Darrel Bigham, history professor at the University of Southern Indiana, isn't convinced that there's such a thing as "a good war." It's been 60 years since World War II ended, and many of the histories and observances have, Bigham said, glorified the "good war" without giving adequate space to the less inspiring aspects.

For the past 30 years, Dean Sargent has been collecting every Rockland postcard he can find. Twenty thousand cards later, people can get a glimpse of that collection and others in the Rockland installment of the Postcard History Series.

Joseph E. Shrewsbury was Long Beach’s first fire chief, taking over the position in 1902. Fire Station 1 was in the back of the original brick City Hall building. Shrewsbury set up Hose Company 2 in a shed in an alley, a small place to store a fire hose cart.

OCEANSIDE – Matt Lyons knows local police history like he knows his beat.

Hampton resident Colita Nichols Fairfax has written "Hampton, Virginia" (Arcadia Publishing, $19.99), part of the Black America Series. The book includes photos of Fort Monroe, Hampton University, historic Bay Shore Beach, the Tuskegee Airmen, and information on historical African-American churches and ministers, famous residents, political figures, educational institutions and communities.

When the original Transcontinental railway was built (which runs right in front of my house), it wasn't really quite transcontinental. It stopped at Sacramento, California. From there passengers and freight had to transfer to riverboats to get the rest of the way to San Francisco.

On Monday, a book about Banning went on sale -- the latest entry in the Images of America series. It's a growing niche in book publishing: softcover books on local and regional history. They feature hundreds of black and white photographs, many never published, depicting ordinary people and situations.

Many of Maryland's old amusement parks, gone for years, are fading from memory. So author, Crisfield native and former Daily Banner writer decided to change that situation. The lack of knowledge about the once-popular parks served as a major impetus for his new book, "Images of America: Maryland's Amusement Parks," from Arcadia Publishing of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Kim Jarrell Johnson recalls the long walks she once took through the Jurupa Hills with a bittersweet sense of nostalgia and sadness. "We'd walk near the railroad tracks," she said. "Those places have houses on them now."

On Monday, a book about Banning went on sale -- the latest entry in the Images of America series. It's a growing niche in book publishing: softcover books on local and regional history.

Donna Stocker recalls the days when orange trees surrounded her Mission Road home, but now those orange trees have been replaced by rooftops, she said. The way of life along the historic road has changed, but Stocker hopes a new book will capture the old way.

Because of a serendipitous turn of events, Scott Butcher of Windsor Township has published his first book. Serendipitous because the pages inside his first release tell a different story than the one he originally intended.

A book on the city of Perrysburg's rich historic architecture has been written by area history buff C. Robert "Bob" Boyd. Perrysburg Historic Architecture is a part of Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series.

After spending more than 25 years working at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, David J. Bishop of Mystic could be classified as an expert on base history. "I'm not saying I know it all, but through all of my experiences, I know a lot," Bishop said last week while clutching a copy of his recently released book, "Naval Submarine Base New London."

Robert Yoder is a collector. A Newport resident since 1998, Yoder has spent the last five years thoroughly investigating his city in a unique way - through postcards.

Try capturing Corona's more than 100-year past in just 223 images. Local historian and 29-year Corona resident Mary Bryner Winn did just that in a recently released book titled "Corona," part of Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series that chronicles the history of cities mainly in photographs and illustrations.

Three different series of historical books, all published by Arcadia Publishing, are offering new editions of books celebrating Jersey Shore towns. "The Wildwoods in Vintage Postcards," by James D. Ristine ($19.99), is part of Arcadia's Postcard History Series.

The author of a new picture book on the history of the Groton Submarine Base hopes it may play a role in keeping the base open. David J. Bishop said it's pure coincidence that "Naval Submarine Base New London," one of the Images of America publications from Arcadia Press, is being published just as the Pentagon has recommended closing the nation's oldest submarine base and relocating its submarines, sub school and other facilities to bases in the South.

I have known Robert Perreault for a long time and I've known him to be many things — linguist, teacher, novelist, historian and lecturer, among others — but I never knew that he was also a deltiologist.

While Kittery has the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, York its tourism and sandy beaches, Portsmouth its rich history, Eliot, Maine has few geographic landmarks or noteworthy events in its past.

Andrew Pehanick remembers the excitement he felt as a teenager when he realized anyone could purchase vintage postcards depicting Bridgeport landmarks of yesteryear. "I said to myself, 'Wow, you can buy postcards that show you all these great old buildings,'" said Pehanick, 45. "I mean, you can't just go to a museum and buy a picture on display there."

When OMC spoke with Milwaukee author and firefighter Wayne Mutza last year, he had released "Life Lines: Stories from the Firehouse," a book that received high praise.

Raytheon Co. was once one of the city's biggest manufacturers, with nearly 1,500 employees at its Quincy plant at one point. But that number had dwindled to a few hundred by the time Raytheon decided to close the plant. The site eventually became a Home Depot store, another sign of the city's shift away from its manufacturing roots and toward a service-oriented economy.

Two local residents have come out with a book detailing Hampton’s history through the use of postcards. Elizabeth Aykroyd and Betty Moore are the authors of "Hampton and Hampton Beach," which is part of Arcadia Publishing Postcard History Series.

Not all of York's buildings are historic or architectural gems, but the city has a trove of significant buildings that have survived the decades when other cities rushed to modernize, starting with the wrecking ball. What survived in York may be more a matter of economics than a desire to preserve history, said author Scott Butcher.