Monadnock: More than a Mountain [Paperback]

Craig Brandon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2007

The most climbed mountain in North America, Mount Monadnock in southern New Hampshire has a long and interesting history from visits by Thoreau and Emerson to the 100,000 people who hike it each year. This books includes the literary and artistic impact it has had on artists for more than a century and the efforts to preserve it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In the newly publshed "Monadnock More than a Mountain," Craig Brandon offers a sweeping and colorful history of what is the most climbed mountain in North America." --Jan Gardner, Boston Globe 8/26/07

"An enlightening, detailed account of how the centuries of vocal and written admiration fueled the passage of preservation laws to give us the Monadnock we have today...a worthy descendant of Allen Chamberlain's stalwart history..Brandon has touched on the breadths and heights of the historical Monadnock mosaic." --Steve Sherman, Keene Sentinel 11/18/2007

"Craig Brandon's "Monadnock More than a Mountain" is an informative, useful and long-overdue successor to Allen Chamberlain's "Annals of the Grand Monadnock," first published by the Forest Society in 1936. This all new and updated history of Monadnock is a worthy addition to the rich literary legacy of the most-climbed mountain." --David Anderson, education director, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

About the Author

Craig Brandon is the author of Murder in the Adirondacks, The Electric Chair and Grace Brown's Love Letters. His writing has won awards from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the American School Boards Association and the Associated Press. He teaches writing and editing at Keene State College in New Hampshire

Product Details

• Paperback: 415 pages
• Publisher: Surry Cottage Books; 1st edition (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979506719
• ISBN-13: 978-0979506710
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,619,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Craig's most recent book, "The Five-Year Party," won the silver prize in the education category for Book of the Year in 2010. The Wall Street Journal compared it with Tom Wolfe's "I Am Charlotte Simmons" and it has been featured in The Huffington Post, The Atlantic, Forbes, ABC News and CNN. A former award-winning journalist and college writing teacher, he now spends all his time on books. His current projects include a profile of tropical storm Irene called "Good Night Irene," an update of his 1986 book about the Chester Gillette murder case called "The Murder That Will Never Die," "Rumrunners: The Smugglers Who Quenched America's Thirst 1920-1933" for Syracuse University Press and a history of the town of Stratham, New Hampshire.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Monadnock Lovers, June 18, 2008

By 

Frank J. Conway III (Londonderry, NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monadnock: More than a Mountain (Paperback)

Having read and loved the 1930's Alan Chamberlain book, Annals of the Grand Monadnock, I see Brandon's book as a very welcome new chapter to the history and legend of the mountain. The Chamberlain book, while a great treasure in its own right, is more like a reference book than something you can sit down and read. This book is the best of both worlds -- a reference I will have for years to come, as well as a book that I can sit down and read cover to cover in a week or so.

Having found the Pumpelly Cave about 8 years ago (great adventure - 6 or so trips to the mountain), this book has re-kindled my desire to go explore. I am heading there this weekend to go looking for other fun and obscure places! Happy hiking.

Note: This is the first book I have felt strongly enough to take the time to write a review on. If you are a lover of Monadnock, please buy this book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, August 27, 2007

By 

Allison R. Mckenzie - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Monadnock: More than a Mountain (Paperback)

This book is great for everything Monadnock. I have lived in view of it for years and didn't know most of the stuff in the book. There are a few parts of the book I don't really care to read, so i just skipped over those and didn't miss out on any back story later on, which was great!

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing compendium on the Grand Monadnock Mtn., December 16, 2011

By 

coolreviewer1 "coolkayaker1" (Fox Valley, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Monadnock: More than a Mountain (Paperback)

Craig has nailed it! I have lived around southern NH my entire life, and never have I read a book so enjoyable, so comprehensive--almost encyclopedic, but easy to read and enjoy--as this book. I bought extra copies for my family. It documents the refreshment stand atop the Half Way House, the Toll Road, the hidden shelters and forts, and has many exquisitely written tales (including the one about the man that died on the mountain). Mention about trails and access points (but this is not a chart book for hikers, thankfully), and stories about the organizations that preserve the mountain.

I particularly liked the chapters about the poets, authors and painters that were inspired by the mountain.

The price is on the high side, but understandable with the glossy ages and numerous photos. I do hope an economical e-text of this book will be published. The binding and quality is good. The photos are black and white.

I hope the author continues to update this nonfiction work (particularly easy if e-version), as the news and stories about the mountain are created yearly. For instance, I'd adore reading about "Bill", known as the man of Mt Monadnock, who has been profiled by local and city papers (Boston Globe), who is apparently a machinist from Jaffrey and has reputedly climbed the mountain some 6000 times (he's on a youtube video--amazing).

Lovely reading, highly recommended.