Wyoming Books

"If the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam had come together for a one-night stand," their rangy, blue-eyed boy would have been Charlie Blair, Special Agent, FBI. Petite, inquisitive Lauren Miller is "the child Anne Hutchinson and George Washington never had."

Do the twain ever meet in Susan Isaacs always fresh, sometimes frightening eighth novel, Red, White And Blue? You bet. But first we're introduced to the great-great-grandmother they share: A century ago 15-year-old Dora trembled by the rail of an immigrant laden vessel nudging New York Harbor. She was pregnant and unwed. Therefore, when fellow passenger, winemaker Herschel Blaustein, proposed marriage, Dora uttered her first word of English: yes. They were a mismatched, unhappy pair. He yearned to return to Cracow; she searched crowded streets for the face of her former lover. And, Jake, their early-arriving firstborn is a bit of a crank, perhaps due to the fact that "Dora had never actually exhibited any behavior that might be construed as mother love."

Ruthie, their second child, with two top front teeth so crooked that they practically made an X was sanguine, believing in romance.

As a young man, what glib, handsome Jake lacked in formal education he made up for in legerdemain, raking in jackpot after poker jackpot. Inevitably, he was caught cheating and forced to leap from a moving train smack into frigid Wyoming.

Had it not been for the warmth of Queenie Smith's bed and body, Jake would have become a tall ice cube. He changed his name from Blaustein to Blair, remained with Queenie, and sired four children.

Willie, their eldest, had dreams. He didn't want to be like his father who couldn't do anything a man was supposed to do - split a log, ride, or shoot. Willie yearned to own a ranch. Fortunately for the cash poor young man along came Lois, heiress to the Circle B. They produced Charles Bryant Blair who, in the fullness of time, fathered our hero, Charlie Blair.

In parallel begettings, Ruthie married a brutish ne'er-do-well. She named their daughter Sally Ann because "It was the most American name Ruthie could think of for a child who, she knew, was going to be in need of a land of opportunity."

Marty Freund was the man Sally Ann married. Their progeny included Barbara, a dependable girl, prone to considering her place in the universe. She wondered if there was any place for her "from sea to shining sea." During a Catskills singles weekend Barbara found her niche when she met history teacher Jed Miller. Their daughter, Lauren Miller, has her father's red hair, the black eyes of her great-great-grandmother Dora, and a favorite question - why?

Lauren became a reporter, presently employed by the New York based Jewish News. Hearing of a video store bombing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, supposedly a hate crime perpetrated by a group called Wrath, Lauren is convinced that this story is her ticket to fame. She heads West.

Suspecting that their Wrath informant is double-dealing, the FBI needs an undercover agent to infiltrate the brace of bigots. Divorced, dissatisfied with his status quo, and willing, Charlie is dispatched to Wyoming.

At this point the novel's pace accelerates, spinning into a gripping, rapid-fire thriller. Especially noteworthy is the author's ability to mime the prurient invective spouted by white supremacist groups - one shudders.

Working as a garage mechanic, Charlie ingratiates himself with Wrath's leader, Vernon Ostergard - "Not an obvious nutcase, but a guy who had no interests beyond his own bigotry." In the process of winning the degenerate leader's confidence, Charlie alienates Ostergard's general, Kyle McIntyre, a psychopathic killer, and one of the slimiest characters to slither across a page.

Lauren asks too many questions, and is stalked by Ostergard's lieutenant, Gus Lang, "A bully, a man who liked to crush things."

Nonetheless, Charlie and Lauren have found each other. They're in love and in danger, as they pit themselves against unspeakable evil.

A bit like a virtuoso's solo recital, Red, White And Blue gives Ms. Isaacs an opportunity to display her many faceted talent. And, she gives a bravura performance in offering a story which is at once a moving exploration of what it means to be an American, an expose of mankind's darker side, and a touching romance.

I'm surprised this book didn't get more positive reviews. It was another excellent read by Susan Isaacs. I actually loved the generational background of both characters. What I find most pleasing about all her books is that her female characters are real women, with real emotions. Most male authors, Jonathan Kellerman, Stephen White, Leonard Goldberg, etc., have female characters that actually make me angry. (I still love their books however, even though all of their females are on the border of being witches to live with.) Why is it that so many male authors see women in this light? It's truly refreshing to read Ms. Isaacs books and have likeable female characters. She's a truly wonderful author to read and I'm always anxious to get her next book. The Jewish flavor and history in her novels is so delightful...I simply love it.

Since this is the first book I've read by this author, I can't compare it to her other work. I found it to be somewhat superficial, but still interesting. What I got from the book is that you can't tell who is a real American by looking at the color of their skin, where they born, or who their parents were. The Wrath group headed by Vern Ostergard seems to want to save America for the Americans, but who is that? Being an American is loving our freedom, not abusing it, knowing that each of us has a talent and something to give no matter who we are or where we came from. The first part of the book with the history of the immigrants and the Native American pointed like an arrow for me to the conflict of the racist group. In the end, the real Americans are people like the character Charlie who is willing to risk his life for our country and Lauren who bravely confronts the task of reporting on this situation to protect our freedoms through the freedom of the press. While this isn't the greatest quality novel that one can read, it is interesting and thought provoking enough to spend some time with "Red, White & Blue." Enjoy!

Charlie Blair is a very bored FBI agent who is separated from his wife and is contemplating leaving the Service until he is assigned the job of infiltrating a paramilitary group in his old home town. Lauren Miller is a bright young reporter from a Jewish newspaper in New York, who is determined to make her mark by scooping a really big story.The two meet while Charlie is undercover, posing as a mechanic and a new recruit to the "Free America Cadre", a group which fire bombed a video store owned by a Jew and also a house,owned by movie director with a Jewish sounding name. The first section of the story delves into the backgrounds of Charlie and Lauren who are both descendants of Jewish immigrants and who are, unknowingly,distant cousins.Lauren is strangely drawn to this supposed racist, terrorist mechanic while loathing his connection to the group and an interesting story begins to form while they both, in their own ways, try to uncover the criminal activities within the group, to destroy it.

Susan Isaacs explores what it means to be American in her cross-genre novel, Red, White and Blue. Part thriller, part history, and part romance, Red, White and Blue is the story of two people investigating an anti-semitic terrorist group in Wyoming. Charlie Blair, a Special Agent for the FBI, is described as the product of what would happen if the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam had a one-night stand. He personifies the American West: he is independent, has strong character and integrity, and one could see him facing down a gunslinger in a dusty street of an old western town. Lauren Miller, however, personifies the East. She is a tough journalist for the Jewish News in New York, and the bombing of a video store in the Midwest could be her big story.

How Lauren and Charlie come together to break a group of white supremicists comprises most of the plot. Interestingly enough, however, they share a great-great-grandmother in common. Susan Isaacs spends a great deal of time showing how they became American by tracing the story of the generations between Dora Schottland, a 15 year old orphan from Budapest, and Charlie and Lauren.

Though there would seem to be a schism between the historical section and the mystery/romance, Susan Isaacs smooths over the transitions with a narrative voice strong in irony and humor. Her use of detail to quickly paint the portraits of people in the past is masterful. While not destined to be a classic, Red White and Blue could still be said to be a great American novel. Definitely worth the read.

Good basic guide but you want the information to be up to date. I guess I should have looked at the publish date before I ordered. Ex. Says Campgrounds are first come first serve...not true, many now have a reservation only policy which could get you in a bit of trouble. Better books are offered out there.

What an invaluable guide! Yellowstone was broken down into the Upper Loop and the Lower Loop, with every major sight listed around each loop. Distances were noted between all sights and thorough desrciptions of the sights themselves were included. I found the directions, descriptions and recommendations to all be highly accurate and informative. While we spent only very little time in the town of Jackson, we followed the writer's restaurant recommendations and we weren't disappointed! The writer also listed numerous activities for kids in Jackson: Ours especially enjoyed the Alpine Slide on Snow King. I'm certain we'll use this guide again and again!

This part of the country is not to be missed! I never knew such an incredible place existed so close to home. This book was my constant companion throughout my trip through both national parks. I found it to be accurate and well-written. The authors really knew their stuff! I spent 3 days in the parks and two days in Jackson. The book guided me to the best place for bike rentals and restaurants and without it, I don't know how I would have found such a great and inexpensive (comparitively) place to stay.

I purchased two guides for my trip to Yellowstone: this one and Moon Publications. I'm glad I did. Moon offered more in the way of maps and color photos. This book was a much more entertaining read, contained much information about the history of early settlers, interesting wildlife information, and the formation of features within Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. If I had to buy one guide it would have to be this one: There are tons of heplful and free information available from the park service if you want lots of colorful photos. Pick up the free stuff and bring along this book for a deeper study of the area.

This book provided little help for my last trip to Yellowstone. Don't believe the title. The maps are terrible and the book seems very poorly organized. There is just very little detail except for bars in Jackson Hole. This book should be titled "The Bar Guide to Jackson Hole". Forget about this one if you want helpful and detailed information on Yellowstone.

This book is ideal for anyone who has ever had trouble finding a camping spot. More than 1,200 campgrounds in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho are listed along with detailed information, as well as phone numbers and directions to get there. This is one book you will want to keep in your camper and use again and again. Perfect for planning that trip and hitting the road!

All inclusive of number of campgrounds and locations, but descriptions meager, and repetitive. Allows little discrimination between campgrounds.

I have found this book to be exceptional and informative, although not as useful as Tom Steinstra's book detailing the same in the Pacific Northwest. This has the correct pricing for most, although occasionally sites raise fees. It also gives short but descript explanations of amenities and sites in the immediate area. I am not sure how someone can say this is not useful, unless they do not have an aptitude for map reading. If you review the maps in the book, along with a road atlas, this is simple. I tend to highlight the sites I like on my atlas with a fine felt tip pen so I do not have to thumb through the book while driving...

My husband bought this for me for Christmas, to plan our anniversary trip in June. I browsed through it, disappointed with how difficult it was to find campgrounds along our route, how cumbersome looking up maps was, as well as that difficult table of contents. Just look in the book online -- what does MT3 tell you? Nothing. That's the problem.

Check out www.publiclands.org for help finding a campsite. We're into National Parks, and the best overall guide for the Western US we've found is Fodor's Road Guide USA : National Parks of the West. It has enough detail on each park to give you a basic understanding of what you can expect. Don't try this for a hiking guide though.

Readers who had prior editions of this series will be disappointed. The new author has very little commentary. It's now just a listing of campgrounds with facts. Is there shade, are the campsites private, how's the access road, is it busy ... who knows? Many of the campground notes are literally cut-and-pasted from the prior entry. Unfortunately Idaho wasn't covered in the older edition by Tom Stienstra. Very disappointing!

Our first "easy" day hike was supposed to be a 3.5 mile round trip hike to Fairy Falls. Following the trail head and directions in this book, my young daughters and I ended up on an eight plus mile adventure. Fortunately we had plenty of water, but it could have been disastrous. We showed the book to a couple of rangers who said the directions were flat-out wrong. The maps were small, smudged, and unreadable.

This book was small enough to fit in a day-pack, but contained a lot of useful hiking information. It ranked the hikes on difficulty as well as letting you know how gratifying they were. It was nice to know what to expect along the way, and what to look forward to.

CAUTION! The maps in this book are terrible! You can almost read them in some areas but many spots are too dark gray to be legible.
The maps look like a bad black and white photo copy of a good color coded National Geographic map. The book's maps loose information because of the colored background in the original map.
We went on a trail walk (to fairy falls in Yellowstone) using only this book. We walked for about 1 hour then came to a junction in the trail which we couldn't figure out. As we were looking at the book another family came along and showed us they had the same book. We both were lost!
After a while using another map they had we came to the conclusion that were were about 5 miles from were we wanted to be. So we laughed and started heading back to the car.
On our way back we ran into another family using this same book heading for the same place. Obviously it was not just one's person's interpretation of the book.
I'm disappointed that we wasted about 2 1/2 hours but more importantly, it could have been dangerous had any of these families continued on their path using this book!

My family and I used several of the hikes in this book on our trip to Yellowstone this summer. We are not an "active" family so the "easy" part of the day hikes were very appealing. The author outlines some very fun hikes and short trails that lead to truly breathtaking scenery. It was a great asset in planning our trip as well as a handy trail guide once we were at the park. The hikes are rated by difficulty level and length and are divided by sections of the park for easy planning and reference.

This is the perfect book if you are new to Yellowstone and looking for a guide on what hikes to take the family on. Accurate reviews of the hikes with good directions and maps.

A must have.

I personally have over 125 days in the park and I found the book very helpfull in planning family hikes.

John Colter was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, acting primarily as a hunter (Clark praised his prowess in bringing in game). Before the expedition returned home to St. Louis, he was relieved of his duties whereby he joined two trappers heading to the Rockies. After a year trapping the headwaters of the Missouri, Colter left his partners and rafted down the river; but again before reaching civilization he encountered Manuel Lisa and returned once again to the Rockies to trap and trade with the Indians. It was while the party wintered on the Big Horn River that Colter undertook an "epic winter journey" over the Tetons and into Yellowstone Park (the first white man recorded by history to do so) and finally over to the hot springs and hot tar pits (since known as "Colter's Hell") along the Shoshone River (now mainly under Buffalo Bill Reservoir near Cody). Harris spends a good deal of space plotting and attempting to detail Colter's route during that winter trek, for getting over the Rockies in winter (in 1807-08 no less) is no mean feat. Colter must have had a high tolerance for discomfort and hard living because after this ordeal he had numerous run-ins with the Blackfeet, once being wounded, another time being captured, stripped, and forced to run for his life, which he did successfully, making his way 250 miles to Ft. Lisa on the Big Horn in 11 days. Even after this he returned to the Three Forks (Blackfeet) area TWICE (each time getting attacked by the Indians) before finally calling it quits and settling just west of St. Louis where he died in 1813.

Harris's book is probably the definitive book on Colter, despite its 1952 publication date (in 1977 he added a chapter with updated information which doesn't add to or change much of the original work). It is historically detailed and soundly written and is a superb account of Colter's life and adventures. Highly recommended.

John Colter was a member of the Louis and Clark expedition who ventured off with fur trappers. One winter he allegedly traipsed around Montana and Wyoming and discovered Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Little is known of Colter. He left no journals so most of what is known of him is second hand at best and thus whether he actually found what he's credited with discovering is questionable. Harris clearly believes he did discover Yellowstone although some of his evidence is very questionable.

This book is an entertaining and fast read. Read it with a grain of salt as little is know about the Colter. Make sure to read the introduction as it corrects some important errors in Harris's book. I disagree with the reviewer who says this book is a waste of time. It isn't. This is an ambitious work about an important explorer about whom next to nothing is known. There are no historic documents to source other than the ones Harris used. By default half of what he says has to be speculation.

Other than the little mention of Colter in the Lewis and Clark Expedition journals, there is no verifiable material for this biography. His life is a mystery and remains so, inspite of considerable effort by Burton Harris. If you are interested in the life of J Colter, sorry, its just not known and this book is a waste of time.

Yellowstone...Colter's Hell...geysers...Indians.... I found this book a total pleasure to read. Couldn't put it down! Although it is true that Colter's life was somewhat obscure by a lack of more historical documentation, Harris does an exemplary piece of work with what there is to work with. Citing such references as William Clark, Thomas James, Brackenridge, Bradbury and others, Harris does make a justifiable attempt to back up his story. Required reading for those into this time period of the early American West when mountain men roamed the wide open spaces, high mountain valleys and peaks. It must have been a tough, but very rewarding way of life...if you survived the perils and hardships of that day.

Other than the little mention of Colter in the Lewis and Clark Expedition journals, there is no verifiable material for this biography. His life is a mystery and remains so, inspite of considerable effort by Burton Harris. If you are interested in the life of J Colter, sorry, its just not known and this book is a waste of time.

This book is poorly organized and completely confusing. There's no overview of the entire range and her trail maps have you moving all over the book to find a connection.

I really enjoyed Rebecca Woods' Walking the Winds, it wasn't so much about the different hikes and such that impressed me the most. It was the research prior to the readings, the history, geology and wildlife. That research gave me great insight as to the area I would be hiking in. It was very detailed with the better fishing areas in the Winds. Enjoyed it very much.

A detailed hiking and fishing guide and more. The author resides in the vicinity of the Wind River Mountains and clearly is has an abundance of general knowledge of the area. Her book not only has excellent hiking and fishing information but much other information. There is a comprehensive index as well as an extensive appendix with much information such as an index of Wind River Peaks and their elevations, first ascent information on various peaks, lodgings and outfitters in the area, a list of endangered, threatened, and sensitive species of wildlife and sensitive plants, and visitor use statistics in the Bridger Wilderness. The book begins with a review of Wilderness Regulations since most of the Wind River Mountains are located in Wilderness Areas administered by the US Forest Service. There are short sections on minimal impact hiking and camping and on bear safety. After a short, but fascinating, section on the history of the Wind Rivers, there is information on the geology and wildlife of the area.
The core of the book, of course, is the information about the hikes. Hikes are grouped according to the trailheads they start from. Detailed driving instructions to the trailheads is provided. One can fairly easily plot multi-day backpacking trips by thumbing back and forth between the maps for various hikes Each hikeýs distance, elevation gain and loss, and the maximum elevation reached is cited. Relevant topo maps for each hike are listed as are fish species likely to be encountered in the streams and lakes reached on hikes. A nice feature of the book, not found in some other Wind River hiking guides, is that significant attention is paid to so-called "non-maintained" hiking trails--that is trails that are not cleared by the forest service or whose signs are being left to deteriorate or have been removed. The author points out the location of these trails, which often are not to be found on either the Earthwalk or USGS topo maps, and she also suggests where a cross-country route may be more scenic or more adventurous than staying on the trail. Another plus is the authorýs familiarity with the local history of the Wind River area. For example, she frequently describes the derivation of the names of mountains or lakes, often with brief, colorful anecdotes.
This book is 255 pages long and there is a 33 page section devoted to fishing in the Wind Rivers. This reviewer is not a fisherman, but I would think that the maps of the streams and lakes and their drainages and the fish they contain would be very useful to fishermen. Fishing licenses and regulations are discussed and Finis Mitchell's devotion to stocking 300 lakes with fish is reviewed in detail.
This book is highly recommended for dayhikers, backpackers, and fishermen. Hikers who are interested in walking on non-maintained trails or hiking cross-country may especially appreciate this book. The author clearly is familiar with the local history of the area and this too adds to the bookýs interest.

I have spent over 15 years fishing and hiking in the Winds and have relied heavily on guidebooks to help me plan my itinerary and proper routes. Of the three main guidebooks I use, this one by far is the poorest in terms of descriptive ability and angling information. I am particularly bugged that she clearly doesn't fish, yet touts the book as a fishing and hiking guide. As far as fishing information, she merely photocopied the Forest Service maps from a FS brochure that was originally published in the 1950's! I have already found multiple examples where her information lists brookies, only to go to the lake and find that cutties and/or rainbows have taken over. The pictures and maps are very poor, and I rarely, if ever, use this book anymore. For hiking and trail information, Joe Kelsey's book is far, far superior. Although he is a climber, his information on fishing is impecable. Buy that one and stay away from this poorly written, poorly researched "guide book" from Rebecca.

I recently used this book for an overnight hiking/fishing trip in the Winds. I found the information on distance, total elevation, and elevation gained (or lost) quite useful. Also, I wanted to fish in the Winds, so knowing which lakes have fish was very useful. However, there are a few aspects of the book that I found lacking. First, although it is billed as a hiking and fishing book, the information on fishing is confined to just identifying fish species in the lakes. A few paragraphs of information on the fishing methods used by successful fisherman would have been helpful, and some information on the biology of the local fish would have been interesting. Second, there is a general map in the beginning of the book on the locations of trailheads, with little else. There are various other maps throughout the book that detail information in the particular chapters. If you are confining yourself to single chapters, then the maps are okay. However, trying to flip back and forth between maps was not easy. The book would benefit greatly from a better overall map, as well as a more easily cross-referenced set of maps throughout. Lastly, I used the book to plan my trip to Twin Lakes, and then on to Gadsby Lake. I easily found Twin Lakes, but because of a small error in identifying what hill the author described to go around to get to Gadsby Lake, I made a long and tiring trek to locate the lake. I ended up exhausted and never reached the lake. That, of course, is largely my fault. However, a guidebook should be more explicit as to which hill to go around, especially when the area is surrounded by several hills.

This book is awful! Its characters are outdated and cliched, and the plot and its twists implausible. I was glad when it was over.

I loved the characters and the setting. I really think she's done an outstanding job. I thought the mystery was intriguing and it was like spending time in Yellowstone.

The book was little more than a list. The hand drawn maps were amaturish in this day and age. It was lacking in information. Maybe I was spoiled by the "100 Best And All The Rest" book I had just purchased on Colorado campgrounds. Camping Wyoming was a waste of money.

I was searching for a book that would tell me the information that would be most useful in searching for just the right camp site... This book has it... very informative and easy to understand without a lot of useless drivel... I wish it were available for Idaho!

Great book, brilliant insights. I am sure the little people in Ross will find it facinating.

This $35 book I expected to be a well researched, highly detailed anyalsis of Fort Bridger, it's workings, construction, the people, post traders, trapers, soldiers, Indians, inner workings. I expected something that an author had taken decades to research and compile interviews, and research from far flung resources. WRONG! This book is written by a guy who lives in France for gosh sake, and he spent all of one half day, by his own admission, at the Fort!!! The author admits on page 2, that the book is a primer for the layman,not a narrowly focused work for the professional scholar! The author reveals such nuggets of research such as : Professional buffalo hunters were well organized and in the 1870s and 1880s shot millions of buffalo on a commercial basis for their hides alone, rather than for food or sport. .....Duh...Duh....ya reckon? ???
The biggest waste of 35 bucks of mine in a long time, this skimpy 181 page book is worth maybe two bucks for something to give your grandkids to play with. Do not buy this book!

There is lots of good information here for the traveler new to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, but I was often frustrated with the lack of pictures and poor quality maps. I realize that part of the goal was to keep the book small so that it is handy to carry...but the result-- small, gray-scale maps -- is often less than helpful.

Perhaps I have been spoiled by the Eye Witness travel guides...because I found myself wishing one existed for Yellowstone/Grand Teton.

Again, good info for the new visitor: poor map/picture quality.

Frommer's Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks good overall guide to the area. It's descriptions of the lodging choices and the dining descriptions were very good although it omitted the Geyser Grill in the Old Faithful area. The descriptions of activities in GT were very good, but the descriptions of activities in YNP were lacking. There were some omissions: the Antelope Creek Drainage area and the Brink of the Upper/Lower Falls trails. Some felt the Norris Geyser Basin highly overrated as was the West Thumb Geyser Basin and Osprey Falls. This book is a great starting point but by no means should it be the only book you have. It's perfect for making your dining and lodging choices but suffers in adequately describing activities (for that check out 'An Outdoor Family Guide to Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks' by Lisa Gollin Evans).