Product Description
Introducing readers to the region's architectural heritage, this guide features 1,200 historic buildings of architecture of western North Carolina. 370 photos. 36 maps. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Best architecture guidebooks in existence
As with the other titles in this series by Bishir, they just don't get any better.The three books together offer a complete survey of historic architecture in North Carolina.There are many small black and white photographs included, good maps, essays that place the structures in historical context, addresses and precise dating, all grouped by county and organized around the principal towns in each.Many an AIA guide attempts this format and falls far short.

I liked this series so much I bought it twice--one to save and one to use.

Wonderfully informative
This is a book of wonder and revelation, illuminating the history and splendor of one of America's most magical regions. It will make you want to learn more and more and then drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. ... Read more

Product Description
"America's bloodiest day"--the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862--left more dead American soldiers in its wake than any other 24-hour period in history. Antietam and the related battles of the Maryland Campaign that led up to the lethal confrontation did not result in decisive defeats for either side. But they did serve as a brutal warning to an out-gunned, out-commanded, and out-organized Union army.

Eyewitness accounts by battle participants make these guides an invaluable resource for travelers and nontravelers who want a greater understanding of five of the most devastating yet influential years in our nation's history. Explicit directions to points of interest and maps--illustrating the action and showing the detail of troop position, roads, rivers, elevations, and tree lines as they were 130 years ago--help bring the battles to life. In the field, these guides can be used to recreate each battle's setting and proportions, giving the reader a sense of the tension and fear each soldier must have felt as he faced his enemy.

This book is part of the U.S. Army War College Guides to Civil War Battles series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Edifying Rendering of the Antietam Struggle
Antietam featured one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. This is another fine work in the Army War College Guides to Civil War Battles series. I think I'm getting hooked. . . .

The norm with this series is to begin with a bit of context about the battle.Then, reports of key officers--both Blue and Gray--are presented, to provide a sense of events from the eyes of the participants themselves. Finally, a chapter that explores larger issues, in this case the logistics of battle. To complete the volume, there is the always helpful "Order of Battle" (in which the units and their commanding officers for each army are listed) and the grisly listing of casualties for both sides.

The book covers the entire campaign, by the way, not just Antietam itself. That means that we get first hand reports from South Mountain, Crampton's Gap, Harper's Ferry, Bolivar Heights, and, finally, Antietam. One problem with using official reports, of course, is that those who took part may well not take accountability for any errors that they made in command. Nonetheless, their own views as to what happened is useful in itself.

Since I was born in the Midwest, I always pay attention to troops from that region in battle. In this campaign, once again, the "Iron Brigade" catches my attention. Indeed, its performance at South Mountain, in helping the Union forces to clear the pass, led to General McClellan making a comment that produced the label "Iron Brigade." Pages 42-44 provide Gen. John Gibbons' comments (he commanded the brigade) and those of Col. Solomon Meredith, commander of the 19th Indiana regiment in the Brigade.

And on it goes, with the bloodletting at Antietam, as the two armies bled one another down. Most sanguinary.Both sides saw near successes and then near misses, as each side pounded away at the other. At the end of the day, as Burnside, unlikeliest of possible heroes, was hit hard by A. P. Hill's late arriving Confederate "Light Division." With that, both sides withdrew to lick their wounds.Shortly thereafter. Robert E. Lee began the withdrawal of the Confederate forces.

The final substantive chapter deal effectively with issues of logistics.

All in all, a fine work on a desperate struggle. If you find that battlefield reports are helpful, you will probably enjoy this work.

AWC Battlefield Guides
I have read and participated in the AWC staff rides of the battlefields and from that light these book can be instructive at they relate to events and field conditions. They are not for the casual reader or tourist. It is essential that the reader be versed in both the theory and tactics of the time before visiting the site and that you are to read these books while standing on the actual grounds.

These books supplement case studies at the AWC in tactical and strategic thinking. Observe the battleground as a military officer would and try to put yourself in the mind of the writer. What you will be reading are the after action reports written by the officers assigned to write them, of their viewings of events on the field. Beware sometimes these reports can be self serving so take that in mind.

Reading the reports and standing on location will help to give you an incite into field situations and problems that the military officer must see, recognize and solve. One key point to remember is that of communication is not what it is today. The field of battle only existed as far as the individual officer could see. He generally knew nothing of events occuring several hundred yards away let alone a mile or so away in real time. All he knew what what was right in front of him. He never sees the big picture that today's communications can provide or seek instant clarification of orders.

With this in mind and a knowledge of the methods of Civil War fighting these books are very instructive.

The bloodiest day
The Antietam battlefield guide is the second of many Civil War guidebooks and continued setting the standard started in the Gettysburg guide.The book covers the bloodiest single day battle of the American Civil War and a Battlefield Park that has suffered very little from commercialization.In addition to Antietam, South Mountain and Harpers Ferry are included.This gives you a detailed understanding of the important battles leading up to Antietam.Antietam is a confusing battle; this is not a battle history as such.My recommendation is to read Priest's book "Antietam" before visiting this field.This is one of a number of guidebooks on the battle and is an option to employing a guide or purchasing a park driving tour.
The series format is directions to a point on the field, orientation, a general lesson on what happened in your view, followed by first person accounts of the action.These guides are designed using the general staff training concept of a Staff Ride.This is when a class is taken to a historic location, discuss what happened and see how the terrain influences the event.Staff Rides are designed to be intensive "on the ground" training coupled with physical observation in the hopes students will gain experience for later use.
I am not saying this to frighten you away from this guide but to tell you this is not a walk about and look at the monuments type of guide.This guide will have several pages devoted to the action at this point.It may contain a critique of the local commander's actions with possible alternates.
My experience is that reading the book prior to my visit works best.This allows me more time observing the field and less time reading the book.Of the tour options, a professional guide is usually the best but most expensive choice.The park driving tour is the best choice for a quick trip through the field to get the kids passport stamp.This book is the best choice for a serious student of the battle looking for a detailed explanation.

Luvas' book on Antietam Battlefield
Luvas' book provided an excellent itinerary for those who would visit the Antietam battlefield. However, it fails to help the reader understand the context of the given part of the battle to the whole. After positioning you at strategic points he simply reprints copies of the official reports from officers involved in the components of the battle. Since many officers' reports were comprehensive reports of the entire battle, and Luvas takes only a small section of the report for a given area of the battlefield, even the reports lose the perspective of context.

Another thing missing is a comprehensive map of the battlefield with his selected stops, again helping show the context of a given part of the battle with the whole.

Off the Beaten path - Antietam National Battlefield
If you are interested in the Maryland campaign of 1862, this is the book for you!It includes South Mountain, Crampton's Gap, Harpers Ferry and a good bit of detail on Shepherdstown.

Unlike the Gettysburg guide thisbook outlines the campaign on an "operational" as well as"tactical" level.Both of which are easy to understand andfollow along if you desire to use this book as a battlefield guide.

Thedriving directions along with detailed maps, historical photos, and reportstaken from the Official Records make this book a complete tour andreference package!

If you require an outstanding volume of workdetailing nearly every aspect of the campaign, then look no further.Ihighly recommend this book as "must read" for anyone interestedin Marse Robert's Maryland Campaign of 1862.It will also make anexcellent reference tool for anyone who cannot make it to the battlefield. It brings the fields of battle to you! ... Read more

Product Description
The Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of the Interior Land) is North America's oldest (Juan de Oñate extended the Camino to New Mexico in 1598) and longest (1,500 miles) road. Here, Hal Jackson brings to life this important route connecting Mexico City with Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was the lifeline for administrative, commercial, and ecclesiastical functions in northern Mexico.

The northern section of the Camino Real, the portion in New Mexico and Texas, was designated a National Historical Trail by the U. S. Congress in 2000 and an interpretive and visitor center (the Camino Real Heritage Center) has opened south of Socorro, New Mexico. This guidebook provides the traveler with useful commentary on the entire Camino as it winds its way from New Mexico through Mexico, ending in Mexico City.

Jackson includes narrative accounts collected from a variety of primary sources to add an eyewitness perspective to topics as diverse as sixteenth-century haciendas, colonial presidios, and important rest stops (parajes) on the Camino in New Mexico. There are many historical vignettes plus sixty maps drawn by the author to assist in finding Camino sites. Other information provides the traveler details such as highway numbers, mileage, accommodations, and areas of interest off the main Camino route. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Wake Up and See America Before It's Gone
This is a fascinating though shameful account of how much we take for granted in the scope and variety of U.S. geography - and how much of it is disappearing forever. Get out there and see all the great and unique places before they are desecrated or destroyed altogether. ... Read more

Product Description
At the dawn of the 19th century, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark embarked on an unprecedented journey from St. Louis, Missouri to the Pacific Ocean and back again. Their assignment was to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and record the geography, flora, fauna, and people they encountered along the way. The tale of their incredible journey, meticulously recorded in their journals, has become an American classic.

This single-volume, landmark edition of the famous journals is the first abridgement to be published in at least a decade. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great read!!
This book uses the text from the journals of Lewis and Clark to engage the reader in the day-to-day experiences during the trek westward.Using entries from both Lewis' and Clark's journals Anthony Brandt paints a picture of the scenery, wildlife, waterways, mountains, and peoples met along the way to the Pacific coast.Both men journaled daily and frequently spoke about different findings.This book beautifully combines both men's journals to give the reader a full understanding of the trials and hardships encountered.This is not a "dry" historical accounting, but a colorful, realistic depiction of the great expedition by the Corps of Discovery led by Lewis and Clark. This is an excellent resource and very "reader friendly".

The Journals of Lewis and Clark
When I was about halfway through this abridgment, I compared it in a bookstore to the abridgment by Gary Moulton (The Lewis and Clark Journals (Abridged Edition)), editor of the complete edition of the Journals. Whereas Brandt, the editor of the text under review, "modernizes" the language, correcting the spelling and syntax, and combining fragments into grammatically correct sentences, Moulton leaves the spelling and syntax untouched, and only abridges the text to compress the Journals into a single volume.

I expected to prefer Moulton's version, simply because it was less altered, truer to the authors' intent. But, of course, Lewis and Clark did not intend to misspell words - some words in multiple ways - or to use odd, jarring punctuation. The Journals as published by Moulton are Field Drafts, unaltered, which would have been corrected and refined before publication, had Lewis lived to do the necessary work. But yet, there is something robust, vivid and historically present about the uncorrected text; and if the abridgments were equivalent in content, I may have discovered a preference for Moulton's over Brandt's.

But I found Brandt's abridgment more interesting in content - and naturally less linguistically obtrusive. In the section I randomly compared (I don't remember which), Brandt excluded far less than Moulton, and the extent of the exclusions by Moulton were not apparent from the text, leaving the impression that only a sentence or two may have been excised, when in fact full, rich paragraphs were missing from the page.

It isn't that I don't have complaints about Brandt's choices. He often summarizes what he excludes, and many times I wished he had left in what he kept out. There are other abridgments of the Journals in print and whether one is "better" than another, I cannot say. This one, however, is good, and if you're looking for an abridgment to read that reads smoothly and doesn't require decoding skills you might certainly have but would rather not use, consider this edition. When you're finished you might find yourself wanting to read the entire multi-volume Journal, misspellings, sentence fragments, and all.

The Definitive Journals of Lewis and Clark, 7-volume set

The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 13-Volume Set

A classic story best told by those who lived it
This book consists of actual journal entries (with spelling and grammar corrections) and offers interesting insights into the day-to-day rigors of their travels, as well as a unique historical perspective into their journey.Many days were just plain boring- hunted some more, walked some more, saw some more buffalo, etc.- but you really get the feeling of being there.

Best read with maps and additional pictures/illustrations offered in other books in order to get the complete story.Ranked #2 by National Geographic on their list of the Top 100 Adventure Books of all time.I certainly wouldn't rank it that high having read many other books on the list, but it is a must-read nonetheless.

Decent Nat'l. Geo. Book of Lewis & Clark Journals
If you don't enjoy thrashing through the "interesting" spelling found in the original journals, this is the book for you.It's been well "translated" into modern American.Some lengthy portions of the journals are merely summarized, so you really only get a partial picture, but the parts you do get are crystal clear.Well worth the read for the Lewis & Clark fan.

Two Men Who Need No Introduction
You already know who they are and what they did. Now read a day by day account made while on the voyage westward. From relations with the Indians, to the flora and fauna of the virginal American continent, the conduct of the men and the mercurial nature of the weather, this record of the most famous exploration in US history is a must for historians and casual readers alike. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

ACLU promotion
This is a book by the head of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a society which deserves credit for their fierce legal advocacy of freedom. No other organization would rush to the defense of John Walker Lindh, the so-called "American Taliban" captured by US forces in Afghanistan. He's been painted by the press as a traitor, written off by American public opinion, and so it is refreshing that, at the very least, the ACLU would hire lawyers and advocate for his right to a fair hearing, and promote their advocacy in books like this one.

The issues championed by the ACLU tend to be seen as so-called liberal issues, such as gay rights, rights to abortion, and so forth. While Director Anthony D. Romero said on "The Colbert Report" that the ACLU doesn't necessarily side with the left, for all practical purposes, the ACLU has an image of being a left-leaning organization, although it tries to paint itself as non-partisan. But it IS a partisan organization. And, as a result of its partisanship, its thinking misses the mark. I don't think the ACLU understands how the issues of "freedom" and "security" relate. Persons from the left who want to reinforce their mindset will enjoy this book; but I recommend readers choose tough tough non-partisan critiques instead. Check out contemporary books such as The American Lie by Benjamin Ginsberg, Bad for Democracy: How the Presidency Undermines the Power of the People by Dana D. Nelson, The Politically Incorrect Guide(tm) to the Constitution (Politically Incorrect Guides) by Kevin R. C. Gutzman, Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (And How We the People Can Correct It) by Sanford Levinson, as well as historical masterworks such as Democracy in America (Penguin Classics) by Tocqueville, Politics by Aristotle, Montesquieu: The Spirit of the Laws (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) by Montesquieu. While the ACLU is highly critical of US government efforts to prevent terrorism by such measures as domestic surveillance, the ACLU fails to pose an alternative prevention strategy, and in my view, it's perspective is limited to narrow legal issues, and while it is a necessary and good voice in America, I think the problems are larger, more dangerous, and require a truly non-partisan orientation.

Thomas W. Sulcer
author of Common Sense II: How to Prevent the Three Types of Terrorism (Amazon/Kindle)
free pdf if requested by email

A gem of a book
This book looks at the current state of civil liberties in America, by exploring case studies of several different types of cases.

Matthew Limon is a gay teenager from Kansas who was sentenced to a seventeen-year prison term for having consensual sex with a boy three years younger. If his sex partner had been female, the sentence would have been much less. As a way to lessen the impact of a proposed total abortion ban in South Dakota, Cecilia Fire Thunder, the President of the Sioux Nation, advocated putting an abortion clinic on Sioux land. The school board of Dover, Pennsylvania attempted to force the local high school to include "intelligent design" into the biology curriculum. A middle-age science teacher named Bertha Spahr led the fight against the plan. Kot Hordynski is part of a non-violent anti-war group at the University of California, Santa Clara. The Pentagon put him on a terrorist watch list and called him a "credible threat."

Before anyone thinks that the American Civil Liberties Union, of which Romero is the Executive Director, is an anti-conservative or anti-Catholic group, consider: the ACLU defended Rush Limbaugh's right to privacy when prosecutors wanted his medical records to prosecute his drug bust; they argued that anti-abortion protestors have a right to march and be heard; the ACLU stood up for Oliver North's constitutional rights during Iran-Contra; when a high school senior wanted to put a quote from the Bible in her yearbook, the ACLU argued that she had a right to free speech-even religious speech. Also, the ACLU helped strike the provision in the Virginia constitution that denied Jerry Falwell's church the right to incorporate in Virginia.

This is a gem of a book. It does a good job of showing how civil liberties were not in good shape, entangling average people, even before 9/11; since then, things have gotten noticeably worse. It is very much worth reading.

Romero's ACLU is great but his co-writer is a disaster
The stories of very brave Americans asserting their constitutional liberties should be a wonderful book and filled with wisdom about why civil liberties are so important. Sadly the work of the ACLU is lost in a mish-msh of chopped up bits and pieces of 6 stories. Who can remember where you left off with one person some 50 pages before, as you try to read about all the others also in disjointed pieces? Somebody thoughtwriting nonfiction as if it was an"experimental film" was very hip. Too bad. The book's structure is confusing and disappointing, suceeding only in obscuring the achivements ofidealistic, Americans confronting government gone wild and how they get help from great lawyers like Romero and the ACLU.

You should read this book.
I watched Anthony Romero on CSPAN2 BookTV pitching this book at a book show in Chicago.He recommended it as a book you might give someone who rolls his eyes at you when you say you support the ACLU.

The book is a good consolidation of how civil liberties have become victims in the war on terror.I'm a politically moderate, active duty military officer and didn't start reading this book until I was convinced that I could do it with an open mind.By that I mean that I sought to eliminate most prejudicial skepticism, since I don't believe any human being can eliminate all of it.

The book hops back and forth a bit, sometimes making it hard to follow.But knowing that the book is designed to be a fairly concise synopsis for a skeptical audience makes me understand why he did it this way.If you dwell on the same subject to long and the reader disagrees with the author, perhaps you can keep the reader engaged by mixing the stories.

The one annoying thing that Mr. Romero does in his book pertains to the abortion argument.He seemingly laments when an abortionist is referred to as a "baby-killer", but in turn summarizes anyone who opposes abortion as "anti-choice" and "the Jerry Falwells."In my opinion, intelligent discussion precludes the use of loaded language, as it only serves to get an emotional rise out of people.I am disgusted by Pro-Lifers who call Pro-Choicers murderers just as I am disgusted by Pro-Choicers who call Pro-Lifers crusaders or fascists.My personal jury is still out on the abortion issue, and when I listen to so many people with an inability to argue without exchanging barbs, I remember why.

The only other thing that I'd like to add is that Mr. Romero rightfully criticizes former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld for his role in justifying torture and inhumane treatment of detainees.But I do object to Mr. Romero claiming that Mr. Rumsfeld believed himself above reproach since he was not at Abu Graib when the torture happened.This book was published in 2007 after Secretary Rumsfelf was replaced; towards the end of 2006 it came to light that Secretary Rumsfeld had offered his resignation twice during his tenure and one of those times being quite specifically for the Abu Graib incident.The President rejected the requests both times.This does not mitigate Mr. Rumsfeld's culpability in the matter, but it does speak to his recognition of his responsibility.

Conclusively, it was a good book that leaves me with the desire to learn more about several topics of government and gave me a better appreciation for something that I have known since I took my oath of service: that we must defend our country and our ideals, but we must also ensure that we maintain our country and our ideals worth defending.

Readable but disjointed
This is a very readable account of civil rights battles in the time since 9/11, covering specific stories on gay rights, wiretapping, intelligent design, etc.In the preface the authors state it is meant to "read like a novel" and it is an easy and interesting read that most could finish in a couple of days.

My major complaint is that the stories are intertwined for no good effect.After a paragraph on intelligent design, the story suddenly jumps to torture.The entire book plays out this way, jumping back and forth among 5 or 6 stories.While this technique can work in film and novels, with nonfiction it gives me mental whiplash.It would be far better to keep like subject matter together-- indeed, in the references they do just this.So why not in the text?

My other minor complaint is that I would have preferred more detail and reasoning.However, this book does seem to aim at the widest possible audience, and those who follow civil rights may be slightly disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
Not far from Chattanooga in northern Georgia, the Confederacy won one of its most decisive battles. This guide uses first-hand accounts to illustrate how this skirmish, only two days long, turned into one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War with 34,000--plus Union and Confederate soldiers killed, wounded, or captured.

Eyewitness accounts by battle participants make these guides an invaluable resource for travelers and nontravelers who want a greater understanding of five of the most devastating yet influential years in our nation's history. Explicit directions to points of interest and maps--illustrating the action and showing the detail of troop position, roads, rivers, elevations, and tree lines as they were 130 years ago--help bring the battles to life. In the field, these guides can be used to recreate each battle's setting and proportions, giving the reader a sense of the tension and fear each soldier must have felt as he faced his enemy.

This book is part of the U.S. Army War College Guides to Civil War Battles series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

book
Nice book, but a little dog-eared.My husband enjoyed it and is now re-reading it.Got here promptly

Mystified at the rave reviews of this book
I bought this book after reading 2 other books and one other guidebook on the battle of Chickamauga.I wanted to know some of the nuanced manuverings of the forces that had fallen through the cracks of my understanding of the battle.

I was dismayed that this really isn't so much of a guide as it is a collection of interesting but often innacurate and myopic official reports from the commanders involved.It was interesting to see their impressions of what happened, but that is probably the worst approach to a battlefield guide, as the participants each only see a narrow slice of the battle, and often one's impressions of the chaos of battle are not what actually happened.This would be acceptable except the rest of the requirements for a good battlefield guide are missing.

Maps.These are few and far between.But what is worse is that they are not highly detailed, have no color, minimal terrain contouring, and just don't convey detailed information.

Descriptions of the action:This is another shortcoming.We get the impressions of select participants, but not the "big picture" of what happened at each area. It's nice to know what Bushrod Johnson thought of something on an emotional level, but what really happened?

The book is really a short but interesting collection of official reports.It should not be billed as a battlefield guide. I have also purchased the Gettysburg edition of this series, and found it to have similar shortcomings as a guide.

Also included at the end was a fascinating paper on being wounded and getting medical care in the civil war. It is another example of the book being mistitled.This was a book on the impressions of participants and the aftermath for the wounded. It should have had a title that described it as that, not a battlfield guide.

Helpful guide to exploring the Chickamauga battlefield
The Army War College has developed a nice series of books on key battles of the Civil War.One highlight is the provision of suggested sites to visit on the battlefield, to get a better sense of what was happening "on the ground" back in 1863.

For example, Stop 20 is the point on the battlefield site where Confederate General James Longstreet attacked the Union defensive positions just as a gap developed in the northern lines. There is a description of how to orient oneself at this point. Then, a brief description of the key events here. Next, battlefield reports, written after the event, by officers on both sides about what happened as that gap developed.One can read Longstreet's version--as well as that ofUnion Brigadier General Thomas Wood, whose movement, under less than precise orders from commanding General William Rosecrans, produced the catastrophic situation for the defensive posture established by the Union forces.

There were many Union commanders who had their careers tarnished at Chickamauga, including Rosecrans himself. One who burnished his credentials, of course, was the man who came to be known as "The Rock of Chickamauga," Virginian Major General George Thomas, who commanded the left end of the Union line.While other divisions and corps fled the field in disarray, Thomas cobbled together a defensive position on Snodgrass Hill and saved the day. Pages 199 through 230 describe the events, from commanders' perspectives, taking place at Snodgrass Hill, including General Granger's "in the nick of time" reserve arriving to provide additional forces for Thomas' stand.

Other features: the order of battle that provides a listing of the units and commanders at brigade command level and above; an essay on medical practices and the care of the wounded.

For those wanting to see the battlefield and get a sense of what happened, this is a useful volume. The battle's conduct, through the words of commanders reporting their perceptions of what happened (which can be self-serving and sometimes even inaccurate), is interesting reading to me.

All in all, a useful work. . . .

Badly needed for this park
The Chickamauga battlefield guide published in 1997 and the first not edited by Jay Luvaas.Matt Spruill maintains the series standards and format started with the Gettysburg guide.The book covers the first major victory of the Confederate Army of Tennessee in the American Civil War.This victory, coming after the defeat at Gettysburg and Vicksburg's surrender brightened Confederate hopes in the Fall of 1863.New features include a 30-page essay on Civil War medical and a section of aftermath.The Chickamauga Park covers two days of fighting and many positions overlap.This leads to some understandable confusion for visitors while viewing monuments and trying to understand the battle.For anything beyond the park driving tour, this book is essential.
The series format is directions to a point on the field, orientation, a general lesson on what happened in your view, followed by first person accounts of the action.These guides are designed using the general staff training concept of a Staff Ride.This is when a class is taken to a historic location, discuss what happened and see how the terrain influences the event.Staff Rides are designed to be intensive "on the ground" training coupled with physical observation in the hopes students will gain experience for later use.
I am not saying this to frighten you away from this guide but to tell you this is not a walk about and look at the monuments type of guide.This guide will have several pages devoted to the action at this point.It may contain a critique of the local commander's actions with possible alternates.
My experience is that reading the book prior to my visit works best.This allows me more time observing the field and less time reading the book.Of the tour options, a professional guide is usually the best but most expensive choice.The park driving tour is the best choice for a quick trip through the field to get the kids passport stamp.This book is the best choice for a serious student of the battle looking for a detailed explanation.

Indispensable...
I just completed a hike of the Chickamauga NBP, using Colonel Spruill's guide book.The book transformed a pleasant day outdoors into an informative learning experience.The hiking directions are precise.The selected narrations by the participants enhance understanding of the action on the field, and Colonel Spruill's additional notations explain the narrations in a larger context.If you're serious about getting the most out of a visit to Chickamauga, then this book is a required item in your rucksack. ... Read more

Product Description

A definitive explanation of the cultural factors that created the character and personality of the Mexican people with specific guidelines on what to expect in business and other relationships and how to deal effectively with Mexicans.

Customer Reviews (8)

Good
I think this is a really good book, nontheless it has some inacuracies about dates and presidents periods. It goes on the outside ways of the Mexican culture, and it not only consider the bussines ways with both Mexicans and Americans, because for us, the Mexicans, everythihng is related. I like a lot the way the author talks about the time. It is s very important difference and a lot of our behavior is related to this topic.

Worthless...
In a few words "don't waste your money". Nothing here is true, are only stereotypes.

Very informative
I only wish I read this book before moving down to Mexico. Building a home and then hiring staff with contracts etc. has been quite a challenge. Dealing with govt. bureaucracies and business is very different and sometimes doesn't make sense. I am a 3rd generation Mexican from the US. This book gave me a lot of "Aha" moments. No book is perfect, but this book was a big help!

Very informative
I only wish I read this book before moving down to Mexico. Building a home and then hiring staff with contracts etc. has been quite a challenge. Dealing with govt. bureaucracies and business is very different and sometimes doesn't make sense. I am a 3rd generation Mexican from the US. This book gave me a lot of "Aha" moments. No book is perfect, but this book was a big help!

Outrageous!
I cannot believe that this kind of writing gets published let along bought and read by anyone. This is nothing but outrageous stereotypes passing for historical (and other kinds of) fact(s). When I first read the name of the author, the claims made on the back cover and its table of contents, I though this book was a satire (and the last name a pun) as de Mente in Spanish means out of one's mind. Beyond the quality of what got printed between this book's covers, it is obvious that the editor of this series (cultural insight guide) has never been anywhere and has no (cultural, historical) sensibilities or knowledge; this is an irresponsible piece. In short, there is no "cultural insight" about Mexico or Mexicans in this pamphlet beyond, of course, that of its author's and his editor. Any one paying money for this is definitely "Demente".

Why Mexicans Think & Behave the Way They Do!: The Cultural Factors that Created the Character & Personality of the Mexican People! (Cultural Insight Guide)dangerous. ... Read more

Product Description
24 b/w photos12 maps 5 x 8 A fully revised and updated classicPerfect for both tourists and armchair visitorsOriginally published in 1960, this guidebook combines the drama of the battle with complete information about each tour stop. Clear directions and knowledgeable commentary on the town of Gettysburg work in conjunction with the day-by-day narrative of the skirmishes and pitched fights that make up the Battle of Gettysburg. By including the order of battle, then and now photographs, concise battle maps, and a suggested reading list, this small but comprehensive introduction to Gettysburg will be invaluable to any Civil War buff, amateur and professional alike.General Edward J. Stackpole, the founder of Stackpole Books, wrote several classic texts on the Civil War. Colonel Wilbur S. Nye, graduate of West Point and noted cartographer, has produced numerous maps for Stackpole in years past. Bradley Gottfried is Dean of Academic Affairs at Montgomery County Community College and has had a life-long interest in the Civil War. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great guide and summary
The book was small, but great! It filled in all the blanks and gave an excellent tour of the sights of Gettysburg.I want to actually go there after reading this book.

Concise yet complete tour guide with great graphics
The editorial reviews on this paperback are right on the mark.It is an excellent 124-page booklet that follows the formal tour guide route.
The front tour section starts by providing just the right amount of "selected" detail (with some well-cropped and selected photos)on each of the 16 stops (36 pages). I was able to take the book out and use it as a quick stop tour. I found the positons easily (as they were concisely marked), then read the short, but complete narrative. I really got the context of the complete battle by putting all the tour stops together because the "important details" were included at each stop.

After the tour, an account of the fighting is described by day, hours and short descriptor, e.g."Action of Buford's Calvary, 8:00 to 10:00 am, July 1" (78 pages). Superb graphics that clearly sketch out positions with key topography markers help you fix on the formations. They are very distingushable as they are marked with reference to the modern day road structure in he park (e.g. you can tell the bulk of Pickett's division-by brigade-was originally lined up much farther south than the positon of Lee's statue in their charge by the Spangler house).

The final pages of the book summarize the strength and losses by unit (i.e. numbers by brigade level, but specifying the regiments included) and a good one-page suggested reading list (that shows the better Gettysburg books).

I have been to this field five times. It is a very good book for new and repeat visitors. ... Read more

Product Description

Lewis & Clark

Probably no one knows more about Meriwether Lewis and William Clark than bestselling author and historian Stephen Ambrose, and Lewis & Clark: Voyage of Discovery reflects his superb command of -- and deep affection for -- this epic American journey.

Highlighted by Sam Abell's stunning photographs, this engrossing historical narrative interweaves choice entries from the explorers' journals with the author's own latter-day chronicle of how he and his family continue to discover the Trail today.

Here is the whole extraordinary saga, from its visionary spark in Thomas Jefferson's mind to the expedition itself, with its hardships and adventures. Ambrose's own observations offer a modern look at the land and those who live in it, including the Native American descendants of the tribes who stood between Lewis and Clark and the Pacific Ocean.

Superlative history, breathtaking photography, and an epic tale of exploration, endurance, and enterprise -- the classic ingredients that readers everywhere have come to expect from National Geographic.Amazon.com Review
In his preface, Stephen E. Ambrose describes the expedition ofLewis and Clark across the North American continent and back (from May1804 to December 1806) as "the greatest camping trip of all time, andthe greatest hunting trip. And one of the greatest scientificexpeditions ever."It's a trip that Ambrose and his family oftenemulate, camping in the same lands the expedition first encounterednearly two centuries before them. In 1997, he was accompanied byNational Geographic photographer Sam Abell. Some of thesestunning pictures lead off the account of the journey presented here,and then pepper the second half of the book, which is also filled withperiod illustrations and maps. Ambrose has told the story of Lewis andClark before, in the bestselling Undaunted Courage;the version he tells in Voyage of Discovery is shorter, but isalso filled with his own contemporary reflections upon the men and thelands they traveled. This coffee-table book will delight lovers ofhistory and nature alike, and may well inspire you to pack up yourgear and hit the trail. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

great book
Stephen Ambrose added a lot to the Lewis & Clark literature.
Undaunted Courage is a must read for L&C enthusiasts.

Lewis and Clark: Voyage of Discovery
This was so interesting and beautifully filmed.I learned alot from it. Jeri Hartman

A good overall Lewis & Clark Book
Good photos, although I would have liked to have seen more that were site-specific and tied directly to the text.Ambrose writes well, as usual.Very enjoyable read.

Very good in some ways, very Stephen Ambrose in some ways
The historical account is great for the most part, but I have two complaints.

The first is that, as one other reviewer notes, Ambrose injects himself and his family too much into the narrative. Jumping from past to present is bad enough if not necessary, but doing so for "look at me" reasons is worse.

Then again, it is Stephen Ambrose, and it's not totally surprising.

The book does also have some degree of the "American triumphalism" view of history that's par from him.

And, the treatment of the various Indian tribes in the context of their times, while decent, was nothing fantastic.

The pictures are indeed great. Of course, you can find many of the same from other great photographers, or from other National Geographic books.

Awesome man
This is like the Journey of Lewis and clark man. It is totally cool. The author tells about their journey as he himself moves along their path. There are totally cool pictures of western america, The book is totally awesome dude!! ... Read more

Product Description
“[I]n a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our power to add or detract.”
—President Abraham Lincoln

James M. McPherson, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom, and arguably the finest Civil War historian in the world, walks us through the site of the bloodiest and perhaps most consequential battle ever fought by Americans.

The events that occurred at Gettysburg are etched into our collective memory, as they served to change the course of the Civil War and with it the course of history. More than any other place in the United States, Gettysburg is indeed hallowed ground. It’s no surprise that it is one of the nation’s most visited sites (nearly two million annual visitors), attracting tourists, military buffs, and students of American history.

McPherson, who has led countless tours of Gettysburg over the years, makes stops at Seminary Ridge, the Peach Orchard, Cemetery Hill, and Little Round Top, among other key locations. He reflects on the meaning of the battle, describes the events of those terrible three days in July 1863, and places the struggle in the greater context of American and world history. Along the way, he intersperses stories of his own encounters with the place over several decades, as well as debunking several popular myths about the battle itself.

What brought those 165,000 soldiers—75,000 Confederate, 90,000 Union—to Gettysburg? Why did they lock themselves in such a death grip across these once bucolic fields until 11,000 of them were killed or mortally wounded, another 29,000 were wounded and survived, and about 10,000 were “missing”—mostly captured? What was accomplished by all of this carnage? Join James M. McPherson on a walk across this hallowed ground as he be encompasses the depth of meaning and historical impact of a place that helped define the nation’s character.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Gettysburg Tour
Very easy to understand book that I read just before visiting Gettysburg.It gave me a better appreciation of the battle without having to read a large volumn on the subject.Nicely done.

A wonderful tour guide and a history of the battle at Gettysburg
"Hallowed Ground" is rather a unique book. It is both a tour guide and a history.

I'm preparing for my first visit to Gettysburg, probably just a day or maybe two. As a military and history buff, I want to be sure to see everything significant - a tall order in a battlefield running roughly five miles long and two miles wide.

McPherson takes a unique approach. He is undoubtedly one of the foremost historians of the Civil War, yet this book is his rendition of a walking tour of Gettysburg. He locates events by the current names of street intersections, even in a couple of cases describing the modern buildings that occupy the sites now. He purportedly busts a few myths about the battle along the way. He describes some of the nearly 2,000 markers, monuments and statues on the battlefield - and how they cam to be there, which is an interesting bit of history in itself.

But the richness of this slim volume comes from McPherson's mixing a history of critical points in the battle wiht his tour narrative. Thus the action around Devil's Den, The Peach Orchard, Spangler's Spring and so on become much more than merely dots on a map. McPherson clearly wants you to smell the gunpowder, hear the cannon's roar, feel the death and bravery of the three days of battle.

He does it well.

There are shortcomings, though. The very few maps are small and lack detail. Locations that McPherson describes cannot be located on the maps. There should be an itinerary, lest the reader is left with the task of copying down the locations of the points McPherson describes. Finally, the volume could have been vastly improved with the addition of photographs.

Even so, this is a wonderful guide and history.

Jerry

Mcpherson forgot his GPS
the author speaks as if you know where he is standing.in the next revision please take gps locations.the map is too small to be usable in the kindle version which for some reason cannot be zoomed.

Hallowed Ground: A Walk at Gettysburg, by James M Mcpherson.

The author is clear and accurate describing the major actions of the battle.The reading actually walks you through the three days of conflict from the first shot to Pickett's charge and Lee's retreat.He provides background at each point but does not get bogged down with detail.This book is an easy read and you actually obtain a good idea about the action throughout the three days of battle.Especially recommend if you intend to visit Gettysburg.

Hallowed Ground
My son is a Civil War buff.He is currently fixated on the battle of Gettysburg.This book is to be a Christmas gift.I believe it will be a wonderful part of his collection. ... Read more

Product Description
More than a million tourists visit religious landmarks in San Antonio, Texas, each year, observing and sometimes participating in religious activities there. The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park--managed by the National Park Service, in cooperation with the Catholic Church--is one of hundreds of religious places in America and around the world where tourists have become a familiar presence. In Blessed with Tourists, Thomas S. Bremer explores the intersection of tourism and commerce with religion in American, using the missions and other San Antonio sites as prime examples.

Bremer recounts the history of San Antonio, from its Native American roots to its development as a religious center with the growth of the Spanish colonial missions, to the modern transformation of San Antonio into a tourist destination. Employing both ethnographic and historical approaches, Bremer examines the concepts of place, identity, aesthetics, and commercialization, demonstrating numerous ways that modern market forces affect religious communities. By identifying important connections between religious and touristic practices, Bremer establishes San Antonio as a distinctive source for anyone seeking to understand the interplay between the religious and the secular, the traditional and the modern. ... Read more

Product Description
In a friendly and entertaining style, America's Scientific Treasures describes hundreds of exciting destinations for the scientifically inclined traveler. The authors have spent many years traveling throughout the United States, and all of their suggestions are based on their own first-hand experience. The treasures they describe range from the unusual to the majestic, from the National Museum of Roller Skating to the Grand Canyon, and each has been selected for its high quality and educational merit. The book is organized geographically, spanning the forty-eight contiguous states, and the descriptions contain both travel details and lively background information. This guide will appeal in particular to armchair travelers, families looking for educational vacations, and anyone interested in America's scientific history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

GREAT, USEFUL, EASY TO READ
I FOUND THIS BOOK VERY USEFUL AS I TRAVEL AROUND ON MY VACTION TOURS.I SUGGEST ALL OWN A COPY.PAUL ... Read more

Product Description
A descendent of one of the pioneering boarding house families, WandaLandrey searched the Big Thicket region of East Texas to findsurvivors of the boarding house era and to collect their stories andrecipes. Part regional history, part cookbook, Boardin' In The Thicketis a nostalgic tour-de-force evoking an era now gone, but was once afamiliar part of frontier culture and experience. While a delightfuland personalized history, Boardin In The Thicket also offers auniquely appealing series of dishes drawn from the menus of theboardinghouse kitchens, from Mrs. Badders Steamed Fruitcake, AuntPhein's Bread Pudding, and Old-Fashioned Fudge to Fried Frog Legs,Creamed Stewed Onions, and Country Style Baked Fish. Illustrated withperiod photography.

A descendant of one of the pioneering boarding house families, WandaLandrey searched the Big Thicket to find survivors of the boardinghouse era and to collect their stories and recipes. Wanda Landrey is ahistorian, writer, and researcher who lectures on the culture of theBig Thicket region of Texas. She holds B.A. and M.A. degrees inhistory from Lamar University.

Boardin' in the Thicket received a citation from the San AntonioConservation Society and was selected to be among those featured inthe cookbook, Best of the Best from Texas II. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

This Book is a Gem
Informative, great writing style, illuminating, entertaining, the preservation of recipes from this era...the tops.I can't say enough about how spectacular this book is.

Entertaining, interesting, and credible.
When the name "Big Thicket" is mentioned to about anyone in East Texas, huge trees with dew-dripping moss and dense underbrush come to mind.But after reading Wanda Landrey's BOARDIN' IN THE THICKET, all I can thinkof are goodcountry recipes and amusing homespun stories.

Great recipes and history
Boardin in The Thicket is a "must have" for anyone wanting to put the country back in cooking.

Home cooking and boarderhouse history at its best!
In todays fast-paced world, it's refreshing to read a book such as Wanda Landrey's "Boardin' In the Thicket".In her book, Landrey recreates the ambiance of a time when people would sit on their porches androck and weave a tale or two.

Delightful stories with mouth-watering recipes!
Boarding in the Thicket is a collection of not only delightful stories but mouth-watering recipes.The sweet potato casserole from the Commercial Hotel in Kountz, Texas is a must at our house every Thanksgiving! ... Read more

Product Description

The Hawai’i of the travel brochures is a lush tropical destination for millions of visitors every year. But the familiar image of a Pacific paradise barely scratches the surface of the rich history and fascinating culture of the real Hawai’I—and in this evocative, eclectic, and unfailingly engaging book, novelist Susanna Moore shows us a hidden realm no tourist is likely to see.

Customer Reviews (6)

One star is being generous...
This book is not worth the effort or the price.The history is shallow and doesn't tie at all into the author's tales of her childhood.There is just this abrupt shift from history to personal life story with no linkage whatsoever.Wierd!Her descriptions of life growing up in Hawaii are even more shallow than her historical chapters.She gets facts wrong.(Okolehao is brewed from the ti plant, not pineapple, for example.)

Moore exhibits limited knowledge of the islands and their people.Maybe she suffers from failing memory, given that she moved away from Hawaii so long ago.However, I suspect she wasn't really paying attention as she was growing up.(One of my friends tells me she was focused on being one of the cool kids in school.)I say all this as a life-long resident of Hawaii who grew up in Hawaii at about the same time she did.On top of everything else Moore's writing is contrived.Don't waste your money.

thin fluff
The book is thin fluff.One of the author's '64 Punahou classmates, Laurie Ames Birnsteel, has written a more authentic and satisfying memoir, *Kahala: Growing Up in Hawaii*

Hawaiian Insight.
I Myself Have Seen It is more than just a travel book. Susanna Moore gives insightful impressions of the Hawaii she grew up in. Through her writing you can see the real and traditional Hawaii which is unfortunately vanishing.
What is more is you can see the influence Hawaii and its people have had on her earlier novels especially My Old Sweetheart. If you want to understand Hawaii read Ms. Moore's account as she is a real Island Girl.

This would get a C-minus in 10th grade world history.
Perhaps I had the wrong expectation.The brief amount I heard on NPR made me feel I was going to learn about Hawaiian culture and maybe hear stories.This book was written in the time-honored tradition of one American explaining why other Americans should feel bad about being American.Not that she is wrong or has any of her facts misplaced.But Susanna has written a disjointed, self-serving, whining account of Hawai'i.Maybe she is lamenting the loss of a childhood that she may or may not have ever had.But each chapter is kind of summed up the same way:the noble Hawai'ian, raped literally or figuratively by the Westerner in the name of progress or profit.I am hoping that she has a chance to spend time with her therapist (since she has found reason now to live in New York).

A Look Beneath the Surface
The typical one-week trip to Hawaii involves an immersion in lovely sights and scents and leads to a vague realization that this is a very different place from the rest of the United States. If one is lucky enough to spend a month or more then you begin to get an inkling that this is a very complex place indeed. For those who want to have a deeper inderstanding of that complexity this book is highly recommended.
Susanna Moore , who grew up in Hawaii, nicely blends a short history of the islands with her own experiences going to school there while slowly becoming aware of the "sociology" class going on all around her. For those who want to develop a Hawaiian sense of place this short straightforward book is a good place to begin. ... Read more

Product Description
Ghosts are part of a magical universe embraced by everysociety and culture, and telling ghost stories has been a way tocommunicate ideas, fears, and history since the beginning ofmankind. Most of us like a good mystery, and ghosts still representone of the biggest unsolved mysteries in our universe.

Southern Fried Spirits is for the adventurous person looking forsomething different while dining or lodging in the Southernstates. Spend a hauntingly unforgettable evening at one of therestaurants, taverns, or inns listed. Many of these establishmentshave been around for quite a while, some dating back to the eighteenthcentury. They all have one thing in common—they are haunted. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Rooms With A Boo
Ghosts, goblins, specters, and apparitions have always fascinated.Now,for those who might enjoy bedding down by a phantom or supping with a spookhere is a guide to many of the South's supposedly haunted spots. Whichstate leads in the number of addresses for the adventuresome?Why, Texas,of course! San Antonio's Alamo Street Restaurant, which was the AlamoMethodist Church until 1976, has a dining area and kitchen on the firstfloor while the second floor is home to live theater, concerts, andweddings. That's not all its home to - the owners boast"friendly spirits" who make their presence known by moving dishesaround, pushing cooks into the refrigerator, and turning lights on and off. Does the staff mind?Not at all.Every once in a while a waiter willholler, "Now you just stop that!" Spring, Texas, a bit Northof Houston, also has its share of unexplainable happenings at the WunscheBros. Café & Saloon.This two-story turn-of-the-century building hasbeen turned into a country style eatery.Evidently, Charlie Wunsche, aformer owner, likes the arrangement because it is said that he visitsfrequently - making ghostly appearances in linen closets and wandering thesecond floor. Austin's Driskill Hotel not only has registered guestsbut registered ghosts.Colonel Jesse Driskill, the builder makes hispresence known by smoking cigars in guests' room and playing with theirbathroom lights.Mrs. Bridges, a former employee, returns to the frontdesk near the witching hour clothed in a Victorian dress. Regrettably,not all of these spirits are affable as some current guests have complainedabout being awakened in the middle of the night "to the sensation ofsomeone pushing them out of bed." Waxahachie, South of Dallas,also reports eerie events perpetrated by a trio at the Catfish PlantationRestaurant.It seems that when the house that now contains the restaurantwas built in 1895 the owner had a daughter, Elizabeth.According toreports, she was throttled in the house on her wedding day by either orlover or groom. A second woman died in the house in 1970, and a thirdghostly visitor is "believed to be a farmer named Will, who lived inthe house during the Depression and died in the 1930s."Management,guests, journalists and psychics give the threesome credit for flyingcoffee cups, refrigerator doors opening and closing, and coffee brewed bynon-human hands. The Country Spirit, a two story restaurant in Boerne,serves spirits and hosts a few, too.Evidently, these phantoms like toparty as the beer spigot has been known to operate at the touch of unseenhands, and laughter has been heard coming from downstairs when it isunoccupied. Add to this list the LaBorde House Inn in Port Aransaswhich has a few invisible guests, the Grey Moss Inn near Helotes which hasmathematically inclined specters who operate the adding machine, andHouston's La Carafe with exploding glasses and a painting that flew off thewall. According to Southern Fried Spirits, Texas has a surplus of thesupernatural! ... Read more