A collection of poems and excerpts from novels and essays about life, work and travel on and near the Hudson before the 20th century. The authors featured include Henry James, Washington Irving, Frederick Church, Anthony Trollope, John Burroughs and Walt Whitman. With 65 period illustrations of the sites and homes described. Arthur Adams is the author of a number of regional books including The Hudson River through the Years.  (NYC20, $21.95)