As a life-long resident of Reading in Berks County, Pennsylvania, I have always wanted to visit our sister city in Berkshire, England, but never had the chance. This history of the area is the next best thing. Librarian Daphne Phillips covers the history from the early settlers to the Benedictine Abbey in the Middle Ages to the history of the Puritan wars to manufacturing and expansion in the 1900s. She covers all aspects of life today in Reading, and in the brings it all up to date in the 1990 edition.

I was especially fascinated by the names of industries that were the same in England as in Pennsylvania but under different management such as the Reading Iron Works. The establishment of a newspaper closely paralleled the establishment of our Reading Eagle which began as a Gernan newspaper in Pennsylvania.

There are numerous drawings, photos and maps to add to the understanding of the town, a list for further reading (all are available at the Reading Public Library - the English one), and many maps.

This is a valuable contribution to the history of the region. ( )