Vermont Books

I stumbled on this delightful collection and enjoyed it thoroughly. Ms. Sullivan has assembled a treasure trove of Vermont lore that will charm any lover of New England and its history.

Vermont, meet Greece!

In her latest book, the fourth in the Yannis Lavonis files, Fan Vardamis weaves the timely and the timeless into a spellbinding story. Vardamis' knowledge and understanding of world affairs allows her to skillfully blend ancient history and modern events to cast an exciting and occasionally amusing light on human nature and our attempts to live together in a reasonably civilized way.
As the story unfolds and is presented from the perspective of very unusual and well drawn people, we are absorbed into it through realistic dialogue, well-flowing narrative, and delicate description of relationships and the beauty of Vermont's seasons and scenery.
The cast of protagonists who meet in Vermont - Yannis and his family to recover from injury suffered in Greece, Vermonters pursuing their lives, some of them working winter sport tourism, out-of-staters bent on carrying out a wildly risky scheme - also includes Middle Easterners, Africans, and Austrians, not to forget a remarkable K-9 officer called Calvin Coolidge.
Wise, Greek-god-like Yannis, living and working in America on his sabbatical from the Athens police force, builds a bridge between nations and allows those of us, less traveled, to better understand our own lives led here-and-now. There are untried ways of creating solutions that others can teach us, as they can learn from us and our ways.
The denouement of the action thread will catch you reading furiously, unable to put down the book . . .
Fresh and exciting, this book goes far beyond the typical page-turner action story. The quality of writing entices the reader to ponder how similar human problems are across time and age.

If you like to read Sharyn McCrumb, you will find in this book the same sense of place and story telling.

this is an enjoyable read for children and adults. It is here that I learned that Samuel de Champlain was the first white man to shoot an Indian, that Remember Baker lost his thumb in a fight for property rights, and that Vermont was the first state to forbid slavery in its constitution. The book mentions Vermont's ethnic (Black, Finish, Welch, Indian...) populations, and it reviews women's rights and contributions. It praises :( Act 250 as a model for controlling rural development. Yet, with all this 'grown-up' information, this book IS enjoyable for children and the stories are appealing. The book is very well arranged, so choosing a topic is easy. Line drawings in the margin encourage imaginative thinking and 'bookmark' information. There is an index, timeline, bibliography, and a list of interesting Vermont facts. We have used this book to teach Vermont history to five of our children (3rd and 4th grade level). I will continue to look for interesting, readable Vermont history books, but I HIGHLY recommend this book for reading by both children and adults.

I'm in the midst of planning a wedding in Vermont from my home in Philadelphia. This book has been exactly what I needed to do the long-distance research to find reception sites, photographers, videographers, florists, DJs, etc. Each chapter of the book has a few pages of information you could find in any other book or bridal magazine: how to set up a budget, announcing your engagement, who will pay for the wedding, how to choose a vendor, etc. The book's real value, for me, was in the lists of vendors (especially photographers, videographers, florists, DJs, and bakers) which was something I was surprised I couldn't find much of on the Internet. Each vendor has a one-page description and contact information including address, phone number, fax number, and website (when available). There are 65 reception sites, 3 beauty salons/spas, 8 bridal/tux salons, 5 bakeries, 11 caterers, 32 ceremony sites/churches, 5 consultants, 6 rental companies, 5 favor companies, 6 florists, 6 gift registry stores, 4 invitation stores, 14 DJs and musicians, 14 photographers/videographers, 3 transportation rental companies, and a long list of guest accomodations, rehearsal dinner sites, and honeymoon sites. There are also tables of monthly temperature averages and sunrise/sunset times, contact info for Vermont Chambers of Commerce, Vermont marriage laws, maps of the state, and more. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone planning a Vermont wedding, especially from out of state. (Tip: Chambers of Commerce can also provide a lot of helpful information)

This is the Bible for the St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County RR. It took me months, many phone calls and internet searching,as well as having a small army of friends searching to find a copy of it but when I finally did it was well worth it. There are tons of great pictures. The book has the history of the RR. It also lists the equipment,when it was used and when it was retired. It has a list of the stations and the industries it served. It also has a chapter on the Hardwick & Woodbury RR which was connected to the St. J. To find this information in other sources would cost you tons of time and money.If you are interested in the St. J&LC this book is a must for you.

As a lifelong Vermonter, now wintering in Florida, this book is a "must have" to remind me and my family of the special quality of life in the Green Mountains of Vermont. The book is a well written history of the state and includes splendid photographs of diverse scenes throughout the state.

Vermont: A History (States & the Nation Series) I didn't read this book, I listened to it via audio books for the visually impaired, and I would have to say it is one of the finest works of storytelling I have ever heard.
Imagine yourself sitting in the den of a rustic log cabin, the fireplace is crackling, the lights are low and the sun has just set over the frosty horizon. It is winter and snow sits on the hemlock trees like icing on a heavily decorated wedding cake. Before you sits a Vermonter and as you sip your after dinner coffee, he tells you about his state and why he lives here. Moreover with this tale, you learn about the Vermonter, how he came to be who he is, how he is different from those who come from other states, and why that difference is important to him and to all of us. THAT is what this book is!
Definitely give this book a read. Or, better yet, a listen, and learn for yourself, like I did, what it means to be from Vermont.

I have this book in addition to others about Vermont, but this is one of my favorites. Beautiful glossy photos, lots of Autumn ones, and he divides it into Seasons. I've been to Vermont a handful of times, and I look at this book a lot because it brings back such great memories. Get it- you won't be sorry!

Okay, so why give it 5 stars if it's not "outstanding"? Because it's about Vermont, and Vermont is perfect. That's the rule. Objectively, I'd have to give the book 4 stars.

This book is an ideal coffee table book because it contains only pictures with very little accompanying information aside from the caption. Obviously all of the pictures are aerial, but some are focused on a small area -- like a building or bridge -- and others are of landscapes. Most of them were apparently taken after foliage season and throughout Winter; I would've liked to have seen a little more seasonal diversity.

My favorite picture is on page 79 because I hope to have one of those myself someday.

My least favorite is, unsurprisingly, on page 27. For some reason Feil has a tradition of including a shot of an auto salvage yard in his books, but I thought it took up the space where a good picture could be.

Overall, Feil (and Rooty) do a nice job of capturing some unique moments in a one-of-a-kind place.

Strickland captures the very marrow of these early New Englanders, who epitomize the American characteristics of ingenuity, self reliance, and "luck, pluck, & drive" that build today's strong nation. These earthy oral histories reveal the drives of men and women who were responsible for propelling America forward. Like Huck Finn, these characters are genuine. The book fills the reader with pride in America and it inspires new energy---to finish our work well done.

It's an inspiring book to enjoy for one self or to buy for a friend. VERMONTERS is universally appealing to Americans living in any state. I highly recommend this wholesome and cheerful book about the undaunted American spirit.