Pennsylvania Books

I love my new ADC Metro Philadelphia Map book! My other one from ADC was over 15 years old and in shreds. I couldn't find a new one in any local stores. I'm so glad Amazon had it! The detail is amazing and the maps are up to date and very accurate. Also, it is more expansive; including more of the suburban areas in southeastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. I would recommend it to everyone.
Eileen T.

Thorough documentation of Civil War-era battle flags is largely distinguished in its absence. Indeed, it is most unfortunate and very nearly a crime that more has not been done to tell the stories behind these flags and, more importantly, tell the stories of the MEN (and perhaps even the WOMEN) of the North and South who carried them into the "leaden hail" from Gettysburg to Glorieta Pass. Happily, this situation has been remedied to some extent by the appearance of the, dare I say, monumental two-volume work "Advance the Colors!" which remains almost unique in its detailed treatment of the various flags presented to Pennsylvania regiments during the "Late Unpleasantness." "Advance the Colors!" is a genuine work of scholarship; however, it is also a snappy read and is readily accessible to even those who think history is merely "one damn thing after another." The information on the Pennsylvania regimental color-beare! rs--their fascinating, inspiring, and occasionally tragic stories--is alone worth the price. I would say that "Advance the Colors!" is a flag book even a flag-BURNER could love. If nothing else, "Advance the Colors!" should go a long way toward shaming other states into taking more interest in their regimental flag collections. Ohio is supposed to be working on a similar project and possibly Indiana as well. We can only hope so; more works like this would be a fine way to remember and honor those who gave "the last full measure of devotion." Five stars and two thumbs up for "Advance the Colors!"

This book is a tremendous synthesis of the history of human consciousness as developed through works of art. Singer's unique vision comes through in his text with a grace that is achieved partially through his style obviously influenced by his skill with fiction writing. I highly recommend this for any student of aesthetics or anyone interested in the formation of the field and it latest applications.

It wouldn't have mattered if we hadn't! This book is a must for Central Pennsylvania residents, of course. However, I feel that the book would be enjoyed by any reader with an interest in Black America. A good read!

This book explores with depth and and perceptiveness the different forms Women's activism taking place within sub-saharan africa. With africa's image being over-shadowed by war and political conflict this book offers an even handed look at what is happening on the round, and how women themselves are effecting change.

After The Smoke Clears: Struggling To Get By in Rustbelt America by Steve Mellon (a journalist and staff photographer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) is an informed and moving chronicle of the rise and fall of the steel and mining industry in America. A tale of the communities surrounding the employment bounty of the steel mills, and the struggle to survive when the closure of this employment bounty left a void in people's ability to support themselves, After The Smoke Clears is a compelling and highly recommended saga of twentieth-century American history enhanced with black-and-white photography.

Amazing! Brewer's book reveals an astonishing precedent for some of today's literary afterlifes. With the advent of the Web and cheap, ubiquitous access to it, fans of some books have published unauthorised sequels to those. For example, the Draka novels of S M Stirling have attracted short stories expanding on various characters. To some extent, this also happened before the Web. But the ease of accessibility and of other fans finding such sequels has led to a rise in this practise.

What Brewer shows is that some two hundred years ago, this also occurred in Britain. Readers of Gulliver's Travels, say, wanted more than what Jonathan Swift was able to deliver. So some talented readers took matters into their own hands and wrote bootleg sequels. It is unclear if they ever made much money doing so. But perhaps it was a combination of opportunism and love of writing.

Perhaps to some extent, the phenomenon was also a function of much less choice in those times. What did one do for recreation, before TV, radio, movies, recorded music and video games? Reading was only one of a few possibilities.

Brewer's monograph displays considerable scholarship. He clearly has researched many obscure and long forgotten manuscripts in this masterful analysis.

This is a verse translation of Walter's most important work and the only English transl. that's easy to get one's hands on. If you'd like to get the Latin text, the most recent (& supposedly best) edition (there are only two, the other long out of print) is by Marvin L. Colker, who uses the Italian form of Walter's name: Galteri de Castellione. The ISBN is: 88-8455-147-1. (I had to order mine from Rome.)

The translation here by Townsend is very nicely bound and will make a reasonably good pony/crib for a verse translation; Colker's Latin edition on the other hand, even though it's not that old, has raggedy oldschool binding with rough edges on the pages and you have to cut each page at the top (they should reprint it in nice new hardback), but whatcha gonna do? The lines are numbered and there's a complete ap. crit. at the bottom.

Though nobody reads this anymore, the work is part of a very cool tradition of Alexander romances, is the immediate source for the Old Norse /Alexanderssaga/ (not translated into English but available in German if you don't read Icelandic), and is quoted by Chaucer on the assumption that any literate person will of course catch the reference. I hope you enjoy the work & I hope this helps; b[u]ona fortuna!

I am a doctoral student in ed policy and use this book in my research...but, don't let THAT scare you! This book is an interesting read and well-written! If you think it's time for American educators to respond appropriately to religious minorities in our society, you will find this book helpful.

Great pictures from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. They really brought the rescue alive! I loved the book.