Ohio Books

This is an outstanding resource book for OSU Buckeye football fans. It offers detailed accounts of each season, including scores, stories, and much more.

However, there is one important shortcoming with this book. After watching the HBO special about the OSU-Michigan rivalry, it is clear that this book leaves out several important details about OSU football, usually details that tend to portray OSU in a somewhat negative light.

For example, absent from this book is the fact that one year during the 10 year war, in the midst of an OSU blowout, Hayes ordered his team to go for a 2 point conversion after a touchdown, and when asked by the media why he had gone for two, Hayes replied "Because I couldn't go for 3!" Michigan then used that as motivation as they took revenge upon OSU the following season when they won the rivalry game. This entertaining and important story is absent from the book, perhaps because it portrays OSU in a negative light. However, I prefer to read an objective account of what happened, and I like to hear both the good and the bad. This book offers much of the "good," but doesn't say much about the "bad" things that have happened in OSU football.

One further example, Hayes' career notoriously ended when he punched a Clemson player following an interception in a bowl game. This book covers the story, but really goes easy on OSU and Hayes, and fails to capture the type of shock and scandal that ensued following that incident. It may be a dark chapter in OSU history, but it was an important moment, and this book doesn't delve into the details, but rather defends Hayes as having acted "in an obvious fit of frustration" (paraphrasing). This was a disservice, as this was an excellent opportunity to present both sides of the story, from Hayes' supporters and his critics. Instead, the book glosses over much of the info, says that Hayes left, later spoke at a graduation, and leaves it at that. Hayes' impact on the school merited a more detailed explanation of what had happened, and the incidents that led up to Hayes' resignation. The lack of information, and the lack of objectivity detracted the book.

The book also does not go into much detail regarding the 10 year war, and the relationship between Hayes and Schembechler. I would have liked to see some more coverage in that area, as there were many terrific stories from that era.

Having said all of this, I would still recommend this book as a strong source of OSU football history. I would only caution that the book does not always tell the full story, and therefore should not be referred to as a "complete" history of OSU football.

A great book filled with everything and everyone of Ohio State Football lore. I recommend Highly.

In the great state of Ohio, football is a year-round fixation. Especially for fanatics of the Ohio State Buckeyes, who measure each season's success with the ghosts of its legendary past. When not anticipating the current team's fortunes, they're busy mining for factual nuggets reaffirming the program's glory years.

Buckeye enthusiasts have struck gold with the latter. THE OFFICIAL OHIO STATE FOOTBALL ENCYCLOPEDIA is an informational jackpot, a whopping 683 pages of pure pigskin bliss, chronicling the entire history of one of sports most storied traditions. Either a lifelong follower or an Ohio State alumnus could architect such a massive undertaking; fortunately, it fell into the able hands of Jack Park, who is both, in addition to his duties as a commentator and columnist. With over four-hundred college football games to his credit--including nearly every OSU home contest since the late-1940's--he is simply the foremost authority on Buckeye football.

Unlike most proverbial encyclopedias with the A to Z format, this one is chronologically recorded, from their humble beginnings in 1890 through the modern-day mania of the 2000 campaign. Amazingly, not one season or game slips through the cracks; each one is vividly recalled with various accounts and statistics.

What really distinguishes the book from the typical almanac, though, is Park's inclusion of the many colorful anecdotes scattered throughout. Within the gray-shaded blocks lie some wonderful tales involving famous and little-known individuals whose passion and spirit have helped to shape the Buckeyes' saga as much as the many great coaches and All-American players. If the myriad of information isn't enough, the appendix offers twenty-four more pages of records and statistics, while the feast concludes with an alphabetical listing of every letterwinner in their illustrious 111-year history.

Bringing the sea of words and numbers to life are the visuals, beautifully arranged with scads of archived photos, newspaper headlines, game programs, and ticket stubs. Rather than clutter the path, they perfectly enhance its charm, balancing the formality of a textbook with the casualness of a scrapbook.

Park's warm but direct approach works effectively. Although his own experiences with OSU date more than a half-century, his reports on each season prior are equally as fresh and seamless, as though he were actually there. These recollections also subtly echo the sentiments of true Buckeye loyalists while still remaining neutral, a deft touch for a work of this type. That personal flair ensures that it's not just compiled by some factory or computer; it makes the whole experience less like a rigid research and more similar to a batch of stories told by a friendly old neighbor.

An essential bible for Buckeye nuts, THE OFFICIAL OHIO STATE FOOTBALL ENCYCLOPEDIA should be required reading for even the remote sports fan curious to gain insight into the history of a major collegiate athletic program, and in Ohio State University's, one of the nation's proudest.

In the great state of Ohio, football is a year-round fixation. Especially for fanatics of the Ohio State Buckeyes, who measure each season's success with the ghosts of its legendary past. When not anticipating the current team's fortunes, they're busy mining for factual nuggets reaffirming the program's glory years.

Buckeye enthusiasts have struck gold with the latter. THE OFFICIAL OHIO STATE FOOTBALL ENCYCLOPEDIA is an informational jackpot, a whopping 683 pages of pure pigskin bliss, chronicling the entire history of one of sports most storied traditions. Either a lifelong follower or an Ohio State alumnus could architect such a massive undertaking; fortunately, it fell into the able hands of Jack Park, who is both, in addition to his duties as a commentator and columnist. With over four-hundred college football games to his credit--including nearly every OSU home contest since the late-1940's--he is simply the foremost authority on Buckeye football.

Unlike most proverbial encyclopedias with the A to Z format, this one is chronologically recorded, from their humble beginnings in 1890 through the modern-day mania of the 2000 campaign. Amazingly, not one season or game slips through the cracks; each one is vividly recalled with various accounts and statistics.

What really distinguishes the book from the typical almanac, though, is Park's inclusion of the many colorful anecdotes scattered throughout. Within the gray-shaded blocks lie some wonderful tales involving famous and little-known individuals whose passion and spirit have helped to shape the Buckeyes' saga as much as the many great coaches and All-American players. If the myriad of information isn't enough, the appendix offers twenty-four more pages of records and statistics, while the feast concludes with an alphabetical listing of every letterwinner in their illustrious 111-year history.

Bringing the sea of words and numbers to life are the visuals, beautifully arranged with scads of archived photos, newspaper headlines, game programs, and ticket stubs. Rather than clutter the path, they perfectly enhance its charm, balancing the formality of a textbook with the casualness of a scrapbook.

Park's warm but direct approach works effectively. Although his own experiences with OSU date more than a half-century, his reports on each season prior are equally as fresh and seamless, as though he were actually there. These recollections also subtly echo the sentiments of true Buckeye loyalists while still remaining neutral, a deft touch for a work of this type. That personal flair ensures that it's not just compiled by some factory or computer; it makes the whole experience less like a rigid research and more similar to a batch of stories told by a friendly old neighbor.

An essential bible for Buckeye nuts, THE OFFICIAL OHIO STATE FOOTBALL ENCYCLOPEDIA should be required reading for even the remote sports fan curious to gain insight into the history of a major collegiate athletic program, and in Ohio State University's, one of the nation's proudest.

My husband Lance went to Ohio State and wathches football and follows his alma mater, of course. I bought one of these books for him and for his dad. Wow...I finally bought a gift they both like, which meant a lot to me.

He likes different parts about the book, especially reviewing the years from when he attended OSU up through the most recent football campaigns. His father most enjoyed reading the section on Paul Brown, whose success at Ohio State was just part of a great coaching career.

They both liked the abundant photos throughout the book. My husband gets into sports stats, and this book was full of information on the teams and the individual players and coaches.

They both liked reading about Woody Hayes, Ohio State's legendary coach. My husband, who was a journalist at OSU, said he was able to interview Woody twice and the famous coach was extremely cordial both times. Of course, my husband said he never had to interview Woody after an Ohio State defeat.

So thank you for helping me make this holiday season successful and memorable.

Any one who has a personal copy of Walden with heavy underlining and pages falling away from the binding will read the words of David Kline with respect. This is a man so completely at one with his physical world, so at peace with his chosen lifestyle, and so appreciative of his environment that he makes Thoreau seem under-developed. While Kline, an Amish farmer who lives an economic life far out-of-step with his contemporary American culture, writes little about his religious philosophy, he is man at peace with himself and his God and he is able to convey that without talking directly about his theology. He expresses appreciation for his heritage of the family farm which has become his, and for his early teacher who taught him to see the wonders of the natural life which was found on that farm and in that area of Ohio. The life of a farmer is one of seasonal cycles which dictates the work, and the habits of the creatures of the wild. The book is roughly cyclical in scope, but has no straightforward time line. Kline writes as though engaging in easy conversation, reminiscing about berry-picking and manure-spreading, bird-watching and gardening. His life is an out-of-doors life, but he does not complain about the weather! Bad weather seems to be a time to read, and he cites authors from Kathleen Norris to A. Leopold, evidence that he is as much at home with the written word as with the topography of his farm Kline's little book makes me want to know more about him, to know how he relates to the strange and stressed humans with whom he shares this land. The book is as much spirtitual as scientific in content, bringing a sense of peace in a too-busy world. One waits for another from this delightful author.

Scratching the Woodchuck, Nature on an Amish Farm by David Kline sits on my credenza at work. I reach for it when I need an antidote for institutionalized schizophrenia.

Scratching the Woodchuck is a collection of about 60 short essays. They are organized into four catagories: The Farmstead, The Fields, The Woods, Creeks and Sky and The Community. The essays are rich in adjectives and read at a slow and leisurely pace.

For example:

"I was startled the other day to see a meadow vole (one of those fat little short-tailed mice that abound in meadows and fields) come charging out of the grass-covered ditch and dash across the road as fast as its stumpy legs could carry it. Before the sprinting vole had reached the safety of the opposite ditch, it was followed by two more of its kin. These, however, instead of racing across the road, made large half-circles and then ran back into the same ditch twenty feet down the road.

I stopped and watched the spot where the meadow voles had emerged. Soon a small pointed nose poked through the grasses and two obsidian eyes glared at me--a weasel. No wonder the voles were scared silly. Of all their enemies, nothing alarms the mouse family as much as the weasel, because there is no place to hide from the long, slender killer." Page 42.

Plusses:

*The essays are short. You can pick up the book and regain sanity in about 2.76 minutes.

*The essays are consistently high quality writing. There is none of the unevenness that results when a book is banged out in a hurry.

Minuses:

*The book does not come back quickly when loaned out. "Oh, I was going to bring it back today but my wife started reading it." kind of thing.

*Ultimately, you finish the book and you want more.

Scratching the Woodchuck is a good book to pick up if you feel like the pea-in-a-whistle. Mr. Kline's prose will slow your heart rate and reduce your blood pressure. Mr. Kline assures us that life only appears to be fragmented. The patient observer can find the connections.

Scratching the Woodchuck is probably *not* a good choice if your preference for escapism-liturature tends toward verb-packed, staccato writing (like Tom Clancy). You will find Scratching the Woodchuck maddeningly slow and boring.

Reading Kline's book makes one want to immediately ditch city life. This talented writer takes a look at nature in simple, basic terms, bringing it close to everyone who has ever watched a spider in a web, or looked at tracks in fresh snow. His unpretentious approach is precisely the way that nature should be viewed. . . with knowledge, joy and kinship with the out of doors. (Review by Judy Wade, author of Seasonal Guide to the Natural Year; Southern California and Baja, published by Fulcrum and also available through Amazon.)

Scratching the Woodchuck is quite simply the best piece of natural history writing I have read in decades. David Kline is a keen observer, a competent naturalist, and an eloquent writer. We need more books like this in our all too technology-based, human-centered society.

This book takes the reader back to humanity's roots, and to our essential relationships with other species that inhabit this planet with us. Something beautiful and important is found here that has been lost to many of us for a long, long time.

This story was a wonderful, lighthearted portrayal of nature on Kline's farm. The stories were short and a quick read. I found myself reading one story, every night before bed. I was not looking forward to the end of what became a daily companion. Kline is able to paint with words. He excels at describing life's simple, natural pleasures. This book could be compared to a more recent Sand County Almanac, but I didn't find that book as interesting. A good read!

In our busy lives sometimes the characters in fiction books are the ones we think about more than our clients. To unwind and watch characters in a story until you start wondering "What will they do?" and calm yourself with the thought of your evening reading "I'll find out tonight" is always a good sign of a good book.

WOW - this book is so believable, the characters are so well-developed, and the mystery so, well, mysterious, I simply couldn't put this book down until I had finished it! IMO, this sets a new standard for Christian fiction, particularly in the realm of crime/mystery fiction. I had not heard of Teresa Slack before I discovered the 'Jenna's Creek' series, but now I'm impatiently waiting for the next book to come so I can read it.

The first book is Streams of Mercy, Book 2 is Redemption's Song, and Book 3 is Evidence of Grace.

I sincerely hope Teresa Slack continues to write more and more books!

Theresa Slack is a marvelous writer.
If you have NOT read this yet, you are really missing out!
WONDERFUL!!!!!

I really enjoyed this faith based mystery. It kept me intrigued from start to finish. The characters became so alive. I look forward to the rest of the series!!!

This book is a must-have. It kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Teresa used good, wholesome characters. I felt like I was related to her heroine. If you haven't read this Christian mystery yet, you'd better get it. It's superb.

I bought a few copies as early Christmas gifts because I know my dad and brothers are big fans. After flipping through just the first few pages of photos and text, I knew I made the right choice. The author really covered his tracks. The photos are fantastic! There's no better time in the midwest than fall -- and this book seems to bring out the best of that season.

Touchdown! This book drives the length of the field to take the reader on a journey through small towns and big cities who live and die for football. The tradition of Ohio High School Football is second to none and Butler's brilliant narration mixed in with interviews from coaches, players, parents and fans captures what Friday night in the fall is all about - a social gathering of sorts where football is the main focus. Rothchild's photography allows the reader to experience every facet of Friday night football from the star quarterback to the mom selling programs to raise money for the band.

Across Many Fields is a must for anyone who loves high school football.

I hesitated to buy this book because I had read some negative things about it on some Ohio high school internet sites. Then I browsed a copy in a local bookstore and realized how foolish I was to wait. This is one of the finest books on high school football I've ever seen (and I own many).

Across Many Fields is about football with capital "F". Having read it now (which I suspect some critics have not), I realize the authors were looking for the whole picture and that people unhappy with it were upset because their team wasn't represented. Well, this book isn't about one team or another. It's about all the teams in Ohio that strap on the helmets each season and all the people who support these young men (and a few women).

The pictures are tremendous, glorious and the writing is smooth and creative. For any football fan, for anyone who has relished the crisp autumn air on a Friday night in a local football stadium, this book is a can't miss. You'll be transported!

This book took me back to my high school years. I was a 320 pound offensive lineman. The 4 years I played high school football were the best of my life. I can never get them back, but with this book I was able to bring back all my memories. Chris and Jen have provided ex-jocks like me something to hold on to. I reccomend this book to anyone who wants some way to recall those glory years of high schoo.
Giles Powell.

While Across Many Fields chronicles the 2001 Ohio high school football season, this book is to be enjoyed by all -- regardless of the reader's geographic location. Across Many Fields goes well beyond statistics and X's and O's to explore the very essence of high school football; whereas a Friday Night Lights exposes the darker side of a big-time high school program, AMF is a celebration of the sights, sounds, athletes, and communities that make autumn evenings special for so many. From big-time rivalries to small town tradition, this book explores high school football with a depth and passion that make it a captivating read.

Handsomely photographed and insightfully written, Across Many Fields is a timeless tribute to a uniquely American institution.

Carole Estrup's book ought to be required reading for everyone who thinks that urban life in mid-century America was like TV land portrayed it. Her parents (and some relatives) were a surreal combination of uptight normality and careless sadism. In this fascinating and shocking memoir she holds back nothing, including her own failings; but what emerges is a ferocious will to survive and succeed.
Personal stories like this go far to explain Arendt's "Banality of evil". Estrup's gift is in showing us how the colossal enormities that make it into the news were carried out on a small scale every day in that miserable era.
The tone lightens later in the book, and success and fulfillment ensue. But this is real life, and unlike the characters in novels, who seem to recover immediately and completely from the the worst traumas, people who live in reality are marked by their experiences. Reading this book was that kind of experience, and I'll remember and reflect on it for a long time.

This is an honest, sometimes gritty telling of an all too common experience, the betrayal and exploitation of the very young. But it is also a triumphant battle of a child's creative impulse kindled against the kind of chilling abuse which devastates so many for an entire lifetime. Bravo!

Barefoot Girl Out of Ohio: A Memoir of Survival and Overcoming is the true-life memoir of a woman who suffered terrible, long-lasting scars from the physical and sexual abuse she endured while growing up during the Great Depression. Betrayed by the relatives that should have protected her - parents, grandparents, and uncle - she turned to art and music to survive. Though she struggled to escape her nightmare existence, the wounds inflicted on her drew her on a self-destructive path. One marriage an abusive artist led to mental collapse and divorce; another marriage to a sadistic cult leader ended only after he threatened to kill her and her children. At last she found a steadfast husband, but the trauma she had coped with all her life left her with devastating anxiety and depression. In the safety of a remote dwelling in the mountains, she at last had to face herself, and the childhood stolen from her. A profound and inspirational story of the struggle to overcome a legacy of personal suffering.

The author recounts her childhood mental, physical and sexual abuse in ways that left me emotionally drained. She pulls no punches and leaves no doubt as to what happened in her life. How Oprah missed this autobiography is beyond me. This book will open your eyes to the evil that is child abuse and to the horror children experience in many of our so-called, normal, American families. This is a must read for all those not aware of the hidden secret, as well as those who have suffered abuse or think that keeping a secret is a good thing. (Like the Catholic Church and others.) One look at CaroleEstrup.com and it's clear the author of this book is one of the great, artistic painters of her day. I thank her for having the courage to share her amazing story. The world is a better place for what she has created on canvas and in life, despite all the evil that tried to prevent it.

I have known Carole Estrup, the author, for about 10 years and have always considered her a gracious, extremely talented woman. It was difficult for me to read this autobiography because in it she revealed what no child should have to undergo. I told her I would have liked to have "shot her parents". It is amazing that she suffered so much at their hands and survived to become the wonderful artist that she is today.
Carole is not only a talented artist but is also a fascinating writer. If you can handle the early sections of the book, in which she describes her abuse as a young child- you too will be absorbed in the telling of her life's story.

Not only does Doris Larson's new book give all the important details about the destinations she writes about. It offers descriptions so personal and vivid that one feels they had already visited these places in another life. Nuances abound, describing ambience, innkeeper personalities, surrounding culture and little known gems to be discovered in each location. Points of historical interest are described as much more than a footnote. Architectural highlights abound. All in all, this book surpasses its status as a guide book and qualifies as a good read.

Ms. Larson has written a complete and wise guide to the area. I have visited a couple of the Inns she discusses and found her observations to be very close to my experiences. Her local commentaries are wonderful and reflect a very thorough knowleged of her topic. She writes with warm perspective and lovely appreciation for the Inns, their histories and their owners. I am looking forward to trying a few of her choices. For anyone in the region or thinking about visiting I would consider this book as one of the best resources available.

This B&B guild is among the best on the market and definitely the most complete of this region. Ms. Larson prefaces each section with her special commentaries about the specific areas and her grasp of the area is immediately evident. Her warm personality matches the character of the B&Bs she describes. For anyone venturing into the historic nooks of the region this is the guide to have. I live nearby and have visited several of the homes she has reviewed and find myself happily surprised at her thoroughness and accuracy.

The eye-catching cover is just one of the many delightful features in this easy-to-read guide. Ms. Larson has filled its pages with informative research, maps, and events near and around the inns. That the author herself meticulously researched the inns and surrounding areas is enough to reassure even the most cautious traveler that they won't be disappointed. The locations she's selected are not limited to Ohio, but include lovely locales in Canada, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania and Kentucky - the perfect getaway guide for travelers and romantic stays.

I found this book to be a pleasant diversion while I was having car work done. (That alone is a good recommendation.) I know of one of the inns Ms. Larson reviewed, and her descriptions of the area and the restaurants are so accurate, I would feel confident to trust any of her other reviews. I hope that I'll get to try some of these places soon, but until then, I can enjoy her descriptions and great pictures.

I purchased this book for my father and it's proven to be one of his all-time favorite gifts. The wealth of photographs and the attention to detail has made this the preeminant book on brewery history. A must-have for brew buffs.

I devoured this book in one night! I still like to browse through it and look at all of the historical pictures. A MUST READ for anyone interested in the history of brewing in Cleveland, Ohio or brewing in general. Everyone needs this masterpiece for their coffee table.

Carl Miller has authored a truly magnificent piece of brewery history. The book is a thoroughly-researched, well-written, attractively presented story that is easy and interesting to to look at, read, ponder ... the adjectives and superlatives are well deserved. History buffs of all persuasions will find BREWERIES OF CLEVELAND a refreshing and enlightening look at the past.

The 300-page book explores the colorful history of beermaking in Cleveland in the city's 150 years as a major brewing center. Over 300 rare photographs and illustrations help tell the story. The nostalgic journey takes you through Cleveland's beer past, beginning with a discussion of the city's earliest breweries through to the current "rebirth" of craft breweries.

"Cleveland has always been a beer town," says Miller. "Before Prohibition, virtually every neighborhood in the city had its own brewery, especially on the West Side, where the concentration of Germans was highest." At the close of the 19th Century, the city had twenty breweries, all serving a primarily local market. Names like Leisy, Schlather, Gehring, Diebolt and Gund were synonymous with beer in Cleveland.

After the Repeal of Prohibition, nine local breweries reopened, but fierce competition from the national brewers threatened their survival. According to Miller, "The small local brewery was an endangered species by the 1960s." Soom, favorites like P.O.C., Black Forest, Erin Brew, Gold Bond, and others, were gone.

The fascinating account of the birth and passing of the breweries, and the coming of the new craft breweries, makes BREWERIES OF CLEVELAND a valuable addition to the recorded history of the brewing industry. If you love history, breweries, and great photographs, you'll love this book. If your coffee table lacks a book, this one will catch the eye of the most ardent neo-prohibitionist. We give BREWERIES OF CLEVELAND a "10", and Carl Miller a nomination for the American Breweriana Association's Excellence in Literature Award.

I was just browsing the book section on the internet when I found this book. I was completely shocked when I saw the picture on the cover of the book. That same picture hangs in my home. It is my great grandfather Charles Poeschel. His daughter Margaret Zwierlein is my grandmother. I purchased the book and totally enjoyed reading the history of breweries in Cleveland.

I would like to find out where my great grandfather was employed when that photo was taken. Does anyone know how to find out which brewery it was?

This wonderful book has helped me imagine how my ansestors must have lived in Cleveland during the 19th century and early 20th.

I am jealous. This book is no less than a microcosm of the American brewing industry. I wish I had written it. Meticulously researched by business historian Carl Miller, brewing is to Cleveland what cream cheese is to Philadelphia. Linking the evolution of brewing with the settlement's first tavern and innkeeper Lorenzo Carter, by the 1820s Miller notes the "back room concoctions of tavernkeepers" were being supplemented by outside sources. By the 1830s The Reverend Elijah F. Willey, a Baptist clergyman no less, vied with Dr. S.J. Weldon for the first permanent brewery.

Producing English style ales, Miller has unearthed an 1850s advertisement showing that Samuel Ives brewed Cream Ale some forty years before George Sleeman in Guelph brewed Cream Ale. Having rewritten a chapter in brewing folklore in one casual swoop, Miller debunks the newness of the continuous brewing process recently developed by Pierre Rajotte by noting that after three years of experimentation, Cleveland's Carling Brewery "announced in 1962 that it had perfected its Continuous Brewing Method." Slated to be installed in Carling's new Fort Worth, Texas brewery, the idea failed due to a faulty piece of stainless steel pipe, which caused observers to condemn the Continuous Brewing Process and led in part to the closure of the brewery just months after its opening.

For the Canadian reader, the Carling connection is fascinating, and Miller provides the most complete account of E.P. Taylor's foray into the American market I have read.

Weaving the growth of Cleveland's brewing industry into social history, Miller links brewing with the building of the Ohio Canal, the arrival of the Germans and lager, that most melancholy subject temperence, unionism, brewery architecture and the creation of the beer barons. Miller's treatment of the industry from the Civil War to World War I is generously spiced with wonderful photographs and anecdotal history along with the facts, giving the book general appeal.

My favorite illustration is an 1899 Crystal Rock ad showing five mature, robust ladies accompanied by the following caption: "Crystal Rock Beer regulates women's ills. A glass or two used faithfully each day insures prompt and painless periods."

With the repeal of Prohibition, Miller traces Clevelander's love of local suds in the face of national competition by reviewing the histories of the Cleveland & Sandusky Brewing Co., Forest City Brewery, Sunrise Brewing Co., Leisy's Brewery, the Pilsener Brewing Co. and its famous P.O.C. label, and Erin Brew from the Standard Brewing Co., to the closure of C. Schmidt & Sons in 1984, an act which brought 150 years of local brewing to an end.

Sponsored by the Crooked River Brewing Company of Cleveland, good taste prevails and the author gives as much space to competitor Great Lakes Brewing Company, which revived Cleveland's brewing tradition in 1988, as he does to his sponsor.

Buy this book, then grab a six pack of your favorite lager (this is primarily about German/American brewers) and enjoy!

A fascinating collection of historical photographs and a beautiful job of illustrating the importance of Cleveland, Ohio in the advancement of aviation.

A great read that is accompanied by wonderful vintage photographs which really serve to bring the story to life. I'm not an aviation expert by any means and found the book to be very accessible to those of us new to the subject. I'd recommend the book to anyone looking to better understand the history of flight in the midwest or just interested in a truly great collection of aviation-related photos.

Tom Matowitz is an air junkie like me. I very much enjoyed vintage aviation, as a historian of my Ohio hometown of Columbus. It was a treat to see a photo of Port Columbus under construction that I had never seen. What a treasure of Cleveland area photos he has assembled; I hope the book is a great seller. I only wish I had more info on the cover photo; who was the pilot and what was the plane in the background.

The perfect follow-up to Tom Matowitz' book, The Cleveland National Air Races. Wonderful images that have been rarely or never published before. Makes a great addition to any library or great as a gift. Anyone interested in Cleveland history, Aviation History or times-gone-by will love it.

Mr. Matowitz has "hit another home run" with his latest aviation book, Cleveland's Legacy of Flight. The book is very thoroughly researched and well written and presents hundreds of fascinating pictures. Any aviation enthusiast or persons interested in serious aviation history will enjoy this book.Cleveland's Legacy of Flight (Images of Aviation: Ohio)

Salmon Chase is a most complex man and the age in which he lived his adult life is fascinating to anyone interested in U. S. History. Many historians have given us biographies of S. P. Chase, the editor Dr. Niven's being one of the best, but however good they are cursed with the author's inability to overcome his humanity and predjudices. It is forthis reason the collected works of an historic figure are so important. Chase led an active life as governor of Ohio, defender at the bar of abolitionists, anti-slavery senator with his congressional colleague Joshua Giddings, as Lincoln's Secy. of the Treasury, as intriguer in the war in Texas, and finally as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court upon the death of Taney (a break for which Lincoln had waited some time). To put preasure on Lincoln Chase offered his resignation as Secy. of the Treasury, Lincoln refused but kept the resignation letter and used it when the position of Supreme Court Chief Justice bacame available thus getting Chase out of the way and not offending radical republicans.

For a better understanding of the man and his tumultuous times I highluy recommend all the volumes of the Salmon P. Chase Papers.

Salmon Chase is a most complex man and the age in which he lived his adult life is fascinating to anyone interested in U. S. History. Many historians have given us biographies of S. P. Chase, the editor Dr. Niven's being one of the best, but however good they are cursed with the author's inability to overcome his humanity and predjudices. It is forthis reason the collected works of an historic figure are so important. Chase led an active life as governor of Ohio, defender at the bar of abolitionists, anti-slavery senator with his congressional colleague Joshua Giddings, as Lincoln's Secy. of the Treasury, as intriguer in the war in Texas, and finally as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court upon the death of Taney (a break for which Lincoln had waited some time).

For a better understanding of the man and his tumultuous times I highluy recommend all the volumes of the Salmon P. Chase Papers.

This marvelous book offers the reqader and the researcher a window into the life of one of our most important political characters in a troubled century. Some historians have offered the thought that we live in a different world from that in which Chase lived. The Journals give us a more personal view than the works in general of a man who served in Ohio and national politics, as an abolitionist leader, as sec'y of the Treasury in Lincoln's cabinet, and as Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court.

The anti-slavery case of 1846, Wharton Jones vs. John Van Zandt, was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court by both Salmon P. Chase and William H. Seward. They represented my ancestor, John Van Zandt. Chase's argument is printed under another title. However, Chase's correspondence gives insight into his thoughts during this time and especially first-hand acccounts of my ancestor. It also includes letters by William H. Seward. This book also provides prescient accounts by numerous individuals reflecting the attitudes/opinions on the anti-slavery issue in American during the nineteenth century. I highly recommend it.

In this book, Lynne Bachleda, gifted anthologist, poet, writer, offers us a rare treasure. Here are the voices of those who (like Lynne herself) comprehend the deep mysteries of nature, and sing her beauties and profundities into words. Poems and prose reflections from earlier writers (Emerson, Whitman, and poets from ancient eras) mingle with those of more modern times (Annie Dillard, Terry Tempest Williams, and Lynne herself) to remind us of nature's divine purpose as a link to the "secret of secrets," the holy spirit revealed in material form.

Nature lovers and deep mystics will nod wisely as they read these selections. Ecologists will find confirmation of their concerns for the planet and all its beings in these loving tributes. Striking in both conception and design, this exquisite book refreshes the spirit as its chorus of voices sound the connection between the earthly and the transcendent, the mundane and the sublime. This is a jewel to hold in your hand, to carry in your pocket, to love and learn from as you go about your business in this world and hum your own canticle to earth.

This book helped me recall memories of my childhood that were lost for many years. Reading this book was like drinking a large cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. It made me laugh or smile page after page.

This is an easy to read, very real autobiographical story -- a "memoir" -- of an intelligent, inquisitive, and observant boy. His story takes the reader on his personal journey through a variety of adolescent scenarios which are somehow familiar, yet intriguing; mostly typical -- yet somewhat tumultuous. The writing is honest, yet provoking; thoughtful yet humorous; sometimes almost painfully sincere; and as sensual as it sensitive. The chapters each tell an individual story, with thoughts, senses, and emotions evoked in the reader, much like those subtly aroused by a familiar scent from the past, or being surprised by encountering a love from long ago. It is a sweet, nostalgic, funny and very vivid story of an adolesence which was surprisingly like my own -- and maybe somewhat like yours...

Standing on a hot baseball field, a first kiss. Eluding confrontations with a larger, motivated kid. Parents splitting up. How my grandfather always says "much obliged" when he was truly grateful to someone. Comic Books.

These are some of the memories that come pouring back as the pages turn through this well written tale of thoughful recollections that had me teary eyed on one page, and chuckling by the next.

I did not grow up in Hamilton, and have never been to Ohio. But, through the thoughtful eyes of Tim Simer, somehow, I see splendid similarities to my own hometown. Also I recall, with great clarity, what it feels like, smells like, and is to grow up in a place of character.

For that, I am truly, "much obliged"

This book captures much of the innocence and beauty of growing up in a small midwestern town in the sixties, as well as expressing the essence of "growing up" in any genre. It also exemplifies, in beautiful detail, the magic of community and a true congregation and fellowship in the stratum that they do positively effect themselves. A lighthearted and easy read, it gently transports the reader to revisit some delightful and comfortable personal nostalgia and, in what is equally satisfying, exudes hope for humanity still through community, fellowship and coterie.

Coterian Retreat is a lovely, well written book that chronicles the life of a boy growing up in the midwest in the 1960's and early 1970's. It's 33 chapters each tell of a particular event in Mr. Simer's life. Some are funny, many touching and sweet, some poignant, but all written with honesty. The descriptions of family and friends are so vivid that even without the pictures included in the book, I feel like I would recognize them on the street. Having grown up in the midwest in this same time, I found I could well relate to many of the incidents that are recalled. I have enjoyed the time spent reading this book and it is one that I will keep and re-read in the future whenever I have a need to go back to a simpler, more innocent time.