New Book Releases

Home to Yale University and once inhabited by Native Americans and settlers, New Haven has a long and fascinating history.

Originally inhabited by the native Quinnipiac, the Puritans traded blankets and wares in 1638 to acquire land destined to be a prosperous mercantile port. New Haven became a manufacturing center and was the carriage and corset capital of the world, while also being a leader in clocks, firearms, hardware, and oyster harvesting. Charles Goodyear and George W. Bush once called this city home, and Yale has attracted famous people such as Eli Whitney and Bill and Hillary Clinton. Within New Haven, antique and modern views are juxtaposed and vividly display the effects of mass redevelopment and industrial decline in the Elm City, while showing the development of community and economic prosperity in the 21st century.

Down East Maine is well known for its breathtaking scenery and art museums. However, much of the history in the traditional mining and fishing area of Rockland and St. George remains untold.

Hanson Gregory from Clam Cove invented the donut. Mary Brown Patten sailed a clipper around Cape Horn. Captain Albert Keller was shipwrecked on Easter Island and Effie Canning of Rockland composed the lullaby "Rock a Bye Baby.'? Captain Charles Holbrook of Tenants Harbor and his ship, the Hattie Dunn, fell victim to a German U-boat in the Atlantic.

Local author Jane Merrill uncovers the forgotten stories and personalities that bring this unique area's history into focus.

From the driver's seat, author and guide Edward Morris provides a diverse collection of biographical sketches that reveal the outrageous and opulent lives of some of America's leading entrepreneurs.

Newport, Rhode Island, was the summer playground of the Gilded Age for the Astors, Belmonts and Vanderbilts. They built lavish villas designed by the best Beaux Arts-style architects of the time, including Richard Morris Hunt, Charles McKim and Robert Swain Peabody. America's elite delighted in referring to these grand retreats as ""summer cottages,"" where they would play tennis and polo and sail their yachts along the shores of the Ocean State. The coachman had an important role as the discreet outdoor butler for Gilded Age gentlemen--not only was he in charge of the horses, but he also acted as a travel advisor and connoisseur of entertainment venues.