No comments about First Families of Chester County, Pennsylvania, Volume 1.

1 comments about Philadelphia Graveyards and Cemeteries (Images of America: Pennsylvania).

1. I just got this book yesterday and I highly recommend it for any fan of old cemeteries.

   The author really drives home the point of how callous we've become as a society when political patronage, urban blight. etc. have caused these once-beautiful places to fall into decay and neglect and finally to disappear. I think that point needs to be made.

   It made me sick when I learned that these places were replaced by playgrounds, athletic fields...and housing projects (which we all know bring nothing but crime and drugs to the neighborhoods in which they are built). The playground that replaced Ronaldson's on 9th Street in South Philadelphia is a dreary, ugly place. For that, an cemetery dating back to 1827 was uprooted? The same with Lafayette, across the street from the famous Pat's Steaks, which was also displaced for a playground!

   I've wondered many times what the "lost" and long-gone cemeteries like Machpelah, Union, American Mechanics, Olive, etc. looked like. This book satisfied much of my curiosity about those places with the black and white photos in it.

   It is a great read and a must for any taphophile's library.

1 comments about Harrisburg: An Illustrated History in Postcards.

1. This book is an excellent display of photographs about Harrisburg. While it is a visual wonder, it also provides insights into the history of Harrisburg. Harrisburg is in Dauphin County. The county was named for the oldest son of France's king, the Dauphine, to honor French assistance during the Revolutionary War.
   
   Harrisburg changed its name to Louisburg in honor of King Lewis of France. John Harris refused to sell any more land in town unless the name was changed back to Harrisburg, which happened in 1791.
   A railroad from Harrisburg to Middletown, then known as Portsmith, began in 1836. The first passenger train began in Harrisburg in 1839.
   
   Harrisburg was part of the Underground Railroad used by slaves escaping slave states in the 19th century.
   After the Capitol burned in 1897, the legislature met in Grace Methodist Episcopal Church.
   
   In 1786, a flood delivered thousands of washed away pumpkins in what became known as the Great Pumpkin Flood.

No comments about Thirty Thousand Names of Immigrants in Pennsylvania.

No comments about EIGHTEENTH CENTURY EMIGRANTS FROM GERMAN-SPEAKING LANDS TO NORTH AMERICA VOLUME II THE WESTERN PALATINATE.

5 comments about Devastation on the Delaware: Stories and Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955.

1. Mary Shafer has approached a detailed account of a tragic flood with unusual thoroughness, compassion, continuity, and research. It is a non-fiction book like no other, holding the reader spellbound throughout. One cannot help but become emotionally involved with those who suffered through this event, and one cannot help but admire Shafer for her accomplishment. Obviously, Shafer was passionate about her subject; it shows in throughout this book.



2. Mary Shafer's "Devastation on the Delaware" is an engrossing account of the tragic Delaware Valley flood of 1955, created by Hurricanes Connie and Diane. Told as a narrative timeline of events, this book introduces us to the people and communities overcome by the wrathful waters of the Delaware and its tributaries. It reads like historical fiction rather than documentary, with many amazing and touching stories uncovered by the author's interviewing diligence. I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it as a full and varied account of an unbelievable event and its effect on the Delaware Valley.



3. Mary Shafer's book Devastation on the Delaware is the amazing result of years of research and emotional commitment. Written to commemorate the August, 1955, Delaware River Valley Flood, the book takes the reader on a "roller-coaster ride" through those days of death and "devastation." Ms. Shafer describes in detail the Flood as experienced in all the areas of the Delaware Valley during August 18-20.
   
   Her professional commitment to her "craft" and her personal commitment to the survivors and victims of the Flood are extraordinary. The survivors' stories (remembered in minute detail 50 years later) are heart-wrenching. The graphic details are horrifying.
   
   The author is an exceptional writer, one who weaves historical and scientific facts into a compelling "story." The fascinating history of the Delaware River and its tributaries, general information about hurricanes (and Hurricanes Connie and Diane in particular) and the status of weather reporting in the mid-1950's and the abandoned plans to dam the River after the Flood all become part of the drama of one of our country's worst natural disasters. This book will hold everyone's interest. It is a great "read."
   
   For those of us who lived through the Flood, it is also a priceless gift. Many people waited over 50 years for the kind of closure only Ms. Shafer's book has given them.



4. Mary Schaefer's Devastation on the Delaware is an eye-opening account of what happens when people forget the power of flood waters. Extreme natural events can't often be tamed by mankind.
   
   There are many very sad as well as hearwarming and uplifting accounts of people's response to the flood.
   
   Ultimately the 55 flood created a National Park on the Delaware River. Although the Tocks Island project displaced and did great harm to some, the net result - - the National Park - - is a good thing, if only because it keeps people from forgetting again and trying to live too close to the banks of this great river.



5. I grew up hearing about this flood, but in the way of casual family talk, I never really learned much about it. Fascinating to read such a well-researched book on the many aspects of the flood. It was indeed life-changing for so many people. While my own family didn't suffer from it, they knew many, many people who did. The stories went on for years. They'd be lost now except for this excellent book.

5 comments about ABC of Architecture.

1. This is a very informative, short book. While he doesn't ignore periods entirely, O'Gormans approach is to concentrate on key architectural principles, primarily structural, and use buildings, or even simplified sketches, to illustrate them. The book would have been even better if the glossary at the end were expanded, and used some sketches: words are frequently far less useful than pictures in explaining a term. Also, I found O'Gormans introduction a bit forced and wordy. Conversely, the last few pages of the book, in which he hurriedly covers such topics as the importance of history and association in interpreting architectural work, were fascinating, but rushed.



2. My college freshman daughter told me she was thinking about majoring in environmental design. Knowing nothing about environmental design, I decided I needed to know more. Architecture is a part of environmental design, and I feel fortunate to have found this book. It is a fast read at about 120 pages, and it is focused on the three principles of an ancient Roman architect named Vitruvius: Utilitas, Firmitas, and Venustas in Latin, or function, structure, and beauty. The book devotes a chapter to each of these principles, and has additional chapters on architecture as communication and the vocabulary of architecture. The book also stresses the importance of history on architecture. The book has numerous drawings that help illustrate the points in the text. After reading this book I feel like I have a high-level picture of what architects have to consider in their profession.



3. Although it is intended for a more amateur architectural audience, O'Gorman doesn't seem to encompass modern thinking into his book. He pretty much re-vamps Vitruvius' famous work into this contemporary style. However, with his contemporary writing, he doesn't bring in any contemporary ideas... He leaves post modernism and modernism out completely... He refers to Mies Van der Rohe, yet he wrongly references him. Mies wasn't concerned with utility, where as O'Gorman's main thesis is that architecture IS utilitarian. The book is a fast easy read however, and it's been interesting... and it WILL certainly help first year arch. students.



4. "ABC of Architecture" is a catchier title than "Introduction to Architecture" but a little misleading. It sounds like it might be a dictionary of architectural terms. The book is, in fact, an introduction to the principles of architecture written for the uninitiated by James F. O'Gorman, professor of architecture and author of a dozen books on the subject. His intention is to demystify the basics for interested laypersons or beginning undergraduates. There is a Précis, which one may read instead of the entire book to get the basics of the basics, but I don't think it contains enough specifics or examples to be helpful.
   
   O'Gorman's approach is to explain architecture by explaining its three components, as proposed by ancient Roman architect Vetruvius: Utilitas (function), Firmitas (structure), and Venustas (beauty). A building's function is expressed by the client in a building program. It is given structure by the builder, while design or beauty is the domain of the architect. A chapter is devoted to each of these aspects of building creation, in which the basic choices are explained: The plan may be additive or divisive, the structural system trabeated or arcuated, the design formal or picturesque, with the ideas, implications, and examples for these basic options.
   
   There is also a chapter that addresses how architecture communicates through associative meaning and one that gives the reader an amusing tour of architectural vocabulary. There is a short glossary of terms in the back and a list of recommended reading. Black-and-white drawings by Dennis E. McGrath provide examples of basic concepts and designs. "ABC of Architecture" is a nice primer that avoids overwhelming the beginner with perplexing terms and engineering but tells the reader enough to know if you want to find out more about the subject or not.



5. I got this book just for my arch class. First, the price is good. but the book itself is very thin. it doesn't help with the course.

No comments about Early Pennsylvania Births, 1675-1875.

1 comments about Gettysburg in 3D: A Look Back in Time: With Built-in Stereoscope Viewer - Your Glasses to the Past!.

1. All of the books in this series are great. As a stereocard maker and enthusiast, I was excited about the release of these books.
   Good points: Excellent price! Excellent construction with the fold out viewer in the cover and excellent graphics giving it an 'antique' feel. Some very rare views are presented that would cost a fortune to purchase. The descriptions originally printed on the card's verso are reproduced here on the preceding page to each image so that they can be viewed and read all at once... And, did I mention the excellent price?
   Weak points: Some cards which already suffered from poor image quality are made 'grainy' by the halftone printing. A few of the images are not in 3D. A few images have the left and right images reversed. While the original cards may have been this way, the least they could have done was correct them or note the error in the descriptions.
   Still, these few and minor weaknesses do not detract from the overall quality of the books. Nothing can really describe seeing historical moments and people in 3D.These books should be in classrooms. I look forward to the next 2 releases in the series.

5 comments about Pennsylvania Ghost Towns: Uncovering the Hidden Past.

1. This book can only bring delight to local history buffs, especially those in the Pennsylvania area. Susan Tassin has compiled a listing of 46 ghost towns (or near ghosts) from around the state, has given a little history of each site, and, best of all, has indicated what the present-day visitor will find at each place (there is something at all of them, from restored villages to foundation holes) and how to get to them. Towns are located by section of the state, and some are close enough to each other to make visiting more than one an easy single day adventure. I only have two small quibbles, and they involve directions: the directions to Dillow's Fort near Pittsburgh are missing just enough information (probably a typo) to make it nearly impossible to locate, and in the directions for Laquin, after turning right on SR 3005 one needs to turn LEFT (not right) onto Southside Rd. Modern day explorers in the Keystone State should find plenty of inspiration in this book. Hopefully Ms. Tassin is at work on a follow-up volume amassing another inventory of ghost towns to go along with this one.



2. I have read that Pennsylvania is home to more ghost towns then Colorado, but most have been completely destroyed and are hard to find. This is a very well researched book containing numerous facts and anecdotes about many of the better known, but long defunct, towns from PA's past.
   
   The book is divided by region so that the reader can focus on a particular part of the state. The author also includes information on the current state of each town, the accessibility of each location, and driving directions for finding them. Further, there is a solid bibliography and list of useful websites for further research.
   
   The one thing that would have made this book better for me is if it included photographs from some of the locations. That, however, is merely a personal desire and in no way detracts from the overall work.
   
   A must have for history buffs, ghost hunters, and abandonment explorers.



3. I was excited to get this book since the author was on T.V. and was talking about her book. I read the book from cover to cover and was very informed about the state that I live in. Can't wait until the weather breaks to see some of these places. Touring my own state, what a deal and alot of the places she mentioned aren't far from me....I never knew there was places like this around me. I just love her book and the information is priceless. My husband is from Pa. and never knew there was so much to read and to see in Pa. We are planning our vacation to see alot of these places and learn and get more knowledge about Pa. Way to go Susan Hutchison Tassin.



4. I thought this book was interesting. I can't wait to try and find a few of them.



5. Enjoying anything pertaining to 'what was once in PA' ...this is the book. For those who may not be familiar with these towns of the past, the author will stir your curiosity and you'll be ready to investigate. She paints the pictures with wonderful description and detail. History forgotten comes alive in this rendering of PA's Ghost Towns. This author needs to continue her searches to take us on more interesting trips to other Ghost Towns in PA. Highly recommend.