ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C &RL N e w s ■ S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 0 / 7 1 7 N e w P u b l i c a t i o n s G e o rg e M . E b e rh a rt Exposing the Wilderness: Early-Twentieth- Century Adirondack Postcard Photogra­ phers, b y R o b e rt B o g d a n (2 52 p age s, O c to ­ b e r 1999), takes an in terestin g a p p ro a c h to d o c u m e n tin g th e h isto ry a n d cultu re o f th e p e o p le w h o liv e d in an d v is ite d upstate N e w Y o r k ’s A d iro n d a c k M ou n tain s in th e first d e ­ cad es o f th e 20th century. B y fo c u s in g o n a n e g le c te d im a g e resou rce, th e re a l-p h o to p os t­ cards p ro d u c e d b y six p h o to g ra p h e rs o f the re g io n , B o g d a n b rin gs to life th e storefronts, th e lo g g in g cam p s, th e s p e cta tor sports, the san atorium patients, th e su m m e r cam p s, the w in te r carnivals, a n d th e b illb o a rd s o f b y g o n e days. H e a ls o p r o v id e s b io g ra p h ic a l details o n th e p h o to g ra p h e rs a n d th eir fam ilies, a n d o f ­ fers insights in to th eir w a y o f d o in g business. Illustrated w ith s o m e 250 postcards, a d v ertise ­ m ents, a n d o th e r illustrations. $39-95. Syracuse U n iv ersity Press. IS B N 0-8156-0608-7. Fire in the Sea: The Santorini Volcano, Natu­ ral History and the Legend o f Atlantis, by W alter L. Fried rich (2 58 p ages, M a y 2000), th or­ o u g h ly e x a m in e s th e g e o lo g y o f th e A e g e a n islands o f Santorini, in particu lar th e v o lc a n ic e ru p tio n s that h a v e ta k e n p la c e th e re sin ce th e Late P lio c e n e E p o c h tw o m illio n years a go. H istorian s h a v e lo n g s u s p e cted that an e ru p ­ tio n d u rin g th e E u ro p ea n B ro n z e A g e w a s re ­ s p o n s ib le f o r th e le g e n d o f th e d estru ction o f Atlantis. U s in g s ev era l scie n tific d atin g te c h ­ n iq u es (in c lu d in g th e analysis o f G re e n la n d ic e-c o re sam p les), Friedrich arrives at 1640 B.C. as th e b est d ate fo r th e M in o a n -e ra eru p tion , w h ic h c o v e r e d m a n y M ed ite rra n e a n v illa g e s w ith ash a n d in jec te d a h u g e v o lu m e o f dust in to th e atm o sp h ere. A r c h e o lo g ic a l d is c o v e r­ ies are a ls o s u rv ey ed . $34.95. C a m b rid g e U n i­ v ers ity Press. IS B N 0-521-65290-1. Guide to the Cinema o f Sweden and Fin­ land, b y P e r O lo v Q v is t an d P e te r v o n B a gh (3 0 8 p age s, A p ril 2000), o ffe rs a re p resen ta­ tiv e s a m p lin g o f film criticism an d b io g ra p h ie s o f actors a n d d irecto rs in th e t w o cou ntries. G e o rg e M . E b e r h a r t is s e n io r e d i t o r o f A m e r ic a n L ib ra rie s ; e -m a il: g e b e rh a rt@ a la .o rg Q v is t a v o id s fo c u s in g h e a v ily o n the classic S w ed ish directors (B ergm a n , Sjö strö m, Sjö b e rg ) an d g iv e s e q u a l treatm e n t to film s that are n o t as w e ll k n o w n ou tsid e Scandinavia. V o n B agh, th o u g h b e m o a n in g th e in h eren t p ro vin c ia lis m o f th e Finnish cin em a , argues that at certain tim es it has b e e n as c rea tiv e as th e o u tp u t o f its n eig h b o r. $85.00. G r e e n w o o d . IS B N 0-313- 30377-0. Library Automation in Transitional Societ­ ies: Lessons from Eastern Europe, edited b y A n d r e w Lass a n d R ich a rd E. Q u a n d t (451 p age s, D e c e m b e r 1999), consists o f th e p a ­ p ers p re s e n te d at th e C o n fe re n c e o n Library A u to m a tio n h e ld in W arsaw , O c to b e r 16-18, 1997, u n d e r th e au sp ices o f th e A n d r e w W . M e llo n F o u n d a tio n a n d w ith th e p articip ation o f th e N a tio n al Library o f P o la n d . Since the c o lla p s e o f com m u n ism , m a n y libraries in the r e g io n h a v e atta in e d W e s te rn E u ro p e a n o r A m eric a n standards, th e qu ality o f librarianship has risen e n o rm o u s ly , a n d librarians h a v e v a l­ iantly risen to th e c h a lle n g e o f au tom atin g their c o lle c tio n s fro m scratch. S o m e o f th e p ap ers in c lu d e d are: “L ib rary A u to m a tio n : Fortunes an d M iseries in P o la n d ,” b y A d a m M an ik ow sk i; “T h e A le p h Im p le m e n ta tio n at th e N a tio n a l L ib r a r y o f t h e C z e c h R e p u b l i c , ” b y I v a P ribram ska; “A R etro s p e c tiv e C o n ve rs io n : T h e Case o f D e b re c e n ,” b y O lg a G o m b a ; an d “M an ­ a g in g D elays: T h e M ic ro p o litic s o f T im e in the C z e c h a n d S lo v a k A u to m a tio n P ro jec ts ,” b y A n d r e w Lass. $55.00. O x fo r d U n iversity Press. IS B N 0-19-513262-9. Nikita Khrushchev and the Creation o f a Superpower, b y S ergei N . K h ru sh ch ev (765 p age s, M arch 2000), con sists o f th e firsthand re m in iscen ces o f th e s o n o f th e m an w h o w a s p re m ie r o f th e S o vie t U n io n fro m 1958 to 1964. S e r g e i— w h o s e 1991 m e m o ir a b o u t his fath e r’s last years, K hrushchev o n Khrushchev, u n ra v e le d th e p lo t that le d to his d o w n fa ll— discusses N ik ita ’s rise to p o w e r an d th e crises d u rin g his re g im e . O f particu lar interest is his p e rs p e c tiv e o n th e C u ban M issile Crisis, o r the C a rib b ean Crisis as th e Russians call it. S ergei w rite s that it w a s a m a jor tu rn in g p o in t in U.S.- mailto:geberhart@ala.org 7 1 8 / C & R L N e w s ■ S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 0 S o v ie t relation s: “I f w e lo o k at th e e v e n ts o f th o s e y e a rs th ro u g h th e p rism o f th e past d e ­ c ad es, w e s e e that as a resu lt o f th e C u b a n M issile Crisis Father a c h ie v e d w h a t h e w a s striv­ in g f o r all th o s e years: A m e ric a n d e ju re re c ­ o g n itio n that th e S o v ie t U n io n w a s its e q u a l in d e s tru ctive p o w e r .” T h e p r e m ie r ’s s o n s p e a k s w ith u n iq u e au­ th ority: N o t o n ly w a s h e p r iv y to m a n y o f th e c o n v e rs a tio n s his fa th e r h a d w ith c lo s e a d v is ­ ers a n d w o r ld lead ers, b u t h e w o r k e d f o r 10 y e a rs d e s ig n in g S o v ie t cruise m issiles that w e r e p o in t e d at th e U n ite d States at th e h eig h t o f the C o ld W ar. H is r e v e la ­ tio n s a b o u t th e S o v ie t s p a c e p ro g ra m , in c lu d ­ in g th e disastrous e x p lo ­ s io n o f th e R - l6 ro c k e t at T y u ra -T a m that k ille d 57 s o ld ie rs a n d 25 c ivilia n s in 1960, are e x ­ tr e m e ly v a lu a b le . S e r g e i K h ru s h c h e v, w h o has b e e n w o r k ­ in g at th e C e n te r fo r F o re ig n P o lic y D e v e lo p ­ m e n t at B r o w n U n iv e rs ity s in c e 1991, a n d his w if e b e c a m e A m e ric a n c itize n s in 1999. T h is w e ll-w r itte n m e m o ir c o m e s across as an h o n ­ est a n d tim e ly re m in d e r o f h o w d iffe r e n t th in gs m ig h t h a v e b e e n . $54.95. P e n n State U n iv e r­ s ity Press. IS B N 0-271-01927-1. The 151st Pennsylvania V olunteers a t Gettysburg: Like Ripe Apples in a Storm, b y M ic h a e l A . D re e s e (1 9 0 p a g e s, M a y 2000), o ffe rs a d a y -b y -d a y an alysis o f th e 151st’s p ar­ ticip atio n in th e G e tty sb u rg cam p aign . T h is unit s u ffe re d th e s e c o n d h ig h e s t n u m b e r o f c asu al­ ties o f a n y N o rth e rn re g im e n t in th e b attle, m o s t o f w h ic h o c c u r re d in a b o u t a n h o u r o f fie r c e fig h tin g at t w o lo c a tio n s d u rin g th e first d a y . D re e s e m a k e s u s e o f m u c h fre s h s o u rc e m a terial fr o m d es ce n d a n ts o f th e m e n in th e u n it a n d g iv e s us a g lim p s e o f w h a t th e p ar­ ticip an ts w e n t th rou gh . Little has b e e n w ritte n a b o u t th e se sold ie rs, w h o h a d n o t s e e n m u ch c o m b a t p r io r t o th e b attle; e v e n th e ir m o n u ­ m e n t is ra rely p o in t e d o u t d u rin g tou rs o f th e b a ttle fie ld . $45.00. M c F a rla n d & C o m p a n y . IS B N 0-7864-0804-9. A n o th e r M cF a rla n d C iv il W a r title is C o n ­ fe d e ra te C ou ra ge o n O th e r Fields, b y M ark J. C r a w fo r d (1 7 7 p a g e s , M arc h 2 000), w h ic h e x ­ e m p lifie s th e cu rren t fa s cin a tio n w ith re se a rch in to th e o b s c u re r c o rn e rs o f C iv il W a r history. C r a w fo r d has a s s e m b le d h e r e th e ac c ou n ts o f fo u r little-k n o w n C o n fe d e ra te dram as: th e battle o f D in w id d ie C o u rt H o u s e , V irgin ia , M a rc h 31, 1865; e x c e rp ts fro m th e letters o f C o l. C h arles C. B la ck n all o f th e 2 3rd N o rth C a ro lin a In fa n ­ try fr o m First M anassas to his d e a th fr o m a w o u n d r e c e iv e d at th e b attle o f W in c h e s te r in 1864; th e b itte r c o n flic t in s o u th eastern M is­ sou ri ty p ifie d b y th e b attle o f P ilo t K n o b in 1864; a n d th e fo r g o tte n h is to ry o f G e n e ra l H o s p ita l N u m b e r 1 at K ittrell’s Springs, N o rth C arolina. $35.00. M cF a rla n d & C o m p a n y . IS B N 0-7864-0720-4. T w entieth-C entury Teen Culture by th e Decades: A Reference Guide, b y Lucy Rollin (3 9 6 p a g e s , Jan u ary 2 000), w ill h e lp y o u u n ­ d ersta n d y o u r e ld e rs b e tte r as w e ll as y o u r w o rk -s tu d y stu d en t assistants. R o llin e x a m in e s th e leisu re activities, slang, fash ion , w o r k ethic, attitudes to w a rd s s c h o o l a n d parents, a n d re a d ­ in g p re fe re n c e s o f te e n s fr o m th e 1900s to th e 1990s. D o y o u th in k s lam d a n c in g is v u lg a r o r idiotic? T ry to im a g in e w h a t th e P o p e w a s think­ in g w h e n th e V atican is su ed an o ffic ia l d is a p ­ p r o v a l o f th e T u r k e y T r o t in 1914. C o m p a re th e 1950s fu ro r o v e r c o m ic b o o k s ca u s in g d e ­ lin q u e n c y w ith th e m u ltip le th e o rie s f o r th e cau se o f te e n v io le n c e in th e 1990s. Learn s o m e s la n g fr o m th e 1940s a n d try to s u b tly in tro ­ d u c e it a m o n g y o u r p ee rs . B e s id e s b e in g in ­ fo r m a tiv e a n d a fu n read , this b o o k h o ld s a m irro r u p to e a c h g e n e ra tio n a n d asks, “W h a t w e r e y o u th in k ing?" $59.95. G r e e n w o o d Press. IS B N 0-313-30223-5. You Say You W ant a Revolution: A Story o f In fo rm a tio n A ge Politics, b y R e e d E. H u n d t (2 3 8 p a g e s , M a rc h 2000), is an e n te r­ ta in in g m e m o ir o f H u n d t’s te n u re as c h airm an o f th e F e d e ra l C o m m u n ic a tio n s C o m m is s io n fro m 1993 to 1997. A h ig h -s c h o o l fr ie n d o f A1 G o r e , H u n d t o ffe r s a “W e s t W in g ”- f la v o r e d n arrative fille d w ith a n e c d o te s a n d in fo rm a l analysis as h e re co u n ts th e c o m p lic a te d p o li­ tic k in g that le d to th e T e le c o m m u n ic a tio n s A c t o f 1996. T h e b o o k is m o s t in te re stin g f o r its in sights in to th e in n e r w o r k in g s o f a fe d e r a l c o m m is s io n a n d th e fo r c e s that a rra y e d th e m ­ s e lv e s ag ain st th e in itia tiv e to c o n n e c t e v e r y c la s s ro o m to th e In te rn e t b y 2001. $25.00. Y a le U n iv e rs ity Press. IS B N 0-300-08364-5. ■ C & R L N e w s ■ S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 0 / 7 1 9