Bookshelf
Written by PA Heritage Staff in the Bookshelf category and the Winter 1981 issue Topics in this article:The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Box 1026. Harrisburg 17120 has released three new books. Unity from Diversity (89 pages), compiled and edited by Louis M. Waddell, features extracts from selected Pennsylvania Colonial Documents from 1681 to 1780 and can be purchased for $4. The Guide to Genealogical Sources at the Pennsylvania State Archives (120 pages). by Robert M. Dructor, describes records or genealogical interest currently available for research. The book costs $5. William Penn, Architect of a Nation (76 pages) i$ a brief but comprehensive biography of the founder by John B. B. Trussell. The book sells for $2.25.
Another publication, Defending the Commonwealth (28 pages), is of special interest to the PHMC, although published by Mowbray Company. Written by Bruce S. Bazelon with an introduction by John B. B. Trussell, the book is a catalogue of the militia exhibit at the William Penn Memorial Museum. It is available for $3.
The Pennsylvania State University Press. 215 Wagner Building. University Park 16802 recently released six new books. Jeannette Lasansky’s To Draw, Upset, and Weld: The Work of the Pennsylvania Blacksmith, 1742-1935 covers the two hundred year evolution or the smithies’ shops, including biographies and work or over forty documented Pennsylvania smiths. This 84-page paperback, with illustrations of more than 250 pieces, sells for $7.95. Historic Buildings of Centre County, Pennsylvania, a 256-page book including 236 photos, maps and drawings, was prepared by the Historic Registration Project of the Centre County Library and costs $15. Rivers of Pennsylvania, by Tim Palmer, is an introduction to 45 thousand miles of usable Pennsylvania streams, including information for active or prospective canoeists, rafters, hikers, anglers or conservationists. The 208-page paperback features over 100 illustrations, many in color, and is available for $12.95. Electric Traction on the Pennsylvania Railroad, 1895-1968, a 230-page book by Michael Bezilla. describes locomotive and power transmission design, as well as creative achievements of managers, engineers and workers. This first comprehensive case study of railroad electrification in the Uni1ed States features 47 illustrations and maps at a cost of $16.75. Folklorist of the Coal Fields: George Korsen’s Life and Work is an illustrated, 224-page book by Angus K. Gillespie. This treasury of information for the folklorist and Pennsylvania history fan deals with the significant contribution to industrial folklore made by George Korsen (1899-1967), pioneer collector of the songs and stories of the coal miners. The book is available for $16.95. Benjamin Franklin and the Zealous Presbyterians, a 276-page book by Melvin H. Buxbaum, is a detailed critique of the subject. The publication can be purchased for $16.95.
The first of the Lancaster Landmark Series, Lancaster Architecture 1719-1927: A Guide to Publicly Accessible Buildings in Lancaster County, has been published by the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County. Authored by John J. Snyder, Jr., the illustrated guide has 36 pages and costs $2.65, plus $.50 postage and handling. Write the publisher, 11 North Duke St., Lancaster 17602.
A two-year planning commission survey of historical resources in Monroe County has resulted in the publication of Historic Legacy: Monroe County, an illustrated book describing two hundred historical structures and sites. Compiled by commission staffer Janet L. Wetzel, the book is available for $5.50 from the Monroe County Planning Commission. the county commissioner’s office or the Pocono Mountains Chamber of Commerce.
An evaluation of organizational and tactical developments is the focus of Recruits to Continentals: A History of the York County Rifle Company June 1775 – January 1777 by Philip J. Schlegel. Published by the Historical Society of York County. the book can be ordered through the THSYC Bookstore, 250 East Market St.. York 17403. Cost is $5.95 plus tax ($5.35 plus tax to members), along with a $1 postage and handling fee.
