New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

North Country Books

The First Adirondackers: 12,000 Years of Indigenous History

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First AdirondackersThe First Adirondackers: 12,000 Years of Indigenous Peoples in the Adirondack Upland (Globe Pequot/North Country Books, 2025) challenges the widespread, long-standing belief that the Adirondacks of Northern New York were uninhabited before the arrival of European colonizers.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Through local indigenous traditions and supporting findings by natural science, authors David Fadden and Curt Stager expose, document, and honor the long human presence in the Adirondacks, helping not only to redefine what it means to be an Adirondacker, but also contributing to a more complete understanding of America itself. [Read more…] about The First Adirondackers: 12,000 Years of Indigenous History

Curt Stager’s ‘Field Notes from the Northern Forest’ Published

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Curt Stager Field Notes From the Northern ForestIn Field Notes from the Northern Forest (North Country Books 2025), Curt Stager draws on scientific literature and on his own observations to share his curiosity about the natural world alongside illustrations by Lake Placid naturalist Anne E. Lacy

With the same humor and personable ease that characterizes the popular weekly nature program that he co-produces on North Country Public Radio (NCPR), these 20 natural science essays take readers to ground level to explore the lives of animals, plants, and fungi commonly encountered in the conifer, hardwood, and mixed wood forests of northeastern North America. [Read more…] about Curt Stager’s ‘Field Notes from the Northern Forest’ Published

Ed Kanze’s Nature of the Place Reflects on Adirondack Flora and Fauna

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Nature of the PlaceThe Nature of the Place: On the Flora and Fauna of the Adirondacks (North Country Books, 2025) is Adirondack nature writer Edward Kanze’s invitation to slow down, smell the roses, and get to know fellow creatures with more longstanding claims to this landscape than we have.

Theirs is the real internet Kanze argues, a web of life that weaves together an almost infinite number of threads into a fabric that’s a wonder to behold and something close to a miracle in a largely hostile universe. [Read more…] about Ed Kanze’s Nature of the Place Reflects on Adirondack Flora and Fauna

The Erie Canal Traveler’s Guide: Restaurants, Pubs, and Attractions on the Canal

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Erie Canal Traveler's GuideCompleted in 1825, the Erie Canal spans 363 miles across New York State to connect Albany and Buffalo, which made it an indispensable tract for commerce 200 years ago. While the canal’s use as a primary means of moving commercial goods across the state has been replaced by trucks and trains, its recreational usage has increased exponentially since then.

The path that parallels the waterway has become a mecca for hikers, bikers, and runners of all ages. In celebration of the Canals’ 200th anniversary, The Erie Canal Traveler’s Guide (North Country Books, 2025) features more than 200 restaurants, pubs, and attractions for the entire family and the curious traveler alike, all within ‘a stone’s throw’ – or, to be precise, 445 feet and ten inches – of the Canal Path. [Read more…] about The Erie Canal Traveler’s Guide: Restaurants, Pubs, and Attractions on the Canal

The Finger Lakes Drinking Guide

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Finger Lakes Drinking GuideNew York State’s Finger Lakes region attracts over 25 million visitors every year, making it one the state’s largest tourist destination behind New York City.

Besides its beautiful lakes and stunning foliage, the Finger Lakes has long been known as one of the country’s great winemaking regions. And, beyond Rieslings and Chardonnays, IPAs, ciders, gins, and whiskeys have risen the ranks in Central New York. [Read more…] about The Finger Lakes Drinking Guide

The Great Genesee Road: A History Travel Guide

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Great Genesee RoadIn 1794 the state legislature authorized the Great Genesee Road from Fort Schuyler (now Utica) to Canawaugus (once one of the most populous of the Seneca villages, now in Livingston County)  to help settlers reach the New Military Tract in Central New York where nearly two million acres of land was set aside to compensate Revolutionary War veterans. Today we call most of it New York Route 5. [Read more…] about The Great Genesee Road: A History Travel Guide

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