DC Washington Books

I always rely on Frommer's guides when I travel. This book does not disappoint. Frommer's D.C. guide makes it easy to navigate through the city and helps me to make good use of my limited time. The restaurant & lodging reviews are very accurate and dependable.

This book is pretty helpful for a tourist in D.C. I referred to it several times during the course of my 7 day visit. What it doesn't make clear is that Tourmobile tours can be very frustrating. They are portrayed as easy on easy off shuttles, but in reality they overbook their capacity and cannot accomodate people waiting, thus prolong the wait and waste valuable vacation time for their customers. Other than not informing customers about the inefficiency of Tourmobile I'd say this publication is pretty good.

I picked up this guide for our trip to Washington DC, and was very happy that I did.

We spent 5 days in the city, and ate in the inexpensive to moderate restaurants recommended in the book and did not have a bad meal, and several great meals. We ate at Ethiopian, Thai, Southwestern, and American restaurants.

Our hotel, The Churchill, was recommended in the book, and we booked it on The Churchill's website (mentioned in the book as well) and were able to get a giant room (huge bedroom, even bigger living room, nice size kitchen area with table, and a small bathroom) with a kitchenette for $149 a night. The on-line booking web sites didn't list any rooms with a kitchenette. (The rack rate on the door of our room listed it as $450 a night).

The Frommers guide listed itineraries for staying for one to several days, so we picked and chose some of the activities mentioned. And the info on the galleries and museums were more than sufficient to plan our days and nights.

The Metro-rail info and map were right on the money.

The included full-size map of Washington DC was indispensable.

The only thing that I noticed was incorrect in the book was that the shuttle between Dupont Circle to Georgetown was $1 (not $.50).

I would have also liked to know how far the zones were for the taxi cabs (Is a cab from Georgetown to our hotel in one zone? Or did it cross into a second).

I bought a couple of guidebooks, but all but abandoned the others since this one was so comprehensive. Highly recommended!!!!

This book is without a doubt the most informative and entertaining about the history and life of the canal prior to it becoming a park. I've recently fallen in love with the C&O Canal trail and this book truly has made a profound difference on how I view the trail and its history. The true-life accounts contained therein are priceless and give the reader a real feel of how life on the canal really was.

I am somewhat partial to this book. My grandfather J.P. Mose is in this book and I have Elizabeth Kytle to thank.
You will read several accounts of what life was like boating and working on the C&O Canal from those that lived the "Good hard life".
One of the greatest parts of this book is reading these accounts and Elizabeth Kytle keeps the wording exactly how these people speak, which makes it that more appealing to the reader.
They all have great stories to tell and it leaves you with a new appreciation for generations that have gone before us.
She gives you an excellent look into the history of the Canal and brings to life the importance of preserving our heritage.

I am using this book to research my Civil War novel, which takes place, in part, along the Canal. The book has proven quite valuable both for its medium-detail history, and for its first-hand descriptions of the Canal's function, and the lives of Canal families. (The Canal functioned in much the same manner throughout its history, so the first-hand accounts provide a good window to earlier days.)

The book is well-written, clearly a labor of love for the Maryland author. It is a good historical source, and a fun read for those planning a visit to the Canal (now a National Historical Park.) There are also some funny, sad and astonishing anecdotes, giving the reader a good "feel" for the lives of the Canal folk.

Paul M. Bauer

Belmont, MA

This was the best tour book ever. It helped my family find all the info we needed for our trip to D.C. We love you mary jane solomon!

I bought this book from Amazon.com before moving to the DC area, and I must say, it has been quite helpful. The information (hours, phone numbers) is still current, and it covers a variety of issues. Whether you're looking for kids' activities of trendy night spots, this book has it all.

If you are moving to the area, and will be without an extended support network initially, I'd recommend buying this book, to provide you with new ideas, and to fill you in on life in general here.

Some drawbacks. The authors definitely love this area; that's great, but I feel they are too optimistic on their neighborhood descriptions. Reading this book, you'd think all of DC and the surrounding areas were safe to live in, but the reality is the opposite. Sometimes they are a bit too "PC" in their descriptions, and this takes away from reality. Additionally, sometimes things are difficult to find in the index.

Overall though, a great buy!

A must for anyone interested in learning more about the area or are planning a visit. Well written, informative and interesting. My highest recommendation!

compact information, great for planning a short visit to DC., especialy for people with limited time for preparations.

I bought this book to facilitate my recent family trip to DC. While I went to school in DC, it has been a few years since I have visited. I wanted something to bring me current post 9/11.

This book is not as encompassing as others on the market but, it gets the job done. It is concise and to the point. Many main and "off the beaten path" attractions are identified. Although in the dining section, my favorite Georgetown Italian resturant was overlooked. I can forgive that. The book offers great recommendations on places to eat, stay and visit.

If you are going to DC buy this book to carry with you. It will easily fit into a pocket for ease of use.

I am visit the DC area frequently, but I rarely take the time to explore the tourist sights. This book really gave me some great insights on the sights and helped me prioritize what I wanted to see. The restaurant & hotel suggestions were outstanding, I was not once disappointed. The 'musts for kids' section was very useful in helping me plan not-so-boring things for my children to do. Michelin points out activities & attractions for kids that really peaked their interest (and mine too!!)

Really can't say but they were thrilled getting the book.
Was a Christmas gift so haven't gotten feed back on if it has been read yet. They did love the idea as they are going to spend the summer there and wanted to spend time at the Smithsonian.

This guide was purchased for a 12 year old who will be visiting the Smithsonian for the first time. I have visited the Smithsonian several times and feel this guide will be very helpful.

This book is just what you would expect from the Smithsonian, 224 pages of glossy pictures that leave you wanting more. The _Guide_ starts with about 35 pages of useful information such as how to get around DC and some of the history of the Smithsonian Institution. Then comes a quick survey of the different museums starting with that favorite, the Air and Space Museum, which is the home of the Wright Brothers first flying aircraft. And don't forget the Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport or you will miss a proto-type space shuttle. After surveying the rest of the Smithsonian museums near the National Mall, the _Guide_ includes a few other attractions in DC such as the National Zoological Park. A few noteworthy mentions in NYC round out the _Guide_.

Of course, you could spend your entire two week vacation at the Smithsonian and never see it all. (Do an online search to see how big it is.) If you use the _Guide_ to plan a trip to DC, one thing I might suggest is that you learn to use the Metro (subway) system. The _Guide_ mentions it, but it is too bad that a map of the Metro system was not included. (Get one online.) If you buy the _Guide_ in order to remember a trip to DC, one thing that will quickly catch your attention is that the National Museum for the American Indian mentioned is the one in NYC. Either way, the _Guide_ is well worth it.

If you want to learn more about museums in America without getting museum fatigue, this is your book. It is a good read, wonderfully informative and offers rare insight into the factors that made American museums what they are today - not just the broader social/historical context but also the individuals and colorful personalities. The text, photos and quotes are all chosen with care and the book is beautifully produced while being affordable.

For a book on art museums - the photos are pretty darn poor quality.
As a coffee table book - you would be embarassed.
Of course if you are really into museums, and I admit to be, there is some content here worth reading. However, it definitely could have used an editor. It reminds one of Mark Twain's "I didn't have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one." As in we hurried this out to market, put little effort into it, and hope it will sell to well-heeled customers that won't care or have much time to read it anyway.

So for those that LOVE the subject matter - 3 stars, for those that are only mildly interested - beware.

Schwarzer deftly gathers threads from many sources, weaving together a beautiful, inspiring tapestry of museum work. Perhaps what is most fun about this book is that you'll find your own history here... waiting in line as a teenager to see King Tut, going on a field trip to see Juno the Transparent Woman at the Cleveland Health Education Museum, or recognizing a favorite diorama from these richly illustrated pages.

The book is coffee-table beautiful, while its soft-cover price makes it affordable. The gorgeous design showcases the amazing photographs, unearthed from a variety of archives. The photos bring the text to life, as Schwarzer spins tales of brave souls dedicated to the craft of museums. Schwarzer clearly loves museums, warts and all, and she showcases how museums and interpretive sites have served America by saving our culture, teaching hundreds of thousands of children, showcasing diversity, supporting the war effort in World War II, and healing spirits after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A must-read for anyone in the museum (or cultural) field.

What a terrific book! The pictures and informations are great,
well-organized, and make the monuments easily accessible. Every
student of the Civil War living in the DC/Northern Virginia/Maryland area should have a copy of this book. The photos alone are really worth the cost of the book. Wonderful!

As a resident of Capitol Hill, I found this book useful and informative. I, for one, had no idea that the Congressional Cemetery just a few blocks from my home contained the first Civil War era monument erected. Nor did I know that the first major Lincoln Memorial was right here on the hill.

The book is fascinating and can provide either a brief, or detailed, look at the monuments.

The only thing the book is lacking is a MAP to help the unitiated into the world of DC's complicated streets.

As a citizen working in the District of Columbia, and an avid walker, I have been fascinated with the vast array of statues present virtually everywhere in the city. I have been searching for a source of information that could help me with learning about the history of the pieces. While I was looking for something a little less specific - or I should say, more far reaching (there's a lot, a whole lot of statues in D.C.) than the subject of this book - what is here is fascinating and very informative. I have spoken with some tour guides that visit the statues with tourists, and some of the information that they share about the statues and sites differs slightly than what is written here - but I am so confident in the thoroughness of Ms. Jacobs' research - I am sure these guides are speaking the embellishment of popular myth. I would love to share some of this elaboration with the author to confirm this notion.

Les Standiford is a successful novelist and a great story teller. His story of the selection of Washington DC, the building of the public buildings, their burning during the War of 1812, and the rebuilding afterwards reads like a novel and is well worth reading. There are a few errors but not fatal ones. I'm not a historian, but James Madison was not a senator (page 67); Patrick Henry became his political enemy in Virginia after losing the state ratification vote on the Constitution, and the opposition of Henry's followers resulted in Madison serving in the House rather than the Senate. On page 267 Madison at Bladensburg is described as the only president to be on a battlefield, but Lincoln was shot at in July 1864 at Fort Stevens in DC during Jubal Early's attack. The author says the burning of Washington was a kind of Pearl Harbor or 9/11 of its day, with citizens so outraged that their largely indifferent attitude to the new Potomac location was tranformed into a determination to rebuild on the site. But the vote in Congress to keep the capital in DC and rebuild only passed by nine votes, so this comparison may be a bit overblown. Also, the roles and characters of Andrew Ellicot and Benjamin Banneker could have been developed more. Despite these comments this book is well worth the read, especially for it's portrayal of George Washington, L'Enfant, Adams, and the Madisons, with tribute to the courageous role of Dolley Madison in saving many valuables from the White House. This is a very interesting story most Americans aren't aware of, and they'd profit from the well told tale of the founding of our nation's capital and the personalities of the real characters involved in the story.

I would have enjoyed the book more had the author not try to make the analogy of the "War of 1812" and the British Invasion and the Burning of Washington synonymous with the attack on our homeland that took place by maniacal and fanatical Islamic Fascists during 9/11-but that is the way modern day historians see things.

Having said that, the story is very compelling and L'Enfant an amazing character worth reading. While the writer has taken some liberty in portraying the personal frustrations of Washington in dealing with this artsy fartsy character, he also does an extraordinary job of making what most likely occurred behind the scenes come to life. Jefferson as usual is portrayed as a slick politician whose behind the scene maneuvering would have been very welcome in today's political climate. This seems to be a theme that all authors adhere to.

What is best about this book is to see a prescient dream come to life despite all the hostilities and power struggles.

In the long run who won in the famous trade? Hamilton with Assumption and the establishment of a National Bank or Jefferson/Madison with the Washington being the Capital?

Very worthwhile reading if you like history that is palpable. The only reason I took one star away, and that is a personal preference not a criticism, is because for me too many characters are introduced that had a minimal impact on the historical fact that, in my opinion, would have been better left out to allow for smoother reading of this compelling story.

Les Standiford's Washington Burning focuses on an often ignored, but highly significant event in our nation's history--the British invasion of Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812. With a historian's meticulous eye and a novelist's flair for drama, Standiford recounts the efforts of the brilliant, eccentric architect, Peter L'Enfant, whose vision for the nation's capitol ultimately prevailed in the face of political resistance, rampant corruption, and the devastation of war. At the same time, Washington Burning describes how a terrorist attack on U.S. soil galvanized a nation. This well-written book is highly recommended.

The title is misleading: This is not a guide to Washington, but a personal and very subjective guide to the architecture of Washington. It is really best suited for Washington residents who have lived with these buildings for years, but never taken the time to appreciate their delights or to learn of the fascinating stories behind them. Applewhite spent his professional life as a bureaucrat at the CIA, across the Potomac from Washington. But it is clear from the book that his real love was architecture and history. It is a privilege to be able to share the author's insights about these buildings that he loved -- as well as some that he despised. The prose is a sheer delight.

Where can you hear the first two notes of 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' in Washington? On the Metro, that's where.

That's just one of the little tidbits in this gem of a book, which I bought in 1983 just before I came to Washington for a three-month internship. I didn't return until 1999, but I kept the book as a good guide for my visits.

Applewhite pulls no punches, disparaging some of the more modern office buildings in the federal part of the city (he's brutal on the Rayburn House Office Building), but giving a wonderfully rich guide to Embassy Row and other areas that not everyone visits.

If you want something more than your average travelogue travelguide, get this. It'll help you fall in love with our Nation's Capital. I know it did that for me.

This book was an excellent counterpoint to the usual 2 sentence blurbs in most guidebooks. Each entry gave a brief historical overview of each building or monument. I really enjoyed getting background information on buildings that I see every day. I thought for a new Washingtonian it is an excellent way to familiarize oneself with the landscape and for the tourist it is a more in depth way to get to know the whos and whys of Washington architecture. I have found myself refering to the book periodically whenever I find some new circle or park with an oddball statue or name. The book is organized by geography so it can also be helpful for any walking tour of the city. An excellent reference tool.

Combined with two local exhibits from this book (Mandarin Oriental Hotel and the Arlington Visitors Center), this book offers a great amount of interest and knowledge of Washington in WWII. An interesting read with fantastic photographs.

I absolutely LOVE these books. I have all the 'Images of America' books pertaining to my hometown area, and having recently moved to DC, I bought the books about this area. They are just as interesting and informative as the others.

I learned so many things I never knew about our Nations Capitol, and loved seeing WWII pictures of places that I've been. I decided that I'm going to get one of these books each new place I live (being military, we live many different places). They're a great way to get a quick lesson about your towns history and background.

If you see one of these books about your own town...I definitely recommend picking it up. They are one of the best sources of information I've found. I'll absolutely be getting some of the others about the DC area!

A wave of patriotism and memory swept over Washington D.C. in May, 2004 when the World War II Memorial opened on the National Mall. Paul Williams's collection of photographs "Washington D.C. the World War II Years" was released to coincide with the opening of the Memorial. As does the Memorial, Williams's book recaptures for many Americans the energy and commitment that was brought to bear at a critical moment of our Nation's history. The book consists of about 200 photographs of Washington D.C. showing the response to WW II together with commentary and annotations.

The book is part of the "Images of America Series", a series of books that, as the publisher describes them, "celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country." It is a worthy venture. Paul Williams is a long-time student of the Washington D.C. area who has written 12 books for the series, most of which are about various neigborhoods in the city.

In describing WW II Washington, international, national, and local interests converge. Williams's photographical portrait thus includes scenes of international and national leaders but it shows as well the impact of the conflict on the local population -- the many residents who make up the population of our capital city. Williams shows how the City expanded during the War and how the new and former residents responded.

The book is in seven sections and opens with a chapter called "Planning for War." Appropriately, the first image in the chapter is a photo of isolationists protesting against what would soon become American participation in this global conflict. Photos of Marian Anderson's famous concert on the National Mall in 1939, among other photos, help set the backdrop for the Washington D.C. of the war years. A chapter of the book is devoted to the construction of the Pentagon, which was hastily completed during the war years. This is followed by a chapter documenting the blackouts, air raid shelters, and efforts to protect the city from attack that ensued with the United States's entry into the War. A fascinating aspect of this story, document briefly here, is the discovery of two German teams who were smuggled into the United States on u-boats to commit sabotage. Eight participants were ultimately discovered, tried in Washington, D.C. and electrocuted in August, 1942.

Chapters 4-6 of the book document the War's local impact as Williams presents photographs of D.C. residents standing in ration lines, collecting scrap and books for the War effort, and planting "victory gardens". A lengthy chapter documents the impact of women in Washington, D.C., both civilian and military, as "government girls" arrived in the city, in many cases to remain, to build new lives and careers while contributing to the war effort. The influx of new residents
strained the city's housing resources as the city's historic townhouses took in new residents and new structures were constructed in haste. There is room in the book for some embarassing moments, as Williams presents a photograph of patrons of a brothel arrested in a raid and carried away in a paddywagon in 1942. (The brothel kept a list of its distinguished patrons which has never been released. Some things don't change.)

The most impressive portion of the book is its final chapter "VE. VJDay, and the War's Aftermath." This chapter includes photographs of people celebrating the end of the War in Europe and the end of the War with the surrender of Japan. There are scenes of large, joyous crowds, and more intimate photographs of smaller groups of people celebrating the American victory and the return of peace. This book left me with an overriding impression of how Americans of all ages and economic levels, of all races, and of both genders, were able to put aside their differences and unite under the most stressful times to work for the good of our country. The end of the War, with the celebrations and expressions of thanks that ensued, showed how our country can come together and celebrate its shared values in its diversity. This book illustrates an inspiring period of our Nation's history, at both a national and a local level. It has much to teach us today.

Robin Friedman