North America Books

We take trips by car every summer on the east coast, and try to work in as much education as we can for the kids, while still keeping it entertaining for me and my wife! For our trip to Williamsburg this year, we had a hard time choosing a guide, but we took this book with us along with our maps and a more general guide to Virginia. We were suprised to find that Clint Johnson's book provided all the general information we needed, along with things that weren't in the regular guide. It was a great resource for recommendations on places to stay and eat during our trip, that were really the type of authentic places we were looking for. It's also full of color photographs. We highly recommend it for anyone looking for a thorough companion on a trip to Williamsburg.

For Colonial America:
I'm a history NUT, and this one feeds the addiction well. It came with me on a lengthy trip recently and was pretty much my guide throughout. Excellent for finding the right B&Bs and unique Colonial accommodations that I wanted.

I recently read this book and only wish I had more time and money to travel! The author is very detailed about so many different sites, even some lesser known locations of great historical significance that I had never been aware of. I have seen other books specifically about Rev. War sites, but this book goes much further back in time with many colonial and pre-rev. war sites, such as the Lost Colony at the North Carolina coast. Another thing I like is that when listing nearby lodging, the author rarely mentions the average modern hotel chains, but instead lists the small bed & breakfasts or country inns that best invoke the mood and feel of the time period of the specific historic site that they are near. This is a great way to travel. I would highly recommend this book to history buffs out there planning their next vacation/historical tour.

This is such a well structured and informative guide that I do not make my numerous trips into wine country without it.

Its one great failing is that the publishers have not seen fit to update it in over 7 years!

I shopped around extensively at local travel bookstores to find a good wine country book, and I think this one is the best. It has beautiful color pictures on almost every page. Many of the pictures show the wine labels, which helps make the book a nice souvenir for you to remember the wine/winery later. The pictures are supplemented with insightful commentary on the wines, history of each winery, and even pictures/descriptions of the restaurants, lodgings. The maps are also in color, and are detailed for each town. Also included is an events/festivals list and analysis of wine vintages by year. All that, and it's still small enough to carry with you when you visit the wineries.

My wife and I were completely delighted following the "tours" in this guide. The maps, directions and winery descriptions were second to none! Anyone contemplating a trip to the California wine country should consider this book a MUST. Of course, if your not planning a trip, you will be after reading this! We stayed at two different B&B's recommended by the book and were very pleased. The book accurately depicted the quality of the rooms and hospitality of the staff. Again, I highly recommend this wine country guide.

I just did not want this book to end, so I tried to take it slower then I normally do. That was NOT easy, as this book race's along, keeping you hooked and needing to pick it back up. Thank goodness there is another one coming soon. As like the first book in their series, you try to figure out where "it is going", but you will not be able to. Since there was such an incredible review by the Seminole Tribune (Freelance writer Ms. Kiyoshk) I will not give detail's away about the plot. The Munson's have again put relationship's "on the line" and character's that honestly I found myself "laughing out loud" quite a number of time's. What a treat for a "legal and suspense thriller" and to also have some of the character's as such "missfit's". All of this kept me on the edge and thoroughly involved in the personal relationship's of the different couple's and their extended famlies's, AND as they tried to work through their problem's. All of this taking place in the middle of the biggest bunch of secret's, lie's, and back stabbing in the crime and judicial system...AND with it's politic's. (still don't know "who" some of the bad guy's are, but maybe in the next book)???? Thank you Diane and David. I would be remiss not to say how many time's you could see God working with each person, even the "misfit's", me included. I feel truly blessed with each book I read by the Munson's. What a rare combination in a book!!!! Mary from Keizer, Oregon

This is the second book I've read by the Munsons. They have an impressive resume' for writing a legal thriller due to David Munson being a former Federal undercover agent and Diane Munson who is a former Federal prosecutor. While Grisham does well in courtroom scences and Clancy is good with the law enforcement side, the Munsons make both the legal and agent action work. In Confirming Justice the Munsons create characters and situations that are realistic and believable. A must read!

Seminole Tribune commissioned free lance writer Ramona Kiyoshk to write a review of "Confirming Justice." Ms. Kiyoshk, who also writes reviews for the New York Times, wrote the following review which appeared in the Seminole Tribune on 10/13/06. It is provided by the authors in its entirety. WARNING!! "Confirming Justice" is a legal thriller. Ms. Kiyoshk's review may tell you more than you want to know about how the book ends.

"The latest book by husband-and-wife writing team Diane and David Munson is an exciting romp in American political intrigue that takes the reader from the gleaming halls of justice in Washington, D.C., to the gator-infested swamps of southern Florida and points in between. The Munson team draws on their expertise and insight as former inside players in the high-stakes and dicey game of White House law enforcement. Diane Munson has been an attorney for twenty years, and is a former Federal Prosecutor with the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Her husband, David, is a retired Federal Special Agent, whose career included positions in the DEA, U.S. Customs, and the Naval Investigative Services, often undercover.

Their understanding of human nature, and especially the criminal mind, gives their writing depth, heart and velocity. Their keen knowledge of their subject matter and their skill as suspense writers, make for a truly delightful read. I am a fan of the mystery and suspense genre, but I find that many books are simply clones of each other. This book is made memorable by the very believable characters that are developed as the story moves along. Their plights elicit sympathy, rage, laughter and curiosity. You want to join them on their quests for justice, peace, love, happiness, or whatever. In Confirming Justice, the players feel like old friends by the end of the book, something rare in the modern pulp fiction novel.

The central story is about Dwight Pendergast, a judge who is nominated for Justice of the Supreme Court by the President after another candidate is bullied into withdrawing by a vicious press and Opposition members hostile to his beliefs. The book opens with Judge Pendergast trying a Cabinet member¹s son for conspiracy to bribe and embezzle when a key witness disappears. FBI Agent Griff Topping, who is sent to recover the AWOL witness, finds himself in a quagmire that includes former Soviet spies, restless Native Americans, a deal-making petty felon with big ideas, and family skeletons that insist on popping out of long-locked closets. One thing is certain: If you want every detail of your life dragged before the public, become a candidate in a Supreme Court confirmation hearing.

The chase scenes are fast and filled with surprises. This is refreshing in a world where almost everything has been done at least once somewhere else. Small-time criminal Skeeter's leap through a pane of glass when he recognizes an FBI undercover agent and his subsequent trek through the swamp with alligators and manatees is too real. The houses and the landscapes are described through textures, smells, and senses rather that just adjectives. This has the effect of drawing the reader into the locale. It becomes very authentic.

The loving relationship between Judge Pendergast and his wife, Christine, is developed through action and flashbacks. This gives the reader a better understanding of the strength of their commitment to each other and to their children and their goals. The President's Special Assistant, Barbara Jo Houston as she conspires to topple anyone in her path, could be modeled after any number of angry, ambitious people in politics today. Bernie Spritzer, Pendergast's former law partner, is a brooding foil for the rising star and his wife, Rita, with a festering paranoia about an imagined love affair, could be any Washington wife who has been too long in her husband's shadow.

My favorite character is the FBI agent, Griff Topping. His role is to keep the story tied together as he moves in and out every situation. He is a widower and a loner who flies small airplanes for fun. His friends are always trying to match him up with a mate. He is also a skilled investigator, and is approached by Judge Pendergast to find his long-lost siblings, who were sent to foster homes when their parents died. Pendergast himself was adopted and his search for his family is instigated by his need for a kidney transplant.

The search for the lost siblings places Agent Topping face to face with cocaine smuggling desperadoes in the Gulf of Mexico. Skeeter¹s shrimp boat is recruited to move a load of cocaine, and a seizure by agents from the FBI, DEA and Customs, is engineered. This is presented with all the tension and logistics gleaned from David Munson's experience in the field. By now, Topping has determined that Skeeter, who was raised in foster homes and lives off petty crime, is really Pendergast¹s brother. Hyper and insecure, Skeeter is a perfect foil for the self-contained FBI professional.

With the drug bust wrapped up, Topping and Skeeter travel to the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation where they meet the last lost sibling, a sister, Eleanor. From here on, except for a few hair-raising twists, you can bet there will be a happy - and very satisfying ending.

The Munsons obviously are spiritual people and this is evident throughout the book. There are numerous references to the Scriptures and to the relationship of the characters to their Christian God. Volatile issues hinted at include abortion, eminent domain and creationism vs. evolution. This is done tastefully, without the battering ram effect present in many Christian publications. I also noticed they seem to promote the belief that good Indians are Christian Indians. There are those who might find the support for the Christian Right a bit obvious, but it is personal and should not detract from the story itself. If it bothers you, ignore it. After all this is America and FaithWalk Publishing is a printer of Christian books."

The story told in Conquest by Law could be the Enron scandal of the 19th Century...the irony is that it is all true and that you wouldn't have imagined it in your wildest dreams. We are used to a context in which the Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court of the land. It is implicit today that when the Supreme Court says what the law "is"...that is it, 'the final word'! However, when this story began there was no such confidence and no history of Supreme Court precedent! The Supreme Court was just another forum for speculation and that is what the protagonists do in Conquest by Law.

The speculation on land and the profiteering that was the underlying motive was not originally designed to marginalize or dispossess Native Americans...but that is quickly what it became... It was, as so many scandals are, all about money. The King and then later the Congress implusively protected Indian Land, but not for the Indians, for themselves. And that is where the conflict begins, with a tug of war over who had the right to buy land directly from the Tribes. The nation's first and arguably, most important jurist eventually crafted the answer...an answer that created a "legitimate" dispossession of Indian Land, a legal conquest that remains the most devastating defeat in the history of Native Americans.

Prof. Robertson exposes the scandal and legal manuevering behind Chief Justice Marshall's answer. The truth is a story of lies, bribery, politics, and and scandal that reads like a cross between McCullough and Grisham.

This is a great read if you are interested in legal scandal, Native American History, the Supreme Court and/or corporate intrigue. Enjoy!!!

I love a good mystery--and the resolving of the twists and turns that led to it. This book is not only a good "who dunnit" but is also a serious study of a fascinating subject of interest to all English speaking people in the world. I enjoyed the book from cover to cover--it is well written, sprightly, serious, detailed, and generally a good read.

It is not granted to every historian to discover a trunkful of old documents up in an attic somewhere. The fact that the Illinois-Wabash papers, which fortuitously fell into the capable hands of this particular historian, were located in a basement instead, hardly alters the aura surrounding this discovery, nor does it affect the drama of the issues involved. In sifting through the evidence brought to light by this remarkable find, Lindsay G. Robertson has provided more than a mere tale of "olden days" which might be of interest to a cloistered few: he has produced a revolutionary document which may have far-reaching consequences on the "history" of the future, as well as on our reading of the past.

Mr. Robertson's capable exposition of a complex history, and the drawing out of the major themes and undercurrents informing the events of the period makes this work of interest to a broader public than just those who may find themselves involved professionally, or by association, or in the case of Native Americans and aboriginal peoples elsewhere, because it is very much part of their own story. Indeed, the wider ramifications of the judgment in the case of Johnson v. M'Intosh for both Canada and Australia and the indigenous peoples of those far-flung lands, heighten the importance of the decision itself and extend the range of interest of this original work of historical detection and analysis.

It is not an easy story to come to grips with, and our thanks must go to the author for his careful unravelling and clear explanation of the facts surrounding what has partly been obscured by the mists of time, and partly intentionally covered up by many of the original participants. We live in age which has much to consider in the way of recognizing past faults. Much is owed to exploited populations in many lands: from the time of Cortez, no treaties have been signed in South America, and those lands have been subject to plunder for centuries. That the native peoples on our own continent have been herded and exploited perhaps to a lesser extent is no reason for not now attempting to reconcile the historical faults of which all Americans and Canadians now living are the heirs. Mr. Robertson's sensitive review of how the legal foundations for the transfer of Indian land into the hands of speculators, prospectors and other worthies of the period came into being, deserves our full attention.

All in all, Mr. Robertson has produced an eloquent, eminently readable text that ought to foster much debate within the United States and abroad. It is a commendable work of scholarship which should not, must not, go unnoticed. It can, should we decide to take heed, contribute greatly to the furthering of better relations between communities in North America and around the globe - and, in a world which stands in dire need of developing governmental systems that take a diversity of communities into account (Liberia, Rwanda, and the Balkans come to mind at once, but the problem is widespread), that is no small accomplishment.

This book should become a major contribution to Latin American studies, because it provides fresh perspectives on topics we'd thought we already knew well. It does so by relating Latin America to vital issues in history, notably recent research on frontier history, "the new Western history," & themes of race, class & gender. The chapter by Susan Socolow, discussing Argentine frontier women & thus engendering the history of the gauchos, is particularly strong, but so are most of the others. One drawback is that coverage is largely limited to the far margins of Spanish America (northern Mexico & Rio de la Plata regions), when there is plenty of work to do on the frontiers of core areas of Spain's New World empire, e.g. Peru & Bolivia. (There is some fine material on Brazil, but the book's main emphasis is on Spanish America.) Nevertheless, this work definitely advances understanding of important aspects of Latin American history.

This book should become a major contribution to Latin American studies, because it provides fresh perspectives on topics we'd thought we already knew well. It does so by relating Latin America to vital issues in history, notably recent research on frontier history, "the new Western history," & themes of race, class & gender. The chapter by Susan Socolow, discussing Argentine frontier women & thus engendering the history of the gauchos, is particularly strong, but so are most of the others. One drawback is that coverage is largely limited to the far margins of Spanish America (northern Mexico & Rio de la Plata regions), when there is plenty of work to do on the frontiers of core areas of Spain's New World empire, e.g. Peru & Bolivia. (There is some fine material on Brazil, but the book's main emphasis is on Spanish America.) Nevertheless, this work definitely advances understanding of important aspects of Latin American history.

This book should become a major contribution to Latin American studies, because it provides fresh perspectives on topics we'd thought we already knew well. It does so by relating Latin America to vital issues in history, notably recent research on frontier history, "the new Western history," & themes of race, class & gender. The chapter by Susan Socolow, discussing Argentine frontier women & thus engendering the history of the gauchos, is particularly strong, but so are most of the others. One drawback is that coverage is largely limited to the far margins of Spanish America (northern Mexico & Rio de la Plata regions), when there is plenty of work to do on the frontiers of core areas of Spain's New World empire, e.g. Peru & Bolivia. (There is some fine material on Brazil, but the book's main emphasis is on Spanish America.) Nevertheless, this work definitely advances understanding of important aspects of Latin American history.

This book is outstanding! It has really easy to use time appropiate recipes that include options that might be easier to find today. This book covers American Indians, The Colonial Period, The Revolutionary War, Westward Expansion, The Civil War, and the last 6 chapters break up the U.S. and give recipes likely to be found in those areas. At the end of each chapter is a great resource of books on the subject with detailed discriptions that are VERY helpful! If you are a Teacher or a Homeschooler this book is a must!

As a homeschooling Mom this has been so fun. I can tie in recipes from the times with the time period they are studying, and it gives extra info. It has been a wonderful resource to ad to our studies.

I first found this book at a Library and instantly fell in love. I knew I had to get one of my own. It is such a treasure trove of information and the recipes are so interesting. In my search for a good resource on Native Americans, I have finally hit the jack pot. I love this book and highly highly recommend it for anyone....especially if your a homeschooler!

Coyote and the laughing Butterflies is a magical book about a coyote adn his duty to bring salt to his wife from a huge salt lake. It hooked my attention right away and I didn't want to put it down until I was done. The illustrations in this book are grogeous and since I'm an animal lover teh cover and title attracted me right away.
In the book because of teh vivid word choice i could imagine everything the author was telling me in my mind. It was wonderfully written and was very descriptive during parts of the story. i loved the way the author described the beautiful butterflies and teh huge salt lake. Even at times were i couldn't picture sections of teh book in my head the illustrations definately helped me. i highly recommend this book to young kids who liek animals and adventures. Don't pass this wonderful book up!

Coyote and the Laughing Butterflies is a very amusing bit ofNative American folklore that can be enjoyed by all ages. It is abeautifully illustrated work in vivid color, written in explanation of why butterflies always fly in an erratic, fluttering way. It is funny, interesting, and compassionate. It is delightful light reading to be lovingly shared with your children to introduce them to Native American folk stories.

As a children's librarian, I am always tooking for folk tales from around the world to read or tell to children in the 4-8 year old group. This tale is fun to tell, but reading it and showing the colorful illustrations of the Southwestern United States is a good way to show children in Maine a different region of our country. The listeners loved having the coyote outwitted by butterflies, and many were able to re-tell the tale to parents. I used a coyote puppet to tell the tale, and the children did a butterfly color page after story time. I would highly recommend it to children's librarians and to parents.

I think this is Dr. Mehl-Madrona's best book yet. As a registered nurse, Zen Shiatsu therapist and shaman-in-training, I to have witnessed the power of the story in healing...even when all else fails. I'm looking forward to the next book!

This book gives perspective to illness in ways that balance Western medicine with healing stories based in a variety of traditions but primarily Native American creation stories. I value that the author offers credentials from both backgrounds and appreciate the wisdom one gains from understanding that so much of what we bring to the mentality of illness is based upon the opinions and attitudes that we have been exposed to in medical text or taken on board through our own environmental coping mechanisms. The stories radiate hope when we realize that we alone can be empowered through fresh perspectives to create our own story for health and well being.

Lewis Mehl-Madrona is certified in family practice, geriatrics and psychiatry, and includes Native American traditions in his practice. Healing through storytelling is the principal approach he shares in this book - of the various Native American ceremonial treatments that he uses.

Mehl-Madrona's storytelling is rich with the wisdom of his Cherokee grandmother. He seems to have stories available for every possible circumstance and occasion. These tales provide insights into a person's hidden fears and hurts that often underlie and contribute to or even cause the development of many physical and psychological problems. The stories also suggest a variety of solutions and inspire hope that change is possible.

Through these stories, he helps people discover the inner healing resources that can transform their lives, including their illnesses. He reports dramatic successes - often with people who have struggled for many years with their health issues - including anorexia, lupus (a chronic form of arthritis), victimization through emotional and physical abuse, panic disorder, and more.

What I see as particularly helpful are the suggestions for change that Mehl-Madrona intersperses within the stories. These are very similar to the tales that Milton Erickson used to tell - in the process of hypnotic inductions, with imbedded suggestions that often slipped past the sentinel guardian defenses of his patients.

Mehl-Madrona is most remarkable for having gained a measure of acceptance for his methods within western medicine.

For a book that contains generous portions of wisdom, this book is an easy and enjoyable read.

See also Mehl-Madrona's earlier books: Coyote Healing and Coyote Medicine.

This novel concerns Mary Musgrove who was the Creek wife of John Musgrove, an Indian Trader who had a trading post near the Savannah River when Oglethorpe brought the first settlers to Georgia in 1731. After Mary's husband was killed, she was eventually forced to abandon her home and people. The novel sets out the problems she encountered and follows her children (Mary's Blood) on the trail of tears westward and ends up with some of her decendants involved in the battle of Little Big Horn. This novel transports the reader into the person of Mary Musgrove and allows us to feel the pains endured by the natives of this country during a period of disgraceful acts committed by some of our forefathers in the name of patriotism.

I read this book for the first time in high school. I have read it a couple times since then. For as long as I can remember I have been interested in the Native-Americans, their beliefs and customs. In this novel, Dee Brown, captures all their feelings from betral of the white man for unmercifully taking their homelands and the fear of being wiped out like the buffalo to the pride in their people and their faith in spirits who guided them through those devastating years. The story pulls you in and you become one of the Native-Americans, experiencing every joy and pain.

Creek Mary's Blood informs the reader about the good and bad of the Cherokee life. The reader becomes part of Mary's family and feels their pain.This is a book I will read over and over.I recommend this book if you have any interest in Native American history. I wish it was recommened reading for high school students.

Robert Lowie first published this book in 1935, from his research living with the Crow Indians. This is a detailed account of a fading lifestyle, soon to be gone. It is worth reading to get an idea of how Amerindians thought and lived.

Something I like about the book is that you can tell Lowie respected the Crow. In too many recent anthropology texts you feel that the researcher could be studying just any old group, has little real concern for them as people, and is in it mainly for tenure. I got the feeling that Lowie enjoyed being with the Crow. Also I like the way he relates their beliefs and concepts at face value, rather than qualifying by saying, "The X tribe believes that this and that," or "According to Y tribe superstition, this and that." He simply tells it as the Crow would.

I learned a lot from this book. Frankly, I know little about the Crow beyond the scope of this book, so I carefully read Phenocia Bauerle's excellent Introduction before and after I read the book. She is a Crow, an insider, so she pointed out some of Lowie's mistakes. Some were obvious even to me, such as the way he was using his own religious frame to understand the Crow: an understandable error. I think that even if Lowie did make some mistakes, the book still stands as a valuable record. Maybe the Crow could issue an annotated version, with their comments and corrections!

Back in the early 1900's, Robert Lowie lived with the Crow, listening to the elders, men & women, speak of the old times. Even though forced to stay on a tiny portion of the original Crow territory and no longer having any buffalo to hunt, the people still practiced their language, religion, beliefs & customs as always.
This is an excellent, book sized "glimpse" at the Crow or Absalooka worldview; clan relationships, marriage customs, religious ceremonies, warrior societies, coyote stories and more.

First published in 1935, and written by one of the most respected American anthropologists of the twentieth century, The Crow Indians is a classic, brief, and highly accessible introduction to Crow Indian culture, challenges, everyday life, traditions, and much more during the early nineteenth-century. Memorable anecdotes of individual Crow such as Grayboll the great visionary and Yellow-brow the gifted storyteller embellish the more general information drawn from the author's thorough fieldwork and interviews from 1907 to 1931. This superbly presented edition of a classic resource is very highly recommended for inclusion on Native American Studies reading lists and acadmeic library reference shelves, now offers a thoughtful introduction by Phenocia Bauerle, a member of the Crow Nation and the editor of The Way Of The Warrior.