West Virginia Books

We borrowed this book from a friend and used it on our trip with great success. The unique graphics (Aerial Photos and simplified rock face topos) make deciphering approaches easy and route finding pretty simple. The star ratings were dead on and we enjoyed the climbs immensely. I was able to hand the book to a novice and ask them to tell me where we needed to go, what we needed to take, and they were quickly able to answer. All bolt counts for our routes were spot on as well.

I'm not very impressed by this updated guidebook. While the new guidebook does include the Meadow river climbing areas (incredible climbing there), it's hardly an improvement over the contents of the old version. Very brief descriptions, inexact topos, but worst of all mistakes from the last version are still present in this book. On a trip to Fern Buttress my friend and I found inaccurate bolt counts as well as incorrect grades for more than one route. My suggestion is that if you have the older version, don't bother with buying this unless you plan to visit the Meadow river.

This book could be 100 times better if there was half of the info and better organization. You buy this book to tell you "what are some good trips around the DC area" but it doesn't tell you that at all. YOU have to figure out where you want to go then this book gives you some basic info about every city or attraction in neighboring states. But I could get all that information from the internet! What I want is information organized by length (short trips, long trips), types of attraction, and "reviews" -- i.e., good or bad. There is almost none of that. It is just a catalog of every city in 7 states that has some tourist activities. No what is good or what is bad. What is good with kids? What about day trips? Or afternoon trips? Or trips with your dog? Nada. Kind of useless book, which is sad because a usefull book that was well organized would be great.

This guide is a great companion for anyone seeking unique and clever discoveries in the mid-atlantic region. The book dives into nature, history, unique facts and unknown charms that most travel guides hardly touch.

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAIN MAN...

When Kelly McGraw threw open her door one morning, she didn't expect to find tall, virile Dan Marquette.

Dan knew Kelly's wily son had seduced his little angel, while Kelly believed Dan's teenage temptress had trapped her perfect boy. But when both parents realized that their children had fallen in love, they were helpless to change the course of nature.

Then a quirk of fate brought Kelly and Dan together amid the wondrous backdrop of West Virginia, discovering what their children had already found. But could they keep the power of love all in the family?

I began collecting Blenko glass shortly before I bought Ms. Pina's book earlier this year. I refer to it often when I am searching internet auctions. Initially it helped me determine whether a price was in line with the fair market value. Lately I have been using it to determine to my own satisfaction whether an unmarked piece truely is Blenko. The pictures are very good quality. The only drawback to the book is that is it woefully short on text. It would have been beneficial if the book contained some in depth discussion of Blenko craftmanship and how to distinguish their products from the other WV glassmakers, especially since they all had a tendancy to copy one another.

The book does have some interesting pictures/postcards and the write-ups are well done. But I was hoping there'd be more pictures showing everyday life in and around the city throughout the years. I guess these are scenes that wouldn't be found on postcards though so I can't blame the author.

Knowing so little about East Africa, I learned much from this book. However, the style was pedestrian, and the book has not been updated since its original publication in 1994.

Well, I went ahead and bought this book despite my reservations. I am not exactly sorry I did, as I find the information useful, but only in combination with other reference books. The line drawings of the designs are alright. The patterns are organized alphabetically, which is great if you know the name of the pattern you are looking for...I don't. However, I think that with time, it will be a valuable resource. Definately not for the novice collector.

Really helpful when you are wanting a quick reference. The website has all the same information too.

I first read this book while I was at school, years ago. It's a reprint of various news/journal articles on inventions of the Victorian era. Lots of illustrations of improbable and otherwise inventions are presented - including the engravings of the NY pneumatic subway which decorates the walls of the average Subway sandwich outlet. The only complaint I have is that it's a bit light-on in terms of length. Still, it's worth a look. I bought it after having remembered it from years, so check it out.

In this book about Harper's Ferry where I took my boys and nephews on a historical outing some years ago, we learn about John Wilkes Booth, the young actor appearing there to entertain the Rebel troops with his juggling act. He was a Southern sympathizer, but most of all he wanted fame and fortune like his older actor brother. Many books have been written about John Wilkes Booth's participation in the Lincoln death. It is sad that so much blame was put on his shoulders.

This is a lovely little town and has been preserved to look as it did in John Brown's days minus the weapons supply house which went up in a boom. Booth was there in 1863 and fell in love with the surroundings. I have seen this special place in a few movies since my boys and I were there. It is a distinctly different place from any other. Once you've been there, you will never forget every little detail. It is that historical and meaninful in this country's war zone. I have been interested in Lincoln's assassination for over twenty years, mainly because they hanged Mary Surrat, the first woman to be officially killed in this manner. It was at her boardinghouse where the conspirators met to discuss and plan killing Lincoln and others in his Cabinet.

John Wilkes Booth, from a prominent acting family, was a Confederacy sympathizer. But that in itself does not make him guilty. He was denied his right to a trial. Most of the South were more than a little upset when Lincoln was inaugurated for the second time. They refused to accept him as "our" President. We had Jefferson Davis whose daughter married Zachary Taylor's daughter. I don't believe old Zach was a Rebel. "Killing Lincoln' as a one-man theatrical presentation, written by Amy Russell, originally premiered in Toronto, Canada. I emphatized with the young actor (who I thought was an old man, as he is such a good actor) who said, "I enjoyed playing off you." I told him the reason he held my complete attention was due to the fact that I had read so much about Lincoln and also sympathized with Booth's reasoning.

Lincoln as it so happens was a Shakespeare fan and enjoyed going to Ford's Theatre. John Wilkes Booth (Brutus) as one of the most promising young Shakespearean actors of his day. Booth considered Lincoln an "American Caesar." He is sometimes called Booth "American Brutus," the title of another Booth book I have reviewed.

He was a very handsome man and, even though he broke his leg in the leap to the stage (instead of running down the back stairs), he eluded capture with the help of a Dr. Mudd for twelve days. He was not given a chance to tell his side and the complex, misleading reasons he did what he did. That took fortitude! He did not act alone! That's a major issue. He was cornered in that barn like an animal and burned (at the stake) by the vigilante cowards. He was never close to Lincoln as Brutus was to Jesus so the title is deceiving. He was merely a misinformed player who ended up "on his own" after the dasdardly deed. He deserves better than to be called a devil. To some, he was an avenging angel.