Oregon Books

Recently we attended a wedding in Portland, Oregon and decided to see some things while we were there. This book was extremely helpful as we were deciding what to see and do. This book is colorful and so pleasing to the eye. There are lots of pictures and the maps are excellent. It gives a general overview of the area, and you learn a bit about the history too. We narrowed down what we could do in the time we had available and we took in the Columbia River Gorge area including Multnomah Falls, Portland (definitely go to Powell's Bookstore - one of the largest bookstores in the world), and then part of the Oregon coast. We stayed in Seaside, but Cannon Beach is less touristy and a nicer town. Make sure to visit Haystack Rock during low tide to see the sea stars and sea anemones in the tidal pools. Enjoy your trip!

Each travel series (Insight, Frommer, Lonely Planet, etc.) has its own emphasis and style. The strength of the Insight guides is its overview of a particular region, in this case the Pacific Northwest area of the United States. You won't find extensive lists of hotels and restaurants in this book; instead, you'll be given a written and photographic tour through Washington and Oregon, from Seattle to Portland, from Mount St. Helens to Mount Hood, along the coast, into the mountains, and across the Columbia Basin. The guide supplies a short history of the area (short, but more comprehensive than most guides) as well as the "personalities" of contemporary cities. You'll find a section on the wine-making regions and one on the John Day Fossil Beds. National and state parks are covered as well. The color photographs, included on almost every page, shows the varied landscapes in with a true eye for aesthetics. An extremely small section at the back addresses much of what the bulk of the guide lacks: festivals, hotels and restaurants (no descriptions, just addresses and phone numbers),how to get there, major attractions, and other brief travel tips.

I recommend this book for travelers as a preparation for a trip to the Pacific Northwest or for those who have not yet decided if this region is for them. You'll need a more nuts-and-bolts guidebook to accompany it for more practical considerations such as detailed entries about lodging, maps, places to shop, and restaurants.

This is an interesting and well-balanced account of the huge westward migration overland to Oregon and California c. 1843-69. Like all the series, it's well buttressed with contemporary quotes and illustrations, along with numerous sidebars, and provides an excellent introduction to the subject. And it includes a number of facts that I had never encountered before, such as the "Nineteenth-Century 'Bumper Stickers'" squib on p. 26, the Mormon Trail (on the north bank of the Platte) offering less river crossings than the regular trail, the number of jumping-off points and their various advantages, the makeup of wagon trains (i.e., the derivation of the people), and that as many as 10% of all 1841 movers eventually turned back (or, presumably, stopped and squatted), a number that I suspect remained more or less constant throughout the period. Particularly good is the book's overview of the Indian situation: generally peaceful through the '40's, somewhat iffier by 1851, and featuring full-scale raids on wagon trains by 1862. (One emigrant recalls how "an Indian chief" and several of his braves dived into the river and "made every possible exertion" to recover her father's body after he was swept downstream, though they failed to get it.) There also seem to be fewer errors of fact (as measured against my findings over 40-odd years of study) in this volume than in some others in the series. Author Blackwood quotes Jesse Applegate, a well-known emigrant, as saying that "Emigrants were hungry all the time," and attributes this fact to shortage of game, without stopping to think that the dry, fresh prairie air and the unusual exertions connected with westering may have increased their appetites; and he states that "For an Indian, a mule was almost as good a catch as a horse," a point on which authorities seem to differ depending partly on the tribe involved. On the whole, however, I would definitely recommend the book to young (and adult) students curious about the westward migration.

"Life on the Oregon Trail" is one of the series "The Way People Live", telling events of historical significance written in prose format. Readers will identify with the families as they begin to make decisions of right and wrong in preparation for the trip from East to West in the 1840s-1850s. Details of required items are given in a format of actual reports to allow the reader to feel involved rather than to be reading "just a history" book. Pen and ink drawings throughout help give a visual image to the facts presented for those who chose to move to Oregon Country. Actual traveler accounts are included with background supporting information to help the reader feel the excitement, fear, expense, and futility of these brave souls. Written in a chapter format, with footnotes, bibliography and index, this book would be of great help to classroom teachers either as a resource for information or to be read to children. Young adults studying the Oregon Trail history will find this a useful book to support their studies.

As do many books with subjects attempting to cover the entire "Pacific Northwest," this book focuses primarily on a certain area of the PNW. In this book's case, it's Oregon (no offense at all to this wonderful state). The photos are all small, black-and-white, and obscure. There are MANY photos of feces in this book. While it's helpful to know feces identification, it's more important to identify mammals by species identification. Perhaps I'm lucky, because I get to see more actual animals in the wild, rather than only their droppings. Some mammals in the book are not even pictured at all. Some of my friends have never even seen a nutria (coypus) or a marten in the wild, so pictures of them (and other animals) would have been helpful and more aesthetically pleasing to them. I've seen wolves in eastern Washington and a brown stage black bear in western Washington which the book does not address. On the other hand, the bat and shrew sections were extensive and thorough. Overall, the book is interesting and is scientifically well-organized. Included is ample, specific information on habitat, behavior, and breeding.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest and want to identify the wild mammals you see, this book is very helpful. However, there is a lot more to the book than just good descriptions of mammals. Stories about each creature bring to life the animals you may never encounter. Chris Maser is clearly fond of his subjects and tries hard to help the reader get a feel for their lives. It is fun to just open this book at random and read a few pages about vole or bat you never knew existed. I have several mammal identification books. This is the best one.

Good book, but not my favorite. I have other guides I use more. I have 3 field guides including this book, so I have a varity of pictures to compare with.

This book is small enough to fit easily into my case with my binoculars and my camera, yet comprehensive enough to help me identify many birds. The photographs are exceptionally clear and detailed.

An engaging tale of a woman's struggle to come to terms with the death of a friend. She and her husband had been intimate friends with the man - and now, they must learn how to relate without him. For years, they defined themselves, and their relationship, in terms of him. Do they still have enough of a marriage to make it without him? Did they ever?

Set on the turbulant, often deary, beautiful Oregon coast, it is a perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day or long evening. The interaction between the Texas relatives who come to help celebrate the deceased man's life made this displaced Texan a bit homesick.

The Nestucca Retreat explores the complex relationships of a married couple who have lived their lives vicariously through a friend. The struggle to carry on without him was very real.There are a myriad of characters that share their experiences of life with and without J.Cunningham Raleigh. The surprise guest really throws a wonderful spin on the plot. I had the privilege of growing up with the author in a small Texas town and the time period, the places and some of the characters are very real! This is a well-written book. The pace is steady and kept my interest. I did see the ending coming several chapters beforehand and I didn't want it to end that way. I thought Jake's sister and her husband were two characters that the book didn't need as there were enough people to keep track of as it were. I strongly recommend this bok for anyone that survived the 60's.

I will not be the recipient of these books, I have gifted them to my relation who is a theology student,

The mastermind of Sir Isaac Newton yields results just as brilliant when studying Bible prophecy as when he turned his attention to the physical universe! There is in this book a consistency of interpretation in all the details of the prophecies of Daniel and of Revelation that I have not seen in any of the works of modern-day scholars. Isaac Newton seems to be completely true to the message of the Bible when providing his own thoughts on the Antichrist, the Beast, the Woman called "Babylon", and the "Great Tribulation". The integrity of Newton's scholarship and skills of exegesis give the reader a distinct impression that, unlike most writers on end-times prophecy today, when faced with a detail of interpretation that conflicted with his existing views, Newton would have gladly given up his prejudices in exchange for something better: the Truth. He presents an excellent example--perhaps the best I have read--of what is known as Premillennial Historicism. This is essentially the same view held by H. Grattan Guinness, E.B. Elliott, Matthew Henry, and Charles Spurgeon. In my opinion every pastor or teacher who preaches or teaches on the subject of the Last Things should have a copy of "Observations..." on his or her desk.

When I first read this book several years ago, I was truly inspired by it. This is a delightful story of a boy that overcame the seemingly insurmountable obstacle of paralysis (if memory serves, induced by polio) by forcing himself to walk in the mountains of the great Northwest, and eventually becoming a United States Supreme Court Justice. Finding his strength and his soul (and his paralysis cure!) in the wilderness, he would often retreat to the great outdoors. This is a story of his lessons, and his adventures. A wonderful read.

There is a problem with it, however. It isn't true. For one thing, Douglass never suffered from paralysis as a child as he claimed in the book. He sufferred from re-occuring intestinal colic. He also stated that he lived in poverty with his mother. As it turns out, his mother was typically middle-class. He claimed to have graduated second in his class from law school. Again, a lie.

Apparently, discerning the reasearch I have done on Douglas, this book was politically motivated by a man who wished to paint himself as wholesome as possible in order to obtain his life's ambition - the White House. Studying more on this man is revealing. He left his wife of 28 years for a series of younger women. He left his third wife for a high school student. 24 months later he married a college student that he met waitressing at a cocktail bar. His own children thought him "scary" who only spoke to them when "press photographers wanted a picture." There is also a controversy about his military service - if he ever did actually serve, and if he deserves to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery (where he is buried.)

The book itself, as I said, is a delightful read. If it were true, I would give it five stars without blinking an eye. Read and enjoy this piece of masterful, self-revisionist fiction.

This book is a wonderful and gentle journey of one man who loved to be in the mountains! As an adult I started backpacking the very areas Douglas talks about in the book and have grown quite fond of the southern portion of the Cascades. Names like Darling Mountain, Fryingpan Lake, Fifes Peak, Old Snowy Mountain and Conrad Meadows - I've been to most of these places!

Through Justice Douglas I get to see how it was so long ago! Very well written, you get to hear about the adventures of young men growing up and doing the things that young men did in the early 1900s. And while specific to the Wallowas and the south central Cascades, the story is told as if the forests he visits were the forests closest to you. Each little lesson he learns, he shares. Tips on cooking and fishing and surviving - and how to be a little less afraid and a little more inspired. These are the forests that are visited by wise scholars and simple horsemen and everyone in between.

The book is definitely not a work of fiction - you couldn't possibly describe these places in the way that he does without having been there. The book is about real places with real people. Don't take my word for it - drive to Tampico near Yakima in Washington and hike up to Darling Mountain. Then go down to Conrad Meadows and to the Tieton Basin. Walk across Highway 12 and up Indian Creek trail to the Blankenship Meadows and then up to the top of Tumac Mountain. When you're tired looking as far as the eye can see, go down to Twin Sisters Lake for bit of fishing and a night of rest before the long journey to Bumping Lake and then on to Goose Prairie where Douglas once lived. These are a few of the places that Justice Douglas takes you to.

If you want the controversy of William O. Douglas read "Wild Bill: The Legend and Life of William O. Douglas". If you want to read about men and mountains, then I highly suggest this book.

I was happy to find a continuation of the Westward trilogoy, and the first volumn "Oregon Legacy" was okay. But I was severly disappointed that the connection between the first volumn of the Holts picked up with the middle aged man "Toby", son of Whip Holt who was just a 5-year old of Jefferson Holt at the end of Outpost, the third book of the trilogoy. I expected the American Dynasty to pick up with Whip Holt, not just a token mention of him. A whole generation is lost to the reader. What a dissappointment.

A continuation of the Wagon's West series by calling it "The Holts" series, this book shows great promise as it makes Tim and Janessa come to the forefront. There are four stories in this book:
1) Janessa starts medical school.
2) Tim runs off to become a miner.
3) Toby runs for senator
4) White Elk courts a chinese girl

Surprising, the stories do not conflict with each other, a problem that later books in the series would have. It is a beautifully crafted book.

It also illustrates what the rest of the books should have done. It should have stayed with Tim as the focal character in the series. By constantly switching the main characters from book to book, it weaken the series as a whole.

Highly recommended book, especially when one wants to read about prejudice towards Chinese.

In my former hometown of Oregon City, John McLoughlin is an unavoidable figure. He virtually founded the city, is buried there, his home is a landmark, streets, schools and businesses are named for him. There every school child knows about Fort Vancouver and the Hudson Bay Company. In the rest of the world I fear he is an obscure personage. Ms. Morrison has done extensive, (colossal?), research on McLoughlin and this is the most comprehensive biography of the man we are ever likely to see.

The book is also an excellent resource for information on the HBC and the lengths to which the company went to attempt to keep the country North of the Columbia River in the British Empire. McLoughlin is a towering figure in the history of the United States and deserves more fame and renown. His likeness even stands in Statuary Hall in the United States capitol. Unfortunately despite Morrison's best efforts he is likely to remain obscure outside of the Pacific Northwest. The story of McLoughlin and his Empire is all here...if you care.

John McLoughlin is called -- by vote of the Oregon legislature -- "The Father of Oregon." Yet the government of the United States deliberately invalidated his claim to his Oregon home.

McLoughlin helped the early pioneers get a foothold in the Oregon wilderness, then was accused of keeping them in poverty for his own enrichment.

He was a compassionate man with a violent temper. McLoughlin was loved, hated, respected, reviled. And now he is the subject of a thorough, honest and compulsively readable biography.

In one sense, this book is an unexpected treasure coming from this writer, who is a respected author of history and fiction for young readers (including a work for young people about McLoughlin), not a traditional writer of biographies for adults.

"Outpost: John McLoughlin and the Far Northwest" is the work of Dorothy Nafus Morrison, an accomplished historian. "Outpost" is a major historical work designed for the general reader and for historians. But it is also a natural step in her development as a writer. It is an astonishing tale, exceptionally well told.

I bought this book because I live in the Pacific Northwest and I wanted a memento of my area in case I ever move away. There are excellent large photos of areas I have seen with my own eyes, such as Portland Oregon with Mt Hood in the background, the Japanese Gardens in Portland, Oregon beaches, Multnomah Falls and Vista House's view, both along the Columbia River Gorge, an inside picture of Timberline Lodge, Stonehenge, which is a 10 minute drive from my home, the Riverfront park in Spokane and the HUGE Radio Flyer wagon slide that is there, Mt Saint Helens, to name a few. Also there are pictures of places I haven't seen yet that I would like to see, in California, and Vancouver BC and Oregon's Crater Lake that is on the cover as well as in the book. Includes some history and historical photos in the beginning of the book. If you don't live in this area this book may inspire you to visit.

Like wow! When my parents were looking at this book and hoping to get an idea of the Pacific Northwest, I didn't know what all the oohs and ahs were all about. But after taking a gander at the many gorgeous pictures depicting the natural, cultural and historic wonders of this diverse region -- safely under the blanket with a flashlight -- I can see why they liked it so much. Containing almost none of the preciousness one often sees in coffee table books, nor the high flown gas one sometimes finds in other works devoted to American regions, nor the sappiness of the normal trade book intended for use by armchair travelers, Mr. Landphair and Ms. Highsmith's work really makes you want to visit the Northwest and soak up the sights. The captions are eloquent without being overly long, and the photos are artistic without being 'artsy.' The printing itself is a work of art. I would unreservedly recommend this to anyone either of my own age group or older. Awesome! Move over Playstation 2!