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The Ol' Hook & Eye - 2nd EditionA History of the Kishacoquillas Valley RailroadBy John G. (Jerry) Hartzler
In 1988, after years of research, I wrote a history of the KV railroad in a book titled The Ol' Hook & Eye (see book cover on right). I published 2,000 softcover books and sold them for $16.50 apiece. All were gone within a few years. I must admit, that I didn't think this book would be as popular as it was. I grew up in Belleville, terminus for the KV, and my original intention was to document, for posterity, a little piece of history for the town and surrounding areas. Imagine my pleasure when I began receiving orders from every state and from across seas. Rail fans had found my book! Although I have created this condensed version of the KV on the World Wide Web, it is a poor substitute for the book. For the past couple decades people have continued to ask me if I have any unsold books and this was one reason that I have decided to write a second edition of The Ol' Hook & Eye. This second edition is not a simple reprint, but has been completely revised with new information. Finding the first KV minute book in 2000 has supplied me with years of new leads to follow, and the uncovering of old, long forgotten material. When I finished writing, I found that I had a 408 page book, 232 pages more than the first edition. I must admit that half of those new pages are filled with photographs. Many people enjoyed the 118 pictures in my old book, and so I put much effort into finding more vintage photos to tell the story of The Ol' Hook & Eye. The images have all been digitized and edited for greater contrast, detail and clarity. All together, there are over 290 photos scattered throughout the book. This second edition of The Ol' Hook & Eye (as was the first) is self-published, allowing me complete control over the design and composition of the book, including the quality of materials used in its production. This is by no means your typical short-run, niche market book (afterall, the KV was by no means your typical short-line railroad). Rather, it is printed on heavy 80#, acid-free, matte coated paper using traditional offset presses for maximum image quality. Furthermore, this edition has a durable smyth-sewn binding with a full color, leather-like textured hardcover with copper foil stamped lettering (there is no need for a dust jacket). Combined with its warm writing style, hand tuned illustrtations and painstaking attention to detail and design, it is obvious that this book is a labor of love. Another advantage to self-publishing, is that such a high quality book as this can be offered below normal publisher mark-up. The second edition of The Ol' Hook & Eye is now available directly from the author (DBA Hartzler Publishing) and sells for $32.95. You can either buy the book here or visit the stores listed below. If you order from this website, I will autograph a copy gratis if desired. Also, for a limited time, domestic (within the USA) shipping is free!. Just click the button below. 
You may also buy a copy of The Ol' Hook & Eye from many of the fine stores listed below.
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| Below is a collection of other one-of-a-kind books on railroads within Pennsylvania. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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