At the start I felt this was not so interesting as some of the
other titles in RIVERS OF AMERICA. Perhaps this was because the
historical background of the Hudson is more or less familiar
territory. But as I got into it, I found that Carmer has the
faculty of breathing the breath of life into dead bones, and that
the history of a river can be made to epitomize much of a nation's
story. He has the faculty, too, of making his story personal and
human, of collecting odd bits of quaint information, of giving
color and drama to his story. He debunks some of the old legends,
but adds new, equally glamorous; he divides his material into
chronological history, into special subjects (whaling, shipping,
architecture, the arts, etc.). And the book emerges as another star
on the roster of a series of growing importance. (Kirkus Reviews)
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.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(2)
