Posts tagged ‘american history’
Complete Kwanzaa: Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest
Complete Kwanzaa:
Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest
by Dorothy Winbush Riley
(Hardcover, 387 pages, 1995, ISBN: 0785816976, $23.00)
Celebrated between Dec. 26 and Jan. 1, Kwanzaa is a joyous and meaningful holiday that gives African American an opportunity to reunite with family and friends and to pay tribute to their rich cultural heritage.
Here is a comprehensive guide that explains the traditional ceremonies, foods, and history of Kwanzaa. Offers an introduction to the cultural foundations of Kwanzaa, practical tips on how to tailor celebrations to individual circumstances, and directions on how to hold a Karamu feast, as well as recipes.
Also includes an explanation of the seven principles of Kwanzaas. Includes: the philosophy behind each principle; profiles of successful African American who represent the principles of Kwanzaa; inspirational quotations and proverbs; and folktales new and old. Illustrations.
“In this work, which is helpful in understanding the custom, Riley has illuminated each Kwanzaa principle with chapters replete with poetry, life stories of noted personalities who have benefited from using that particular system, quotations, folktales, and proverbs,” writes Ann Burns in a review for Library Journal. “A good source, especially for young adult collections.”
History of the Portrait Collection, Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia (American Philosophical Society)
History of the Portrait Collection,
Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia
by Doris Devine Fanelli and Karie Diethorn (American Philosophical Society)
(Paperback, 360 pages, 2001, ISBN: 0871692422, $65.00)
The American Philosophical Society in conjunction with the Independence National Historical Park announces the publication of the first catalog of the portraits in the National Park collection.
Read the 
of this book before you purchase it.
These portraits, most of which are exhibited in the Second Bank of the United States, consist of 255 works, 109 of them by Charles Willson Peale. Many are likenesses of heroes of the American Revolution and Founding Fathers of American government, statesmen, jurists, men of science, arts and letters. The collection was enhanced by the addition of the works of notable 18th and 19th Anglo-American artists.
The book is divided into two sections: a history of the collection dividing it chapters covering works pre-1950, 1850-1900 and 1900-1951, and a catalog. Each catalog entry is enhanced with either a black and white or four-color reproduction and contains a physical description of the portrait, a brief biography of the subject, the circumstance of the portrait’s commission and its provenance.
Book Special: The Three Roosevelts: Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America, Now 60 Percent Off
The Three Roosevelts:
Patrician Leaders Who Transformed America
by James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn
Paperback, 678 pages, 2001, ISBN: 08711317801
List Price: $37,00, OUR PRICE: $15.00
In war and in peace, the 20th century was the Roosevelt century. From Theodore Roosevelt’s Square Deal and battles with the plutocrats of the Gilded Age, to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and wartime leadership, to Eleanor Roosevelt’s pivotal work on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and vital role in the Civil Rights movement, their crusades dramatically reshaped the political and moral landscape of our nation.
Read the of this book before you purchase it.
Illuminates the intertwining lives of these leaders who became America’s most powerful advocates for social and economic justice. Explores how Theodore’s example of dynamic leadership would inspire the careers of his distant cousin Franklin and his niece Eleanor. A gripping narrative of three of America’s greatest leaders. Photos.
“In this eloquent book, noted political scientist and biographer Burns demonstrates the masterly use of political psychology to understand both the power of leaders and the dynamic between leaders and followers,” writes Louisiana State University Prof. William D. Pederson in a review for Library Journal.
“Co-written with Dunn, this comparative case study of the Roosevelt political triumvirate applies Burns’s leadership theory to Theodore and Franklin; an extension of his theory is also applied to Eleanor, the unelected member of the trio who was a national and world leader nonetheless.
“Skillfully woven throughout is the influence Abraham Lincoln had on the trio — a thread that gives this work cohesiveness and additional depth. A significant psychological element shared by all three was that they were members of society’s upper crust who came to identify with those given society’s crumbs.”
Story of Thanksgiving, by Robert Bartlett and Sally Comport
Story of Thanksgiving
by Robert Merrill Bartlett and Sally Wern Comport
(Hardcover, 51 pages, 2001, ISBN: 0060287780, $15.00)
Turkey and cranberry sauce. Pumpkin pie. Family and friends around the table. That’s what Thanksgiving means to us today. But has it always been this way?
In 1621 the English Pilgrims and the Native American Wampanoags gathered together for a feast. But do you know what they ate and what games they played? And do you know how George Washington and Abraham Lincoln helped make Thanksgiving into the holiday that we know today?
Read the of this book before you purchase it.
From ancient Greece to medieval England to colonial America, people all over the world have celebrated their good fortune at harvest time. Find out how their traditions have contributed to our modern Thanksgiving. And try your hand at making some delicious pumpkin muffins for your Thanksgiving table! Color illustrations.
Late author Robert Merrill Bartlett lived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in a house built in 1660 by his ancestor Pilgrim Robert Bartlett. Ten generations of Barletts have lived in this historic house by the sea.
Dr. Bartlett was a Congregational minister, a teacher, and an author of over 25 books in the field of biography, religion, and history, including “The Pilgrim Way” and “The Faith of the Pilgrims.” He enjoyed sharing the story in this book with his children and grandchildren at Thanksgiving dinners in his Pilgrim house.
“First published in 1965, and reissued now with new illustrations, this is very much the traditional settlers’ view of the Thanksgiving holiday,” writes Booklist in a review. “The late author was a descendant of the original pilgrims and lived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in a house built in 1660 by his ancestors. “No one was living in Plymouth, then,” he says.
“[Bartlett] connects the holiday with harvest festivals in Europe, tells of the Puritans who fled religious persecution, and describes the party, which started with the pilgrims and their Wampanoag friends coming together. Comport’s pictures in warm fall colors are energetic and festive, and the book ends with a recipe for pumpkin muffins and the music for ‘Over the River and Through the Woods.'”
Patriot Improvers Vol. 1-3, Members of the American Philosophical Society (APS), by Whitfield Bell
Patriot Improvers Vol. 1-3, Members of the American Philosophical Society (APS), by Whitfield Bell
When Benjamin Franklin adopted John Bartram’s 1739 idea of bringing together the “virtuosi” of the colonies to promote inquiries into “natural secrets, arts and syances,” the result was, in 1743, the founding of the American Philosophical Society (APS).
Read more about Dr. Whitfield Bell’s definitive three-volume set of biographical sketches of early APS Members, many of whom were important historical figures in colonial Philadelphia.
The three-volume set is a worthy testament to a much loved member of the APS and a handsome addition to bookshelves.
Patriot-Improvers: Members of the American Philosophical Society, Volume One: 1743-1768
(Memoir 226)
(Hardcover, 531 pages, 1997, $40.00)
Includes biographies of the Society’s best known members such as Franklin, David Rittenhouse, John Bartram, Benjamin Rush, John Dickinson, Thomas Hopkinson and lesser known merchants, artisans, farmers, physicians, lawyers and clergymen with familiar surnames such as Biddle, Colden and Morris. Illustrations. Read more >>
Patriot-Improvers: Members of the American Philosophical Society, Volume Two: 1768 (Memoir 227)
(Hardcover, 425 pages, 1999, $40.00)
This is the 2nd of 3 volumes of sketches that represent, “the first systematic attempt to collect and preserve data on the lives of [the Society’s first] members” and add much to our knowledge of the history and culture of 18th-century America. Contents: Sketches of Members inducted from 8 April-20 Dec. 1768; History of the Medical Society 1766-1768 and Sketches of Members; and Portraits of 31 Members. Read more >>
Patriot-Improvers: Biographical Sketches of Members of the American Philosophical Society: Volume Three: 1767-1768: Memoirs, APS (vol. 228)
(Hardcover, 696 pages, 2010, $60.00)
The long-anticipated third volume of Patriot-Improvers brings to an end the important work of Dr. Whit Bell, who started in 1997 to put together “biographical sketches of members of the American Philosophical Society elected between 1743, when Franklin proposed it, and 1769, when it was established on its present foundation by the union of several earlier institutions.” Work on this third volume was completed by APS Librarian Charles Greifenstein after the death of Dr. Bell in early 2009. Read more >>
Patriot-Improvers: Biographical Sketches of Members of the American Philosophical Society: Volume Three: 1767-1768: Memoirs, APS (Vol. 228)
Patriot-Improvers: Biographical Sketches of Members of the American Philosophical Society: Volume Three: 1767-1768: Memoirs, APS (Vol. 228)
by Whitfield J. Bell (American Philosophical Society)
(Hardcover, 696 pages, 2010, ISBN: 0871692287, $60.00)
The long-anticipated third volume of Patriot-Improvers brings to an end the important work of Dr. Whit Bell, who started in 1997 to put together “biographical sketches of members of the American Philosophical Society elected between 1743, when Franklin proposed it, and 1769, when it was established on its present foundation by the union of several earlier institutions” (Patriot-Improvers, Volume One, p. xiii).
Work on this third volume was completed by APS Librarian Charles Greifenstein after the death of Dr. Bell in early 2009. The three-volume set is a worthy testament to a much loved member of the APS and a handsome addition to bookshelves.
Patriot-Improvers: Members of the American Philosophical Society, Volume Two: 1768 (Memoir 227)
Patriot-Improvers: Members of the American Philosophical Society, Volume Two: 1768 (Memoir 227)
by Whitfield J. Bell (American Philosophical Society)
(Hardcover, 425 pages, 1999, ISBN: 0871692279, $40.00)
When Benjamin Franklin adopted John Bartram’s 1739 idea of bringing together the “virtuosi” of the colonies to promote inquiries into “natural secrets, arts and syances,” the result was, in 1743, the founding of the American Philosophical Society. Bell, records the early years of the Society through sketches of its first members, those elected between 1743 and 1769.
This is the second of three volumes of sketches that represent, “the first systematic attempt to collect and preserve data on the lives of [the Society’s first] members” and add much to our knowledge of the history and culture of 18th-century America. Contents: Sketches of Members inducted from 8 April-20 Dec. 1768; History of the Medical Society 1766-1768 and Sketches of Members; and Portraits of 31 Members.
Patriot-Improvers: Members of the American Philosophical Society, Volume One: 1743-1768 (Memoir 226)
Patriot-Improvers: Members of the American Philosophical Society, Volume One: 1743-1768 (Memoir 226)
by Whitfield J. Bell (American Philosophical Society)
(Hardcover, 531 pages, 1997, ISBN: 0871692260, $40.00)
When Benjamin Franklin adopted John Bartram’s 1739 idea of bringing together the “virtuosi” of the colonies to promote inquiries into “natural secrets, arts and syances,” the result was, in 1743, the founding of the American Philosophical Society.
Read the of this book before you purchase it.
Bell records the early years of the Society through sketches of its first members, those elected between 1743 and 1769. This volume includes biographies of some of the Society’s best known members such as Franklin, David Rittenhouse, John Bartram, Benjamin Rush, John Dickinson, Thomas Hopkinson and many lesser known merchants, artisans, farmers, physicians, lawyers and clergymen with familiar surnames such as Biddle, Colden, and Morris. Illustrations.
Weekly Book Special: Terry Foster’s Pale Ale, No. 1 in Classic Beer Style Series (ISBN: 0937381187)
Weekly Book Special: August 3rd-August 9th
August 5th is International Beer Day, a celebration of beers, breweries and bars. Learn about the history of pale ale in this week’s book special:
Pale Ale: No. 1 in Classic Beer Style Series
by Terry Foster (Hardcover, 134 pages)
List Price: $15.00, OUR PRICE: $5.95
This concise guide traces the convoluted history of pale ale, the giant of beer styles.
Terry Foster, the author and longtime master brewer who holds a Ph.D. in chemistry, dissects the flavor profile, lays out an in-depth examination of brewing techniques, tosses in a handful of recipes and wraps up with a look at several leading commercial examples of pale ales.
Chapters: History: The First India Pale Ale, Competition, Bitter and Modern Times, Adjuncts — Use or Abuse; Character Profile of Pale Ale; How Pale Ale is Brewed: Ingredients, Equipment and Procedures; Pale Ale Recipes; and Glossary.
More than a dozen Illustrations and recipes highlight this highly-prized handbook, which combines the British tradition with intense American ideas.
Read how to brew the perfect wheat malt (click to enlarge):
“Foster is perhaps the last of this tradition of British home brewing writers […] a bit folksy while also well researched,” writes Alan McLeod on A Good Beer Blog. “Foster provides context and technique, showing how historical styles can be recreated with confidence.”
This book is discounted only through August 9th. Purchase it for $5.95 (list price $15.00):
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The Hook and The Book: The Emergence of Crochet and Knitting in American Popular Culture, 1840-1876 (Library Company of Philadelphia)
The Hook and The Book: The Emergence of Crochet and Knitting in American Popular Culture, 1840-1876
by Nicole Scalessa (Library Company of Philadelphia)
(Paperback, 46 pages, 2001, ISBN: 0914076981, $15.00)
Nicole’s casual interest in old crochet and knitting patterns grew into a mission to search The Library Company’s collections and make available to patrons a comprehensive database of holdings focused on needle crafts and their relationship to the economy of the family, leisure, philanthropy, and manufacturing.
Read the of this book before you purchase it.
Nicole’s research has allowed her to cross-reference a large number of materials on the history of knitting and crochet throughout the 19th century and translate patterns of the period for modern use while uncovering a social history of knitting and crochet in early American culture.
The culmination of her research is presented in both the exhibition and her book “Historic Reflections in Crochet.”
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