Customer Reviews

The Encyclopedia of New York State

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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This book is an excellent source for researchers of topics relating to the history of New York state. It should be in every home library and in every library's reference collection. As well as a browser's delight, it is a book that provides cohesive basic coverage of each topic included, so that a student can master the essays and then broaden his/her research to complete the investigation of a specific application of that topic, i.e, to localize it.
A gem!

I got my copy and am impressed. Peter Eisenstadt did a great job for the Encyclopedia of New York City and now for the Encyclopedia of New York State. I especially like its eclectic selection of entries, besides old standbyes such as "Big Apple" (for which there are several specialists), also "sausage making in NYS," my fave.

If your library can only afford one definitive guide on New York State, make it THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NEW YORK STATE, packing in nearly 2,000 pages of over 4,000 entries capturing the entire history of the state and its peoples. Extensive listings cover all aspects of history and culture, including population charts, listings of the arts, colleges, bus lines, events, architecture - virtually anything having to do with the state appears here. Yes, it's a very weighty title - but as a specialty reference acquisition it promises long-lasting interest and nothing on the market compares to its size and scope.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

There can be little about New York State that is not covered in some way in this book. The state would prbably not even exist without NYC but as this book clearly points out, it is so much more than just that city. Yes, the immigrants arrived in NYC, but then they traveled up the Hudson River and on westward over the Mohawk River into the wilderness called the Louisiana Purchase that would become the heartland of America and on to the silver fields of Colorado and gold mines of California. The sweep of history that occurred across the vastness that is "upstate NY" helps to explain how the United States became what it is today. And here too is all you could ever want to know about "America's largest island": Long Island, with its millionaire sanctuaries, stunning beaches, and cookie-cutter bedroom communities. And, incongruously, until very recently one of the most vibrant fishing and farming areas east of the Mississippi. What an amazing tale this book tells!

This new and massive volume is the best available resource on New York State!

The encyclopedia covers a wide range of personalities (including four Presidents from the Empire State), organizations, history, art, architecture, sports and anything else connected to New York State. Some of the entries, such as 9-11, are long and extremely comprehensive but all are authoritative, written by a host of scholars and experts.

Those who love New York State, history, and encyclopedias will find this large volume extremely useful and a joy to peruse.

This is an extensive compendium of New York State history going back at least 400 or more years. The volume describes the early political subdivisions; such as, Heenstede or Hempstead and
Beverwijck/Albany. The original land companies are set forth.
i.e. the Niagara reserve, Massachusetts reserve and Totten purchase. A strength of this work is that the information content
would difficult to research individually. This encyclopedia has
much information in a highly centralized/abbreviated form.

The beginnings of industry are discussed; such as Goldsmithing.
Land topology is set forth. This discussion includes the geology of New York together with classic plate changes and movements. Famous counties and citizens of New York are named together with early baseball teams; such as the Diamond Dogs,Nolands and Senators. Historic lighthouses are described
in detail. These include Crossover Island, Dunkirk, Fort Niagara,
Rock Island, Horseshoereef and Stonypoint.

This acquisition would be invaluable for any librarian, historian,journalist or student project on the subject of N.Y.S.
It is reasonably priced for the information content provided.

What a delightful book to have on hand if you are at all interested in New York State History! Although it is a bit difficult to maneuver because it is so huge, if you have a table to sit at to read, this book has a ton of fascinating information from the roots of New York (including First Nations tribes) right up to the current day- or close to it.

Photos tend to be more black and white, but the information is so extensive, our family gets it out for entertainment and reads it to each other for fun. We learn SO much! It has information about almost every town you can think of although a few hamlets were missing that we looked up.

If you are a home educator, this book is a fantastic addition to the New York State educational requirements as it is much more informative than wandering endlessly around the internet and finding bits and pieces of information.

We really love this book and are very excited to have purchased it!

Book is in new shape (as expected, but worth noting), and the price was excellent. Book is full of great info. Recommended for any history buff in New York.

This book is certainly big and impressive. On a personal level, though, I was shocked by how much is wrong. Gerald Cohen and I worked on the "Big Apple" entry in the Encyclopedia of New York City. We were never asked to write the entry here and we were never consulted. Nancy Groce wrote the "Big Apple" entry, then had the gall to take our work and cite only her book "Songs of the City," which contains no original research whatsoever. Pretty bad. I'd like to correct all the errors for a second edition or an internet edition. However, it's certainly a great start.