Daniel Aaron, one of todays foremost scholars of American history and American studies, began his career in 1942 with this classic study of Cincinnati in frontier days. Aaron argues that the Queen City quickly became an important urban center that in many ways resembled eastern cities more than its own hinterlands, with a populace united by its desire for economic growth. Aaron traces Cincinnati's development as a mercantile and industrial center during a period of intense national political and social ferment. The city owed much of its success as an urban center to its strategic location on the Ohio River and easy access to fertile backcountry. Despite an early over-reliance on commerce and land speculation and neglect of manufacturing, by 1838 Cincinnati's basic industries had been established and the city had outstripped her Ohio River rivals. Aaron's account of Cincinnati during this tumultuous period details the ways in which Cincinnatians made the most of commerce and manufacturing, how they met their civic responsibilities, and how they survived floods, fires, and cholera. He goes on to discuss the social and cultural history of the city during this period, including the development of social hierarchies, the operations of the press, the rage for founding societies of all kinds, the response of citizens to national and international events, the commercial elite's management of radicals and nonconformists, the nature of popular entertainment and serious culture, the efforts of education, and the messages of religious institutions. For historians, particularly those interested in urban and social history, Daniel Aaron's view of Cincinnati offers a rare opportuniry to viewantebellum American society in a microcosm, along with all of the institutions and attitudes that were prevalent in urban America during this important time.

Long before folks had a television set and radio in every room, they sought entertainment by stepping out for a night on the town. The choices around Cincinnati were nearly limitless: live theater at the Cox; spectacular musicals at the Shubert; hotels featuring fine dining and dance orchestras; talking pictures at everyoneA[a¬a[s favorite movie palaceA[a¬athe Albee; burlesque and vaudeville shows at the Empress Theater on Vine Street; and gambling casinos were just a short drive across the river in Newport. All of the major entertainment venues in the Queen City during the first half of the 20th century are explored in Stepping out in Cincinnati. From saloons to ornate movie palaces and from the Cotton Club to the Capitol, you join those pleasure seekers, getting a real sense of what they saw: wonderful events and their countless imagesA[a¬athe things of which fond memories were made. Today, those memories have faded and virtually all of the once-glittering showplaces have been bulldozed into history. But within these pages, we get to experience first hand what it was like to be there. Unique among the many photographs featuring unforgettable movie houses and nightclub orchestras are never-before-published images of actual live vaudeville performances onstage at the Shubert, plus rare, clandestine pictures snapped inside the casinos in Newport. Also revealed are the locations of the better-known speakeasies during Prohibition; where the best halls to dance to live orchestras were; what the earliest movie houses were like; and what black Cincinnatians did for entertainment.

Losing a loved one to murder is life’s ultimate tragedy. But when the killer is never captured, a family’s paralyzing grief only compounds. Years pass. Pain grows. Time heals nothing. Parents, spouses, and children of the victims never find peace. Investigators continue to lie awake night after night, year after year, thinking, “If only...” Cold cases fascinate us because of the endless possibilities. What if Alice Hochhausler hadn’t driven her daughter home from work while a strangler was running loose? What if Oda Apple’s wife hadn’t sent him to the corner drugstore? What if Linda Bricca hadn’t been so beautiful – and her husband not a workaholic? J. T. Townsend takes us on a sinister journey through thirteen cases, which took place in Cincinnati, Ohio, between 1904 and 1971. You’ll meet Frances Brady, a pretty bride-to-be gunned down at her own front door. Tommy Coby, age eight, who arrived home to an empty house, and learned later his parents were lying dead in their car. Patty Rebholz, a popular cheerleader, who was bludgeoned in a neighbor’s backyard while walking to break up with her teenage boyfriend. What do these cases have in common? A fleeting, irrational act of violence with no resolution. Somebody literally got away with murder. Each episode took place in sheer moments––but hundreds of innocent people still remember, still mourn, and are still haunted by horrible, unbearable images. Townsend’s riveting accounts include never-before-published details from police files and insights from both investigators and witnesses. Finally someone has managed to put all of the pieces together. Whodunit? We’ll never know for sure––but we can certainly make some informed, calculated guesses. Meanwhile, on these pages, each victim returns to vibrant life, becomes as real to us as to those loved ones they left behind––and still cries out for justice.

“The comprehensive guide offers a glimpse into the lives of Cincinnatians throughout history, through the lens of food.” —Cincinnati Magazine Over the years, Cincinnati has earned a reputation for conservatism and keeping to itself, especially regarding food, but that’s changing. Old favorites like cinnamon-scented chili on spaghetti, ice cream with huge chocolate chunks and old-fashioned German butchers selling goetta, brats and metts are being rediscovered—and in some cases re-created. A similar urge for experimentation and innovation from restaurants, farmers’ markets and food producers is bringing new energy to the city’s tables. Gathering the stories of the pioneers and the entrepreneurs of the past and the present, Enquirer food critic Polly Campbell unfolds how Cincinnati’s history has set the table for its menu today. “Whether it’s a plate full of cinnamon-scented chili on spaghetti, or skillets frying up goetta, or other uniquely Cincinnati staples, Campbell’s book will leave your mouth watering for a taste of home.” —WVXU News

Cincinnati Revealed: A Photographic Heritage of the Queen City, features nearly 200 rarely seen photographs and vintage postcards. Through these striking images, together with the insightful text, authors Kevin Grace and Tom White take the reader on a unique visual tour of this historic river city. It is a tour well worth taking. Since its inception in 1788, Cincinnati has evolved from a brawling pioneer town to a thriving Midwest metropolis, experiencing rapid growth and unprecedented social and technological change. Highlighted in this volume are the city's spectacular architectural achievements, its centers of culture and learning, its hubs of industry and transportation, its legendary sports tradition, its diverse neighborhoods, and, above all, the spirit of its citizenry.

In 2016, the world's oldest existing library reopened in Fes, Morocco. It opened for the first time in the 9th Century. These shrines to the written word date back even further, and continue to be built today. They're a place where some of the oldest written texts are preserved and some of the newest technology connects visitors with vast amounts of knowledge. Libraries are changing, but, as places that are fundamentally free and open to all, they're also staying the same. Libraries of the World explores the most stunning examples, but it also explores how varied the idea of a library can be. It can be a grand Baroque hall with leather-bound tomes or a mid-century masterpiece, but it can just as easily be a few shelves in a repurposed phone booth.

During the nineteenth century, various basin and hillside neighborhoods in Cincinnati were linked by over thirty miles of steps--along cliffs with extraordinary panoramic views and through ravines of stunning beauty. Visitors who marvel at Cincinnati's "seven" hills never realize that they can actually be conquered on foot. And while almost all the stairs are regularly used by schoolchildren, runners, and some commuters, even native Cincinnatians have been unaware of the steps in neighborhoods other than their own. Until now. Complete with easy-to-follow maps and directions, Walking the Steps of Cincinnati is a field guide that will introduce readers and walkers to over two hundred sets of steps within thirty-five urban and neighborhood trails. Each trail is distinctive, designed in a circular or figure-eight fashion. While some walks are more physically challenging than others, each route is less than four miles in length. All are rewarding, many revealing views and historic information seen only from these unique vantage points.

A photography book about independent record stores throughout greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, including interviews with store owners, a tribute to King Records, and forewords from notable musicians and bands from Cincinnati.