Maryland Books

Tom Flynn has compiled a wonderful array of vintage photographs telling the story of Baltimore's colorful baseball past. I am not a baseball fan but still enjoyed this book. Fan or not, no one can deny that baseball plays an important part in the American story. Tom does an excellent job of telling Baltimore's slice of baseball history.

Wonderful book recalling Baltimore baseball, especially during a time of innocence in baseball history. Interesting facts, photos and a great start to the book with the forward by Examiner writer Sean Welsh. Bravo!

One of the best books I have read on the military court-martial process during the MaCarthy/Cold War era. Very revealing, especially regarding unlawful command influence.

Everybody knows about Gen. George Patton and his Third Army, but few people have heard of Gen. Robert Grow and his 6th Armored Division. Grow's 6th AD was one of the units that was responsible the success and fame of the Third Army.

You might expect General Grow to return from World War II and enjoy accolades and well-deserved retirement. Instead, he was court-martialed and railroaded in the 50's, and at least one of his persecutors was a fellow general with whom he had a conflict during the Battle of the Bulge.

Author Dr. Hofmann has produced a meticulous study of the case and the events leading up to it, and provides a disturbing look at Pentagon rivalries and politics.

...this book is a culinary and historic gem. I am fortunate enough to own a first edition of this highly entertaining collection of recipes and folklore, not to mention the copious illustrations, and believe me, I don't keep in the kitchen with the workaday cookbooks! It is my personal favorite among my many books about food (which are different than cookbooks) Yes, it is surely politically incorrect, but that's the way it was, and we can't change history. Those of us who delight in the wonders of Maryland ccoking and the eccentricities of the Maryland (Baltimore) personality will be higly rewarded. And the recipes are good, too! To quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes, to whom Stieff dedicated his book, "Baltimore...the gastronomic metropolitis of the Union... Why don't you put a canvas-back duck on top of the Washington column?...Why ask for other glories when you have soft crabs?..." Any lover of culinary lore will treasure this work.

I can't believe that this book is coming out in reprint. This is a marvelous look at the food of Maryland in the 1930's. From this, however, some of the foods to be found in here - like terrapin (turtle) - are not to be found in the Maryland restaurants today, but some - like the Crab Cakes Baltimore - are made just as they are nowadays. I lived in Maryland for 20 years and reading these recipes gives me fond rememberences. These recipes were gathered by Stieff by talking to people he met in his travels and writing down what they had to say. These were never published before, and hence are an important historical document from the times. The reason I can't believe this book is being reprinted is that it would never pass the politically correct standards of the '90's if being printed as a new book. It (at least the original hardcover edition) is printed with cartoons to make it entertaining to read. Here's 3 of them: (Picture of an old woman talking to a fish merchant at his counter) Woman: "I don't like the looks of this 'ere 'addock." Merchant: "Well, if it's looks ye're after, lydy, ye'd do better by the goldfish !" (Picture of an old black gentleman in glasses and a beard) Man: "Chickens, suh, am de usefulles' animal dey is. Yo' can et dem befo' dey's born and after dey's daid". (Picture of a middle aged black woman with a corn cob pipe talking to a black preacher) "Parshon, Ah'd like to kill dat low-down husban' o' mine." "Why, Car'line, what he done ?" "Done ? Why, dat hunk o' black trash lef' de chicken-house do' open and all de chickens has gone." "Why, Car'line, dat ain't nothing to get worried about. Don't you know dat accordin' to de gospel of Luke and John dat 'Chickens Come Home to Roos'!' " "Come home ! Why, Parson, dose chickens'll go home." I know this is authentic because this is exactly how my grandfather used to talk. In spite of, or maybe because of, this down homeness, I still love this book. The recipes are authentic and good, and reading it will send you back to the time of the 30's. Just remember to take a deep breath before re-entering the '90's

Very well written and informative book of one of footballs' greatest teams. The Colts were a Baltimore icon, and this book is wonderfully descriptive in regard to how the club formed, the winning tradition, and the fateful day they left a heartbroken town. A must read for any Baltimore Colts fan! Also contains great pictures of memorabilia.

My Dad grew up in Baltimore and played football for Loyola High and Johns Hopkins University. We gave him this book for Christmas last year and he loved it - a wonderful gift for bringing back memories.

I am the animal care specialist in our park. We recently added a few new sunfish to our aqarium. In trying to ID them I was confused at the pictures in your book on plate 133(mud sunfish) and on plate 146 (redear sunfish). Could they be possibly mis labeled? Other than that the book has been extremely helpful.

Excellent field guide! I have netted fish with Rohde and Arndt on numerous occassions in South Carolina, and this book was good as gold! The authors accurately depict each species, its habitat preference, and where exactly they occur in the states covered. This book is very easy to read for anyone. This is a must have for anyone serious about fish in the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. The pictures are rather good, as any wildlife photographer would know that fish are among the hardest to photograph as they constantly move and lose color when stressed out. -Anthony J. Chodan

Today we think of baseball as almost a gentleman's sport, with only occasional outbursts over disputed calls. In the late 19th century, however, the Baltimore Orioles epitomized the rough and tumble aspect of the game, and turned it from "baseball " into "basebrawl".The life of an umpire in that era was a very stressful one, with only one man assigned to cover the entire field, and be subjected to scorn and abuse, and often physical danger, from not only the players, but from the "cranks" (that's what fans were called then, and perhaps it's a very apt name). This well-written book tells the story of the 1897 season, that came down to a fight for the pennant between the "outlaw" Orioles, and the "gentlemanly" Boston Beaneaters. There is an almost day-by-day account of the season, and it's quite captivating to the reader. Once the main tale is finished, the author gives some brief summaries of the further careers and lives of a few of the participants. Some went on to further acclaim and eventual enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and some died suddenly and tragically, often by their own hands. This is a story of a bygone era when the "sport" of baseball was more of a war than a game. It's fascinating reading, and I highly recommend it.

This book covers the 1897 pennant race between the Boston Beaneaters and the Baltimore Orioles, or the Bostons vs. the Baltimores. Baseball at this time in its history was, indeed, a game of brawl. Players fought on the field, there was rowdiness among fans, umpires exchanged punches with players, oftentimes without penalty, and teams took turns seeing who could invent new profanities to hurl at one another. Games often had only one umpire, two if it was of special significance, and players took advantage by cutting corners while running bases while the lone umpire wasn't watching. With a runner on base an umpire would position himself behind the pitcher to better make calls on the bases. Games were played on ill-kept infields, and players literally kept their eye on a ball and suffered injury. Treatment for a swollen closed eye was leeches to draw out the blood. Boston sent their Royal Rooters contingent to Baltimore to cheer on their heroes, chief among them, John Francis Fitzgerald, better known as "Honey Fitz", grandfather of our late President Kennedy. The book primarily covers the 1897 pennant race between the Beaneaters and Orioles, won by Boston. The top two teams then faced off in the Temple Cup series since there was no World Series at the time. The final section of the book covers what happened to several of the participants, many of which ended up in Baseball's Hall of Fame. Some died from consumption (tuberculosis), Chick Stahl and Patsy Tebeau were suicides, while Marty Bergen murdered his family and then slit his own throat. One drawback for me in the book was too much of a play-by-play from one game to the next as the season is covered. The game of baseball was going through a chaotic time during this period with ineffective leadership in the league, and a thorough cleansing was necessary. If you are interested in this period of the game's history I would recommend this book to you.

I really liked this book. If you are into the paranormal , then this one is for you. The book also gives you some history about Maryland.

Ed Okonowicz, the premier chronicler of ghosts, ghouls and all things of a paranormal nature in the Mid-Atlantic region has given his fans another gem with this wonderful book of strange happenings from the Old Line State. A master storyteller, Mr. Okonowicz has lined up a lovely set of spooky tales from across the entire state of Maryland and has presented them in his usual masterful manner.

Long time fans of this author will recognize some of these stories from his previous books but there are also plenty of new stories to be found along with some new twists to the old stories. Okonowicz is a man who is well versed in and fond of his subject matter and that is apparent in his writing. He does an extraordinary amount of research and a goodly number of interviews with people who have had encounters with the phenomena he writes about and his work is a cut above what many other authors in the genre turn out.

I have come to expect great things from this author and this book doesn't disappoint in the least. The stories are very well written and once you pick up this book you will find it hard to put down. Not only will you find some of Maryland's creepiest haunts in this book but you will also learn about Maryland's very own sea monster, the goatman, and the Halloween outhouse antics in the town of Rising Sun. I think my favorite story though is the story of headless Bigg Lizz.

As an added bonus this book contains a listing of resources containing the web addresses of some of the places mentioned in the book along with several very interesting looking ghost tours. The author also provides a detailed bibliography, which is a rarity in this type of book. Whether you are a believer or a skeptic this book would provide for an enjoyable evening's read, especially on a cool crisp October night. Just don't read it when you are home all alone.

This book is a collection of Gallagher's essays published elsewhere. In this format however, they take on an added dimension and explaination of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and its commander, Robert E Lee.
Gallagher begins by examining Lee's Maryland campaign, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and the army's campaigns in 1864. His conclusions on the Battle of Gettysburg and its effects on the Confederate home front are particularly interesting. He concludes that the battle was not the overwhelming defeat to the Army of Northern Virginia and the Confederate home front that it would later be portayed as by historians. He makes the argument that the loss of Vicksburg was seen as a vastly bigger loss and Gettysburg was more seen as a small defeat or even a victory because of Meade's failure to chase the Confederates in retreat.
Gallagher also includes an interesting essay evaluating the claims of some historians that Lee was not fighting a modern war with modern tactics and if he had done so, the Confederacy would have been better off. He ably demonstrates that indeed Lee did understand the difference in technology such as the minie ball and its impact on strategy and tactics.
However, the best essay is Gallagher's essay on the Lost Cause "myth". Gallagher explains that many of the claims that were later associated only with Lost Cause historians such as Jubal Early or Douglass Southall Freeman, were actually developed during the war and immediately following the war prior to any claims made by Early and others. Thus some of the "myths" such as the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Union as part of the central cause of the Confederacy's defeat, is actually true. He draws the wonderful and correct conclusion that to dismiss the Lost Cause myths in their entirety does a major disservice to the historical profession and that discussing those Lost Cause claims that do have a basis in fact is not in fact giving any legitimacy to any neo-Confederate point of view concerning the centrality of slavery to the origin of the Civil War.
The one quibble, and the reason I gave this book four stars instead of five concerns Gallagher's essay "Fighting the Battles of Second Fredericksburg and Salem Church." I really couldn't find a point as to why this essay was included in the book, unless it was to demonstrate a hard and fast friendship link between Early and Lee that Gallagher does build upon in his essay on the Lost Cause. However, I still think the essay about Fredericksburg really doesn't belong in this format.

With the skill of a surgeon, Gary W. Gallagher dissects the myths and legends surrounding Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia, past and current, to reveal a fascinating new look at the "marble man". Positioning himself squarely between the Lost Cause proponents and the current pack of revisionists, Gallagher relies on primary sources (newspapers, diaries and letters of civilians and soldiers, official correspondence) and careful, well-reasoned analysis to discover the real truth surrounding Robert E. Lee, and in the process lands an effective blow worthy of the general himself upon both sides. Gallagher's claims that Robert E. Lee was indeed an able proponent of modern warfare (though I would dispute the term modern) and also a capable administrator fully capable of being as strict or lenient with his subordinates as the case required breathes new life into the continuing quest to discover this fascinating man and effectively destroys the myths held by both sides (ironically enough, both sides often seem to wind up arguing both sides of the same coin) that Lee was first of all a member of the landed Virginia gentry far too short-sighted and stuck in the past for command of the Confederacy's main eastern army as well as being far too gentlemanly to deal strictly with subordinates. In fact, Gallagher presents Lee, through his own words and letters, as a man fully aware of the forces arrayed against him and as one who from the beginning knew full well that the Confederacy needed to marshall all of its resources in order to win the war and gain independence and that tough decisions and hard sacrifices would be required, and that a strong government would be required to take charge in order to ensure this was done and coordinate everyone's effort. Also, the idea that Lee "bled" his army to death (the fact that Lee's army at the beginning of the 1864 Overland Campaign was basically the same size as it ever was seems to have escaped the notice of many) also comes across as rather weak thanks to Gallagher's fine research. The weakest argument Gallagher refutes is that Lee's myth was wholly created after the war, and he does this by proving most emphatically that Lee and his army were indeed the primary source Confederates looked to for hope as well as the national symbol of the Confederacy (much like Washington's Continentals) worldwide. The fact that the main part of Grant's thrust against the South hit here against Lee proves this as well. However, do not mistake Gallagher as a Lost Cause proponent in disguise; though he defends the points Lost Cause proponents make that are actually rooted in fact, he spares them not his swift, sharp sword in pointing out the concerted effort to preserve and protect the memory of the Confederate armies, and Lee in particular, by shaping history through their own eyes. Also, he cuts like a knife through as many of their arguments as those of the revisionists, who, in their zeal to cut through the myth of the Lost Cause (and rightfully so, since we must be as objective as possible) often go too far and wind up rejecting legitimate conclusions and research in favor of their own modern myth. In conclusion, Gallagher, the good professor has taught us all a valuable lesson; look not through the lens of your own eyes to view history, but search ever more diligently for the real facts and take nothing for granted. Though I'm sure we all carry our own biases (I fully admit my admiration for Lee, and I fail to see how anyone can remain truly and completely aloof), we can all separate ourselves, at least partially, from our opinions in order to get at the facts and reach reasonable conclusions, as Gallagher has so beautifully done. Good job, Professor Gallagher.

Really interesting book. I originally bought this just as a guide to learn more about the folks that live in our back yard like the opossums, raccoons, skunks and others who frequent our bird feeding areas. But there's so much more in here. I had no idea we had so many different moles, voles, woodland rats and mice, for example. Also animals that I didn't realize were here like weasels, fox squirrels, minks, and others. Bats are covered here too which was a treat. For each animal there's a color photo, a description of the animal, distribution and abundance, a map of its range, habitat, and natural history. I was especially interested when I first opened the book and flipped to porcupines - I knew they had all been killed off in VA but there's a neat description of them as well as info on the occasional sighting that has occurred. Really a great book - I'm so glad to have found it.

It's a hardcover, so not the most comfortable field guide to throw in a backpack, but I don't have any other complaints about this book.

Animal profiles are accompanied by excellent color photographs, basic statistics about each animal (distribution, habitat, abundance, etc.), and a shaded map outlining just where each animal's distribution is. Entries for each animal are detailed enough, but don't seem to go on so long that a person would lose interest.

One more gripe: pictures of the animals feet, so that pawprints could be identified easily, would have been a welcome inclusion here. The Simon and Schuster's Guide To Mammals, by Boitani, is an inexpensive book that includes this feature. It might be a helpful second book to get on the topic.

It's an exciting book for young naturalists, too, who will likely get stirred up just by seeing some of the photos (star-nosed mole, northern flying squirrel, big brown bat, etc.).

Essays on conservation, the region, and tips on observation precede the main body of the book. The essays are short and well-written. They should be helpful to anyone who wants to scout out some mammals in the Carolinas, Virginia, or Maryland.

ken32

Ed Gertler is as reliable as GOD

The book Maryland a Delaware Canoe Trails is written in a very usable form with all the required information to get you to river and tell you what you will see and get you home. Great book.