Customer Reviews

Adirondack Guide-Boat (Adirondack Museum)

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For anyone interested Adirondack history and lore this is a must-read book. What the book lacks in logical organization and strong visuals it makes up for with exceptional information. Fans of small boats and those interested in the Adirondack Guideboat have few places to turn for guideboat information and on that front this book delivers. There are many very useful drawings that show details found few other places. Many pages are devoted to the output of various well-known guideboat builders and this makes for some very interesting reading. The writing style is easy to follow, but the organization is somewhat choppy. What the book really needs is better photography. Many of the photos are from archives from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

I'm a small boat builder in CT and I just launched a 13 foot guide boat this summer. I started the boat only because I loved its lines but it was more than I could finish until I got a copy of the Durant book. It has historical background but also detailed construction drawings and notes on traditional materials used for various parts and pieces as well as construction technique. I wouldn't have been able to complete this project with out this valuable reference. This fall I'll be giving a lecture at my local library about the history of the boat and the people who created them. Guess what my primary source material is.