You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
Did you know that there’s a Connecticut hotel room with a real helicopter inside? Can you guess who inspired the character of Indiana Jones, who was president before George Washington, and who flew before the Wright Brothers? Find the state’s most interesting and offbeat stories in Secret Connecticut: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. Are you interested in taking a safari or racing a chariot? Had you ever heard that Martin Luther King Jr. spent two summers in Connecticut? Included are more than eighty engaging stories that provide insight into one of America’s oldest states. Inside are tales of pirates, an underground prison, and a possessed doll. Aren’t you curious about the spectacular stained glass church that was unknowingly built in the shape of a fish by a famous architect? From the world’s smallest Native American reservation to professionally coiffed cows and a replica of Marie Antoinette’s palace, you’ll find intrigue around every corner of this small but surprising state. Author Anastasia Mills Healy brings to life the long history of intriguing people, places, and events that will fascinate even life long residents of Connecticut.
Philadelphia is thick with American firsts. Some—including the first zoo, first hospital, first public library, first university, first computer—are well known. Others are not and are here to be appreciated: Girl Scout cookies were originally baked by a commercial bakery here and “American Bandstand” was born in a West Philadelphia TV studio. This Used to Be Philadelphia goes deep inside the buildings, monuments, and familiar sights of the city to uncover its rich history, layer by layer. This book will introduce you to the city’s first residents, the Lenni Lenape, the tireless workers who made this “the Workshop of the World,” and the current residents who love all of these st...
Late in the 18th-century, people began to head west in America in search of new frontiers and new lives. Many of them, including immigrants, found their way down the Ohio River to Cincinnati, Ohio, the “Queen City of the West.” In Oldest Cincinnati, follow their journey and learn the story of the city as you’ve never heard it before. Read about a ferry that helped early settlers cross the Ohio River to Augusta, Kentucky, began in 1798 and that’s still in business today. Likewise, a stagecoach inn that began providing shelter for early travelers opened in Lebanon, Ohio, in 1803 continues welcoming guests to this day. As one of the first settlements in the Northwest Territory, called ...
Missouri is called the Show-Me State for a good reason. From cosmopolitan rooftop bars to breathtaking mountain views, there are so many amazing things to do here that you could spend a lifetime exploring and still not cover it all. Make your goal easier with 100 Things to Do in Missouri Before You Die, a curated collection of the best from every corner of the state. Discover architectural wonders beyond the Arch, outdoor escapes like scuba diving in the Bonne Terre Mine, and museums and festivals celebrating everything from ragtime to road trips. Take the time to experience the legacy of George Washington Carver, Daniel Boone, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Harry S. Truman. Find ideas for explor...
While Los Angeles is known for beaches, film studios and a sunny climate, it’s worth digging deeper to discover the city’s soul created by an ethnically diverse culture dating to the 18th century. Blending history and some local travel, Oldest Los Angeles takes readers on a journey through the past to the oldest buildings, businesses, and neighborhoods in the City of Angels. The pages open with a walking tour of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, a district that marks the city’s birthplace in 1781 when a group of 44 immigrants formed a farming community. What started as a humble pueblo evolved into a vibrant metropolis that’s home to over 10 million people and 185 language...
Himalayan Bronzes focuses on a complete study of 340 medieval-period copper alloy sculptures from the Himalayan regions of Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Nepal, and Tibet. For more than 1,500 years, artists in isolated valleys in and adjacent to the mountains of the Himalayas have created magnificent copper-based statues representing deities and spiritual leaders of the Hindu, Buddhist and Bon-Po religions. Author Chandra L. Reedy's multidisciplinary approach to the study of these statues integrates methods and techniques from art history, art conservation, geology, chemistry, statistics, archaeology, and ethnography to answer art historical and anthropological questions. Her guiding premise is that gathering and combining several types of information will result in more and better answers than any one type alone.
Why are turtles incorporated into the wrought iron fence at The Old Court House? Can beaver be eaten during Lent? Why are pieces of metal track imbedded in some local streets? Who is Sweet Meat, and should he be avoided? These and other questions about St. Louis routinely perplex both natives and newcomers to the area. In this updated version of her 2016 book, author Valerie Battle Kienzle continues her quest to find answers to some of The Gateway City’s most puzzling questions, digging through countless archives and talking to local experts. Part cultural study of The River City and part history lesson, the book reveals the backstories of more local places, events, and beloved traditions. Want to know why St. Louisans are so obsessed with soccer or why the acclaimed Missouri Botanical Garden contains a Japanese garden? Look no further. Dig into this informative and entertaining update for answers to those and dozens of other questions.
Two hundred years ago, Indianapolis was carved out of a forest in the middle of nowhere-a planned capital city at the geographic center of a new state. The first few decades were marked by economic isolation, squirrel invasions, and a canal project that bankrupted the state. But the arrival of railroads in 1847 transformed Indianapolis into an economic powerhouse. And this "Crossroads of America" has been growing, transforming, and reinventing itself ever since.Indianapolis: An Illustrated Timeline tells the Indianapolis story from prehistoric times to the present day, exploring its Native American heritage, its rich automotive history, and its most beloved restaurants, sports teams, and cul...
Locals know it, and newcomers learn it fast: we live in one of America's great cities. Beyond the obvious and outside your own daily routine, wouldn't it be great to have an insider's view into all the great neighborhoods around town? Finally, you can. With the arrival of "Finally! A Locally Produced Guidebook to St. Louis, By and For St. Louisans, Neighborhood By Neighborhood," you can get the skinny on exploring our town, from the Metro East to the urban core to daytrips worth the drive. Folks often say St. Louis is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own character (and characters!); let this be your handbook to the highlights and hidden treasures of them all. Our opinionated overview p...
Where in Columbus can you find a grave of specimens from an insane asylum? Stroll down Memory Lane? See the world’s largest gavel? Sniff the rarest smelly flower in the world? Soak up relics from the old National Roads? Soak up relics from the old National Road? The progressive pulse of Columbus secretly rests on fascinating, shocking, and bizarre events. Secret Columbus: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure is a journey of awe-inspiring moments combined with exciting knowledge about Ohio’s capital city. This book discovers what trash-eating pigs have to do with the landfill and how Columbus police are related to the Short North arts district. Researched and written by Columbus native and career investigative television journalist Anietra Hamper, this book reveals exciting discoveries that take you to places you would never find on your own. From settler-era squirrel hunts to the famous smoking Mai Tais of the defunct Kahiki Supper Club, the secrets of Columbus are waiting for you. With Secret Columbus as your guide, uncover new truths about the places you thought you knew and experience an element of adventure along the way.