Overview

An examination of the natural, environmental, social and ultimately human history of Vermont. The author shows how Vermont has come to stand for the ideal of unspoiled rural community, examining both the basis of the state's pastoral image and the equally real toll taken by the pressure of human hands on the land. Making use of accounts, advertisements, maps, landscape paintings and vintage photographs, Jan Albers delves into the stories and personalities behind the development of a succession of Vermont landscapes. Albers aims to show that like any landscape, the Vermont landscape reflects the human decisions that have been made about it - and that the more a community understands about how such decisions have been made, the better will be its future decisions.

Full Product Details

9780262011754

Table of Contents

Reviews

The fascination of Hands on the Land lies in its beautifully orchestrated build-up to the Vermont of today. -- Tom Hotaling, Architecture Boston The unique character and timeless appeal of Vermont are rooted largely in the look of the land itself. In Hands on the Land, Jan Albers offers a lively and insightful study of the geological factors, the social and economic trends, and--perhaps most compelling--the human dreams and schemes that have shaped the landscape and in the process made Vermont one of America's truly special places. --Richard Moe, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation Jan Albers has captured the essence of Vermont, showing us how inextricably linked are its land, its people, and its way of life. In chronicling the changes time has brought to Vermont's land and economy, Albers prompts us to look anew at how inevitably the decisions of today will determine the Vermont of tomorrow. --Jean Hocker, President, The Land Trust Alliance Jan Albers's wry, sympathetic portraits of immigrants, farmers, entrepeneurs, scientists, politicians, and eccentrics combine with a remarkable sequence of illustrations to make Hands on the Land feel like a family album for Vermont. This is a book of illuminations and delights. --John Elder, Middlebury College Jan Alber's provocative book walks the reader through the fascinating geography and history of Vermont. Throughout, she artfully captures the events contributing to the shaping of the land, thus giving a history of the people and communities who have creatively lived and worked against the backdrop of one of the most remarkable and gently preserved landscapes in the world. --Thomas P. Salmon, Governor of Vermont, 1973-1977, and President of the University of Vermont, 1991-1997 What an exciting book! Jan Albers is eloquent and expert. This is an important work both for its historical perspectives and considerable foresight. Opening it, I'm invariably absorbed. --Edward Hoagland, author of Walking the Dead Diamond River

The fascination of Hands on the Land lies in its beautifully orchestrated build-up to the Vermont of today. Tom Hotaling Architecture Boston

Author Information

Jan Albers received her doctorate in history from Yale University. She has taught at Yale, the University of Sussex, and Middlebury and St. Michael's Colleges in Vermont.

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