Ohio Books

Return Jonathan Meigs Ward had killed before. Having gone undetected the first time, the temptation to do so again was irresistible. "I was myself surprised that a life could be taken with so little disturbance," Ward confessed.

However, in 1857, when he murdered his wife Olive in their small home in downtown Sylvania, it became quite clear to him that covering up this crime would not come so easy. He busied himself with destroying any sign of her and came up with a story that he ultimately could not keep straight. While he butchered her up and burned pieces of her in his stove, residents became suspicious.

Author Gaye E. Gindy spent many hours transcribing old documents and newspapers to bring the story of Ward's life and Olive's grisly murder to light. Olive was clearly a victim of domestic violence. She put her children under the care of others because of Ward's ill-will towards them and having left Ward, she confided in friends and family that Ward was surely going to kill her if she returned. Indeed, upon hearing that she would return for her trunk and clothing, Ward confessed that he fully resolved that Olive would never leave his house alive.

Murder in Sylvania, Ohio: As Told in 1857, is a true account of this murder, committed by Return Jonathan Meigs Ward. It chronicles how a small community in Northwest Ohio brought justice to a man the Toledo Blade believed to be "one of the most hardened criminals that ever stretched hemp."

John Vacha's The Music Went 'round And Around: The Story Of Musicarnival tells of the Musicarnival located in a Cleveland suburb where one John Price Jr. decided to open a unique summer theater. His venture was one of the last commercially legitimate theaters in Cleveland and had a capacity of 2,500, presenting eight to ten shows each summer. From his successful seasons and resident people to his involvement in packaged productions and his strong following, the story of Musicarnival comes to life in a vivid recollection.

John Caputo investigates the claim of many modern philosphers that Heidegger became a mystic in the latter part of his life. Caputo performs a careful analysis of this claim by looking at the writings of Heidegger as they relate to a true German mystic, Meister Eckhart. Does Heidegger's relationship between being and Being equate to Eckhart's soul and God? Does his use of "Gelassenheit", a term of Eckhart's meaning detachment, show a common belief? Caputo's book works on many levels. It brings together two of the great "book ends" of Germany philosophy, spanning the 14th to 20th centuries. And, just as Caputo does a wonderful job of conveying Heidegger's thought, so, too, he captures the mysticism of Eckhart. It was this which actually appealed to me more, and I believe the book can be an excellent introduction into the thinking of one of the greatest mystics of all time -- Eckhart.

This book is must reading for those going to Namibia who want to learn more about Namibia's recent history, particularly the liberation struggle and all the various parties involved in it. You'll learn a lot about church influence, how SWAPO leveraged the international community, about tribes in Namibia, re SWAPO's treatment of Namibians in Angolan internment camps, about South African rule of Namibia, etc.
I'd recommend reading Ley's "Histories of Namibia" before this book. It contains direct interviews from some of the people Leys talks about in the "Liberation Struggle" book and helps one gather a stronger understanding of this period.
I learned so much from "Namibia's Liberation Struggle"! It's great history, political science - all in a very readable format.
Paul

In this book, James Phelan shows very effectively that writing fiction means writing rhetorically and with clear intention. Phelan covers major elements and aspects of the process of understanding and enjoyment of fiction: author's voice, audience, point of view, narrator, etc. To analyze how great authors build their readers' understanding of their work, he uses some of the best known texts in literature--works by Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and others. This books is useful for those interested in exploring ways in which fiction authors construct our impressions of their works and who want to understand that a work of fiction would not affect us unless the author has crafted it in a masterful way. After reading this book, teachers of literature and writing will see common points of interest.

This book is not for the faint of heart! The essays are dense and compact and have a LOT of information. I have learned a lot in the reading I have done so far, though. I am using it in a graduate level class and, like I said, have learned a lot.

In Narrow Gauge In Ohio: The Cincinnati, Lebanon, and Northern Railway John W. Hauck tells the fascinating story of a small railroad in Southwestern Ohio.

The railroad was founded in 1888 as a local narrow gauge railroad built to supply rail service to the highlands in between the Little Miami and Great Miami river. It never becomes overly profitable, it never has a huge amount of traffic or becomes a part of a huge rail corridor, and it eventually is broken up and abandoned. It is this plain, mundane atmosphere that makes the story so interesting. This is not just the story of one road but can represent the story of hundreds of little railroads all over the country.

Hauck tells this story against the backdrop of the wider Midwest narrow gauge movement. He claims as a thesis the inefficiency of this concept. Cheaper construction costs for the narrow track did not make up for the shortcomings of the gauge. He spends the first half of the book discussing the CL&N's narrow gauge operations as well as its integration in the Toledo, Delphos, and Burlington system. This is one of the few books that does discuss the TD&B or the "Little Giant" and its narrow gauge empire.

Along the way the author gives the reader unprecedented detail. The CL&N was near a century old at the time of publication and for a railroad that old the amount of information presented is outstanding. Documents, maps, and even pictures of old roadbeds all point to a well-researched manuscript. Hauck also goes one step farther, interviewing older residents who road on the passenger trains in the 20's and 30's. These interviews manifest themselves as interesting antidotes and side stories that would be missed otherwise. They bring out more of the human side of rail travel and just how different these railroads were than the ones of today.

If there is one flaw with this work it is the omission of any footnotes or bibliography. Hauck claims it would be too difficult to record every interview and document he researched as a source, but even a partial list would have been helpful. Anyone wishing to do further research on this railroad will be limited to this dead-end secondary source.

Never-the-less, the usefulness of this book for any researcher, historian, or model railroader can not be underestimated. In addition to a complete map of the system and major stations there is also a well-research locomotive roster as an appendix. All 24 CL&N locomotives are accounted for with numbers, models, and years of service.

Rounding out the material is an index and a large number of black and white photos. Overall, Narrow Gauge in Ohio fulfills dual roles. It tells the story of the Midwest narrow gauge movement as well as the story of a specific railroad in time. While the information could have been more extensive the publisher was clearly looking at small run and thus limited in pages. Every page in this book is crammed full of useful and interesting information.

Narrow Gauge in Ohio is out of print. However, if ever seen in a used bookstore or on the Internet I heartily recommend it. For those interested in Eastern narrow gauge railroads, the Cincinnati or Lebanon area, or just railroads in general, this book is worth every penny.

The purchase has been fantastic in my educational arena. Teach teens safety around farm equipment

This book is a great reference guide. With terrific graphics and a wonderful attention to detail. Learn about Lake County wildlife, geology and facinating natural history. This colaborative effort is a must have for natural history enthusiasts in the Ohio area...when can we expect another say for Cuyahoga County?????

This is a beautifully written account, written by a Nigerian woman, about the gendered academic and socio-economic situation in Igboland, with implications for all of Nigeria, even Africa and the world. An important study for anyone trying to understand the needs and struggles of historically repressed people-groups. It is open-ended, as well - no simplistic conclusions - so it really makes you think!