Geography Books

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Geography Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

The Last Time Around Cape Horn: The Historic 1949 Voyage of the Windjammer Pamir

Published in Hardcover by Basic Books (2003-10-13)

Authors: William F. Stark and William Stark

List price: $24.00

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Average review score:

Follow your dream!

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-01

A gem. I didn't want it to end. The best adventure I've read since Stephen Ambrose's ''Undaunted Courage.'' Give it to your father; give it to your sons.

A Very Worthwhile Reading Experience

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-29

The author presents a very well written personal memoir of his 1949 trip around Cape Horn on an old fashioned windjammer. He was a junior at Dartmouth studying "abroad" in Europe when in pursuit of his dream he travelled by airplane to Australia in the hope of securing a deckhand position on a four masted barque. I found that the story was very well presented. Not being a sailor myself, I found that the author more than adequately presented the nautical and seafaring jargon in easy to understand layman's terms. In reading this book I felt that I was the beneficiary of an "old timer" telling his very personal story of a great adventure just to me. You will not be disappointed if you enjoy sea stories well told.

Lay of the Land: The History of Land Surveying in San Diego County

Published in Paperback by 1st Books Library (2003-11-11)

Author: Michael J. Pallamary

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Average review score:

The Real Deal when it comes to history

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-23

Aside from an authoritative account of The historical basis for San Diego county's present land boundaries and surveys, Lay of the Land gives you an in-depth look at the real, often neglected history of what really happened with the settlemement of the Southwestern United States. If you are a history buff who wants to go beyond they typical biased veneer that you get in many college courses, Lay of the Land will give you the facts about what really happened.

From the Author

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-21

The sightings on a surveyor's transit are far more powerful than those found on a soldier's rifle; the professional Land Surveyor has conquered more land than the world's finest militia.

The Lay of the Land presents an informative history about the development of San Diego. The story begins with the liberation of Texas and continues with the subsequent war with Mexico. The book follows General Stephen Kearny and his corps of surveyors as they mapped and marched their way westward to California. I also cover the controversial actions of The Great Pathfinder, John Charles Frémont along with early encounters between military Surveyors and Native Americans. The book also covers the challenges involved with locating the International Boundary Line between the United States and Mexico as specified by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. I also discuss the creation of the government townships and section lines that govern the location of land throughout Southern California. Additional subjects include the impact of the land squatter movement on San Diego, the influence of the contentious No-Fence Law upon land settlement, the establishment of the San Bernardino Baseline and Meridian, and determination of the county boundary lines.

The Lay of the Land also examines the confusing land grant process and the obstacles involved with validating these claims before the United States Land Commission. Another important subject I covered is the expansion of the transcontinental railroad and its impact upon San Diego. A number of the county's most important engineering projects are also explored, including the relocation of the San Diego River, the transformation of False Bay into Mission Bay and the development of San Diego Harbor. Considerable coverage is provided on the subjects of land fraud, water boundaries, corrupt government Surveyors, and the Great Land Boom of 1887.

The Lay of the Land is a must for Professional Land Surveyors, Civil Engineers, Title Officers, Land Planners, Land Use Attorneys and anyone interested in the development of California. This book represents the culmination of nineteen years of research conducted across the State of California.

I trust my own commentary is helpful to the reviewer. I also hope my awarding of five stars is supported by subsequent reviews.

Michael J. Pallamary, PLS
November, 2003

Leaving Vietnam: The Journey Of Tuan Ngo (Ready-to-Read : Level 3 Reading Alone)

Published in Paperback by Aladdin (1999-02-01)

Author: Sarah S. Kilborne

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Average review score:

Refugee story.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-28

I am excited to read this to my Vietnamese students and my other refugee students. I hope that they can form a common bond. Many of my Vietnamese students have entered the United States in less dangerous times as immigrants. Parents and relatives experienced the terror of Communist Vietnam and of the war. Several of my other students experienced terrible times in their countries. We can use the book as a discussion tool.

leaving vietnam

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-06-05

this book remind me of how i left my country.it is a sad book and remind me of many things.how i got here in the usa nad y i am here today. i am here beacuse of the freedom usa have and the places like the grand canyon and entertanment places.

Lewis and Clark: An American Journey

Published in Hardcover by MetroBooks (NY) (1998-12)

Author: Daniel B. Thorp

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Average review score:

Excellent Lewis and Clark Expedition book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-09

This book is a must-have for Lewis and Clark fans.

The pictures are excellent and beautifully done.

The book is of similar quality to the following books which are at the top of my favorite Lewis and Clark Expedition picture books: Schmidt and Schmidt's "The Saga of Lewis & Clark" and Dayton Duncan's companion book to the Ken Burns' flim "Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery," and Stephen E. Ambrose and Sam Able's book.

Thorp's book will be a welcome addition to your personal library or a beautiful book to add to your coffee table. It also makes a wonderful gift. There can never be too many Lewis and Clark Expedition books.

The Adventure of a Lifetime

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-06

Daniel Thorp's well-illustrated look at the Lewis and Clark Expedition is an excellent book for students just becoming interested in the legendary westward journey in Jeffersonian America. The writing style, although very good, seems to be more geared towards a high school audience, but it can still certainly hold the attention of more advanced readers. Thorp includes important background information on Thomas Jefferson's motivations for pushing the congressional-supported project and the influence of explorer/trader Alexander MacKenzie. The preparations for the voyage are described as well as the many places and tribes the Corps of Discovery encountered on their 28 month, 7,000 mile journey. Interesting points are made including the difference in relations between the Corps and the Mandan Indians of what is now North Dakota and the Corps and the Clatsop on the coast of the northern tip of Oregon. The Clatsop were not as interested in the voyagers as were the Mandan because the coastal people had already been trading with British and American sea traders for years (p. 106). The aftermath and legacy of the expedition is also examined (even in the early 1800s, it was hard to keep the American people's interest).

At 155 pages, a lot of which are made up of photographs, this book will probably not be comprehensive enough for more serious readers of the subject. Still, it represents a very thorough overview and an excellent choice for someone looking for a first book on Lewis and Clark. The book does have something to offer to readers who are already well-read on the event. It is filled with interesting photographs, most of which are in color. It includes photos of items taken on the journey, pages from journals kept by the explorers (so clear that you can read them), recent photos of the places they visited, maps, and paintings, and lithographs (many by George Catlin). Overall, it is a very well-written and handsome volume for the Lewis and Clark buff.

Life in a Plains Camp (Native Nations of North America)

Published in Paperback by Crabtree Publishing Company (2001-04)

Author: Bobbie Kalman

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Average review score:

Terrific Book About Traditional Plains Native American Culture

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-11

I liked this book because it provides very insightful information on the Plains Indians. It makes sure the reader understands the different people and the cultures - similarities and differences. I was glad to understand how tribes and clans were related. How the Plains Indians survived on consuming Bison meat was pretty interesting too. A very well researched book.

Great for a 3rd grade Indian project

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-04

We found this bookk gave us a great over view of the plain indians and a great placed to start from in making a diarama and a written report. My daughter could read all the information herself and had a great knowledge

The Limitless City: A Primer On The Urban Sprawl Debate

Published in Paperback by Island Press (2002-03-01)

Author: Oliver Gillham

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Average review score:

The Limitless City

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-30

This book delivers a thorough, unbiased and thoughtful approach to the problem of sprawl. The issues are clearly defined and the myths debunked when necessary. After reading this book, one feels that the problems and potential solutions can be grasped. The writing is clear,and concise and draws the reader through the complexities of the issues.

somewhat balanced, unlike most books on the subject

Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-16

The best and most unusual thing about this book is that it is more balanced than most: while most sprawl-related books are pure attacks or defenses (or are too superficial to adequately cover either side of the argument), Gillham gives a significant amount of space to the arguments, counter-arguments and counter-counter arguments on both sides (though on balance he is definitely more antisprawl than not). In addition, the book covers a wider range of issues than many sprawl related books; instead of being focused on quality of life issues (like most New Urbanist books are) or on environmental issues, Gillham goes into both. Also, Gillham discusses the political lineups on sprawl related issues: who's for changing the status quo, who defends sprawl and why.

Linguistic Evidence: Language, Power, and Strategy in the Courtroom

Published in Paperback by Academic Press (1995-11)

Author: William M. O'Barr

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Average review score:

How courtroom cases may be lost without regard to merit

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 1998-01-20

This is, by any standards, an astonishing little book. It should be required reading for every lawyer and for every person who is concerned to see *justice* done in the courtroom.

Mack O'Barr is an anthropologist. His unusual perspective on the behavior of lawyers and the perceived credibility of witnesses offers startling insight into jury decision making. His book is both fascinating and deeply depressing by turns. His empirical studies show that those citizens most in need of legal redress come to the courtroom two strikes down. His account offers a frightening new dimension to Marc Galanter's "Why the 'Haves' Come Out Ahead" and emphasises the obstacles faced by ther disadvantaged when they seek to invoke the law in their aid.

The book explains why many of the forensic techniques discovered empirically and regularly deployed by lawyers work. I wish I had known of this book when I was a criminal advocate - it would have allowed me to cross-examine witnesses more effectively.

Although the book is a straight forward account of a piece of academic research, it is readable and engaging. The only negative comment I would make is that there is little discussion of the implications of the research findings - perhaps that might be better left to John Conley who has subsequently collaborated closely with O'Barr.

This book deserves to be much better known than it is.

What lawyers say isn't always what they communicate

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-07

This book presents an excellent sociolinguistic analysis of courtroom speech, and shows how the speech of attorneys and witnesses can communicate much more than the words themselves reveal. One illuminating study looked at "narrative" (longer, story-telling answers) and "fragmented" (short, directly responsive answers) styles of witness testimony and laypeople's reactions to that testimony. When the witness gave longer answers, laypeople perceived that the lawyer had greater trust in that witness. Interestingly, this effect was much stronger for a male witness than for a female witness; O'Barr suggests that the disparity may be due to gender-role stereotypes that expect a male to be more assertive. This is only one example, but the book is full of thought-provoking studies on courtroom language. The book offers especially good insight in analyzing how certain speech habits can demonstrate sincerity, knowledge, power, and trustworthiness.

The Literati Purges: Political Conflict in Early Yi Korea (Harvard East Asian Monographs)

Published in Hardcover by Harvard University Asia Center (1975-01-01)

Author: Edward W. Wagner

List price: $31.50

Average review score:

The Life Work of the Father of Korean Studies in the U.S.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-06

I had the pleasure of studying underneath Prof. Wagner. He was a scholar and a gentleman with a heart. He loved his work and this book reflects his scholarship as well as his love for the subject.

A well written summary and analysis

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-31

Wagner does a great job describing the literati purges. His analysis reads like a courtroom drama, with the actions of the players listed in great detail. He gave enough evidence to convince me of his thesis.

London: A Life in Maps

Published in Paperback by British Library (2007-06-15)

Author: Peter Whitfield

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Average review score:

Unique, excellent history of London

Helpful Votes: 15 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-24

Peter Whitfield's "London, A Life in Maps" is a must-read for anyone with an interest in, and/or love for, Britain's capital city. Having lived in London for three years in the 1970's, and returned many times since, I found the maps, drawings, photos, and text enthralling, shedding light on innumerable aspects of the city that previously were unknown to me. What an incredible amount of research Peter Whitfield has done, and how brilliantly he presents it. The book would make a superb gift for any Anglophile or student of English history.

Maps of London through the years.

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-22

The British Library published this beautiful book of maps of London. The reproductions of maps and plans are enhanced with engravings, paintings and photographs. Peter Whitfield's commentary for each map is informative and engaging. Each map stands alone, but taken as a whole the book presents a panorama of a great city.

A few of my many favorites include:

Caesar's Camp called "the Brill" located just outside St. Pancras on the River Fleet just outside London.

Matthew Paris's 1250-54 diagram from London Bridge ('pons Lond.') and the Thames ('Tamise'), through Rochester and Canterbury to Dover, then crossing the sea ('La Mer') and reaching France.

A 1593 guide for Cuntrey men In the famous Cittey of LONDON.

Section and Plan of a Gateway to Westminster at Hyde Park Corner, 1778.

Plan of a Proposed TURNPIKE ROAD From St. JOHN'S CHAPEL, ST. MARYLEBONE into the Great North Road Near the 8 Mile Stone at Finchley, 1824.

A small sample of Whitfield's prose: "Between 1850 and 1945 London changed beyond recognition as a result of the interplay between population pressures, novel means of transport, a revolution in building techniques, and a new leisure ethos. By the early 20th century there were a variety of Londons. Buildings spread deep into the countryside until Green Belt legislation was passed to save what remained. Distinct types of suburb developed. Ramblers took advantage of the remaining commons, heaths and woods around London. And those two icons of modern London, the A-Z and the Underground map, were created."

The book is a delight to hold and to study. Even better, the British Library has mounted an interactive exhibit of 40 the 100 maps in this book. And, many of the maps are available for sale in the Library's shop.

M is for Majestic: A National Parks Alphabet

Published in Hardcover by Sleeping Bear Press (2003-07-08)

Authors: David Domeniconi and Pamela Carroll

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Average review score:

Only 26 letters but all 50 of our National Parks in this illustrated Alphabet

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-23

Here are our national parks
In an alphabet from A to Z,
Places of beauty and wonder
That belong to you and me

If you get to see one tenth of the national parks we have in the United States, then you are ahead of the game. When you go to see a national park chances are that it is something in your neck of the woods or one of the most famous parks, like Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon. In "M is for Majestic: A National Parks Alphabet," writer David Domeniconi and illustrator Pam Carroll touch on what national parks are out there, both big and small, for young readers to convince their parents that the family should go and visit. Today there are over fifty national parks, with new ones being established from time to time, all created with the same idea of preserving forever our natural wonders. More importantly, every one of those fifty national parks is worked into the pages of this book.

The national parks are arranged from A to Z, and before we get that far there is a two page ma p of the country showing you were all of them are, and one look tells you that living in the western half of the country is a big advantage, because that is where most of them can be found. Alaska has seven of them, which are going to be beyond the reach of most Americans, even those living up there. Then again, if you want to talk about a national park in the west, trying visiting the one in American Samoa on the front door of Australia.

That is one of the three parks we see under "A", although officially "A is for Acadia" National Park along the coast of Maine. Acadia gets the main painting, but there is also one of the Flying Foxes (bats) of American Samoa and one of the defining features of Arches National Park in Utah. Yes, there has to be some creativity to account for all 26 letters: "F" is for Kenai Fjords National Park, "Q" is for the Queens Chamber at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, "T" is for Grant Teton, "U" is for the Upheaval Dome at Canyonlands National Park in Utah, and "X" if for Long X Trail at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

The result is a nice little introduction to those fifty national parks, which should spark some interest in young readers wanting to find out more about them and eventually getting to actually go see some of these places. I have made it to one more than ten percent at this point, but my new goal is to get to double figures by the end of this decade (two of them are actually in this neck of the woods, so that would be a start: go back to the map and see what the closest parks are to you). "M is for Majestic: A National Parks Alphabet" is one off a series from the Sleeping Bear Press' Discover America series. This includes "A is for America: An American Alphabet," "E is for Empire: A New York State Alphabet," and "G is for Golden: A California Alphabet."

Engaging and Warmly Illustrated

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-30

Lots of information is packed into this richly illustrated book about our national parks. A great read for young and old alike. A definite addition to our son's storybook collection.