New Hampshire Books

People who love lighthouses know that the Maine coast is dotted with lighthouses and that this portion of New England is a lighthouse lover's paradise. LIGHTHOUSES AND LIFE SAVING ALONG THE MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE COAST is a must for East Coast lighthouse lovers. The book is similar to Claflin's other books on lighthouses and life saving in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. It is filled with older photographs of the places and people involved in this way of life. Readers who have visited the lighthouses and life saving stations of Maine in recent years will be amazed at how remote some of these locations once were. The small commentaries that follow many of the pictures helps create a sense of history of these bygone days. This book helps recreate the romantic appeal of the days when lighthouses and life saving stations were in their glory, but a reader will also get a sense of the dangers and sacrifice involved on the part of those who dedicated their lives to this service.

Today we visit historic spots like Colonial Williamsburg and Plimoth Plantation and we take their configurations for granted. If their buildings were not already standing when decisions about preservation or re-creation were made, then someone had to determine exactly what originally stood and where. To those of us who haven't given it much thought, we might not understand what that process entails. In fact, the field of historical archaeology is relatively new, having developed during our Baby Boomer lifetimes.

One-time window washer and handyman Roland Robbins was an unlikely figure in that occupation, having neither high school diploma nor advanced degree. After he uncovered the exact position of Henry David Thoreau's house at Walden Pond in the mid-1940s, he began to make a career of digging around historic properties, unearthing what had been covered by soil for decades. His work contributed to the restoration of the Saugus Iron Works in Massachusetts, the Philipsburg Manor Upper Mills in New York, and other mostly northeastern sites. While Robbins' meticulous note-taking has proven to be a researcher's delight, his intrusive excavation methods and personal disposition didn't always make for good relationships with his colleagues. According to Linebaugh, Robbins had a habit of abandoning a dig whenever he encountered insurmountable disputes with local officials or others associated with the place. He was a good lecturer, was charismatic and had a great sense of humor; but he wasn't what we would now call a team player. (In all fairness: It seems only natural that an archaeologist would feel some connection, even ownership, of a site after he put so much of himself into the work of revealing its footprint and operational purpose.) And when the realm of historical archaeology grew to be dominated by academicians, Robbins was left out on the edge as a mere "Pick and Shovel Historian," in spite of his past successes.

This book offers a look at one person's career as considered from the greater view of an evolving professional community. It makes for an educational and enjoyable read, not only for devoted Thoreauvians but also for anyone interested in American history, historic preservation, cultural anthropology, or archaeology.

I purchased this book after meeting Steve. I really enjoyed the fact that it was written by someone who lives in New England. The plot was exciting and kept you wanting to read more. Never really a dull moment. Good Book for "New Englanders" as you can relate to much of what is going on as far as the way of life.

Color Sgt Buffum did a workmanlike job. He captured the movement history, but also the life and times of the soldiers in his unit. His sections on their ties with home, their actions under fire, and the magnificent accounts of the historical events they witnessed makes this a good research source.

Rather than being a dry account, with names, dates, places, and actions, this was an account of morals, urges, fears, hopes, loves, and the full spectrum of emotions of the infantry soldier in his many duties at war. One cannot read the section on music and the soldier without a surge of emotion. The section entitled "boxes" draws an "awwwwwww" and a shared feeling of the love bond with home that was the lifeline for many.

The history was there: Sheridan and the Opequan, the procession of Jeff Davis on his way to prison (I stood on the corner from which the author saw this.), the guard duty in D.C., and along the Potomac with Moseby raiding their supplies. There are the expected tables of wounds and casualties. He wrote some of the personal histories of some of the officers and men.

If you want a Civil War book that takes you there, this is it. -CW3 John Buffum, Great Great Grandson-

This is actually standard Micheline guide
You can use as well as attraction descriptions as tourist paths

With an emphasis on hiking, canoeing, bike trails and camp sites, this guide to beautiful spots in New Hampshire is a fine resource for recreational travellers with or without children. Divided into seven regions, each regional chapter discusses ecological and wildlife aspects in addition to a varied number of featured scenic places -- the coast (12), Monadnock (14), Merrimack Valley(11), Lakes (20), Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee (12), White Mountains (10) and the Great North Woods (8). Entries are about one page and contain directions, activities and contact information, including phone number and web site address.

The book concludes with an appendix of the state's "green" organizations, educational centers, and resources for maps and guidebooks, and an index.

I find the book is useful but not exhaustive, and would have rated it lower due to the total lack of maps, but the environmental/wildlife information is a welcome addition to the text. Only one general map of the state is included -- a real weakness.

The woodland trail descriptions contained in "Nature Walks" are excellent and very well detailed. My only major complaint with the book is that the directions given to arrive at the base locations are NOT accurate. I have used this guide on two trails and both times I found street names to be wrong, and measurements to be off greatly. The book does not differ between dirt and paved roads, so bring the book, but also bring a map. On a more positive note, I felt my hiking experience was greatly enhanced by the information in the book.

Of course the most memorable landmark in the beautiful state of New Hampshire is no longer around. During the night of May 3, 2003, the Old Man of the Mountain slipped off of his perch on the side of Cannon Mountain. The five granite ledges that made up the natural stone formation had been held in place by steel cables and turnbuckles, but the effects of erosion finally claimed the chief symbol of the state of New Hampshire, now immortalized on the back of the state quarter and probably millions of photographs. A newspaper account of the Old Man of the Mountain represents the memorable landmarks that Steven Otfinoski lists among the sundry quotes in this book's introduction that talk about "What New Hampshire Is..." There you will find P.T. Barnum, Stephen Vincent Benet, and Robert Frost talking about the state. Then Otfinoski gets on to celebrate the oldest state that is also one of the most modern in six chapters devoted to basic topics.

(1) The Lay of the Land, looks at the geography of this New England state, and while it does not devote specific sections to each geological region as some other series devoted to the states do it does lay them out and cover climate, big trees, wild animals, and the state's pollution problems. Sidebars are devoted to key topics such as Mount Washington and Dealing with Deer, another ecological concern. (2) A Proud Past begins with Thomas Hill's painting of Crawford Notch and then gets into the original inhabitants and early explorers of the region. The emphasis is a bit more on how the third British colony in the New World became a state, providing a quick survey of New Hampshire's history in the 20th century. One of the signatures of the Celebrate the States series is that you will find music and lyrics for a could of songs in each volume and in this chapter we have "The Old Granite State," which the Singing Hutchinson Family of New Hampshire used to open their concerts of anti-slavery songs from the 1840s through the Civil War (e.g., "Yes, we're friends of Emancipation, And we'll sing the Proclamation").

(3) The Democratic Way, combines a look at the state government and the 221 "little republics" as the state's towns are often referred to, with a look at the modern economy that has earned the state the nickname of "Nouvelle Hampshire." The uniqueness of the state in have neither a state income tax or general sales tax, in being the site of the first presidential primary, and being the only state not to have public kindergarten for all five-year-olds are highlighted. (4) Natives and Transplants looks at the uniform population of the state, touching on education, religion, and some of the things they do. The book's recipe appears in this chapter and while Otfinoski says, "Don't knock it till you've tried it," I will pass on the idea of pumpkin milk shakes.

(5) Notable New Hampshirites highlights one of the strengths of this series, which is providing young students will details about famous peoples from each state. President Franklin Pierce, U.S. Representative and Senator Daniel Webster, sculptor Daniel Chester French, astronaut Alan Shepard, teacher Christa McAuliffe, documentary film maker Ken Burns, and author-illustration Tomie DePaola are profiled in this chapter. (6) A Grant Tour, covers the state's landmarks, starting in the southern region of the state with the Robert Frost farm and the Cathedral of the Pines, moving on to Central New Hampshire with Lake Winnipesaukee, and ending up in the north where the Old Man of the Mountain once was the lord of all he surveyed.

Otfinoski provides more information in the back of the book, beginning with a State Survey that explains the flag and seal, lists all of the state symbols, and provides some key geographical facts. You will also find the words and music to "Old New Hampshire," the official one of the nine state songs, a timeline that runs from the 1600s to 1990, and a calendar of celebrations that highlights the likes of the Mount Washington Valley Chocolate Festival, Frostbite Follies, and the Candlelight Stroll at Strawbery Banke. State Stars adds the likes of Josiah Bartlett, Mary Baker Eddy, John Irving, J.D. Salinger, and George Hoyt Whipple to the previous mentioned famous people. Finally there is a list of key places to visit when you Tour the State, such as Castle in the Clouds and the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium.

The back of the book is one of the strongest parts, and if you want to know more about New Hampshire there is a list of books about the state in general and special interest topics to go along with a couple of videos and a trio of Internet sites that young students can check out. The third and fifth chapters are the strongest, especially in comparison to other competing series that will tell you more about the geography and history of New Hampshire. This Celebrate the States book is illustrated with full color photographs, along with some historical etchings and paintings in the history chapter. You will find the basics covered here and get an idea of what else there is to find out about if you need to do additional research for a school report.

If you're interested in this sort of thing as I am this book could be of great value however the price is unreal. I have a CD that does much the same for the entire country at a third the price of one state however this book is MUCH more accurate and shows county boundaries that only occured for as little as three days. The CD is also easier to use. That said I'll likely ask for the book as one of those Christmas presents I wouldn't buy for myself.

We have found this book to be a great way to talk about nature & using your imagination with our boys. Our boys say that they enjoy it too. The photos are clever, imaginative, fun and very well done! It is a great book for all ages. It could be a kids' book or a coffee table book. Enjoy!