Central America Books

Excellent book. James M. McCaffrey weaves the facts of Granbury's Texas Brigade from the beginning of the Civil War to after. Along with his facts that are documented very well, he puts in each chapter quotes from actual troops to better illustrate from those who were there, the points of the book. It starts from the mustering in Texas, to life in the Army of Trans-Mississippi, to prison life, to life in the Army of Tennessee, including all the campaigns and battles. The leadership of the struggling Southern Army is covered well. Not only is the history of the brigade covered, but it is an excellent reference book as well. McCaffrey's work in the appendices, which are chapters in themselves, cover; The flags of Granbury's Brigade (with line drawings), the weapons of Granbury's Brigade, and the regimental rosters of the men in Granbury's Brigade. This includes the names of the troops in the Sixth Texas Infantry Regiment, Seventh Texas Infantry Regiment, Tenth Texas Infantry Regiment, Fifteenth Texas Calvary Regiment, Seventeenth Texas Calvary Regiment, Eighteenth Texas Calvary Regiment, Twenty-fourth Texas Calvary Regiment, and the Twenty-fifth Texas Calvary Regiment. There are also maps of the battles with troop movments and pictures of some members of Granbury's Brigade, including a page of weapons and another of the flag of the 17th and 18th Texas Cavalry. The best review I could give this book is that the kin of mine who fought in this unit would be proud of this work. If you are studying Civil War history, Texas troop's Civil War history, or had ancestry in this brigade, this is a very good book to add to your library. I salute the author,James M. McCaffrey, for bringing the history of Granbury's Brigade alive.

This book has been an indespensable guide to the recruitment, training, engagements and other events of my ancestor and his brother James N. and John S. Hamilton in Co. I of the Texas 18th Cavalry (dismounted). I highly recommend as an excellent account of not only Granbury's Brigade, but a great short introduction to battlefield circumstances and tactics for the "uninitiated", such as myself. A VERY readable book !

Thrashin' Time is an undeservedly unremarked slice of Americana posing as a children's book. Chronicling the advent of steam thrashers in North Dakota circa 1886 from the perspective of a 12-year-old boy, this story will delight all model railroaders and live steam operators with its scrupulously researched description of steam tractor ops, along with the pen-and-ink illustrations that range from superb to dazzling. It is a deft exercise in regional writing. It is a food book: the descriptions of the collective meals prepared for the wheat harvesters are worthy of Faulkner. In the end, it is a vivid illustration of American life before automobiles, suburbia, and television, when a day in school was a restful privilege compared to the real demands in the life of the young. Do not get this book figuring to read it aloud to young ears. It's pitched at least at the middle school level.

My 8-year-old son is a machine maniac, and he loved his story of a boy in 1912 helping to harvest wheat in North Dakota by learning to run a steam engine. Lots of info and great drawings of the steam tractor and thresher, plus fanscinating details about life on the prairie. Mom enjoyed it too, and often had a tear in her eye.

This and it's sister publications are some of the most detailed, informative tour guides you will find! We simply love this series and the way it is written. There are few commercial details, i.e. hotel recommendations, restaurants etc.If you need that buy the Frommer's or Fodor's books but this one will take you way off the beaten path and bring you back again much more informed than when you left. You can't go wrong with any of the books in this entire series.....I know, I have them all!

This is a must for anyone wanting to see East Tennessee and get everything you can out of it! The book is easy to read and very informative. Maps are at the beginning of each section showing your possible journey, so you can take the entire journey or a portion and know exactly what you will find and see. The directions are excellent so you can't get lost. Now the only downfall...it is very similar to another book I purchased so don't waste your money this book has it all.

Tucker's collection of case studies involving the use or attempted use of chemical or biological weapons is truly excellent. It not only gives in-depth histories for each of the cases, but it also presents an analytical approach to their interpretation. The book is concluded by comparing all of the case studies in order to determine potential patterns and characteristics that would be useful in identifying potential terrorists and thwarting their efforts before they could come to fruition. Each case profiles the people that are involved, including the personalities of leaders, technicians, and of the actual cadres. It evaluates where and why successes occurred, and also where failures prevented perfect execution. From this book you will learn what certain groups have targeted, what as led them to violence, and how they attempted to use CBW. The book also examines a few cases where it has been believed that CBW was used, but the evidence has indicated otherwise. This book is perfect for people who desire to study terrorism in-depth, and for the reader who would like to be informed of many cases of terrorism throughout the 20th century.

Tucker's collection brings together analyses of all known historical usages of chemical and biological weapons (including toxins) by terrorists, as well as debunkings of three popular but apocryphal stories of such use. The book is absurdly thorough, and an invaluable historical resource, whether one agrees or not with the conclusions the editor draws from the collection.

A very good, concise history of some of the mountain men and fur trapper/traders of the early American West. It is along the same line of thought as Robert Utley's "A Life Wild and Perilious". Whereas Utley's book is more of a chronological history of the fur trappers, this one is based more on geographical location. Each chapter is devoted to an individual character and the life of that person. Many of these early trapper/traders' lives interweave with each other and therefore you have more of a tendency to remember who knew who and who did what with who, etc. After reading chapter after chapter, it humbles one when looking back at these mens' lives and how much they accomplished, whether it be in how many places they traveled, what sort of trade they were involved in, their relationships with the Indians and each other, how some were involved with the initial founding of the west, etc. It is simply amazing what went on so long ago. I have much respect and admiration for these men.

I believe five separate collections of mountain man biographies have been published now by Bison Books, all containing biographical essays culled from LeRoy R. Hafen's ten-volume series THE MOUNTAIN MEN AND THE FUR TRADE OF THE FAR WEST, published between 1965 and 1972. This was the second of the five. Sixteen biographical essays are produced here, detailing the lives of some of the most important figures of the early American West, including Etienne Provost, Milton Sublette, James Clyman, James P. Beckwourth, Robert Campbell, and Lucien Fontenelle among others. The essays are written by various experts of the Fur Trade period. The biographies read like long encyclopedia articles, and relate as much of each man's life as is generally known (including specific movements across the West on yearly trapping expeditions); footnotes abound. The book, as is the entire series, is an excellent research tool, as well as a great jumping off source for more specific investigations (many of the trappers written about kept journals or wrote accounts of their experiences). Anyone with an interest in the pre-Gold Rush American West will find this book (and the series) indispensable. Highly recommended.

My entire family read this book during the Christmas holidays. My kids range from age 5 to 15 and all four enjoyed it. The stories gave a wonderful picture of growing up in the Caribbean and made us want to visit. We also loved the authors' telling about themselves. The activities at the end of each story kept my children occupied. I think these activities are a good way of getting children to really understand and enjoy the stories. Great family reading.

This book kept my 6 year old cousin and myself hooked. The stories were fun, and the illustrations engaging, and at the same time, I also learned a little more about Caribbean life. I could even relate some of the stories to things that I went through as I was growing up. Overall, a great book to include in your library at home.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Firsly the illustrations are lavish, both in quantity and in clarity and colour, and alone are worth buying the book for. The ancient Andean world was a colourful place and this book does it full justice with wonderful photographs of textiles, ceramics and metal work. There are many photographs of artefacts and sites that I have not seen before which was makes the book refreshingly new. Even when familiar sites are photographed (Machu Picchu for example) the choice has been made to include shots from unusual but interesting angles.
I was also impressed by the written content. I know of Jeffrey Quilter through his work with Gary Urton editing Narrative Threads - a book on the Khipu (Quipu). His account in this volume is very readable and gets across some key points regarding Andean culture well. The difficult balance of providing some detail on each culture whilst avoiding generalisations is successfully achieved. The theme of building from the earliest cultures to the lastest shows both the variety and the continuity of Andean cultures and what a creative place the ancient Andes were.
In short, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in ancient Peru.

The editorial reviewer and customer Dave Essery have accurately summarized what awaits one between the covers of this book. I would, however, add the following specifics about its stunning photography. Of its 202 colored photographs, 69 are one- to-two-page spreads; only 55 are smaller than a third of a page. Panoramic views, monumental sites and their architectural details comprise approximately 25% of the photos, which is to say that textiles, ceramics, and metalwork are not slighted.

As for the appeal of the text-- Because my interest in pre-Columbian cultures and their artistry/craftsmanship has only recently been sparked, I wanted a book that gave me a basic understanding of them without overwhelming me with voluminous detail. And this is precisely what Jeffrey Quilter does, in well-written, non-academic prose. Yet the text may also appeal to those who have studied them. Said one such friend to whom I loaned my book, "I enjoyed reading it because it was like a refresher course that jogged my memory and brought to mind other things I'd read but had forgotten."

TREASURES OF THE ANDES, in other words, is a book that many will treasure. I have, however, detailed the contents of it in Comment #2 so that you will be better able to determine if it is a book you want to purchase.

Beautiful story in a tiny book packed with lots of cultural information. A true gem.

As an parent of a child who was adopted from Guatemala, I try to collect things that represent her birth country. When my 8 year old daughter came home from school with the Scholastic Book order form I was amazed to see "Trouble Dolls, A Guatemalan Legend". Surprisingly, the book is more than I imagined. There are 64 4" x 4" pages with beautiful, brightly colored illustrations reflecting Mayan weavings and life. The content is varied and comprehensive for a book it's size and includes unusual topics not found in other children's books that cover the same subject. Topics include: a pronunciation guide for speaking Maya, Guatemalan social customs, a typical Guatemalan menu, including Guatemalan hot chocolate and how to carry your school books Guatemalan style! Of course, the legend of the Trouble Dolls and four different ways to use them is included! This book has become one of my daughter's favorites that she proudly shares with her friends. They, too, have become fans of the book and have since ordered it themselves. It's a must have for any child from Latin America, particularly Guatemala, and for others interested in our cultural world.

I have read parts of this book in its pre-publication stage (because the publisher hasn't released it yet) and it is vivid, exciting, moving, personally inspiring, life changing -- everything you could possibly hope for in a book. I hope the publisher realeases it very soon so that the rest of the reading public can experience the eye-opening and heart-opening truths that this story reveals.

The day we wrote this, Anthony had just stopped by our library on the last third of his adventure. He is a wonderful young man, friendly and warm and willing to answer questions I am sure he hears every day of his trip. As soon as he left, we ordered this book, knowing that it will be a very important addition to our collection. How nice to read about this subject written from the point of view of someone who has actually retraced the steps of his forefathers! Highly recommended!

Finally a campaign study by a soldier historian and not by some academic or amateur who has never served in the military! Very well written, great maps placed where you need them, plus a mastery of his subject. Some minor wrong details (at one point [p. 207] he calls Morris' brigade [Third Division Second Corps] one made up of new nine-month's troops when it was actually comprised of new three years soldiers), but overall this is a book to be savored in its details. Armstrong rehabilitates corps commander Edwin Sumner, writes a remarkably lucid narrative of the corps' actions throughout the campaign, and taps published and unpublished sources. This has to be one of the better books published on the Civil War in this century-the number is not slowing down folks. Both beginners and professional historians will learn from this work. Six stars.

Unfurl those Colors by Marion V. Armstrong is an excellent book for both general readers and Civil War aficionados. It greatly adds to the scholarship of Union corps-level operations during the Maryland Campaign, a rarely viewed subject. Mr. Armstrong explains the Napoleonic foundation for the corps with a focus on Major General Edwin Vose Sumner's Second Corps, the premier fighting corps in the Army of the Potomac. We get an excellent overview of the organization, leadership and weaponry of the Second Corps and the evolution of the command as new regiments are added virtually right up to the Battle of Antietam. Using a style very much like Joseph Harsh's classic treatment of Robert E. Lee in Taken at the Flood, we here follow the Maryland Campaign from George McClellan and Edwin Sumner's perspectives. Once the battle commences, we literally ride along with General Sumner as he leads Sedgwick's division into the West Woods. The author argues convincingly that Sumner's rationale for the movement configuration of Sedgwick's division was logical and in consort with his understanding of McClellan's orders. When the attack disintegrates, Sumner is instrumental in quickly recognizing the disaster and leading the shattered division away from further damage. Mr. Armstrong's coverage of the Sunken Road operations is equally masterful. He convincingly asserts that Sumner ordered French to assault the Sunken Road to prevent the Confederates from getting behind Sedgwick's division. He also believes that McClellan all along planned to strike the Confederate left with the combined might of the First, Twelfth and Second Corps. These two positions are certain to be debated by students of the Civil War everywhere. Replete with many well placed and detailed maps and organization charts, Unfurl those Colors is certain to challenge many conventional views on Edwin Sumner and may fundamentally change your appreciation for his leadership at the Battle of Antietam.