The Untold Story of Central New Jersey
347518
A well-made, in-depth documentary about the various sustainability efforts taking place on many different levels -- from farming, to cultivating native species, to engineering and technology projects -- in Central New Jersey.  Just finished watching my copy of it as one of the kickstarter supporters. It's an excellent film that I'm recommending to my friends!
1652697
Interesting stories about the local history.  The author has spent a lot of time researching and has produced an interesting account.
708870
This book tells the early history of New York, or as it was originally called...New Amsterdam. Details are revealed regarding Hudson's discovery of the island for the Dutch, the first settlers on the island, and the eventual take over of the city by the English.

I was very interesting to find out how diverse and tolerant the city was. The interaction between the settlers and the natives was enlightening, as well as, the Dutch names that have lived on after the settlement became English.

Shorto draws information from Dutch records that have survived the centuries and are now being translated. However, Shorto isn't a historian and I wonder if this story could have been better handled by someone else.

I did enjoy the book, and would recommend it to enthusiasts of New York city history.
4135755
Living in eastern Pennsylvania, I had heard about the Johnstown flood but really had little perspective on how or why it occurred.  I have two former students who live in the area and decided I wanted to know more about the areas history.  I purchased the Kindle edition of this book and could not stop reading.

It is well documented and a very informative read.  I was amazed that no money was ever paid to victims of this tragedy, even though it might have been prevented.
2910171
Such a fascinating read detailing an event that happened in my area right before I was born.
927933
Growing up near (and sometimes in) the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, it is safe to say that I have had a fascination with the Jersey Devil all my life.  First, it started as a natural childhood monster fascination (the same thing that had me watching Godzilla movies and being unable to fall asleep with the lights out), and over time it simply became an interest in how ideas survive through the ages, as well as how they morph and change from person to person.

This book is a great collection of the multitudinous versions of the Jersey Devil myth, along with connected legends and stories of sightings to document the wide variations that have occured over time.  Even the shape and form of the Devil himself is in contention--from something serpentine to humanoid.  The authors set down the wide array of variations with an almost anthropological removal.  Rather than going for cheap conclusions or pale insinuations of a real monster out there in the pines, the authors relish in the array of tales that are out there as a kind of history of New Jersey storytelling.  Their proper tone keeps the evidence convincing, and I became impressed with their thorough work and had no doubt that their research was authentic.

In the end, though, I did leave wanting some kind of summation of things beyond the information provided.  Obviously, this was not the point of the book itself, but I do hope that it has been (or will be) the fodder of some analysis of Jersey folklore that looks at the drive behind the legend--what truths about New Jersey can be found in the proliferation of the Devil myth?  McCloy and Miller have done great work laying down the foundation.  I am waiting for someone to build the spires atop of it.
365007
In Northern New Jersey, it is called a Taylor Ham. In Central and Southern New Jersey, it is referred to as the pork roll. The Pork Roll is actually produced and distributed by the Taylor Ham company and the Case Pork Roll.

This book is quite informative on about the Pork Roll's colorful history and influence on the New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic region. The book is both entertaining and informative about New Jersey living. The pork roll is a deli staple in New Jersey. The book offers an introduction on four chapters entitled; "A History of the Pork Roll;" "A Porcine Party;" "Pork Roll Today;" and "A New Jersey Thing."

After reading about the pork roll's history, you will no doubt want to try easy simple recipes. The book has recipes for "Starters & Snacks" including "Deviled Eggs with Pork Roll;" "Jersey Style Creamy Dip;" "Pork Roll Stromboli;" and others in this section.

The "Breakfast and Brunch" section includes recipes for "Pork Roll Sandwich;" "Crispy Pork Roll Hash;" "Stuffed French Toast;" "Pork Roll Strata;" and others too.

The third section is entitled "Soups and Sandwich" where it includes recipes such as "Pork Roll Monte Cristo Sandwich;" "Egg Salad with Pork Roll;" Potato Pork Roll Soup;" and more.

The fourth and final section is entitled "Main Meals" with recipes for "Trenton Style Spaghetti A La Carbonara;" "Porkrollnita;" "Pork Roll Alfredo;" "Pork Roll Jambalaya;" and more recipes.

For a Pork Roll fan or a New Jersey enthusiast, you will enjoy reading this book and trying out the recipes. The layout is easy and colorful.
263772
The amazing mix of local history and compelling storytelling from a true master of both crafts!  Kruk's engaging and informative style is a must read for any Hudson Valley resident!
3684844
This is a story that needs to be known in our nation's history. DeSantis has created a tour de force with what he has uncovered. His attention to detail and perseverance to unearth this shamefully hidden past are both relentless. I couldn't stop reading from the moment I opened the cover.
4757879
A true story of the Morro Castle that reverbates to this day. The graphic details that shocks and inspires readers to learn more of the ship's fire off the coast of Asbury Park, New Jersey. Tales of heroism and selfishness revealef the human drama as the fire on the Morro Castle raged unabated. The full heroism & villianess of the charactors is savored by the survivors and their rescuers in the aftermath of this maritime disaster.
3455844
An old book about the history form my Home Town! Pennsauken is just one of those town you just don't think about if you lived in it or the surrounding areas, but actually has an interesting and rich history. Much of what made the town has been long forgotten by it's residence, and there really aren't anymore "old timers" - speaking from when I lived there when I was a kid. The town, which I believe had much greater "heydays" in the early to mid 1900's when Camden was more of a respectable city, because of how close Pennsauken sits to Camden, but unfortunately this just isn't the case anymore. I knew one of the Co-Authors to this book as he was a teacher of mine in jr.high. The book has been out of print for a long time, and has some great history about the make-up of the town. Would be nice if who-ever owned the rights to this book today (as I understand both the authors have since passed-away) would make the book available digitally (perhaps through Amazon) so the work and history from the book isn't lost to current and future generations.
722765
I'm not a big "book" reader, however, I couldn't resist a book about the dirty history of my hometown.  I was not disappointed.  Much of the book is WAY before my time, however, it was still very interesting.  The last several chapters were written about things I had heard about and I must say it was quite entertaining and interesting.  I enjoyed the entire book... it was a very easy "read" and I would recommend it to anyone in the Northeast Ohio area who wants to read about the "real" history of this area.  Don't miss out on this one.
2669328
This is a great memoir and true story about unjust gun laws in New Jersey and Mr. Aitken's struggle against unjust incarceration. Regardless of one's stance on gun rights or the second amendment, the book is a good documentation of New Jersey lawmakers' failures in regard to wording the various gun laws and the courts' horrendous treatment of an innocent man in the pursuit of making an example out of him. It also points out how illogical some of the gun laws in New Jersey are, especially the statutes dealing with hollow point bullets and one's inability to legally carry them to a new residence when moving or discard them lawfully. I think the book, in light of the greater context of New Jersey, shows exactly how in a state where owning guns is just about illegal, law-abiding citizens are disproportionally targeted without the laws making any dent whatsoever in gun crime (as evidenced by numerous New Jersey cities like Trenton, Camden, Newark etc).
4615843
I, very much, enjoyed this book.  Of course it helped that I am a born and raised "Jersey Girl" who grew up in the next town west of Bruce's hometown.  I loved the many moments of discovery when I recognized a location he named.  I particularly liked his openness about the struggles with depression and difficult growing up that he experienced.  Some of the descriptions of the behind the scenes machinations of setting up and playing were long for me.  This, in no way, took away from my enjoyment of the overall story.  Bruce's writing style is very much to my liking!
381709
Henry Charlton Beck has done historians, folklorists, and folks who love New Jersey a great service with The Roads of Home and the rest of his series of books on old-time New Jersey, told by the folks who lived it. He captures people, places, and events of a New Jersey long since paved over with McMansions and strip malls, in the voices of those who remembered when New Jersey was farms and fields, grand old inns and rustic cabins, old railroads and older canals.

It was a New Jersey that once was, and in the pages of this and Beck's other books, it lives again.
2261022
This book gives readers an inside perspective on just how powerful and self serving politicians in New Jersey can be toward those tragic incidents that can easily occur in the dangers of law enforcement.  Racial profiling was a hot topic in the mid to late 90's that changed police work through-out the entire country.  This book gives you a front seat perspective on the two New Jersey State Troopers who were at the center of that very political issue and how they were used in an attempt to further the careers of not only the Governor of New Jersey at that time, Christie Todd Whitman, but also a young Attorney General, Peter Verniero.

The book details the human side of the story, as told by John Hogan, one of the two troopers involved in the very public and now historical April 23, 1998 shooting of four black, unarmed motorists, on the New Jersey Turnpike.  The New Jersey Turnpike, which is well know in the law enforcement community to be a main corridor for drug carriers, was targeted in the late 80s and 90s as a "hot bed" for drug interdiction.  While the issue of racial profiling has taken its toll on drug interdiction, the truth of the matter is that politicians in New Jersey were very supportive of the New Jersey State Police when this drug interdiction served them well.  However, as political views changed and the need for urban votes, for the future ambitions of those in office at the time of this incident,  the New Jersey State Police and specifically these two troopers became the instrument.  What really happen that night was a tragic chain of events that had nothing to do with profiling, but the dangers that were and still are faced by Jersey Troopers everyday on the Turnpike and other roads in New Jersey.

The stories told in this book will give readers another perspective on this topic and shed some much needed light on the backdoor dealings that took place during this dark period of time in New Jersey State Police, and law enforcement in general not only here in New Jersey, but through-out the entire country.
4507456
This book was recommended to me by my brother-in-law who resides in Pittsburgh.

Thomas Bell, the author, does a fantastic job of taking the reader back to the turn of the century and the birth of steel industry.  Bell readily admits borrowing from his own family's history to detail everyday family activities and the grind of what it meant to be working in the steel mills of Western Pennsylvania.  These are the same stories I have heard from my friends as they have been passed from generation to generation.  The book is engaging, gritty, heart-breaking, honest and filled with history.  Anyone who has had family members work in the steel mills could read this book and likely see their own family's life unfold.  Congratulations, Thomas Bell.