Massachusetts Books

Didnt know what to expect when i bought it read it and loved it. great non fiction story.

This is a great book about the way a man (my father) makes a hard and arduous life into on that is wonderful and fullfilling. Now gone his memory lives on in this book. For those who knew him it was a great lose and he is loved and missed. I love you and will always keep you close to my heart.

Clifford Ashley went to sea on a yankee whaler at a time when he felt that whaling would soon end as a viable business. He was right of course, his trip was one of the last and we are lucky today that someone had the foresight to preserve this information for the history books. The real business of whaling was for the oil taken from the whales blubber. The newly introduced practice of pumping petroleum oil from underground quickly made whaling a costly alternative instead of the prime source. This is the author's first hand account of whaling men and methods in the early 1900's. Fascinating stuff.

An eye witness acount, writen by a man who went to sea when he knew the age of whaling was coming to an end. The most incredible book on whaling I have ever read. A definate must buy!

This is definately one item that every public course golfer in eastern MA should have ( no, you can't borrow mine! ). Any question you'd have about any course within an hour or two's drive is answered here. Directions, greens fee info, course ratings, tee time info, course descriptions and more. Whoever put this book together has really done a service for golfers throughout the region. There may be two feet of snow on the ground as I'm writing this ( 3/10/01 ) but I've already started my wish list of "must play" courses for 2001; all taken from the pages of YOUR GUIDE TO PUBLIC GOLF COURSES.

All the information you need in a size that easily fits into your golf bag. A perfect resource for golfing in New England including interesting highlights of the courses

Right now, my social life is pathetically nonexistent, but if you're looking for a guide to local eateries for that special first date, this guide is absolutely priceless. It has all the information you need to know about the most popular and acclaimed restaraunts in the local area. The book doesn't dig deep and tap into other, smaller places that may have passed the radar screen, but it's still an important guide that's as essential as a dictionary.

The Zagat guide gives a good general overview of the Boston restaraunt scene, with ratings and quotations submitted by diners themselves. What a great idea!! It also has excellent crossreferenced indices. The one flaw in the system is that the guides tend to exclude the smaller, newer, or lesser known restaraunts... but perhaps this is because we Bostonians are a secretive lot who want to keep the real gems for ourselves... just kidding! In the back of every Zagat guide is a response card to send back to Zagat, so that your opinions can be included in the next issue.

Cape Cod is perhaps one of the best places to bike in New England. The rolling hills, the stunning views of the Atlantic and the jewel-like kettle-hole ponds in its interior sections make it a bicicyclists paradise. During 2 weeks in late springs several years ago, I used the bike routes in this book alone to make my way from the upper Cape near Sandwich down to the Outer Cape into Truro and Provincetown. I was not disappointed. The maps in combination with written directions offer just enough detail so that riders are always on the right track. And vista after vista was exactly what this rider was hoping for. The routes in this book helped me to come away with an intimate knowledge of Cape Cod and too many fond memories to count. It's obvious that the folks who wrote this book rode these routes time and time again, perfecting them and finally compiling them into this incredible guide to the most stunning bike routes on Cape Cod. If you want to get to know Cape Cod better, or if you're just looking for a variety of top-notch biking experiences in Eastern Massachusetts, this is the place and this is the book!

This book came about as a result of the hard work of the Boston chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). SABR has a national BioProject underway to write biographies of every person who has ever played the game, or influenced it in any way. SABR Boston chapter member David Southwick came up with the idea of advancing the BioProject's files by undertaking a chapter project to write all the biographies of all the men who played for the 1975 pennant-winning Red Sox. The result of those efforts is this book, which collects the life-stories of every man on the roster, even those who only got one at bat. Many of the players agreed to be interviewed for the project, and the Red Sox opened their archives for photos and memorabilia. The book is beautifully designed with great rare photos and extensively researched by several dozen dedicated writers.

In the early 1800s, slavery's values were as widely promoted as buying American cars are in today's world. "Abolitionist Politics and the Coming of the Civil War" is a complete and comprehensive examination of America's early years and its politics regarding slavery - and how a few fledgling activists turned America around and against this mindset, beginning a chain of events that freed an entire people. A story of how even the smallest minority can set events in motion, "Abolitionist Politics and the Coming of the Civil War" is highly recommended for both American history and black studies collections alike.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. As an amateur actor, filmmaker, and huge fan of Chekhov's short stories, I was blown away. This book is hip, and a real page-turner. I was excited and inspired by it. This is the real deal, it's what creative stuff is all about.

Adam Johnson's brother, Samuel, was killed by a Polish immigrant. Adam feels he was to blame, but in his guilt and anger, he has turned against all immigrants. Even when he rescues lovely Lidia Kowalski from a rabid dog and realizes he's attractd to her, he doesn't relent. After all, Lidia is one of the hated Polish, and they're all alike, aren't they? Then Adam is injured and Lidia and her brother, Kody help him, even quiting their own jobs to harvest the sap from Adam's maple trees. But Adam can't forget his brother's death, and it stands between any developing relationship with Lidia. Lisa Harris' Adam's Bride is an indictment against all prejudice. It's an intriguing story with complex characters struggling with very real problems. I enjoyed it very much.

I've been toting Elizabeth L. Dugger's new Adventure Guide to Massachusetts & Western Connecticut around for about a month now, ever since I received it. I had all the best intentions of being the first reviewer to publish my commentary on the travel guide, but with one project after another eating up my hours, I'm not sure that I can claim that honor. I have, however, really bulked up my biceps by lugging the Adventure Guide around!

In a word, the book is "massive," and before I ever lifted the cover, I was perplexed as to how Dugger could possibly have found enough bungee jumping-, cliff diving-, and vine swinging-type adventures in the stately and somewhat subdued states of Massachusetts and Connecticut to fill 496 pages! When I opened to page 113 to find a section on "Antique Shopping on Cape Cod," I was surprised and delighted to realize that the range of adventures Dugger suggests includes those that pose great danger only to my credit card balance.

In the book's introduction, Dugger explains that adventure travel "doesn't have to mean hanging from a cliff by your fingernails. " Her enormous catalog of exciting escapes includes family-friendly ideas, outdoor fun for people of all ages and abilities, out-of-the-ordinary sightseeing suggestions, and, of course, the full complement of hiking, biking, fishing, boating, and other recreational opportunities in central New England. "Adventure travel makes you feel alive, wakes you up to yourself as well as to your surroundings," Dugger explains. "Just being in open lands or along the coast, most of the time, can give you that get-away feeling. ...Adventure travel gets the blood flowing, the heart pumping."

Also the author of the Adventure Guide to New Hampshire and the Adventure Guide to Vermont, Dugger quickly debunks the notion that Massachusetts is a tamer, less challenging playground than its mountainous northern neighbors. After a brief introductory section that includes a short history of Massachusetts, a map of and information on getting to the region, road rules, and safety information on such important topics as "avoiding bears," the book is broken up into six regional chapters: the Seacoast Region, Boston and Nearby Adventures, Central Massachusetts, the Pioneer Valley, the Berkshires, and the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut. Within each geographic section, adventures are organized in category groupings: On Foot, On Horseback, On Wheels, On Water, On Snow & Ice, and In the Air. Each chapter has information on Eco-Travel and where to Stay & Eat, as well.

While the emphasis of this guide is decidedly on the outdoors and on planning a Massachusetts vacation that takes you to the lesser known attractions that the state offers, it is actually one of the most comprehensive and delightful guides to the region available. While many travel guides contain the obligatory paragraph on each historic attraction and sightseeing venue, the Adventure Guide to Massachusetts & Western Connecticut artfully leads the traveler to those awe-inspiring, stimulating, and unique excursions that are likely to make for a most memorable trip. Detailed maps, black and white photos, cute graphics, and sidebars on special events, kid-friendly and accessible spots, recommended reading, and more break up the text and make it easier for the reader to find terrific tips, even when simply skimming.

In just a quick flip through the book, I uncovered a bed & breakfast just for women (Little River Farm in Worthington, MA, 413-238-4261), a cemetery famous for its art and sculpture (The Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston, 617-524-0703), and a horseback riding outfit on the beaches of Cape Cod (Nelson's, 508-487-1112).

Dugger's enthusiasm for sharing the region's best treasures percolates from every page, and as I've spent time reading her detailed descriptions of everything from trekking with llamas in Great Barrington to sea kayaking in Plymouth Harbor, I've been constantly compelled to ask myself what in the world I'm doing here on the couch with a book when all of these adventures lie just a short drive away!

If you live within easy driving distance of Massachusetts and Western Connecticut, Dugger's Adventure Guide for this region will provide an ever-flowing stream of inspiration and encourage you to explore the wonders we sometimes overlook. And, if you're planning only a short visit to this part of the world, the guide will ensure that your moments in Massachusetts are among your most exhilarating and enjoyable.