Posts tagged ‘native americans’

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)

ThanksgivingTurkey 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 Google Preview: Story of Thanksgiving 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.'”

Purchase this book for $15.00:
Add to CartE-mail a Friend Share This

August 17, 2010 at 12:24 am Leave a comment

John Neagle: Philadelphia Portrait Painter (Historical Society of Pennsylvania)

John Neagle:
Philadelphia Portrait Painter

by Robert W. Torchia, foreword by Peter J. Parker (Historical Society of Pennsylvania)
(Paperback, 195 pages, 1989, ISBN: 1422358283, $25.00)

John NeagleThis catalog records an exhibition held at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP).

In 1861, John Neagle himself recorded on canvas his earliest-known association with the HSP. When he captured the appearance of three Plains Indians visiting Philadelphia in 1821, he was an artist functioning as a historian.

The Society has collected 15 of Neagle’s paintings, and its manuscript holdings on the artist were most impressively augmented in 1985 through the generosity of the Barra Foundation.

Torchia has done much to restore a long-underrated painter to his proper place in American art history. In planning the exhibition upon which this catalogue is based, Torchia selected paintings and related material from 14 private and public collections in the Delaware Valley. Illustrations.

Purchase this book for $25.00:
Add to CartE-mail a Friend Share This

July 21, 2010 at 1:59 pm Leave a comment

Elin’s Amerika by Marguerite de Angeli (American Swedish Historical Museum)

Elin’s Amerika (Revised, 3rd Ed.)
by Marguerite de Angeli
American Swedish Historical Museum
(Paperback, 98 pages, 2007, $16.00, ISBN: 0980076102)

Elin's AmerikaAward-winning children’s author Marguerite de Angeli tells the story of Elin, a young girl who has come to live in the New Sweden Colony.

She helps us envision how these many different peoples — Swedes, Finns, Lenape, Minquas (Susquehannock), Dutch and British related to one another.

Elin’s search for friendship, love of family, and anticipation of celebrations seem familiar. Her isolation from other children, lack of basic things, and the daily routine of chores may seem quite unfamiliar.

New Sweden was established in 1638, under the guidance of Peter Minuit, when Swedish colonists were sent to the New World to claim lands in the area around the Delaware River in southeastern PA and south NJ. For ages 8-12. Illustrations.

Purchase this book for $16.00:
Add to CartE-mail a Friend Share This

July 21, 2010 at 11:28 am Leave a comment

To Do Justice to Him and Myself: Evert Wendell’s Account Book of the Fur Trade with Indians in Albany, New York, 1695-1726 (includes cd-rom with original Dutch text) (ISBN: 1606189123)

To Do Justice to Him and Myself:
Evert Wendell’s Account Book of the Fur Trade with Indians in Albany, New York, 1695-1726

by Kees-Jan Waterman (American Philosophical Society, ISBN: 1606189123)
(Paperback, 310 pages and CD-ROM with original Dutch text, 2008, $50.00)

To Do Justice to Him and MyselfThis translated Dutch account book of the fur trade with Indians yields essential data for understanding workings of intercultural fur trade in colonial North America.

It contains accounts of hundreds of Indians, many listed with their own names, who purchased merchandise on credit from Evert Wendell (1681-1750) and his relatives in Albany, NY. Over 2,000 credit transactions and payments are recorded. This book has been praised as a major addition to the literature on the fur trade which challenges many widely held interpretations.

Illustrations. Tables. The book also includes a CD-ROM with transcription of the Dutch manuscript (searchable).

“The introductory essay and the tables put together from Waterman’s detailed reading of the account suggest an active trade between the Evert family and a wide range of Indians from many different tribal groupings,” writes Ann M. Carlos in the Journal of Economic History (70:2). “One has to be particularly impressed with the level of detail extracted from the accounts after looking at the photographs of the original documents.

“Waterman argues that these accounts with about 300 different individuals give us an unprecedented glimpse into intercultural exchanges in the upper Hudson River valley. He points to the role played by women in this trade; to the nature of the goods exchanges; to the range of different tribal groupings; to the mention of “white” and “black” individuals and to the descriptions of naming practices and tattoos or lack of same.

“Not too many family account books from the early eighteenth century exist. This one documents commercial exchanges between an important Dutch trading family and native traders. Waterman provides an incredible level of detail about the people in these transactions [in this] interesting primary source.”

Purchase this book for $50.00:
Add to CartE-mail a Friend Share This

July 8, 2010 at 12:07 am Leave a comment

National Parks Week Books: Ansel Adams: The National Park Service Photographs, Underwater Wonders of the National Parks, Hey Ranger! Kids Ask Questions About Grand Canyon National Park

National Parks Week starts tomorrow, running from April 17th through April 25th. For the next 7 days, all national parks are free, and are hosting celebrations. Here are three books that we offer on National Parks:


Ansel Adams: The National Park Service Photographs

Ansel Adams:
The National Park Service Photographs

Photos by Ansel Adams, Introduction by Alice Gray
(Hardcover, 144 pages, 1995, $25)

In 1941 Ansel Adams was hired by the U.S. Dept. of the Interior to photograph America’s national parks for a series of murals that would celebrate the country’s natural heritage. Because of the escalation of World War II, the project was suspended after less than a year, but not before Adams had produced this group of breathtaking images.

These stunning photographs of the natural geysers & terraces in Yellowstone, the rocks & ravines in the Grand Canyon, the winding rivers & majestic mountains in Glacier and Grand Teton national parks, the mysterious Carlsbad Caverns, the architecture of ancient Indian villages, and many evocative views of the American West demonstrate the genius of Adams’s technical and aesthetic inventiveness.

Purchase this book for $25:Add to CartE-mail a Friend


Underwater Wonders of the National Parks Underwater Wonders of the National Parks: A Diving and Snorkeling Guide Compiled by the National Park Service
by Daniel J. Lenihan and John D. Brooks (Paperback, 338 pages, 2000, $20)

Perhaps the single best-kept secret about our National Parks is the underwater realm that they include: millions of acres of submerged lands, only a small fraction of which has been explored by divers.

From geysers on the bottom of Yellowstone Lake, to the coral reefs of the Dry Tortugas, to steamers sunk in the frigid waters of Isle Royale in Lake Superior, to the kelp forests of the Channel Islands, the National Parks have much to offer the diver. Almost all 61 NPS areas with significant water holdings are of some interest to divers.

This guide introduces divers and others interested in water sports to this dimension of the National Parks, such as snorkeling rare coral reefs; shipwreck diving and underwater archaeological sites. Color photos and detailed maps.

National Parks Traveler used this book as a reference for the Top 10 favorite diving and snorkeling parks.

Purchase this book for $20:Add to CartE-mail a Friend


Hey Ranger!: Kids Ask Questions about Grand Canyon National ParkHey Ranger!: Kids Ask Questions about Grand Canyon National Park
Written by Kim Williams Justesen, Illustrations by Judy Newhouse
(Paperback, 46 pages, 2006, $10)

Kids ask the greatest questions! Is the Grand Canyon cursed? Why are there so many bugs here? Do park rangers feed the animals? This book answers the real questions — some smart, some silly — that kids ask Grand Canyon National Park rangers every day. Filled with fascinating facts and ready-to-color illustrations, this fun and educational guide offers hours of entertainment for explorers of all ages.

Purchase this book for $10:Add to CartE-mail a Friend



Tell a Friend

April 16, 2010 at 10:00 am Leave a comment


About Diane Publishing

Diane Publishing is your source for nearly 40,000 hard-to-find books and government reports, catering to readers of all ages. We also distribute the publications of 10 Philadelphia non-profit institutions.

Enter your e-mail address to subscribe to this blog and be notified of new posts by email.

Join 8 other subscribers

Share This Blog

Tell a Friend Bookmark and Share