Old Salem in Ballad and Song is a collection of ballads and songs that have roots in Salem Massachusetts' history through the oral and the written tradition. The songs, ballads and broadsides describe events and give a hint of Salem's past and its influence in helping to shape America, both politically and socially. The book traces the history of Salem not only through ballads and songs but vintage photographs, postcards and newspaper clippings. The book can be a learning tool to teach Salem's history through singing. The rich material unearthed laid the foundation for Old Salem in Ballad and Song. In the introduction, the author examines the role ballads and songs played in chronicling current events and saving them for posterity. The pages that follow are crammed with lyrics, verses, musical scores, illustrations and historical tidbits relating to works with Salem connections. Some names will be familiar to many readers. Famed 19th century bandleader Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, who wrote the best-known version of When Johnny Comes Marching Home, led the Salem Brass Band from 1855 until 1858. The equally famous Hutchinson Family Singers performed at a New England Anti-Slavery Society convention held in Salem in 1844, and the group's temperance song King Alcohol, says the author, was inspired by the town's controversial Deacon Giles Distillery. And while Manuel Fenollosa is hardly a household name, the Salem composer's Emancipation Hymn (1863) was one of the most popular tunes of the Civil War era.

The first edition of Old Salem at Sea in Ballad and Song contained 89 songs and ballads recalling Salem and reflecting Salem's rich maritime history and its relationship to the sea. Many songs found were documented in shipping logbooks, broadsides, songbooks, or periodicals. Some of these ballads will be familiar, while some may be new or slightly different to the reader. Most of the material in this book comes from public domain sources. In this second edition of Old Salem at Sea in Ballad and Song, we published a larger format for ease of reading, added the Roud Folk Song Index numbers, and included forty-five additional songs. Over time, folk music enthusiasts became aware of my project, and more ballads and songs surfaced and needed inclusion in the new edition. * Folk singer, researcher, and entrepreneur Lisa Null suggested a song from her youth called Old Salem Town Once More. Lisa's family sang the song to her as a child in the 1950s while living in Worcester, Massachusetts. * Irish ballad singer Michael O'Leary introduced me to Salem-born George Edward Clark, aka Yankee Ned, who had four songs published in the book called Fisherman's Ballads and Songs of The Sea. * Peter Marston sang a version of the Ghostly Crew at the Monday night Shanty Sing in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The song is about how the fishing schooner the Charles Haskell and its deadly collision with the Andrew Johnson out of Salem on the George's Bank and how the crew of the Andrew Johnson haunted the Charles Haskell, working their regular nightly shift before going overboard and heading back to Salem.

Old Salem at Sea in Ballad and Song is a collection of sea songs, sea shanties and ballads that reflects Salem's rich maritime history and its relationship to the sea. Salem, Massachusetts, is synonymous with the maritime history of America. Salem's early ventures in the China Trade and the support industries kept Salem in the forefront from the late 18th century, just after the Revolution, to the middle of the 19th Century. This collection represents extensive research of songs with universal themes, such as a treacherous captain, a faithful lass, the stormy seas, and the rich rewards of patriotism, heroism, and survival. In Old Salem at Sea in Ballad and Song there are 89 songs and ballads that all have a connection to Salem and the sea. Some of the pieces in this book have been written in shipping logbooks, published on broadsides, in songbooks, or in periodicals, and while many will be familiar, several of the songs or variants may be new or different to the reader. Most the material in this book comes from public domain sources.

At My Itchy Travel Feet, The Baby Boomer’s Guide to Travel, writer Donna Hull and photographer Alan Hull travel the world recording their boomer travel experiences with words, photos, and videos so that you’ll know exactly what to expect. Their goal? To get boomers off the couch and out into the world. In this Blog to Book, they’ve chosen some of their favorite journeys to share with you. Take a road trip in Northern Italy, drive the California Big Sur coast, or explore Arches, Canyonlands, Glacier, and Grand Tetons National Parks. You’ll find a chapter on small ship luxury cruising and a travel tips section with advice on road trips, cruising, travel photography, and multi-generational travel. So, pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and start reading about active travel for boomers. It’s guaranteed to make your travel feet itchy!