New Hampshire Books

Most of the books I've read about our area trails seem to be written by either agro-adrenalin-junkies or "Freds". Luckily this is not one of them! This is the first book I've read about out trails that was obviously written by someone who rides the trails (often) and is familiar w/ the subtleties of riding on NH (Rocks, Roots, and Ruts ;-) singletracks.

I've ridden in most of the places reviewed (and plan to visit the ones I haven't ;-) and fully agree with his observations... Of most importance when he says it's suitable for families w/ children, it is. As a parent I can attest that nothing is more frustrating to a child or parent than driving an hour to someplace only to find that it is WAY beyond the ability of my kids to ride.

This book has even helped me find some great local spots I never knew existed.

The 'then & now' theme is portrayed masterfully as photographs from page to page propel the reader backward and forward through time. The 'now' photographs are particularly amazing as most mimic the older shots almost exactly. The narrative is poignant and most informative.
This is a 'must have' publication for anyone who has been fortunate enough to grow up in this fine city.

While my 18 years in Nashua, NH, don't qualify me as a 'native,' I found it very interesting reading. So many of the same family names are common threads woven through the fabric of our history. It was especially enjoyable to share it with the children, and to point out the various locations on our drives. It helps us all have a deeper appreciation of what has changed, and what has not.

I love this book. It is interesting, informative, and has lots of lovely illustrations. I especially like the bird checklist, which I use to identify local birds for my bird club webpage.

This is an outstanding professional work which set the standard for Northeastern and US archaeology. Among other things, it serves as an antidote or standard by which to compare archaeological reports based on wishful thinking when dealing with Paleoindian sites and claims.

Ideal for planing your trip to New England area. You will have several routs to explore this part of the country. Tips, Maps and Photographs that give you a very good picture of your trip. This will help you to don't miss any of the important places of the road.

Being from central Connecticut and a budding weather hobbyist, this book is fantastic. Besides being easy to read and well organized, it has a wealth of relevant information.

There are six parts: 1) what makes New England's weather and climate unique; 2) causes of change in New England's weather and climate; 3) diversity of New England's weather and climate -- from the mountains to the beaches; 4) seasons of New England; 5) the weather events that influence the lives of New Englanders; and 6) changes over time.

Each part shows both the experience and research of the author. I could have lived with fewer quotes from Mark Twain and fewer mentions of Mount Washington, but everything else more than makes up for it. A very professional book. Highly recommended.

One way of killing time when you are a kid and you have a piece of paper and a pen or pencil is to draw a map of the United States. You start with Maine and then you drawn Vermont and New Hampshire over Massachusetts, with Connecticut and Rhode Island tucked underneath before you get to New York. What you probably forget, assuming you even knew it in the first place, is that a bit of New Hampshire actually comes down to the Atlantic in between Maine and Massachusetts. New Hampshire has a port city, Portsmouth no less. If you drive along I-95 from Maine to Massachusetts you will drive through Portsmouth and see that New Hampshire is a seafaring state. Therefore, when you see that the state seal, which appears on the state flag, is dominated by a ship, the "Raleigh," you will not be greatly surprised.

Having started with Maine as our first stop in the From Sea to Shining Sea series, we now visit New Hampshire, with Terry Miller Shannon as our tour guide. The short opening chapter introduces us to the Granite State, the seventh smallest of the state with an abundance of valuable natural resources. Shannon emphasizes the interesting places in the state, from Mount Monadnock (the most-climbed mountain in the world) to Mystery Hill in North Salem (home to some of the oldest buildings in North America). Chapter Two, The Land of New Hampshire covers the basic geography of the state, looking at the three distinctive land regions (Seaboard Lowland, New England Upland, and the White Mountains), the 1,300 lakes and rivers, and the climate (expect snow on Mount Washington during the summer).

Chapter Three, New Hampshire Through History, begins with the nomad wanderers who came to North America 12,000 years ago, continues through the Algonquian tribes in the area, and the Early European Explorers (including John Smith). Shannon focuses on the establishment of the colony and the question of setting New Hampshire's boundaries, and its contributions during the American Revolution. The state's history continues through the Civil War and into this century, making it the largest chapter in the book. Chapter Four Governing New Hampshire, talks about the oldest constitution in the United States and the three branches of government before taking a tour of Concord, the state capital. In these volumes you will find a down top map of the capital, which will show you where the state house stands in relationship to the Museum of New Hampshire History and other buildings of interest. Chapter Five, The People and Places of New Hampshire, looks at what it means to be working in New Hampshire and takes a tour of the various regions to give you an idea of what there is to see there. This is also the chapter where you get the book's recipe, which is the Use-It-Up, Make-It-Do, Franco-American Toast (a thrifty way to use leftover bread, which adds vanilla and cinnamon to the eggs and milk in which you dip the day-old bread).

The book is filled with contemporary color photographs and historical illustrations, although as you might have heard "The Old Man of the Mountain" that is the state symbol and the subject of the final photograph in the book, gave way a few years back (after it was immortalized on the New Hampshire quarter). As you can see from the cover, New Hampshire is the home to some great covered bridges as well. Throughout the book there are informative little sidebars in three categories: Find Out More (e.g., how the town of Rumford was renamed Concord), Who's Who in New Hampshire (e.g., Daniel Webster and Christa McAuliffe), and Extra! Extra! (e.g., there are more than one hundred recording spellings of the name Winnipesaukee).

In the back of the book Shannon provides a New Hampshire Almanac, which lists a lot of fast facts about former capitals and state symbols. This is followed by a Timeline that parallels New Hampshire State History on the top and U.S. History on the bottom (note that Martin Pring landed along New Hampshire's coast in 1603, four years before the first permanent British settlement in Jamestown, Virginia that the history books always emphasize). There is a Gallery of Famous New Hampshirites from Ken Burns to David Souter (with Robert Frost and John Irving in between), and a Glossary of terms from "ancient" to "textile." If you need to look For More Information about New Hampshire for a school report, Shannon provides a trio of useful Web Sites and three rather eclectic Books (e.g., "Yum, Yum!: The New Hampshire Kid's Cookbook"), along with a couple of Addresses you can actually write to for information.

There is more to New Hampshire than just the beautiful White Mountains (although I do miss the "Old Man Of The Mountain"). This little book will tell you all about this historic and prosperous state. In fact, the entire "Portrait of America" series provides you with great nutshells of information about each of our 50 states, and is valuable to both parents and teachers as a teaching tool.

Very handy! A nice light-weight reference to carry in your backpack, car or purse. The plastic coating can withstand moisture & will easily wipe clean.