From presidents and patriots, to locals engaged in service both heartwarming and heartbreaking, Quincy has been a place where names endure. On Adams Street, a stately mansion evokes the nations second president and his storied kin, while the nearby Bernazzani Elementary School recalls a beloved educator who died after suffering a medical episode during a school committee meeting. In addition to two presidents and John Hancock, Quincy also birthed Dunkin Donuts and Howard Johnsons, Hollywood stars Ruth Gordon and Bill Dana, punk rock legends the Dropkick Murphys, and a host of prominent industrialists who made quarrying and shipbuilding Quincys national calling cards. Less renowned but equally ingrained are the citys local characters. Memories of Mike The Winger Zadrozny launching vinyl records like Frisbees around the city still elicit nostalgia. Generations who played Little League in the Koch Club recall Richard Kochs commitment to community. The homeless honor Fr. William McCarthy, who founded the shelter Father Bills Place and personified charity. These legendary namesindividuals both towering and humblemade Quincy a uniquely American city and kept it that way.

The area that would soon be known as Concord had barely been settled in May 1771 when nine of its young men courageously orchestrated what many regard as the first colonial attack against the British crown. Their "gunpowder plot" blazed a trail for future legendary locals, from the industrial and philanthropic dynasties of the Cannons and Coltranes to African American vanguards Warren C. Coleman and Mable Parker McLean. With unparalleled passion and, often, Southern sass, Concordians stand up for their beliefs, from Confederate officer Rufus Barringer to crusading newspaperman James P. Cook to bulldozer-defying preservationist Mary Snead Boger. Hometown hero Quincy Collins credits his upbringing for anchoring his sanity while a prisoner of war, and the city's splendor has attracted celebrities like enigmatic screen siren Elizabeth Threatt and The Sound of Music star Daniel Truhitte to settle here. Whether we know them as "Bear," "Mr. Democrat," "Mayor Mac," or "Humpy," they are the favorite sons and daughters of Concord and their stories--from the inspirational to the comical--are collected in this keepsake volume.

At first glance, Weymouth would seem to be a typical South Shore town of average size and seemingly average people. However, after interviewing longtime locals, hearing their stories, and understanding their past, one would discover that Weymouth and its people are anything but average. This community has been home to Abigail Adams, wife of one president and mother of another; Maria Weston Chapman, famous abolistionist; and Harry Arlanson, the "father of Weymouth football." Other notables include actor Hal Holbrook, hockey player Tim Sweeney, and Olympian Kathy Corrigan. The second oldest town in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Weymouth has had quite some time to muster up some extraordinary residents: young, old, famous, infamous, heroic, and scandalous, each with their own unique stories that have contributed to the character of the community. Legendary Locals of Weymouth brings these legendary tales together to chronicle the great history of this unique town.

From the South End's early years as an upper- and middle-class residential district to its time as an immigrant and rooming house neighborhood and then to its recent urban renewal, residents have shaped its legacy and its place within the city of Boston. Locals have worked in common to make the South End a safe and vibrant community for over two centuries. Notables such as architect Gridley J.F. Bryant, preservation advocate Arthur Howe, and pedestrian advocate Ann Hershfang contributed immensely to the built environment. Residents like settlement house leader Robert Woods, immigrant and author Mary Antin, politician and activist Mel King, urban gardener Betsy Johnson, and lawyer Harry Dow, to name a few, shaped minds and lives alike. Add to their ranks artists like Allan Rohan Crite and Kahlil Gibran, jazz club owner Joseph Walcott, longtime restaurateurs such as the Foley and Manjourides families, and bar owner and gay rights advocate Leo Motsis and a true picture of the South End's history and diversity begins to emerge.

Quincy Troupe's candid account of his friendship with Miles Davis is a revealing portrait of a great musician and an intimate study of a unique relationship. It is also an engrossing chronicle of the author's own development, both artistic and personal. As Davis's collaborator on Miles: The Autobiography,Troupe--one of the major poets to emerge from the 1960s--had exceptional access to the musician. This memoir goes beyond the life portrayed in the autobiography to describe in detail the processes of Davis's spectacular creativity and the joys and difficulties his passionate, contradictory temperament posed to the men's friendship. It shows how Miles Davis, both as a black man and an artist, influenced not only Quincy Troupe but whole generations. Troupe has written that Miles Davis was "irascible, contemptuous, brutally honest, ill-tempered when things didn't go his way, complex, fair-minded, humble, kind and a son-of-a-bitch." The author's love and appreciation for Davis make him a keen, though not uncritical, observer. He captures and conveys the power of the musician's presence, the mesmerizing force of his personality, and the restless energy that lay at the root of his creativity. He also shows Davis's lighter side: cooking, prowling the streets of Manhattan, painting, riding his horse at his Malibu home. Troupe discusses Davis's musical output, situating his albums in the context of the times--both political and musical--out of which they emerged. Miles and Me is an unparalleled look at the act of creation and the forces behind it, at how the innovations of one person can inspire both those he knows and loves and the world at large.

A working-class city of 75,000 people on the banks of the Sangamon River and its largest lake, Decatur has a reputation for outstanding individuals with a strong community spirit and an unashamed sense of patriotism. To borrow a phrase from Adm. Chester Nimitz, in Decatur, uncommon dedication is a common virtue. Harold Miller fought at Iwo Jima with a Marine tank battalion, before serving 32 years on the Decatur Police Department. Wayne and Leslie Kent, ministers at First Christian Church, risked their freedom to bring music and encouragement to oppressed believers in the Soviet Union and Poland. George Halas, a Navy veteran, was player-coach for the Decatur Staleys football team (later the Chicago Bears), a charter franchise in the professional association that would become the NFL. Bob Fallstrom, a World War II soldier before working as a newspaper reporter and editor in Decatur for more than 65 years, has promoted numerous community causes. Legendary Locals of Decatur pays tribute to those who have made this community truly unique.

Since long before its founding in 1729, Westford has been a unique place to live and an immense source of pride for the people who call the town home. With an unparalleled sense of community, the citizens of Westford have maintained a strong connection with the history that shaped not only this small town, but the entire New England region. The collections at the Westford Museum are filled with names that echo the profound dedication of Westford residents from its founding to the present day: Charles G. Sargent, John W.P., and John W. Abbot, founders of the Abbot Worsted Company; Herbert Ellery Fletcher, founder of the Fletcher Granite Company; Lt. Col. John Robinson, Revolutionary War hero; LPGA championship golfer Pat Bradley; career volunteer and mover and shaker Ellen Harde; nationally renowned water color artist Andrew Kusmin; and countless others. Legendary Locals of Westford pays tribute and is dedicated to the many who have shaped this unique community.