Maryland Books

If you want to scratch below the well presented surface of Baltimore (Harbor Place, Camden Yards, Ravens Stadium, and the gentrified Fells Point and Canton), take a look at this book. Some of the socially and historically more important neighborhoods of Baltimore are given themed walking tours. Accompanying each tour is a historical and social narrative explaining why this particular corner of Baltimore mattered so much in the history and society of the city. It's a great way to find out new things about neighborhoods that have seen their ethnic charm and style replaced by affluent banality.

If you can read a map at all, you can find any address in Baltimore City or County with one of these. I keep a much used one in my car and have a more pristine copy in the house for referencing addresses, schools, parks, churches, hospitals, lakes. Anything you can think of is in here. Great to have too if you're in the market to buy a house, buy things from the classified ads or just want to map out your weekend yard sale route. There is also a spiral bound copy which includes Baltimore and the surrounding counties but the maps are a little smaller.

Ms. Letitia Stockett, a Baltimore teacher in 1928, was successful at giving a cultural view of how Baltimore, Maryland came into existence in her Baltimore: A Not So Serious History. The book is rich in imagery and detail.
Ms. Stockett's tour of the Baltimore region began on Charles Street at Mount Vernon Place. When she was finished with an intersection or neighborhood, she went on methodically to the next while covering the years 1500 to 1900. There was a great deal of overlapping and repetition which helped to connect events and people.
Ms. Stockett told Baltimore's story as if it were hot news or local gossip--the kind of telling where one wished they were a fly on the wall to be able to witness it for themselves. Her anecdotes were about real Baltimore citizens.
Hetty Cary was a famous female Confederate spy. Betsy Patterson married Jerome Bonaparte without Napoleon's permission, and was refused entrance to France in her pregnant condition. John Wilkes Booth, assassin of President Lincoln, had a proud family lineage in Baltimore. Fires, riots, inventions, music, art, trees, origin of the Jones Falls, and yellow fever bouts added to the imagery and dispelled some mysteries.
But, there were also times when you couldn't tell if quotes belonged to Ms. Stockett or someone else. In her opinion, something historic always had to be destroyed for progress to come. However, no other religion except Christian (in a time of "freedom of religion") or any other race except white accomplished anything by Ms. Stockett's account.

Amy S. Greenberg, Cause for Alarm. (University of Princeton Press 1998). Amy S. Greenberg is an Assistant Professor of History at Pennsylvania State University. She is tackling a largely male-dominated subject, but also one that is for the most part unexplored by historians. Her introduction is jam-packed with information. The introduction is set like that of a Greek drama, bringing the reader up to speed before the meat of the book is consumed. She does an excellent job of placing the volunteer fire fighter on a pedestal and then glorifying him as a demagogue. Later on we see the institution of volunteer firemen corrupted by several factors, and the firemen, like actors, take a great fall from grace due to their tragic flaws.

Greenberg covers several aspects of her work in the cities of Baltimore, St. Louis, and San Francisco. Social, political, and cultural aspects seem to be the main issue here. This book also marks the transition from volunteer fire companies to paid full-time departments as well as the change in the American way of thinking of how and who should fight these fires. It is demonstrated in this book how the volunteers appeared Superman-like on paper as well in the public eye.

The "power trip" some of these men experienced would contribute to their downfall. Always wanting to be the first company on scene, drinking and swearing, and other daralous behavior that the personnel engaged in helped put them out of business.

In an age with any out television, firefighting was a form of entertainment for these men. Simply put, modernization helped to rid the large cities of competitive volunteer fire companies, only to see them replaced by paid personnel. (Don't worry most firefighters of today are every bit as competitive as the ones portrayed in this book) "Firemen provided the stability and order that allowed for the growth of professionalism. And with that transformation, the volunteer fireman fell from grace." Here we see how volunteers started to be seen as a burden, rather than a help to society. Why would a shop owner want to lose his employees for several hours to fight a fire that did not endanger his livelihood? Or better yet why would he close the shop to go to the rescue of some one he had no vested interest in. These are the issues that are struggled with inside the book.

Several documents are used in this book as well as primary and secondary sources. R. N. Seiel gave a favorable review in Choice (January 1999). This book would contribute to anyone's understanding of this subject matter. Today most people would not understand the act of fighting fire and receiving no compensation for it. This book is, as advertised, a cause for alarm.

This book is simply the NOAA nautical charts for the Chesapeake and Potomac bound into a convenient book format. It fits in my backpack, and is nice to take to work for a little trip planning on breaks. You must realize, this book is from 1994 so do not rely on navaids being in the same place. So you still need current charts for on the boat. For the price that this book sells here on Amazon, I thought it was well worth having.

The information was very good that was included in the book. But it left out alot of examples(Photos) of some of the items it referred to. It did not list what was included(items) in the sets it described.

This guide to the entire 184 mile C&O canal is wonderful, with nice cutaway illustrations of locks, boats, the gatekeeper's house; well-written accounts and vintage photos of life on barge boats, current information on the park's amenities. It's small enough to be portable. Very useful and enjoyable guide. I would have liked more information on the possibility of canoeing the entire length of the river, thus my 4 star rating. A great little book, and quite affordable.

Fantastic reference book. Very easy to search and read outline format. If you want quick to find but concise and thorough detail on any period in history, this is the reference to buy!

I'm using this book for a research paper, and its very helpful, although it is difficult to find specific information without reading the whole book.

This book is a much needed reference for young readers! Fourth graders across the State of Maryland study the state and it is often difficult for teachers to lay their hands on teaching materials. This book is clear, interesting, and readable. It contains information frequently found in writings about Maryland, but adds unusual, interesting things. It should be in all MD school libraries. The only thing missing is good illustrations. The line drawings are attractive, but only serve to break up the text on the page--not to enhance its meaning.