Virginia Books

Excellent for my summer program! It should teach children to be proud to be from the state of Maine. It also teaches children to be proud of their heritage, no matter what it is. We have Coon cats visiting us at the library. I can't seem to find any information about the author and would like to know more about her, where she is from etc. We have other books by her and are certainly keeping them as I see they are out of print.

This childrens' book about the life of a sea-going Maine Coon Cat should be in the library of everybody who loves Maine Coons. Delightful illustrations and lovely story.

I haven't actually read this book, but I'm leaving a review in response to a review. As a Marshall fan, I find the irony in the fact that WE "can't read" but an obvious WVU fan gave this book 5 STARS, then basically said illiterate Marshall fans love it. Classic! :) I will now purchase the book simply because of the 5 out of 5 review it just received.

Marshall grads can't read. And considering that only they would find this book enjoyable, it seems as if a lot of time was waisted.

Every elementary and middle school in America should have a copy of this book on their shelves. It is an endearing, autobiographical tale of a young girl growing up in the Texas Hill Country during the 1930s-40s.

At the center of the story is the making of a blue satin headboard by the beloved Momma; however, along the way, the reader learns of the day-to-day life of the farming family during the depression and before the advent of electricity.

The author is very successful in relating the story from the perspective of a young, innocent, and impressionable child. Through her eyes, we learn of using kerosene lamps; sewing feed sack dresses; having only cold running water; cooking and baking on a wood burning stove; making blood sausage, bread, cream, butter, cooked cheese, and molasses; participating in school Christmas pageants; and using the infamous outhouse.

We also learn of the grueling daily routine of all the family members (especially of the mothers and fathers). There is the washing routine on Mondays; the ironing routine on Tuesdays; the house cleaning and family bathing routines on Saturdays; and the resting, church-going, and visiting rituals on Sundays. Although their lives were hard (by our standards), there was always laughter at the kitchen table and lively conversations on the porch in the evenings.

I've read this book twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. The steady discipline and the German-American work ethic were prevalent throughout the book; as was the wonderful, unconditional love of the little girl's mother and father.

When electricity comes to the farm, one can almost feel a sense of loss - although electricity made life easier, there was a loss of the simple, self-sufficient, rewarding, and family-based life that this author experienced. It is important these experiences and feelings be documented, so that future generations can experience them too - and that is exactly what this author does.

The author includes many photographs throughout the book of the items and places she describes. She completes the book by recommending related classroom and internet activities.

Even though I previously recommended this book to elementary and middle school students, there are many others who would enjoy it - those who lived during this period (it is always fun to reminisce) and those who would like to know more about this period of American history. I will definitely be giving a copy of it to each of my grandchildren. I think that it will generate many fun and informative conversations.

See the Victoria Advocate for this entire review. It is wonderful and goes to the very heart of this book. The review was written by Reese Vaughn and says this: "...I JUST CALLED HER MOMMA, by a former elemenatry school librarian, is more than a children's book...it's a celebration of rural life that prompts readers to reflect on the way families once lived and worked together. Bill Nelson's photos of practical farmhouse objects remind me of Neruda'a lines in Odes to Common Things: "beauty is beauty twice over and good things are doubly good when you're talking about a pair of wool socks in the dead of winter..."

This was a great book! It is my all-time faveorite book, and I loved it! I take it out of the library all the time, and read it over and over again. I never get sick of it! Go Vriginia Vail!!

One of the best books I have ever read. I recommend this book to all horse lovers and non-horse lovers! Vail has done another outstanding job.

By reading the brief introduction one gains insight into the struggle that Terry Lowry and Stan Cohen endured during their research for this work. Had it not for their intro the reader might have come away believing poor quality reproductions were used in compiling data for this book. Many of the items used in this work were from private collections, some of which were too expensive or not open for publication by the authors. Given the cost of reproduction these days, mirrored with the advanced age of the material used, both authors have come together to put fort an excellent work involving the war in West Virginia.

Even though some of the images are fuzzy the presentation of the material lends itself as a valuable resource for the modern day historian. The book reads well and is actually quite durable for a paperback. It's traveled back and forth from home to Antietam National Battlefield, more specifically Bloody lane, and has stood the test of traversing the fields.
From "Secession" to "Carrying on the Memories" the book flows smoothly through the various transitions of the newly formed state, giving the reader an excellent account of the turmoil of becoming a state. Many actions in regards to statehood via images, sketches and maps are now seen in print for the first time.

With over 450 photographs, drawings, maps and images this book will fill the bill for many West Virginia historians. The authors even note that more material has been unearthed so the possibility remains for a Volume II on West Virginia. As it stands, this is a well-written and researched work on West Virginia and the authors have done a beautiful job in putting the material together in such an interesting manner. Whether you hail from West Virginia or California this book has interesting snippets involving the Civil War for everyone. I highly recommend this book to fellow enthusiasts and civil war Buffs alike.

This interesting volume contains hundreds of images of West Virginia made during the time of the Civil War, and includes photographs, sketches made by soldiers, hand-drawn maps of battle fields and camps, and drawings that originally appeared in newspapers of the day. The book does not try to give a history of the war in the state, but rather arranges material by type of image: photographs, soldier art, civilian art, newspaper sketches, and broadsides. Some of the most intriguing items include the hand-drawn maps already mentioned (one by future President Rutherford B. Hayes), the lithographs of Corp. John Nep Roesler, and, of course, the many different photographs of everything from natural landmarks (Hawk's Nest) to regimental poses to towns and locations (Gauley Bridge, Harper's Ferry). There is not a lot of text other than captions accompanying the images, although there are some lengthy official documents thrown in. One particularly useful inclusion is a listing of all the battles, engagements, and skirmishes that took place in West Virginia during the war. Not an absolutely essential book to have in one's Civil War library, but what it does, it does well and in an interesting manner.

My one year old son who has tons of books picked this one up at the libarary and we had to buy it! He absolutly loves it and has to hear it time and time again. I have it memorized!

Ba wants to play with George. George, like the typical busy parent, is too busy to play right away and needs to finish chores first. When George finally has time to play Ba surprises him with what he wants to play! A good life-lesson for us all! Super cute!

Hoskins' book is engaging and enjoyable for the history buff, although if your looking for a lot of politically correct pablum this book isn't for you because it deals with some subjects that aren't always understood. "In the Beginning..." is written in an easy to follow manner and covers ancient religions and characters, tying them in with the international trade cartel (ITC). Hoskins focuses on the teachings of Hinduism and how they influenced religious and international trade policies down to the present day. Overall it's an excellent and uncommon historical account.

For those who seek a greater understanding of global governance and the machinations of the International Trade Cartel, this book is a Must Read!

In it Hoskins displays a brilliant comparison to the Russia under Soviet rule and the feudal Russia of old - the names and faces were changed, but it remained the same with the near totality of the populace remaining mere serfs.

From the very start, Hoskins captivates your attention, with this opening passage:

"In the Holy Land during the Wars of the Crusades, crusaders defended a seaport being besieged by Muslims. The seige had lasted almost a year. The fighting had been violent, many had died.

Suddenly, trumpets sounded. Instantly the fighting stopped. A camel train appeared, one camel plodding along in front of the next - a long line stretching back into the distance. The Arab armies parted; the gates to the city opened, the drawbridges dropped. One after another, camel after camel - an endless chain of camels plodded into the city. Two thousand of them.

It was a smaller camel train, all that was left of 20,000 animals that had arrived at a terminal city inland and been divided into smaller trains and sent on to their final destinations. On the back of each animal rested a cargo so precious that it could have made a man rich for life - if he could but seize it. But few tried. Those who tried and failed were punished with a painful death.

Once in the city the camel drivers directed their charges through twisting, narrow streets down to the harbor. There their cargoes were off-loaded by sweating stevedores who re-loaded them on waiting Christian ships . . . As soon as the last ship had departed, the Saracen ships re-established their blockade, the camels departed, the gates closed, the drawbridge raised, and arrows began to fly and large rocks again were catapulted against enemies as the fighting recommenced."

This really is a very nice book, with fabulous photgraphy which makes the book worth every penny of its price. The book was written just before the admission of women to its school, and therefore focuses on it being an all male school.

One of the things I loved about this book is how contemporary it is. Normally when I have picked up books on military colleges, the author spends pages and pages going on about the schools hisotry and its early formation and those who were involved in it. A miniscule amount of time is spent looking at the lives of cadets and how the school is structured (such was the case with Drawing out the Man, a historical book by a VMI grad). Fortunetly this is not the case with the Institute. The book looks at the lives of Rats (first year cadets) as it is right now and their transitions through the school.

This book has also taught me how far VMI has come. VMI is not afraid of positive making positive changes. Unlike another somewhat infamous military college. VMI will shed some of it more archaic traditions in order to be welcoming to others (There were several shots of multi-ethnic cadets). The school has seemed to shed some of its old emphasis on worhipping the Confederate Old South. And has now turned into a school dedicated to educating young people and building them up with character and fortitude. Which in my eyes is what makes this school truly great and unique.

I am too old to attend VMI now, but if I could I would quickly enter.

Rah! Rah! VMI

This is a very impressive book. The photography is exceptional, and the reproduction of the images on these pages is of high quality. You can practically count the individual threads in the cadets' coatees. I was also pleased to find that the captions accompanying the photos tend to explain what's happening in them, or at least provide some sort of context to the images.

An explanation of the Ratline and the phenomenon of Rat year is an essential component of any book about VMI, and Geoffrey Norman's text does a fine job here, too. This book was produced with the cooperation of VMI itself, and that access shows in the detail and thoroughness with which the VMI experience is explained. It may well be true that nobody who hasn't been through the Ratline can ever truly understand it -- but within those limitations, I feel like I have a much better grasp of what is involved, and what it all means, than I did before.

Certainly this book would make a fine gift for a VMI alum, or something he (or she!) would like to get for themselves. VMI parents and friends would get a lot out of it too, as would students and parents thinking about attending the Institute. I've been doing what I can to find and read as many books about "the I" as possible, and so far this is one of the, or perhaps THE, very best. I don't see that evaluation changing any time soon

Intermediate Cantonese is a great textbook to upgrade your knowledge of Cantonese, a language spoken by over 100 million people in southern China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong and Macau) and among many overseas Chinese. It's very didactical and quite easy to understand. Cantonese is not easy to learn, but the book makes it pretty easy to learn.

This book is an excellent sequel to: "Basic Cantonese: A Grammar and Workbook" by the same authors. It (and its predecessor) are the best sources I've seen as far as really explaining how Cantonese works. There has been some other good material published in recent years for Cantonese learners (I give high marks to "Colloquial Cantonese" by Tong and James and "Teach Yourself Cantonese" by Baker and Ho) but this is the best treatment of Cantonese syntax I've come across- having worked through it I now feel confident that I can speak good, authentic Cantonese. It is written from a linguistic point of view but it is so well-organized and the material is so neatly presented that even someone without much linguistic background would find it a help. There are some comparisons made with Mandarin usage which are interesting and helpful to someone who learned Mandarin first (as I did) but previous knowledge of Mandarin is not assumed or required. A further plus: Lots of contemporary vocabulary. If you think you'd like to be able to say: "The boss has sexually harassed her" "My daughter is giving me an attitude again" or "very soon one will be able to get on the Internet via mobile phones" look no further!

Comprehensive, well-written resource on the Tredegar Ironworks. A must for anyone interested in iron production in 19th century Virginia & more specifically Tredegar Ironwork's role in the Confederacy. A great book for those interested in Richmond history.

This book is the history of the biggest iron works that existed within the territory of the ill-fated Confederate States of America, focusing on the period of the Civil war (1861-1865).
The Tredegar Iron Works were largely the creation and the "thing" of Joseph Reid Anderson, a West Point graduate, and the course of their respective lives are difficult to separate. However this book is not a biography of Anderson but a complete industrial history of the company before ( it was created in the 1840s as a partnership), during and after the Civil War ( it still existed when the author wrote his book, in the 1960s, but what about 2003 ?). It examines in detail the questions of markets, production, transport, political lobbying, finance, labour force and raw materials, i.e all the practical aspects of the company's life. The contents are largely qualitative rather than quantitative; this is not "economic history" in this meaning of the word but "industrial history"; numbers illustrate the subject as much as other material, they are not the subject.
The author was able to draw upon an extremely extensive documentation on all those aspects, which contributed enormously to the outstanding quality of the work.
As said before, the status of Tredegar as the biggest if not the only sizable iron works in the South in 1861 give its history a special meaning. The Tredegar made nearly all the large guns that were used by the confederacy and were not either imported through the blockade ( a limited portion only) or captured from the US army ( essentially in the first two years of the conflict). It also made the armour for the famed Ironclad CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimac).
As such, its history shows very clearly the challenges facing the confederacy in its struggle against the much mightier Union. It shows how inadequate were all resources available to the South combined with policies applied by the confederate government. Of particular interest are the subjects of raw material shortages, crumbling railroad networks and industrial slave labour. The bibliographical essay at the end of the book will also be very useful to anyone interested to dig deeper into the subject of the industrial economy of the Southern Confederacy. Other books have been published afterwards that certainly also deserve a look. For more info please refer to my review of " Confederate Industry" by Harold S. Wilson (published in 2002). Reading a book like "Ironmaker to the Confederacy" can also lead to look for information about confederate finance, confederate shipbuilding, confederate railroads, confederate armories. Excellent books are available to cover those very interesting subjects.