The history of North Adams is a portrait of survival and a celebration of diversity, which is not only expressed in its citizens and their ancestry but also in the many faces that the city and its environment have taken on through the years. From the isolated military outpost that fought a dramatic battle in the mid-1700s, through the roller-coaster ride of prosperity and economic depression endured by its citizens, North Adams exemplifies the strength...

Baraboo, a community as unique as its name, had the same beginnings as many other southern Wisconsin cities--but its development throughout the 19th century set it apart. Starting in 1839, several dams were built along the Baraboo River rapids and a typical mill town formed. Baraboo's population began to rise when it became the county seat in 1846. With the arrival of the railroad in 1871, the village doubled in size within a decade. The railroad...

Osama bin Laden is dead, but Al Qaeda remains the CIA's "number one threat." Yet since the 9/11 attacks on the United States, the organization has evolved into a much more complex and far-flung entity, even as American military strikes have killed its most identifiable spokesmen and leaders. Moving well beyond the headlines, this richly documented and fascinating account of Al Qaeda offers readers a completely new understanding of the organization's...

Images of America: Bristol celebrates the history of the town known as "A Good Place to Live." Joseph A. Anderson bought land on the Virginia-Tennessee border from his father-in-law, Rev. James King, and founded Bristol in 1852. Just four years later, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad came to Bristol, and the town became a major trading center of the Appalachian region. During the Civil War, Bristol was a vital railway link between the North and...

Jeannette, the Glass City, was the first industrial city in Westmoreland County. From Jeannette's founding in 1888 by Pittsburgh industrialist H. Sellers McKee, the city was destined for fame. Jeannette produced more glass in various forms than any other city in the world. At one time there were seven great glass factories in Jeannette, all producing glass that was shipped worldwide. Jeannette was a beautiful planned Victorian town, and the residents...