Books

Lake George Shipwrecks and Sunken History

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A new book, Lake George Shipwrecks and Sunken History, was published this spring by The History Press. Written by Joseph W. Zarzynski and Bob Benway, the book is a collection their columns previously published in the Lake George Mirror along with additional material. Zarzynski and Benway helped establish Bateaux Below, which works to preserve shipwreck sites in Lake George.

The depths of Lake George hold an incredible world of shipwrecks and lost history. Zarzynski and archeological diver Bob Benway present the most intriguing discoveries among more than two hundred known shipwreck sites. Entombed are remnants of Lake George’s important naval heritage, such as the 1758 Land Tortoise radeau, considered America’s oldest intact warship. Other wrecks include the steam yacht Ellide, and excursion boat Scioto, and the first Minne-Ha-Ha (including some new findings). Additional stories include an explanation behind the 1926 disappearance of two hunters, John J. Eden and L. D. Greene, of Middletown, and pieces on the lake’s logging history and marine railways.

Note: Books noticed on this site have been provided by the publishers. Purchases made through this Amazon link help support this site.

Washington Irving Film Screening, Benefit

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washington irvingKaren Kelleher, a writer and filmmaker currently finishing a documentary about Washington Irving’s literary journey is holding a screening and seeking your support at the Warner Library, in Tarrytown, Thursday November 10th. Kelleher discovered that no film on Washington Irving (1783-1859) existed, the man widely hailed by some as the founding visionary of authorship in the United States. She was inspired by this omission to direct her documentary on Irving and believes that her film will change the impression of Irving as both an author of not just “Sleepy Hollow” but also all of his works especially those works produced in Spain “The Life of Christopher Columbus,” “The Civil Wars of Granada,” and “Tales of the Alhambra.”

The Dutch legacy is one that includes diverse cultures and Irving did not miss the opportunity to explore foreign lands. Irving is the first American writer who authored so many popular storybooks, biographies and historical volumes that bookshops, printers and publishers could establish profitable businesses in New York City and Westchester and thus the industry was partly founded on Irving’s personal genius and creative contributions.

Washington Irving also operated with incredible personal integrity and his long friendship with John Jacob Aster is explored in specific consideration of Irving’s unique appointment as a trustee of Astor’s last will. The current version of the film meets many of the objectives projected thus far. The additional funds are hoped to enable one more shoot date with two authors who agree to read a story from “Tales of the Alhambra” and discuss how this story impacts America’s literary tradition and why it is important include “Tales of the Alhambra” in courses and school programs on Washington Irving. Washington Irving produced more works while living in Spain that any other nation.

Interviews Kelleher has completed so far include Kathleen Eagen Johnson, Curator at Sunnyside and author of Washington Irving’s Sunnyside and Visions of Washington Irving: Selected Works from the Collection of Historic Hudson Valley; Washington “Rip” Irving III, poet and adjunct professor at Salve Regina University – as well as a descendant of the 19th century author Washington Irving; John ‘Jock’ Elliott, who has died aged 84 in 2005, was arguably one of the most significant advertising account managers of the 20th century and an expert on Washington Irving’s literary influence upon the modern Christmas holiday; Andrew Burstein, Charles Phelps Manship Professor, History Professor at Louisiana State University and author of The Original Knickerbocker: The Life of Washington Irving; Maria del Mar Villafranca, Director of the Patronato of the Alhambra. Karen Kelleher has developed and produced feature films and television programs for Paramount Pictures, Miramax Films, A&E Networks and PBS.

Photo: Daguerreotype of Washington Irving.

Old Forge and The Fulton Chain of Lakes

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Linda Cohen and Peg Masters, both descendants of 19th-century pioneer settlers of the Old Forge region, have written Old Forge and The Fulton Chain of Lakes (Arcadia Publishing, $21.99) the latest Adirondack edition in the Images of America series. Together they compiled over 200 images from around the area, many seldom seen.

Old Forge is nestled at the foot of the Middle Branch of the Moose River, more commonly known as the Fulton Chain of Lakes. Year-round accommodations at the Forge House in 1871 and dependable rail service in 1892 led to permanent settlement of the hamlet. Within a decade, Old Forge emerged as the residential and commercial hub of the Central Adirondacks and a popular destination and gathering place for guides, sportsmen, and wilderness tourists.

For the sightseer who strolls around Old Forge today or enjoys a cruise up the eight lakes in the Fulton Chain, the landscape is dotted with scores of century-old dwellings, Victorian cottages, rustic camps, and even a few grand old hotels.

Linda Cohen has been an active member of the local historical association and a board member since 2004. Peg Masters has served as the town historian for the past 10 years and conducts historic walking tours every summer.

AIHAs Annual Antiquarian Book, Ephemra Sale

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The 37th annual Antiquarian Book and Ephemera Fair will be held this Sunday, October 23, 2011 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Washington Avenue Armory Sports and Convention Arena, 195 Washington Avenue, Albany. The fair is presented by the Albany Institute of History & Art and managed by Austin’s Antiquarian Books.

Individuals can bring their books, posters, ephemera, and collectibles and have them appraised at the fair. In addition to professional appraisals, the book fair will feature 60 dealers of rare, antiquarian, and out-of–print books, manuscripts, autographs, postcards, maps, posters, photographs, ephemera, and more. There will also be a silent auction of donated collectible items, many of local interest. All proceeds of the auction will benefit the research library of the Albany Institute of History & Art.

For vendor/appraisal information, contact Gary Austin of Austin’s Antiquarian Books by phone at (800) 556-3727. For more information, please visit www.albanybookfair.com. Admission to the book fair is $6.

Power in a Union: The Story of American Labor

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There Is Power in a Union: The Epic Story of Labor in America by Philip Dray is an epic, character-driven narrative that moves between picket lines, union halls, jails, assembly lines, corporate boardrooms, the courts, the halls of Congress, and the White House.

Dray (NPR Interview) presents an urgency of the fight for fairness and economic democracy for working people — a struggle that remains especially urgent today, when ordinary Americans are so beset by economic troubles.

From the textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, the first real factories in America, to the triumph of unions in the twentieth century and their waning influence today, the con­test between labor and capital for their share of American bounty has shaped our national experience. Dray’s ambition is to show us the vital accomplishments of organized labor in that time and illuminate its central role in our social, political, economic, and cultural evolution.

Philip Dray is the author of At the Hands of Persons Unknown: The Lynching of Black America, which won the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award and made him a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Stealing God’s Thunder: Benjamin Franklin’s Lightning Rod and the Invention of America, and the coauthor of the New York Times Notable Book We Are Not Afraid: The Story of Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney, and the Civil Rights Campaign for Mississippi. He lives in Brooklyn.

Note: Books noticed on this site have been provided by the publishers. Purchases made through this Amazon link help support this site.

Lies My Teacher Told Me Author Event Friday

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James W. Loewen, award-winning author of the popular Lies My Teacher Told Me titles, will visit the North Country tomorrow Friday, October 14 from 10-12 pm at SUNY Plattsburg.

The freedom education project John Brown Lives! and SUNY Plattsburgh’s Honors College, Department of Anthropology, Department of Education, Health & Human Services and the Center for Diversity, Pluralism & Inclusion are teaming up to sponsor Loewen.

Loewen’s address, “Lies My Teacher Told Me About the Civil War—And How They Still Affect Civil Rights Today”, is open to the general public. Known for his engaging style and gripping retelling of U.S. history, Loewen has inspired K-16 teachers across the country to get students to challenge, rather than memorize, their textbooks. His best-selling title, Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, resulted from two years studying U.S. history textbooks and it has sold more than 1,250,000 copies.

Currently residing in Washington, D.C., Loewen taught race relations for twenty years at the University of Vermont and previously at the predominantly black Tougaloo College in Mississippi. He has been an expert witness in more than 50 civil rights, voting rights, and employment cases and is also Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians, Visiting Professor of Sociology at Catholic University in Washington, DC, and Visiting Professor of African-American Studies at the University of Illinois in Urbana/Champaign.

A New Guide to 30 Iconic Upstate Memorials

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Monumental New York! A Guide to 30 Iconic Memorials in Upstate New York highlights some of the most fascinating statues and memorials found throughout Upstate New York. Author Chuck D’Imperio leads readers through the state’s rich history as he explores some of the famous and lesser-known monuments.

Featuring memorial tributes to such well-known historical figures as John Brown, FDR, and Carl Sagan, the book also includes the site of Upstate New York’s infamous Civil War prison camp and the chilling &#8220Jerry Rescue Monument,&#8221 which recalls Syracuse’s defiance of the Fugitive Slave Law. Readers will meet the canal diggers who muscled their way across the state trenching &#8220Clinton’s Ditch&#8221 and learn about the &#8220Female Paul Revere,&#8221 the Crown Point Lighthouse, Albany’s Moses statue, and more.

These monuments are scattered from cities such as Albany and Buffalo to the many little-known towns that populate the state such as North Elba, home of the John Brown Memorial. Each chapter offers detailed information on the history and significance of each monument as well as useful travel information about the area.

At over 200 pages, with 31 black and white illustrations and a map, D’Imperio’s narrative, research, and enthusiasm for Upstate New York makes Monumental New York! a intersting and useful guide to some of the state’s best memorials.

Chuck D’Imperio is a longtime radio broadcaster at Central New York Radio Group’s station WDOS in Oneonta. He is the author of several books including My Town Is a Cathedral, Upstate New York, and Great Graves of Upstate New York.

Note: Books noticed on this site have been provided by the publishers. Purchases made through this Amazon link help support this site.

Frederick Law Olmsted:Abolitionist, Conservationist, Activist

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Da Capo Press has recently published Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted by Justin Martin, the author of biographies of Alan Greenspan and Ralph Nader.

Frederick Law Olmsted is arguably the most important historical figure that the average American knows the least about. Best remembered for his landscape architecture, Olmsted was also an influential journalist, early voice for the environment, and abolitionist credited with helping dissuade England from joining the South in the Civil War.

Frederick Law Olmsted is best remembered as the pioneer of landscape architecture in the United States. From the US Capitol grounds and Boston’s Emerald Necklace to Stanford University’s campus and New York’s Central Park, Olmsted was an artist who painted with lakes, shrubs, and wooded slopes. His stature and importance as an architect has been paramount in previous biographies, but his role as a social visionary, activist, and reformer has been frequently overlooked until now.

Justin Martin’s research shows Olmsted’s life to be a striking blend of high achievement, prodigious energy, and personal tragedy. He played a crucial role in the early efforts to preserve Yosemite and Niagara Falls, and designed Boston’s Back Bay Fens not only as a park, but also as America’s first wetlands restoration. As a former sailor, scientific farmer, and failed gold-miner, Olmsted brought wildly varied experiences to his works and career. His personal achievements were shadowed however by misfortune — a strained marriage, tense family life, and psychiatric institutionalization.

Olmsted accomplished more than most people could in three lifetimes. As a park maker, environmentalist, and abolitionist he helped shape modern America. At a time when open space is at a premium, he’s left a green legacy in city after city across North America. His early understanding of our need for open spaces, as well as spiritual and physical restoration in nature, has been a significant motivator for generations of environmental conservationists since.

Note: Books noticed on this site have been provided by the publishers. Purchases made through this Amazon link help support this site.

Ashbel Fitch: Champion of Old New York

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The concept of an &#8220honest Tammany man&#8221 sounds like an oxymoron, but it became a reality in the curious career of Ashbel P. Fitch, who served New York City as a four-term congressman and a one-term city comptroller during the late nineteenth century. Although little known today, Fitch was well respected in his own day and played a pivotal role on both national and local stages. Born in Northern New York, he was once challenged to a duel by an impulsive Theodore Roosevelt.

In the U.S. Congress, Fitch was a passionate advocate of New York City. His support of tariff reform and his efforts to have New York City chosen as the site for an 1892 World Exposition reflected his deep interest in issues of industrialization and urbanization. An ardent defender of immigrant rights, Fitch opposed the xenophobia of the times and championed cosmopolitan diversity.

As New York’s comptroller, he oversaw the city’s finances during a time of terrible economic distress, withstanding threats from Tammany Hall on one side and from Mayor William L. Strong’s misguided reform administration on the other. In Ashbel P. Fitch, Remington succeeds in illuminating the independence and integrity of this unsung hero against the backdrop of the Gilded Age’s corrupt politics and fierce party loyalty.

David F. Remington is a retired investment banker and amateur historian. He is the great grandson of Ashbel P. Fitch. He lives with his wife on the coast of Maine.

Note: Books noticed on this site have been provided by the publishers. Purchases made through this Amazon link help support this site.

Book: The Vandercook Family of Renssealer County

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A new book illuminates the life of Michael S. Vandercook, a prominent figure in the early history of Rensselaer County, New York. A Fine Commanding Presence: The Life and Legacy of Maj. Michael S. Vandercook (1774-1852) of Pittstown, Rensselaer County, New York by Vandercook’s great-great-great- grandson, Ronald D. Bachman features more than 400 pages, an in-depth bibliography and extensive genealogy and index.

A descendant of some of the earliest Dutch settlers in the Hudson Valley, Vandercook was born on the eve of the Revolution and lived to see the emergence of the regional divisions that led to the Civil War. He spent his entire life in Pittstown, where he was a merchant, farmer, militia officer, county sheriff, justice of the peace, and father of twelve children by three wives.


During his relatively long life, he crossed paths with such luminaries as Daniel Tompkins,
Henry Dearborn, Henry K. and Solomon Van Rensselaer, Joseph Bloomfield, Herman Knickerbocker, Eliphalet Nott. His second father-in-law was General Gilbert Eddy. On five occasions the Council of Appointment in Albany awarded Maj. Vandercook civil positions in addition to several military promotions. Governor Tompkins repeatedly picked him for special assignments in the militia, including inspector of a detached brigade deployed to the northern front immediately following the declaration of war in 1812. Later that same year, Maj. Vandercook was selected as one of New York’s 29 presidential electors.

He had a remarkable life but more than his share of tragedy. The final third of the book traces the descendancy of the twelve Vandercook children, all but one of whom left New York to seek their fortunes in the West. Many of them enjoyed success in journalism and politics.

The price, including shipping, is $22.50. To purchase the book, contact the author at [email protected]