Companion volume to PBS series which originally aired October 2000.

Traces over 300 years of the city's colorful history, from Dutch farming and fur trading post to the culturally diverse, dynamic capital of one of the nation's most powerful states. John J. McEneny captures the flavor and spirit of this dynamic multi-cultural capital city with intriguing details and an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Kennedy.

A magnificent celebration of America's state capitol buildings. These glorious buildings are, in the author's words, "the homes of history," where laws are passed, where democracy is enacted, where history is written. Though each state capitol bears some similarity to the other forty-nine, each in its architecture and design reflects uniquely the pride of its state, both culturally and historically. For this unprecedented project, photographer Tom Patterson traveled to each of America's fifty state capitals to capture the architectural beauty and dignity of its capitol building in glorious large-format color images. Writer Susan W. Thrane reveals fascinating details about each capitol building's beginnings: the events surrounding construction background on its architects and builders dimensions and costs primary features and main rooms unique furnishings and works of art. The book also discusses important moments in the history of each building and the state itself, including: the origin of the state's name its capital city when the state was admitted to the Union, and the number of members in its legislative bodies.

The early Dutch settlers in Albany called the hills to the west "Hellebergh," or "Clear Mountain." Little did they know of the rugged terrain that lay above the Helderberg Escarpment or of the hardy men and women who would one day tame that wilderness. Faced with thin soil and a harsh climate, the resourceful people of the Helderbergs established four towns: Berne, Knox, Rensselaerville, and Westerlo. The Hilltown farmers declared their independence from the feudal landlord system during the renowned anti-rent wars of the mid-1800s. As the agrarian economy faded, the enterprising Hilltowners used local resources in new ways to earn their livelihood. Landowners capitalized on the natural beauty of the region to attract tourists. Knox's cottage industry of wooden pillbox production brought it fame as the "Pillbox Capital of the World." Rensselaerville's Huyck Preserve created opportunities for the long-term study of biological systems. Helderberg Hilltowns takes the reader back to 1880 through 1950, a time of one-room schoolhouses, church socials, barn raisings, haying with draft horses, bobsledding parties, family reunions, and rocking chairs on the veranda.

Hauntings lurk and spirits linger in the Empire State Reader, beware! Turn these pages and enter the world of the paranormal, where ghosts and ghouls alike creep just out of sight. Author Cheri Farnsworthshines a light in the dark corners of New York and scares those spirits out of hiding in this thrilling collection. From apparitions and objects that fly off of tables at the Manhattan Bistro, to a specter that stalks Pulpit Rock in Lake Placid, there’s no shortage of bone-chilling tales to keep you up at night. Around the campfire or tucked away on a dark and stormy night, this big book of ghost stories is a hauntingly good read.

Uses recently discovered photographs and eyewitness accounts to document the destruction of the New York State Capital at Albany and the New York State Library in the a fire started in the early morning hours of March 29, 1911.