Canal Town (New York Classics)
by Samuel Hopkins Adams
Our Price: $19.95
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $3.49 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Samuel Hopkins AdamsEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1988-12
ISBN: 0815602286
Number of pages: 465
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
Book Reviews of Canal Town (New York Classics)
Book Review: Life on the early canal.
Summary: 5 Stars
Strong characters, readable prose and fascinating history make Canal Town a wonderful way to have begun my reading year in 2006. I highly recommend it, particularly for any readers with an interest in the history of the Erie Canal and Upstate NY.
Canal Town tells the story of the early days of Palmyra, NY through the eyes of Dr. Horace Amlie. Dr. Amlie arrives in Palmyra looking for a prosperous trading town to hang his shingle, and settles to serve the local community. At the time the book starts, the canal is still being dug and the town is gearing up for the excitement and riches that they are sure will follow. The book is packed with the details of that early life-- fever and dysentry follow the progress of the canal, modern medicine is starting to emerge, temperence reformers fill the churches, and the taming process of what was then the western frontier begins in earnest. Eventually, the young Dr. Amlie becomes involved in a medical mystery that threatens his entire career.
Adams, who grew up in Rochester NY, was a prolific writer who lived and wrote between 1871 and 1958. He began his career as a muckraker for Collier's, attacking the patent medicine industry. He became famous for his novels of the Jazz age, writing under the pen name of Warner Fabian. Although he himself characterized much of his writing as potboilers, he was well-respected for the quality of his writing and friends with many of the greats of the day.
In the Case of Canal Town, Adams' background as a medical writer combined beautifully with his writing skills to create an entertaining and gripping read. The 466 pages went by much faster than I ever would have expected, and I kept myself up into the night to read the resolution of the mystery.
If you are a fan of writers like Wilkie Collins or if you like very strong historical fiction, then I suspect that you will find a lot to like in this book. Readers should be aware that abortion is a central element in the story, albeit obliquely.
Summary of Canal Town (New York Classics)
'{An} elaborate, colorful, and affectionate portrait of a canal town in its growing pains. Obviously Mr. Adams has not only gone back to the sources but has lived with them for a long time before writing his account of a young doctor setting up his practice.' -The AtlanticHistory Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in History Books
The Great Crash 1929by John Kenneth Galbraith
Mariner Books; Published: 1997-04-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.20
Price in other shops:
Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidencyby Barton Gellman
Penguin Press HC, The; Published: 2008-09-16; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.00
Price in other shops:
The Forever Warby Dexter Filkins
Knopf; Published: 2008-09-16; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.49
Price in other shops:
The Post-American Worldby Fareed Zakaria
W. W. Norton; Published: 2008-05-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.48
Price in other shops:
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalismby Naomi Klein
Picador; Published: 2008-06-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.64
Price in other shops:
The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008by Bob Woodward
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2008-09-08; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.54
Price in other shops:
The Wordy Shipmatesby Sarah Vowell
Riverhead Hardcover; Published: 2008-10-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.97
Price in other shops:
Kill Bin Laden: A Delta Force Commander's Account of the Hunt for the World's Most Wanted Manby Dalton Fury
St. Martin's Press; Published: 2008-10-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $15.40
Price in other shops:
The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depressionby Amity Shlaes
Harper Perennial; Published: 2008-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.98
Price in other shops:
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Timeby Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2007-01-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Grandfather Stories (New York Classics)by Samuel Hopkins Adams
Syracuse University Press; Published: 1989-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.55
Price in other shops: