This book gave me a new insight into what goes on in the animal liberation front and in the labrotories. The people in this book are heros to the animals. I was glad that "Valorie" realized violent direct action was wrong and did not get involved with it. "I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection from man, from the cruelties of man."-Ghandi

Ingrid Newkirk is a crazy person with a lack of any value for human kind. The ALF is a terrist grope who bomb and hurt people in the name of animals. Its one big money making dream dreamed up by yours truly Ingrid Newkirk . They should lock them all up and through the key away ! Please check out some of the FBI reports about these people before you support them in buying there book..... This grope has been in the news for bombing labs and raiding animal farmers around the world. One of Ingrid Newkirk sayings is the life of an ant and that of a child has the same value. These are sick....sick people.

This book was an eye-opener for me. Seeing what goes on in labratories in the name of so-called science was unbelievable and heartwrenching. It angered me to learn that my tax-dollars pay for a large portion of this suffering.

You will be shocked when you read about the experiments, the animals' living conditions, the lack of medical care, and the pain and suffering these animals endure druing their short lives. And you don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that a large portion of these experiments are USELESS when applied to human beings.

You will get up-close and personal with some of the members of the ALF. They're not rebels. They are normal people like you and I - yet they have unbelievable compassion and respect for all creatures. They are the voices for those that cannot speak.

As Alice Walker wrote "The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women for men"

Ingrid Newkirk's Free The Animals! really opened my eyes to the terrible cruelties forced upon animals in our society. I found myself laughing, crying, and even cheering for Valerie and all of the people who helped her. It's nice to know that there are people in the world today who will speak up for those who can't speak.

Before I read this book, I knew very little about the ALF (Animal Liberation Front). I assumed that they must have been a radical, "terrorist-like" organization. After reading this book, however, I gained a much greater understanding and appreciation for what the ALF is, and what they do for animals. This fast-paced book (I could hardly put it down!) tells the story of how ordinary people wanted to make a difference in the lives of many helpless and defenseless animals who have been imprisoned in our country's laboratories. I felt a deep connection to the founder of the American ALF, Valerie. She, and her associates (Josh, Bear, and Edna) are truly American heroes. They all had the courage to stand up to the many shameless institutions that support needless animal suffering. This book could change your life...

I bought this as a Father's Day gift for the father who has everything and is a Terp fanatic! He loved it, read it in one day and shared it with his other Gary groupies.

If you enjoy stories on overcoming the odds to be a champion, this is up your alley.
There are always inside stories that make some of these triumphs improbable. Family tragedies, tough strategic decisions and Juan Dixon's determination are the key ingrediants in this turtle's march to basketball prowess. Fear the Turtle!

A well written book by a true insider. The author knows more about this team than anyone. I highly recommend it to "true" Maryland fans.

I'm an extremely big Maryland sports fan - season tickets, final four, etc.

When I heard about this book, I had an idealistic hope that the book would be very detailed and interesting- Barr was the beat writer, the books title ('the inside story') , and because it took so long to come out (why wasnt it out before xmas?). i assumed it would have a ton that we didnt already read in the papers, saw on tv during the games, talked about on message board, etc.

but it didnt. It was just a summary. A great story but Maryland fans have heard it already.

I didnt really learn anything new from the book. it was very short (about 190 pages) , and i finished it in less than 2 hours probably.

There werent a ton of factual errors but the ones that were in were blatant and annoying. For instance, he says that Maryland lost to Arizona in the NCAAs the year after Steve Francis left, but any casual Maryland can tell you that is mistaken.

The question is - is Josh Barr just trying to make some money off Maryland's successful season? You decide.

This is a great book. I'm not even a big Maryland fan, and I found the whole story riveting. Josh Barr is an excellent reporter who was able to get all sorts of insider details that other reporters couldn't. He clearly knew the coaches and the players really well, but he also doesn't pull any punches. The road to a national championship is always a tough one, but it's amazing what this team had to go through along the way. The book really reinforces what an incredible player and leader Juan Dixon was. Lots of stories I had never heard before.

This book takes a totally fresh look at the 1862 Maryland Campaign and the Confederate strategy. This is by far the best book I've read on the campaign, and there have been some good ones in the past 40 years (Murphin's Gleam of Bayonets and Sears' Landscape Turned Red, for example). The book is fascinating because the author exposes numerous myths about the campaign. I was impressed with the rigor and objectivity of his investigation and analysis. What I especially liked was his philosophy toward history set forth in the introduction, wherein he explains the dangers of relying too heavily on 20/20 hindsight. I was impressed that the author showed great fairness to General McClellan--judging his actions based solely on what he knew at the time, and what he had been ordered to accomplish. McClellan was far from perfect, but the relentless trashing he has taken from historians has alway struck me as excessive. The author, among other interesting assessments, points out that the Army of Northern Virginia was much larger than what we've always been told-- 75,500 troops rather than the 40,000-55,000 number that we've often heard. I highly recommend this book - the story is terrific and the footnotes alone are worth the price!

Far from the glossy perspectives of some history books, Harsh's Taken at the Flood takes excruciating effort to analyze the correspondence of Lee, President Jefferson Davis, and the multitude of Confederate officers involved in the fights at South Mountain, Harper's Ferry, and Antietam. What he uncovers is a strong argument that Lee's foray into Maryland--the South's first incursion into Union territory--was not about trying to obtain foreign recognition, attack cities such as Baltimore or Philadelphia, or even occupy Union lands. Lee's invasion of the North was conducted to relieve the pressure on Richmond and grant the lands of Virginia some respite from constant ravaging. By moving into northern land, Lee hoped to panic the Lincoln administration and force the Union army--heavily demoralized and fractured after three months of defeat at Lee's hands--to leave the confines of D.C. and give battle. Lee would then maneuver and destroy the weakened Union army. Lee acknowledged that the South's manpower and resources were already starting to dwindle. Riding the crest of multiple victories since taking over the Army of Northern Virginia, Lee felt that time was running out and that potentially the penultimate opportunity to end the war with one final campaign now presented itself. This campaign could complete the demoralization of the Union army and the northern public and force peace overtures by the Lincoln administration. Harsh reveals Lee's campaign plan, however, was far from well thought out. Lee made dangerous assumptions that the Union armies at Harper's Ferry in the Shenandoah Valley, where Lee wanted to establish his supply chain while campaigning in Maryland, would be vacated by the Union soldiers when they discovered Lee maneuvering northwards. The Union armies in the Valley elected to stand and fight, completely disrupting Lee's plans, forcing him to divide his army. George McClellan also departed the protective confines of D.C. much earlier than Lee predicted, resulting in heavy fighting at the gaps of South Mountain, where Lee's divided army took casualties it couldn't afford. Forced to wait for reunification with his army, Lee relinquished the initiative to McClellan. Pushing his soldiers too much over three months of campaigning resulted in broken and exhausted men, regardless of their high morale. Massive straggling culminated and Lee conceded that it directly contributed to his rebuke at Antietam. Indeed, Harsh pointedly states that Lee's obvious offensive mindedness blinded him to crafting a flexible campaign, one that also failed to properly utilize cavalry. After withdrawing from Antietam, Lee boldly maneuvered to resume the offensive by invading Maryland again, this time via Williamsport near Hagerstown. Only McClellan's probing at Lee's rear jostled the southern commander's realization that his time was up and his campaign was over. His campaign resulted in 31% casualties and the loss of over 50% of his line commanders. One cannot ignore Harsh's intriguing assessment of a very aggressive, and not always very tactically brilliant, Robert E. Lee.

I just finished reading "Taken at the Flood: Robert E. Lee and Confederate Strategy in the Maryland Campaign of 1862"
by Joseph L. Harsh.

Ouch!!!! Talk about painful!!! Harsh (a history professor who grew up in Hagerstown) simply cannot write!! Some people can write well; others write poorly. Harsh is at the bottom of the latter group. (I feel sorry for his students -- they probably suffered severe ear and brain trauma from his lectures. And he writes as if he were lecturing!!)

He LOVES R.E. Lee. (According to Harsh, everything that went wrong was someone else's fault -- without exception!!) Then there are Harsh's numerous "moments" when he tells you what a particular person MUST have been thinking at any given time -- as if Harsh (or anyone else!!) could know! Finally come are his analyses of various events and situations. In Harsh's eyes, all ideas that contradict his opinions OBVIOUSLY MUST be wrong -- it's just plain "foolish" to think otherwise.

It's too bad that Harsh just didn't tell what happened and allowed us to form our own judgements. (By the way, he plays pretty "fast and loose" with the facts. Plus, he omits vital information that doesn't correspond to his interpretation.)
In his preface, Harsh even has the audacity to state that, besides his book, there are only one or two other books that cover the Maryland Campaign in depth. Well, I have been studying Antietam for over 35 years, have been there several hundred times, and have read literally thousands of books, articles, and documents about Antietam. Harsh is full of it!!

If you were thinking of buying this book, don't bother. You can gain just as much by pulling out all your teeth with a pair of pliars, then dropping a 200-pound lead weight on your foot.

Joseph Harsh brings a very different but logical view to the Antietam Campaign in this book. This is NOT your first book on Antietam; you need to have an understanding of this critical event to really understand this book. In a very logical, systematic manner, we walk thru the campaign not as history but as the events take place. This approach puts the reader in the position of Lee or McClellan making decision with imperfect knowledge.

Starting with a full review of the CSA position after Pope's army escapes into the Washington forts to the return to Virginia on the 21st, the author display an astounding knowledge of this campaign. What he has to say about the Lee and McClellan will challenge many of the historical assumptions and make you think.

This is not an "easy read" BUT it is one that every student of the Civil War needs to read.

Other histories of the critical 1862 Sharpsburg campaign pale in comparison to this masterwork. Nobody else's work---nobody---can come close to Harsh's study.

Do not miss this; it is the standard by which all studies of the Sharpsburg campaign must be measured.

I have read and participated in the AWC staff rides of the battlefields and from that light these book can be instructive at they relate to events and field conditions. They are not for the casual reader or tourist. It is essential that the reader be versed in both the theory and tactics of the time before visiting the site and that you are to read these books while standing on the actual grounds.

These books supplement case studies at the AWC in tactical and strategic thinking. Observe the battleground as a military officer would and try to put yourself in the mind of the writer. What you will be reading are the after action reports written by the officers assigned to write them, of their viewings of events on the field. Beware sometimes these reports can be self serving so take that in mind.

Reading the reports and standing on location will help to give you an incite into field situations and problems that the military officer must see, recognize and solve. One key point to remember is that of communication is not what it is today. The field of battle only existed as far as the individual officer could see. He generally knew nothing of events occuring several hundred yards away let alone a mile or so away in real time. All he knew what what was right in front of him. He never sees the big picture that today's communications can provide or seek instant clarification of orders.

With this in mind and a knowledge of the methods of Civil War fighting these books are very instructive.

If you are interested in the Maryland campaign of 1862, this is the book for you! It includes South Mountain, Crampton's Gap, Harpers Ferry and a good bit of detail on Shepherdstown.

Unlike the Gettysburg guide this book outlines the campaign on an "operational" as well as "tactical" level. Both of which are easy to understand and follow along if you desire to use this book as a battlefield guide.

The driving directions along with detailed maps, historical photos, and reports taken from the Official Records make this book a complete tour and reference package!

If you require an outstanding volume of work detailing nearly every aspect of the campaign, then look no further. I highly recommend this book as "must read" for anyone interested in Marse Robert's Maryland Campaign of 1862. It will also make an excellent reference tool for anyone who cannot make it to the battlefield. It brings the fields of battle to you!

The Antietam battlefield guide is the second of many Civil War guidebooks and continued setting the standard started in the Gettysburg guide. The book covers the bloodiest single day battle of the American Civil War and a Battlefield Park that has suffered very little from commercialization. In addition to Antietam, South Mountain and Harpers Ferry are included. This gives you a detailed understanding of the important battles leading up to Antietam. Antietam is a confusing battle; this is not a battle history as such. My recommendation is to read Priest's book "Antietam" before visiting this field. This is one of a number of guidebooks on the battle and is an option to employing a guide or purchasing a park driving tour.
The series format is directions to a point on the field, orientation, a general lesson on what happened in your view, followed by first person accounts of the action. These guides are designed using the general staff training concept of a Staff Ride. This is when a class is taken to a historic location, discuss what happened and see how the terrain influences the event. Staff Rides are designed to be intensive "on the ground" training coupled with physical observation in the hopes students will gain experience for later use.
I am not saying this to frighten you away from this guide but to tell you this is not a walk about and look at the monuments type of guide. This guide will have several pages devoted to the action at this point. It may contain a critique of the local commander's actions with possible alternates.
My experience is that reading the book prior to my visit works best. This allows me more time observing the field and less time reading the book. Of the tour options, a professional guide is usually the best but most expensive choice. The park driving tour is the best choice for a quick trip through the field to get the kids passport stamp. This book is the best choice for a serious student of the battle looking for a detailed explanation.

Luvas' book provided an excellent itinerary for those who would visit the Antietam battlefield. However, it fails to help the reader understand the context of the given part of the battle to the whole. After positioning you at strategic points he simply reprints copies of the official reports from officers involved in the components of the battle. Since many officers' reports were comprehensive reports of the entire battle, and Luvas takes only a small section of the report for a given area of the battlefield, even the reports lose the perspective of context.

Another thing missing is a comprehensive map of the battlefield with his selected stops, again helping show the context of a given part of the battle with the whole.

Antietam featured one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. This is another fine work in the Army War College Guides to Civil War Battles series. I think I'm getting hooked. . . .

The norm with this series is to begin with a bit of context about the battle. Then, reports of key officers--both Blue and Gray--are presented, to provide a sense of events from the eyes of the participants themselves. Finally, a chapter that explores larger issues, in this case the logistics of battle. To complete the volume, there is the always helpful "Order of Battle" (in which the units and their commanding officers for each army are listed) and the grisly listing of casualties for both sides.

The book covers the entire campaign, by the way, not just Antietam itself. That means that we get first hand reports from South Mountain, Crampton's Gap, Harper's Ferry, Bolivar Heights, and, finally, Antietam. One problem with using official reports, of course, is that those who took part may well not take accountability for any errors that they made in command. Nonetheless, their own views as to what happened is useful in itself.

Since I was born in the Midwest, I always pay attention to troops from that region in battle. In this campaign, once again, the "Iron Brigade" catches my attention. Indeed, its performance at South Mountain, in helping the Union forces to clear the pass, led to General McClellan making a comment that produced the label "Iron Brigade." Pages 42-44 provide Gen. John Gibbons' comments (he commanded the brigade) and those of Col. Solomon Meredith, commander of the 19th Indiana regiment in the Brigade.

And on it goes, with the bloodletting at Antietam, as the two armies bled one another down. Most sanguinary. Both sides saw near successes and then near misses, as each side pounded away at the other. At the end of the day, as Burnside, unlikeliest of possible heroes, was hit hard by A. P. Hill's late arriving Confederate "Light Division." With that, both sides withdrew to lick their wounds. Shortly thereafter. Robert E. Lee began the withdrawal of the Confederate forces.

The final substantive chapter deal effectively with issues of logistics.

All in all, a fine work on a desperate struggle. If you find that battlefield reports are helpful, you will probably enjoy this work.

This book had something I haven't seen in a book in a very, very long time. As I was reading along, I noticed something was missing. There were NO typos, and the grammar was perfect. What a pleasure!

It also contains, towards the back, a couple of the most eloquent and memorable paragraphs on the game I've found in all the poker literature I've read.

Otherwise the story is fair but hardly great. It definitely is on a level below "Shut Up and Deal", which is the best poker novel I have yet to encounter, but it is certainly worth reading.

As a current player of underground games in MD I really liked this book. It portrays a real description of poker life. Poker players can relate to this book in an eerie kind of way. Winning makes you feel like the king of the world, losing makes you feel like the scum of the earth. Book could have been alot better if it concentrated more on poker playing scenarios, but I was content.

An excellent grasp of the poker world and how it relates to life. Rick Bennet is a great poker player that I first met in early 1996. I played WITH him and then later dealt TO him. This is the first time in print, film, or television that I wasn't forced to watch some incredible Hollywood poker hand where one player has four Aces and the other player says "no good, read 'em and weep". As a poker dealer that has played for a living, I am thrilled to finally find someone that undertands my world well enough and can also translate it so that others can see it. This novel IS what all of us in the poker industry HOPED the movie Rounders would be but fell so short. King of a Small World is the most accurate account of poker life from the many different aspects; professionals that grind out a living, dealers that blow all there tips, and recreational players that are there to enjoy themselves because they rarely win and are where we all make our money. Poker is a game of skill with short term luck. There has to be some luck or people wouldn't "gamble". I never heard of chess being played for big money. Finally an accurate portrayal of the life of a person that plays for a living. It is done by reading people and playing the odds, not by someone in a tuxedo betting $100,000 per hand on a table game where the house has the edge. Through the eyes of a professional poker player, the reader learns how poker gives us the tools to perceive the rest of life. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, the characters are very realistic; I know people like this. At the same time, I learned about the charity and underground games in Maryland that I have always heard about from the many poker players that have moved from the D.C. area to California, the new poker capitol of the world. I highly recommend King of a Small World.

I read in Poker Pro magazine that this was one of the top 6 poker books ever, and I read the first 4 allready, but not this one or the last one they listed. So I read this one and it was great. I'm new to poker, but still, this a really good read. I sometimes watch Rounders to get excited about going to Vegas, but I think maybe sometimes I'll read parts of this, too. And this is not even a lot about poker, its about the slacker life, to me.

I wasn't expecting much when I got this book. I am a big reader and a relatively new and still small wager..... poker player. I have been reading every poker book both instructional and literary I can find. The poker in this was great and very realistic to me though I have never played at the larger bet levels of the characters. The game is the same and losing still hurts. I was most surprised and pleased by the writing. It's not Shakespeare or Tolstoy, but it isn't too bad. It is a good read with real people for characters and true feelings. While there is action it is not nor does it try to be Hollywood. It will sit on my poker shelf next to the Cincinati kid, Shut up and Deal, The Biggest Game in Town, Big Deal, and The Education of a Poker Player.

Kit Ehrman's writing is forceful and mesmerizing, from the first grab-you-by-the-throat chapter to the finish line. Her word imagery stayed with me, keeping the story alive until I could get back to the next reading session. At Risk is a great addition to the world of equestrian fiction.

For Dick Francis fans this book will bring back memories of his earlier novels. Great entertainment, nice snuggle down with on a rainy day book

This was the first Kit Ehrman book I have read and it is excellent. She doesn't get carried away with romance or boring stuff like whats the best hoof polish to use, ect. She sticks to the plot and doesn't get side tracked. I was quick to purchase her other Steve Cline novel, Dead Man's Touch. I only hope Kit continues with these books.

Dick Francis fans who have been impressed by his deceptively simple writing style will thoroughly enjoy Kit Ehrman's debut novel, AT RISK. Ms. Ehrman has learned Dick Francis's lessons well -- set the scene swiftly, people it with interesting and colorful characters, add villains who are both evil and psychopathic, twist and turn the plot in satisfying fashion, and make sure your hero is talented, smart, and courageous. Reading this book made me feel not just as though it was written in Francis's style -- it could have been written by Francis himself, and as I've been deeply influenced myself by his wonderful work, that's saying a lot. However, in and of itself, AT RISK is a fine, absorbing and riveting novel -- I finished it in a day or so because I simply couldn't put it down. Ms. Ehrman's descriptions of barn work and horses are dead-on accurate, and the pace never flags for a moment. You don't have to be a horse racing fan to love it -- mystery fans should be flocking to Ms. Ehrman's door. I myself can't wait to read more, and hope this series will just go on and on.

A great book for anyone who knows a thing or two about horses.
I did not think it was to long. It was very suspensfull and left very graphic pictures in my mind. Excellent!

only wished it had more photos... great research for design ideas and historical renovation... chock full of information.

It's true, those from cities with rowhouses will find this book most interesting, but so will all interested in the history and geography of urban development and how land development, new building technologies, and individuals' working and family lives are interwoven with this development. By referring back to a single family and its trajectory within the city throughout the book, the author makes some of these larger-scale trends much more personal, and by following the paths of a few major developers within the city, you get a sense both of how the city and its hot neighborhoods shift over time, and of how literally a very small group of people can shape the physical space in which thousands live and work. Students of rowhouses or of Baltimore will be better able to see the continuities and the changes in rowhouses-- such as how the technology to make larger panes of glass changed the front facade, and how a simple setback from the sidewalk of 10 feet or so alters the feel of the buildings and the neighborhood by adding a little green. Formstone is also explained (to the extent that's possible...). Specialized, yes, but exceptionally well crafted. Architectural, urban, and social history and their intermingled best.

I enjoyed the pictures of these houses, and thought the book was especially well written. It's impossible to separate the evolution of these houses from the changes in the city itself, so some history is inevitable; there is also a great amount of detail involving the lives of the owners and developers. If you are not overwhelmed by all this, you will uncover some interesting bits: the ads for Formstone, the fact that basements were hand-dug by a crew of nine in two days, the tales of the "night soil" removers. Really concentrates on the local history, though, so it may not of interest to others.

...and the time to read 'The Baltimore Rowhouse' is now! I'm telling you'se- this book has it all. ; )

You not only get the expected descriptions of the architectural styles of rowhouses, and a historical review of the development of this style of housing, but the author weaves in the chronological social climb of an immigrant family throughout the book. Following the family's real estate history gives the book a story-like, biographical feel; unusual for non-fiction of this nature. It is in a sense, a well documented account of one way the "American Dream" has been realized.

From a social/cultural perspective, the 'Baltimore Rowhouse' is a social commentary on Baltimorean (and American) housing development past, present and future from visionary authors who love the City of Baltimore.

I received the book as a Christmas gift and read it in about 3 days. I couldn't put it down and was a little saddened that it had to end. I say this rarely- IT IS A MUST READ.

The rowhouse is far more common in Baltimore than other US cities, and these authors have documented its history and development up to the present day. Every nuance of design change is thoroughly discussed, and the amount of detail allows a street-by-street discussion at times. We're told about the various developers who, parcel by parcel, converted old elite estates into street grids covered with rowhouses of varying quality. The book ends as an advertisement for new urbanism, in which dilapidated old rowhouses are renovated and run-down neighborhoods undergo renewal.

The quality of writing is particularly high. There are approximately 140 b&w photos, which for the most part are grouped together so they can be printed on high-gloss paper. This is an awkward arrangement that requires the reader to flip back and forth to the glossy photo pages. There are approximately ten cross-sections and floor plans. There are very few maps, and a detailed knowledge of Baltimore geography is assumed. Because of the highly specialized nature of this book, it is unlikely to appeal to anyone outside Baltimore, but it would probably be a delight to architectural enthusiasts within the city.