New Jersey Books

When I first found this book on the shelf of a local bookstore and thumbed through it, gazing at the many photos, I was astounded by how many things I recognized. Then I found some sites from my very own hometown and was delighted. However, I knew I had to have the book when I found a chapter devoted to a local woman who has milkjugs all over her lawn. For years, we have driven by the house and a few friends and I have puzzled over her milk jug creations (an American Flag, Mickey Mouse, Santa Clause among others). The chapter explained how she started this strange habit. There are plenty of great little anecdotes. I recommend the book to anyone who likes to look at Americana, from classic diners to goofy signs and such, and especially to the denizens of New Jersey (prepare to be surprised by how many of these things you've seen before!

Being from this town, I thourghly enjoyed the historical notes to each picture of my old town. Some of my family members are represented as well as myself at my Dad's body shop. My Grandfather, who helped make the cable for the Golden Gate Bridge,my uncle Lefty,and many of my friends are forever included in this book as a true remembrance of a special town, still vibrant, and will always be special in my heart. It was truly a family town of ethnic people living in peace and harmony, helping your neighbors when they needed help. I'm proud to say that " I lived in Roebling, NJ.

Being a student at Rutgers, I have found this book to be an excellent link to the past. Filled with historical anecdotes of our college, The Rutgers Picture Book is a great fun time, and would make a fantastic present to anyone interested in Rutgers history or in general college history and trivia. The founders of Rutgers are illustriously portrayed and the insight that is given to the history of the college is invaluable for Rutgers students, and alumni. The Rutgers Picture Book is a link to the past of this prestigious could-have-been-ivy school, so often overlooked and taken for granted.

Jack Fagan has written a delightful guide to foot trails and carriage ways in this interesting part of the Gunks. Superb illustrations.

Be sure you get the third edition released in 2006; Chapter 9 is extensively rewritten to include new land and trails. The New York New Jersey Trail Conference carries up to date changes in the trails, parking and access points. All three areas are located 90 minutes from New York City.

Background information.

Minnewaska State Park Preserve is a 14,500 acre park located on the Shawangunk Ridge in New York near New Paltz, New York. There are outstanding views of the nearby Catskill Mountains. The park has a complex history of hotels, fires, and lawsuits. Eventually New York State bought the property in 1987 and opened the Minnewaska State Park Preserve in 1993.

Mohonk is anchored by the Mohonk Mountain House, a grand 265 room Victorian Castle built in 1869. It overlooks Lake Mohonk in an incredibly beautiful setting. Day hikers have access to Mohonk's 85 miles of hiking trails, and sometimes to other facilities available to Mohonk guests, including tennis, midweek golf, lake swimming, boating, ice skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and children's programs.

Sam's Point Preserve, owned by the Open Space Institute and managed by the Nature Conservancy, is located just outside Ellenville and covers the highest points on the Shawangunk Ridge. Verkeerderkill Falls is a spectacular waterfall that drops through a notch in the sheer white cliffs. This is a particularly good area for hiking on weekends, when Minnewaska and Mohonk tend to be much more crowded.

"Gunks" is a shortening of the "Shawangunks" (Sha-WAN-gunks) Mountain Range which stretches over 50 miles in a southwest to northeast direction from Port Jervis to Rosendale, reaching 260 feet in height (2,200' above sea level), and is home to the four most popular and prominent climbing cliffs: the Trapps, Near Trapps, Skytop and Millbrook. The ridge and its slopes contain over 150,000 acres spreading across 16 towns in three counties. Continuing south, the ridge becomes the Kittatinny Mountains in New Jersey and then part of the chain of Appalachian Mountains all the way down to Georgia.

Minnewaska and Mohonk have good websites; Sam's Point website is just getting started; and a general website covering the entire area, including climbing opportunities, is can be found by searching on Gunk on Google.


Robert C. Ross

Dr. Landsman provides an in depth review of the influence of the early Scottish settlers in New Jersey, a subject that has not been well studied. His references and notations add considerable amount to the overall work. I recommend this book to anyone interested in colonial history or New Jersey History.

Marsha Cudworth has written a most useful and usable guide to the architecture of Cape May, NJ. Cape May, a National Historic Landmark, lays claim to being America's oldest extant seaside resort. It certainly is one of the loveliest and Ms. Cudworth's book shows why in a series of easy-to-use walking and driving tours.

Especially useful are pen and ink drawings of outstanding structures in this remarkably well-preserved and carefully restored slice of Victoriana-by-the-sea. Many of the drawings are taken from the beautifully-rendered Historic American Buildings Survey of Cape May. Others come from the author's own hands.

This slender volume is neither a full-scale history of Cape May nor a scholarly discussion of the town's architects and builders (for that, one should consult Emil Salvini's "Cape May: Summer City by the Sea" and Thomas & Doebley's "Cape May: Queen of the Seaside Resorts").

But for a lovingly written and charmingly illustrated traveler's companion, this small book is just about perfect. It is a model of the sort of well-researched yet non-academic guidebook which enhances the appreciation of our nation's historic districts for tourists, newcomers, and long-term residents alike.

A nighttime fiction writer, Steven J. Frank has a varied background. He majored in chemistry as an undergraduate at Brown University and earned a law degree at Harvard Law School. He has written short stories, scientific and legal jargon, so he is well versed in a variety of writing styles. He presently resides outside of Boston with his family.

Set in Hudson County, New Jersey, Sell-Out tells the story of a seemingly harmless old man murdered in his own warehouse filled with low-grade leather merchandise. But when the police tie him into a drug scheme, Russ Hartman, a patrol cop with aspirations towards detective, finds himself in the midst of a confusing mass of deception, ethnic interrelationships, and a maze of offshore accounts which may be related to the murder, especially after he has become involved with the niece of the murder victim:

"'Second item,' Neenan said tartly, unhappy with all the interruptions. 'A seemingly innocent relationship between a patrol officer and an attractive victim's relative whom he encounters on the job. Two earnest souls reaching out. Or so perhaps it seems to the patrol officer. But he lacks certain facts. For example, that the object of his affection had an older brother, dead at eighteen from a heroin overdose in a New Jersey City crack house. Or that her surviving brother has had numerous--well, perhaps I overstate the case--has had certain encounters with the criminal justice system.'"

Sell-out is a fast-paced, intelligently written, and at times poetic novel written in vivid color. Frank's characters and locales literally jump off the page. Franks knows when to shroud characters in secrecy, and when to expose their vulnerability. The result is a dark and intensely entertaining whodunit that keeps the reader's head spinning with possibilities until the final critical scene. Russ Hartman is an intelligent cop with a talent in the kitchen and with the ladies who adds to the luster of the tale. His own personal struggles with law enforcement only serve to remind us that there are no absolutes in life. Even as Hartman is trying to do the right thing, he is constantly subjected to being considered a murder suspect in a world where it is sometimes difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys. A fun read.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (7/06)

Anticipating a trip to the New York City and area, this book certainly has taken the scare out of visiting an incredibly large city. "Serendipitous Outings Near New York City" simplifies the trip and gives the reader an opportunity to visit New York City with ease.

Harrison and Rosenfeld intended this book for all walkers - experienced trail hikers, antique hunters, nature lovers, as well as slow walkers that just love to browse and enjoy conversations with those they meet. The book starts off with the "Deserted" Village in the Allaire State Park of New Jersey. The authors give a brief history, description and when the village is open. They explain that guided tours are available if one so desires, but they also encourage self-guided tours. After the walk, they suggest a trek to the Atlantic Ocean where another small town exists.

This is only one of the many walking trips that the authors suggest. They include an easy to follow map and there is no doubt they have trekked the streets and areas themselves. They say things like "Before leaving Stonecrop, be sure to walk on a small path through the woodland garden: Azaleas, rhododendrons, and other shade-loving plants have been carefully placed to blend harmoniously with this natural habitat. Nearby is a pond surrounded by lilies and groupings of..." How enticing is that! With descriptions like this, one can't help but wander on the path.

I'm looking forward to using this book on my trip to the area. At first I wasn't anticipating visiting some of the areas which include New Jersey, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. However, after perusing this book, the travel plans will have to include these areas.

All seven murders were equally vicious. The author must have spent many painstaking hours sifting through old records. Very well written. Once I started reading, I could not put it down. The Janette Lawrence murder is a classic cold case. A must read.

The sheer scope of this collection shows how impactful the landscape (and seascape) of the Jersey Shore has been. There isn't a bad story in this collection. They are evocative, exciting, emotional and just plain well-done.