Today is the birth date of Neysa McMein, January 25, 1888, in Quincy, Illinois. Born Marjorie Moran McMein, she was the highest-paid and most in-demand female artist of the Jazz Age, who painted scores of magazine covers and created iconic posters in World War I. She was also a player in Women’s Suffrage in New York, a fashion icon, and a member of the Algonquin Round Table. McMein was a volunteer in France in WWI, Continue Reading →
My book World War New York: A Guide to the City’s Enduring Ties to the Great War has been nominated for an Apple Award by the Guides Association of New York City (GANYC). This is a big honor for me, since I wrote a guide book, and this is the only organization for licensed New York City sightseeing guides. My book is the sole guide book nominated, so guides can use it to lead their Continue Reading →
I was a guest on In the Arena with host Monsignor Kieran Harrington. The show airs on WOR Radio and cable TV. The Rev. Msgr. Kieran E. Harrington, V.E. is Vicar for Communications for the Diocese of Brooklyn. He is responsible for overseeing the Diocesan Public Information Office; Government Affairs and Public Policy Office; NET, the cable station of the Diocese of Brooklyn. You can watch the clip here. It was a big honor for Continue Reading →
On November 5 I am going to have a double-feature day: At 10:00 AM take a cemetery walking tour in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. Followed by a 2:00 p.m. book talk about World War I New York: A Guide the City’s Enduring Ties to the Great War, which will be held at the Queens Historical Society in Flushing. To begin the day, I will lead a free tour of the only national cemetery in NYC in Continue Reading →
My July 31 talk at the New-York Historical Society was recorded and broadcast by C-SPAN3. It’s based on my book World War I New York: A Guide to the City’s Enduring Ties to the Great War. You can stream it here. It is part of the American History TV series.
The last week has been a whirlwind ever since my new book World War I New York: A Guide to the City’s Enduring Ties to the Great War was published by Globe Pequot. I was on the edge for weeks because the book was delayed, and I was worried it would miss the centennial on April 6. To say it was close was an understatement. April 4 I finally got a chance to see the Continue Reading →
Cypress Hills National Cemetery is a place that I’ve spent many hours visiting, researching, and giving walking tours. With the centennial of World War I coming up, I’m doing more at the landmark burial ground on the Brooklyn-Queens border. I had a lot of leftover material for my upcoming book World War I New York: A Guide to the City’s Enduring Ties to the Great War. I gave some of it to a blog devoted Continue Reading →
I am happy to announce that my latest book has been nominated for an Apple Award, presented by the Guides Association of New York City. This is a big honor for me and my book, The Governors Island Explorer’s Guide: Adventure and History in New York Harbor. This is the second consecutive year I have been nominated for an Apple Award; last year I was also up for the award for The Algonquin Round Table Continue Reading →
It was a huge relief to submit to my editor Amy Lyons the last photos and the map information for my upcoming book, World War I New York: A Guide to the City’s Enduring Ties to the Great War. It is due out March 1, 2017, from Globe Pequot Press. They published my last two guidebooks, The Governors Island Explorer’s Guide and The Algonquin Round Table New York: A Historical Guide. The new book is Continue Reading →
I am signing copies of my new book The Governors Island Explorer’s Guide (Globe Pequot Press) on Saturday and Sunday, May 28 and 29, from 11 AM to Noon both days. The location is a national historic landmark, a city landmark: Castle Williams on Governors Island. The fort is part of the Governors Island National Monument and is run by the National Park Service. The rangers have free tours of Castle Williams. I’ll be in Continue Reading →