Book Reviews

entertainment as opposed to information. make each subject accessible to less knowl- “Stump-sitting,” the book’s first essay, edgeable readers. describes the extremely non-scientific act of “Hiking on Your Stomach,” for instance, sitting on a stump and observing the outlines the necessity of preparing adequate wilderness around you. It’s the perfect food for forays into the wilderness. “They say introduction into Fergus’ world, one where an army marches on its stomach. The axiom nature is appreciated in all of its forms. applies equally to backpackers and The Wingless Crow These essays are so full of information backcountry hunters,” Fergus imparts. “It is By Charles Fergus and striking imagery that to ingest more part of the experience to rise and travel at (University Park, Pa.: Penn State University Press, 2007) than one at a time seems unfair to both leisure … you may dawdle over breakfast, 170 pp., $17.95 softcover reader and text. cooking a meal that not only fuels your body To cite an example, in “A Fair Day for but also lifts your spirits, making you better In a world more concerned with how to find Hunters” he goes to great lengths to depict the able to appreciate your surroundings.” This is enough energy to power SUVs down city circumstances surrounding the hunting a prime display of Fergus’ unique relationship streets, it’s refreshing to read about the of turkeys, pheasants, rabbits, ducks, to his readers, in that he is no superhero importance of fencerows. Did you know grouse, doves, squirrels, and deer. The outdoorsman. Rather he is happy to share that a single gram of reader experiences the some common sense advice with his audience soil lying beneath a excitement of the chase, that to be at peace with nature, you have to be fencerow can support and is therefore at peace with your stomach first. 10,000 lives? Neither did somewhat spent when it While some essays in the collection I before reading Charles comes time to move might not hold the interest of the casual Fergus’ essay “Arteries” on to the next selection, environmentalist, every selection holds at in his newly reprinted an equally intricate least one nugget of knowledge that is sure to collection The Wingless portrait of the make the reader stop and think about taking a Crow. “Arteries” refers difficulties of owning nice, long walk outside. to the fencerow’s and maintaining an old life-supporting and house in the country. Maxwell Jones is a freelance writer currently sustaining place in the Each essay fol- teaching GED preparation through AmeriCorps in otherwise treeless spaces lows the same format: the Allegheny County Jail. of central , roughly one thousand where the majority words told from the of Fergus’ essays find perspective of the nat- their settings. uralist himself. It Reading through should come as no surprise that the great this collection, written for Pennsylvania outdoors provides so many unique story- Game News between 1978 and 1992, is like telling opportunities, but rather the revela- reading a biology textbook written for tion comes from the ability of Fergus to

58 WESTERNPENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | FA L L 2 0 0 8 Helen Clay Frick: Bittersweet Heiress leanings, strong-willed business woman, siblings both died tragically young. Accord- By Martha Frick Symington Sanger patriot, and caring benefactor. ing to Sanger, these deaths and the family’s (: Press, 2007) These different qualities would be diffi- reaction to them played a major role in 386 pp., illustrations, $40 hardcover cult to understand without an in-depth look Helen’s shaping. into Helen Frick’s As a young girl, she accompanied her Helen Clay Frick was a childhood and father on trips to Europe, purchasing the complex person with a upbringing. Helen’s art that formed the basis for the Frick Col- mission to protect and father Henry Clay lection in New York. After her father’s death preserve her father’s Frick was a domi- Helen continued to build this collection as reputation and legacy. This neering industrialist well as her own. She also funded biography is written by her who made his for- the University of Pittsburgh’s teaching col- grand-niece, Martha Frick tune in the coke and lection and had a hand in the art acquisi- Symington Sanger, who steel industry and tions for it and for The Frick Art Museum. takes care to tell the good, gained notoriety as a This book is generously illustrated with art- the bad, and the ugly in the union strikebreaker. work from assorted collections. There are life of the Frick family. Henry never wanted also family and personal photos from the Many facets of Helen his daughter to personal collection of the author as well as Frick’s persona are marry, and she never the Frick Archives to which Sanger had revealed: fiercely loyal did. Helen’s mother extensive access. daughter, generous philanthropist, art savvy Adelaide’s severe bouts of depression made When her father died in 1919, Helen collector, world traveler, anti-German her distant from the family. Two of Helen’s then age 21 became the richest unmarried

Senator John Heinz History Center Board of Trustees *

Stephen R. Tritch, Andrew E. Masich, The Honorable Brian L. Ellis Andrea T. Mahone Joe William Trotter, Jr., Ph.D. Trustee Emeritus Chairman President & CEO, Historical Society of Sigo Falk Glen T. Meakem The Honorable Mike Turzai Robert Barensfeld John F. Bitzer, Jr., Western Pennsylvania Vice Chairman Judge Mike Fisher Sandy Mellon Auditor General Jack Wagner Frank V. Cahouet

Ron Davenport, Sr., Arthur L. Baldwin Timothy O. Fisher Terrence J. Murphy The Honorable Don Walko John P. Davis, Jr. Vice Chairman Esther L. Barazzone, Ph. D. Alvaro Garcia-Tunon Ralph J. Papa Dennis A. Watson, Esq. Stephen W. Graffam, Esq.

Paul O’Neill, Jr., Susie Barbour Stan Geier Robert N. Peirce, Jr., Esq. Bruce Wiegand Maxwell King Treasurer Nadine E. Bognar Chuck Hammel The Honorable John R. Pippy William C. King Beverlynn Elliott, Secretary Commissioner J. Bracken Burns, Sr. Matthew G. Harbaugh Dan Rooney Honorary Trustee The Honorable Frank J. Lucchino

Esther L. Bush Franco Harris Carol Semple Thompson Teresa Heinz David McCullough

Estelle F. Comay, Esq. Donald J. Heberle H. Woodruff Turner, Esq. Robert Knutson Martin G. McGuinn

Mrs. James F. Compton Tod Hunt Dan D. Sandman The Honorable Dan Onorato The Honorable Tim Murphy Represented by Shawn Fox The Honorable Jay Costa, Jr. F. Michael Langley Margaret Snavely The Honorable Luke Ravenstahl Charles J. Dougherty, Ph.D. Gerald F. MacCleary Kaveri Subbarao

* Legally: Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania WESTERNPENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | FA L L 2 0 0 8 59 Book Reviews

woman in America. In addition to the art constant battle with the all-male board of collections, she also generously supported directors of the . philanthropic endeavors. She was not Helen Clay Frick: Bittersweet Heiress, without her faults, however, and Ms. well-researched and straightforward, provides Sanger holds no punches when she points an insightful glimpse into one of the most these out even though she has fond prominent and influential Pittsburgh families. memories of her “grauntie.” Helen carried with her an anti-German prejudice after Debbie Day, a 2007 graduate of the MLIS pro- seeing the devastation in Europe as a gram at the University of Pittsburgh, works in nurse near the front lines in World War I. the Library and Information Sciences program at In fact, she barred anyone of German Pitt as Program Support Specialist. descent from accessing her art library and personal museums. She was also at almost

60 WESTERNPENNSYLVANIA HISTORY | FA L L 2 0 0 8 Book Review Capsules

Portrait of an Connie Mack and Historic Photos of Pittsburgh American the Early Years Text and captions Community: O’Hara of Baseball by Miriam Meislik (Nashville, Tenn.: Turner Township, PA By Norman L. Macht Publishing Company, 2008) (Pittsburgh: Township (Lincoln, Neb.: University of Illustrated, 206 pp., $39.95 of O’Hara, 2008) Nebraska Press, 2007) hardcover Illustrations, index, ix, Illustrations, index, xvi, 708 280 pp., $39.95 hardcover pp., $39.95 hardcover Miriam Meislik has picked wonderful O’Hara Township is across the river from Connie Mack played for and also managed the photographs of Pittsburgh from the archives of Pittsburgh’s Highland Park. The township Pittsburgh Pirates from 1894-1896, before the University of Pittsburgh. These are scenes has produced a book rich with managing the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 familiar to Pittsburghers but from another information on their history. It’s rare to years. This book covers his life and career until time. She has also worked on an online see a community history so thoroughly 1914 and is a fascinating look at the early days photographic project, Historic Pittsburgh, researched including bibliographies at the of professional baseball. –Art Louderback http://digital.library.pitt.edu/pittsburgh/, which end of each chapter and a complete index. is definitely worth visiting. –Art Louderback Every page is full of interesting facts. –Art Louderback

Civil War Medal of Honor Recipients: A Complete Illustrated Record By Robert P. Broadwater (Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland and Company, 2007) Illustrations, indices, vii, 351 pp., $55.00 hardcover

The approaching sesquicentennial of the Civil War makes it an important subject. Each Medal of Honor recipient is listed with his birth date, reason for receiving the medal, and a photograph, if available. The book is indexed in many ways including, regiment, place of action, state, and birth year of recipient. –Art Louderback

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