Book Description
Faced with the sale of the century-old family summer house on Cape Cod where he had spent forty-two summers, George Howe Colt returned for one last stay with his wife and children. This poignant tribute to the eleven-bedroom jumble of gables, bays, and dormers that watched over weddings, divorces, deaths, anniversaries, birthdays, breakdowns, and love affairs for five generations interweaves Colt's final visit with memories of a lifetime of summers. Run-down yet romantic, the Big House stands not only as a cherished reminder of summer's ephemeral pleasures but also as a powerful symbol of a vanishing way of life.
Customer Reviews:
The Big House.......2007-10-02
"The Big House" is best when author Colt is talking about the history and appearance of the Cape, or evoking a picture of the summer days he spent there, but as the memoirist of his family, he seems only in the elementary stages of his struggle to find his true relationship to Boston Brahmanism. Certainly part of maturity is trying to figure out what of the heritage we've been landed with we accept and what we reject; this is neither an easy nor a straightforward task. But Mr. Colt's discomfort about his Wasp-iness is such that the reader is uncomfortable too--we don't quite know where Mr. Colt is coming from.
There are, however, many nice moments in this book. I owe to Mr. Colt the happy surprise of meeting, in his apparently vigorous old age, Penrose Hallowell, a Civil War hero of mine, riding out on a summer morning to pick up his mail from the post office in Pocasset. And if you summer (or used to summer), on the Cape, especially if you've spent time on Buzzard's Bay, you will find much to enjoy.
(If this book interests you, you may enjoy "In My Blood," by John Sedgwick, about a rather similar family in another big house, with some of the same challenges.)
NICE STORY.......2007-08-16
I liked this book. I read it while I was on the beach in Misquamicut. Its about a man who brings his family to Cape Cod to spend the last summer in a summer home owned by his family that has to be sold because they could no longer afford to keep it. It told of his parents, the story behind the house, his grandparents, and his memories of the house when he was young. I liked it.
A Sense of Place.......2007-07-16
Partway through this memoir, one of George Howe Colt's friends uses "a sense of place" to describe what seems most important about Colt's family summer house. I could not agree more. The Big House is a huge, rambling monstrosity of a place, seeming more like the Addams Family's house than anything else. But the Colts and the Atkinsons have lived in and loved the Big House for a century, and its easy to see why. It provides an anchor and a gathering point for the generations to come together every summer. But its too expensive to maintain, and the family has to decide what to do with it, causing some members to fear that it may be lost forever.
This is a memoir both of a house and of a family. The Atkinsons and Colts were Boston Brahmins, WASPS who were once wealthy and prosperous but who now have fallen on leaner times. They endured much unhappiness over the years, but found the Big House to be a place of healing for them. I recognized many traits they shared with my own extended family, which is to be expected since we are WASPS, too, though we are Southerners rather than New Englanders and much less prosperous. I understood the need for "a sense of place" too, since I feel it strongly when visiting areas where my own ancestors lived.
I picked this book up on a whim, but once I started it I could not put it down. It is a fine memoir of a place and way of life that has almost disappeared, but it is also an evocation of much that is still important: family, heritage, and memory.
LOVELY.......2006-11-29
THIS IS A LOVELY BOOK THAT MAKES ME REMEMBER MY OWN FAMILY BIG HOUSE. ALTHOUGH IT WAS IN THE NORTH WOODS OF WISCONSIN AND NOT ON CAPE COD, I REMEMBER THE SAME FAMILY DYNAMIC WITH KIDS EVERYWHERE AND AUNTS AND UNCLES READY TO DO SOMETHING FUN. THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL BOOK.
Wonderful!.......2006-11-03
I couldn't put this book down! A perfect blend between well written history and personal family narrative. Also, it was pretty creepy how similar their family is to mine! Highly recommended for anyone who's ever had a summer house, been to a summer house, been to Cape Cod, or enjoyed summer in any capacity.
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English/British Naval History to 1815: A Guide to the Literature (Bibliographies and Indexes in Military Studies)
Eugene L. Rasor
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0313305471 |
Book Description
The English/British have always been known as "the sailor race" with "hearts of oak": the Royal Navy as the "Senior Service" and "first line of defense." It facilitated the motto: "the sun never set on the British Empire." The Royal Navy has exerted a powerful influence on Great Britain, its Empire, Europe, and, ultimately the world. This superior annotated bibliography supplies entries that explore the history of the English/British Navy. This survey will provide a major reference guide for students and scholars at all levels. It incorporates evaluative, qualitative, and critical analysis processes, the essence of historical scholarship. Each one of the 4,124 annotated entries is evaluated, assessed, analyzed, integrated, and incorporated into the historiographical scholarship.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Naval War College Review, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2006. The length of the article is 859 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Recent books.(Cruisers and Battle Cruisers: An Illustrated History of Their Impact.)(The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, 18th Ed.)(English/British Naval History to 1815: A Guide to the Literature. Bibliographies and Indexes in Military Studies)(Vietnam Chronicles: The Abrams Tapes, 1968-1972)(Book review)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication:
Naval War College Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 59
Issue: 2
Page: 179(2)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
A political science text for the 21st Century, DEMOCRACY UNDER PRESSURE has provided well over a million students with a comprehensive look at the fundamentals of American Government. Milton Cummings, a respected scholar and academic, and David Wise, a best selling author and political analyst, bring their talents to bear on a text that conveys a balanced, realistic guide to American politics while describing the institutions of American government. In this 2006 election year update edition, the theme of "democracy under pressure" is highlighted fully in the narrative and in the boxed features. The text includes a discussion of the systems approach--a framework of analysis that discusses the political process in terms of inputs and outputs--as well as a key question and related questions to consider in each chapter. DEMOCRACY UNDER PRESSURE focuses throughout on the gap that exists between rhetoric and reality in government today. Streamlined content in this edition makes the book even more accessible and appealing to students and instructors alike.
Customer Reviews:
Educational.......2007-03-19
Wow - a wealth of information regarding our past and current government, and an understanding of the issues faced today - so timely !!!!!!!!!!!!
Frank L.
Book Description
A political science text for the 21st Century, DEMOCRACY UNDER PRESSURE ALTERNATE, with no policy chapters, has provided well over a million students with a comprehensive look at the fundamentals of American Government. Milton Cummings, a respected scholar and academic, and David Wise, a best selling author and political analyst, bring their talents to bear on a text that conveys a balanced, realistic guide to American politics while describing the institutions of American government. In this edition, the theme of "democracy under pressure" is highlighted more fully in the narrative and in the boxed features that focus students on the way democracy responds to needs and demands of various groups over time. The text includes a discussion of the systems approach - a framework of analysis that discusses the political process in terms of inputs and outputs - as well as a key question and related questions to consider in each chapter. DEMOCRACY UNDER PRESSURE focuses throughout on the gap that exists between rhetoric and reality in government today. Streamlined content in this edition makes the book even more accessible and appealing to students and instructors alike.
Customer Reviews:
School book economic.......2007-04-11
This book was much more economic online and worked great for my class.
Book Description
Birding is booming. The hobby (or, in many cases, passion, or even addiction) has been growing steadily for years, according to studies conducted by both governmental and private organizations. An amazing number of people -- more than 70 million, by one 2001 survey of recreation preferences -- say they participate in birdwatching.
Undoubtedly, many of these people simply put feeders in their back yards and enjoy watching the hummingbirds, chickadees, and goldfinches that show up. But just as certainly, more and more birders are venturing out to discover the fun of seeing new birds in new places, whether it's a drive through a national wildlife refuge or a guided walk at a nature preserve.
Once someone has discovered the joys and challenges of birding, it doesn't take long to learn that there are places in the United States that experienced birders visit as surely as geese fly south in the fall. These spots are to birders what the Rockies are to skiers, or Pebble Beach is to golfers. Such a place is the region encompassing the Texas Gulf Coast and the lower Rio Grande Valley -- now the home of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, a state-designated driving route connecting more than 300 birdwatching sites from the Louisiana state line to the Mexican border. Brown highway signs, marked with the profile of a Black Skimmer, point the way to these bird-rich destinations.
Exploring the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail examines highlights of this popular route: locations ranging from national wildlife refuges with tens of thousands of acres to small city parks to stretches of isolated road passing through birdy habitat. In this guide, expert birder/writer Mel White profiles more than 80 of the best sites along the trail, chosen for diversity of habitat, species, and seasonality; productivity; and accessibility. Site listings give general (and often specific) directions, contact information (including websites when available), advice about when and how to bird the location, and a listing of some of the notable species that might be found. Also featured are nearby museums, nature centers, festivals, and accommodations of particular interest to the visiting birder.
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West Coast Birds
Chris C. Fisher
Manufacturer: Lone Pine Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1551050498 |
Book Description
This colorful and informative large-print book will help you identify more than 90 common and interesting West Coast birds, ranging from northern California to the Alaska Panhandle.
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Houston Birds: An Introduction to Familiar Species of the Upper Texas Coast (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press)
James Kavanagh
Manufacturer: Waterford Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1583551433 |
Book Description
Houston Birds, An Introduction to Familiar Species of the Upper Texas Coast, is a must-have, reference guide for beginners and experts alike. Whether you're on a nature hike or in your own backyard, you'll want to take along a copy of this indispensable guide. The Pocket Naturalist(tm) series is an introduction to common plants and animals and natural phenomena. Each pocket-sized, folding guide highlights up to 150 species and most feature a map highlighting prominent sanctuaries and outstanding natural attractions. Each is laminated for durability.
Book Description
Inspired by PenguinÂ's innovative Great Ideas series, our new Great Journeys series presents the most incredible tours, voyages, treks, expeditions, and travels ever written—from Isabella BirdÂ's exaltation in the dangers of grizzlies, rattlesnakes, and cowboys in the Rocky Mountains to Marco PoloÂ's mystified reports of a giant bird that eats elephants during his voyage along the coasts of India. Each beautifully packaged volume offers a way to see the world anew, to rediscover great civilizations and legends, vast deserts and unspoiled mountain ranges, unusual flora and strange new creatures, and much more.
Books:
- The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas
- The Girl Who Walked Home Alone: Bette Davis, A Personal Biography
- The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time
- The Gulag Archipelago: 1918-1956
- The Ice Museum: In Search of the Lost Land of Thule
- The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom
- The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
- The Miracle of St. Anthony: A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball's Most Improbable Dynasty
- The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey
- The Piano Shop on the Left Bank: Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier
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- My French Whore
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- I Will Bear Witness: A Diary of the Nazi Years, 1933-1941
- The Sleep of Reason: Primitivism in Modern European Art and Aesthetics
- El Camino Del Artista
- Supplement to Index Bergeyana
The Outermost House: A Year of Life On The Great Beach of Cape Cod
And Ladies of the Club
Red House : Being a Mostly Accurate Account of New England's Oldest Continuously Lived-in House
The Salt House: A Summer on the Dunes of Cape Cod
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
