Small Press Bk Rev-Summer 2000-Pt 2
HenryBerry
Summer 2000 - Part 2 (of 2)
(History, cont)
King Philip's War - Civil War in New England, 1675-1676 by James D. Drake. U.
of Massachusetts Press, Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004. 1999. 257 pp. $50.00
hardcover (1-55849-223-2). $16.95 trade paper (1-55849-224-0) notes, index.
(Colonial American history; regional history)
Drawing from recent scholarship, Drake deals with King Philip's War in New
England in the 1600s as virtually a civil war between the Native Americans of
the region and the colonists. These two groups had become interdependent to the
degree that they made up a single regional society. This interdependence was
centered mostly on commercial interactions, including the use of different
types of money and distribution networks. But dissension among different groups
of the colonists involved economic and religious matters brought on a breakdown
of this society made up of the Native Americans and colonists. The resulting
war was so brutal because of this interdependency which was becoming unraveled.
Drake doesn't concentrate on why the colonists were "victorious," because the
colonists were not the monolithic group they have typically been portrayed to
be. In this new perspective on the War, he concentrates on the changes brought
about by the War to both the colonial and Native American societies.
Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay,
foreword by John Marks Templeton. Templeton Foundation Press, 5 Radnor
Corporate Center - Suite 120, 100 Matsonford Rd., Radnor, PA 19087. 1999, this
edition. $19.95 trade paper (1-890151-40-8). index.
(social critique; reprint)
Mackay begins his classic study with the economic episodes of the Mississippi
Scheme, the South Sea Bubble, and Tulipomania of the 1800s. But he moves on
from these to the topics of alchemists, fashions in beards, the Crusades, witch
scares, haunted houses, and others which demonstrate the human capacity for
fanaticism, mania, and gullibility. In the Foreword to this reprint edition,
John Templeton relates the schemes and manias dealt with by Mackay to the
contemporary mania regarding technology stocks and related economic phenomena.
John Laurens and the American Revolution by Gregory D. Massey. U. of South
Carolina Press, 937 Assembly St., Carolina Plaza - 8th floor, Columbia, SC
29208. 2000. 327 pp. $34.95 hardcover (1-57003-330-7). maps, notes,
bibliography, index.
(Revolutionary War; biography)
John Laurens was a South Carolinian who was the son of Henry Laurens, the
president of the Continental Congress. A law student in England when the War
began, he quickly left that country and his English wife and unborn child to
return to America to fight in the War of Independence. During the War, he
served as Washington's aide-de-camp and had contact with many prominent
military and political figures. He also took part in battles at Brandywine,
Germantown, Charleston, and Yorktown. In addition to covering Lauren's military
career, Massey deals with Laurens' ideas relating to independence, including
his proposal to free slaves who served in the Continental Army. Massey's
concerted focus on Lauren's activities and ideas adds new material and
perspectives on the Revolutionary War and America's early days of independence.
The Abandoned Ocean - A History of United States Maritime Policy by Andrew
Gibson and Arthur Donovan. U. of South Carolina Press, 937 Assembly St.,
Carolina Plaza - 8th floor, Columbia, SC 29208. 2000. 362+xiv pp. $39.95
hardcover (1-57003-319-6). illustrations, tables, appendix, notes,
bibliography, index.
(merchant marine; U. S. maritime history)
The authors concentrate on legislation affecting the merchant marine and the
shipping industry and the inter-relationship between the shipbuilding industry
and the merchant marine and the Navy. Their history of maritime policy begins
with the formation of the merchant marine just after the Revolutionary War and
runs into the present day. Besides simply chronicling the changes in
legislation, the development of the shipping industry, and the
inter-relationship among the legislation, the industry, and the military navy,
the authors analyze why policy and related regulation and legislation have
sometimes been unsuccessful in bringing about the intended goals. Gibson was in
the merchant marine in World War II and is a research fellow at the Naval War
College. Donovan teaches Maritime History at the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Both are somewhat critical of maritime policy, which they see as influenced by
the shipbuilding lobby, and question existing policies in these days after the
end of the Cold War and in the time of globalization.
Voices of the Vietnamese Boat People - Nineteen Narratives of Escape and
Survival by Mary Terrell Cargill and Jade Quang Huynh. McFarland and Co., Box
611, Jefferson, NC 28640. 2000. 190+x pp. $32.50 trade paper (0-7864-0785-9).
photographs, appendices, indexes.
(Vietnamese refugees; Vietnamese Americans)
Nineteen persons relate stories of their escape by boat from South Vietnam
after it fell to Communist North Vietnam in 1975 and their pathways to the
United States and efforts to make a life for themselves in this country.
The Silent Revolution and the Making of Victorian England by Herbert
Schlossberg. Ohio State U. Press, 180 Pressey Hall, 1070 Carmack Rd., Columbus,
OH 43210-1002. 2000. 405+x pp. $65.00 hardcover (0-8142-0843-6). $24.95 trade
paper (0-8142-5046-7). illustrations, notes, index.
(Victorian era; English history)
Schlossberg maintains that it was actually the roughly 50 years preceding Queen
Victoria's ascension to the English throne in 1837 which determined the nature
of the era named after her, not Victoria's interests or style. For his view,
Schlossberg studies the religious revival which occurred in England during the
early 1800s. This "silent revolution" is compared to the violent French
Revolution of 1789 and others like it in various European countries. Changes in
the Church of England, especially an evangelical movement, were at the center
of this English religious revival, which affected the views of influential
intellectuals such as Carlyle and Coleridge and economic and social changes
from the Industrial Revolution. The author is a senior research associate at
the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
Life of the Average Roman - A Symposium edited by Mary R. DeMaine and Rabun M.
Taylor. PZA Publishing, 2321 - 5th St., White Bear Lake, MN 55110. 1999.
237+xviii pp. $30.00 trade paper; 7-1/2" x 10" (0-9673471-0-6). illustrations,
diagrams, chapter notes, chapter bibliography.
(ancient history; Roman history; collected essays)
Nine articles by academics on specialized topics which shed light on Roman
society and culture. The articles were originally presented at 1997 symposium
held in St. Paul, MN. Seating arrangements as Roman dinners, Roman landscape
painting, middle-class burials, and a Roman tile factory are among the topics.
Although the topics are specialized and are treated mostly in a specialized
way, students of ancient history will find them informative.
The Plain People of the Confederacy by Bell Irvin Wiley; with a new
introduction by Paul D. Escott. U. of South Carolina Press, 937 Assembly St.,
Carolina Plaza - 8th floor, Columbia, SC. 2000. $12.95 trade paper
(1-57003-362-5).
(Civil War; South)
Wiley's brief study of ordinary Confederate soldiers, women on the home front,
and the plantation slaves originally published in 1944 was controversial with
its data and perspectives subverting the idealized view of the Confederacy
which arose after the Civil War in which the soldiers were uniformly valorous,
the women self-sacrificing, and the slaves loyal to their masters. Some of the
Wiley's perspectives are no longer questioned, such as the unrest among the
slaves. Nonetheless, his book with descriptions of the daily life of different
groups of Southerners during the Civil War brings to light this little-covered
area of Civil War studies.
Literature
Does Literary Studies Have a Future? by Eugene Goodheart. U. of Wisconsin
Press, 2537 Daniels St., Madison, WI 53718-6772. 1999. 137+xii pp. $27.95
hardcover (0-299-16650-3). $14.95 trade paper (0-299-16654-6). notes, index.
(literary critique; literary studies)
A Professor of Humanities at Brandis U., Goodheart answers the question posed
in his title with neither a yes or a no; "To do so would be a foolish venture
into prophecy." "What I try to do instead is to specify the conditions under
which a fruitful academic study of literature might survive," he says. To
accomplish this, he critiques the errancies and shortcomings, and also the
ideologies, of literary critics, academics, and various types of individuals
throughout general society who use literary studies, especially the "canon," as
a means to press their own political and cultural agendas. He also exposes how
the current fascination with cultural studies on many academic fields of study
is undermining the conditions for a fruitful study of how literature might
survive. With eminent reason and an overarching as well as inside view of
literary studies in today's academia, Goodheart formulates a middle ground that
recognizes tradition, including the tradition of literary studies, as an
interaction between old and new.
Noah Webster and the American Dictionary by David Micklethwait. McFarland and
Co., Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640; 800-253-2187. 1999. 350 pp. $49.95
hardcover; 7" x 10" (0-7864-0640-2). illustrations, notes, appendix, index.
(dictionary; American book history)
A London intellectual-property attorney, Micklethwait follows Webster's
meticulous, laborious, and obsessive work in compiling his renowned American
Dictionary. In doing this, he also depicts Webster's eccentricities and
personality, called "plodding" by one publisher, for which he also gained a
reputation as he was putting together his seminal work. Webster's thorough work
on his Dictionary is as interesting as the story of Samuel Johnson's work on
his. Webster relied heavily on Johnson's Dictionary, although much of Webster's
is original and one of the tasks Webster took upon himself was distinguishing
American spelling and usage from British. Micklethwait also goes on to cover
the influence of Webster's American Dictionary and give additional material on
other parts of Webster's life, including lecturing and promoting copyright law.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas edited by James C. Hall. Modern
Language Association, 10 Astor Place, New York, NY 10003-2981. 1999. 174+xiv
pp. $37.50 hardcover (0-87352-749-6). $18.00 trade paper (0-87352-750-X).
chapter notes, bibliography, index.
(collected essays; black studies; education)
The 16 collected articles take a twofold approach to the teaching of Douglass's
autobiographical book. First, the editor furnishes a comprehensive article on
the materials relating to Douglass's Narrative... which illuminate it and also
cover the history of slavery, black culture, and related subjects to provide a
context for the work. Among the materials Hall discusses are bibliographies,
histories, and biographies. The second part of the approach is guidance from
academics on perspectives to take on the Narrative..., the work strictly as a
literary text, tying the book in with related subjects, and other matters
regarding the use of the book in courses such as African American studies, 19th
century history, and composition. Though a part of the publisher's "Approaches
to Teaching Series," the collected articles are of interest to anyone looking
for authoritative and informative material on Douglass's life, writings, and
black studies.
Teaching the Literatures of Early America edited by Carla Mulford. Modern
Language Association, 10 Astor Place, New York, NY 10003-2981. 1999. 402+x pp.
$40.00 hardcover (087352-358-X) $22.00 trade paper (0-87352-359-8). chapter
bibliographies, bibliography, index.
(collected essays; colonial literature; American literature; education)
Up until recent years, the literature of early America has generally been
regarded as writings by the Puritans, Federalists and other
politically-inclined authors, and authors such as Jefferson representing the
American Enlightenment. All of these kinds of writings were seen as something
of extensions of, or American versions of, traditional British and other
European kinds of writings. The 22 essays of this book make the case for the
complexity of writing in early America and also try to make sense of this
complexity by focusing on particular areas or genres of it. Early America is
taken broadly, to include not only New England and the Atlantic coast colonies,
but also French and Spanish colonies in other parts of the Americas. Writing of
women, Native Americans, and African Americans are other fields of writing
dealt with with the aim of giving guidance for teaching them in relevant
courses. The genres of poetry, prose, drama, and narrative also receive
particular attention. Overall, the essays show that the literature of early
America was multi-faceted, and all of its facets should be looked at for an
understanding of its history, presence and influence of different cultures and
groups, and development of the Americas. Another similar recent publication in
the publisher's "Options for Teaching series" is Teaching Literature and
Medicine. This series now has 15 titles.
Animating the Letter- The Figurative Embodiment of Writing from Late Antiquity
to the Renaissance by Laura Kendrick. Ohio State U. Press, Columbus, OH. 1999.
326+ix pp. $55.00 (0-8142-0822-3) photographs, illustrations, notes,
bibliography, indexes.
(book illumination; book history)
Kendrick treats how the decorated letters in illuminated manuscripts of the
Middle Ages and the Renaissance conveyed the authority of the author. Whereas
in oral literature, the gestures and body movements of the author, or speaker,
established his authority as the teller of the tale, in the illuminated
manuscripts, this was accomplished by the design and imagery of the letters.
One sees that they were not only decorative touches which have attracted the
fascination and interest of readers in all ages. Not only a study of the
decorative letters of the manuscripts, Kendrick's work is also a study of the
inter-relationship between author, text, and audience. The many illustrations,
including several in color, complement Kendrick's enlightening study, as well
as make this a book students of book history will want to have for their
collection.
Almost Touching the Sky - Women's Coming of Age Stories edited by Florence Howe
and Jean Casella; Introduction by Marilyn French. The Feminist Press, 365 Fifth
Ave., New York, NY 10016. 2000. 258+xviii pp. $35.00 hardcover (1-55861-233-5)
$15.95 trade paper (1-55861-234-3).
(anthology; women's studies)
Excerpts from works by women writers from Kate Chopin to Alice Walker focusing
on experiences in which they grew. These experiences relate to family, friends
and teachers, or work and the larger world. The authors were selected to
present not only a wide variety of experiences, but also different ethnic
backgrounds.
Print, Manuscript, Performance - The Changing Relations of the Media in Early
Modern England edited by Arthur F. Marotti and Michael D. Bristol. Ohio State
U. Press, Columbus, OH. 2000. 322 pp. $55.00 hardcover (0-8142-0845-2). $20.00
trade paper (0-8142-5049-1). chapter notes, index.
(English literature)
Scholars in the fields of manuscript culture, historical bibliography, early
modern drama, and others examine the effects of technology in early modern
England on literature, especially the change from oral literature to printed
literature; as in "From Oral Delivery to Print in the Speeches of Elizabeth I,"
one of the chapters. "Staging the News" is a chapter on a topic contemporary
readers will be familiar with. Most of the chapters are quite specialized,
however, and of interest mainly to advanced students of the history of the book
and publishing. The period covered in Elizabethan England, generally the
mid-1500s to the early 1600s.
The Collected Fables of Ambrose Bierce edited by S. T. Joshi. Ohio State U.
Press, 1070 Carmack Rd., Columbus, OH 43210-1002. 2000. 389+xii pp. $65.00
hardcover (0-8142-0842-8). notes, chronology, indexes.
(Ambrose Bierce; fables)
Bierce's 850 fables are collected, over four hundred of which have never been
reprinted. The editor's extensive references to where the fables where first
published make this a helpful work for one with an advanced interest in Bierce.
But it's also a appealing work for the general reader drawn to Bierce's caustic
wit too. Most of the fables are only a few paragraphs long; a few are in the
form of poems.
Parenting
My Self, My Family, My Friends - 26 Experts Explore Young Children's
Self-Esteem edited by Berry Farber, M. Ed; Foreword by Neala S. Schwartzberg,
Ph. D. Preschool Publications, PO Box 1167, Cutchogue, NY 11935-0888. 2000. 307
pp. $24.95 trade paper (1-881425-07-X). illustrations, resources.
(collected essays; self-esteem)
All facets of self-esteem in younger children are covered in a reader-friendly
style by specialists in child development. Along with the child's view of
herself or himself, the child's relationships with family, friends, and others
are at the center of the advice. Other sections deal with helping the child to
get in touch with and understand her feelings and developing a balanced life.
The general approach advised by the many authors involves knowing the nature of
a child and inter-action with and guidance of her to develop self-esteem by
helping the child to know and understand herself and develop talents and skills
appropriate for her. Resources are listed for the different topics.
Poetry
Place of Passage: Contemporary Catholic Poetry edited by David Craig and Janet
McCann. Story Line Press, Three Oaks Farm, PO Box 1240, Ashland, OR 97520-0055.
2000. 304 pp. $18.95 trade paper (1-8552566-86-3).
(anthology)
Pope John Paul II, Thomas Merton, Denise Levertov, and Annie Dillard are among
the 55 Catholic writers contributing poems to this anthology. Most of the poems
are not about specific Catholic beliefs or doctrines, but rather deal with
general religious subjects such as peace or redemption; some do make use of
Catholic imagery.
Psychology
Awe and Trembling - Psychotherapy of Unusual States edited by E. Mark Stern and
Robert B. Marchesani. Haworth Press, 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904-1580.
1999. 293+xx pp. $39.95 hardcover (0-7890-0973-0). $24.05 trade paper
(0-7890-9991-9). chapter bibliographies, indexes.
(collected articles)
Despite the generality of the title, the unusual states of awe and trembling
dealt with are limited to panic and anxiety. Psychologists, psychotherapists,
and clinical social workers are the intended readers for the 13 articles about
the sources of panic attacks and extreme anxiety and treatments and methods for
dealing with them by professionals in the field of psychology.
Reference
Gifted Books, Gifted Readers - Literature Activities to Excite Young Minds by
Nancy J. Polette. Libraries Unlimited, PO Box 6633, Englewood, CO 80155-6633;
800-237-6124. 2000. $32.50 trade paper; 8-1/2" x 11" ((1-56308-822-3). index.
Reviews of books for gifted children in grades kindergarten through eighth in
the categories of picture books, fairy tales, poetry, multicultural studies,
and history, among others. The brief reviews of numerous books are followed by
several challenging and stimulating activities relating to each book.
Recommended Reference Books in Paperbacks, Third Edition by Jovian P. Land,
OFM, and Jack O'Gorman. Libraries Unlimited, PO Box 6633, Englewood, CO
80155-6633. 2000. 315+xx pp. $55.00 hardcover; 7" x 10" (1-56308-583-6).
indexes.
(bibliography)
The previous edition was published in 1992. Annotated listings of over 1,000
references in paperback in all fields.
Vintage Synthesizers, Second Edition by Mark Vail. Miller Freeman Books, 55
Hawthorne St. - Suite 6-,San Francisco, CA 94105. 2000. 341+vix pp. $27.95
trade paper; 8-1/2" x 11" (0-87930-603-3). color/b+w photographs,
illustrations, resources, glossary, index.
(music; collector's guide)
For collectors, dealers, and musicians, this updated edition has an expanded
section of resources, coverage of Japanese synthesizers, and a discography of
classic recordings using synthesizers. Photographs on nearly every page picture
many different kinds of synthesizers. Not only a collector's guide, but also an
account of the place of synthesizers in modern music with commentary from Moog
and other innovators and from musicians such as Herbie Hancock and Pink Floyd.
A buying guide gives estimated values for 300 synthesizers.
Independent Ukraine - A Bibliographic Guide to English-Language Publications,
1990-1999 by Bohdan S. Wynar. Libraries Unlimited, PO Box 6633, Englewood, CO
80155-6633. 2000. 552+xiv pp. $85.00 hardcover; 7" x 10" (1-56308-670-0).
index.
As one of the most important new countries resulting from the breakup of the
former Soviet Union, the Ukraine attracts much interest. Roughly 1700 listings
about this new nation which has played an important part in Russian history are
divided into general categories such as economics, linguistics, religion,
history, art, and international affairs. Wynar, founder of Ukrainian Academic
Press and editor of American Reference Books Annual, gives equal attention to
subjects concerning Ukrainian internal affairs and culture such as folklore and
to the Ukraine's international affairs and role in recent developments in
Europe and Russia. The annotations relate specifically the content of each of
the listings, which include not only books and articles, but also scholarly
essays and doctoral dissertations. Wynar's bibliography is an invaluable
reference for anyone interested in just about any cultural, historical, or
recent subject relating to the Ukraine.
Self-Help/How-To
Feng Shui - Back to Balance, An entertaining, lighthearted, commonsense
approach by Sally Fretwell. Feng Shui Unlimited, PO Box 4771, Charlottesville,
VA 22924. 200. 198+x pp. $21.95 trade paper; 8-1/2" x 9" (0-9670129-2-9).
charts, bibliography.
(design)
Fretwell intertwines explanation of principles of Feng Shui with advise and
suggestions on applying these principles in all areas of one's home, from
entryways and decorations to bedrooms and kitchen and a home office too. Feng
Shui is the Oriental art of creating one's surroundings to bring harmony into
one's life in the belief in the symbiotic relationship between one's
surroundings and the state of one's inner being. Fretwell heads an
international Feng Shui consulting agency and is author of articles on this
practice of interior design.
Sports/Outdoor Activities
New York Fly-Fishing Guide by Rob Streeter. Frank Amato Publications, PO Box
82112, Portland, OR 97282; fap@teleport,com. 2000. 111 pp. $19.95 trade paper;
8-1/2" x 11" (1-57188-157-3). color/b+w photographs, color/b+w illustrations,
resources.
(fly-fishing; regional guide)
Notes on hundreds of fishing spots in all parts of New York State by an author
who works for the State's Department of Environmental Conservation in the
Division of Water and who is a lifelong fly fisherman. The notes are
accompanied by many black-and-white and some color photographs of catches and
different fishing spots and by pages of illustrations of fishing flies. The
last edition was published in 1992. Listings of over 1,000 references in
paperback in all fields.
Travel
In Search of Ancient Scotland - A Guide for the Independent Traveler by Gerald
M. Ruzicki and Dorothy A. Ruzicki. AspenGrove Publishing, PO Box 1493, Mead, WA
99021-1493. 200. 335 pp. $17.95 trade paper (0-9664496-0-6). color/b+w
photographs, maps, timeline, glossary, bibliography, index.
(travel guide)
A guidebook which contains a good deal of historical and archaeological
material. Travelers wishing to learn about and understand the place of the
ancient and historic sites in Scottish history and culture will appreciate this
guide. It includes directions to the sites, most of which are not formal
tourist sites but accessible any hour.
France on Foot - Village to Village, Hotel to Hotel: How to Walk the French
Trail System on Your Own by Bruce LeFavour. Attis Press, 1247 Hudson Ave., St.
Helena, CA 94574-0510. 1999. 230+xvii pp. $24.95 trade paper; 7-1/2" x 11"
(0-9663448-0-4). color photographs, maps, resources, index.
(travel guide; France)
The large-size travel guide has many color photographs of the areas of France
covered, making it something like a photography book. But beyond its
exceptional visual attraction, the guide provides information for a walking
tour of parts of France along with comments by the authors on the sights and
experiences along the way. An ideal gift or guide for anyone looking for a
different way to tour France.
Writing
They Wrote the Book - thirteen women mystery writers tell all edited by Helen
Windrath. Spinsters Ink, 32 E. First St. - #330, Duluth, MN 55802-2002. 1999.
135 pp. $12.00 trade paper (1-883523-35-4).
(collected essays, mystery writing; how-to)
Chris Niles, Penny Sumner, Abigail Padgett, Ellen Hart, and Joan Drury are
among the thirteen women mystery writers contributing informative, pithy
essays. Mostly, they discuss the thinking behind the mysteries they write,
sometimes using examples from their books. The structure and pace of plotting,
holding suspense, main characters, and settings for their books are among the
essays. Besides the specific subjects discussed, the professionalism of the
successful authors is apparent--making this a worthwhile collection for
beginning and intermediate writers to see the thinking and approaches to
writing of professional authors of popular works. Writers in any field of
fiction could profit from reading the essays.
The Small Press Book Review is posted quarterly on the Internet newsgroup
alt.books.reviews. SPBR reviews noteworthy books in all fields from small
presses and independent publishers, including university presses. Inquiries and
review copies can be sent to Henry Berry, PO Box 176, Southport, CT 06490;
203-332-7629 phone/fax; email: henry...@aol.com.