The Hudson River Valley, which George Washington referred to as the "Key to the Northern Country," played a central role in the American Revolution. From 1776 to 1780, with major battles fought at Saratoga, Fort Montgomery, and Stony Point, the region was a central battleground of the Revolution. In addition, it witnessed some of the most dramatic and memorable aspects of the war, such as Benedict Arnold's failed conspiracy at West Point, the burning...

Michael E. Groth focuses on the largely forgotten history of slavery in New York and the African American freedom struggle in the central Hudson Valley prior to the Civil War. Slaves were central actors in the drama that unfolded in the region during the Revolution, and they waged a long and bitter battle for freedom during the decades that followed. Slavery in the countryside was more oppressive than slavery in urban environments, and the agonizingly...

"A writer, brewer and fermentation enthusiast chronicles his year spent drinking and eating only products that had been created by microbes, becoming the living embodiment of the cultural and nutritional power of fermentation,"--NoveList.

"The mysterious majestic Hudson River Highlands have long enchanted artists and hikers. They also launched revolutions of independence, and industry, conservation, and creativity. Every hill and hollow arcing fifty miles north of New York City holds a story. Some helped shape the nation. An icy giant slumbering between Storm King and Breakneck Ridge surprised the First Nation peoples. George Washington, fighting here for American Independence, saved...