Equip Yourself

Throughout the 1980's, Mr. Skirbst composed nearly 400 articles entitled the Tales and Trails of New Jersey. These articles appeared as a weekly column in a local newspaper, The Star Gazette. Over twenty years later, selected articles from this series have come together, through the work of his wife and children, to create this book in celebration of the author's 75th birthday.

The contents of the book are arranged topically, not in the order they originally appeared. It has been divided into 4 units and 18 chapters. The first unit explores the physical geography of the state of New Jersey. People, and their contributions to the state's culture, are explored in the second unit. The state's history, from pre-Colonial times, is fully explored in the third. The fourth and final unit, entitled "Potpourri," discusses the diversity of the state.

"Tales and Trails," although emphasizing the places, people, and past of New Jersey, is certainly relevant to the nation as a whole. New Jersey has, in fact, provided major contributions to the nation. Between historical events and famous people, "Tales and Trails" is a significant contribution to those that seek to learn more about the nation's history, and future.