There's More to New Jersey than the Sopranos

Price: $19.95  

Author: Marc Mappen
Subject: Regional, American History
Paper ISBN: 978-0-8135-4586-8
Pages: 224 pages
Publication Date: September 2009
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Praise for There's More to New Jersey than the Sopranos

"This is a delightful and informative book--where scholarship meets Weird New Jersey. Mappen is truly New Jersey's master historical storyteller. "—Mark Lender, Kean University

"So, you think you know New Jersey history? Well, think again.  In There’s More to New Jersey than the Sopranos, Marc Mappen provides readers with dozens of fascinating Jersey stories.  From long-buried mastodons to menacing Martians, it is all here. This book is a must-read."—Dr. Richard Veit, Department of History and Anthropology, Monmouth University

"There's More to New Jersey than the Sopranos lives up to its title, and then some. The book is a delightful read, full of wit and information on every page. "—Thomas Fleming, Winner of the Richard J. Hughes Award for Lifetime Achievement in New Jersey History

An American tourist in Europe stopped at a restaurant in Gdansk, Poland, and struck up a conversation with a local. “Where do you come from?” he asked. “New Jersey,” she said. He smiled and replied, “Ah, Sopranos!”

Even fans of that popular show, one that held viewers captive, may be a bit disheartened to discover that the first thing that pops into minds around the world about New Jersey is a dysfunctional crime family, just an exit or two off the infamous N.J. Turnpike. But there’s no need to live in fear that the only culture and history that the state is known for is, well, let’s say, a bit of bada bing. Actually, the echo of the Big Bang—the cosmic event that marked the birth of our universe some 13.7 billion years ago—was first identified by scientists from Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey.

In this lively romp through history from the primitive past to the present day, Marc
Mappen’s message resonates—There’s More to New Jersey than the Sopranos. Real tales, wise tales, tall tales abound throughout the pages of Mappen’s collection, filled with zest, humor, scandal, and occasionally tragedy. Annie Oakley. Ulysses S. Grant. Benedict Arnold. Ezra Pound. Shoeless Joe Jackson. These luminaries and many others share a common bond with the state that witnessed prehistoric elephants roaming its pastures, the explosion on the USS Princeton, a Martian invasion, famous firsts like the phonograph, electric light, and movies, and, well, step aside Tony Soprano: mobster Al Capone strolling along the Atlantic City boardwalk.

Providing a lens into American history through lively prose and more than twenty-five
illustrations, There’s More to New Jersey than the Sopranos is as much fun as a trip to the Jersey Shore and definitely more rewarding than a night home watching television— simply stated, this book is one you can’t refuse to read.

MARC MAPPEN is the coeditor of the award-winning Encyclopedia of New Jersey and author of Jerseyana: The Underside of New Jersey History (both Rutgers University Press). He has written articles for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Rutgers Magazine, New Jersey Heritage, and other publications and has appeared on the History Channel and National Public Radio.