Customer Reviews

The Catskill Mountain House: America's Grandest Hotel

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If you like the catskills than you will like this book. My wife grew up in the Catskills and loved this book.-------------I got 4 attaboys for buying it for her.

I've hiked numerous times in this area of the Catskills (the site of the Catskill Mt. House) and was often puzzled by the historic markers, ruins (Otis Elevated Railroad) and remnants (19th century hikers had chiseled their names in stone) of what now is becoming a wilderness. This book was extremely informative and relayed the progression of the area from the early 19th century and into its final phase in the 1960s. The depth with which the author describes the Catskill Mountain House (and other resorts) within the context of the development of the US and the changing life-styles of its populace was simply astounding; the extensive research that supports this text was very impressive.

I'm looking forward to returning to this area to see/re-investigate the many historical jewels that this book highlights!

I decided to purchase this book and read it because I have been working in the Catskill Mountains this summer and immediately loved the area. For your history buffs, this is great book for you to read. The Catskill Mountains are the original vacation/resort area of the U.S. I found the book about the Mountain House to exceed my expectations. It was great to walk back in time to read about the rise and fall of this wonderful house. The book also has many great pictures and drawings.