Pennsylvania Books

Thank you!!!

Joe Kindig's _Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle_ is a major work, cataloguing as it does the exhaustive Kindig longrifle collection. Even now, thirty seven years after its initial publication, no other work in the field (with the possible exception of George Shumway's _Rifles of Colonial America_, in two volumes,) comes close to its breadth of analysis, or to the sheer number of splendid arms shown in fine B&W illustrations. Each of the several 18th century Pennsylvania gunmaking schools is anlayzed individually, with several rifles from that school presented and discussed.

The text is far from dry and analytical, however. It is alive with humor and anecdotes, and apart from being top-notch research (or very educated opinion where the facts are unknown as yet), is a joy to read in its own right.

Most likely the book will be bought for its illustrations, though, for as interesting as the text is, the book is splitting at the seams with hundreds of crisp black and white photogtraphs from the late Mr. Kindig's landmark rifle collection which he assembled over his long life. Virtually every phase of metamorphosis in the fascinating development of the American longrifle is shown in close detail, with textual analysis of each rifle answering questions and asking new ones as well.

It is difficult to imagine delving into this field of study and not owning _Thoughts on the Kentucky Rifle_. It is a vivid portrait of one of the great American artforms, and of a collection that may never again be altogether in the same place under the same owner, especially one as affectionate toward its subject as Joe Kindig.

For genealogy in Rhode Island, MASS and CT, this is one great book to have. The author presented all the challenges on these families very well. It really is well done, wish she'd come out with another one. The service getting this book was fast.

The author has done a commendable job of balancing research and art; unlike many books from this genre, the book is both academically challenging and eminently readable.

Dr. Herndon has given life to voices who would have otherwise remained silent for eternity. The individuals and families in the narratives had a story to tell, and the author has provided a magnificent vehicle for these compelling micro-histories.

"Upon Some Midnights Clear" is the Mario Balzic mystery that K.C. Constantine needed to write at this point in the series because the character had been dangerously close to wallowing in self-pity. Certainly he has been ignoring his family way too much in the last few novels, whose plot lines have threatened to consume his soul. When you have a character who able to enforce his sense of justice on those around him not just because of his personality but because of his position of power it becomes important for the reader to feel such a person is connected to the real world and not off rambling around their own little kingdom. Being nice to the wife and kids is important because of the grounding it provides Balzic.

Constantine's approach remains the same. Balzic engages in a series of conversations in order to work his way to the truth of a given situation. This time around he is haunted by more than his usual share of doubts, which compels him to several key moments of self-reflection. Maybe just writing about Christmas was enough to get Constantine to lighten up a bit with regards to both Balzic and what happens in Rocksburg, because I certainly did not have the sense of wallowing in dirt and filth like I had after some of these novels, especially the previous effort, "Always a Body to Trade." Something approaching a happy ending, even if it means justice comes in the form of a man getting away with a crime for which he is guilty being punished for one in which he is innocent, is definitely a welcome relief. Balzic will almost certainly be back in the trenches, but at least this time around he gets the most important thing right.