Fresh from the Press

Written by Karen Baker

Saturday, 03 March 2007

New England Rediscovered New England Rediscovered You may recognize the name Ulrike Welsch from photographic entries in The Boston Globe or possibly from one of her earlier eight books.  In her latest, New England Rediscovered  (Commonwealth Editions, September 2006, hardcover $27.95), Welsch delves into the region’s unique landscape and captures the essence of its people and its history in one coffee table volume.     Divided into 6 equal sections—one each for Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine, New England Rediscovered is a photographic tribute to regional character.  Photographs include a grape farmer working his land in Little Compton, RI, a logger in Contoocook, New Hampshire, a sardine canner in Maine, and maple sugarers in Vermont.  The book is also a photographic journey through the varied, rugged landscape that is New England—both the civilized and the untamed.  It includes pictures of Boston Harbor and the cliffs of Pemaquid Point Light, Fenway Park and Block Island, the University of Vermont in Burlington and Squam Lake, NH.     Ulrike Welsch immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1964.  She has been a photojournalist for better than 40 years and makes her home in Marblehead, MA. The Making of an American Icon L.L. Bean: The Making of an American Icon L.L. Bean would have to appear on any list of the top ten century-old New England-based companies.  It would make the list for any number of reasons:  best exemplification of entrepreneurial spirit, customer satisfaction, merchandise quality, and trade name identification.   L.L. Bean: The Making of An American Icon (Harvard Business School Press: October 2006, hardcover, $26.95) tells the company’s story.  Author Leon Gorman, Chairman and former president of L.L. Bean, Inc., and grandson of its founder Leon L. Bean, offers the first authoritative account of the iconic retailer and its colorful history and culture.  At once a biography of a company and a business book, Gorman’s account is told with such personality, wit and charm that it is accessible and enjoyable for any audience.  Christmas in New England Christmas in New England: A Treasury of Traditions from the Yule Log and the Christmas Tree to Flying Santa and the Enchanted Village (Commonwealth Editions, October 2006, paperback, $19.95) is a nostalgic compendium of 50 stories about New England’s most cherished holiday traditions.  Christmas in New England From Mystic to Maine, the Berkshires to Boston, author Amy Whorf McGuiggan traces the history of Christmas from its roots in pagan celebrations through the Puritans’ arrival in the New World and on to the present day.      Topics include Christmas carols, favorite Christmas observances, Santa Claus, decorations and more.  In addition, the book covers beloved holiday traditions like the Polar Express in North Conway, NH, The Man Who Loved Christmas in Newport, RI, and Candlelight Strolls in Old Sturbridge Village, MA and Strawbery Banke, NH.     Christmas in New England is a reference, a history and a travel guide for the Christmas season all rolled into one.

Karen Baker About the author: Karen Baker writes from Wolfeboro, NH where she co-owns The Country Bookseller, a full-service community bookstore, with her Cocker Spaniel Dickens.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 29 March 2007 )