In The Heart of Central New York: Stories of Historic Homer, NY Martin A. Sweeney makes the past come alive through this collection of articles from his column in The Homer News. Through his writing, Sweeney offers readers a glimpse of the excitement he brought to his classrooms by bringing to life the people, events, manners, and mores of the past in a community that is the heart of Central New York State. This compilation represents Sweeney’s successful efforts as a public historian in using the press as a tool for generating interest in his community’s unique historical identity.With annotations and a touch of humor, this book illustrates for current and emerging public historians how to successfully engage a community in acknowledging their history matters—that the fibers of “microhistory” contribute to the rich tapestry that is county, regional, state, and national history.

A must-have guide for any and all area trout fishermen, Trout Streams of Central New York reveals the little-known treasures that are to be found in the trout waters at the heart of New York State. This unique region boasts some of the country's best trout fishing, with diverse waters that have something special to offer every angler. Section One is organized by geographic area (covering the areas between Rochester, Syracuse, and the Southern Tier regions), with detailed descriptions of over 100 trout streams and rivers (including Nine Mile Creek, Chittenango Creek, Oriskany Creek, and the bountiful Monroe County creeks) in a total of 18 counties. Section Two covers invaluable strategies for fishing these streams, with an emphasis on timing, fly selection and hatch-matching, as well as lures and techniques for spin-fishing and bait-fishing. The practicality, insight, and detail of the information in this book is unparalleled. A spirited angler with over fifty years of experience trout-fishing central New York's waters, J. Michael Kelly writes for anglers of all kinds, beginning to advanced, as he guides the reader through this area's many trout-fishing jewels.

A pictorial history of the development of New York City’s Central Park from conception to completion. Drawing on the unparalleled collection of original designs for Central Park in the New York City Municipal Archives, Cynthia S. Brenwall tells the story of the creation of New York’s great public park, from its conception to its completion. This treasure trove of material ranges from the original winning competition entry; to meticulously detailed maps; to plans and elevations of buildings, some built, some unbuilt; to elegant designs for all kinds of fixtures needed in a world of gaslight and horses; to intricate engineering drawings of infrastructure elements. Much of it has never been published before. A virtual time machine that takes the reader on a journey through the park as it was originally envisioned, The Central Park is both a magnificent art book and a message from the past about what brilliant urban planning can do for a great city.

This atlas graphically illuminates the region's history tracing back to the 8th-7th century B.C. From the spread of Islam to the invasion of the Mongols, the area has been at the crossroads of some of the world's most important developments, all succinctly explained in this book.

Rich in Native American and Revolutionary War history, New York State’s Leatherstocking Country is a hiker’s paradise, blessed with a scenic rural landscape and abundant flora and fauna. Longtime central New York residents and avid hikers Bill and Eileen Bowers guide you through some of the best hiking opportunities in central New York, from the eastern shore of Lake Ontario and the Syracuse region to the Southern Tier, the northern Catskills, the Erie Canalway Trail, and much more. The hikes in this addition to in Countryman’s acclaimed Explorer's Guide 50 Hikes series range in length and difficulty from half-mile nature trails suitable for families with children to strenuous daylong treks across rough terrain. A “Hikes at a Glance” table makes it easy to choose hikes for every interest and ability level. Each hike description includes mile-by-mile directions, information on hiking time, mileage, and trail conditions, as well as knowledgeable commentary on the natural and human history you’ll encounter along the way.

The Ferghana Valley can reasonably be said to lie in the heart of Central Asia. As such, the Valley has made an inordinate contribution to the history and culture of the region as a whole, as well as significantly affecting the economic, political and religious spheres. This book looks at the region over time, from its early history to the present. It embraces not just the obvious fields of politics, economics and religion, but also ethnography, sociology and culture, and includes the insights of leading scholars from all three Ferghana countries. The book discusses various questions of identity relating to the region, showing how the identity of the Ferghana Valley relates to the emerging national identities of the three post-colonial states that are still gradually emerging from the demise of the Soviet Union, as well as how an understanding of the Ferghana Valley is key to understanding Central Asia itself.

Most books on the Caucasus and Central Asia are country-by-country studies. This book, on the other hand, fills a gap in Central Eurasian studies as one of the few comparative case study books on Central Eurasia, covering both the Caucasus and Central Asia; it considers key themes right across the two regions highlighting both political change and continuity. Comparative case study chapters, written by regional experts from a variety of methodological backgrounds, provide historical context, and evaluate Soviet political legacies and emerging policy outcomes. Key topics include: the varied types and sources of authoritarianism; political opposition and protest politics; predetermined outcomes of post-Soviet economic choices; social and stability impacts of natural resource wealth; variations in educational reform; international norm influence on gender policy and the power of human rights activists. Overall, the book provides a thorough, up-to-date overview of what is increasingly becoming a significant area of concern.