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Books about Connecticut

FIRST INHABITANTS

The New England Indians. C. Keith Wilbur (940.44 Wilbur) Hand lettered and heavily illustrated with line drawings, this book chronicles the everyday life of New England's first inhabitants.

The Indian and the White Man in Connecticut. Chandler Whipple (JR970.4 Whipple) Taken from Whipple's well-researched but now out-of-print First Encounter: the Indian and the White Man in New England.

Manitou and Providence: Indians, Europeans, and the Making of New England 1500-1643. Neal Salisbury (974.02 Salisbury) Drawing on archaeology, linguistics, and ethnology, Salisbury treats the early Indian and European contact period from the Indians' perspectives. A carefully researched ethnohistory.

Indian New England Before the Mayflower. Howard S. Russell (974.00497 Russell) Thoughtful and thoroughly researched portrayal of Indian life in New England just prior to and at the time of the first European contact, including a look at the flora and fauna of the region.

The Red King's Rebellion: Racial Politics in New England 1675-1678. Russell Bourne (973.24 Bourne) A century before the colonial uprising against the British, King Philip united and led the Algonquians against the Europeans in an attempt to save his people and land from domination. Bourne examines this conflict.

 

HISTORY

Connecticut Railroads: An Illustrated History. Gregg Turner Jensen & Melancthon Jacobus (385.09 Turner) Photos, maps, schedules and 150 years of history. Details the rise and fall of railroads, the glamorous days of passenger travel, and the people who made it all happen.

Sam Tuttle's Picture Book of Old Connecticut. Sam Tuttle (974.6 Tuttle) Old engravings of people, places, and pleasures from the Nutmeg State, most dating from the 1800s.

Folk Tales of Connecticut Vol. I & II. Glen White (R398.2 White) Two charming self-published books containing fascinating tales from around the state, including the headless horseman of Canton, the Nipmuck ghost fires, Mother Bailey's petticoat. White cities all his sources.

Journeys in New Worlds: Early American Women's Narratives (973.2092 Journeys) Though not strictly a Connecticut book, or even a New England book, this is of interest to regional history buffs because both Sarah Knight's account of her journey is included as well as Mary Rowlandson's captivity narrative.

Connecticut. Albert Van Dusen (974.6 Van Dusen) The definitive history of Connecticut, published in 1961 but now out of print.

The Miracle of Connecticut. Ellsworth Grant (R974.6 Grant) An engaging and encyclopedic look at the entrepreneurs, inventors, patrons, manufacturers, artists, notables and mavericks who have peopled Connecticut. Photos.

The Way of Duty: A Woman and Her Family in Revolutionary America. Joy & Richard Buel (973.30924 Buel) Colorful account of the tensions and upheavals of the revolutionary war period from the perspective of Mary Fish, a remarkable, yet ordinary Connecticut woman. The Buels make history understandable in a way that accounts of generals and battle strategy cannot.

Connecticut Yankees at Gettysburg. Charles Hamblen (973.7349 Hamblen) Excerpts from letters and diaries as well as photos and maps add to this account of soldiers from Connecticut who fought at Gettysburg.

NATURAL HISTORY

Early Domestic Architecture of Connecticut. J. Frederick Kelly (728 Kelly)

Early Connecticut Houses. Norman Isham & Albert F. Brown (917.46 Isham) These two Dover reprints are profusely illustrated with line drawings detailing construction processes, black and white photos of houses with close-ups of doors, paneling, fireplaces and such, and explanatory text. For builders, decorators, and historians.

Changes in the Land Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England. William Cronon (974.02 Cronon) A probing and insightful analysis of the relationships between people and the land in what we now call New England. Challenges old myths. Deeply thoughtful, this book is worth reading twice.

The Face of Connecticut: People, Geology and the Land. Michael Bell (917.46 Bell) If you read only one book about Connecticut this should be it. Bell explains the geology of the state, how the land came to be formed, and interprets the terrain for the lay person. He includes history and photos.

Connecticut's Notable Trees. Glenn Dreyer (635.977 Dreyer) Everyone knows about the Charter Oak, but what about the State's other notable trees? This little book lists the largest trees, the "champions," their measurements and locations, and includes many photos. It also explains how to measure and report a notable tree in case you suspect you've discovered one.

RECREATION

Country Walks in Connecticut: A Guide to the Nature Conservancy Preserves. Susan D. Cooley (917.46 Cooley) Maps, photos, directions and commentary for hiking on the Nature Conservancy's Connecticut properties. Cooley includes walking times and ease as well as bits of history and nature notes.

Connecticut Walk Book. Connecticut Forest & Park Association (917.46 Connecticut) Suggested walks, black and white pull-out topographic maps, blue waterproof cover. The definitive guide for hikers and walkers in Connecticut.

Fifty Hikes in Connecticut: Short Walks and Day Hikes Around the Nutmeg State. Gerry and Sue Hardy (917.4604 Hardy) Maps, photos, times, distances, directions and what to see as well as ratings for these half day and all day hikes.

Short Bike Rides in Connecticut. Edwin Mullen & Jane Griffith (917.46 Mullen) Maps, directions, number of miles, photos, and things to see., The book divides the state into six regions, with suggested bike rides in each, and concludes with three combinations for the pros.

Fishing Connecticut Waters. Tim Coleman (799.1 Coleman) Where to fish, what to fish for, and how to fish. Reprints from The Fisherman. Maps and photos.

The Complete Boating Guide to the Connecticut River (797.1 Complete) Maps, navigation tips, directions, boating facilities and services, things to see.

POTPOURRI

Gardening in Connecticut: 1993. Jeanne Chesanow (635.9097 Chesanow) Updated annually. Resources, gardens to visit, societies to join, advice, and tidbits.

My Connecticut Garden: Personal Experience of an Amateur Gardener. George Valchar (635.9 Valchar) Valchar has devoted himself to his 2.4 acres in the southwestern corner of the state. He shares his successes and failures and his thoughts on design.

The Connecticut Atlas. Thomas Sherer Jr. (JR974.6 Sherer) This is a wealth of information about the state. History, geography, statistics, with lots of maps and charts.

Connecticut. William S. Hubbell (917.46 Hubbell) The perfect memento of the state. Lavish full-color photos.

Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Life. Joan Hedrick (B Stowe Hed) Hedrick's portrait of this complex, gifted and sometimes contradictory Connecticut woman is engaging and thorough. The first full-scale biography of Harriet Beecher Stowe in over fifty years.

Legendary Connecticut. David Philips (CT COL R974.6 Philips) Williamantic storyteller Philip's collection of Connecticut legends.

*Adapted from Connecticut in Print: Selected Titles on the Nutmeg State. Suzy Staubach

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