Synopses & Reviews
From the infamous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton to the explosion of the Hindenburg, from the kidnapping of Lindbergh's baby to the widespread panic caused by The War of the Worlds, It Happened in New Jersey takes readers on a rollicking, behind-the-scenes look at some of the characters and episodes from the Garden State's past.
Here you'll read about the mutiny behind Henry Hudson's discovery of the New Jersey shoreline, the birth of Santa Claus, the terrorist attack blamed on mosquitoes, the first person to record a music album in the back of a car, and Lucy the Elephant, a remarkable building shaped like a pachyderm.
Many of the people and events from New Jersey's past are well known, but many are not. Do you know what inspired the first drive-in movie theater? Or the story of where the real first game of baseball was played? And how did the legend of the New Jersey Devil first come to light?
In an easy-to-read style that's entertaining and informative, author Fran Capo recounts some of the most captivating stories from New Jersey's history.
Synopsis
It Happened in New Jersey features 30 fascinating events from the Garden State's remarkable and unusual history. Learn the truth behind the Hindenburg disaster; America's first real baseball game; Aaron Burr's and Alexander Hamilton's infamous duel; how drive-in movies, Teflon, the world's largest glass bottle, and daylight savings time came into existence; the Lindbergh baby kidnapping; and the reign of the mysterious and fearsome Jersey Devil.
About the Author
Freelance writer and comedienne
Fran Capo has appeared on more than 250 television shows, including
Total Request Live,
Dog Eat Dog,
The Weakest Link, and
Ripley's Believe It or Not. She is the co-creator of the world's first cybersitcom,
The Estrogen Files: Money, Men and Motherhood, and co-author of Globe Pequot's
It Happened in New York. Fran is also the
Guinness Book of World Records' Fastest Talking Female. She lives in Howard Beach, New York.