The Encyclopedia of New England [Hardcover]

Burt Feintuch (Editor), David Watters (Editor), Donald Hall (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2005

Often defined by the familiar images of taciturn Yankees, town meetings, maple syrup, and rocky seacoasts, New England is both a distinctively American place and a distinctive place within America. Yet these images present only one aspect of the richly varied region that is New England in the twenty-first century. Today traditional scenes of white-clapboard buildings surrounding an idyllic village green, hillside farms, and red-brick mills rub shoulders with advanced research centers, nuclear power plants, and urban neighborhoods of immigrants from around the globe.

In entries written by leading authorities in the field, The Encyclopedia of New England presents a comprehensive view of this important region, past and present. Both authoritative and entertaining, this single-volume reference will be an invaluable resource for the scholar and an irresistible pageturner for the browser.

The Encyclopedia contains

• 1,300 alphabetically arranged entries examining significant people, places, events, ideas,and artifacts

• Fascinating and little-known facts that rarely appear in history books

• More than 500 illustrations and maps

• Contributions from nearly 1,000 distinguished scholars and writers, including journalists, academics, and specialists from museums, industries, and historical societies

• 1.5 million words in 22 thematic sections, ranging from agriculture to tourism, each with an introduction by a leading specialist in the field

• Extensive cross-references and a full index

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The Encyclopedia of New England follows in the pattern of previously published state, city, and regional encyclopedias. As with several of the others, this title is the product of a university press, in this case Yale University Press, which carries its own level of scholarly authority.

Combining the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island is a logical choice. So much of the early history of these states is intertwined, and most would agree that there is a strong regional character that ties them together. As stated in the introduction, the encyclopedia's creation was motivated by "the relation between the perennial idea of New England's fixed regional identity and the fact that life in the six states is constantly changing."

Rather than a straightforward A-Z arrangement, the encyclopedia is divided into 22 thematic sections, each of which contains signed entries in alphabetical order. The sections cover, among other topics, "Cities and Suburbs," "Ethnic and Racial Identity," "Folklife," "Maritime New England," and "Music and the Performing Arts." Each of these sections begins with a list of the entries contained within, including see references to other sections, and a long essay that gives a historic overview of the topic. The arrangement is ideal for those who love to browse. The section "Geography and Environment," to take one example, begins with two separate essays--one for geography, one for environment--that are fascinating reading. Each is followed by a sizable bibliography. It is an easy move to continue reading, picking through the various headings, from Appalachian Mountain Club to Blizzards, hurricanes, and floods; Connecticut River Valley; Great Auk; and Walden Pond. Along the way, the reader encounters a variety of maps, tables, and black-and-white illustrations. Each section carries this same sort of appeal of discovery. For more targeted exploration, the index is an essential tool and is fortunately detailed enough to enable readers to efficiently pull together all material related to discrete topics.

As with many of the other encyclopedias of this ilk, the volume was heavily underwritten by major foundations and corporations. The result is a substantial work that comes at a bargain price. How could any library resist? Danise Hoover
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Finally, the most livable, civilized, and interesting part of the country can prove it without bragging. This work of rigorous scholarship will delight readers of every stripe."-Ken Burns (Ken Burns )

"Enduring as New England's culture most certainly is, it has never been easily defined. But now, at long last, through the pages of this massive, beautifully-created work, New England emerges clearly as both vivid and distinct."-Judson D. Hale, Sr., Editor-in-Chief, Yankee Magazine and Old Farmer's Almanac (Judson D. Hale, Sr. )

"The Encyclopedia of New England is like your favorite ice cream sundae-a little bit of everything blended together to make the perfect treat."-Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream (Jerry Greenfield )

"In New England the fragments of centuries stitch us neatly together. . . . New England is empty mills, new inventions, wooden scythes, a Mother Hubbard wrapped in paper and stored in a chest, a snowmachine, biotechnology, and contrails from Logan to Pease Air Force Base streaking the blue air above the cellar hole of a farmer who came north after the Revolution to build his land."-Donald Hall, from the Foreword (Donald Hall )

"A great resource. Delightful."-Tracy Kidder, author of Mountains Beyond Mountains (Tracy Kidder )

"Filled with facts and ideas, The Encyclopedia of New England at once answers one's questions and expands one's thinking about New England as a mythic place and as the mindspring of American life."-Jane Nylander, former president of The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (Jane Nylander )

"The culture of New England is far too rich to leave solely to academicians. An encyclopedia is a superb vehicle for integrating the academic and the popular. . . . I, for one, expect to read most every word of The Encyclopedia of New England." -Jere Daniell, Professor History, Dartmouth College (Jere Daniell )

"What took so long? It's amazing no one thought of this before. No library in the six great states will be complete without The Encyclopedia of New England."-Dan Shaughnessy, author of Reversing the Curse (Dan Shaughnessy )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1596 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (September 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300100272
• ISBN-13: 978-0300100273
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.9 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,020,479 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review from SeaCoast NH website, September 28, 2005

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of New England (Hardcover)

"Finally, a book that defines New England. And it wasn't easy. Just released, this massive volume weighs as much as our cat. It includes 1.5 million words in 22 thematic sections, written and edited by hundreds of experts. "The Encyclopedia of New England" includes 1,300 entries on important people, places, events, ideas and artifacts, plus 500 illustrations and maps on a total of almost 1,600 pages.
Edited by Burt Feintuch and David H. Watters (both from UNH), this reference of New England culture includes an introduction by poet Donald Hall. New England, as you will soon see, is much more than white steeples, stone walls and maple syrup." (from Seacoast NH website)

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Encyclopedia of New England, October 19, 2005

By 

Carl B. Tisch MD (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of New England (Hardcover)

This is a great reference but, unlike many others, it is not simply a list of things with discussion. It is written as a carefully woven story of New England. It is fascinating and wonderful to read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Love New England, You Will Love This Encyclopedia!, February 10, 2007

By 

Gilberto Villahermosa - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of New England (Hardcover)

Though organized a bit unconventionally "New England. the Culture and History of an American Region" is a wonderful addition to the growing number of State and regional encyclopedias being published in the United States.

An independent America owes much to New England for the region's political and military leaders, indeed much of its population, played a seminal role in this country's fight for independence. Massachusetts alone provided more fighting men to the Continental Army and more private fighting ships than any other colony. And the region's culture is at the core of America's.

Entries in this encyclopedia are organized into twenty-two major categories, beginning with "Agriculture" and ending with "Tourism". They illuminate not only the history, but everyday life in modern New England. Most entries end with suggestions for further reading.

The result is a wonderfully compiled and written single-volume that addresses every imaginable aspect of life in new England.

Best of all, the volume is available from Amazon for about half the price being charged at most retail book stores.

If you love New England, you will love this encyclopedia!