Newspapers Books

Compiled and organized by Elaine Morrison Fitch, The 1848 Boston Cultivator: Marriages, Deaths, And Miscellaneous Readings presents articles abstracted from the Boston Cultivator weekly newspaper, carefully arranged in chronological order for the year 1848. A straightforward presentation accurately indexed for quick reference, The 1848 Boston Cultivator is a superb primary source for genealogists, historians, and non-specialist general readers curious to read anecdotes of life and death in a bygone era of American history.

This book is a terrific read for the history buff! Reading the stories truly brought 1848 America to life for me. It was nice to have all the information in chronological order as you read through them. There is a wealth of information in this book. It has a huge index with over 8,000 names making it easy for those people researching family histories. I particularly enjoyed reading the articles concerning westward expansion. It is incredible to relive those moments recounted in this book. An enjoyable and informative read!
Highly recommended to anyone interested in history, society or genealogy. Can't wait for her next one!

This is a truly excellent resource for anyone doing research on this time period, you just cannot find this information anywhere else. There are thousands of names in it. This book has birth, marriage and death announcements for the entire New England area for 1848. I found the stories so interesting, actual accounts of shipwrecks, fires, accidents and crime as they were reported in 1848. I highly recommed this book!

I've been interested in old magazines for a few years now, and have been looking for a helpful price guide. I just bought this, and I highly recommend it. There's a lot of information, not just about the magazines most of us are familiar with, but also about many lesser knonwn older magazines that have great value due to authors who published their early work in them--e.g. Edgar Allen Poe. It's not just helpful information as a price guide, it's very interesting reading! Lots of great color photos also. I looked through another magazine price guide in a bookstore, and this one is much, much better.

I picked up this book to learn more about vintage ads and magazines I was interested in. I was pleasantly surprised that not only was the book a complete guide to magazines but had great analgoies and stories the "editors" wrote within.
Great information on a subject that seems to be little explored.

When we moved into our 1920's home,we found boxes left in the attic filled with old fashion magazines. My husband was ready to trash the lot, but being of the pack rat variety I found a home for them in my office.

With the help of The Antique Trader Vintage Magazines Price Guide the door was opened for me to the world of old magazines. The beautiful color photos helped me to easily identify my boxes of "trash" and give them a value.

Most important, the love affair the authors have for magazines comes across in their historical entries. The unique way they organize collectible magazine people into Sleepers like OZ artist W.W. Denslow or Stars like F.Scott Fitzgerald makes me want to haunt local yard sales. My major problem with the book was that I became so fascinated that I wanted more. The book could easily have been double in size and information and kept my interest as both a reader and for use as a desk reference. With what I've learned, our next home will hopefully be an 1890's Victorian with a basement full of Godey's Lady's Book magazines.

If you haven't yet met Phryne Fischer, what are you waiting for? This is a fun series with an independent, unique heroin. Check them out!

_away with the fairies_ is part of one of the most consistently well-written mystery series i know, and i've been reading mysteries for many many years.

the historical facts are always fascinating, the characters are well-drawn individuals, the writing is always first rate, and the mystery here, as in the other titles, won't be solved by the third chapter. the description of the meals phyrne's cook produces are enough to cause weight gain. and the humor can produce anything from a slight smile to a loud guffaw.

i'm thrilled to see that greenwood's current publisher has brought the series back to the states--the first three were published here in paperback in the early 90s. i enjoy them so much i finally ordered all the other ten titles in paperback from australia--in spite of the extortionate postage. now that i can buy hardback editions from amazon, i'm a very happy reader. i think other mystery readers will be equally happy once they try this wonderful series.

When Marcella Lavender dies, a guilty Detective Inspector Jack Robinson asks private detective Phyrne Fisher to determine whether she died of natural causes or was murdered. Marcella came to him a few weeks ago, showing him threatening letters she received and he told her not to worry because poison pen letter writers usually don't do anything violent. Now he is second guessing himself and wants a second opinion and there is no one he respects more for getting to the bottom of things than Phyrne.

Miss Lavender was a writer who produced many books about fairies and was the advice columnist at a progressive woman's magazine Women's Choice. She also has an unexplained monthly income from the Marshall & Company. Nosing around Ms. Lavender's work place and apartment complex, Phyrne learns that she was not well liked and when the autopsy reports show she died of cyanide poisoning the sleuth dives into the investigation with enthusiasm in part to get her mind off her lover Lin Chung who is in a dangerous China currently wracked by turmoil.

AWAY WITH THE FAIRIES takes place in 1928 Melbourne starring a rich, young independent heroine with an adventurous spirit who doesn't believe that women should be held down because of their gender. She has the respect of the crusty Detective Inspector and mixes with people of all social classes. The brilliant private investigator makes this tale hum as historical who-done-it readers will take delight with her inquiries into an unpopular victim with several individuals having motives and opportunities but without knowing which one would actually kill. Kerry Greenwood makes it impossible for the audience not to like the charming Phyrne or her investigations.

Harriet Klausner

What a wonderful book of one of the greatest comic strips!* Beautifully produced on great stock, the book is a gem! Besides the tremendous early strips there is much info on Mort Walker's life. You can't go wrong, especially at Amazon's great price. And like the Peanuts reprints there is more to come. A great Xmas present!!!

* Hopefully this book will get great distribution as today's Beetle Bailey is woefully unfunny. Beetle should have been retired 5 to 10 years ago. Why Walker didn't is - to me - a major mystery. Young people who know who know the strip only from the last few years will not have fond memories of it as, today, it is just another forgettable strip.

A beautiful hardcover collection of the first two plus years of Mort Walker's seminal comic strip "Beetle Bailey". You can really see the love and care that went into the production of this collection,of which I can only hope is the first in a long line of "Beetle" reprints.Some nice extra features also--a brief biographical essay about Mort and the birth of the strip,and as the reviewer above states alternate and rejected strips (including one in which Beetle removes his hat and his eyes are visible!!). A wonderful book that I highly recommend to anyone who considers themselves a conisseur of comic strip history.

I've just finished reading this book. A jewel, indeed. This 1950 - 1952 collection gathers all (every single one; even the rarest ones) strips created by genius author Mort Walker. You get to see Beetle Bailey (Spider) at college and his first years at Camp Swampy. Every strip with some side comments (as first appearances), also rejected strips and altered ones. The first pages gives you a glimpse on Mort Walker's early years as Beetle Bailey creator. Every strip is dated accordingly with newspaper date release. Also Sunday pages included (Black & White). Precious big sized hardcover book, printed in top quality paper.
I sincerely hope to see further years published (like the Peanuts series). That would be something...2 books per year, each with 3 years compiled.

This is quite an interesting guide for those seeking for innovation in newspaper design. What makes it so interesting is the fact that it's assembled with pages and pages of newspaper desing around the world.
Good choise if browing for a change in your paper.

What's the matter with newspapers these days? Not enough creativity, put simply. blah, blah, blah. this is THE book that will get those creative juices going from the very first glance. Gorgeous format photography (the eager and well-sighted can even read the articles) encompassing designs from around the globe, gloss paper and well written guidelines consolidate a book that is a pleasure to view and a pride to own. In previous years I have found it is not wise to lend - it takes ages to get the blessed book back!! A genuine and completely worthy investment, and absolutely recommended.

Julie Jansen: Freelance Journalist, Brisbane, Australia. Email: julie@journalism.com

I bought this book because I wanted to see the world's best newspaper designs. What I got is more than expected. Now I know what makes best newspapers. It's a combination of a lot of things. There are lessons to be learnt although the book is not a manual. Newspaper designers, editors, photographers and art directors better work together hand in hand to produce the highest quality newspaper or else.... I found that european newspapers are superb in the combination of news, art and design. What more can you ask if they can blend them so well in a newspaper. The American newspapers fares equally well with a combination of news and photos. For the Asian and the Pacific,... they had better catch up.

This is a very good read. The book tells the story as to how the press in the USA covered the Holocaust. In doing so it explodes a lot of myths concerning the alleged lack of knowledge about what was happening to the Jews. Newspaper after newspaper from The New York Times on down had articles about the persecutions and murders. Yet they were never emphasized properly and were often relegated to the back pages. Rarely did they ever make the front pages. It was almost as if the nation preferred not to know. Many factors contributed to this; anit-Semitism, isolationism, American skepticism. The American government also contributed to down playing the news. The three most prominent villains in this were: Assistant Secretary of State Breckinridge Long ( anativist), Assistant Secrteary of War John J. McCloy (who said that if the USA bombed Auschwitz the nazis would be "even more vindictive") and Congressman Sol F. Bloom who headed the House Foreign Affairs Committee (and was referred to by Stephen Wise as "the State Departments House Jew"). There were reporters who did their jobs well who constantly emphasized that anti-Semitism was a "raison d'etre" of National Socialism however they were in the minority. This book along with David S. Wyman's "The Abandonment of the Jews" are the two best books on the subject. William D. Rubinstein's "The Myth of Rescue" is a poorly written book that contradicts itself over and over again and is a book for peopel who think that FDR could do no wrong.

This book gives great insight into the way in which the American press treated the holocaust. While often overlooked, the press handled the holocaust in a manner that many Americans would be ashamed of today. This book is unique in that no other book i know of has delved as deeply into this area. In addition, Dr. Lipstadt is a truely unique and knowledgable expert on the holocaust.

This book should be required reading for all jounalism college majors who intend to "tell the whole truth." If the present doesn't reveal the truth then history will.
Ms. Lipstadt did an incredible job of researching and tying together huge numbers of old newspaper articles and putting them together to tell the whole story chonologically and coherently. She showed the hypocricy of the press in calling for "something" to be done (after they could no longer deny atrocities were happening) then fomenting opposition to allowing anymore refugees into this country. They could have cited, "there are almost half a million immigration visas available, bring them in."
She also shows the hypocricy of the British press who also called for "something" to be done, then when the war was over and surviving Jews were trying to get into British Mandate Palestine, there was no cry from the press, "We didn't do anything then, but now we should not hinder them in immigrating to their homeland." Of all nations, the Brits are the most culpable because they had control over The Land, and instead of allowing walking miracles to start new lives, they hindered them with all their might,preventing surviving Jews from coming in before and during the war, then sending them to Cyprus after the war; shooting them down as they tried to swim ashore after their ships had been fired upon sunk, and the French sent those survivors on "The Exodus," back to camps in Germany. With every cell in my body I want to cry out, "How could you??"
Thank you, Ms. Lipstadt for gathering painful information and putting it into such a gripping account.

I enjoy books about the Civil War. This was a great way to learn about the war from the people who were watching it. Nowdays, we have wars such as the Gulf War on television. Here were the folks who HAD to be your eyes and ears. This would be a great book to have high school classes read as a comparison to seeing a film about Vietnam or Desert Storm, just to see the contrasts. History classes in American History and Journalism would also benefit. For the general public, unless you are interested in these topics, it is a lot of detail to absorb.

From the Kansas City Star Magazine, (October 10, 1999) "The love-hate relationship between the newspapers and the men who fought in the Civil War is just one of the subjects of Brayton Harris' Blue & Gray in Black & White: Newspapers in the Civil War . . . [In an interview, Harris said] "Before the Civil War, the newspapers in the United States were primarily opinion sheets for their editors. By the end of the war, they had actually become newspapers in the way we know them today. . . .One thing that came through is that nothing really has changed except technology . . . the media works the same way today that they did in 1860. Reporters do the same dumb, or brilliant things. Publishers sometimes put profits above ethics then and they do now.'"

From the Washington Times (October 2, 1999) "Mr. Harris' book is a compelling account of how the Civil War led to the emergence of the press as a power on the national scene. It gives fresh insight into how a cast of visionaries and tough reporters -- along with some rogues and crackpots -- used that power to shape the way the nation viewed the war the and for all time . . . .This book is the first full treatment of the subject of press coverage of the Civil War since a pair of books by J. Cutler Andrews nearly two generations ago . . . Readers may be distracted by some of the author's digressions . . . [but] the value of "Blue and Gray in Black and White" outweighs any quibbles. . . . Journalism is viewed as the disposable first draft of history. What Mr. Harris' book makes clear is that taken as a whole, the work of combat correspondents created a record of the war that has formed our perceptions and fueled our imaginations ever since." --

Jock Lauterer is one of the best journalists that I've ever met. Don't let the fact that he focusses on small town newspaper work fool you...he has a wealth of knowledge to share with this book that ANY sort of young journalist should read about.

I am fortunate enough to be one of Lauterer's students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he has proven to be a true inspiration. His dedication to his work is absolutely contagious!

This is a little treasure for any journalist. Upon returning to the field after a 30-year sabbatical, Lauterer's 1st Ed. of same title became my "refresher" textbook -- and much more. It reinforced my own sense of ethical responsibility, which Lauterer describes in terms of human decency. Lauterer, now a UNC lecturer, melds pedagogy with practical magic wrought from his own personal experience in the boonies. Holding four college degree, I have read many textbooks -- This is undoubtedly the most readable. If you have any interest in journalism, you'll find this a worthwhile read.

This is a terrific book for any aspiring publisher considering trying to improve their community by starting a weekly newspaper.

As a former magazine publisher and journalist for a Gannett-owned weekly newspaper I can speak with some authority regarding this book - buy it, read it, ponder it, then read it again and again.

Jock Lauterer writes from experience and does a great job on getting you to understand the world of local news reporting - there is no comparison with the media giants so forget about lumping yourself with greats such as Dan Rather or Walter Cronkite or Barbara Walters.

At the community level, though, it is you who will be setting the agenda that will evolve into next year's headlines!

Actually, every once in awhile you will be the first to report on something that later does become of national interest - in 1980 the little paper in Powell, Wyoming reported of the discovery of a long-thought extinct Black-footed ferret near Cody, Wyoming. In 1990 I wrote a small blurb regarding Iraq's invasion of Kuwait that became the defining and deciding issue of a congressional campaign in Oregon.

You will especially appreciate the lessons learned described in Chapter 20 - Two case studies of community newspaper start-ups. Lauterer gives a good narrative on two occasions in which he started community newspapers - one a stunning success, the other less successful but not at all a failure. His honest appraisal of the latter serves as a good reminder to anyone thinking about trying to invest their life savings and their soul in their ideals - Bill Anderson.

Excellent book. Massive in size, in detail, in coverage. This doesn't read AT ALL like an inspirational 'you-can-do-it-too', but is instead a honest, workmanlike manual. It's rare to get so much value for money.

James Russell Publishing; we had some marketing problems stalling sales. After we read this book two of our books ranked #1 in sales worldwide. That should tell you just how powerful a book this is! We also found distributors in the book which proved very profitable. I'd say this book is not worth the money sold for; it's worth $50,000 because that's what we made shortly after reading the book applying the advice and leads. If you want to become successful in publishing, this is the book to read!

Whether you already publish or you're just thinking it, this book should be on your desk. Avery Cardoza takes you step by step through the world of setting up your own publishing company, and how to make it a success. Layouts, printing, marketing, saving money, it's all here. Among the books I have purchased on the subject I can honestly say I refer to this book the most.

One of the most personal efforts ever produced by the Walt Disney Studios was not an animated movie for the masses, a big box office live action adventure, or even a theme park. It was the work they provided for the soldiers, sailors, and airmen of World War II. The studio animators under Walt's direction provided free of charge the design of over 1,000 original artistic logos for the armed forces. These were used on individual planes, tanks, and ships for their crews. They also helped design unit insignias for organized armoured units, air wings and squadrons, infantry units and others. These requests were sometimes funneled through the official military channels, but more often came in a letter sent from overseas signed by a bunch of American young men. Most often the boys would send in a rough sketch of what they had in mind, or asked to use a certain animated character they favored. Other times they let the studio come up with whatever they wanted, and the artists often created new characters on the spot. No request was too big or too small, the animators completed every job. These designs were incredible and inspiring works of art, not something dashed off in a hurry.

This effort began when early one morning a fews days after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, the phone rang at Walt Disney's house. The Studio called to tell him that 700 army troops had set up camp at the Walt Disney studio campus, in order to protect the nearby airfield. The long war hurt the Disney company many way, including the loss of key staff to the armed forces, reduction in commercial output and attendance, and cuts in overseas theatrical releases of their films. Despite these issues that could have caused resentment of the wars interference in Disney growth and success, the company dove in to do their part to support the war effort.

Whether it was in producing great war time comedy animated shorts such as "Der Fuhreres Face" to keep up the public morale; or educational films to teach soldiers how to operate a certain weapon or avoid disease; or deeply researched theory films like "Victory Through Airpower"; or animated shorts that promoted war bonds... the studio worked overtime to do their part. The logos and unit insignia are a big part of that effort.

The beautiful color photos reproduce the actual designs in page after page of color photos. A wonderful book for the Disneyphile, OR for those that are just interested in high quality unit design artwork from planes, etc. from WWII.

Also see the book "Donald Duck Joins Up: The Walt Disney Studio During World War II (Studies in Cinema)" to get a more complete picture of all the other combined efforts of the studio during the war, including the logos in this book. In order to see the logos themselves, the book on this page features more of them than any other book.

A great book filled with dozens of pictures. Disney designed over 1,100 insignia during the war. This book pictures some of the best. Check out toonsatwar.com for more info on the Disney Studio's involvement in World War Two.

I am a military insignias artist. I have been recreating military insignias on leather for over 18 years. The Disney artist have created some of the very best military art work in the world. This book has some of the many terrific designes creaded by the Disney artists. I have been fascinated with the Disney art work ever since I had lunch with Walt Disney as a young boy.