PA BOOKS on PCN

In "Occupied America," Donald F. Johnson chronicles the everyday experience of ordinary people living under military occupation during the American Revolution. Focusing on day-to-day life in port cities held by the British Army, Johnson recounts how men and women from a variety of backgrounds navigated harsh conditions, mitigated threats to their families and livelihoods, took advantage of new opportunities, and balanced precariously between revolutionary and royal attempts to secure their allegiance. Between 1775 and 1783, every large port city along the Eastern seaboard fell under British rule at one time or another. As centers of population and commerce, these cities—Boston, New York, Newport, Philadelphia, Savannah, Charleston—should have been bastions from which the empire could restore order and inspire loyalty. Military rule's exceptional social atmosphere initially did provide opportunities for many people—especially women and the enslaved, but also free men both rich and poor—to reinvent their lives, and while these opportunities came with risks, the hope of social betterment inspired thousands to embrace military rule. Nevertheless, as Johnson demonstrates, occupation failed to bring about a restoration of imperial authority, as harsh material circumstances forced even the most loyal subjects to turn to illicit means to feed and shelter themselves, while many maintained ties to rebel camps for the same reasons. As occupations dragged on, most residents no longer viewed restored royal rule as a viable option. Donald F. Johnson is Assistant Professor of History at North Dakota State University.

During the Great Migration, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, became a mecca for African Americans seeking better job opportunities, wages, and living conditions. The city's thriving economy and vibrant social and cultural scenes inspired dreams of prosperity and a new start, but this urban haven was not free of discrimination and despair. In the face of injustice, activists formed the Urban League of Pittsburgh (ULP) in 1918 to combat prejudice and support the city's growing African American population. In this broad-ranging history, Joe William Trotter Jr. uses this noteworthy branch of the National Urban League to provide new insights into an organization that has often faced criticism for its social programs' deep class and gender limitations. Surveying issues including housing, healthcare, and occupational mobility, Trotter underscores how the ULP -- often in concert with the Urban League's national headquarters -- bridged social divisions to improve the lives of black citizens of every class. He also sheds new light on the branch's nonviolent direct-action campaigns and places these powerful grassroots operations within the context of the modern Black Freedom Movement. The impact of the National Urban League is a hotly debated topic in African American social and political history. Trotter's study provides valuable new insights that demonstrate how the organization has relieved massive suffering and racial inequality in US cities for more than a century. Joe William Trotter Jr. is Giant Eagle Professor of History and Social Justice and director of the Center for Africanamerican Urban Studies and the Economy (CAUSE) at Carnegie Mellon University. Description courtesy of The University Press of Kentucky.

General Sir William Howe launched his campaign to capture Philadelphia in late July 1777, with an army of 16,500 British and Hessian soldiers aboard a 265-ship armada sailing from New York. Six difficult weeks later, Howe's expedition landed near Elkton, Maryland, and moved north into Pennsylvania. Washington's rebel army did all it could to harass Howe and fought and lost a major battle at Brandywine on September 11. Philadelphia fell to the British. On October 4, obscured by darkness and a heavy morning fog, Washington launched a surprise attack on the British garrison at Germantown. His early attack found initial success and drove the British legions before him. The recapture of the colonial capital seemed within Washington's grasp until poor decisions by the American high command brought about a reversal of fortune and a clear British victory. Like Brandywine, however, the bloody fight at Germantown proved that Continental soldiers could stand toe-to-toe with British Regulars. Michael C. Harris is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington and the American Military University. He has worked for the National Park Service in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Fort Mott State Park in New Jersey, and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission at Brandywine Battlefield. He has conducted tours and staff rides of many east coast battlefields. Michael is certified in secondary education and currently teaches in the Philadelphia region. Description courtesy of Savas Beatie.

"Smalltime" is a mob story straight out of central casting—but with a difference, for the small-town mob, which stretched from Schenectady to Fresno, is a mostly unknown world. The location is the brawny postwar factory town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The setting is City Cigar, a storefront next to City Hall, behind which Russ and his brother-in-law, "Little Joe," operate a gambling empire and effectively run the town. "Smalltime" is an American immigrant story that travels back to Risorgimento Sicily, to the ancient, dusty, hill-town home of Antonino Sciotto, the author's great-grandfather, who leaves his wife and children in grinding poverty for a new life—and wife—in a Pennsylvania mining town. It's a tale of Italian Americans living in squalor and prejudice, and of the rise of Russ, who, like thousands of other young men, created a copy of the American establishment that excluded him. "Smalltime" draws an intimate portrait of a mobster and his wife, sudden riches, and the toll a lawless life takes on one family. But it is something more. The author enlists his ailing father—Tony, the mobster's son—as his partner in the search for their troubled patriarch. As secrets are revealed and Tony's health deteriorates, the book become an urgent and intimate exploration of three generations of the American immigrant experience. Russell Shorto is the best-selling author of The Island at the Center of the World, Amsterdam, and Revolution Song, and a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine. He lives in Cumberland, Maryland. Description courtesy of W. W. Norton & Company.

In the early hours of New Year's Eve 1969, in the small soft coal mining borough of Clarksville, Pennsylvania, longtime trade union insider Joseph "Jock" Yablonski and his wife and daughter were brutally murdered in their old stone farmhouse. Seven months earlier, Yablonski had announced his campaign to oust the corrupt president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), Tony Boyle, who had long embezzled UMWA funds, silenced intra-union dissent, and served the interests of Big Coal companies. Yablonski wanted to return the union to the coal miners it was supposed to represent and restore the organization to what it had once been, a powerful force for social good. Boyle was enraged about his opponent's bid to take over―and would go to any lengths to maintain power. The most infamous crimes in the history of American labor unions, the Yablonski murders triggered one of the most intensive and successful manhunts in FBI history―and also led to the first successful rank-and-file takeover of a major labor union in modern U.S. history, one that inspired workers in other labor unions to rise up and challenge their own entrenched, out-of-touch leaders. Mark A. Bradley has been a US Department of Justice lawyer, a criminal defense lawyer, and a CIA intelligence officer. Currently the director of the Information Security Oversight Office of the National Archives and Records Administration, he lives in Arlington, Virginia.

At Gettysburg, PA, during three days of July 1863, 160,000 men fought one of the most fierce and storied battles of the US Civil War. Nearly one in three of those men ended up a casualty of that battle, and when the two armies departed a few days later, 21,000 wounded remained. This book is the story of how those soldiers were cared for in a town of 2,500 people. Historian and author of several other guides to Gettysburg, James Gindlesperger provides a context for the medical and organizational constraints of the era and then provides details about the aid stations and field hospitals created in the aftermath of the battle. Filled with historical and contemporary photos, as well as stories about the soldiers and their healers, this book is a detailed guide for visitors to the site as well as others interested in American Civil War history. James Gindlesperger is the author of several books about the Civil War: Escape from Libby Prison, Seed Corn of the Confederacy, and Fire on the Water. He and his wife also coauthored So You Think You Know Gettysburg? and So You Think You Know Antietam?, which were both honored as Foreword Reviews' Book of the Year finalists in the travel category. They live in Johnstown, PA.

Frederick R. Gabriel graduated from medical school in 1940, entered the US Army, and was assigned to the newly-created 39th Station Hospital. His letters from the Pacific theater—especially from Guadalcanal, Angaur, and Saipan—capture the everyday life of a soldier physician. His son, Michael P. Gabriel, a professional historian, has faithfully preserved, edited, and annotated that correspondence to add a new dimension to our understanding of the social history of World War II, which he presents here in "Physician Soldier: The South Pacific Letters of Captain Fred Gabriel" from the 39th Station Hospital. Like most wartime hospitals, the 39th Station Hospital was positioned in a rear area and saw limited direct action. And like most wartime hospitals, the 39th Station Hospital spent each day confronting the injuries and casualties of frontline combat. Gabriel supervised a ward and oversaw the unit's laboratory, serving a hospital that provided care to four hundred patients at a time. Gabriel's letters home capture this experience and more, providing a revealing look into day-to-day life in the Pacific theater. He discusses the training of medical officers and female nurses, recreational activities such as Bob Hope's USO show, and even his thoughts on the death of FDR, the end of the war in Europe, and ultimately the horrors of the atomic bomb. Michael P. Gabriel is professor of history at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. Description courtesy of Texas A & M University Press.

Much has been published about the artistically talented Wyeth family—-N. C., Andrew, Carolyn, Ann, Jamie, Nicky and Victoria—-but there has been scant insight into the deeply personal interface between these individuals and a group of persons that interacted with them, talked with them almost daily, shared intimate thoughts and moments with them and were taught and mentored by them: collectively the Kuerner family and specifically Karl Kuerner. This volume brings forth many instances over several decades that were paramount in the artistic learning and growth of a Brandywine Valley inheritor of the Wyeth legacy. From the first meeting between Karl Kuerner and Carolyn Wyeth in 1970 until her death in 1994 and Andy's passing in 2009 we are made privy to intimate conversations, discussions and anecdotes that have heretofore never been published. Carolyn recognized the talent that was hidden in the mind of Karl Kuerner almost from their first meeting and worked steadily to cultivate what has become a major artistic force. Carolyn was the primary player in the grooming of Karl J. Kuerner but Andrew was also a moving presence along with Frolic Weymouth and several other Chadds Ford personae. Included in this reflective work are over 65 paintings, drawings and illustrations, many never before seen in print. There are images by Karl, Carolyn and Andy and of Karl's great uncle, Christoph, from Germany. This marvelously detailed account of an artist's life is a must have for any student of the Wyeth family or for that matter any student of the Brandywine Valley and its rich history as an incubator of outstanding art and its creation. Description courtesy of Cedar Tree Books.

One highly visible example of French influence on the city of Philadelphia is the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, modeled on the Champs-Élysées. In "Salut!", Lynn Miller and Therese Dolan trace the fruitful, three-centuries-long relationship between the City of Brotherly Love and France. This detailed volume illustrates the effect of Huguenots settling in Philadelphia and 18-year-old William Penn visiting Paris, all the way up through more recent cultural offerings that have helped make the city the distinctive urban center it is today. "Salut!" provides a history of Philadelphia seen through a particular cultural lens. The authors chronicle the French influence during colonial and revolutionary times. They highlight the contributions of nineteenth-century French philanthropists, such as Stephen Girard and the Dupont family. And they showcase the city's vibrant visual arts community featuring works from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum, the Barnes Foundation, and the Joan of Arc sculpture, as well as studies of artists Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt, and Henry Ossawa Tanner. There is also a profile of renowned Le Bec-Fin chef Georges Perrier, who made Philadelphia a renowned culinary destination in the twentieth century. Lynn Miller is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Temple University. Therese Dolan is Professor Emerita of Art History at Temple University's Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Description courtesy of Temple University Press.

Outside of major metropolitan areas, the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights has had its own unique and rich history—one that is quite different from the national narrative set in New York and California. "Out in Central Pennsylvania" highlights one facet of this lesser-known but equally important story, immersing readers in the LGBTQ community building and social networking that has taken place in the small cities and towns in the heart of Pennsylvania from the 1960s to the present day. Drawing from oral histories and the archives of the LGBT Center of Central PA History Project, this book recounts the innovative ways that LGBTQ central Pennsylvanians organized to demand civil rights and to improve their quality of life in a region that often rejected them. William Burton is an author based in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Barry Loveland is retired from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and is the cofounder and chair of the LGBT Center of Central PA History Project. Description courtesy of Penn State Press.

In "Moravian Soundscapes," Sarah Eyerly contends that the study of sound is integral to understanding the interactions between German Moravian missionaries and Native communities in early Pennsylvania. In the mid-18th century, when the frontier between settler and Native communities was a shifting spatial and cultural borderland, sound mattered. People listened carefully to each other and the world around them. In Moravian communities, cultures of hearing and listening encompassed and also superseded musical traditions such as song and hymnody. Complex biophonic, geophonic, and anthrophonic acoustic environments―or soundscapes―characterized daily life in Moravian settlements such as Bethlehem, Nain, Gnadenhütten, and Friedenshütten. Through detailed analyses and historically informed recreations of Moravian communal, environmental, and religious soundscapes and their attendant hymn traditions, "Moravian Soundscapes" explores how sounds―musical and nonmusical, human and nonhuman―shaped the Moravians' religious culture. Combined with access to an interactive website that immerses the reader in mid-18th century Pennsylvania, and framed with an autobiographical narrative, Moravian Soundscapes recovers the roles of sound and music in Moravian communities and provides a road map for similar studies of other places and religious traditions in the future. Sarah Eyerly is Associate Professor of Musicology and Director of the Early Music Program at the Florida State University.

"Hell with the Lid Off" looks at the ferocious five-year war waged by Pittsburgh and Oakland for NFL supremacy during the turbulent seventies. The roots of their rivalry dated back to the 1972 playoff game in Pittsburgh that ended with the "Immaculate Reception," Franco Harris's stunning touchdown that led the Steelers to a win over the Raiders in their first postseason meeting. That famous game ignited a fiery rivalry for NFL supremacy. Between 1972 and 1977, the Steelers and the Raiders—between them boasting an incredible twenty-six Pro Football Hall of Famers—collided in the playoffs five straight seasons and in the AFC title game three consecutive years. Ed Gruver is an award-winning sportswriter and the author of several books. Jim Campbell has worked at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was a member of the Steelers' organization during their dynasty decade in the 1970s. He has written for numerous NFL publications and has authored several books on the NFL. Description courtesy of University of Nebraska Press.

In "Preserving the White Man's Republic: Jacksonian Democracy, Race, and the Transformation of American Conservatism," historian Joshua Lynn reveals how in the years before the Civil War the national Democratic Party rebranded majoritarian democracy and liberal individualism as conservative means for white men in the South and North to preserve their mastery. Responding to fears of African American and female political agency, Democrats in the late 1840s and 1850s reinvented themselves as "conservatives" and repurposed Jacksonian Democracy as a tool for local majorities of white men to police racial and gender boundaries by democratically withholding rights. With the policy of "popular sovereignty," Democrats left slavery's expansion to white men's democratic decision-making. They also promised white men local democracy and individual autonomy regarding temperance, religion, and nativism. Translating white men's household mastery into political power over all women and Americans of color, Democrats united white men nationwide and made democracy a conservative assertion of white manhood. Democrats thereby turned traditional Jacksonian principles—grassroots democracy, liberal individualism, and anti-statism—into staples of conservatism. Joshua A. Lynn is Assistant Professor of History at Eastern Kentucky University. Description courtesy of the University of Virginia Press.

The Delaware River flows some 330 miles from its headwaters near Hancock, New York, to the mouth of the Delaware Bay. It is the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi and one of America's most important rivers. Not only is it the primary water supply for New York City, but it provides clean drinking water to every home within a 150-mile radius. When the reservoirs were built on the East and West Branches, they disrupted the natural flows and turned nature upside down. The once-warm waterway now has cooler flows creating a self-sustaining wild trout population and establishing a modern-day fishing and boating industry to fuel the economy of the Upper Delaware River communities. Focusing on both the history and the author's personal story in helping preserve the fishery, this book gives readers a colorful and unique perspective of what it's like to fish the Delaware and how important it is to protect the cold-water fishery that is so valuable to the economy of the region. Lee Hartman lives along the Upper Delaware River in Equinunk, PA. He is a 45-year veteran on the Delaware system and former owner of Indian Springs Fly Fishing Camp in Lordville, New York. Lee continues to guide on the river and host anglers to great fly-fishing destinations throughout the world. Description courtesy of Stackpole Books.

The second and final volume of this magnificent biography begins during World War II, when Calder–known to all as Sandy–and his wife, Louisa, opened their home to a stream of artists and writers in exile from Europe. In the postwar decades, they divided their time between the United States and France, as Calder made his first monumental public sculptures and received blockbuster commissions that included Expo '67 in Montreal and the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Jed Perl makes clear how Calder's radical sculptural imagination shaped the minimalist and kinetic art movements that emerged in the 1960s. And we see, as well, that through everything–their ever-expanding friendships with artists and writers of all stripes; working to end the war in Vietnam; hosting riotous dance parties at their Connecticut home; seeing the "mobile," Calder's essential artistic invention, find its way into Webster's dictionary–Calder and Louisa remained the risk-taking, singularly bohemian couple they had been since first meeting at the end of the Roaring Twenties. The biography ends with Calder's death in 1976 at the age of seventy-eight–only weeks after an encyclopedic retrospective of his work opened at the Whitney Museum in New York–but leaves us with a new, clearer understanding of his legacy, both as an artist and a man. Jed Perl is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books. He was the art critic for The New Republic for twenty years and a contributing editor to Vogue for a decade, and is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. His previous books include Magicians and Charlatans, Antoine's Alphabet, and New Art City, which was a New York Times Notable Book and an Atlantic Book of the Year. He lives in New York City. Description courtesy of Penguin Random House.

This is the first book that tells the story of how a small slice of eastern Pennsylvania became the cradle of the American Industrial Revolution. Pennsylvania was America's powerhouse in the nineteenth century, supplying the hot-burning, high-energy anthracite coal that ignited the iron and, later, steel industries that transformed the United States. This revolution began in the five counties – Bucks, Northampton, Lehigh, Carbon, and Luzerne – that are now designated the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. This is where geography, geology, and human genius met to begin the building of modern America. With maps, illustrations, and historic photographs, this book traces the development of the innovative industries that were founded in the Corridor as a result of this confluence of waterways, minerals, and minds – industries that became dominant in the nation and even the world during the past 200 years. As well, we see the people – some famous, some forgotten – whose persistence, determination, and hard work built those industries. Martha Capwell Fox is a life-long student of American and Lehigh Valley industrial history, and now serves as the archivist and historian for the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. Description courtesy of Canal History & Technology Press.

In the spring of 1861, as the nation balanced on the brink of the Civil War, a farmer from the Hudson Valley brought a pedigreed colt to his new home in the Cowanesque Valley of northern Pennsylvania. What were his intentions for the young stallion? For the next three decades, the stallion was controlled by various members of the Wood family and passed from father to sons. From the Civil War through the Gilded Age and into the era of the Great War, horses sired by the Woods' Hambletonian stallion became four-legged celebrities during the peak of harness racing. The Grand Circuit was the highest level of this American spectator sport before NASCAR, the NFL, NBA or major league baseball. Piecing together public records, news archives, family diaries, scrapbooks, and artifacts, the author reveals the true stories behind the legend of the horse known as "Old Dan". The stallion's offspring were purchased, loved and raced by congressmen, capitalists, and common farmers of the region along the Pennsylvania and New York border. Fully-documented with annotations, details of the Wood family and social history of the region augment this narrative of real horses - from Wall Street to Kentucky and Farmington township - who connected this remote lumber territory to the mainstream of America's journey through the Industrial Age. Author Ellen Williams is a 5th-generation descendant of Oliver L. Wood.

John Kromer's "Philadelphia Battlefields" considers key local campaigns undertaken from 1951 to 2019 that were extraordinarily successful despite the opposition of the city's political establishment. Kromer draws on election data and data-mapping tools that explain these upset elections as well as the social, economic, and demographic trends that influenced them to tell the story of why these campaign strategies were successful. He analyzes urban political dynamics through case studies of newcomer Rebecca Rhynhart's landslide victory over a veteran incumbent for Philadelphia City Controller; activist Chaka Fattah's effective use of grassroots organizing skills to win a seat in Congress; and Maria Quiñones-Sánchez's hard-fought struggle to become the first Hispanic woman to win a City Council seat, among others. "Philadelphia Battlefields" shows how these candidates' efforts to increase civic engagement, improve municipal governance, and become part of a new generation of political leadership at the local and state level were critical to their successes. John Kromer is a planning and development consultant, an instructor in urban development policy at the University of Pennsylvania, former Director of Housing for the city of Philadelphia under Mayor Edward G. Rendell, and a participant in local political campaigns and elections. He is the author of "Fixing Broken Cities: The Implementation of Urban Development Strategies" and has written extensively on downtown and neighborhood development issues. Description courtesy of Temple University Press.

On assignment for a small-town newspaper in rural Pennsylvania, rookie reporter, Jessica Weible, meets Joan Swigart, a creative fireball and "pioneer in print." As the two women forge a relationship based on their passion for storytelling, Joan reveals a mystery that she had discovered years ago, but had never solved—a pile of dead letters found in an abandoned general store, just before it was torn down. Joan gives Jessica the letters, each stamped and dated over a hundred years ago, and encourages Jessica to investigate the untold stories of the people and places contained in each one. What begins as yet another assignment for the reporter, a young millennial who relies happily on email and texting as the primary means of communication, develops into a heartfelt mission to tell the story of the people and places in the letters. The young reporter's journey takes unexpected twists and turns through the quiet lumber towns of Pennsylvania, the early American settlements in Massachusetts, the bustling crowds at Ellis Island, the violent strikes at the Passaic textile mills, and beyond. Dead Letters is an intimate portrait of small town America and the people who, at times, risked everything in pursuit of economic prosperity, religious freedom, and social equity. Jess Weible is a freelance writer and reporter. She is also a founding editor for The Watershed Journal, an inclusive, regional literary magazine for the western Pennsylvania wilds. Jess leads two writing groups, the Writer's Block Party and the Rebecca M. Arthur's Young Writers. She lives with her husband and two boys in Brookville, Pennsylvania. Descriptions courtesy of Sunbury Press.

The Steel City has boasted some of the most famous figures, landmarks and innovations in the country's history. Pittsburgh's past is littered with dozens of fascinating stories behind the icons that define it. Mary Schenley was the city's biggest benefactress of the nineteenth century, gifting the site of the 425-acre park in her name, but her fortune was almost lost when she eloped at the age of fifteen. The first ever call-in radio talk show began at famed KDKA in 1951, inspiring the birth of an entire industry. Mount Washington offers tourists sweeping views of the city today, but it once supplied coal to Pittsburghers and was the site of a sixteen-year underground mine fire. Author Paul King lists the best people, places and things of Pittsburgh's grand history. Paul King is a native of Pittsburgh, raised on Mount Washington with a grand view of the three rivers, Point State Park, the North Side and the downtown skyline. A graduate of Duquesne University, he has been a journalist for more than forty years. Description courtesy of The History Press.

In "The Founding Fortunes," historian Tom Shachtman reveals the ways in which a dozen notable Revolutionaries deeply affected the finances and birth of the new country while making and losing their fortunes. While history teaches that successful revolutions depend on participation by the common man, the establishment of a stable and independent United States first required wealthy colonials uniting to disrupt the very system that had enriched them, and then funding a very long war. While some fortunes were made during the war at the expense of the poor, many of the wealthy embraced the goal of obtaining for their poorer countrymen an unprecedented equality of opportunity, along with independence. In addition to nuanced views of the well-known wealthy such as Robert Morris and John Hancock, and of the less wealthy but influential Alexander Hamilton, "The Founding Fortunes" offers insight into the contributions of those often overlooked by popular history: Henry Laurens, the plantation owner who replaced Hancock as President of Congress; pioneering businessmen William Bingham, Jeremiah Wadsworth, and Stephen Girard; privateer magnate Elias Hasket Derby; and Hamilton's successors at Treasury, Oliver Wolcott, Jr. and Albert Gallatin. Tom Shachtman has written or co-authored more than 35 books, as well as documentaries for ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and BBC, and has taught at New York University and lectured at Harvard, Stanford, Georgia Tech, the Smithsonian, and the Library of Congress.

Over the past two decades, Inga Saffron has served as the premier chronicler of the city's physical transformation as it emerged from a half century of decline. Through her Pulitzer Prize-winning columns on architecture and urbanism in the Philadelphia Inquirer, she has tracked the city's revival on a weekly basis. "Becoming Philadelphia" collects the best of Saffron's work, plus a new introduction reflecting on the stunning changes the city has undergone. A fearless crusader who is also a seasoned reporter, Saffron ranges beyond the usual boundaries of architectural criticism to explore how big money and politics intersect with design, profoundly shaping our everyday experience of city life. Even as she celebrates Philadelphia's resurgence, she considers how it finds itself grappling with the problems of success: gentrification, poverty, privatization, and the unequal distribution of public services. Inga Saffron has served as the architecture critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer since 1999 and has received numerous honors, including the Vincent Scully Prize, Harvard University's Loeb Fellowship, and the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. She formerly worked as an Eastern European correspondent, witnessing the destruction of Grozny and Sarajevo, which sparked her interest in urban renewal.Description courtesy of Rutgers University Press.

Hurricane Agnes struck the United States in June of 1972, just months before a pivotal election and at the dawn of the deindustrialization period across the Northeast. The response by local, state, and national officials had long-term consequences for all Americans. President Richard Nixon used the tragedy for political gain by delivering a generous relief package to the key states of New York and Pennsylvania in a bid to win over voters. After his landslide reelection in 1972, Nixon cut benefits for disaster victims and then passed legislation to push responsibility for disaster preparation and mitigation on to states and localities. The impact led to the rise of emergency management and inspired the development of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). With a particular focus on events in New York and Pennsylvania, Timothy W. Kneeland narrates how local, state, and federal authorities responded to the immediate crisis of Hurricane Agnes and managed the long-term recovery. The impact of Agnes was horrific, as the storm left 122 people dead, forced tens of thousands into homelessness, and caused billions of dollars in damage from Florida to New York. In its aftermath, local officials and leaders directed disaster relief funds to rebuild their shattered cities and reshaped future disaster policies. "Playing Politics with Natural Disaster" explains how the political decisions by local, state, and federal officials shaped state and national disaster policy and continues to influence emergency preparedness and response to this day. Timothy Kneeland is Professor and Chair of History and Political Science at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. Description courtesy of Cornell University Press.

Offers a detailed chronology of the growth, decline, and attempted resurrection of one American public education system. This book illustrates academic milestones and contributions of Johnstown's African-American community with the development of Johnstown Schools.

Ruling Suburbia chronicles the history of the Republican machine that has dominated the political life of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, since 1875, and of the career of John J. McClure, who controlled the machine from 1907 until 1965.

"Bridges…Pittsburgh at the Point…A Journey Through History" tells the stories of the 34 bridges that crossed the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers in Pittsburgh from 1818 to today. Told through the words of engineers, architects, planners, and historians this is a story of the development of technology, the rise of a city, and the progress of transportation. Thomas Leech is the retired Chief Bridge Engineer of Gannett Fleming, Inc., Adjunct Professor of Civil Engineering of Carnegie Mellon University and a part of the continuing education faculty of the Pennsylvania State University. Linda Kaplan is a bridge engineer in the Pittsburgh region. She has experience designing highway, rail, and pedestrian bridges, retaining walls, and tunnels Description courtesy of Thomas Leech and Linda Kaplan.

Louis Kahn (1901–1974), one of the most important architects of the postwar period, is widely admired for his great monumental works, including the Kimbell Art Museum, the Salk Institute, and the National Assembly Complex in Bangladesh. However, the importance of his houses has been largely overlooked. This beautiful book is the first to look at Kahn's nine major private houses. Beginning with his earliest encounters with Modernism in the late 1920s and continuing through his iconic work of the 1960s and 1970s, the authors trace the evolution of the architect's thinking, which began and matured through his design of houses and their interiors, a process inspired by his interactions with clients and his admiration for vernacular building traditions. Richly illustrated with new and period photographs and original drawings, as well as previously unpublished materials from personal interviews, archives, and Kahn's own writings, The Houses of Louis Kahn shows how his ideas about domestic spaces challenged conventions, much like his major public commissions, and were developed into one of the most remarkable expressions of the American house.

A stirring documentary of Dennis McIlnay's trip on the 100- mile Juniata River in central Pennsylvania, and a moving portrait of some of the Juniata's earliest -- and bloodiest -- events.

When Buchanan entered the White House in March 1857, he seemed well positioned to accomplish his main objectives. A canny and seasoned politician from Pennsylvania with a reputation for moderation on slavery-related issues, Buchanan had a straightforward agenda: the amelioration of sectional tensions, the promotion of American prosperity, and the extension of the Democrats' control of the federal government. Four years later, Buchanan left Washington convinced that he had done his best and accomplished much. In fact, he left behind a shattered Democratic party, a new Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, and a ruptured Union. Except for a cadre of faithful Pennsylvania friends, Buchanan's reputation lay in ruins. He has consistently been ranked among the least effective presidents in American history.

Pennsylvania, first home of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, has a tradition of political progress. However, along with the good, the political playground of Pennsylvania has also seen the brazenly bad behavior of its political leaders. For over twenty-five years, political columnist John Baer has had a front-row seat to the foibles and follies of the Keystone State's political system. Baer takes readers through his memories of covering state politics for the last quarter century, from Democratic governor Milton Shapp's short-lived run for president--in which he finished behind "no preference" in the Florida primary--to highlights of some of the game-changing campaign missteps and maneuvers that moved administrations in and out of the capital. With a delightfully gruff wit, Baer gives readers a behind-the-scenes view of the politics and personalities that have passed through Harrisburg.

German immigrants of the nineteenth century brought their traditions of winemaking and mouthwatering cuisine to the slopes of Mount Penn high above Reading. With a Santa Claus beard and a long-stemmed pipe, the hermit of Mount Penn, Louis Kuechler, founded Kuechler's Roost, where travelers flocked for feasts, literary soirees and free-flowing local wine. The opening of the Mount Penn Gravity Railroad brought a flurry of tourists from around the nation and fueled the creation of resorts throughout the countryside. Spuhler's Hotel hosted renowned pig roasts from noon until midnight. The fresh waters of Lauterbach Springs attracted wine and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Author Mike Madaio explores the vibrant society and culinary culture that made Mount Penn one of the best-known resort regions in the country until financial difficulties and the passage of Prohibition spelled its end. Mike Madaio is a food and wine writer based outside Philadelphia. His career began with the creation of Main Line Dine, a popular restaurant and dining blog covering the Philadelphia suburbs, and his writing has appeared in publications such as Wine Enthusiast, VinePair and Edible Philly. He has also achieved Italian Wine Ambassador certification from the Vinitaly International Academy. His website is Lifeattable.com and can be found on social media @lifeattable. Description courtesy of The History Press.

During the Paxton massacres of 1763, a mob of white settlers, so-called "Paxton Boys" murdered 20 unarmed Conestoga People in a genocidal campaign that reshaped Pennsylvania settlement politics. Ghost River: The Fall and Rise of the Conestoga reimagines this difficult history through an educational graphic novel that introduces new interpreters and new bodies of evidence to highlight the Indigenous victims and their kin. Author Lee Francis IV is the owner and CEO of Native Realities and the author of Sixkiller and Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers. Artist Weshoyot Alvitre has illustrated numerous books including Deer Woman: An Anthology, Sixkiller, Graphic Classics: Native American Classics, and Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers. Editor Will Fenton is the Director of Scholarly Innovation at the Library Company of Philadelphia. Description courtesy of Red Planet Books.

On September 10, 1813, the hot, still air that hung over Lake Erie was broken by the sounds of sharp conflict. Led by Oliver Hazard Perry, the American fleet met the British, and though they sustained heavy losses, Perry and his men achieved one of the most stunning victories in the War of 1812. Author Walter Rybka traces the Lake Erie Campaign from the struggle to build the fleet in Erie, Pennsylvania, during the dead of winter and the conflict between rival egos of Perry and his second in command, Jesse Duncan Elliott, through the exceptionally bloody battle that was the first U.S. victory in a fleet action. With the singular perspective of having sailed the reconstructed U.S. brig Niagara for over twenty years, Rybka brings the knowledge of a shipmaster to the story of the Lake Erie Campaign and the culminating Battle of Lake Erie.

Nestled among the rolling hills of South Central Pennsylvania, six counties – Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York – are home to more than three centuries of history and architecture. Beginning with early eighteenth century buildings, almost every style of American architecture is featured in the region's mid-sized cities, charming towns, and quaint villages. Susquehanna Valley buildings showcase excellent examples of Colonial, Early Republic, Victorian, and twentieth-century architectural movements. Featured are educational narratives of three dozen styles as well as special sections on a variety of building types, including farmers' markets and train stations, all brought to life by more than 180 full-color photos. Join author and photographer Scott D. Butcher on an enlightening tour featuring the best of American architecture as seen through the eyes of the region's architects and builders.

When the whole of Europe went to war in 1914, Pittsburgh watched the storm clouds gather at home. Yet Pittsburgh was a city of immigrants--the large Polish community urged leaders to join the side of the Allies, while German immigrants supported the Central powers. By the time the country entered World War I in 1917, Pittsburghers threw their support into the war effort united as Americans. With over 250 mills and factories, the Steel City and Allegheny County produced half of the steel and much of the munitions used by the Allies. Pittsburgh gave more than steel--sixty thousand men went to war, and women flocked to the front lines as nurses. One of the first gas masks on the western front was developed at the Mellon Institute, while the city's large Red Cross provided tireless support on the home front. Historian Elizabeth Williams traces the remarkable story of Pittsburgh during the Great War. Description Courtesy of Amazon

In a series of historic vignettes combined with contemporary paintings renowned artist Karl J. Kuerner and award-winning writer Bruce E. Mowday explore the Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg in a way never before depicted. For Karl, the spirit of art has spurred him to create a series of paintings that are peaceful and tranquil despite the death and destruction that took place here. Also, there are tears for those who sacrificed so much. For Bruce, he calls upon his years of Civil War historical research to recount some of the heroic deeds of the conflict that threatened the very existence of the United States of America. Ten of thousands of soldiers... Tens of thousands of emotional stories each with a life of its own. So many stories will never be told, lost along with those who sacrificed their lives at Gettysburg during three days of July in 1863. What took place in Gettysburg, documented or not, forever will have profound meaning for Americans, a soul and a spirit. Karl J. Kuerner, the painter, is the grandson of two subjects, Karl and Anna Kuerner, of internationally acclaimed artist Andrew Wyeth. Karl studied under Carolyn Wyeth, Andrew s sister, as a young artist and exhibited his first show in 1977 alongside Carolyn and her own paintings. He was also mentored by her brother, Andrew, and has documented his experiences of working with the Wyeths in an upcoming book, Beyond The Art Spirit. Karl s artwork has been exhibited in Belgium, Nigeria, and Togo through the Arts in Embassies program, as well as at the Brandywine River Museum and Berman Museum at Ursinus College. Karl exhibited his Places to Go, Things to See series at West Chester University where he received an Honorary Doctorate in Public Service. Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art, Nebraska, plans to feature Karl s creations in 2020. Karl has published three children s books following the adventures of his cat Ike and All In A Day s Work, an autobiographical look into his life and artwork with the writings of Gene Logsdon. Karl has been featured in many books and publications, recently appearing in PBS s American Masters Series documentary Wyeth. Bruce E. Mowday is an award-winning author and newspaper reporter. Emotional Gettysburg is his third book on the epic Civil War battle of Gettysburg. His other Gettysburg books are Pickett's Charge: The Untold Story and J. Howard Wert's Gettysburg. A fourth Civil War book written by Bruce is Unlikely Allies: Fort Delaware's Prison Community in the Civil War. Description courtesy of Regent Press.

American Bandstand, one of the longest-running shows in television history, spotlighted well-scrubbed, properly dressed dancing teenagers on every show. They mirrored the show's perpetually youthful host, Dick Clark, who spun the music Clark often described as the "soundtrack to our lives." These are the memories Clark carefully nurtured as he crafted the alternate teen universe of Bandstandland during the formative years of American Bandstand, from 1952 to 1964. Bandstandland was a mythical creation by Clark, who saw the show as a springboard to immense wealth rather than a tribute to teen culture. Clark was a relentless businessman who once had ownership stakes in 33 corporations, most created by him. He created rules to keep black teens off the show, promoted the teens that danced on the show when it served his purposes and banned them when it didn't and effectively turned American Bandstand into his own personal infomercial. Bandstandland sheds light on the little-known backstory of the TV program that was America's top-rated daytime television show in its heyday and enjoyed a 37-year run from 1952 to 1989.

By Great Rivers: Lives on the Appalachian Frontier tells the story of people who shaped events during a period of rapid political and social change in the Appalachian region of the eastern United States in the eighteenth century. The several dozen individuals (men and women, Native Americans, colonial agents, missionaries, fur traders, Indian captives, surveyors) profiled here reflect a multi-cultural society that developed on that frontier. This book focuses on the Appalachian region--eastern and western Pennsylvania, western New York and Ohio--a vast wilderness expanse linked by the great rivers that served as corridors of travel in the eighteenth century.

Cumberland Posey began his career in 1911 playing outfield for the Homestead Grays, a local black team in his Pennsylvania hometown. He soon became the squad's driving force as they dominated semi-pro ball in the Pittsburgh area. By the late 1930s the Grays were at the top of the Negro Leagues with nine straight pennant wins. Posey was also a League officer; he served 13 years as the first black member of the Homestead school board; and he wrote an outspoken sports column for the African American weekly, the Pittsburgh Courier. He was also regarded as one of the best black basketball players in the East; he was the organizer of a team that held the consensus national black championship five years running. Ten years after his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, he became a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame—one of only two athletes to be honored by two pro sports halls of fame.

General Charles Lee, second in command in the Continental Army led by George Washington, was captured by the British in December 1776. While a prisoner, he prepared and submitted to his captors a military plan on how to defeat Washington's army as quickly as possible. This extraordinary act of treason, arguably on a par with Benedict Arnold's heinous treachery, was not discovered during his lifetime. Many historians shrug off this ignoble act, but it should not be ignored. Less well known is that throughout his sixteen months of captivity and even after his release, Lee continued communicating with the enemy, offering to help negotiate an end to the rebellion. After Lee rejoined the Continental Army, he was given command of many of its best troops with orders from Washington to attack the rear of British General Henry Clinton's column near Monmouth, New Jersey. Lee intended to attack on June 28, 1778, but retreated in the face of Clinton's bold move to reverse his march. Two of Lee's subordinate generals—without orders and without informing Lee—moved more than half of his command off the field. Faced with the possible destruction of the balance, Lee ordered a general retreat while conducting a skillful delaying action. Many historians have been quick to malign Lee's performance at Monmouth, for which he was convicted by court-martial for not attacking and for retreating in the face of the enemy. This was a miscarriage of justice, stresses McBurney, for the evidence clearly shows that Lee was unfairly convicted and had, in fact, by retreating, performed an important service to the Patriot cause. The guilty verdict was more the result of Lee's having insulted Washington, which made the matter a political contest between the army's two top generals—only one of them could prevail. Christian McBurney has written five books on the American Revolutionary War, including 'Kidnapping the Enemy: The Special Operations to Capture Generals Charles Lee & Richard Prescott'. His published articles include one in MHQ: The Journal of Military History, on the British attempt to abduct George Washington, which was nominated by the U.S. Army Historical Foundation as best magazine article for 2017. He also publishes Rhode Island's leading history blog (www.smallstatebighistory.com). He is an attorney in Washington, D.C. Description courtesy of Savas Beatie.

While much has changed in the decade since the original publication of The Eagles Encyclopedia, the passion of Eagles fans has only grown stronger. That's why author Ray Didinger revised, updated, and expanded his history of the team with The New Eagles Encyclopedia. Didinger presents a year-by-year history of the franchise from its inception in 1933 through the 2013 season. There are profiles of more than 100 players, past and present, as well as every head coach and owner along with dozens of new photographs and stats, stats, and more stats. The New Eagles Encyclopedia includes: * More player profiles including new entries on Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy and Michael Vick. * The end of the Andy Reid era and the arrival of Chip Kelly. * Expanded chapters on Eagles in the Hall of Fame and other milestone moments. * Summaries of every post-season game. * A new chapter on the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry. An essential addition to every fan's bookshelf, The New Eagles Encyclopedia is the definitive information source on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Joe Farrell, Joe Farley, and Lawrence Knorr have traveled across the eastern USA to the graves of over 200 founding fathers (and mothers) responsible for the birth of the United States of America. This special volume about Pennsylvania includes those that lived, worked, and or died in Pennsylvania. Included in this volume are biographies and grave information for 44 of these luminaries who made significant contributions to the Revolutionary cause. Lawrence Knorr has authored or co-authored over 20 books, mostly on history or biography. He is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), the Sons of the American Revolution, and numerous other historical organizations. He enjoys most writing about the formerly famous and his beloved Pennsylvania Dutch culture. He is a lifetime Penn State alum. Joe Farrell was born in Brooklyn and raised on the mean streets of Queens. He attended and graduated from Catholic schools in New York and went on to College at St. Vincent College where he graduated with a degree in Psychology. He studied Clinical Psychology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Public Administration at Shippensburg. Joe Farley was born and raised in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. He attended Bloomsburg University where he graduated with a degree in education. In 1975 Mr. Farley began a 35-year public service career working for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Upon his retirement in 2010, he began work on the Keystone Tombstone series with his coauthor Joe Farrell. To date, there are thirteen volumes in that series. Farley and Farrell have also authored Gotham Graves Volumes One and Two. Mr. Farley also penned "Song Poems in Search of Music" in 2014 He and his wife Sharon reside in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. They have three children. Description courtesy of Sunbury Press.

Harriet Tubman is best known as one of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad. As a leading abolitionist, her bravery and selflessness has inspired generations in the continuing struggle for civil rights. Now, National Book Award nominee Erica Armstrong Dunbar presents a fresh take on this American icon blending traditional biography, illustrations, photos, and engaging sidebars that illuminate the life of Tubman as never before. Not only did Tubman help liberate hundreds of slaves, she was the first woman to lead an armed expedition during the Civil War, worked as a spy for the Union Army, was a fierce suffragist, and was an advocate for the aged. She Came to Slay reveals the many complexities and varied accomplishments of one of our nation's true heroes and offers an accessible and modern interpretation of Tubman's life that is both informative and engaging. Filled with rare outtakes of commentary, an expansive timeline of Tubman's life, photos (both new and those in public domain), commissioned illustrations, and sections including "Harriet By the Numbers" (number of times she went back down south, approximately how many people she rescued, the bounty on her head) and "Harriet's Homies" (those who supported her over the years), She Came to Slay is a stunning and powerful mix of pop culture and scholarship and proves that Harriet Tubman is well deserving of her permanent place in our nation's history. Erica Armstrong Dunbar is the Charles and Mary Beard Professor of History at Rutgers University. Description courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

Pittsburgh's explosive industrial and population growth between the mid-nineteenth century and the Great Depression required constant attention to city-building. Private, profit-oriented firms, often with government involvement, provided necessary transportation, energy resources, and suitable industrial and residential sites. Meeting these requirements in the region's challenging hilly topographical and riverine environment resulted in the dramatic reshaping of the natural landscape. At the same time, the Pittsburgh region's free market, private enterprise emphasis created socio-economic imbalances and badly polluted the air, water, and land. Industrial stagnation, temporarily interrupted by wars, and then followed deindustrialization inspired the formation of powerful public-private partnerships to address the region's mounting infrastructural, economic, and social problems. The sixteen essays in Making Industrial Pittsburgh Modern examine important aspects of the modernizing efforts to make Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania a successful metropolitan region. The city-building experiences continue to influence the region's economic transformation, spatial structure, and life experience. Edward K. Muller is emeritus professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a former chair of the Department of History, former director of the urban studies program, and a Fulbright Research Scholar in New Zealand. He is founding member and former chair of the Board of Trustees of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. Joel A. Tarr is the Caliguiri University Professor of History and Policy at Carnegie Mellon University where he has taught for over fifty years. He is the recipient of CMU's Robert Doherty Prize for "substantial and sustained contributions to excellence in education" (1992), the Leonardo da Vinci Medal of the Society of the History of Technology (2008), the American Environmental History Association Distinguished Service Award (2015), and the Founders Award, National Council on Public History (2018). Description courtesy of University of Pittsburgh Press.

The Joseph Horne Company, popularly known as Horne's, was a beloved and integral part of Pittsburghers' lives for generations. It was the first department store in the Steel City, staking its ground at the landmark flagship store on Penn Avenue and Stanwix Street. Starting as a small dry goods store, the company expanded into a regional retail powerhouse with a reputation for selling high-quality goods in elegant spaces. Horne's succumbed to the fate of other department stores amid changing consumer habits, and a short-lived stint as a Lazarus store was the final chapter in more than 140 years of history. The community still enjoys the tree on the corner of the former Horne's building, now Highmark, that is lit each year to usher in Pittsburgh's holiday season. In 1871, Jacob and Isaac Kaufmann created a classic Pittsburgh institution. The business grew from a small store on the South Side to a mammoth clothing house downtown that outfitted the community. The removal of the original freestanding clock upset customers, so Kaufmann's added its iconic version in 1913. A redesign of the store's first floor attracted national attention in the 1930s. While most Pittsburghers remember and celebrate the downtown store, others recall the suburban branches--miniatures of the expansive flagship store. Join Letitia Stuart Savage on a journey to a time of leisurely shopping for the latest fashions complete with a side of Mile High Ice Cream Pie from the Tic Toc Restaurant. Letitia Stuart Savage is a freelance writer who has contributed to local and national publications including Country Journal, Kitchen Garden, Dog Fancy and The Chronicle of the Horse. She earned a BS in biology and established environmental education programs in several Allegheny County parks before becoming an environmental consultant. In the past, she has contributed history articles to Pennsylvania Heritage. Description courtesy of The History Press.

In this authoritative and engrossing full-scale biography, Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Einstein and Steve Jobs, shows how the most fascinating of America's founders helped define our national character. Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us, the one who seems made of flesh rather than marble. In a sweeping narrative that follows Franklin's life from Boston to Philadelphia to London and Paris and back, Walter Isaacson chronicles the adventures of the runaway apprentice who became, over the course of his eighty-four-year life, America's best writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, and business strategist, as well as one of its most practical and ingenious political leaders. He explores the wit behind Poor Richard's Almanac and the wisdom behind the Declaration of Independence, the new nation's alliance with France, the treaty that ended the Revolution, and the compromises that created a near-perfect Constitution. In this colorful and intimate narrative, Isaacson provides the full sweep of Franklin's amazing life, showing how he helped to forge the American national identity and why he has a particular resonance in the twenty-first century. Description courtesy of Amazon

"The Life and Loves of Thaddeus Stevens" is an insightful look at one of the most misunderstood figures of the 19th Century. Stevens, the driving force behind landmark civil rights laws, education policy, and economic development initiatives, is presented in this book as both an uncompromising politician and a vulnerable human shaped by his own passions. The book captures the highlights of Stevens's career at the local, state, and federal levels but does not shy away from the story of his relationships with several paramours. These relationships, whispered about during his lifetime and long after his death, denied him his proper place as a true historical figure, a key counselor to Presidents, and a visionary leader who lived and died for the basic right of equality for all men and women. Mark Singel was lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania from 1987 through 1995 and, for a period of time, Acting Governor. Description courtesy of Sunbury Press.

Among experts, Oscar Charleston is regarded as the best player in Negro Leagues history. During his prime he became a legend in Cuba and one of black America's most popular figures. Yet even among serious sports fans, Oscar Charleston is virtually unknown today. In a long career spanning from 1915 to 1954, Charleston played against, managed, befriended, and occasionally fought men such as Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Jesse Owens, Roy Campanella, and Branch Rickey. He displayed tremendous power, speed, and defensive instincts along with a fierce intelligence and commitment to his craft. Charleston's competitive fire sometimes brought him trouble, but more often it led to victories, championships, and profound respect. While Charleston never played in the Major Leagues, he was a trailblazer who became the first black man to work as a scout for a Major League team when Branch Rickey hired him to evaluate players for the Dodgers in the 1940s. From the mid‑1920s on, he was a player‑manager for several clubs. In 1932 he joined the Pittsburgh Crawfords and would manage the club many consider the finest Negro League team of all time, featuring five future Hall of Famers, including himself, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, Judy Johnson, and Satchel Paige. Jeremy Beer is a founding partner at American Philanthropic in Phoenix. He is the author of The Philanthropic Revolution: An Alternative History of American Charity and his writing on sports, society, and culture has appeared in the Washington Post, National Review, First Things, and the Baseball Research Journal. Description courtesy of the University of Nebraska Press.

Winch has written the first full-length biography of James Forten, a hero of African American history and one of the most remarkable men in 19th-century America. Born into a free black family in 1766, Forten served in the Revolutionary War as a teenager. By 1810 he had earned the distinction of being the leading sailmaker in Philadelphia. Soon after Forten emerged as a leader in Philadelphia's black community and was active in a wide range of reform activities. Especially prominent in national and international antislavery movements, he served as vice-president of the American Anti-Slavery Society and became close friends with William Lloyd Garrison to whom he lent money to start up the Liberator. His family were all active abolitionists and a granddaughter, Charlotte Forten, published a famous diary of her experiences teaching ex-slaves in South Carolina's Sea Islands during the Civil War. This is the first serious biography of Forten, who stands beside Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and Martin Luther King, Jr., in the pantheon of African Americans who fundamentally shaped American history. Description courtesy of Amazon

In 1919, the steel industry of Pittsburgh was on the brink of war. Years of labor strife broke out into open conflict as steel workers launched the biggest strike to date in the United States, paralyzing mills from Youngstown to Johnstown and beyond. Radical unionists, anarchists and Bolshevik sympathizers set bombs, planned for revolution and fought police in violent battles. As the postwar Red Scare began to sweep the nation, federal agents used the strikes as an excuse to comb Pittsburgh's immigrant neighborhoods looking for communists. Author Ryan C. Brown details the harrowing days of the Great Steel Strike of 1919 that rocked Pittsburgh and its seemingly impregnable "principality of steel." Ryan C. Brown is a journalist and writer based in Pittsburgh. Description courtesy of the History Press.