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Marine Rifleman: Forty-Three Years in the Corps
Published in Hardcover by Brassey's Inc. (2002-05)
Author: USMC (Ret.), Col. Wesley L. Fox
List price: $27.95
New price: $16.00
Used price: $5.10
Collectible price: $29.49

Average review score:

Marine Rifleman- 43 Years in the Corps
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-10
A well written and represented book! This book gives the reader a totally " Gungy " feeling! Real to life excerts from day to day life with " Mother Green & her Machine" Col. Fox is a Marines Marine, his method of leadership and Esprit de Corps was like no other, I know , I served under his command and unknowingly absorbed many of his talents, wisdom and leadership trait's through following his training and command. Well worth it!!!!!!!!!!! Col. Fox is a Marine to model ones self after, a Great American!!!! ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK. Semper Fidelis

Marine Rifleman: Forty-three years in the Corps
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-12
Recommended reading for all Marines and Wannabees which includes just about everybody.

A must-read on leadership
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-13
Col. Fox's memoir is as educational as it is entertaining. This is a must-read book on leadership, which drives home two essential principles: the leader must set the example and the leader must look out for the welfare of subordinates (which includes correcting them or even steering them into better paths, if they don't fit the Marine mold). And he does it in an entertaining style. It's rare to find someone with his experience who is also such a fine writer.

Though he holds the Medal of Honor, Col. Fox isn't at all full of himself. He's not afraid to say when he made mistakes, or when the system made mistakes. I found myself both wishing I'd served under Fox, and grateful I didn't, because I'm not sure I could have measured up to his very high standards. We should all be eternally thankful for Americans of this caliber.

Give this book to the young man or woman thinking of joining the Corps.

Robert A. Hall
Former SSgt, USMCR
Author of "The Good Bits"

Pass this book on to others!
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-13
I gave "Marine Rifleman" to my 17-year-old son last week, not to have him again revisit my Marine Corps "era" through this terrific book, but to have him exposed to these thoughts:

-- "Normal" people can have a successful military career. And Marines are not cold-blooded killers to begin with, nor trained as such.
-- Military careers can co-exist with a family lifestyle. The Fox family is a wonderful example.
-- We owe a considerable debt of gratitude to those who have served, especially in combat situations. Our comfortable life is largely due to the sacrifices of thousands of military personnel since 1900. Many of these sacrifices are short of serious wounds or death, but are not experienced by or even known to the public-at-large.
-- You can lead AND command without losing respect for your subordinates (very important today!!!), or having them lose respect for you.

Does "Marine Rifleman" bring out these lessons? You bet it does. Get the book, read it, pass it on to others. The reader does not have to be Marine-familiar. It will be one of their better reads from the bewildering choices in the bookstores. Especially for young people. Let them experience the personal growth of this man Fox as he maintains his spirit and integrity through a demanding career.

One Marine's Amazing Journey Through the Ranks
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-18
Every Marine that has served can easily tell you about the types of people in the Corps. There are the people who do their job and are just waiting to get out, the less than desirable bottom "10%" and then guys like Wesly Fox: the super-hardcore, gungy types who eat and sleep Marine Corps and epitomize the professionalism and dedication of the modern warrior. Col. Fox spent 43 year in, making it to 1st Sergeant before being commissioned and ultimately obtaining his bird. Many field grade officers today remember him as the CO of OCS, and his reputation carries his name throughout the Corps, even today, a decade since his retirement. Gungy Marines only come along maybe once a year in a unit, and Marines like Foxonly come along once in a great while.

The book is written by the author, and goes from chapter to chapter through each rank and his experiences in Korea, Vietnam, and all of his assignments (e.g. drill instructor, recruiter, MSG, etc.); He did it all. The prose is not extremely well written or memorable so much as the content of his story is remarkable. He seems to be a very warm and realistic man. There are almost no political views in the book, or rants about government or red tape, just his perspectives on the COrps and how it changed over 3 years. A great read, I feel it should be added to the Commandant's reading list.

U
No More Wacos: What's Wrong With Federal Law Enforcement and How to Fix It
Published in Hardcover by Prometheus Books (1997-03)
Authors: David B. Kopel and Paul H. Blackman
List price: $34.00
New price: $6.98
Used price: $2.00

Average review score:

Hopefully "No More Whackos" In Religious Cults!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 32 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-25
In this book the author blames the initial assault on David Koresh's Mount Cramel property on the ATF. He neglects to mention that David Koresh had enough guns, hand grenades and illegal automatic weapons to outfit the Kosovo Army for it's next Revolution.The BLAME lies with David Koresh and his followers. When you amass such as stockpile of ILLEGAL weaapons then you should expect a visit from the authorities which is exactly what happend . And due to Koresh's arsenal he managed to "outgun" the ATF and four good Peace Officers were murdered. All of this occurred because that madman and psychopath Koresh thought he had a "Direct Hotline" to God. Those 86 people chose not to surrender. Perhaps they thought the seige would end with flowers and free bottles of French Champagne? It seems like nearly everybody wants to blame somebody else for the Waco Incident instead of laying the blame at Koresh and his followers.I give this book 5 stars because no doubt it will apeal to the Paranoid Conspiracy Theorists out there and the Survivalist who now think their Government is "The Enemy "ever since Russians turned out to be nice people after all.

Investigative writing at it's best!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-20
Kopel and Blackman did more than just their homework on this book. It is perhaps the most factual yet interesting critique on the way in which federal law enforcement operates today. The attack on Mt. Carmel is a very important even in the history of this nation and only from our mistakes can we change the future. This review I believe is especially credible since I read but certainly don't always like David Kopel's writings. Highest recommendation and a great source for research papers.

De-militarize and De-federalize law enforcement!
Helpful Votes: 20 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-01
A very impressive accomplishment. There is a tremendous amount of detail here -- right down to how the ATF's name evolved from BATF -- but presented in a compelling and readable way.

This book is unusual in that it does not slant everything in one direction; it refuses to classify those involved as unambiguous good guys or bad guys.

The scope of the book goes beyond what's implied by the title. There is plenty of fascinating history here, many references to other law enforcement debacles. A compelling case is made that law enforcement has become too militarized and too federalized. The discussion of how "groupthink" on both sides (the government and the Davidians) leads to this kind of tragedy is especially excellent.

I've long wondered why liberals and conservatives seem inverted on Waco. Liberals are thought to be strong on civil rights, including religious freedom, and anti-military. Conservatives are thought to favor strong law-and-order. The authors explain this puzzle: the Congressional hearings quickly degenerated into an attempt to embarrass political opponents rather than a dispassionate search for the truth. The American public and the media took their orientation from Congress to a large extent. If a Republican had been president at the time of Waco, it's very possible the sides would have been reversed.

The authors show very clearly that the real problems with law enforcement have been building regardless of which party controls the White House or the Congress. I hope some legislators read this book and take the excellent reform suggestions to heart.

Great book, bad search warrant
Helpful Votes: 23 out of 25 total.
Review Date: 2000-07-18
Once again David Kopel (and Paul Blackman) gets to the bottom of things and shows what the Waco disaster was all about. If you only read one section of this book, read the part detailing the search warrant. It appears that all the death and destruction (on the part of both the Branch Davidians and the BATF agents who were killed) was brought on because of a failure to pay a several hundred dollar tax on a firearm.

This book focuses on Waco but also delves into the expansion of federal law enforcement and the effect it has on civil liberties in this country.

As per the United States Constitution, the federal government should have law enforcement jurisdiction over the following acts: piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, offences against the law of nations, and counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States.

Something has gone terribly wrong.

Read this book. Then read anything else that David Kopel has written. It will be well worth your time, and you will be well educated about the erosion of our rights as citizens.

A valuable analysis and reference for future reforms.
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-31
This work is not only an outstanding explanation of the Waco and Ruby Ridge incidents, but a critical review of modern federal law enforcement. The book goes beyond sorting out -- in meticulous detail -- what really happened in these debacles. Even more valuable is the objective analysis of the abuses and excesses of federal law enforcement, along with suggested remedies.

This book is a "must read" for anyone concerned with civil liberties or law enforcement.

U
Our Sacred Honor: The Stories, Letters, Songs, Poems, Speeches, and Hymns that Gave Birth to Our Nation
Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster (1997-10-06)
Author:
List price: $25.00
New price: $5.94
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Collectible price: $25.00

Average review score:

Something we should all know
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-10
These are the people who founded our great country. These are people who we have all heard about, but don't really know who they were. This book is a great introduction to our founders and what made them do what they did.

Our Sacred Honor...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-06
As always, Bennett tosses us a great story about our founding fathers. His writing is coordinated and he points out the best of the dramatic tales (real) that they endured--as individuals, as well as family heads. If only, when future historians look back on our current days, they would be able to say..."Those were great days." Alas, I doubt it. Although the founders were what might be called "normal mortals", to challenge each other to create our great nation makes one proud to be able to say "we belong!" They were clearly heroes.

One Inspirational Read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-14
I was tasked to find an appropriate book to give to outstanding high schoolers for our local Rotary Club. I felt this book well represented the ideal of the club. This book should serve as a valuable resource in future years as these young men and women matriculate to higher learning, and careers.

Bennett chose material well
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-26
Bennett chose his material well. Historians may argue with some of the details in his commentary (e.g., that Burr shot to kill Hamilton, aiming directly at his chest). Others may take issue with some of the "nuclear family" biases inherent in his commentary. That isn't the meat of the book. The importance of the book rests in the quotes of the founding generation, and Bennett went beyond some of the most famous quotes and speeches, although these are represented as well, to give us a true feeling of a generation that approached life with a genuine goal of self-improvement. Most interesting were some passages from Abigail Adams, from her "tough love" to John Quincy through her disdain for french dancers. Anything regarding Bennett's personal life is irrelevant for assessing the value of this work.

The greatest generation speaks
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-09
The United States of America was blessed with a generation of founding fathers who were at the same time people of action, and people of thought. They were an incredibly brilliant group of political and moral thinkers. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison had a profound understanding of both human nature and the unique circumstances bound up with the founding of the United States. Their dream was of creating a nation like no other before, one based on principles of freedom, and dignity of the individual The ideal formulation is of course in one of the documents central to this collection, ' The Declaration of Independence' , life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
In this anthology of the founding fathers' writings in story, letter song, speech and hymn we feel the spirit of a new and great nation and vision for mankind.
God Bless America.

U
Rosie O'Donnell's Crafty U: 100 Easy Projects the Whole Family Can Enjoy All Year Long
Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster (2008-04-08)
Author: Rosie O'Donnell
List price: $21.95
New price: $13.22
Used price: $13.56
Collectible price: $75.00

Average review score:

so many fun ideas
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-14
There are enough great ideas to keep my son busy for his entire summer vacation!

A "10 - STAR" Book!!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-13
I SO love Ro... and her focus on children is No.1 anytime you ask her. This is truly an awesome book that can be used BY childern or FOR children. The supply list is simple and you can find most in your home, or you can adjust accordingly. The time spent with your kids/grandkids is the focus. Anything you do together is beautiful and the memory is something you can never replace. Thanks Ro, you are awesome as always. Now, where's book TWO???

Best ideas ever!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-11
Absoluty LOVED this book. My kids were begging to go get stuff for crafts the day we got it!! Its very affordable projects that are fun and easy for the parents as much as the kids!! My BF and I now get our kids together each week for craft day. They choose which one they want to do and we al have a blast!!

Crafty Fun
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-05
This book is full of wonderful ideas. Lots of great ways to spend quality time with your kids.

Great Craft Ideas!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-09
As a nanny and a future teacher, I've been looking for a book that has a lot of various craft ideas with simple instructions and that can be for kids of all ages. This book provides exactly just that! I especially like how the crafts are for certain seasons and for different situations like "rainy days" and "everyday". The introduction contains a lot of specifics like how to organize your craft area and what you will need in order to complete all the crafts in the book. I think the best part about this craft book is that each craft has a very detailed picture with it, so you are able to see what you are making! Like I said before, this is excellent for kids from ages 4 and up and the crafts are very cute, some even looking like you bought it from Pier 1. :)
The hard cover and gloss pages also add to Rosie's Crafty-U. I'm excited to start creating the crafts for summer with the kids!

U
Traveler's Guide to Alaskan Camping: Explore Alaska and the Yukon with RV or Tent (Traveler's Guide series)
Published in Paperback by Rolling Homes Press (2005-04-01)
Authors: Mike Church and Terri Church
List price: $21.95
New price: $21.95
Used price: $16.94

Average review score:

Tent Camping look for other reference
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-12
This is great for the RV's not so good for tent campers and Motorcycle Adventure tourers.

Excellent guide
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-08
Since we will be camping most of the time while in Alaska, this book is a great guide.

Like the "Big Rig" rating.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-12
This guide is a little dated (3rd edition - 2005), but it's not hard to cross reference the campgrounds in this guide with a more recent (Trailer Life) guide, so that's not a major problem. The campground descriptions are spot on, but the feature we relied on most was the "Big Rigs" symbol. We pull a 32' 5th wheel, so we're not really huge, but knowing you can maneuver before you enter a campground is worth it's weight in Alaska gold.

This is a great guide to Alaska camping!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-07
This is a detailed and very useful and essential book to help making a motorhome trip to Alaska via the Alcan highway a pleasant experience. I think it is an easier guide to use for planning your trip than the Milepost.

Alaska
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-02
Easy to read. Will be of great help in navigating the alaskan hwy. Small enough to take along.

U
Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894
Published in Hardcover by The Lyons Press (2006-05-01)
Author: Daniel James Brown
List price: $22.95
New price: $2.99
Used price: $2.98
Collectible price: $22.95

Average review score:

The Hometown Perspective
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-08
I grew up in Sandstone, MN and happened to find this book on the "Noteable Reads" table at BN. Picked it up and couldn't put it down. I had, of course, been taught the history of the Hinckley Fire, but never realized the total horror those people went through or what a monster of a fire it actually was. This book had chills running up and down my back as I read it. I'm sure I have one up on most people reading this as I have actually seen the places in the book (though altered now) for example the Sandstone Quarry (Robinson Park now) is one of my favorite places. I have a personal thanks for Mr. Brown for writing such an amazing book that really touched home for me(no pun intended.)

Informative read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-18
This book is an easy, informative read about a horrific disaster. It follows several people before, during and after the fire. It was much like reading an enjoyable fiction book. I plan to use portions of this to teach my junior high students about the causes and effects of forest fires.

Fascinating
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-19
I was glued to this book. Wonderfully written, interesting facts combined with a heart breaking story...I couldn't recommend it highly enough!

Wow
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-13
The Hinkley fire has been a passion of mine since I was 12 years old. I even dragged my grandma to Hinkley to see the mass graves and memorials. I devoured every bit of scrap of information I could on the subject. For years. We went to the Hinkley Fire Mesuem on my honeymoon!! This guy took all this things I have read, and then some, and put them in a story I can read and make total sense of! He did his research to the tee, inserting local histories and stories of the times, attitiudes, medical practices, and family histories, often taken directly from recorded histories given by the people who were there. And expanding on them with science, philsosphy, psychology.
I read this book in less then 24 hours, neglecting my family and house completly. It is wonderful, the most comprehensive book regarding the Hinkley Fire I have ever read. This book will be in my collection forever. I highly reccommend to anyone who has an interest in this history or the way of life in the late 1800's or human nature and compassion

This book was gripping in detail and intensity
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-31
I couldn't put it down and re-read it twice more to try and make sense of this great American tragedy which I'd never heard of before. The author used other written accounts as well as science to explain the firestorm that swept through and destroyed several small towns in Minnesota in 1894 and made it come alive for me. I was awestruck as he described great bubbles of glowing gas that formed, traveling ahead of the fire only to burst over the heads of terrified victims. The accounts of the passengers on the trains trying to escape the fires only to have the train itself catch on fire was suspensful and awful! This is a book that you won't be able to put down and I hope to see more books from Mr. Brown in the near future.

U
America's Living History - The Early Years (A Traveler's Guide)
Published in Paperback by Red Corral Publishing (2007-05-01)
Authors: Suzanne Sheumaker and Craig Sheumaker
List price: $29.95
New price: $19.76
Used price: $14.94

Average review score:

Required resource for those interested in American history
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-04
If you like to travel and love history then you will greatly appreciate this excellent resource. This book provides information on the best Living History destinations in the United States from prehistory to the early 1840s. Instead of organizing the locations by particular area of the United States the authors have chosen to organize them by significant historical groupings. Examples of these groupings include a section on America's native peoples, one on religious and secular groups, one on the road to independence, and one on opening the West.

Most destinations have between a half page and a full-page description of the location, its historical significance, and interesting facts about the location or a related history. The book is filled with excellent color photographs that give the reader a solid feel for what to expect. This is one of the most invaluable resources I have ever found for planning a trip focused on American history and the historical significance of various areas of the United States. Americans Living History is very highly recommended.

A wonderful traveling companion
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-26
Say the words "road trip" and "history" and I get excited. Suzanne & Craig Sheumaker have written a wonderful guide book for people who love living history sites and museums. I've been to most of the places described in Virginia and I can say that they got their descriptions absolutely correct.

I especially liked the photos. Most guide books have no pictures or annoy me with dinky little artsy drawings. When I'm in a car looking for something I don't want a drawing.

The Sheumakers seem to really love what they do and their enthusiasm comes though in each chapter. I've always scorned the Jamestown Settlement and prefered to head to the real Jamestown down the road but after reading the Sheumakers section on it I think I'll give it a try.

I particularly enjoyed the way that they split the book up. If you are interested in sites from the Spanish colonization years or the French or of course the English you can find chapters that deal just with that particular period. If you want to understand more about Indian life they have an exceptionally good section of sites dedicated to America's earliest settlers. Be sure to check out the Cherokee villiage in North Carolina. The book also talks about the Catholics, the Jews, Amish, Moravian, Shakers, Quakers and Mormons who came to America and the living history sites they left behind.

If the Revolutionary period is what interests you most they have a chapter on sites to visit. If the sites of the new nation are your thing then they have a chapter for you. This is really a delightful book and is such a good travel companion I'd say that the best thing to do is to buy two copies. One for the coffee table and one to keep in the car. I hope this is the begining of a new series.

Well-written, well-researched history tour of America
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-08
What can you expect from America's Living History-The Early Years? Definitely not just another "coffee table" book! The stunning photographs may catch your eye, but you'll want to pick up this book and use it.

Have you ever wanted to visit the historic Jamestown site in Virginia? You can view hundreds of artifacts discovered from the first permanent settlement there.

Do you remember the story about Washington crossing an icy river to attack British forces? Been to the place it happened? Did you know that every year on Christmas Day, hundreds of re-enactors cross the river to commemorate this Revolutionary War triumph?

Know where you can find incredible Native American petroglyphs? Sites in New Mexico and Nevada are mentioned in this book.

Readers will find the answers to innumerable questions about early American life in this book. Whether readers are interested in a day trip close to home or going cross-country, this is a great resource.

From the plains to the coast, Alaska to Hawaii, nearly every state is represented in this guide. With three hundred destinations featured, a history buff or interested traveler couldn't ask for more.

The authors have done a great job with tasteful and applicable photographs. They accent pages filled not just with contact information (although it's there for your reference) but with interesting facts, too. The book is separated into categories, including: America's Native Peoples, European Colonization, Road to Independence, and more. It also features destinations lists by region, to help you plan adventures if you are on a trip.

The authors have obviously done their homework and it shows in this wonderful resource.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended.

Make meaningful memories on vacation or daytrips with this guide
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-10
We are history buffs at home--both of us grew up in historic areas. Trips to Gettysburg, Independence Hall, The Old North Church and Washington, DC were in our childhood experiences. You could hardly take a daytrip without seeing some of America's oldest treasures. So we as children enjoyed historical sites and we still stop for historical markers as a habit when we are out touring any area.


For people with similar tastes or who have children to educate, this is a wonderful resource. Some of the well-known and lesser known historical sites all over the US that date from the early years are laid out in a travel guide format.


The book is organized by popular sites, subjects like religious movements, colonization, the Western movement, and the Revolutionary War and the times leading up to this watershed event. Each historical site has photographs, address and phone number and a synopsis of what is available for touring. The geographical maps show towns or cities of interest. The only thing missing would be day trip routes in some of the more densely-historical areas (Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, New Jersey.)



But there are also timelines and write-ups of the history of the times (the Shakers, the Mormons, the battles of the Revolution and War of 1812, and the early contact with Native Americans.) So the book is not just a "what to see" but has important background and a good if brief overview of early American history.

After I read this book, I immediately wanted to go see at least a half a dozen sites I had not visited that are not really very far from my, and added a list of places I want to see next time I'm out West.


This is a very pretty book and one that home schoolers would find absolutely a treasure. My parents took us on endless daytrips on weekends and these are some of my fondest memories of childhood. If you have kids and an automobile, I'd put this book on the "must-have" list because you can build some excellent memories and give your kids a fine sense of where we came from as a nation. Big thumbs-up and I eagerly await more in this series.

Incredible Resource for Vacationers Seeking U.S. History
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-12
Suzanne and Craig Sheumaker have created an incredible resource for people looking to vacation in the United States in places where history lives. They profile 300 living history sites in the United States that cover American history from the time when Native Americans had empires and confederations to the 1840's. The Sheumakers provide excellent cross-references to aid people planning a living history vacation. However, this book is more than just a guide for people looking for an excellent place to vacation; this book is also a wonderful history book with factual tidbits sprinkled throughout.

The beginning of this book provides maps of the profiled locations. These maps also divide the sites into categories described later in the book (more on that in a moment). Thus, if your focus is on European colonization and you are interested in traveling to the mid-Atlantic or the South, you will be able to quickly find the sites that are focused on this aspect of history.

The Sheumakers organized this book into six historical categories; America's Native Peoples, European Colonization, Religious & Secular Groups, Road to Independence, Our New Nation, and Opening the West. Each section is color coded to more easily locate them on the previously described maps. Even better, each section has dozens of photographs, typically one per site, along with location information, fee information, and, perhaps best of all, the best available web site for the location. In addition, the Sheumakers sometimes recommend the best time of year to see special events and they typically provide information regarding the historical significance of the site.

I have checked several of the sites recommended by the Sheumakers to see how accurate their information is. Consider Cahokia Mounds, in Illinois, described on page 38 of this book. There are two photographs. One photograph is of the largest mound on the site. The other is a photograph of a walk-through diorama available at the interpretive center. The Sheumakers include several pieces of information about the history of the site and its significance (a small portion of what you can learn at the site). Their information regarding the location of Cahokia Mounds matches the direction provided on the highways east of St. Louis, Missouri. The fee information is also correct (free), though the interpretive center suggests a $1 donation per person. The only flaw I found in the Sheumaker's description of this site is that they neglected to mention the miles of walking trails on the site.

Other sites contain similar accuracy. I looked at Spring Mill Pioneer Village in Indiana, which is a wonderful place to visit (though sometimes it gets very busy). Historic St. Charles, Missouri is yet another wonderful place to visit, if you can avoid the distraction of the gigantic casino that is nearby. Ft. Osage in Sibley, Missouri, has been a popular destination for the nearby residents of Kansas City, Missouri, for decades.

If there is a flaw in this book, it is that space limited the Sheumakers to only 300 destinations. There are many more living history places in the United States. However, the Sheumakers certainly picked many of the very best places from the era before the 1840's. Perhaps if this book is successful, they can write a follow-up book titled "More of America's Living History."

This book is a phenomenal resource for people planning a vacation or seeking a starting point for a history paper. Teachers and other educators may wish to explore one of the living history sites near your school. You may just want to take a day trip to one of these sites. All of them are worth at least a day trip and some of them require days to fully explore.

Traveler's guides seem to be a dime-a-dozen these days. Everyone is competing for shelf space and your attention. The Sheumakers have a unique approach, eschewing typical tourist attractions for those that focus on our (United States) history. It would be a mistake to call these sites tourist attractions, because many of them contain on-going historical research. For example, excavations continue at Cahokia Mounds. Regardless of your need, this beautiful, full-color book is a wonderful as a resource, a coffee-table book, or even just to read - I started it and could not put it down. Whatever your need or goal, if you appreciate the history of the United States and you are seeking an opportunity to immerse yourself further in that history, you need this book.

This review is based on a copy of the book provided to me by the authors.

Enjoy!

U
Canyons of the Southwest: A Tour of the Great Canyon Country from Colorado to Northern Mexico
Published in Paperback by University of Arizona Press (2000-09)
Author:
List price: $18.95
New price: $2.25
Used price: $0.16

Average review score:

Best read.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-08
Best Read. John Annerino's CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST. -Tucson Weekl

Towering red rock and rushing waters.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-08
CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST by John Annerino features the author's photographs of towering red rock and rushing waters. -Travel-Holiday Magazine

Stunning.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-08
CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST by John Annerino. A stunning overview of the "inverted mountains." -Summit Magazine

Unbelievably beautiful pictures and stories.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-08
For people who love the West, especially those who seldom leave the concrete road, this book provides unbelievably beautiful pictures and stories about gorgeous places in the wilderness. -Rocky Mountain News

Compelling photographs.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-08
Foremost are the photographs. I would call Annerino's canyon portraits the best of a really good lot, even over big-time large-format photographers. While the large-format works are stunning artistic studies of light and color shot with impossibly huge f-stops, Annerino's canyon photographs give expression to the phrase "wearing one's heart on the sleeve." His photos have an active passion that others lack. Anyone who knows him will say he is among the "hardmen' to tackle the Southwestern mountains and canyons, but that he is definitely the most sincere in his passion for place. Perhaps, because of this he lacks a calculated commercial view of the places he photographs. His images also record his own passion, creating compelling and unique photographs. More than any other contemporary outdoor photographer, Annerino's photos mirror his love of the land's people. In the text, Annerino portrays canyonlands people as part of what makes the places special. He has a deep affection for past and present native peoples, but unlike some Anglo North Americans, Annerino isn't a lost 20th century soul. Rather, he seems to have a straightfoward and genuine admiration for native people, and has learned a great deal about them. His research on each canyon's history is impressive. Annerino writes with an immensity commensurate with his subject. His style is old-fashioned, evoking an older, more grandiose era of writing of explorers like Powell and Pattie. While many modern writers seem bent on infusing themselves into as much of the story as possible, Annerino's style is not so full of himself as full of the intensity of his canyon experiences...Annerino is at his best when he writes about Mexico, especially the Big Bend passage where he talks about the injustices served the Mexican across the river at the hands of our national park there. An optimist who sees great things in the canyons, Annerino neither ignores nor dwells on the obvious problems facing the West like pollution and development. And fortunately, CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST is not a treasure map guidebook to these areas. -Desert Skies

U
Essential Thomas Paine: Common Sense, The Rights of Man
Published in Paperback by Plume (1984-11-01)
Author: Thomas Paine
List price: $12.00
New price: $11.41
Used price: $3.49
Collectible price: $11.79

Average review score:

Looking to the past for insight
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-16
With all of the current claims by people of what the Founding Fathers intended for our country I decided to begin reading them for myself to achieve a personal perspective on what the Founders intended. This book and the writings contained are an excellent source of information and insight as to what Thomas Paine's intentions were.

American Foundation
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-28
Thomas Paine is an important figure in the founding of the United States. Although he was later ignored by the United States (when he was a prisoner in France...).

The book is a good compilation of the works of Thomas Paine. Paine was a smart man and his writings were influential in the American Revolution (Common Sense) and the French Revolution (Rights of Man). This book combines the writings into one book.

Common Sense is a short phamplet that greatly influenced the United States foundation. The sensical arguments seem obvious to readers in the 21st Century but in the late 18th century they were ideas that people needed to hear, and was a kickoff to the drive for independence. Common sense was read by a lot of Americans at the time and would do students of American History well to get the feelings of the Revolutionary period.

Get back to our nation's roots
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-18
In today's politically heated atmosphere, people seem to have forgotten what this great nation was founded on. Reading this book is enlightening, awakening, and reminds us of what it took to make America. Sadly, it's also a pretty sharp reminder of how more and more of our rights are being stripped away from us. I think this book should be required reading in school, and certainly before any political discussion. I recommend this book to ANYONE of ANY AGE. Absolutely amazing.

did i know american history? not really!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-27
every american should have a copy to see how the american goverment has taken away every liberty that was so hard to get!

Great patriot
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-25
Great book by one of our greatest patriots. Should be required reading for all American citizens.

U
Frommer's Alaska 2004
Published in Paperback by Frommers (2003-11-10)
Author: Charles P. Wohlforth
List price: $19.99
New price: $2.48
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

This is all you need!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-22
This book is all you really need to go to Alaska. If you are a fan of Frommers products you will not be dissapointed. It's a thorough and accurate overview of all the basics needed when planning an Alaskan getaway.

True Frommers
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07
I received the 2008 edition for Christmas...
true to Frommer's form. Great "Best of Alaska"
and "Planning your Trip" chapters...good inter-
net links and current contact phone numbers.
Nice section of "Alaska in Depth."

Happy buyer
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-15
What more can one say about Frommer? You can't, or shouldn't, take any trip without taking along Frommer's reviews/commentary, and what to see and do books. Our trip to Alaska was just fantastic, and the information provided in it on everything from travel by cruise ship, history and what land tours to take was outstanding. I purchased the book (and others like it) from Amazon, and they all arrived in a timely manner, and the "price was right".

Very informative
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-08
This book has been very informative in helping us to select which cruise line, tours and offshore excursions we plan to take advantage of while in Alaska. I highly recommend reading this BEFORE BOOKING and taking it along as a guide on your trip. It gives insider tips you may not have thought about when planning a trip. JPB

Frommer's Alaska 2007
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-15
Doing a road trip via Motor Home...great explanations of camp sites, fishing, etc. Very helpful for a first time visitor for sure!


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