New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Recent Books About New York State

Authors and publishers of new books related to New York State can have their books noticed on the New York Almanack by following the submission guidelines HERE.

Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation, 1765-1795

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american inheritanceLeaders of the founding of the United States who called for American liberty are scrutinized for enslaving Black people themselves: George Washington consistently refused to recognize the freedom of those who escaped his Mount Vernon plantation. And we have long needed a history of the founding that fully includes Black Americans in the Revolutionary protests, the war, and the debates over slavery and freedom that followed.

[Read more…] about Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation, 1765-1795

1947 Utica Blue Sox: A Baseball Season to Remember

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The 1947 Utica Blue Sox Book CoverThe 1947 Utica Blue Sox laid the foundation for the team that would go on to become the 1950 National League baseball champion, the Philadelphia Phillies.

A new book, The 1947 Utica Blue Sox: A Season To Remember (self-published, 2022) is a detailed account of the players and personalities that captivated Utica, NY, a slice of life that takes the reader back to a nearly-forgotten time, viewed through a lens of reverence, respect, and a genuine love of the game. [Read more…] about 1947 Utica Blue Sox: A Baseball Season to Remember

The Search Continues For A WWII Bomber Lost in Lake Ontario

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vanishing pointAt the height of World War II, a B-24 Liberator bomber vanished with its crew while on a training mission over Upstate New York. The final hours and ultimate resting place of pilot Keith Ponder and seven other US aviators aboard the plane remain mysteries to this day. [Read more…] about The Search Continues For A WWII Bomber Lost in Lake Ontario

Battlefield to Stage: The Lives of John Burgoyne

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From the Battlefield to the StageThe new book From the Battlefield to the Stage: The Many Lives of General John Burgoyne (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2023) by Norman S. Poser provides a rounded biography, covering not only the Saratoga campaign but also elements of General John Burgoyne’s eventful life that have never been adequately explored. [Read more…] about Battlefield to Stage: The Lives of John Burgoyne

Field of Corpses: Arthur St. Clair & the Death of an American Army

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field of corpsesNovember 4th, 1791 was a black day in American history. General Arthur St. Clair’s army encountered an Indigenous military force in what is now western Ohio.

In just three hours at what is known as St. Clair’s defeat, the Battle of the Wabash, or the Battle of a Thousand Slain, St. Clair’s force sustained the greatest loss ever inflicted on the United States Army by Native Americans — a total nearly three times larger than that incurred in the more famous Custer fight of 1876. [Read more…] about Field of Corpses: Arthur St. Clair & the Death of an American Army

Madison’s Militia: The Hidden History of the Second Amendment

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Madison's MilitiaThe new book Madison’s Militia: The Hidden History of the Second Amendment (Oxford Univ. Press, 2023) by Carl Bogus is an engaging history overturning the conventional wisdom about the Second Amendment – showing that the right to bear arms was not about protecting liberty but about preserving slavery. [Read more…] about Madison’s Militia: The Hidden History of the Second Amendment

Thank You New York Almanack Supporters

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We did it! We finally reached our annual online fundraising goal for 2022 of $14,000. Through gifts large and small readers like you showed you care about the New York Almanack and want to help keep it publishing – thank you!

In 2022 we doubled our readership and we continue to grow. Over a million readers will visit the New York Almanack in 2023 to learn about the Empire State’s history, arts, culture, natural history, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

New York Almanack is the most read publication of its kind reaching more readers with the stories of our shared history than any other publication, in any media. History matters – our natural environment matters – and I’m proud to be able  – with your help – to share why, every day, seven days a week.

Of course our fundraising is never really over. We’ll start the 2023 online fundraising campaign in June. But until then – THANK YOU!!

New Adirondack Book: Dispatches from the Largest Park in the Lower 48

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in the adirondacksThe new book In the Adirondacks: Dispatches from the Largest Park in the Lower 48 (Fordham University Press, 2023) by Matt Dallos blends lively history and immersive travel writing to explore the Adirondacks that captivated Dallos’s childhood imagination while presenting a compelling and entertaining story about the largest American park outside of Alaska.

The result is a meandering journey through the region’s bogs and lakes and boreal forests and the lives of residents and tourists. [Read more…] about New Adirondack Book: Dispatches from the Largest Park in the Lower 48

The Extraordinary 1569 Journey of David Ingram

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The Extraordinary Journey of David IngramThe new book The Extraordinary Journey of David Ingram: An Elizabethan Sailor in Native North America (Oxford University Press, 2023) by Dean Snow rights the record on a shipwrecked sailor who traversed the length of the North American continent only to be maligned as deceitful storyteller. [Read more…] about The Extraordinary 1569 Journey of David Ingram