Washington D.C. Books - Page 3

The Jewish Community of Washington, D.C. (DC) (Images of America)

et al Dr. Martin Garfinkle

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Jewish Washington, D.C. 5 out of 5 stars.
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I moved to Washington D.C in the mid-1970s and have lived here, with a brief period in suburban Maryland, ever since. For most of that time, I have not been a practicing Jew, but this book struck deep chords with me.
I had a similar reaction to another book in the Images of America Series, "Jewish Milwaukee" by Martin Hintz, which is a photographic documentary of the city in which I grew up. But Dr. Martin Garfinkle's book, "The Jewish Community of Washington, D.C." has, somehow, a tougher, livelier feel. It brought the Washington Jewish community to life and, equally important, it brought Washington D.C. to life.

Dr Garfinkle is a fourth-generation Washingtonian who currently holds an academic position in New York City. The many pictures of his family give this book a highly personal touch. Although some Jews, such as the Garfinkles, have deep roots in the city, most have come to the city from somewhere else, just as I have done, and lack long generational ties to Washington D.C.

The book focuses on Washington D.C. itself rather than the subtantial Jewish communities that have arisen in recent years in suburban Maryland and Virginia. The book is in ten chapters, the first three of which are comparatively lengthy with the remaining seven chapters short and particularized. There is much emphasis in the book on American patriotism within the Jewish community which I found gratifying and important.

The first chapter of the book describes, appropriately, Jewish worship in Washington D.C. I particularly enjoyed seeing the photographs of the earliest synagogues in what is today a part of the city near Chinatown and the Martin Luther King library. Many of these old buildings are still functional houses of worship for Christian churches. Garfinkle also offers photographs of former Jewish synagogues in Southwest D.C. and along the Georgia Avenue and 16th Street corridors, areas I know well.

In the second chapter of the book, "Making a Living", Garfinkle offers some wonderfully rare old photographs of small shops, grocery stores, "bargain" stores, clothing and jewelry stores, gas stations, auto parts stores, book stores, liquor stores, and restaurants. He offers a portrait of a striving, vibrant people and community. We see the inside of shops and small storefronts on Georgia Avenue and downtown Washington that are no more. The book offers a fascinating portrayal of the everyday life of newcomers to the city and of middle-class people. The photos date from the pre-New Deal era in which Jewish people were not a large presence in the Federal Civil Service.

The third chapter of the book discusses the many organizations and activities in which the D.C. Jewish community has been engaged over the years. Family activities, such as a home seder, and community activities, such as athletic activities, confirmations and groundbreakings for new buildings are featured. Presidents including Grant, McKinley, Coolidge, Hoover, Truman and Eisenhower took an active part over the years in activities involving the dedication of buildings and institutions of Jewish life in Washington D.C. Surprisingly to me, Calvin Coolidge appeared particularly and sincerely interested in these ceremonial functions.

The remaining sections of the book deal with interesting specific themes. Garfinkle, sharing the passion of many Jewish people for baseball, discusses three Jewish players on the old Washington Senators. Further chapters focus on Al Jolson, the son of a famous Rabbi in Southwest D.C, an early Jewish avaiation pioneer, Washington D.C. Jews who gave their lives in WW II, Jews and African-Americans, a subject that deserves further exploration, U.S. Presidents, and individual moments, such as the unsolved murder of Rabbi Philip Rabinowitz of the Orthodox Kesher Israel Congreation in Georgetown in 1984.

I loved this book with its focus on the city and on the diverse and active lives of Jews in Washington D.C. Garfinkle offers an eloquent, individualized portrayal of a Jewish community in urban America.

Robin Friedman

Editorial Review:

The Jewish community of Washington, D.C., located in the political nexus of the United States, has often enjoyed attention from people of every level of influence, including the president of the United States. On May 3, 1925, Calvin Coolidge attended the cornerstone laying ceremony of the Washington Jewish Community Center. Herbert Hoover, as a former president, was vocal in his denunciation of Nazi Germany’s treatment of the Jews. His voice garnered the support of many United States senators in 1943, including two from Maryland and one from Virginia. Ronald Reagan sent his personal regards to the Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah Congregation on their 100th anniversary celebration on April 10, 1986.

National Pastime: Sports, Politics, and the Return of Baseball to Washington, D.C.

Barry Svrluga

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A riveting chronicle of the extraordinary debut year of the Washington Nationals—the team that brought America’s pastime back to the nation’s capital for the first time in over three decades…and quickly emerged as the team to watch in the 2005 season.

It all started in a freezing double-wide trailer parked outside RFK stadium—but this was no off-season tailgate. This was the official front office of Major League Baseball’s newest team. Crammed into the spartan space, Tony Tavares, the Washington Nationals’ newly appointed president, began the monumental task of fashioning a big league team that would, just six months down the road, usher baseball back to the nation’s capital.

Barry Svrluga, sports reporter for the Washington Post, has followed the saga of the Nationals from the early, intense political wrangling over bringing the team to Washington, to the defining triumphant moments -- and anguish -- of their first-ever season. A savvy observer of both Washington and Major League politicking, Svrluga covers the conflicts that undermined the existence of a D.C. team since the early 1970s (including the bitter opposition of powerbrokers inside the baseball establishment itself), and ended with the migration of the Montreal Expos to D.C.

Granted exclusive access to the players, the clubhouse, and the innermost workings of the team, Svrluga covers the surprise sensation of the 2005 season – which not only saw the Nationals gain a foothold on the Washington sports scene, but dominate the NL East through much of the season. From the outspoken legendary manager, Frank Robinson, to the inside stories of Jose Guillen, Livan Hernandez, and Brad Wilkerson, Svrluga brings the personalities of the team to life, interviews the most dedicated fans who’ve waited since the days of the Washington Senators for baseball to be restored in their city, and chronicles the team’s emotional ups and downs throughout the season.

A fresh new voice in sports writing, Svrluga combines the enthusiasm, authority, and attention to detail that guarantees this to be the definitive book of the Washington Nationals’ first season.

The nation’s capital hadn’t had a spring like this in more than a generation. In less than a week, the Nationals’ players and coaches were headed north. They didn’t know what kind of stadium awaited. They didn’t know what the reception would be. They didn’t know the town, how to get around, where to live, what to do. Most of all, though, they didn’t know who would play where, who would hit in which spot. Frank Robinson stewed over it all. He was supposed to go to Washington, bringing back the city’s first team in a generation, with this situation?

—From National Pastime

Black Georgetown Remembered: A History of the Georgetown Black Community from the Founding of "the Town of George' to the Present Historic District

Kathleen M. Lesko, Valerie Babb, Carroll R. Gibbs

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Customer Reviews:
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Brain Food! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My interest was stoked when an article was printed in the Washington Post regarding this topic. What an eye-opener! Current-day Georgetown is bleach-white but this book tells the whole story. I gave one as a gift. Highly recomended!

Editorial Review:

This book chronicles the history of the Georgetown black community from the colonial period to the 1990s. It records the hopes and dreams, the disappointments and successes, of a vibrant neighbourhood as it persevered through slavery and segregation, war and peace, prosperity and depression. Drawing on interviews with descendants of prominent community members and on the archives of major Georgetown churches, local historical societies, libraries and genealogical studies, it contains more than 200 illustrations, including portraits, sketches, maps and 19th-century and contemporary photographs.

Washington Dulles International Airport (VA) (Images of America)

Margaret C. Peck

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Editorial Review:

Washington Dulles International Airport is one of the three major airports that transports passengers into and out of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The beauty of the site is admired not only by millions who arrive and leave the area, but by local residents as well. After an extensive study of three separate locations in Virginia, Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower agreed to the Chantilly site and later chose to rename the world’s first jet airport after his former secretary of state, John Foster Dulles. Renowned architect Eero Saarinen designed the magnificent building that serves as a gateway in and out of the United States. Today, the once peaceful farming area and small villages have turned into a fast-paced business world filled with thousands of new homes and residents.

Forest Hills (DC) (Images of America)

Margery L. Elfin, et al

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Forest Hills neighborhood is set within a heavily treed, rolling landscape adjoining Rock Creek Park and was first home to the Piscataway Indian tribe and later to Civil War encampments. Threshing mills and large rural estates gradually gave way in the early 1900s to a residential community in close proximity to the National Bureau of Standards where many of the residents worked. Diplomats, politicians, and many prominent Washingtonians now inhabit many of the splendidly designed houses found in Forest Hills today. 0Images of America: Forest Hills includes nearly 200 vintage images that document the long and fascinating history of the community. Etchings, maps, and photographs combine to illustrate Native American settlers; architect-designed residences; and the homes of Presidents Truman and Johnson, infamous FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and Post cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. The book also highlights Connecticut Avenue, the neighborhood’s main street; apartment buildings; and well-known artists and authors who have called Forest Hills home.

Washington D.C.'s Mayflower Hotel (DC) (Images of America)

Keith Mcclinsey

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Editorial Review:

Located just four blocks from the White House, the Mayflower Hotel is “Washington’s Second Best Address,” as coined by frequent guest and former U.S. president Harry S. Truman. The hotel, which opened its doors on February 18, 1925, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is recognized for its architectural significance as well as its historic distinction. The first major social event at the Mayflower Hotel was Calvin Coolidge’s charity and inaugural ball. This began a tradition of hosting inaugural events for Democratic and Republican presidents. The hotel’s history is inextricably tied to the history of the nation’s capital and, in many ways, to the nation itself. In 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt wrote his inaugural speech in Suite 776 with the famous line, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” J. Edgar Hoover ate lunch at the Mayflower every working day for more than 20 years. In 1973, the Mayflower served as the temporary Chinese Embassy while their offices were being renovated. For over 80 years, this landmark has been regarded as the “Grande Dame of Washington, D.C.”

Kennedy White House: Family Life and Pictures, 1961-1963 (Lisa Drew Books)

Carl Sferrazza Anthony

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Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Carl Anthony takes you inside the world's most famous goldfish bowl for a glimpse at life in the White House as you've never seen it before."

-- Julie N. Eisenhower

The Kennedy White House is the first truly intimate look at Kennedy family life inside the White House. It is an unprecedented visit behind the scenes, revealing the world's most famous family in the world's most famous house. Author Carl Sferrazza Anthony scoured the Kennedy Library archives for never-before-seen color and black-and-white photographs that succeed in illustrating the Kennedy family story -- the joys and tragedies, celebrations and anniversaries, informal family gatherings and escapes to their private homes in Virginia, Palm Beach, Newport, and Hyannis Port. The book also explores for the first time the relationships between Jack and Jackie's nuclear family and both of their extended families.

The 337 full-color and black-and-white photos, taken by the primary White House photographers, are unstaged and provide a far more natural, spontaneous, and realistic portrait of the family than ever before; most of them, including color photographs of each of the private rooms, have never been seen, and they present an unparalleled look at life as it was lived behind the White House doors.

This is also the first book to place the Kennedy family within the context of the culture of the early 1960s and tell the story of the president's personal maturity through his evolving family relationships. Historical events like the Cuban Missile Crisis are uniquely viewed from the family's perspective.

An appealing combination of history, biography, and popular culture, The Kennedy White House sheds new light on a family that continues to fascinate the American public forty years after they first captivated our attention.

Washington, D.C. and the Potomac Region: With Alexandria, Arlington, Montgomery, Fairfax and Prince George's Counties (A Contemporary Portrait)

Bonnie Jacob

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Washington in Maps: 1606-2000

Iris Miller

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Editorial Review:

Standing among the most important cities of the world, and a planned city from its inception, Washington, District of Columbia, is abundantly documented. In Washington in Maps, Iris Miller delves into this historic documentation, into sometimes rare and often buried maps and letters and charts, and reveals to us a brilliant portrait of this ever-evoloving capital of a nation.

Washington in Maps features, in full color, over 100 glorious maps, dating from the seventeenth century to the present, featuring the most splendid antique maps of Washington-to the extraordinary, otherworldly satellite imagery of today. Included are maps by Thomas Jefferson and Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the man upon whose design modern Washington now stands; a map of Captain John Smith from 1608; and maps by the Senate Park (McMillan) Commission, among many others.

Maps detail both the current reality of a place, and, as well, offer imaginative renderings of future possibility, in the process often becoming something of extraordinary beauty in their own right. Washington in Maps charts a passionate course through this terrain and serves as a testament to the wonder, artistry, and intelligence that these maps manifest.

Emily Donelson of Tennessee

Pauline Wilcox Burke

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

I am in love. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 9 people found this review helpful.

This is the most beautiful book that has ever been written. I cried as I read it. My tears over it's beauty and poetry could fill the ocean (probably the Indian Ocean, because the Atlantic might be too big of a stretch.) I foresee a Nobel Prize for literature in its future. Even the cover of this book makes me tremble with delight. The buxom beauty is drawn with such classical perfection that I sigh with pleasure as i look upon her lily-white breast. Her story is told with such passion, such fervor, my palms filled with sweat merely holding this sacred book. I plead with all the world to read this novel! Oh, beauty, thy name is Emily Donelson