Virginia Books

I just recently discovered this book when a friend loaned it to me, and I can't wait to order my copy. This is a nice reference book that will stay on my coffee table from April to September. I do a lot of canoeing/fishing on the rivers in the summer, and this book has already led me to a lot of great floats that I didn't know about, even though I'm a native West Virginian. It's not going to tell you what to expect around every bend, but it does list the more notable areas of each river, including the dangers and problems you may encounter.

The first section of the book has basic information on canoeing and kayaking, terms and definitions, dealing with locals, phone numbers and other sources of information, and more (Much of this is written in a humorous way, reminding me somewhat of Pat McManus).

The book then lists each river basin, and after a short description of the area and a little history, it breaks it up into sections. The layout for each section is as follows:

1.TABLE - Contains capacities and ratings of the section including rapid classes, river gradient, water volume, scenery rating, time of trip, and river level.

2.MAPS - List of the names of the USGS maps and county maps that cover the section area.

3.DESCRIPTION - Describes the river, the scenery, and any other noteworthy aspects of the trip.

4.DIFFICULTIES - Notes any dangerous areas or other problems you may encounter along the way.

5.SHUTTLE - Suggests put-in and take-out spots or if there are any shuttle services provided.

6.GAUGE - Notes locations of river level gauges, phone numbers to call for river level information, or just basic references to gauge the level of the river for navigability. (I especially like this. Many times it goes something like, "If there are three stones showing on the so-and-so bridge, you should have no problems from point A to point B." This is nice since so many of our rivers have isolated sections that are nearly impossible to scout.)

If you live in West Virginia and want to canoe or kayak, or if you are planning a trip here for some river sports, this book is a great buy for the money.

First, I must admit to knowing the author, Mr. Cecere, and sharing his passion for Revolutionary War history, but I think I can say without bias that this book succeeds in providing an interesting and informative account of Captain (later General) Thomas Posey. This is a slim volume, but Mr. Cecere nevertheless manages to cover Thomas Posey's experiences in the Revolutionary War in detail with seven maps, ample first-person accounts, and analysis of 18th century military tactics that primarily relied upon rifles, muskets, and bayonets. He details how Posey, a Fincastle, Virginia, saddlery shop owner, supported the growing rebellion against Britain in 1775 and earned himself command of a company of western Virginia riflemen. Posey and the rifle company left Fincastle to reinforce Virginian rebel forces in the east in 1776, then fought the American Revolution from beginning to end, everywhere from the New York wilderness to the swamps of Georgia. Mr. Cecere's book takes us through Posey's seven years of war, from his first position as a rifle-company captain in the Seventh Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line, through his service as a respected officer in the Continental army's elite units, including Daniel Morgan's famed Rifle Corps at Saratoga, and "Mad" Anthony Wayne's Light Infantry Corps at the storming of Fort Stony Point. Posey later escaped capture when almost the entire Virginia Line surrendered at the Siege of Charleston in 1780. He eventually rose to the rank of Colonel in the Continental forces. By the end of the war Posey commanded one of Virginia's three remaining regiments, down from over fifteen at the war's start.

This is the third book in a series Mr. Cecere has written which seeks to recapture and record the service of lesser-known Virginians who fought in the American Revolution. We need a lot more of these type books - books that deal with the mid-level officer corps that helped win the Revolution, but who are relatively unknown today. We regularly watch National Guard and Reserve units depart for war these days and we certainly need to honor their service, as well as the sacrifices of their families. Yet we sometimes forget that these citizen-soldiers are proudly carrying on a tradition established hundreds of years ago, when other men dropped their everyday work tools and picked up their rifles to protect liberty. One of those earlier warriors was the man discussed in this book - Thomas Posey.

Virginia Lee Hunter is an amazing photographer and CARNY is filled with fascinating images (candids, environmental portraits, slice-of-life snapshots) that put an artisically beautiful spin on the American subculture of Carnival workers. If you've every enjoyed cotton candy on the midway, this book is eye candy that makes you think about bringing your camera to the next state fair you attend. CARNY is currently in heavy rotation on my coffee table!

As Continental forces and Virginia militia units were engaged in winning independence, American quartermasters and provisioners struggled to provide these units with all the necessities of life, from meals and guns to meat, fodder for horses, the horses themselves, firewood, and every other type of material. Much of this was requisitioned from the civilian population and certificates were issued payable in either continental or state funds, depending on the units supplied, upon presentation to court authorities. Thousands of these certificates issued to Virginians were duly entered by the courts, and they provide a fascinating insight into the period of the Revolution. These "Publick" Claims booklets contain interesting and useful information about the contributions of ordinary people to the Revolutionary War. They provide some details of people's service in the militia or as guards for prisoners of war; they indicate where some bodies of troops were at particular times; and they identify providers of horses, wagons, cattle, grain, or other supplies. Much of the information in these booklets cannot be found anywhere else, which makes the surviving records particularly valuable. Also remarkable is the fact that records survived from virtually every county in the state at that time with the exception of the newly formed Kentucky counties. This makes the collection even more valuable in covering areas which heretofore in this time period have suffered from a lack of personal data. The "Virginia Publick Claims" are published by counties. In addition to a faithful transcription by Janice Luck Abercrombie and the late Richard Slatten, a complete index is provided for each county booklet. This series is an extremely important genealogical tool for searchers in Revolutionary-era materials.

This story is a very nice and true children's story. It is well loved by my kids who like stories about knights and chivalry. It is short enough that you can read it as a bedtime story, yet long enough for them to settle into bed. This story really teaches lessons about friendship. It is great to see a book like this when you have so many children's books that have no real moral to the story. The only negative I would say is that it would be better if it was in a hardcover.

Virginia Bobinson's newly published book of poetry, carrier, models poetry as "surgical strike." The images the poet draws of her friendships with Navy SEALS reveal multidimensional humans who also function as highly skilled military officers. While fleshing out her much loved military friends in ordinary, tragic and domestic daily scenes, the poet provides the reader opportunities for the healing of personal and national division. The reader begins to see and understand the SEALS as they laugh, love, die and peel tomatoes.
Robinson's understanding and facility with the language of nature and science contribute to the impact of some of her almost haiku-like poems.Her imagery is clear, soft and powerful - as and when it needs to be.
The poems of carrier are illuminating, touching and of contemporary importance. Carrier reminds me of how powerful poetry can be.

The Case of Odell Waller and Virginia Justice, 1940-1942
by Richard B. Sherman is an excellent book that should be read by everyone.

It is often said that those who ignore the lessons of history are apt to repeat them. This book should be compulsory reading for the young and those who are wont to thoughtlessly follow others in political protest. This novel, loosely based in Castro's Cuban Revolution, demonstrates how mob psychology and injustice can be [done]to serve the ends of an unscrupulous leader and his cause. It also demonstrates how human nobility can rise triumphantly despite threats of death and annihilation. It paints a credible picture of a regime that craftily exploits the emotions, inexperience and gullibility of the young who idealistically seek after (perfection, peace, nirvana?) on earth. This is an intriguing novel threaded through with vital lessons we all need to be reminded of in our haste to attain a quick ("peace") fix/resolution of political woes.

For those interested in Roman Catholic history in England and America during the time of Protestant persecution, this volume provides a solid overview and is well illustrated with artistic and literary pieces. Connected to a now finished exhibition, the work stands sufficiently by itself and helps develop a greater understanding for the development of Catholicism during a time of persecution. England did not grant emancipation to Catholics until the 19th century and religious freedom and liberty in America was often viewed as being only for Protestants - attempts were often and repeatedly made to deprive Catholics of liberty, property, and even, on occasion, life. Inspite of these difficulties, Catholic culture and life survived - and this volume does a good job of explaining the art, culture, and concept of Catholic identity as it developed in this period.

It too bad that this talented author devoted herself to such arcane topics. Had she exerted the same effort with more popular themes she would have easily qualified for a Pulitzer. This text is so perfectly edited I challenge anyone to find substantial fault anywhere between its covers. Bravo Virginia!