Eric Sloane Knihy

Refreshingly written, delightfully illustrated book remarks expansively on the resourcefulness of early Americans in their use of this valuable commodity - from the crafting of furniture, tools, and buildings to the use of such by-products as charcoal and medicine. "One of Sloane's best books." -Library Journal.

"This book is about once-upon-a-time in America." — Eric Sloane. Writer and artist Eric Sloane had an abiding love for America and worked throughout a long and productive life to capture the American spirit in word and picture.The America Sloane loved was rooted in the simple virtues of our native soil: love of freedom, respect for the individual, sensible frugality, and determined self-reliance — all of which went to make up what Sloane perceived as our true American heritage.Nowhere is this heritage more amply portrayed than in the work and ways of the early Americans in our pioneer days. In this book you will listen to Sloane's talk of home and hearth, farm and field, and see all manner of tooks, utensils, buildings and rural scenes rendered in his finely detailed and lively drawings.A visit to America of "once-upon-a-time" brings us home to a land whose pioneer spirit endures, even amid the rapid and radical changes of our times

Absorbing book describes, in detail, farm tools and kitchen implements and how they were made. Includes devices used by curriers, wheelwrights, coopers, blacksmiths, loggers, tanners, coachmakers, and other craftsmen of the pre-industrial age. An informal, expressively written book for cultural historians, woodcrafters, and Americana enthusiasts. 184 black-and-white illustrations.

When this book was first published in the mid-1950s, the author was concerned that such functional structures as the American barn and the covered bridge would soon give way to progress and be replaced by "modern" elements. Today, a number of these sturdy, beautifully proportioned barns and bridges are still standing — monuments to the skill and keen eye of their original builders. This lovingly written book, accompanied by more than 75 of the author's own sketches, provides a reliable record of those vanishing forms of architecture. Accurate line drawings depict a variety of barns, such as those in Maine, attached to houses; an "open" log barn in Virginia, and a "top hat" barn in North Carolina. Covered bridges — like barns, built for soundness and endurance — are also illustrated, among them a saltbox structure in New England, a bridge with a pedestrian walkway in rural New York State, and a 10-span-long bridge at Clark's Ferry, Pennsylvania. Possessing a deep feeling for what might be called the Age of Wood, the author writes with "warmth and astonishing comprehension." — New York Herald Tribune Book Review. Americana enthusiasts and lovers of these traditional symbols of early American life will delight in this priceless tribute to a bygone era. Over 75 black-and-white illustrations.

A delightful blend of serious meteorology and beautiful illustrations, this informative book displays the many talents of Eric Sloane. A writer, landscape painter, weather forecaster, and authority on early American history, Sloane takes readers with him on a voyage of discovery as he traces a single air mass from the Canadian Rockies to northern New England. A vivid narrative and the author's own pen-and-ink sketches describe the progress of the air mass over America, and tell about its encounters with other elements of weather systems and with Americans from a variety of backgrounds.

The finest "cloudscape" painter of his generation, Eric Sloane enjoyed traveling back in time to explore how early American farmers interpreted and embraced weather signs. Examining old records, he learned that most farmers kept daily weather reports, which they referred to year after year to help them decide when to plant, harvest, and perform other farm chores.Combining elements of meteorology and Americana, this book features dozens of Sloane's excellent black-and-white illustrations and sixteen splendid full-color paintings. They complement a text about American weather, and in particular, American skies--from Vermont's swirling clouds and Florida thunderheads to New Mexico cloudscapes and Maine fogs. "You can almost tell where you are by looking upward," he says. In this unique book, he explains why.

Eric Sloane always asserted that "Drawing clouds and sky is an important part of art study," pointing out that nearly every great picture features sky space. With this intelligent and insightful primer, he sets out to help art students master the art of painting the heavens.One of the first books of its kind, Sloane's guide to drawing clouds and sunsets does much more than teach you how to draw. Before the sketching even begins, he describes various kinds of clouds — cumulus, stratus, cirrus, and other formations — and offers homespun techniques that add texture and realism to cloud illustrations.Also discussed and illustrated are skies as accessories and basic subject matter within a sketch, the shape and anatomy of clouds, moods and shadows in cloud formations, and incorporating clouds within a sunset.

What triggers a tornado? What can you see in the eye of a hurricane? What's the difference between a thunderbolt and a thunderclap? Popular author and artist Eric Sloane proves why weather is something best understood by seeing it. His illustrated book shows weather "happening." In fact, there's not a sunny page in it—nothing but cyclonic storms, whirlwinds, waterspouts, lightning bolts, and other fascinating, weather-related topics. More than seventy pages of drawings and diagrams make the weather come alive in a book that examines everything from storm mechanisms and cold fronts to the birth of a thunderhead.A valuable resource for learning more about everyone's favorite topic for conversation and speculation, Eric Sloane—the "Weather Wizard"—has the countryman's simple and natural comprehension to give substance to his scientific and artistic insights. What especially distinguishes this volume from his other books on the subject is the focus on a detailed treatment of the more spectacular and destructive elements of weather phenomena. His belief is that if this book "gets one to look upward more often, it will have accomplished a purpose."

Looks at implements, inventions, and everyday items from early American life as well as examining schoolhouses and classroom equipment.

"Amateur weather forecasters (which includes just about everyone) will find this volume an informative and entertaining account of the why and how of the weather." -- The Nation In simple language, Eric Sloane explains the whys and wherefores of weather and weather forecasting -- and does it in a style that's universally appealing. With humor and common sense shining through in a book that's also lively and informative, Sloane shows readers how to predict the weather by "reading" such natural phenomena as winds, skies, and animal sounds. This beautifully illustrated and practical treasure trove of climate lore will enlighten outdoorsmen, farmers, sailors, and anyone else who has ever wondered what a large halo around the moon means, why birds "sit it out" before a storm, and whether or not to take an umbrella when leaving the house.