Maryland Books

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.

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.

This is a wonderful book that displays and describes the beauty of the C&O Tow Path. I plan to ride it next summer and am looking forward to seeing in person all the beautiful sights portrayed in the book.

I gave 2 copies of this book to my father and brother for Christmas gifts. We lived in Ellicott City for several years and it was nice to look through it together. Ellicott City was a great town to grow up in and it appears that it still is.

The authors provide an interesting and commendably diverse set of 4 cases of ethnic tensions. Of these, two have been basically peacefully resolved over the decades - Turks in Germany and Chinese in Malaysia. Perhaps aided in part by prosperity in both countries, which could have reduced tension over distribution of national wealth and income.

Of the two other cases, the Kurds in Turkey and Iraq are now quite well known. In no small part because of the American invasion of Iraq. The Kurdish history has been far bloodier. The book was written before the invasion. Now, afterwards, the prospects for the Kurds may be a little brighter than what they have thus far endured.

For all of its magnificence, this irreplaceable work has a major shortcoming--it lacks an every-name index. Now, thanks to the prodigious efforts of Patricia A. Fogle, Clearfield Company is proud to announce the publication of a complete name index to Williams and McKinsey's History of Frederick County, Maryland. Like the work it is based upon, the index is divided into two parts. The index to Volume I (the historical narrative) takes up the first third of Mrs. Fogle's effort, while the remaining two thirds cover the genealogical sketches in Volume II. All told, the researcher will find more than 40,000 individuals named in this index. All individuals or libraries who currently own the History of Frederick County, Maryland will want to purchase Mrs. Fogle's finding aid as an invaluable companion to the original volumes. Those researching Frederick County who do not own the History but can gain access to the base volumes will also want to keep Mrs. Fogle's Index on hand, since it unlocks an enormous number of links to the county's past.