Mary Dodge Woodward, a fifty-six-year-old widow, moved from Wisconsin with her two grown sons and a daughter to a 1,500-acre bonanza wheat farm in Dakota Territory's Red River valley in 1882. For five years she recorded the yearly farm cycle of plowing and harvesting as well as the frustrations of gardening and raising chickens, the phenomenon of mirages on the plains, the awesome blizzard of 1888, her reliance on her family, and her close relationship with her daughter. She noted "blots, mistakes, joys, and sorrows" in her "olf friend." This Borealis edition brings back to print a valuable record of a frontier woman's life.

A prolific writer of prose, poetry, and regional history, Carl Carmer first gained national attention with Stars Fell n Alabama, a book about Alabama folkways. But it is his writings about upstate New York, where he was born and lived for much of his life, that firmly established him as a folk historian and master storyteller. The Hudson, originally published in 1939, is the most popular of these writings. Best of the Rivers of America series, The Hudson is less a formal historical account of the discovery and development of the river that a personal, anecdotal view of it. Included are tales of white-sailed sloops and steamboats racing from Albany to New York; of old whalers and trader sea dogs of the Catskill shore; of showboats playing anti-rent meoldramas to incite farmers against their landlords; of great disasters and heroic deeds; of the efforts of the Hudson River School to capture "sublimity" on canvas; of the quarrelsome, rough-and-tumble life of the Dutch along the river's banks, and many more. This commemorative fiftieth anniversary edition features 16 new drawings by Hudson River artist Edward J. McLaughlin, a foreward by New York historian Louis C. Jones, and an afterword by Roger Panetta, professor of history at the College of New Rochelle.

A prolific writer of prose, poetry, and regional history, Carl Carmer first gained national attention with Stars Fell n Alabama, a book about Alabama folkways. But it is his writings about upstate New York, where he was born and lived for much of his life, that firmly established him as a folk historian and master storyteller. The Hudson, originally published in 1939, is the most popular of these writings. Best of the Rivers of America series, The Hudson is less a formal historical account of the discovery and development of the river that a personal, anecdotal view of it. Included are tales of white-sailed sloops and steamboats racing from Albany to New York; of old whalers and trader sea dogs of the Catskill shore; of showboats playing anti-rent meoldramas to inctie farmers against their landlords; of great disasters and heroic deeds; of the efforts of the Hudson River School to capture "sublimity" on canvas; of the quarrelsome, rough-and-tumble life of the Dutch along the river's banks, and many more. This commemorative fiftieth anniversary edition features 16 new drawings by Hudson River artist Edward J. McLaughlin, a foreward by New York historian Louis C. Jones, and an afterword by Roger Panetta, professor of history at the College of New Rochelle.

'Somerville knows more about wooden barn construction than almost anyone alive.'-The Telegraph 'A joyful reminder of why nature, being outside, being together and creating beauty is so good for the soul.'-Kate Humble, broadcaster and author of A Year of Living Simply 'For all our advances, it's hard to deny the modern world brings with it new ills of disconnection and disenfranchisement, but here in Barn Club they've found their cure.'-Barn the Spoon, master craftsman and author of Spon Nature meets traditional craft in this celebration of the elm tree, beautiful buildings and community spirit. Barn Club calls on us to discover our landscapes more intimately and to explore the joys of making beautiful things by hand, together. When renowned craftsman Robert Somerville moved to Hertfordshire, he discovered an unexpected landscape rich with wildlife and elm trees. Nestled within London's commuter belt, this wooded farmland inspired Somerville, a lifelong woodworker, to revive the ancient tradition of hand-raising barns. Barn Club follows the building of Carley Barn over the course of one year. Volunteers from all walks of life joined Barn Club, inspired to learn this ancient skill of building elm barns by hand, at its own quiet pace and in the company of others, while using timber from the local woods. The tale of the elm tree in its landscape is central to Barn Club. Its natural history, historic importance and remarkable survival make for a fascinating story. This is a tale of forgotten trees, a local landscape and an ancient craft. This book includes sixteen pages of colour photographs, and black and white line drawings of techniques and traditional timber frame barns feature throughout.

The geology of the Thames Valley provides little good building stone, so the towns are made very largely of local brick. Reading is particularly rewarding for the brick-fancier, thanks to the variety of colours available and the inventive patterns that Victorian bricklayers loved to make. Illustrated throughout with photographs of surviving examples, Bricks and Brickwork in Reading gets back to basics with bonding, tells the 100-year story of a successful Victorian brick maker, pays homage to Alfred Waterhouse and revels in the delights of air bricks and crinkle-crankle walls. A walking tour gives the reader the opportunity to see the more notable examples of Reading's brickwork for themselves.

The USS "Monitor" famously battled the CSS "Virginia" (the armored and refitted USS Merrimack) at Hampton Roads in March 1862. This updated edition of David A. Mindell's classic account of the ironclad warships and the human dimension of modern warfare commemorates the 150th anniversary of this historic encounter.

Mindell explores how mariners--fighting "blindly," below the waterline--lived in and coped with the metal monster they called the "iron coffin." He investigates how the ironclad technology, new to war in the nineteenth century, changed not only the tools but also the experience of combat and anticipated today's world of mechanized, pushbutton warfare.

The writings of William Frederick Keeler, the ship's paymaster, inform much of this book, as do the experiences of everyman sailor George Geer, who held Keeler in some contempt. Mindell uses their compelling stories, and those of other shipmates, to recreate the thrills and dangers of living and fighting aboard this superweapon.

Recently, pieces of the "Monitor" wreck have been raised from their watery grave, and with them, information about the ship continues to be discovered. A new epilogue describes the recovery of the "Monitor" turret and its display at the USS "Monitor" Museum in Newport News, Virginia.

This sensitive and enthralling history of the USS "Monitor" ensures that this fateful ship, and the men who served on it, will be remembered for generations to come.

Fran Randle, Bill Shankly, Violet Carson, Les Dawson, Gracie Fields, as well as tacklers, overlookers, weavers and other mill workers, were interviewed for this gem of a book. A tackler comes to Oldham, in the pouring rain, and knocks on a door. Landlady opens the door and says, `Yes?' `Can I stay here for t'week?' `Aye,' says the landlady, `you can, but you'll get dam'd wet!' This is a classic example of a tackler's tale a story of gormlessness, delivered with a straight face. All of old Lancashire is covered, including Manchester and Liverpool, and former Daily Express columnist Geoffrey Mather reveals a great talent for amusing observation and wry comment. The result is an un-put-downable, rib-tickling collection of stories, recollections and commentary by the author on what it means to be a Lancastrian, then and now.

Since the middle ages, Orkney has proved remarkable for the volume and the quality of its literary output. From the skalds and sagamen of the Viking age, through to the colourful folklorists, polemicists and translators of the Victorian era, and the internationally acclaimed poets and novelists of the twentieth century, Orkney has continually and self-consciously developed a unique literary culture of its own. This clearly defined artistic territory resembles a sub-nation at times, and is characterised not by insularity, but by what might be termed a positive 'insularism' - defining, reinventing and presenting itself to the world. The History of Orkney Literature is the first full survey of literary writing from and about the Orkney Islands. The book presents readings of uncomplicatedly Orcadian writers such as Walter Traill Dennison, Edwin Muir, Eric Linklater, Robert Rendall and George Mackay Brown. It also considers major texts written by 'outside' authors which are nevertheless demonstrably Orcadian in terms of their setting, style and influence. The History of Orkney Literature charts the development of this distinctly Orcadian strand within Scottish Literature, and shows how the archipelago, rather than the nation, can indeed be the defining locus of a compact and vibrant literary tradition.

The impact of people and places in Wolstanton and May Bank is recorded in this pictorial record that recognises the contribution of village notables, dear old friends and long-gone institutions. A wealth of photographs depicting the joys of community life mingle with contemporary pictures, showing, often with dramatic impact, the shocking demolition of facilities we perhaps took for granted, such as The Plough, the Oxford Arms and The Marsh Head. Elsewhere, images of former shops such as Holdridge's, Swettenham's and the Spinning Wheel show how High Street shopping patterns have changed. Author Mervyn Edwards has only ever lived in Wolstanton and May Bank, and through this unique selection of old and new images, he presents a tribute to the place he happily calls home.

In 1851 Frank Blackwell Mayer, a talented young artist from Baltimore, traveled to Minnesota Territory to attend the signing of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux between the Dakota Indians and the United States government. "He went," notes Bertha Heilbron in the introduction, "not to participate in the negotiations, but to observe Indian life at first hand and to find subjects for his brush and pencil... With a sure stroke he pictured the scenes and the inhabitants--red and white--of the frontier; with a fluent pen he described all that he saw through the sensitive eye of the artist."
Mayer's diary is a travel narrative, an eyewitness account of a critical treaty signing, and a candid personal view of the development of the artist in mid-nineteenth century America. His words and drawings offer a lively and important resource for historians of art and the frontier, as well as readers of regional history.
This edition includes an additional section of Mayer's diary that was discovered after the book was first published in 1932. Bertha Heilbron's helpful introductions and annotation provide important historical information for both parts oif this valuable document.

This text looks at the borough's history through maps which date from the Tudor period right up to the 20th century.

This volume on the Isle of Wight is packed with historical photographs, maps, ephemera, and modern-day images. It describes the people and events that shaped the island and its long history.

In the Victorian era, sensational ghost stories were headline news. Spine-chilling reports of two-headed phantoms, murdered knights and spectral locomotives filled the pages of the press. Spirits communicated with the living at dark seances, forced terrified families to flee their homes and caused superstitious workers to down their tools at the haunted mines. This book contains more than fifty hair-raising - and in some cases, comical - real life accounts from Wales, dating from 1837 to 1901. Unearthed from newspaper archives, they include chilling prophecies from beyond the grave, poltergeists terrorising the industrial communities, and more than a few ingenious hoaxes along the way.

TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY EXTREME SPORT The distant towers of the Great, New and Cloister Courts looming against the dark sky, lit by the flickering lamps far below; the gradations of light and shadow, marked by an occasional moving black speck seemingly in another world; the sheer wall descending into darkness at his side, above which he has been half-suspended on his long ascent; the almost invisible barrier that the battlements from which he started seem to make to his terminating in the Cloisters if his arm slips; all contribute to making this deservedly esteemed the finest view point in the College Alps. By turns sage and foolhardy, the advice contained within represents the cumulative experience of three inquisitive, ambitious and daring men - the authors of the three editions of The Roof-Climber's Guide to Trinity - and their accomplices. Geoffrey Winthrop-Young, John Hurst andRichard Williams were each their generations' luminaries in an historic sport, now known as Night Climbing; one by its very nature sparsely populated and largely anonymous. THE ORIGINAL NIGHT CLIMBING CLASSIC This Omnibus Edition contains the full texts and images from each of those editions, as well as the appendices to the First Edition, and features a special introduction by Richard Williams, author of the Third Edition, in which he details the collected wisdom and history of Night Climbing, andfinally removes the cloak of anonymity that has until now protected the identities of those first intrepid nocturnal explorers. Although many may baulk at the methods described in the narrative, few could question the diligence spent obtaining that content, or deny the impeccable locution and erudition displayed in presenting the illicit achievements in this cult classic. As the Guide itself posits, its existence will have been justified if it has succeeded in providing the young stegophilist making his first night venture upon the Trinity Roofs with a clue, however poor, to the creditable unravelling of their somewhat complex mazes. OTHER UNMISSABLE NIGHT CLIMBING TITLES FROM OLEANDER: The Bible of All Climbing Disciplines - The Night Climbers of Cambridge by Whipplesnaith Cut and Paste 9781909349551 to search)

The Black Country is epitomised by beautiful towns and strong industry, and this collection of intricate illustrations is a celebration of the area's unique appeal. Featuring a range of views, from historical buildings and markets to canals and countryside, each stunning scene is full of intriguing detail sure to fire the imagination and make you reach for your colouring pencils. There are absolutely no rules - you can choose any combination of colours you like to bring these images to life. Suitable for children. If you love the Black Country, then you will love colouring it in!

'Our Atlantic Attempt' tells of Harry Hawker and K. MacKenzie Grieve's attempt to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1919. Unfortunately, their aeroplane developed engine trouble after only 1050 miles and they were forced to ditch in the ocean, although thankfully they were rescued by a passing ship.

Covering the villages and landscapes of West Yorkshire, this guide suggests 30 walks of varying lengths and difficulty but all offering unrestricted access to the West Yorkshire countryside.

1364: The plague has returned and fear fills the air as the pestilence claims its first victims in Chesterfield. When the local priest vanishes, John the Carpenter believes the man is simply scared - until he discovers a body left in an empty house. Charged with finding the murderer by the coroner, John must dig deep into the past to discover who in the present has enough hatred to kill. But as the roll of the dead grows longer, can he keep his family safe from malign forces outside of his control? The third title in a gripping series following the best-selling titles The Crooked Spire and The Saltergate Psalter.

Lying together in one of Stroud's five valleys, Nailsworth and Woodchester provide an interesting contrast with one another. As a parish, the former is only just over a century old, created from portions of Avening, Horsley and Minchinhampton, while Woodchester has pre-Conquest roots and is the site of the great Roman villa, with its celebrated Orpheus Mosaic. Both parishes possess many fine buildings and are home to thriving, vibrant communities. Using period and modern photographs, this book aims to highlight changes in Nailsworth and Woodchester over the last century or so. Matching images invite the reader to compare how landscape, architecture and street scenes have altered and to enjoy fascinating glimpses of Victorian and Edwardian people going about their daily lives.