I just wrapped up the neatest little book. The target audience for this thing is small, but as a new resident of the hub of the universe (Boston), I'm glad I've read this: A Short History of Boston.
Lisa picked this up for me as a gift, after she tired of me staring at every old map of the city I've come across, or scanning the historical context kiosks that are found all over the area.
Here's some of what I learned:
- One of the original residents of the city, John Maverick, predated the Puritans, and left when they arrived, mostly because he found them annoying and preachy. He moved to Texas, where he refused to brand his cattle. Because of his non-conformist mentality, he still use the term Maverick today in reference to folks who do things their own way.
- Sam Adams was a total nut case, but he was really good at stirring up a crowd. The Boston Massacre was not clearly an act of British aggression, as I remember it, but actually a quite complicated situation. Sam Adams organized a massive public funeral for the victims, though, and turned the public sentiment against the King and his army.
- Ben Franklin had made enough money in the print business to fully retire at age 40, and he basically lived as a playboy in Europe the rest of his life. I remember reading in the John Adams book that, though Franklin coined the term "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." he usually slept until 11AM.
- The town of Canton, MA is named for the area in Asia. While this book suggests that this was a reflection of the strong trading ties to Asia, the town's own Historical Society claims it was simply because the founder believed he was on the opposite side of the earth from Canton. I think this book's explanation makes more sense than the town's, but what do I know?
- Boston's main airport, Logan, is so much closer to the downtown area than any other city's airport simply because the politicians of the era lacked respect for the the surrounding area's poor, ethnic citizens.
- Faneuil Hall has only existed in its modern form, a giant outdoor mall, since 1976.
- So much more of the city is landfill than I'd realized. In fact, the isthmus was once so narrow that Washington Street (than called Orange Street), was both the northern and southern border of the city. I did not know, for example, that Charles Street got its name because it represented the border of the river.
There's a lot more in the book. It's worth checking out for the pictures alone.
Stop-action animation is indeed overlooked by not only the Academy, but the public, as well. Too many times has animation in general been snubbed and been dismissed as child's play, impervious to profundity and sophistication.
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