New York is a city of superlatives. It has the largest population, greatest wealth, broadest diversity and most elegant museums in the nation. With that comes an amazing history. This tour of the Big Apple goes beyond the traditional guidebook to offer visitors and residents alike a chance to walk back in time along the streets of Manhattan. George Washington took his first oath of office on the steps of Federal Hall. Visitors can still dine at the famed Fraunces Tavern and worship at historic St. Paul's Chapel. From the Brooklyn Bridge to stunning skyscrapers, the city celebrates its own history and that of the nation. Join author Alison Fortier as she traces the history and heritage of America's largest metropolis.

Washington, DC, gleams with stately columns and neoclassical temples, a pulsing hub of political power and prowess. But for decades it was one of the worst excuses for a capital city the world had ever seen. Before America became a world power in the twentieth century, Washington City was an eyesore at best and a disgrace at worst. Unfilled swamps, filthy canals, and rutted horse trails littered its landscape. Political bosses hired hooligans and thugs to conduct the nation's affairs. Legendary madams entertained clients from all stations of society and politicians of every party. The police served and protected with the aid of bribes and protection money. Beneath pestilential air, the city’s muddy roads led to a stumpy, half-finished obelisk to Washington here, a domeless Capitol Building there. Lining the streets stood boarding houses, tanneries, and slums. Deadly horse races gouged dusty streets, and opposing factions of volunteer firefighters battled one another like violent gangs rather than life-saving heroes. The city’s turbulent history set a precedent for the dishonesty, corruption, and mismanagement that have led generations to look suspiciously on the various sin--both real and imagined--of Washington politicians. Empire of Mud unearths and untangles the roots of our capital’s story and explores how the city was tainted from the outset, nearly stifled from becoming the proud citadel of the republic that George Washington and Pierre L'Enfant envisioned more than two centuries ago.

Experience the history of America’s capitol with this uniquely engaging and informative guidebook. Alternating between site visits and brief historical narratives, this guide tells the story of Washington, DC, from its origins to current times. From George Washington’s Mount Vernon to the Kennedy Center, trek through each era of the federal district, on a tour of America’s most beloved sites. Go inside the White House, the only executive home in the world regularly open to the public. Travel to President Lincoln’s Cottage and see where he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. And visit lesser-known sites, such as the grave of Pierre L’Enfant, the city’s Botanical Gardens, the Old Post Office, and a host of historical homes throughout the capital. This is the only guide you’ll need to curate an unforgettable expedition to our shining city on a hill.

Breathing life into the men and women who struggled to help the city realize its full potential, he introduces us to the mercurial French artist who created an ornate plan for the city 'en grande'; members of the nearly forgotten anti-Catholic political party who halted construction of the Washington monument for a quarter century; and the cadre of congressmen who maintained segregation and blocked the city's progress for decades. In the twentieth century Washington's Mall and streets would witness a Ku Klux Klan march, the violent end to the encampment of World War I 'Bonus Army' veterans, the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and the painful rebuilding of the city in the wake of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination.

A travel guide with character, this fact-filled keepsake offers all the history, beauty, charm, and culture of our nation's capital city. In eye-catching watercolors and detailed sketches, artist Diana Gessler captures the allure that makes Washington DC one of the most visited destinations in the country. In addition to the national landmarks, stirring memorials, and vibrant neighborhoods, there's the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Twilight Tattoo (a military pageant featuring the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the U.S. Army Drill Team), colorful row houses, famous hotels and restaurants, and more museums than you'll be able to visit in just one trip. Gessler covers the city's most popular attractions but also heads off the beaten path to share hidden gems, like the quirky Albert Einstein Memorial and Eastern Market, where you can dine on bluebucks and browse for flea market finds. Also included are an index of sites and a useful appendix of addresses, Web sites, Metro stops, and phone numbers. Very Washington DC is a picture-perfect guidebook—a one-of-a-kind memento for tourists and a cherished reminder of the city's riches for those who have always lived in America's hometown.

When it was passed in 1789, the Constitution set out the boundaries not only for a new government but for a new capital city as well. At the time, the new District of Columbia covered 5,000 acres, dominated by marshland on the south, pastureland on the area that is now the Mall, farms near the White House and Capitol Hill, and undeveloped woods throughout. Covering Capitol Hill, the Mall, the Old Downtown area, the Ellipse, Lafayette Square, and Foggy Bottom, this engaging photographic history and walking tour documents how the Federal City grew from farmland to world capital. Striking images and detailed captions tell the fascinating stories behind many of the famous and the not so famous buildings and monuments that cover the D.C. landscape, from Union Station and the Capitol to the White House and the Watergate Hotel and many important sites in between.

Bar Harbor has evolved from humble beginnings to become one of Maine's most popular destinations. This tour goes beyond the typical travel guide to explore its fascinating historical sites in detail. A trail of existing buildings and monuments provides a backdrop for an unconventional history of places, people and events, with many previously unpublished photographs and untold entertaining stories. Discover the changes wrought by the world wars, the Spanish influenza, Prohibition and the Fire of 1947. Tour the Way Bak Ball, La Rochelle, the Casino and the Wharf. From Bar Harbor's first African American sea captain to the story of the two Miss Shannons, author Brian Armstrong offers a fascinating look into the history behind some of Bar Harbor's most famous landmarks.

Landmarks are the Touchstones of the Meandering Traveler From the sites where American democracy was born, to unique archive collections, art galleries, and architectural must-sees in the middle of this bustling city, Washington, DC is home to 75 National Historic Landmarks. Tour the Capital City and travel back in time to discover the unique stories of its history. Carefully curated by a local historian, Historic Washington, DC: A Tour of the District’s Top 50 National Landmarks is the essential guide to the most memorable historic sites in our nation’s capital. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a local visitor, or a tourist, there is something for everyone in this guide to Washington, DC’s past.

History is nurtured and treasured in the City of Alexandria and in neighboring South Fairfax County. A History Lover's Guide to Alexandria & South Fairfax County focuses on this special area along the Potomac River. Travel through history from Old Town to Mason's Neck and witness the practice of preservation as it continues to evolve today. Alexandria cares for the places essential to understanding our shared past, from cobblestone streets to the always active waterfront. Visit the numerous museums and historic houses, many of which are iconic in American history, in Old Town. Learn the stories of Alexandria's African American community, from slavery to freedom. Discover neighborhoods like Del Ray and Seminary Hill. South of the city, travel the George Washington Memorial Parkway and walk in the footsteps of Washington himself. Historian and preservationist Laura Macaluso draws connections between city and county, and between past and present.

Washington D.C. isn't known as the "District of Crime" or "Murder Capital of America" for nothing. Though the capital city's motto is "justice for all," D.C. has a darker side, including an extensive history of crimes and misdemeanors, some political and some not. The Crime Buff's Guide to Outlaw Washington D.C. is the ultimate guidebook to the criminal and seedy history of the nation's capital -- plus Maryland, Northern Virginia and (ironically) Arlington National Cemetery. It also contains an entire chapter pinpointing key and little-known sites in the Lincoln Assassination. With photographs, maps, directions, and precise GPS coordinates, this collection of outlaw tales serves as both a travel guide and an entertaining and enlightening read. It is a one-of-a-kind exploration into well-known and more obscure sites in D.C. that retain memories of bandits, corpse-snatchers, murderers, snipers, bootleggers, assassins, rogue scientists, spies, mobsters and corrupt politicians -- even a legendary serial killer dressed in a bunny suit -- and their scandalous deeds.