The Underground railroad (two volumes)

These volumes cover all aspects of the Underground Railroad, with astounding depth and detail. Snodgrass, a freelance author and researcher, clearly knows (and loves) her topic, evident in the nearly 1,500 individual entries. Entries cover people, places, and events, with biographical entries the most common. They range from a few paragraphs to a few pages for the most active individuals. Modeling best practices in reference publications, every entry has see also references and a source list. Black-and-white photos often accompany the biographical entries, and occasional images for the topical entries, such as the reproduction of a Massachusetts abolitionist poster denouncing the Fugitive Slave Law, greatly enhance the work. The high quality and detailed subject entries alone are enough to make this work highly recommended; the additional materials make the work outstanding. Six maps at the beginning of volume 1 set the stage for the entries, with details about routes, stops, and land and sea escape and crossing points. Volume 2 includes an excellent and detailed chronology, primary and secondary source bibliographies, and three appendixes. The first appendix, a set of genealogies for all the major players in the Underground Railroad, greatly adds to the readers’ understanding of the complex relationships between some of the key families. The second appendix is a complete list of all the known and suspected passengers ever to travel the Underground Railroad, organized by state. The hundreds of names on the list also include their departure and arrival points (when known) and date of flight. The third appendix lists all the known or suspected operators by their state and province, including dates of operation, birth, and death. Volume 2 concludes with a comprehensive index. With the Underground Railroad a popular school-paper topic, this is highly recommended for public libraries and school libraries, especially those not already owning Encyclopedia of the Underground Railroad (McFarland, 2006). The high quality and scholarly depth make this reference book an essential purchase for all academic libraries. Consider circulating it to scholars who will benefit from the meticulous research and copious references