Publications

Kerry W. Buckley, ed., A Place Called Paradise: Culture & Community in Northampton, Massachusetts, 1654-2004 (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2004) A Place Called Paradise: Culture and Community in Northampton, Massachusetts, 1654-2004 Edited by Kerry W. Buckley University of Massachusetts Press A volume of essays by distinguished historians commemorating the 350th anniversary of a historic New England community This is local history at its best..The next-best-thing to living in Northampton is reading this wonderful volume. Paul S. Boyer Editor, The Oxford Companion to United States History A Place called Paradise is a wonderful introduction to the historical life of Northampton, Massachusetts, one of the most extraordinary places in the Atlantic world, and a place which has inspired some of the most outstanding historical writing of the past decades. Emma Rothschild University of Cambridge and Harvard University Historic Northampton deserves high praise for bringing together such a fine collection of essays. What a smart way to celebrate a 350th anniversary! Serious history is the best kind of monument. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Phillips Professor of Early American History, Harvard University In 1790, President Timothy Dwight of Yale offered this description of Northampton, a town situated on the banks of the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts: "The inhabitants of this valley possess a common character," he remarked. "Even the beauty of the scenery, scarcely found in the same degree elsewhere, becomes a source of pride as well as enjoyment." Northampton evoked equally powerful visions in others. From witchcraft trials to Shays' Rebellion, from Sojourner Truth and the utopian abolitionists to Sylvester Graham and diet reform, many of the main currents of American life have flowed through this New England river town. To commemorate the 350th anniversary of the founding of Northampton, A Place Called Paradise brings together a broad range of writing on the city's rich heritage. This volume includes essays by John Demos, Christopher Clark, Nell Irvin Painter, David W. Blight, and other distinguished scholars who have found this region fertile ground for research. Together their writings not only chronicle the history of a place but illustrate, in microcosm, the dynamics at work in the larger sweep of America's past. Hardcover, 516 pages, illustrations, index Listen to public radio feature on A Place Called Paradise Click here for link to WFCR audio file $39.95

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