New Hampshire Books

This book was a delight to read...engaging and whimsical. Mr. Hart does a very good job providing the reader with an enjoyable autobiography. His political and religious views are conservative, and this book is a chronicle of how those views clashed with the Liberal Establishment of Dartmouth College.

For conservatives, Mr. Hart is like an undiscovered friend. In all honesty, though, even Liberals should find that this book is worth reading...even if you find yourself on the wrong side of Mr. Hart's philosophical fence.

Ponds and lakes are some of the gems of back-country hiking. In this book Steven Smith has done an excellent job describing how to get to these aquatic treasures in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Detailed descriptions are given for access and trails. Interesting and useful information is also provided on the lakes and ponds themselves. This includes the elevation, depth, and activities available at the lakes such as fishing, swimming, and birding. Notes on the natural history are intermingled with the text in a way that lets one visualize the tranquility of these aquatic habitats even from afar. Simple trail maps with key geographic features are also provided in many cases. If you hike the White Mountains, and if you enjoy lakes and ponds, this book is a must.

The definitive volume on fine furniture made in Portsmouth and along the New Hampshire seacoast in the 18th and 19th centuries. No other book on the subject is worthy of mention compared to this glorious production of Brock Jobe. Even includes appendices of furniture makers and their marks.

If you want to see America at it's idealistic and patriotic best, you will find it in these pages. It would be hard to imagine a young person reading this book and not rushing off to volunteer in the political process. Levin's photo's and Kanteres' text document the courage, commitment, exhileration, and heartbreak of presidential politics. If you've never been on the ground in New Hampshire to live and breathe the New Hampshire presidential primary, you will feel like you have once you've held this book in your hands.

This book has been one of my favorites in the Hardy BoysCasefiles series. I have the about 150 Hardy's books and this is thebest. The action is amazing and you never know who is behind all the horrible things when Frank and Joe go on a vacation to Callie's grumpy great uncle's maple syrup farm. Amazing action, and truly a great book. A must have for any and ALL Hardy Boys fans.

This book is an absolute neccessity for anyone planning to do extensive flatwater paddling in Maine. The book divides maine into regions and then gives detailed descriptions of the most choice paddling spots in those regions. Each overall description entails a map of the lake, general decription of the lake (scenery,fish species,things to look for etc.), campsite reservation numbers if neccesary, and most important DETAILED DIRECTIONS. Unless you are confining your paddling to the southern region, most of the lakes will require driving on winding dirt logging roads that can confuse even the most seasoned forester(I know I was one). However with this book, I was able to find the put in with ease every time. Happy Paddling!

There are now more than 13,00 miles of open rail-trails across the country. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is an organization of more than 100,000 members and a leading advocate for trail and greenway 'recycling' of obsolete railroad corridors and rights of way. The official guidebook of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, "Rail-Trails: New England" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' guide to railroad related trails in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Profusely illustrated with maps, as well as black-and-white photographs, "Rail-Trails: New England" is the perfect planning guide for biking or hiking along pathways created from unused railroad corridors that have been converted to recreational use by the public. some rail-trails are paved and run through scenic parts of New England townships, others are unpaved paths through scenic countrysides. Enhanced with detailed maps for every rail-trail (plus driving directions to trailheads), "Rail-Trails: New England" also features icons indicating each trail's use, along with succinct descriptions written by truly knowledgeable and articulate rail-trail experts. If you are planning to avail yourself of the recreational and exercise opportunities of rail-trails anywhere in the New England region, then begin with a careful browse through the pages of "Rail-Trails: New England"!

Set in colonial New England, this is the story of a talented but conventional portrait painter (trained in England) who encounters a child prodigy, a young girl who paints brilliant but often bizarre pictures. The early scene in which Daniel Sanborn first watches Rebecca Wentworth paint is remarkable. The author conveys both the attraction of genius, of superlative ability, and also the degree to which its originality can be deeply disconcerting.

Begiebing's earlier novel, The Adventures of Allegra Fullerton, also featured a woman artist, and the books share a concern with the opportunities afforded women in two different eras of American history.

Abigail Bailey keeps a diary of her thoughts and feelings relating to her abusive marriage. Abigail's perspective is historic, as she lived in New England in the early foundations of America, but also contemporary, as she writes of the pains, hopes, and struggles of living with an abusive husband. Abigail Bailey's faith played an integral part of her decision-making process, and anyone who wants to understand how Christianity and spirituality contributes to the plight of the abused wife is urged to read this book. It gives a birds-eye view of the inner dynamics of the abusive relationship and Christianity's relationship to those dynamics. While the memoirs stand on their own, the editor does a thourough job of explaining the social, political, and historical contexts of Abigail's life. The only downfall is that it is "heavy" reading, as the language Abigail used is old-English, and one may need to labor more than usual in reading and interpeting it. It is well worth it, though!

Kathi McGraw is a native of New Hampshire who has put immaculate research into resort life in 19th and early 20th century New Hampshire, coupled with the sudden advent and acceptance there of the game of golf. But more than just a history of the era, it is a charming, often humorous and erudite collection of anecdotes, newspaper stories, poems and photographs that reflect the mores and attitudes of Victorian times in general, and in the grandeur of New Hampshire's White Mountains in particular.

More than mere history, "Replace The Turf From Whence It Was Hacked" is a showcase for McGraw's subtle wit and literary skill. They shine through to make the book a charmed if not mystical recounting of how Victorian society lived and took its leisure at White Mountain resorts, some of which still exist. It is a story of one of the quainter parts of New England where teas, dance cards and formal calls were the order of the day and are meticulously recorded by McGraw from long departed journals such as "Among The Clouds" or "The White Mountain Echo."

Golf appears to have taken hold in that part of New Hampshire in the late 1890's. The rules and social customs of the game seemed well adapted to Victorian recreation, and McGraw's recounting of the early golf rules and Victorian ladies' affinity for the game is hilarious while nonetheless touching (including an explanation of such Scottish golf terms as "cleek" and "foozle") . Her storytelling ability provides golfers and non-golfers alike an intimate view of another side of the charm of the Victorian era and not simply a tale of how golf came to New Hampshire.

You don't have to be a New Englander nor a golfer to enjoy "Replace The Turf." It is much more than just a local history. It is a tribute to McGraw's prodigious skills as a writer who truly loves her New England roots and can skillfully relate its rich history with humor and charm.