Explores the rich and fascinating history of Portsmouth through an examination of some of its greatest architectural treasures.

In the 1930s, the Portsmouth Navy Yard in New Hampshire built less than two submarines a year, yet in 1944 it completed an astonishing 32 submarines, and over the course of the war produced 37 per cent of all U.S. submarines. This book analyzes the factors behind the small yard s record-setting production, including streamlined operations, innovative management practices, the Navy s commitment to develop the yard s resources as an alternative to private industry, and the yard s ability to adapt quickly to a decentralized wartime shipbuilding environment. The author highlights similarities betw.

At midcentury, two federal urban renewal projects in the gritty, blue-collar navy town of Portsmouth decimated two neighborhoods. But in the 1970s and '80s--thanks to an influx of artisans, chefs and entrepreneurs--the Port City emerged as a beacon of arts, culinary excellence and preservation. Iconoclast Jay Smith opened the Press Room, the celebrated music club. A group of concerned citizens saved the Music Hall, the last of Portsmouth's vaudeville theaters. And a Dutch family opened the Euro-style Café Petronella next to a biker bar. Author and historian Laura Pope edits a collection of essays detailing the changes in the last half of the past century that made Portsmouth a lauded arts- and food-lovers' hub and, finally, a diverse tourist destination.