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Travel down the Bowery with New York City author and researcher Eric Ferrara, as he explores its rich, fascinating, and at times, troubling past.

Originally a Lenape trail running the length of Manhattan Island, The Bowery has become one of the most notorious thoroughfares in America. Developed in stages by the Dutch, the British, and then Americans, this stretch of street has continually risen from its own ashes, interminably experiencing periods of popularity, poverty and prosperity. It has been celebrated as a haven of culture, entertainment, and theatre, and denigrated as New York's ""skid row."" Home to bums, bohemians, criminals, artists, performers, and the rich and poor alike, The Bowery has attracted the most diverse population of any place in all of New York City's history.

This intriguing collection of essays results from writer George Ellison's thirty-year fascination with Western North Carolina and its Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains.

These essays offer a window onto the rich heritage of this stunning and oft-misunderstood region. Hear stories in a distinctly Appalachian tone and glimpse into the mountain life and lore through a diverse cast of characters. Develop a new language fit for mountain life, and begin to understand the roots of the names Crooked Arm, Deeplow Gap and the Boogerman Trail. See the world through the eyes of the ancient Cherokees, for whom the Nantahala Gorge, was a "chasm of horrors" associated with the "uktena," a mythic serpent from the dreaded Under World.

The history of the house and its grounds offers a glimpse into the private dilemmas and public struggles that mark the development of democracy and reflect the creation of the United States as a nation. Newly renovated and restored to the era President Madison lived and entertained there, the home stands as a testament to its great proprietor's interests and tastes, and as a witness to American history.

Central New Mexico remains a vault of long-buried secrets and restless ghosts. Bloodcurdling tales from a haunted Civil War battlefield at Val Verde mingle with the whispers of unsettled spirits in Socorro. The notorious Luna mansion and the cursed rooms of Mountainair’s Shaffer Hotel gather in the otherworldly apparitions of a shadowy past. Cody Polston, a local ghost hunter, skeptic, and collector of the macabre offers a spine-tingling selection of stories from Central New Mexico’s haunted heritage. 

For most, beer is a beverage. To a brave few, it’s a lifestyle.

In Tanked in Cincinnati, Mike Morgan and Bret Kollmann Baker drink a few brews with the region’s most legendary brewers, beer reps, and bar owners and take a soul-searching look at why some great ideas succeed wildly, and others ignite a dumpster fire. Along the way, they embrace the nostalgia for the early days in craft beer, answer what it’s like to be the number one enemy of Anheuser-Busch, and ask hard hitting questions like, “Why are there so many kids in this tap room?”

With interviews from Jim Koch of Boston Beer Co., “Mr. Cincinnati” Jim Tarbell, “Beer Dave” Gausepohl, Scott LaFollette of the late Blank Slate, Bryant Goulding of Rhinegeist Brewing Co., and more, Morgan and Kollmann Baker discover how a city once synonymous with America’s best beer lost its beer identity and then reclaimed it with a vengeance.

Discover crimes that made headlines across northern Virginia in the 1950s and 60s.

As the suburbs of Washington, D.C. expanded in the mid-twentieth century, growth inevitably led to increasing crime, and grisly murders began to shock local communities. Learn the story of the killer and his victim who are buried only a few yards apart. The truth behind the tale of the murderous toddler and the sad story of the death of an agent at National Airport belie the picture perfect image of those decades. Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church and Prince William witnessed atrocities that grabbed headlines in their day but have since faded from collective memory. Local author Zachary Ford uses detailed research drawn from contemporary accounts to bring these stories to life.

Over 500,000 Massachusetts residents answered the call to military duty in the Second World War, while the rest of the state's citizens fought the war on the home front. Everyone in the family, including pets, found creative and essential ways to contribute.

Thousands worked in factories, volunteered for Civil Defense, watched for enemy aircraft, and took part in salvage collections and bond drives, all while dealing with rationing, blackouts, rumors and a host of other wartime inconveniences. And while thousands of service members left to fight overseas, the Bay State also welcomed thousands more to serve on its military bases that were such an important part of our nation's defense.

Author James Parr reveals the stories of these brave and dedicated citizens--from the famous to the ordinary--as they faced wartime challenges.

Before the Flood

The lost town of Sopris lies silently beneath the depths of Trinidad Lake. Once a thriving mining community in the late 1800s, it was renowned for abundant coal deposits and a bustling population. Three generations called Sopris home. They fought in the Civil War, homesteaded and immigrated to work in the mines. Unfortunately, the town's fate took a drastic turn with the construction of the Trinidad Dam, which flooded the area and submerged the town. Authors Genevieve Faoro-Johannsen and Robert Daniel Vigil, Jr. preserve an enduring legacy of community and resilience through first-hand accounts, historic photos and never-before-seen maps.

Atchison is a town where the migration West started and proudly calls itself the "most haunted city in Kansas." Many former residents are still present longing to be heard and seen. Hannah Jo Cusack leaves pennies for the living to make her presence known. Another woman is perhaps still looking for her ride home walking the woods in the shadows of night. In the Sallie House, something seems to dislike the men visiting, while a ghost named Goldie still sits in her rocking chair scowling at all those who enter the home, but especially the women. Join Brooke Montoya as she shares the incredible stories and harrowing hauntings in Atchison.

Established in 1924 by freshman Irving Harris, the Brown University Band is one of the school's oldest student-run organizations. Its participation at sporting events, convocation and commencement makes it an integral part of campus life, providing music and spirited fun for the Brown and Providence communities.

A "scramble" band, rather than a traditional marching band, the Band provides cheeky entertainment on and off campus. Legendary antics from the world's only ice-skating band include the infamous bass drum heist by the "Foxboro Four" and notable halftime shows at hundreds of football games. While invariably adapting over the years, the band keeps school songs and spirit alive and maintains its long-standing traditions.

Author and former percussionist Sean Briody pays homage to the band's roots and vibrant history.

Southern New Jersey was a hotbed of slave fugitives, freedmen and abolitionists in the Civil War era.

The proud 22nd Regiment of the United States Colored Troops included hundreds of Black New Jerseyans ready to fight for emancipation and the Union cause. Abolitionists such as Harriet Tubman, Abigail Goodwin and Benjamin Sheppard operated among key landmarks of the Underground Railroad in South Jersey counties such as Cape May, Cumberland and Salem. Slavery and the rights of Black Americans were at the forefront of the region's attention including stories such as a melee in a Cape May hotel between Black waiters and white patrons, the covert signaling of boats ferrying fugitive slaves across the Delaware River and the daring rescue of a runway slave from the hands of slave catchers by local church worshipers. Author Ellen Alford reveals the history of abolition and the Underground Railroad in South Jersey.

From soda fountains to beer gardens, celebrate the founders of Fredericksburg's feasts.

Fredericksburg's heritage of dining hospitality is full of unforgettable corner booths and legendary roadside stands. The Crown Saloon gave pioneer teamsters a welcome chance to wet their whistle, while the Manhattan Cafe brought pickled herring and other delicacies of the 1920s to the Hill Country frontier. At the state's first wine festival, Haversack Winery treated guests to a 2,100 lb. chunk of cheddar cheese along with performances from The Ballet Folklorico España and Pehl's Old Time Band. The Wild Game Dinner raised a healthy chunk of change for worthy Gillespie County causes. Michael Barr lines up a buffet of iconic Fredericksburg eateries that will have readers smelling Noble's brisket through the butcher paper and hearing the sizzle of Oma Koock's Schnitzel.

What goes bump in Boise?



Searching the darkness of the City of Trees reveals what lurks in the liminal spaces. Idaho’s capital city is dotted with haunted residences, hotels and penitentiaries where many still reside in death. Two youngsters lives were cut short, but their spirits never left their childhood homes. Strange specters prowl the foothills, including hooded figures seeking sacrifices. Strange objects patrol the skies. Spooks haunt local prison cells and frighten at a historic fort. Authors Mark Iverson and Jeff Wade collect ghoulish tales that have become local folklore, while setting the record straight. 

Discover the Black pioneers who shaped St. Lawrence County through grit and determination.

From its origins as part of New France through the Civil War and eventual industrialization of the region, St. Lawrence County has been shapped by all too often overlooked Black families and individuals. Author Bryan S. Thompson reveals the history of the African American community in New York's North Country.