Most Popular Books by Raymond Bial

Discusses the nature and importance of soil and the many forms of life it supports.

Chronicles Washington''s path from the farm he inherited at age eleven, to the forests and marshes where he battled against the British, to the halls of government where he made his political mark, and finally, to the fields of Mount Vernon, where he spent

Includes a brief biography of President Lincoln, a list of locations where he walked, and photographs of places, buildings, and objects significant in his life.

Presents a brief history of the one-room schools that existed in the United States from the 1700s to the 1950s.

Text and photographs describe the United States Corn Belt region and its harvest season.

Text and photographs depict the way of life of the Amish.

The Cajun people have a long history of having to leave their homes: first in France, then later in Canada, and even in America, families were broken apart by exile and were scattered across the continent. They were pushed farther and farther south, finally into the swamps and marshes of southern Louisiana. Here, deep in the bayous and backwaters, they have created a home for themselves that is unlike any other place on earth. In beautifully composed photographs and lucid text, Bial illuminates the spirit, resiliency, and warmth of the Cajun people.

Looks at the problem of dog overpopulation in America; discusses the role of puppy mills, pet stores, and independent breeders; and includes a profile of a local animal shelter.

Publisher Description

Travel to the sites where colonial villages, longhouses, missions and presidios, frontier settlements, and cow towns once thrived. Bial''s photography captures the amazing spirit of the many different people who carved communities from our rugged land. Discover how they built homes and started businesses, made and traded goods,m and worked incredibly hard to realize their dreams.

Life on the Lower East Side was bustling. Immigrants from many European countries had come to make a better life for themselves and their families in the United States. But the wages they earned were so low that they could afford only the most basic accommodations—tenements. Unfortunately, there were few laws protecting the residents of tenements, and landlords took advantage of this by allowing the buildings to become cramped and squalid. There was little the tenants could do; their only other choice was the street. Though most immigrants struggled in these buildings, many overcame a difficult start and saw generations after them move on to better apartments, homes, and lives. Raymond Bial reveals the first, challenging step in this process as he leads us on a tour of the sights and sounds of the Lower East Side, guiding us through the dark hallways, staircases, and rooms of the tenements.

The story of the island where the immigrants went when they came to America looking for a better way of life and the museum that preserves these memories.

Travel to the sites where colonial villages, longhouses, missions and presidios, frontier settlements, and cow towns once thrived. Bial''s photography captures the amazing spirit of the many different people who carved communities from our rugged land. Discover how they built homes and started businesses, made and traded goods,m and worked incredibly hard to realize their dreams.

The low-lying prairie on which Champaign came to be established was once described as "one vast pond where the mud turtle and water moccasin luxuriated, the mosquito wound his bugle, and the frogs gave a rival symphony." From humble origins as a stop on the Illinois Central Railroad called West Urbana, the cluster of buildings quickly became a bustling town of square storefronts, with horses and wagons hitched along wood-plank sidewalks. Gradually rising above muddy thoroughfares, Champaign grew into a charming city in which trolleys rumbled along brick streets. Elegant homes were built and churches established, along with shops and stores, and municipal services and utilities, not to mention parks, opera houses, and confectioneries.

Describes how slaves were able to preserve some elements of their African heritage despite the often brutal treatment they experienced on Southern plantations.

The Shaker faith is estimated to have had a total of fewer than 20,000 members across its 250-year history, yet more than 100,000 people visit the various Shaker villages and museums scattered across the eastern United States every year. We are still fascinated with the world of the Shakers, and authentic examples of Shaker architecture, furniture, and crafts are prized wherever they remain. In The Shaker Village, author and photographer Raymond Bial brings readers the history of the Shaker religion and an examination of the Shaker way of life, which was based on cooperation and self-sufficiency. Each Shaker village was built with the goal of creating a heaven on earth for its inhabitants. The Shaker people were among the first in America to apply science and new learning directly to traditional farming and homekeeping. They invented or improved significantly upon designs of many farm and household items, including some still used today: the flat broom, the slotted spoon, the circular saw, and the idea of selling gardening seeds in packets. Although each Shaker community was self-supporting, the Shakers'' success at applying their core values—simplicity, utility, and tranquility—carried Shaker villages to a point of abundance: they were able to export their beautiful furniture, delicious foods, and superior wares to the outside world, where they have been appreciated ever since. The Shaker Village is generously illustrated with Bial''s evocative photographs of buildings and artifacts from the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, one of the largest and best-preserved Shaker sites. The Shaker movement reached its peak in the mid-nineteenth century. Membership began to drop with the onset of the Civil War, and as the new promise of industrialization began to take hold in America, Shaker numbers steadily dwindled. Although the Shaker religion has all but departed, The Shaker Village captures a revelatory glimpse of a legacy that still resounds with modern Americans.

Throughout the centuries, Native American tribes have populated North America. Each generation left a unique mark on the continent. Many nations formed thriving communities in coastal towns, on mountainsides, and in the valleys, hills, and forests. They had their own beliefs, religious practices, and rituals. One such tribe was the Blackfeet. This book explores the history of the Blackfeet, their culture, customs, and traditions, and describes the importance of the tribe today.

If there is any such thing as a "super" plant, that plant is the soybean. Used for an amazing variety of things--plastics, fuel, soap, and medicine--soybeans are also a healthy food source for animals and people.

Founded as a humble trading post along the Mississippi River 250 years ago, St. Louis has since grown into a thriving metropolis. It appears to be a calm city, but like the mighty Mississippi, it has powerful undercurrents. Known as the "Gateway to the West," St. Louis was a port city and home to many manufacturing businesses making everything from shoes to ships. St. Louis, though, is perhaps best known for its breweries and distilleries. St. Louis: Out and About in the Gateway City captures the energy of people bustling along the street, dining out and going to movies, hopping a trolley, swimming, picnicking, clip-clopping along in horse and carriage, ice skating, or driving an automobile. It also touches upon issues of the day that had to be overcome--suffrage, the Great Depression, and civil rights, to name a few--and shows the resilient spirit of the people of St. Louis.

In the Building American series, noted author-photographer Raymond Bail provides an absorbing account of how technology helped shape and define the American landscape from colonial through frontier times. The form and purpose of farms, forts, and mills are discussed, as is the significance of these buildings in United States history. A medley of the author''s and period photographs, archival paintings, and line drawings from artist Eric Sloane''s celebrated works further enhance a distinguished achievement of historical, architectural, and technological interest.