New Hampshire Books

I was skeptical when I started this novel because I have never been a fan of short stories, but this opened my eyes to a new kind of literary genius. Christopher Brookhouse doesn't spell everything out for his audience; there is enough room for the reader to create their own visual and intrepretation for each story.
I thought this was an amazing collection of characters, themes, irony, and motifs.

"Fog" by Christopher Brookhouse is a collection of stories, all set in the fictional New England community of Jeffrey. The stories each stand alone, but the characters and themes, as well as the locales, are all interwoven more like a novel than a collection of short pieces. Interwoven as well are the motifs of lonely isolation and a kind of brooding, shadow eroticism.

Personally, after finishing each story, I was convinced that it was the best in the collection! Overall, a splendid achievement by Brookhouse.

This indispensable and comprehensive reference work is offered in a convenient one-volume form. It contains extensive biographical and genealogical data on every family established in Maine and New Hampshire before 1699. Listed are the births, marriages, and deaths of the settlers through the third generation, and sometimes into the fourth. Also included are data on places of origin, residences, wills and deeds, court cases, and highlights of lives and careers.

This dictionary is a thorough introduction to the complete genealogies of the ME./N.H. regions because of the detailed lists provided and totally researched. This will save you a lot of time and give you an excellent working knowledge of the area. The topo is historically accurate. This book is well researched and easy to understand. Colonial Families are well represented and many family names, links, and historical synopsis are provided. It's brief and to the point as any good dictionary should be!

With all the drama and soap opera theatrics of the Clinton years, its hard to remember just how unusual and downright bizarre the 1988 Presidential election was. Though it didn't feature any serious attempts at impeachment or Wag the Dog style bombings, 1988 was still the year that saw, briefly, the possibility that both parties would nominate preachers for President, the Willie Horton ads (which have been called "racist" so many times that people tend to forget the fact that the only was they became an issue was because Gov. Dukakis saw no problem with allowing a known dangerous felon to have an unsupervised weekend outside of prison), Dan Quayle, and most strangely, the theory that the pairing of robotic Michael Dukakis and blandly corrupt Lloyd Bentsen would somehow lead to memories of Jack Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. Yeah, it was a strange year from the beginning, as this book clearly proves.

As opposed to other campaign histories, Grass Roots covers only one pivotal event in the campaign -- the New Hamsphire primary (which, even if it wasn't admitted at the time, pretty much sealed the nominations of both Bush and Dukakis). As well, instead of concentrating on all the behind-the-scenes strategizing, Grass Roots focuses on the citizen/activists who spent a year crisscrossing New Hampshire in an effort to bring their candidates to victory. Its a nice change from most campaign histories. Instead of supplying analysis of why certain campaigns failed, author Dayton Duncan instead shows us the gritty details that goes into the campaigns at the ground level and one comes away with both an appreciation of the massive effort it takes to run a succesful political campaign and a better feel for what makes for victory and what dooms a cause for defeat.

Duncan concentrates his narrative on a few individuals such as Doug Kidd, a former directionless man whose devotion to the Rev. Pat Robertson's campaign becomes rather touching and inspirational even if Robertson, himself, hardly strikes one as Presidential. We meet Al Rubega, a down-to-earth conservative whose frustration with the stillborn campaign of Jack Kemp reaches truly tragic heights. On the Democratic side, Dan Burnham faces the agony of watching Bruce Babbitt crash and burn as a result of the candidate's lack of charisma while veteran activist Andi Johnson helplessly watches as both Gary Hart and Joe Biden self-destruct in scandal before finally hooking up with the far more honest but just as doomed Paul Simon. Along with these stories, we get insightful views of various Presidential long-shots doing their best to make a name for themselves -- Duncan's account of a day in the life of Republican Pete Du Pont and his attempts to campaign as a common man (let's just say that juggling is involved) are especially funny and strangely sad. All in all, it makes for inspiring reading as both a political history and an account of human drama.

Duncan, it should be said, is admirably upfront about his own political leanings. He is a Democrat and, after the primary, even worked as a press secretary to the Dukakis campaign. So, what is amazing, is that this partisan has managed to write a truly nonbiased account of one of the most partisan presidential elections in recent history. As opposed to so-called objective journalists (Jack Germond and Jules Whitcover, I'm looking in your direction), Duncan treats all the candidates and their campaigns fairly and, even when writing about the Republicans that he surely disagrees with, Duncan never resorts to easy stereotypes. Everyone is allowed to present their case and everyone is treated with respect. What a concept!

Every post-election year, it seems that we are flooded with books that claim to give an inside account of the previous election and usually they dissapoint by either engaging in the pompous rhetoric of Teddy White's later books or the surly partisan grumpiness that seems to have afflicted Germond and Whitcover (who always seemed to be saying, "How could the rest of you vote differently from us!?") Duncan's book, however, reminds us why so many people have devoted their lives to politics. It reminds us that politics -- even today -- can still be an exhilirating way for a citizen to make his voice heard. And for that -- as well as giving as a wonderful record of really weird election -- he is to be commended and his book treasured.

Andi Johnson of Cheshire County, New Hampshire will tell you that NH takes their presidential politics seriously. You will find well educated voters and activists as they work hard to let people know their candidate can beat the other guy best. Dayton follows several local activists during the First in the Nation primary in Cheshire County, NH. You will learn what makes them tick and why they feel they are going to win: who's it gonna be: Senator Paul Simon (D-IL) or former Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis against George Bush or Pat Robertson...? Enjoy a good read and learn history in the making.

The Hair of Harold Roux is a lost classic. I had to recall it from the Library Annex. The last time my copy was in reading hands was 1983. William's novel explores both misspent youth and middle age in this novel about a novelist which could have easily descended into the uninteresting or banal. But Williams pulls it off, partly through the vibrant portraits of the virginal Mary and the randy Naomi, in the novel-within-a-novel. Here, ugly characterizations of women and minorities may be one reason for the relative obscurity of this work. But there is no authorial commitment to these views: it is a work of fantasy within a work of fantasy and safe from endorsement. All in all, the novel illustrates how time can reduce men and women as mirrors reflecting their memories.

Thomas Williams has written a brilliant book that everyone should read--The Hair of Harold Roux. It is probably the finest of all Williams' novels. Written as a novel-within-a-novel, both stores involve the reader. It's one of my favorite books.

I couldn't believe the amount of detail found here; anything I've ever wanted to know about New Hampshire, I now know. The book is full of not only geographical information, but a lot of history to go along with every site/hotel mentioned! Truly gives you a taste of what you're seeing, and gives your trip a lasting impact.

This book is a very comprehensive guide to NH. I reccomend this book to not only new visitors to NH, but seasoned regulars as well. Lantos seems to have gathered an immense amount of information, I can only hope that he will continue to write further guide books.

I liked this story because it took place in New Hampshire and I live in NH. I've never read a book that takes place in NH so i was curious to see how it was going to be. It was a tender love story that i thoroughly enjoyed and would read the book again.

Can her devoted love conque his fierce independence?? Brock Canfield is a fiery, self-willed man, determined to have his own way. Stephanie too is determiend - to have Brock. His staunch independence hurts her. He wants to travel, to move from one glamorous city to the next, and to have his woman waiting when he picks up the phone. She wants a settled home and a loving husband who does not disappear to distant lands whenever business calls. She loves him - but can she accept his terms??

The author has obviously spent many hours on detailing the highlighs of the trails in addition to researching historiacal facts.Trail directions are clear and concise.

The author has obviously spent many hours on detailing the highlighs of the trails in addition to researching historiacal facts.Trail directions are clear and concise.

After reading this book through, I gave it a permanent place on my bedside table. An inveterate "read before sleep" reader, I can pick it up, flip it open to any page and become once again enthralled as if it were new. It not only aids and encourages the visualization of the scene, it gently and effectively passes on a lot of memorable information. Sometime later I read "Outermost House" and both books share that bedside status. I have also given the same set as a gift to a number of friends.

William Sargent's book gave me a better understanding of a marsh as an environment. After reading his book I had a better appreciation of the role of a marsh especially how it was valued by early settlers. While visting Ipswich I was delighted to meet Mr. Sargent and hear him speak. He has a strong background in marine biology and is a pleasure to have as a speaker. Overall his book helped me feel less like an 'outsider' while visiting the northeast coast of Massachusetts.

Beautiful illustrations complement this wonderfully-told tale of NH's Old Man in the Mountain. Highly recommended!

Enhanced throughout with the memorable artwork of Robert Crawford, Denise Ortakales' The Legend Of The Old Man Of The Mountain recounts the legendary story of the Mohawk Indian Chief Pemigewasset and his love for the maiden Minerwa. The marriage of the chief and his wife brought peace for many years. But when Minerwa left to visit her dying father, Chief Pemigewasset had to stay behind. He waited steadfast, devoted to her, yet she did not return. When winter fell he continued to wait despite the bitter cold, and though his people feared for him, he would not go back on his word to Minerwa. At last the Great Spirit claimed the chief; his people buried him facing in the direction Minerwa had left, so that he could gaze upon her when she returned. Amazingly, the very profile of Pemigewasset became immortalized within the cliff, and his visage gazes out to this day. A powerful and moving tale of unyielding devotion, strikingly illustrated in cool tones.

Perley Leighton has done the Leighton Clan a great service in compiling this history of the family's origin in the new world and their spread throughout the US. It is the foremost reference for researching Thomas Leighton's descendants.

Perley M. Leighton's work was cited by George F. Sanborn Jr., FASG, as "one of the best twentieth-century genealogies of a major northern New England family." I echo his sentiments. The 1989 books are out-of-print with reprints unlikely in the near future. LEIGHTON GENEALOGY ON CD includes the entire two volumes by Perley Leighton in original format with recent updates, electronically searchable and includes photos, documents, maps and more. Information at jpnotes.com.