Products

The role of the Navajo people in the annals of American warfare is a fascinating and important piece of our history.

In January 1873, Secretary of War William W. Belknap authorized the Military District of New Mexico to enlist fifty Indian scouts for campaigns against the Apaches and other tribes. In an overwhelming response, many more Navajos came to Fort Wingate to enlist than the ten requested. Why, so soon after the Navajo War, the Long Walk and imprisonment at Fort Sumner, would young Navajos volunteer to join the United States military? Author John Lewis Taylor explores this question and the relationship between the Navajo Nation and the United States military in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Naval Air Station Jacksonville was commissioned on October 15, 1940, and has trained tens of thousands of naval aviators throughout its long history.

Located along the banks of the St. Johns River, the site and the weather conditions make the base a premier aviation facility. Initially conducting primary and seaplane training, it expanded to training pilots in almost every type of aircraft the Navy has flown. The Navy's elite precision aviators, the Blue Angels, were formed at the base in 1946. Today, as a master anti submarine base, it remains home to 15 aviation squadrons; some 115 tenant commands and almost 20,000 military, civilian, and contract employees work at the station daily.

The world's first naval aeronautical station, Naval Air Station Pensacola is a dynamic and active station today.

A sign at the gate of Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP) welcomes visitors to The Cradle of Naval Aviation - and, indeed it is. It came into being when the USS Mississippi (BB-23) arrived in Pensacola on January 20, 1914, with seven aircraft, nine officers, and 23 men. Today, NASP hosts several schools and several branches of the US military. It is also the home of the Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, as well as the renowned National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM), which displays more than 100 years of naval aviation, from a replica Curtiss hydroplane to the F-14 Tomcat.

Explore the construction of the giant hangars and a main area for the development of aviation on the US, and the birthplace of the dirigible.

The naval air station in Lakehurst, New Jersey, has a rich and bittersweet history steeped in success and tainted with tragedy. The area evolved from a gas warfare proving ground during World War I to the focal point of lighter-than-air operations in the United States. Labeled one of the world's first international airports, Lakehurst quickly became a hub of lighter-than-air activity. Although the dirigibles are no longer active, it remains crucial in the operational support of naval aviation as the Naval Air Engineering Station, Lakehurst. Rare photographs and material from the archives of the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society chronicle more than eighty-five years of base activity. Offering a unique glimpse of the people, the machines, and the background against which it has all unfolded, this volume examines Lakehurst's vital contributions to the development of aviation and national defense. Naval Air Station, Lakehurst explores the construction of the giant hangars and support buildings for the airships of the U.S. Navy and the glory days of the German zeppelin visits. The blimp programs from World War II through 1962 and the various schools and tenant commands turned the air station into a key component of naval aviation.

Straight from the archives of the Hampton Roads Naval Historical Foundation comes this visual history dating back over the installation’s more-than 100 year history.

Naval Station Norfolk is the world's largest naval station, supporting the Navy ships, submarines, and aircraft of the US Fleet Forces Command with a multitude of facilities and services.

This shore establishment, located on the historic harbor of Hampton Roads, Virginia, has remained vital to the Navy since its foundation in 1917. Once established, the naval station focused on serving the fleet in four areas: aviation, recruit training, a submarine base, and a supply base. Men and women of the station continued to work on these and other activities through the pressures of World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Throughout its incredible history, Naval Station Norfolk made sure that ships and aircraft were successfully deployed to the far reaches of the globe—the nation's indispensable response to international conflicts. Nowadays, the station is the hub for Navy logistics supporting the defense of the entire Atlantic area, from the North Pole to the South Pole. A must-have for fans of United States Naval and military history.

In over 200 rare, historical images, the story of one outstanding naval submarine base comes to life.

The first U.S. naval submarine base traces its origin to 1868, when the state of Connecticut and the city of New London granted the navy one hundred twelve acres of land across the Thames River in Groton. Naval Submarine Base NewLondon shows how this land developed from a depot for dry-docked ships and a coaling stationfor navy warships to its present designation as a submarine base. Nearly two hundred images depict the sailors and civilian workers who together maintained, serviced, and staffed the submarines, shops, and offices in support of the growing submarine fleet.

Traversing and Taming Treacherous Terrain

Today, people enjoy the convenience of Colorado’s roads without realizing that beneath lie the original Ute and Spanish trails, mountain men’s pathways, and early military wagon roads. The cultural landscape of western Colorado has undergone immense changes since the mid-sixteenth century. The rapid advancement of transportation technology has enabled the conquest of complex climate zones and challenging regional topography. Early western Colorado inhabitants once migrated on footpaths that followed the path of least resistance, traversing lush meadow corridors between rugged mountain ranges, paralleling the river bottoms, and enjoying the welcome shade of cool canyon trails in the high desert. The early Ute people, Spanish explorers, mountain men, and U.S. topographical engineers developed resourceful ways to make travel less strenuous and cover greater distances. Historian David P. Bailey chronicles their early treks, which paved the way for the first major thoroughfare through western Colorado.

This book charts the story of Navy football and steers readers through the reemergence of an iconic program representing our nation's finest.

Navy football holds a unique place in college athletics as one of the oldest and most prestigious programs the game has ever known. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Midshipmen were nationally recognized by the major bowl games they played and Heisman Trophy–winning players Joe Bellino and Roger Staubach. Although the program struggled mightily to maintain relevance in subsequent years, Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk kick-started the renaissance of Navy football by hiring Coach Paul Johnson in 2001. The team's current coach, Ken Niumatalolo, once fired by the academy in the dining room of a McDonald's in 1998, returned to become the winningest coach in school history. Cameron charts the story of Navy football and steers readers through the reemergence of an iconic program representing our nation's finest.

In 1740, Moravian immigrants made their first permanent American settlement in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

Nazareth was closed to residents outside of the Moravian faith.In 1856, the town opened to non-Moravians, who were then allowed to own property and live and work in the town.Early industries, including textiles, cement production, and agriculture, attracted immigrants and expanded the town’s diversity from a predominately German origin to include a sizeable Italian and Polish population.During the 20th century, many of these businesses continued, including the world-renowned C.F.Martin Guitar Company, which has been family owned and operated since 1833.By mid-century, at least three large cement companies surrounded the Nazareth borough area and employed hundreds of laborers.Nazareth was also home to the Nazareth Speedway, a one-mile tri-oval paved track of Indy and United States Auto Club (USAC) racing fame, and is home to racing champions Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, and third-generation driver Marco Andretti.

In Yaphank, New York, hid the greatest threat to the United States war effort during World War II: the American Nazi.

Building on racial and ethnic biases, lack of trust in government and a dose of conspiracies, the German American Bund was able to contribute to a growing American fascist movement. Fueled partially by Nazi Germany’s financing of propaganda, thousands of New Yorkers embraced the ideals of an American Reich through retreats such as Yaphank’s Camp Siegfried, which groomed Nazi sympathizers to be ready for the fascist overthrow of the American republic. In opposition to Nazism, multiple local citizen groups fought to combat the Bund’s organized efforts to undermine America. Author Christopher Verga brings to life the often-overlooked history of New York’s World War II era through a story of Nazi sedition, espionage and citizen resistance to preserve the American republic.

Ballrooms were at the center of social life in the Midwest for over a century, with some dance halls dating back to the late 1800s. Throughout Nebraska, these iconic structures hosted a number of community events and musical performances, bringing together friends, families, and neighbors to socialize, celebrate, and, most importantly, dance. Nebraska’s ballrooms and dance halls brought people together, and these facilities were long the heartbeats of their towns. Pla Mor Ballroom in Lincoln, King’s Ballroom in Norfolk, States Ballroom in Bee, and Howells Ballroom are only some of the legendary dance halls featured among these historic photographs. Although many ballrooms have since burned down, been repurposed, or been demolished, some of the dance halls remain active today, a reminder of a more magical, musical, bygone era.

The entrance of the United States into World War II in 1941 completely transformed the nation. During this time, the small Nebraska towns of Mead and Wahoo in Saunders County were chosen to be the site of the Nebraska Ordnance Plant, one of three such plants in the state. The plant operated for 20 years—from 1942 to 1962. It served as an ordnance plant during World War II and the Korean War, then as an Atlas missile site from 1960 to 1962. Since then, the land has been sold to various interests, including the University of Nebraska and the Nebraska National Guard. The Nebraska Ordnance Plant uses over 150 photographs and their accompanying captions to tell the story of the profound effect the plant had on the social, economic, and environmental life of the county. 

Jennifer Garza is the assistant at the Saunders County Historical Society and a lecturer in the history department at the University of Nebraska. Erin Hauser is the curator at the Saunders County Historical Society.

Since 1910, the Arbor Day Song has been a cherished part of Nebraska’s tree-planting holiday tradition. Its author, Carl Milton Aldrich, belonged to an exceptionally talented family that included his mother, a Woman’s Christian Temperance Union co-founder, and retail magnate Harry Selfridge. Born to pioneering associates of J. Sterling Morton, the Otoe County native became a leading meatpacking expert and prominent political activist who associated with some of the most powerful men in Gilded Age America. For thirty years, he expertly managed Nebraska City’s largest business, the Morton-Gregson Company, and was one of Arbor Day’s most influential promoters. Rachel Brupbacher, his great-great-granddaughter recounts the inspiring story of how he guided his hometown through both its golden years and darkest hours before selflessly working for the sake of its future.

A historic guide to Washington, D.C.’s neighborhoods, featuring photographs, maps, and beautiful drawings.

- Get off the National Mall and enjoy nine walking and driving tours of Washington, D.C.’s historic neighborhood

- Discover the hidden history of the nation’s capital with tales of political intrigue, scandal, romance and tragedy.

- Experience the overlooked architectural and cultural treasures in such neighborhoods as Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan and Mount Vernon Square.

Owner of A Tour de Force Guided Tours, D.C. historian Jeanne Fogle leads her readers through the hidden sites and history of Washington, D.C.’s neighborhoods. Charming sketches by Edward Fogle and vintage photographs accompany each tour, casting a new light on the city. Visitors and local alike will be surprised and delighted by the discoveries that can be made beyond the monuments.

Over one hundred vintage photographs document the successful execution of the Nemours Foundation’s goal to create a holistic approach to pediatric health that has since grown into a multi-state hospital system.

In 1935, American industrialist Alfred I. duPont sparked what would become a model of pediatric medical and research excellence. With an endowed trust, his widow, Jessie Ball duPont, established the Nemours Foundation. In 1940, the foundation opened the Alfred I. duPont Institute, a small pediatric orthopedic hospital on the duPont estate in Wilmington, Delaware. Today, duPont’s legacy lives on at Nemours Children’s Health, the nation’s only multistate pediatric health care network. With two children’s hospitals in Delaware and Florida, nearly 100 pediatric care locations, an office of policy and prevention in Washington, DC, and award-winning patient education initiatives such as KidsHealth.org, Nemours has touched the lives of millions worldwide.

R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, is president and chief executive officer of Nemours Children’s Health. He is a pediatric surgeon, biomedical researcher, and educator. The images in this book have been collected, preserved, and archived by the staff of Nemours Estate and Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.

Fascinating images from 1800 to 1980 document the evolution Neptune and Shark River Hills, from shore wilderness to modern communities.

Neptune and Shark River Hills are neighboring New Jersey towns that grew from two different but distinctly American traditions. Neptune is the child of traditional agrarian roots, developing from a patchwork of early 1800s farmsteads into an urbanized shore hub intersected by major highways. Shark River Hills lay undeveloped until the 1920s, and it was American entrepreneurism that sparked its development as a planned community. ""The Hills"" was a buyers' package pitched to the dream of owning a summer place at the Jersey shore. Images from 1800 to 1980 document the evolution of these coastal towns from shore wilderness to modern communities, just a toll's throw from New Jersey's Garden State Parkway. Farmsteads and country values characterized early Neptune. Captured here are images of the area's schoolhouses, fire companies, merchants, and townspeople. Resurrected are fondly remembered landmarks like Storyland Village and the Neptune Music Circus. Celebrated are Neptune natives such as actor Jack Nicholson, explorer Ike Schlossbach, football star Bob Davis, and rock 'n roller Southside Johnny. Scenes of Shark River Hills from the early 1900s offer a window into a simpler time in an idyllic place, when locals worked and played on""Shack River. "" Images of summer sojourners beckon from riverbank clambakes, dockside competitions, and country club socials. A year-round bedroom community today, few recall ""The Hills"" Poor Farm, its daredevil aviator, or the treasure rumored to be buried in ""Money Hill. ""

Devour this delectable, surprising history of one of America's most beloved confectioners with first-hand accounts and stories.

In 1898, Switzerland's Nestlé Company was searching for a location to build its first milk processing plant in the United States. Upstate New York's bountiful dairy farms sealed the deal for a factory in Fulton. Soon another Swiss company requested space at the factory to produce a confection that had taken Europe by storm: the milk chocolate bar. Over the next century, factory technicians invented classic treats including the Nestlé Crunch Bar, Toll House Morsels and Nestlé Quik. With 1,500 workers churning out 1 million pounds of candy per day, Fulton became known as the city that smelled like chocolate. Author Jim Farfaglia recounts the delectable history of Nestlé in Fulton.

Join Michele S. Davidson as she documents Nether Providence's fascinating growth and development over the last three centuries.

In 1682, John Sharpless settled in Nether Providence Township on a 1,000-acre tract of land along Ridley Creek that had been granted to him by William Penn. Other settlers soon followed, establishing Nether Providence as a small, successful, farming community. Over the next two centuries, Nether Providence grew into a thriving manufacturing center with 14 operating mills along the township's two creeks. At the turn of the 19th century, Nether Providence became a summer resort area rivaling the Main Line of Philadelphia, with such famous residents as Dr. Horace Howard Furness, a well-regarded Shakespearean scholar and the brother of architect Frank Furness, and Alexander Kelly McClure, the owner of the Philadelphia Times and an assistant adjunct general appointed by Pres. Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. In 2007, Wallingford, the largest community in Nether Providence, was named by Money Magazine as the ninth best place to live in the United States.

Featuring over 150 years of obscured history, Neville Island documents this community's journey of change and transformation.

Ten miles from the illustrious city of Pittsburgh is a five-mile island on the Ohio River known as Neville Island. On April 8, 1856, the island was officially named a township and a community was born. The island's fertile soil was rich with produce, and farms grew asparagus, strawberries, and corn. The island became known as the market basket of Pittsburgh with its produce being sold in the most prominent hotels and restaurants. However, at the birth of World War I, the island experienced a drastic turn of fate. Industries arose, and the farms became extinct. Neville Island features over 150 years of obscured history, including the lost Sunshine Island and the failed attempt of Coney Island Park, documenting the community's journey of change under the influence of the Ohio River.

Its location below the falls of the Ohio River boosted shipping and boat-building and promoted the building of some of the city's most notable residences, many of which still stand along Main Street. Through more than 200 vintage postcards, authors David C. Barksdale and Robyn Davis Sekula guide the reader on a tour of New Albany's past. The images highlight the city's early schools and churches and its first library. Others juxtapose flooding disaster and centennial celebration.

Although much of New Bern's architecture has existed for decades, paved streets, cars, and power lines offer a much different feel than did the dusty roads traveled by horses in days gone by. Then and Now: New Bern revisits historic locations in the city and offers comparative photographs of the location in both past and present times. Caleb Bradham's original pharmacy, where Pepsi-Cola originated, is depicted along with the location today, where a store exists that is dedicated to the drink's origin. Also illustrated are many of the town's most beloved landmarks and historic homes, all of which retain an old-fashioned flair that characterizes New Bern. In addition, the book offers the beautiful Tryon Palace during its restoration as well as today.

New Bern was a valuable port city during the Civil War and the Confederates made many attempts to reclaim it.

On March 14, 1862, Federal forces under the command of General Ambrose Burnside overwhelmed Confederate forces in the Battle of New Bern, capturing the town and its important seaport. From that time on, Confederates planned to retake the city. D.H. Hill and James J. Pettigrew made the first attempt but failed miserably. General George Pickett tried in February 1864. He nearly succeeded but called the attack off on the edge of victory. The Confederates made another charge in May led by General Robert Hoke. They had the city surrounded with superior forces when Lee called Hoke back to Richmond and ended the expedition. Author Jim White details the chaotic history of New Bern in the Civil War.