There's More to New Jersey than the Sopranos

AUTHOR: Marc Mappen
PUBLISHED: 2009
GENRE: History, Local Interests

As a rule, New Jerseyites spend more time defending their state than any other against a wide array of accusations and assumptions.  It's almost pathological at this point, this need to assure anyone that will listen that no, the whole state doesn't smell; yes, we do know how to drive*; no, we are not all goombas; and so forth.  It is in that category of state-wide neurosis that this book falls. 

It's a fun little anthology of short stories about the history of New Jersey, which, all other issues aside, is actually quite rich.  More Revolutionary War battles were fought here than anywhere else, given New Jersey's location between British-held New York and the Continental Congress in Philly.  We are the densest state in the union (population wise, not mentally), and if the US was to split into 50 little countries, New Jersey would be the richest place in the world.  We are, for a small place, incredible diverse, both in geology and ethnicity.  Despite being one of the smallest states in the union, Jersey is broken up into distinct parts. (Mappen says 2 (north and south), but I say 3 - north, central, and south, with this third tier being the result of a surprising point: New Jersey has hillbillies. Unexpected but true - South Jersey is full of them. Thus central Jersey's separation from its southern brethren.**)  It's a pretty interesting place to be.

It's not exactly great writing.  The first sentence has no fewer than 5 comma-separated clauses.  But you don't pick up a book like this anticipating Tolstoy-like prose.  You expect a story about George Washington and Thomas Paine lighting methane gas from the bottom of the Raritan River on fire.  And in that way, it delivers.

LENGTH: 196 pages of 2-3 page stories.
MAINSTREAM OR NOT: No.
SO, SHOULD I READ IT OR NOT: Yes.  It's a full, quick book full of silly facts and fun stories about America's armpit.

*Yes, we drive more quickly that some other sections of the population.  But the BAD drivers are far and away actually Pennsylvanians.  Also, it's not our fault you can't negotiate a jughandle.  The sign did say all turns from the right lane.

**In case you're wondering, my extensive research has concluded thus: North Jersey is the top of the state to the Woodbridge area, or exit 11 of the Turnpike.  Central Jersey extends from Exit 11 to about Exit 7, or Jackson.  South Jersey is everything below.  Thus Central Jersey encompasses not only our capital city but also all the good shore towns.  Suck on that!