Edited by Soderlund (history, Lehigh U.) and Parzynski (Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania), this volume collects 14 essays originating out of the conference, "Historical Perspectives on the Lehigh Valley Region." The contributions collectively promote the value of regional history for exploring this area of Pennsylvania and individually address such topics as religion and German settlers, the cultural background of Scottish and Irish settlement, the development of Moravian industrial technology in Bethlehem from the middle of the 18th century to the early 19th century, religious conflict and violence in German communities during the Great Awakening, the rise of newspaper politics, the industrial transformation of the Lehigh River, the rise of Bethlehem Steel, and gender and economic decline in the anthracite coal region from 1920 to 1970. Distributed in the US by Associated University Presses. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
