No comments about Inner Sanctum: Memory and Meaning in Princeton's Faculty Room at Nassau Hall.

No comments about Atlantic City 1854-1954: An Illustrated History.

No comments about Sea Isle City Remembered.

No comments about There's More to New Jersey than the Sopranos.

2 comments about Old Burial Grounds of New Jersey: A Guide.

1. This book is an excellent resource for not only finding the old burial grounds in NJ but the explanations of the different funerary art and customs that Janet Sarapin details along with the approriate pictures as a pictorial guide. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to know more about the old burial grounds and their history. These old burial grounds are also a living history of our country.



2. Great book for to research genealogy or local history. It's even a great book just to curl up with! The writer did an excellent job! I would love to hear more from her!

1 comments about Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The Essential Genealogical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600-1800.

1. The book give many ideas of where to look for irish anscetery. It gives only a few names and locations but is still informative and gives you web sites and areas to search that I would not have thought of.
   
   Most sites are paid sites, however, but it is directions for which you can continue your family search it you wish.
   
   In all, the book is worth the value of purchase.

5 comments about Our Italian Surnames.

1. Even though you might not find your surname listed, you will be able to find the "root" name yours derived from. I found it extremely interesting how some of our Italian name got their start. Also how some names are very specific to one certain area. A must for Italian genealogy.



2. I am fascinated that this book was even put together. It will give you a better understanding of Italian surnames and various origins. I think its a must have for any italian genealogist.



3. Joseph Fucilla was the son of Italian immigrants from a small village: his interest in his heritage led to in-depth investigations of the origins of Italian proper names - a field which contributes to genealogical pursuit in Our Italian Surnames. Originally published in 1949, this is still regarded as the authoritative reference on the subject, wit chapters covering botanical names, occupative names, compound names and more. Quite technical listings identify names under each category and add often extensive footnoted references: a must for any researching their Italian roots.



4. This is a reprint of a book written in 1949. Dr. Fucilla was born in Italy and a full professor at Northwestern U., who retired in 1965. My copy has a sturdy binding and no frills packaging. The entries are very clear and easy to follow. I was amazed by how many of the surnames I was interested in were covered. I have used it for years. This is a must have for anybody interested in Italian family history.



5. I found the book easy to read and the selection of names was extensive with many suggestions for further reading. A great help in my research into our family history.

5 comments about Forgotten Towns of Southern New Jersey.

1. Beware that once you read this book, you'll be hooked on trying to find these towns.

   An excellent reference for those looking to disover the history of Southern New Jersey.




2. Need a brief escape from the modern world? Want to know what life was like a hundred years ago in Southern NJ? This is the book for you. Mr. Beck wrote in a beautiful, yet folksy style about the people and places that once existed in what we now call the Pine Barrens. After reading this, I am anxious to go back and look for some of these places myself.



3. Including Forgotten Towns of Southern New Jersey I also owned 4 other books by Henry Carlton Beck.
   I purchaded these books in 1982 and read them over and over until the pages became worn.
   There is no better way to study and get to know the ghost and forgotten towns of southern New Jersey than through these books.
   Henry Carlton Beck put his heart into every word and deed, the information coming from that is wonderful.
   There is no better reading on southern New Jersey that can be found on book shelves.
   These books will live on forever and to experience his windom in these is a real blessing.
   I lost all my books to a fire but plan to replace them next month.
   If your interest is in southern New Jersey these are the books to have on your shelf.



4. Henry Charton Beck spent much of his spare time in the 1930s traipsing around the rural areas of New Jersey searching out local history and lore. He wrote about what he learned in newspaper articles and then in full-length books. This book is the first in a series, published in 1936 (always in print since then, but never revised).
   
   Beck is concerned with the tiny settlements that grew and died mainly in the Pine Barrens, a huge, sparsely settled area that stretches across a good portion of southern NJ. Beginning with Ongs Hat, he tells about 37 different places, one per chapter. The chapters are short, and all the places were visited by Beck, with much of his narrative told through his own eyes. Many of the places are still identified on larger topo maps (there are no maps in the book, unfortunately); very few of these places were ever large enough to support a post office and were merely placenames. Photos grace the book, though what is depicted in them has long disappeared for the most part. Also missing, though it would be very helpful, is an index.
   
   Beck's style has the effect of drawing the reader out into the field to see what he's seen. I've been to quite a few of the places mentioned in the book and have enjoyed having the book along with me. Being almost 70 years old, the book is somewhat outdated (some isolated areas he writes about outside of the Pine Barren reserve are filled with housing developments and strip malls now), but it's still a great book on the local history of southern NJ of long ago.



5. I had this book when I was a teen and lost it. I've read it a few times. I can't say that about many books. I've also read More Forgotton Town a few times as well. A must have for anyone interested in Jersey history.

No comments about Family Tree Guide to Finding Your Ellis Island Ancestors: A Genealogist's Essential Guide to Navigating the Ellis Island Database and Passenger Arrival List.

5 comments about Devastation on the Delaware: Stories and Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955.

1. Mary Shafer has approached a detailed account of a tragic flood with unusual thoroughness, compassion, continuity, and research. It is a non-fiction book like no other, holding the reader spellbound throughout. One cannot help but become emotionally involved with those who suffered through this event, and one cannot help but admire Shafer for her accomplishment. Obviously, Shafer was passionate about her subject; it shows in throughout this book.



2. Mary Shafer's "Devastation on the Delaware" is an engrossing account of the tragic Delaware Valley flood of 1955, created by Hurricanes Connie and Diane. Told as a narrative timeline of events, this book introduces us to the people and communities overcome by the wrathful waters of the Delaware and its tributaries. It reads like historical fiction rather than documentary, with many amazing and touching stories uncovered by the author's interviewing diligence. I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it as a full and varied account of an unbelievable event and its effect on the Delaware Valley.



3. Mary Shafer's book Devastation on the Delaware is the amazing result of years of research and emotional commitment. Written to commemorate the August, 1955, Delaware River Valley Flood, the book takes the reader on a "roller-coaster ride" through those days of death and "devastation." Ms. Shafer describes in detail the Flood as experienced in all the areas of the Delaware Valley during August 18-20.
   
   Her professional commitment to her "craft" and her personal commitment to the survivors and victims of the Flood are extraordinary. The survivors' stories (remembered in minute detail 50 years later) are heart-wrenching. The graphic details are horrifying.
   
   The author is an exceptional writer, one who weaves historical and scientific facts into a compelling "story." The fascinating history of the Delaware River and its tributaries, general information about hurricanes (and Hurricanes Connie and Diane in particular) and the status of weather reporting in the mid-1950's and the abandoned plans to dam the River after the Flood all become part of the drama of one of our country's worst natural disasters. This book will hold everyone's interest. It is a great "read."
   
   For those of us who lived through the Flood, it is also a priceless gift. Many people waited over 50 years for the kind of closure only Ms. Shafer's book has given them.



4. Mary Schaefer's Devastation on the Delaware is an eye-opening account of what happens when people forget the power of flood waters. Extreme natural events can't often be tamed by mankind.
   
   There are many very sad as well as hearwarming and uplifting accounts of people's response to the flood.
   
   Ultimately the 55 flood created a National Park on the Delaware River. Although the Tocks Island project displaced and did great harm to some, the net result - - the National Park - - is a good thing, if only because it keeps people from forgetting again and trying to live too close to the banks of this great river.



5. I grew up hearing about this flood, but in the way of casual family talk, I never really learned much about it. Fascinating to read such a well-researched book on the many aspects of the flood. It was indeed life-changing for so many people. While my own family didn't suffer from it, they knew many, many people who did. The stories went on for years. They'd be lost now except for this excellent book.