Longer by more than 100 pages, this second edition of a 2003 work by Halloran whets the appetite of general readers and beginning scholars alike. Expansions include a dictionary section now offering approximately 300 additional entries and a longer chronology section. Necessarily selective in order to encompass much essential material about a variegated region in one convenient volume, the author acknowledges that those seeking further information on events, literature, persons, and places should consult the augmented bibliography (still apparently print-based rather than also including web sources)…. Imparting historical perspective and regional context, Halloran includes politicians who have presumably completed their public careers alongside certain characteristic words (e.g., moxie, wampum, and scallop) and phrases (red tide, Route 1, or Great Migration—here referring to Puritans from England to the colonies in the 17th century)…. [T]his expanded volume is a helpful, albeit not singular, source for details about the region—a valuable prompt to further study by seldom-sated, inquiring readers.

Summing Up: Recommended. All libraries. All levels.

Choice Reviews

Beneficial in a public or high school library reference section in order to give a brief overview of a topic. It is also helpful for a quick look up confirm birth and death dates, locations of events, or to clarify an occurrence. It is only one volume and a relatively small book but is packed with subjects and locations. Overall, it is a respectable reference to have on hand.

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