Delaware Books

George Holmes, a former investigative reporter with Jim Tayoun's "Public Record" newspaper, did a thorough job of digging up the history of the River Wards - neighborhoods on the edge of the Delaware River including Fishtown, Kensington, Port Richmond, and Bridesburg. Holmes concentrated more on Fishtown and Kensington than the other River Ward neighborhoods.

The SEPTA archives proved to be an invaluable tool in reconstructing the history of the area, with the construction of the Market Frankford Elevated (the "el," for short) being a major milestone.

I never knew, or had even heard, that there was a 12 foot excavation on the corner of Lehigh and Kensington Avenues. Why the city of Philadelphia decided to do that will forever remain a mystery.

A thorough history for the once-industrial stronghold of the "River Wards."

This is the best "field" guide on Philippine Birds I've seen so far. I've quoted "field" because the book is too big to bring with you for birdwatching. The color plates are numerous and can give you an idea of how the birds look like. Though, I would prefer real pictures over colored illustrations. Nevertheless, this book is the best buy for Philippine birdwatchers until a book with real pictures come by.

The only experience better than reading John McConnell is seeing him speak on this subject in person. Mr. McConnell illustrates why reducing variation in products and services is the key to managing quality.

McPherson's research of Elizabethan England's views on contemporary Venice does a fine job of providing that context. Although his specific focus is on the Venetian setting of Volpone, Othello, and (of course) The Merchant of Venice, I also found it helpful as an additional way of putting the recent book and film focused on Veronica Franco in its proper historical context.

A frequent flaw of research into a time period that I've noticed is the overspecialization in either the literary or the historical side of that research. McPherson seems to do a better job than most in balancing the two. I hope others are encouraged to follow his lead in this respect.

I can't say I have never heard of Gary Gentile, but this is the first and only book I have from this particular author. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. I live in the UK and whilst I have no plans whatsoever to visit Delaware or Maryland, it is books like this that can make anyone change their plans and simply turn up with all their diving gear.

The book is laid out just as a book about the shipwrecks of any given area should be laid out. Under each vessel's name we have those technical details which divers are seeking more and more these days. Then we are treated (and some of the stories really are a "treat" to read) to the story of the vessel's final moments. There are 30 wrecks featured which include an "African Queen" as well as a "Poseidon." But it is the book itself which is the greatest adventure because the greatest part is that not all the wrecks have been found. Just as ancient maps of unknown areas carried the words "Here be Dragons" so this book carried the message "Here be virgin wrecks."

If I was living on the coast of Delaware or Maryland I would start my next search and research project by reading this book and then visiting all the appropriate museums, libraries and other institutions for further information before getting stuck into some very serious diving.

If you have any more of these books Mr Gentile - please let me know.

NM

Slavery took place in Delaware while its men fought with the North during the Civil War. While most blacks in Delaware experienced a degree of freedom, there were still a large number of closely guarded and controlled slaves kept by owners in the state. This scholarly, sometimes data-heavy book recalls the rarely-examined and somehow contradictory life of slaves from the time of Dutch colonization to the end of the Civil War, using historical records including family records, financial reports, bills of sale and the words of free, indentured or enslaved blacks from the period. This is an important work that illuminates an issue of war that was far more complicated than the uniform subjugation of a race. It talks the lives of people under sometimes conflicting laws within a neutral state with southern heritage and northern leanings, with die-hard abolitionists and powerful businessmen who required slaves to keep their businesses running and, in turn, the Delaware economy moving. Many of the great national issues that tore the country apart during this period are experienced and dealt with in the microcosm that is the First State. This book is a necessary part of understanding Black History in America and I strongly recommend you read it.

This book was invaluable for my comarison of germinal and LesMiserables. it gives the reader enough background on the subject thathe or she can understand even without a english degree. i would highlyreccomend it END

The author, Theodore Sternberg, builds a case that five 20th century novels are epics: Sholem Asch's "Three Cities," Olivia Manning's "Fortunes of War," Paul Scott's "Raj Quartet," Edward Whittemore's "Jerusalem Quartet," and Lawrence Durrell,'s "Alexandria Quartet." He spends a lot of time comparing them to Tolstoy and Homer.

I think of an epic as a tale of noble and heroic deeds and, frankly, the books on that list that I know best don't live up to that description. Manning's "Fortunes of War" has an epic background of World War II, but the characters are small and insignificant in the context of the war; Paul Scott's "Raj Quartet" comes closer to being an epic as it also has the vast background of the last days of the British Raj in India. But its characters, again, are hardly those of whom songs will be sung by future Homers. I enjoyed much of the author's analysis of the novels, but he had no need, in my opinion, to lump them together as "epic."

The Manning and Scott books are excellent, whatever you may choose to call them. They are lengthy, ambitious, novels of quality. In "Fortunes of War" we see a marriage and a society of British expatriates on the run from the German advance in Romania, Greece, Egypt, and Palestine. In "Raj Quartet" we experience a minute examination of a single event -- the rape of an English girl -- as a symbol of the tension between British imperialism and the Indian independence movement -- also against a background of World War II. Both are distinguished by unforgettable -- but hardly heroic -- characters. If you are looking for long novels to read, you might wish to read this book to see if you are attracted to the novels the author describes.

Asch I haven't read, Durrell I haven't been able to read, and I have only read the final novel in Whittemore's quartet. I may pick up and try again "The Alexandria Quartet" as it seems to me that I should enjoy it.

Smallchief

Just getting started in a local UGR coalition and this is great background. Easy to assimilate but clear, consise information.

I bought the 1993 edition while I was living in Central NY and can only comment on the Central NY listings. I found the format easy to skim through and the maps/directions extremely helpful. All the information you might want is included--phone numbers, hours of operation, genres sold, etc. Occasionally the description of a store's offerings was not quite right, or the place in question no longer existed, but such changes can happen when there are several years between editions. I intend to buy the edition for NC once I get moved in.