The Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen: A Brief Review

During my recent trip to Vermont, I had the opportunity to visit the Ethan Allen Homestead in Burlington. Because of my current interest in Ethan Allen’s involvement in the American Revolution, I was compelled to purchase a reprint of A Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen’s Observations During His Captivity, written by Ethan Allen himself. The following is my brief review and synopsis of that piece.

One of the great boons to an historian is a first-person account of historical events, reflecting the particular vernacular and sentiment of an era. Although such a depiction may reveal the biases and subjective memories of the writer as often as it presents factual information, it nonetheless provides an invaluable piece to the puzzle of American history.

The Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen is one such account. Originally published in 1779, it is the depiction of Allen’s approximately 2-year, 8-month imprisonment during the American Revolution. Unable to write freely during his captivity, Allen had to rely on his memory after the fact to complete this work, which he informs the reader in his introduction. The actual story begins with Allen’s description of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga wherein he tells of his valor and that of his Green Mountain Boys. He goes on to recount the quest for Crown Point, followed by the campaigns into Canada. Being captured and taken as a prisoner of war from Canada, the bulk of the narrative is a telling of his experiences in captivity–a mixture of brutal treatment, deplorable conditions, and occasional acts of sincere kindness. Allen concludes his saga with the details of his eventual release and return to Vermont.

The Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen is a worthwhile read for those interested in the life of Ethan Allen, as well as anyone who wishes to read a firsthand account of the American Revolution.

Thoreau’s Walden: A Review

July marks the anniversary of Henry David Thoreau’s historic move to the woods of Walden Pond, just a short distance from his family home in the quaint village of Concord, Massachusetts. Setting out on July 4, 1845, he lived in his self-built, 10×15-foot cabin for two years, two months, and two days. During that period, he recorded his thoughts and experiences, drafting what would ultimately become Walden; Or, Life in the Woods.

Walden, however, is more than a diary of Thoreau’s time in the relative seclusion of the woods. It is an articulation of his observations and personal philosophies written in the context of his life at Walden Pond.

“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity” was one of Thoreau’s guiding principles and he demonstrated his commitment to that cause through his records published in Walden. His little house, for instance, amounted to just over $28–an extremely modest sum, even in his day. Nevertheless, those meager accommodations were more than adequate for Thoreau, whether in solitude or with company.

In fact, Thoreau denounced the people of his era who lived beyond their means, which, in his estimation, was blatantly unnecessary. Referring to his neighbors’ lifestyles of excess, he wrote that many are “needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have.” Thoreau understood–and expressed–that it was possible to live comfortably with little expense if one could resist the temptation of competing with others.

Walden is also a statement of Thoreau’s profound appreciation of the natural world. His was a genuine respect for nature that spanned the scenery, plants, animals, and the changing of the seasons.

In a chapter describing the area ponds, he penned, “A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.” Thoreau had the ability to look into the heart and soul of nature. And, fortunately, he gave a glimpse of his vision on the pages of Walden.

156 years have passed since the first edition of Walden was published. Today, it is considered one of the greatest pieces of American writing and has inspired generations of students, environmentalists, philosophers, researchers, writers, and historians. Thoreau’s Walden speaks to the natural human desire to live a meaningful life based on one’s own principles. As such, it will likely continue to stimulate and inspire its readers for years to come.

Reading List

Currently reading:
XML in a Nutshell, Third Edition
Mastering Oracle SQL, 2nd Edition
Microsoft Office Access 2007 QuickSteps

Recently read:
Library 2.0 and Beyond

My “To-Read” List (Abridged)

As a Cataloging Librarian, hundreds of new books cross my desk every week. And, as a bookworm, I can’t resist perusing them and keeping an on-going list of books to read. The following is a selection of my “to-reads”:

1. Don’t Give Up the Ship: Myths of the War of 1812, by Donald R. Hickey
2. Creepy Crawls: A Horror Fiend’s Travel Guide, by Leon Marcelo
3. The Town that Forgot How to Breath, by Kenneth J. Harvey
4. My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams
5. Print Is Dead: Books in Our Digital Age, by Jeff Gomez
6. Runner’s World Guide to Road Racing, by Katie McDonald Neitz
7. The Green Book, by Elizabeth Rogers
8. When Men Become Gods, by Stephen Singular
9. Recipes from the Garden, by Rosalind Creasy
10. Betty Crocker Whole Grains
11. Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West, by Shannon McKenna Schmidt & Joni Rendon
12. The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life, by Pam Grout
13. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, by Vicki Myron
14. A History of Reading, by Alberto Manguel
15. Library: An Unquiet History, by Matthew Battles
16. Street Gang: The Complete Story of Sesame Street, by Michael Davis
17. The Book of Dead Philosophers, by Simon Critchley
18. The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World’s Largest Unsolved Art Theft, by Ulrich Boser

What I’m Reading

I am currently reading Washington’s Crossing, by David Hackett Fischer.

I have recently finished:
The Dog Who Belonged to No One, by Amy Hest (1/08/09)
The I Love You Book, by Todd Parr (2/06/09)
Inez: The Life and Times of Inez Milholland, by Linda Lumsden (2/06/09)
Yummiest Love, by Lisa McCourt (2/09/09)