South America Books

1. Much more detailed than Lonely Planet.
2. Reliable
3.Saved me a lot

The most experienced, complete, objective, relevant, orderly, up-to-date guide book on South America now also has the clearest maps.

We spent 2 and half months in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru. You begin to trust it as you go along and towards the end of our trip we swore by it and started helping other travellers with suggestions from the book.You don't have to think twice when a place is recommended.

The best part of the book is the way is structured. Once you get a feel for it you will love it.

You might need a detailed guide for larger cities like Buenos Aires and Rio.

Hope this helps.

I have been travelling regularly to South America since 1994, and from 1996 to 1997 I lived in Lima, Peru. Of all the travel guides I've used over the years, this one beyond any doubt is the most comprehesive single volume of all countries in South America.

I have found the information to be highly reliable. Restaurants and hotels are categorized into the correct price categories, addresses and phone numbers are as up-to-date as can reasonably be expected, and other important information such as bus route numbers, time tables, museum and park hours, holidays, etc. are generally accurate.

The book also does a good job in its descriptions of the sections of cities as well as highlighting the most popular and the off-the-beaten path destinations within the various regions of each country. The maps provided are also very nicely displayed.

If you are planning a trip to South America, particularly if you plan to visit more than one country, use this guide to organize your itinerary, and then bring it with you to make your trip more enjoyable.

Forgotten Confederates: An Anthology About Black Southerners is an informative text that introduces the reader to an ignored, overlooked, and often times denied chapter in the history of the War Between the States. The editors have compiled a collection of modern essays, period news articles, obituaries, personal recollections, and Confederate records that provide readers an opportunity to either educate themselves or to pursue further exploration of the role that African Americans played in the Confederacy. The anthology includes sections that 1) deal primarily with the actual historical events, 2) sociological and anthropological studies concerning the social structure when the conflict occurred (providing the reader with a basic understanding of the times that purely historical texts often lack), and 3) personal remembrances that give the reader insight into the actual thoughts of those African Americans who worked with or for the Confederacy. The book is imminently readable and its format permits the reader to continue through the text as written at his leisure or to concentrate upon records, historical texts, or contemporary musings if he wishes. Two aspects of the work created a great impression upon this reviewer. The first aspect is the objectivity of the text. While the potential for a biased point of view is great in subject matter of this sort, the editors did an excellent job of presenting all aspects of African-American Southern involvement in the conflict. The records that were presented reflected the nature of the contributions of both slaves and freemen and numerous references were made to individuals who served in both sides of the conflict. Additionally, there were no obvious attempts at apologia for the reasons behind African-American participation in the Confederacy. The editors again were objective in their selection of source materials and where conclusions are drawn by either contributors, past historians, or participants; the editors let those conclusions stand. Moreover, in records or lengthy discourses that required editing, the editors summarised the passages without loss of factual information. Secondly, an extensive reference is made available to the reader who chooses to pursue additional information on the topic. This resource includes a description and page number of each particular relevant reference, for which this reviewer was particular grateful. This reviewer highly recommends Forgotten Confederates to any student of the Civil War, students of sociology or African American studies, or any reader with an interest in the more obscure details of the American Civil War as an excellent introduction to the role that African Americans played in the Confederate States.

I had no idea so many black soldiers fought for the South.Some were really body servants, others were quartermasters and cooks and others were flat out real soldiers. This is a piece of history that has been totally left out of the history books. This is the only book of it's kind that I know of so if you are a black or Civil War history buff you must add this one to your collection.

Mr. Barrow has written a most extraordinary book on some of the most noble, yet sadly forgotten, defenders of the Confederacy - the Black Confederates. He offers a quite insightful look of their service throughout the War For Southern Independence. Some of the personal accounts of these brave men of colour are wonderful, leaving us to question the bigotry of those who use revisionist tactics in portraying the War For Southern Independence. I believe the unfortunate & temporarily successful block of the racist organisation NAACP against a proposed monument in the Commonwealth of Virginia, that was to have been erected to the memory of the thousands upon thousand of blacks who wore the grey & butternut & bore the Saint Andrew's Cross of the Southern Confederacy, is such an example.

The common conception of black Southerners in the Civil War has described a people unified by their opposition to the Confederacy and resisting the Southern war effort, either passively and actively.
This view can only be maintained by ignoring a mass of research material that strongly suggests that black opinion, like other opinion, was represented across the spectrum, and was strongly influenced by sectional, local, and family loyalties which have largely disappeared in the modern world, but which were of paramount importance in the nineteenth century. Many blacks, free and slave, in fact, considered themselves Southerners first and blacks second, and served the Southern cause enthusiastically.
This unconventional view is supported here by a wealth of clippings, rosters, memoirs, photos, archival records, and other data to convincingly demonstrate that the matter is more complex than the simplifiers of history would have it, and to show that the actual record of the black Southerner leaves no firm ground for those who would cite his experiences for modern political purposes.
(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

Now in a newly revised edition, From Plassey To Pakistan: The Family History Of Iskander Mirza The First President Of Pakistan tells the complex saga that intertwines one family's story with the inception and development of an Islamic nation. Humayun Mirza is Iskander Mirza's only surviving son and brings a special and personal expertise to the violence-tainted partition of Indian by the colonial British Empire that resulted in the creation Pakistan. A superb contribution to International Studies reference collections, From Plassey To Pakistan is a vividly informative and very human account which deftly combines extensive research with personal remembrance.

As a descendant of the author's great-grandfather, I had grown up hearing many contradictory accounts of this family's history. This carefully researched book was very helpful to me in trying to sort out the tangled roots from which my side of the family grew. The author confesses his view is partisan, but nevertheless he does not try to hide the existence of his ancestor's various affairs in England, his marriage to an English chambermaid (his fourth wife and my great-grandmother), and treats those aspects of the story both objectively and sympathetically. Very readable!

Most of what we in the West read and hear about the Indian subcontinent comes from the British perspective. Humayun Mirza, son of Pakistan's first president and descendant of the royal Nawab Nazims of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, brings a thoroughly researched, enlightened, and deeply honest perspective to his family's story, and by extension the history of India and Pakistan from the 1700s to the present time. Because of his unique insider's perspective, Mirza makes his historical figures come alive.

Although he is talking about his own family--even his own father--Mirza shows a principled unwillingness to tamper with the truth, even when the truth is not flattering to people he clearly admires. The rich human complexity of these powerful personalities, warts and all, is one of the things that make this book so exciting.

If you're interested in the history and politics of the region, this is a must read. If you just like to learn interesting history, it's also a treat. I'm waiting for the update covering the current situation in the region!

From Plassey to Pakistan chronicles the lineage of Humuyan Mirza, the author and only son of the first President of Pakistan. The book provides personal and well-researched historical insight into the ruling class of India, of which the author is a direct descendant.

The author's father, and principal subject of the latter part of the book, is Iskander Mirza, a highly educated and respected citizen of India worked for the British Government of India. Upon the end of British rule in 1947, the country of Pakistan was formed and Iskander Mirza emerged to become a leading public figure ("the strong man") and eventually the first President of Pakistan.

The author offers excellent insight into his father's rise to the presidency and the subsequent challenge to bring order and democracy to the newly formed country, one fraught with political corruption at the governmental and military level combined with a high level of illiteracy within the population. Despite Iskander Mirza's well intentioned efforts, instituting the type of democratic government he envisioned would prove too difficult in this environment. His presidency was usurped by a military coup in 1958. Military control has presided over Pakistan for many of the subsequent years and remains in power today.

The author goes on to revisit his own life as a descendant of India's ruling and princely class as the son of the first president of Pakistan. Like his father Isakander, the author was educated at prestigious schools while growing up, ultimately attending the Harvard School of Business and subsequently working in various capacities for the World Bank. The author currently lives in the United States.

Toward the end of the book, the author offers thoughtful suggestions that address Pakistan's current political and economic situation. Above all, the author believes a very strong leader of Pakistan is crucial to help unite the country and its divisive factions. He truly desires prosperity for Pakistan.

The book is insightful and well written. I highly recommend the book for histroy readers and those interested in current events. Given the recent tumultuous events taking place in and around Pakistan, this book is even more relevant.

I love this book. The fotos are exellent and the quality of print is good too. I also liked Alta Colombia.

This book displays the manicured gardens of the privileged and the magnificent natural beauty of simple country farm houses. It also includes outstanding photographs of titan trees and lush tropical vegetation. However, a special quality of this book is that it captures the careful planning of home and garden in Colombia. Some of the gardens in "Gardens of Colombia" are very old and offer wonderful views of mature walkways, paths and streams. My favorite pages are those that show unique Colombian courtyard gardens. In short, this Villegas editores publication is a paradise of garden landscapes and a perfect coffee table book.

mr. cobo borda has chosen an excellent photographer in claudia uribe

This book captures the true essence of Colombia. Too many people in the U.S. consider this beatiful country to be synonymous with drug trafficking. Definitely worth a look

I have returned to Vietnam many times...I speak the language and have known about the atrocities that occured after April 30, 1975. I have read and re-read this work and I compare it to another great book...Decent Interval by Frank Snepp. The stories are unique yet the same, reeking of betrayal and abandonment by a "friend".
The author reveals arduous research and the ability to place these anecdotes onto paper without losing emotion and perhaps color. As a previous reviewer has stated...better late than never. My congradulations and thanks to the author.
I would give this book more stars if possible.
I am the author of ...Eye of the Tiger and Thoughts Etched in Jade.

In this book, Dr. McKelvey wrote a detailed and intimate account of the South Vietnamese military officers' fates after the end of the Vietnam War.

The message is troublesome but not surprising: the military personnel were rounded into re-education camps and suffered untold tragedies from humiliation, torture, mental degradation to physical impoverishment within a communist prison system. The majority of the officers were jailed from ten to fifteen years; one officer was detained for a total of 22 years.

While 70,000 former political inmates and their families were allowed to immigrate to the U.S. through the ODP (Orderly Departure Program), many more are still living on the fringes of the Vietnamese communist society. A former major drives a pedicab for a living. In this McKelvey's book, we heard the voices of a doctor, a tailor, a politician, an engineer, a spy, a pilot, and a teacher. They all endured "grueling and unforgiving ordeals that only the strongest would have survived." Family members were ostracized for being related to the political prisoners; their wives suffered uncounted financial, emotional, physical hardships, their children barred from a decent education.

The book is one of the few that deal with the long-term psychological effects of the incarceration on the inmates and the sufferings of their relatives.

The author concludes that: 1) War does not end when peace treaties are signed because the negative rippling effects of war and destruction affect many generations to come. 2) The U.S. should be very careful about intervening militarily in any part of the World. 3) The U.S., if it does go to war, cannot simply abandon friends and allies to the mercies of common enemies.

McKelvey, a Marine veteran of Vietnam, penned a marvelous oral history of former reeducation camp survivors. The Introduction is personal and touching. The book contains four major sections dealing with interviews with former prisoners: a doctor, an engineer, a tailor, a pilot and a spy. Families of prisoners give their stories of carrying on while their loved ones were in captivity.

The author probes deeply into the postwar lives of these former public servants and officers of South Vietnam. From the initial reporting date in June 1975 until their release, the interviewees recall the brutal details of the camps, their captors and the communist indoctrination--basically hard labor and starvation. "Reeducation" is a misnomer.

Nixon and Kissinger's "Peace with Honor" never materialized. Ford took care of the refugees in the U.S. but didn't/couldn't intervene. Carter, well...he was busy with pardoning draft dodgers and Iran. The U.N. and Amnesty International finally took notice in 1979 when it was too late for the majority of those who had perished.

I give this book four stars only because it reeks of academia, its format of Q&A rather than an arcing narrative. It should be included in every Vietnam class, especially those professors and students who care to learn about America's defeated and abandoned allies.

I am a student from Vietnam and now studying in the U.S. I chanced to read this book in our university library. Thanks the AUTHOR for an insightful book.

In fact, my family background was 'clean' in the eyes of our government because my parents were not involved in any military service for the former government. But I have friends whose family situations were exactly the same as those portrayed in the book. I must say those are incredible human sufferings, and not only for one generation. I am glad some of those stories are now heard, perhaps a bit late but still, better than never.

Here's a life-time lesson for me (and perhaps some others): no matter how and what communists tell you, don't hastily believe them. Just look at what and how they do, and you'll see it for yourself. For many of them, human dignity and lives are trivial and cheap.

A moral rocketing upward, a terrifying descent, into the thin air of covert Everests, hit by the hurricanes of perfect storms, this is the first spy novel of the new millenium to send shivers through the spine.

For those bored with Le Carre, who have utgrown Fred Forsythe, Robert Ludlam, and god knows Ian Fleming, who desire a writer with more wit than Tom Clancey, more maturity and depth than John Grisham, the one you have been awaiting is R.M.Koster.

This novel is scary and exhilerating, quick, dirty, brutal, and fantastic, passionate and sexy, violently erotic and charged with high meaning and good fun.

This one is worth dissertations by dogs and princes, and demonstrates what a writer can do after he has gone beyond demonic possession to a higher place, beyond times of tyrants to the purity of imaginative freedom.

Combine Dosetoyevsky and Tom Clancey, give the former a sense of humor and the latter the ability to write sentences of grace and power, take the ethical dilemmas of the Russian and the gritty fascination with all things covert of the American, and you have some sense of Glass Mountain, whose vitreous heart becomes adamantine brilliant by its moral conclusion.

Previously, Koster amazed by topping The Prince, which topped One Hundred Years of Solitude with a sensibility both Yankee and Latin, with "The Dissertation," a book that fairly competes with Nabokov's Pale Fire and Ada for the funniest footnotes and the best portmanteau combinations of two cultures (in that case, American and Panamanian). Koster then went to historical fiends for his nonfiction (Torrijos, Noriega, Time of the Tyrants) before moving to more humane ones in his fiction (Odvart, among others, a demon of sloth semi-exorcized by a tenacious terrier, but check out the lust demons if flesh on the net is no longer sufficient to turn you on). Now he tackles Latin American macho, James Bond, Joseph Conrad, Vietnam, John le Carre, Graham Greene territory in the form of a psychological novel of all things that is funny, dangerous, disturbing, wickedly plotted, with great characters, dialogue, theatrics, and improvisations, in language clear as glass but angled just enough through mirrors to make you wonder. Again.

Eminently worth the climb.

Ah, we always want to pack exciting, fun reading for our summer trips to the beach. What we don't expect is that it will be beautifully constructed and written, fine literature if you will. Mr. Koster is incredibly talented and you will be amazed at the mesmerizing tale he has to tell. His other works of fiction, "The Prince", "The Dissertation" (my favorite) and "Mandragon", a triology; plus the deliciously strange "Carmichael's Dog" will hopefully be back in print as "Glass Mountain" brings a new public to his writing.

The story of "Glass Mountain" is the redemption of Carlos Fuertes, the mixed-up, tortured son of an assassinated president of a Latin American country. Amazingly, Koster's wild and crazy imagination is coupled with an attention to detail that makes this seemingly fantastic tale of Carlos' healing plausible. He certainly has a wealth of information about what he is writing. As all readers of books full of action and adventure are want to do, I looked hard to trip Koster up. I couldn't.

If you are tired of reading good stories with lousy writing, "Glass Mountain" is for you. The covert military operation that Carlos becomes involved in is worthy of Quiller's operations in the Adam Hall novels. No detail is too small for Koster. The journey of Carlos tells of his early years in Latin America, his most unusual service in that most unusual conflict in Vietnam, and his job stealing back children taken in custody battles. Then Koster ties it all up with a wam, bang operation that Tom Clancy will certainly envy. Oh yes, we get a love story thrown in for good measure. I urge you to read and enjoy.

A literary novel differs from one that is not literary. Tom Clancy tells a damn good story, his writing is all plot. A literary novel also tells a story but it goes further. It permits its reader to become its central character. It does this by letting the reader get inside the protagonist's mind, placing himself within. With a small amount of finagling here and there the reader can see the plot as a metaphoric presentation of some dilemma of his own. And lets him seek closure.

A literary novel has requirements. Good writing! Character development! But it also may be a great story.

That is what Koster does in "Glass Mountain." He gives us both. And that seems to be an objection of the reviewer from Publisher's Weekly. Apparently he or she thinks all fiction writing must fit one category or the other, either good writing or good plot. But not both. In other words, Clancy or Koster. (I mention Clancy simply because PW does. I enjoy his stories.)

That is hogwash. Richard M. Koster has written a beautiful---even if harsh, rough, tough---novel that is certainly literary, and at the same time a fantastic adventure. Perhaps PW thinks that rude of him, this merging of classifications. But I don't care. I love good stories and I love good writing. Koster gives me both in "Glass Mountain." He is a "writer's writer" and a wonderful story teller. I am in pig heaven.

Koster's main character's decision to seek redemption comes to him suddenly. Just like in real life. Just like love. And his frequent changing a "yes" into a "no" is just like real life, too. It adds drama and uncertainty to the story, even at its lower levels, as his perceptions change as quickly as they form. Just like in real life. To denigrate Koster's style, as the PW reviewer does, a style by the way that I admire very much in Koster's writing, is simply filling up space for a reviewer with nothing of importance to say.

"Glass Mountain" is very, very good. The plot is good and the writing is good. No, they are both excellent. (You see, that's how the brain works! Jumping around. Changing.)

You can have both worlds with Koster. Storytelling and literary writing. Buy and read this novel and have yourself a grand time with it. It is Koster's fifth and will lead you back to his first four. My two favorites are "Mandragon" and "Carmichael's Dog." With "Glass Mountain" now making its move down the stretch.

END

This book offers a wonderful lesson about what is important in life-friendship and giving. It's a great story for children and adults alike.

This is an excellent book. I originally found this book in our reading basal. My students loved it! I decided to search for this book as an individual title, and when I found it, I was too excited. I used this book as a read aloud with my 3rd and 4th graders. When I finished and put the book down, my students couldn't wait to get their hands on it. I loved the illustrations as well as the reading skills that I can used to teach particular skills. Great Book!

Alma Flor Ada is an author who writes both in Spanish and English. Her work focuses on action over description. Her communication of the values and qualities of the culture in which she immerses her readers makes her books notable. The Gold Coin tells of a man who is twisted in body and spirit until he is transformed by honest hard work, and caring decent people. The reader is introduced to an inspirational character, Dona Josefa. Although the thief doesn't meet her until the end of the story, it is her model of goodness that shines throughout the story. The illustrations admirably reflect the changes the thief undergoes as his body becomes straighter and his face less pale and angry. There are many surprises seeded throughout the story and the ending is wonderfully satisfying. Although this is an original tale, the writing has the flavor of a folktale and the culture and landscape of Central America are authentically portrayed.

The Gold Coin is the story of Juan, a thief of experience, and his journey to find an old woman who gives away gold coins. In his quest to find her to steal away her assumed riches, Juan is forced to experience the helpfulness of strangers, depend on their kindness and enjoy with them the feeling of an honest day's labor. By the end of his travels, he has been transformed by the goodness of the people he has met. When he finally comes face to face with the woman he had intended to rob, he is a different person. Instead of taking her gold, Juan offers to mend her roof. He learns that giving to others allows him to feel rich. The Gold Coin is a great story to read aloud. It is warm and inspiring.

This book resurrects the long forgotten story of the first national sports event in the new United States. After the race, Sam Purdy was as famous as anyone in America. He was never again allowed to pay for a cab ride in New York and was buried with honor in the Churchyard at St. Paul's Chapel on Wall Street. His son, who went on to become California's first elected Lt. Governor, recounts the familiar story of the race years later in his biography. Although Mr. Eisenberg appears to take some liberties with the thoughts and emotions of the principals (and it would be nice to know how much is based on the record and how much is artistic license), it is a great story well told. The significance of the event in the America of 1823 is beyond doubt. The huge wagers and the systems of flags and riders to carry news of the outcome back to the City reflect the enormous public interest in the race. Although many have noted the rivalry in the North-South match races prefigured the Civil War, at the time the race caught the public's imagination not because of what it would lead to, but for the same reasons that national sporting events do today. John Eisenberg brings us back to the rail of the Union Course and captures all the excitement of the great race.

It is May 1823 and an early volley in the Civil War is about to be fired. Not through militant action, but rather in a Thoroughbred match race with the best runner of the North matching strides against a Southern challenger.

Author John Eisenberg brings to life what was more than just a race from the start, as 60,000 fans jammed into a New York race course to watch the best-of-three series - each race a grueling four miles - featuring Eclipse (North) against Henry (South). There is more riding on the race then hefty bets and prize money; the winner will bring a major public relations coup to the economic and social standards of one region.

Slavery is a primary focus, as it is the blood, sweat and tears of those in bondage who enrich the southern plantation owners, which gives them the financial resources for stables of Thoroughbred runners. It is also slave grooms and jockeys who are responsible for the racers, with the consequences oftentimes very severe if they don't bring home a winner.

Eisenberg weaves the story through the horse owners, jockeys & runners, the business interests which pushed hard for the race and the controversial early years of Thoroughbred racing in this nation. He does an outstanding job in explaining the nuances of racing and the historical dynamic of the times.

The book is a classic exploration in the storm clouds that form when sports meets politics and the consequences which no pundit could have predicted.

The Great Match Race is a pleasing combination of a compelling, little-known story in the hands of a gifted writer. John Eisenberg immerses the reader in the early 19th century, long before spectator sports were in vogue. This is truly a story where truth is more powerful than fiction. A Hollywood script writer would be hard pressed to come up with a better story. There are enough plot twists and suspense to keep most readers totally engaged. You don't have to be interested in horse racing to enjoy this book. Eisenberg said he used his author's license to fill in some of the blanks pertaining to the events surrounding the race. He has, however, seemingly done so with restraint, which I believe makes the book better. This book deserves more recognition than it has received.

This is a terrific book, it has all you want; excellent horseracing history, create characters, fast-pace, edge of your seat urgency, and great historical background. These two horses ran the equivalent of NINE Kentucky Derbies in ONE AFTERNOON! It's really unbelievable, when you consider how pampered the breeding industry has made our thoroughbreds now. I bought five copies of this- will give it to horse fans, history fans, AND my Dad for Father's Day!

This book is based on an earlier book by Mr. Mahler, which I used frequently during my 1994-97 posting to Guatemala. I had several guide books, but found that Mr. Mahler's was the one I turned to most frequently. I eventually got to many of the places mentioned in his book, and found that the information he had provided was accurate and useful. I spoke with Mr. Mahler just before leaving Guatemala, and am delighted that he included some of my suggestions in this book, including Los Viejitos Restaurant in Nebaj (look for the green door)--the owner told me she used to cook for Nancy Sinatra!

As the author of this book, I am predictably biased in its favor. However, I feel it's important to say that I spent several months in late 1998 and early 1999 poring over every word, photo, and map to make sure that it was correct, helpful, and informative. Readers will find everything from restaurant and hotel reviews to reports on Spanish schools, craft markets, and Maya ruins. I find Guatemala a fascinating and rewarding country to visit and it remains one of the world's greatest travel bargains. However, since the Peace Accords were signed in 1996 and the guerrilla war ended, more and more people are discovering this place. Therefore, prices will only go up. I'm convinced that there is no better time to see the unspoiled treasures of Guatemala than right now, before the crowds descend. My specialties are the contemporary and ancient cultures of the Maya as well as the national parks of the country. In the latest edition of my book, I've gone to great lengths to include every possible useful tidbit of information on these subjects, from the best place to explore the rainforest to the best way to tour Tikal. As always, I am eager to receive reports from readers, who supply me with some of the best insider information available. Enjoy!

(From Planeta.com Journal) - Reading Richard Mahler is like opening a letter from a well-traveled friend. This is the second edition of a regional classic. Its coverage of environmental issues and travel options is first-rate. This is a must read for any eco traveler.

The investigation of Richard Mahler in Guatemala is above excellent, and I really love all the details of adventure in it. I recommend this book to every tourist and local people, is amazing all the beauty that we have down here. Is very complete, including hotels, restaurants, what to see, what to do in each part of the country. A list of volcanoes, rivers, caves and recommendations of fishing, cycling, kayaking, etc etc. with a list of tourist operators on each issue. Great book!

I saw this book in the bookstore and it's really interesteng. So mesmerizing that I couldn't put it down (thus being late to work). I realized just how much I had missed on my first visit to New Orleans. I plan on going again in Spring and I'm taking this book as a guide of sorts. Full of many great odditites of New Orleans.

If you're going to New Orleans largely because you're a fan of Anne Rice's Vampire and Mayfair Witches novels, then this is an essential.

I used it on my first trip to New Orleans. It includes self-guided tours of the French Quarter and Garden District that include Vampire Chronicle and Mayfair sites respectively without leaving out the must-see unrelated sites and experiences. The only caveat is that zoo fans should be aware that the Audobon is one of the best in the country.

Three types of sites are covered - those related to Anne Rice herself, those used in - or speculated to have inspired locations in - the books, and those where parts of "Interview" were filmed.

With chapters on guided plantation, swamp and cemetary tours, as well as restaurants and hotels (the last including descriptions of ambviance that helped me considerably in my choice of hotel), you'll have everything you need to plan your trip and not miss anything like the Ursuline convent where Louis found Claudia and the Gardiner House that inspired the home that Lestat, Louis and Claudia shared.

Best of all, Ms. Dickinson wants us all to be careful out there in a city that can become ominous if you go too far off the beaten track sans tour group - especially at night. As she wittily reminds us, we're not all as indestructable as Lestat, and if an area - even one that contains an Anne Rice site - is unsafe, she doesn't hesitate to tell us so. Following her advice, you'll see everything you want to see and get home safe and sound.

I gave this to my wife as a gift before our recent trip to New Orleans, and she carried this book everywhere. While any book like this is a bit out-of-date as soon as it is published, it was still very useful for finding all the sites and giving us good background information. One important note though is that Anne Rice is selling off her doll collection and the orphanage, so there is no longer any tour. That was really a disappointment.

Last year, for Christmas 97 we had to go to New Orleans to see my father's family, I was having a a horrible time because of the weather. (We went the year before for Mardi Gras, the weather makes my hair go afro-y; it doesn't help to use your normal hair-care products.) We went to the French Quarter the day we were leaving and pow there was this cool book. I had to get it, I've read all of the Mayfair Witches books. I recommend it to anyone that's ever wondered about where their favorite characters lived.