Connecticut Books

I have paddled the entire Mass-Conn length of the river and the only book I brought with me was this one. I found it to be an invaluable tool. I am now using The Complete Guide in preperation for another lengthy trip on the Connecticut. This time we will kayak 175 miles from Moore Resivoir to Turner's Falls. This book is well researched and provides phone numbers, take outs, put ins, camping sights, available water sources, and points of interest. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have questions regarding my previous trip or my upcomming one

This is a wonderfully readable book about the history of the Connecticut River published in 1947, before the river got cleaned up at all. Mr. Hard covers everything from an overview of the geology of the River to its discovery by Europeans and its settlement, first by the Dutch and then by the British. He writes of crossings (ferries and bridges) to some degree, of the first steam boats (before Fulton!), and quite a bit about the decline of the fishery. This is largely a history book about the Connecticut River Valley, and I highly recommend it for those interested in this topic.

This is an excellent depiction of Connecticut for the resident and non-resident alike. From Connecticut's stone walls and quaint farms to its colonial images and modern aerial views, this book gives a good pictoral sampling of the state. Just enough text to keep it interesting and to inform the reader of some little-known Connecticut facts. One detriment, though, is that the book (copyright 1989) has a few "dated" photos in it. Aside from that, it is an excellent book for one to get a flavor of the natural and man-made beauty in this small state

In introducing the Constitution State (home of the first written constitution adopted in the United States) in the first chapter of this volume in the From Sea to Shining Sea series, Nancy Furstinger talks about how Connecticut welcomes visitors to the New England region. I had not thought of that before but it makes sense (especially since I started with Maine in this series and Connecticut is my last stop in New England, so just reverse the path and it all makes sense). If you have been to the Great Hall at the Peabody Museum at Yale (page 60) or Dinosaur State Park near Rocky Hill (page 17), then you know that there are lots of dinosaur skeletons and footprints to be seen in Connecticut. Furstinger asks what else comes to mind when you think of Connecticut and after a listing a few possibilities, proceeds to give you more to remember next time around.

The geography of the third smallest state is covered in the second chapter, The Land of Connecticut, which divides it into five distinct regions, and also looks at the Rivers and Lakes, and Climate. The biggest chapter is the next one, Connecticut Through History, which begins with the dinosaurs, continues through the Native Americans, Dutch Explorers, and English Settlers, to the colonial period. Connecticut's Constitution gets its own section, as do the Industrial Revolution, fighting slavery, and the world wars. The next chapter covers Governing Connecticut, briefly looking at the three branches of government before taking a tour of Hartford, the state capital. The accompanying map of downtown Hartford shows that the Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe houses are neighbors, and how to get from the Old State House and State Capital. The last chapter is devoted to The People and Places of Connecticut, where Furstigner looks at what working people do in the state and then takes her young readers on a tour of th state, giving a good idea of what there is to see in each region. This is also where we get the book's recipe for Hartford Election Cake (it has raisins in it and the original receiper made a 90 pound cake).

The history is a strength of both this volume and the series, especially in comparison to what you will find in other series. But Furstinger also covers the basic geography issues as well. In addition to the main topics the book is filled with informative little sidebars as well. Questions are raised in Find Out More sections (e.g., Why does the ground groan as it settles?), What's in a Name? covers origins (e.g., Middlebury's town meeting house is 10 kilometers from Waterbury, Southbury, and Woodbury), and Famous Firsts lists just that (e.g., the first U.S. amusement park was built in Bristol in 1846). Extra! Extra! adds interesting footnotes (e.g., Connecticut once had two capitals), and Who's Who in Connecticut provides mini biographies (e.g., Harriet Beecher Stowe, Katharine Hepburn). These are just the sort of interesting tidbits that can help punch up your school report on Connecticut. There are also color photographs or historical illustrations on most of the pages that usually match up nicely with the subjects under discussion.

When you get to the back of the book there is a two-page Connecticut Almanac, which covers a whole bunch of basic facts concerning highest and lowest elevation, origin of the state name, and various state symbols. Furstinger then provides a Timeline, with Connecticut state history on the top and U.S. history on the bottom (Dutch explorer Adriaen Block arrived in Connecticut seven years after the first permanent British settlement at Jamestown, Virginia). There is a Gallery of Famous Nutmeggers, including Marian Anderson, Dorothy Hamill and Mo Vaughn amongst others, and a Glossary of key terms from "commemorate" to "reservoir." If you need to go somewhere For More Information, there is a page of web sites, books, and addresses right before the Index. From Connecticut we continue heading east, leaving New England and entering New York.

Connecticut was one of the first areas settled by Europeans at the dawn of the modern era. For that reason, it is rich in history. And its role during the Revolution is extremely crucial to an understanding of us as a nation. This great little book will explain it all

The "Portrait of America" series is a wonderful and concise introduction for pre-teens to all of the fifty states and to the places and events that shaped the history of the United States. This "Connecticut" installment is particularly good. The book is broken down into sections like "History", "Culture", "Economy" etc., and each section is thoughtfully written and edited. And this edition is loaded with several beautiful photographs. The "History" section is my personal favorite, mostly for its coverage of Connecticut's colonial era.

This book, as well as the entire "Portrait of America" series, will prove to be a valuable teaching tool to all primary school educators.

This exceptional cookbook was compiled by dozens of Hartford Conn area women and justly beat out 115 other submissions in the only national awards program honoring cookbooks. Recipes, which are clearly laid out, represent Connecticut's colonial heritage as well as many cultures which came later. There is a great index, nutrition and wine info, a nice little intro to each recipe; suggested menus; "local color" pages explaining such things as shipboard cooking and seacoast traditions; color illustrations look like colonial stenciling; plastic comb binding lets book lie flat; microwave conversions for most recipes; nutrition/calorie info, prep time for each recipe; a great all-round cookbook for reasonably prepared food. I haven't found a "clunker" yet in the wide variety of recipes I have tried. Broad range of standard fare and more exotic foods nicely displayed within each category. Would be a great shower gift.

This is a well written and informative book that brilliantly details many of the wonderful things Connecticut has to offer. A++++

As a former resident of CT, I find this book over the top funny! Rocks shows a well known part of CT society that has nothing to worry about on a daily basis except what pill to take and when the next social gathering will be held. This book is a must read for anyone who lives in Fairfield county, or lives in the rest of the nutmeg state.

Great book for those who wish or are police officers in the state of ct. You need to know the laws in the state before you can tell whether or not they are breaking them!

Who would have thought that Connecticut was a mining center in Revolutionary War times. Easy reading and a treasure trove of rare old photographs of CT mining. Immersive.