North America Books

This book was extremely disappointing unless you would like to know how many gallons of water it takes to illegally cross from Mexico into the United States. The author takes a liberal and sympathic view of illegals and tries to sway the reader into thinking that breaking the law is OK for these people. Give me a break. Where is the equal-sided journalism? What about the economic drain to healthcare, gang violence and drugs that these people bring into the United States? If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and swims like a duck then it is a duck. Illegals are illegals are illegals. Don't waste your time on this book.

"A passionate exponent of more human solutions to the problems of illegal border crossings...John Annerino, an Arizona writer-photojournalist, tells the story up close and personal in a gut wrenching, bare knuckle account...His account puts flesh and bones on the story behind the dreams, and skeletons,too," Desert Candle.

There are those who call themselves experts on the subject and those who are. John is the genuine expert. His points on the subject can only be done by being there and doing it. That is John, that is how he is. That is how he lives. A Master photographer, a Father, Journalist. His treatment on the border issue is a no-holds-barred trip into the unknown. He makes it known, he does it masterfully! When I read Dead in Their Tracks I found it to be the best publication on the subject. It should be required reading for those who are studying Hispanic Culture here at the University of Arizona! When one has the folks at ABC News and other News organizations beating on your door for your knowledge on the subject you know it is John Annerino. When you read a John Annerino book or see his imigaes you are guaranteed that you have exposed to the very best in subject treatment. Dead in Their Tracks will take you for a ride you won't soon forget.

-"Photojournalist John Annerino plunges into a world few Americans ever consider, much less confront: a pitiless trek through the southwestern Arizona Desert that can deliver a man to steady work - or to a whimpering death," Laura Brooks, The Arizona Daily Star.

-"Anyone interested in this slaughter should run, not walk, to John Annerino's Dead in Their Tracks," Charles Bowden, author of Down by the River.

-"A passionate chronicle. The story...is gripping and profoundly disturbing," Susan J. Tweit, The Bloomsbury Review.

-"A stunning portrayal of the dangers (including death) faced by immigrants eager to work in the United States," Library Journal.

-"I'm trying to illuminate the lives of those who continue to die in America's killing ground," Annerino said," abcnews.com.

-"A gripping firsthand account of crossing the Camino del Diablo in the company of Mexican nationals...Annerino's evocative words and haunting pictures make the issue impossible to ignore," Donnamarie Barnes, People Magazine.

-"The story is riveting.Annerino's writing is emotional and graphic," Ernesto Portillo, San Diego Union-Tribune.

-"Through cholla cactus and scorpions, along sands simmering at 140-160 degrees, John Annerino and four Mexican companions stumble toward an oasis north of poverty: the American dream," oneworldjournies.com.

-"The book is a testament and a memorial.Thirty pages list the known dead...Annerino deserves praise for putting this story into words and pictures," Will Chaffey, San Antonio Express-News.

-"A gripping work of investigative reporting," Nicole Davis, National Geographic Adventure.

-"Seen on CNN and featured on CNN Bokchat, John Annerino has worked on the border for Newsweek, ABC Primetime, National Geographic Adventure, and America 24/7," KmG

This book is poorly written, _utterly_ disjointed, and has a cloying sentimentality that is really annoying. By that I mean it's not at all analytical: it includes random snippets of poems, etc. that serve only to confound the reader looking for some meat. Plus, there are certain phrases like "cutting sign" that I hadn't the foggiest idea about until I looked it up. Help the reader out here.

Yeah, it's hot as hell in the desert, and it's doggone handy to have water. It sucks that people are dying in the desert and the forces that draw them to _El Norte_ are highly complex and not necessarily their fault. Still, they are breaking the law from the word go, and well they know it, and it seems to me there are worse tragedies involving truly innocent people. Plus, it peeves me to no end that these illegals have largely trashed some of the most beautiful and exotic wildernesses in the U.S. So my sympathy is just not all that deep.

The photos are for the most part of lousy quality as well. Why it took carrying several cameras, as the author claims, to produce these pictures is beyond me.

Lastly the book is VERY short, with a ridiculously long appendix addressing every single death that has occurred in this area ... newsflash: no one is going to read that.

How could the editors have allowed a book like this to go to press? It's absolutely amateurish, despite being driven by sincere emotions.

Julie was about an Eskimo girl who got lost in the Alaskan tundra. Julie, the girl learned to live by wolf ways. She followed the wolves and they accepted her. Amaroq was the pack leader and Silver was his mate. Nails was Amaroq's best friend and Jello was the lowly puppy-sitter. Kapu, Sister, Zat, Zing, and Zan were the puppies. Amaroq got shot by a helicopter flier and died. Kapu was also shot but was nursed back to health by Julie. Julie then found her father, Kapugen (Kapu was named after Julie's father.) near by. Kapugen had stopped following the Eskimo traditions and married a gussak (white) woman. Julie was not at all thrilled about this. Then she saw flying goggles hanging in the house. Julie then realized that Kapugen had shot Amaroq. Julie learned how Kapugen had changed. Then, she found out how Kapugen had started an industry in musk oxen. The caribou which is sort of like a moose or deer is one of the most eaten animals on the tundra. The wolves also eat caribou. The caribou was not going through Kangilik, where Julie was now living or where Kapu and his pack were. The wolves were very hungry and needed food to live off of. What will Julie do to save the wolves?

This one, in my opinion, is a bit better than the first one. Since this one has more social interaction, it makes time seem to fly by much quicker. It also contains the same friendly wolves, which also makes it exciting for anyone who read Julie of the Wolves.

This book is very amazing, it is just as good as it's original, 'Julie of the wolves'. I really loved reading this book, and I'm sure you'll love it too, if you love animals. Don't waste your time on another 'tundra imitation' book, get Julie of the wolves, Julie, and Julie's wolf pack now!

This book is about a young girl living in Alaska, in the village of Kangik trying to get used to her new home. She hears that her father will kill her wolf pack if they kill another oxen. She then goes back out on the Tundra to find her pack and lead them to Caribou. This book is wonderful and teaches us about Eskimos and their traditions. It is a fantastic novel telling how one girl is so in touch with all other living things. If you love learning about other cultures or love Julie of the Wolves and want to see what happens next, then you have to read this amazing book!

Julie was a fabulous book. It begins when Julie pointed her boots toward Kaugen. In this book Julie now lives in Kangik. She also learns the true meaning of love. I think you will love reading this book. If you like adventure books, then here is one you will enjoy again and again.

I read my first William book by accident, second by choice and the third by snatching it from my brother's hands. William is the perfect example of what we don't want our younger brothers to be. Dirty and untidy with socks sagging and laces untied, an endless pit of a stomach, a fertile and highly improbable imagination and an inexplicable honesty, William is inexplicably endearing. A must read for all those who want to start liking their younger brothers.

I remember how much I enjoyed reading Richmal Crompton's William books as a child...and I enjoy it as much, if not more as an adult! Her hilarious plots center around a very clever, scruffy English school boy, whose adventures make readers of all ages laugh or cry from laughter. My children and I have become avid collectors of all William books, as I'm sure any reader will understand. I am ecstatic that my own children are also William enthusiasts--showing how inspite of generational and cultural differences, Richmal Crompton's books are timeless classics!

i just love william----who doesn't. everyone who know that scruffy 11 year old will say the same. when my aunt bought a set of these books i thought they were just another set describing the misadventures of a set of kids. and then i met william--i am indian-and my cildhood was entirely different from williams--but i wish it was more like his-through war and peace william learns to have fun-.all his adventures or misadventures leave u in stiches---be sure to read them :-)

Isn't it interesting how most of the people who have reviewed this book are from India, Mexico, Costa Rica etc. It seems that Western publishers don't want to publish anything that's over twenty years old. So the public must content itself with "waiting for the next Harry Potter". The only reason Harry Potter is more popular than Just William is because it is NEWER. Of course these days it's all about the fad, isn't it? Pretty soon all the good books I read as a child - Just William, the Jennings books, the Narnian series - will be out of print.

Are children's books the only victims of this deliberate amnesia? I might as well throw out the Beatles records and stock up on Boyzone and Ricky Martin since after all, new is better...

I am suprised that North America has missed such a classic. Even if it is very English, obviously India can appreciate it, so why not North America. I am fouteen and have been living in Canada for four years now, and have been reading my William books since I was much, much smaller. They are hilarious! Maybe if we write enough of these wistful reviews, someone will read thses books and decide to publish them in North America, too! (Hint)

A very deep map indeed, the second of Heat-Moon's three literary tours-de-force is the story of a county in Kansas. In his first excursion, the best-selling BLUE HIGHWAYS, the author reported on a ten thousand mile sojourn along the old Federal Highways (blue on most maps). PRAIRYERTH grew out of three years of hiking, conversation and archival research in Chase County, Kansas and the result is a living history of both the particular locale and the European invasion of the west. From Knute Rockne's death in a commercial plane crash to Sam Wood's murder to Native medicine, dream walking to newspaper accounts of life on the prairie, and fossils to legends to The Land Institute where Wes Jackson explores the looming demise of the liquid fuel era, this volume casts a wide net. Heat-Moon is clear eyed enough to see the facts and then see beyond the facts to the life between the lines of old courthouse documents and pioneer diaries. He is open to less tangible subtlety as well, admitting susceptibility to hunch, daydream or the message from another's Ouija board. He tells a tale of hawks, buffalo, cowboys and beef, notes the profound damage wrought on the American prairie by McBurger mania and the possibility of recovery in a place of vast flatness and endless wind and sky. He lunches with the dead in old cemeteries and stakes out to observe life in a dying town where nothing happens. There are midnight moonlight hikes and journalistic experiments, pertinent quotes by the truckload and poignant still lifes of moments of love and loss. Such a deep map makes for a long read, but well worth the effort as pieces click into place in later chapters and a pastiche emerges, a hologram in which you can walk between the hills and dip a cupful from a clear flowing spring.

In Blue Highways the inimitable William Least Heat Moon drove across the backroads of America. In River Horse this courageous, spiritually-venerable man floated in a barge across this nation's waterways. In Prairy Erth, he does his exploration mostly on foot. Confining himself to a microcosmic canvas, Least Heat Moon spends over 600-pages describing how he spent months delving into a single county in the heart of Kansas. Packed with maps of Chase County, its hills, waterways, roads and farmsteads, the author tells a sometimes dry but often rich story of one remote but improbably charming spot on planet earth. He meets many of the county's 3,000 residents, hears and tells of the folklore, the history, the textured layers to life in such a location. By the book's end an unknowingly begun spiritual journey reaches its conclusion, which is the way with all of William Least Heat Moon's writings. If you have the time to put into Prairy Erth, it is a compelling book that challenges the nature of individual outlook.

New to William Least Heat Moon, I wasn`t quite sure what to expect with Prairyerth. Having heard about the critical acclaim of Blue Highways, I thought a lesser known work would be the place to start. And I am glad I chose Praityerth.

With Prairyearth, William Least Heat Moon has dug down to the heart of a specific place, in this case, the Flint Hill country of Chase County, Kansas. Not unlike Thoreau`s Walden, Prairyerth is an exhaustive chronicle of one man`s journey to the bottom--historically, geologically and geographically speaking--of one particular and rather insignificant place in the American landscape. Prairyerth, like Walden, is impossible to lump into one clean-cut literary category. Neither pure history, nor pure geology, nor `storytelling` per say, it is rather a brilliant concoction of all three. It is, as the author pens it, a `deep map` of one tiny piece of the New World. And deep it is. Least Heat Moon delves into every square inch, every prehistoric layer of his subject. The result is a stirring and fascinating ride through the discovery, settling, exploitation and ultimate destruction of the American prairie. Half Native American himself, Least Heat Moon walks through the tall grass of the American Sea with much the same spirit of his ancestors. Here was not emptiness as thought the first Europeans, but rather a vast ocean of endless natural wealth. Home to the once vast bison herds, the tall-grassed hills of Chase County were once giant mountains of the Kansas range that were slowly worn down into the Flint Hills of today. Least Heat Moon follows the tracks of the Osage and the Kansa, `people of the wind,` who traversed this area long before Zebulon Pike and John Fremont made their tentative forays across the prairie towards more secure landscapes. The author vividly captures the reverence that the Osage and Kansa held for the `prairie.` Tracking down the stories of the few remaining pure-blood Kansa, Least Heat Moon paints a metaphor for what looms in the future for us, lest we ignore the lessons of the past. Not only does the author richly expose the layer of Native Americana within Chase County, but he does justice to the natural elements of the place as well. Some of the most fascinating parts of Prairyerth are the sections on two of the county`s most enduring denizens, the Osage Orange tree/bush and the Wood Rat, aka Pack/Trade Rat. Least Heat Moon has an ultra sharp eye for interesting detail and oddity and knows how to bring such things to life.

The structure of the work is as ambitious as it is groundbreaking. Every other chapter covers another quadrant of the county. Least Heat Moon spends most of his time analyzing the present inhabitants of the county, trying to distill the essence of `Kansasness.` He chats with the weathered old farmers and ranchers who`ve survived every tornado and flash flood over the last half-century and who entertain no thoughts on living anywhere else. Every voice in the county gets its chance. Feminist cattle ranchers give him the lowdown on castrating bulls, local high schoolers divulge their dreams and the regulars of the Emma Chase Cafe unload gossip unaware of who`s writing it all down. Kansasness, according to the author, is a baffling mix of progressive politics and constrictive convention. A place of often violent contrasts. Kansas was the first state born out of the fires of abolition, first to stimulate integration (Board of Education vs Topeka), yet the `n word` is still commonplace all over the county. The forefather of the county, Samuel Wood, was one of the most eloquent voices among the abolitionists, yet he stopped short of pushing for full integration. Kansas was a place where all people had freedom of opportunity (especially to better oneself economically), as long as everybody kept to his/her own. One of the first states to allow women`s suffrage, it was also one of the first to embrace Prohibition. It also kept its archaic and puritan sex laws on the books until the recent Supreme Court ruling overturned such laws.

In between his quadrant explorations of the county, Least Heat Moon has interspersed chapters comprised of nothing but various epigrams and short passages regarding the state. Coming from sources as disparate as Horace Greeley and Black Elk to graffiti found at the KU library, these chapters are some of the most entertaining and enriching of the book.

William Least Heat Moon is one of the greatest prose stylists I have ever encountered in modern American letters. His writing is rich with metaphor and digression, begging second and third readings of certain passages. While sometimes he expands profusely, Faulkner-like, for paragraphs, clarity is rarely forsaken. It just means reading carefully and slowly. Prairyerth is definitely a book that needs digesting. I took me almost six months to finally devour it up and when I did, I had the distinct feeling of having consumed something grand and very nutritious, albeit a bit heavy. In fact, those without persistent natures would best choose something else to read. Prairyerth is meat and potatoes and requires a lot of chewing. And perhaps that is where the work falls a tad short of its possible ancestor. Whereas one can open Thoreau`s Walden anywhere and revel in the beauty and wisdom (albeit often cryptic) found therein, Prairyerth is nothing if not taken in its entirety. Its just too dense, with too much stuff packed into its innards. In fact, a little editing could have helped the book. Some chapters are a bit superfluous and leaving them out would have only helped the work as a whole. Moreover, Least Heat Moon`s astute observations serve his examination of the natural world far better than they support his delving into the human realm. Somehow a lot of the `characters` of Chase County never fully come to life in Prairyerth. Rather, they seem two-dimensional and oddly trapped on the page. Yet, taken as a whole and for what it is, a grand archaeological and sociological dig through the layers of New World settlement, Prairyerth succeeds grandly. Never has one tiny and often ignored section of the American quilt come to life so vividly and richly as does Chase County, Kansas in Prairyerth. A place so seemingly devoid of life, is, in actuality, overflowing with the past, present and future. All you have to do is look,look carefully. The author himself says it best: `A traveler(who cannot even remotely detect the thousand-mile-an-hour spinning of the planet he rides through space at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, to say nothing of its solar and galactic movements and its precession) writes in his notebook, ~nothing is happening~. Man muses, God guffaws.` Next time you feel that nothing has ever happened or is happening now or will happen where you`re at, pick up Prairyerth and be amazed.

If only every county in the United States had as passionate and articulate a chronicler as William Least Heat-Moon.

I came to "PrairyErth" after having read and loved "Blue Highways." This tome--though longer and less expansive, geographically--possesses many of the qualities I admired in Heat-Moon's earlier work: the narrative tone (there's none of that stuffy, impersonal, third-person prose one finds in some travelogues; the author is himself part of the story), the occasional dips into philosophy and history; the candid interviews with "locals"; and the intense search for meaning in the most ordinary of places.

I have never been to Chase County, Kansas, but after spending a month or so accompanying Heat-Moon through the pages of his book, I feel as though I have. The book is subtitled "a deep map," and that is indeed what the author provides here. Square mile by square mile, the reader is introduced to the prairie, its topography and history, its residents and its wildlife. Heat-Moon correctly understands that the essence of a place is often best captured through anecdote and observation. There is nothing sweeping or grand about his narrative, and that's what makes "PrairyErth" such a delight. It's a detailed, intimate read; one almost has the feeling of looking over the author's shoulder (and back through history) as he ambles and rambles about the quadrangles of Chase County.

If there's one criticism I would offer, it's that Heat-Moon sometimes lapses into needless digressions about himself and the challenges he faced while writing the book. It struck me as a bit self-absorbed--as did the occasional Faulknerian stream-of-conscious, punctuationless prose. These stylistic excesses add little to what is otherwise a magnificent and fascinating travelogue.

If you want to experience Kansas, with its excruitatingly boring places that slowly creep up on you and leave you blissfully satisfied and in awe of beauty; if you're willing to read long passages of flat text just to discover the beauty of burning fields; I highly recommend PrairyErth.

I grew up in Kansas, about 2 hours from Chase county and was always facinated by the hills, the people, and just the auroa that came from Strong City and Cottonwood falls. After reading "PrairyErth" I am even more mesmorized by the locale.

I have been out of the state for 2 years now, and long to go back. Many friends have complained about the long drives through Kansas, the flat scenery, and boring people. PrairyErth brings to life these flat lands and opens up new worlds of community and life.

For me, reading Moon's book was much like experiencing life in Kansas. I did find some of the chapters long, dry, and dull.. but, that's how some Kansas life is. Moon always concludes these sections with a gorgeous snapshot of the land. He shows us what it is like to be in relationship with the land just as we are in relationship with one another.

He concludes the book with a beautiful journey down the Kaw Trail.
"How do you know when the Prairy is in you?"
"When you see a tree as an eyesore."

This book reflects the life experience of a woman of color who has shattered many glass ceilings and has paved the way for others to follow. Bordas now beckons us to join her in building the inclusive and multicultural society. Her view of leadership is the missing link. For too long, leadership has been dominated by a white, male orientation. Hooray! Now women and people of color can embrace their ways of leading and understand the power of their community-centered and socially responsible styles.

Juana Bordas provides a fresh perspective on leadership by weaving the traditions of Latino, African American and Native American's together in her book. Her progressive, forward thinking views offer tools for leading a new generation of young people with an appetite for integration and inclusion. This book provides guidance for the historic times we're living.

I have two children who are growing up in Denver, Colorado which is a multicultural city. We have been fortunate that our last 3 mayors have been White, Black and Latino. Our city council became a majority female in the nineties. Salsa, Soul and Spirit challenges us to not just invite women and people of color to the table- but to make sure we embrace diversity and utilize the gifts and assets they bring. The book provides the leadership tools we need to change the way we operate so that the values, experiences and history of all people are included in the way we operate everyday. Authentic diversity can't just be business as usual with different faces and races around the table! What a great example this helps to set for our children.

If only the wisdom in this book could be transferred to the minds of the leaders of our planet. Anyone who wishes to increase understanding and harmony should read this book and become inspired enough to start making some changes in the ways we relate to each other.

The story of a Latina finding her way and success in a non-diverse society coupled with insights into the "soul" of Latino, Black, and American Indian leaders. A must read for the leaders of tomorrow trying to bridge the gap between saying we are diverse and successfully reaching that goal.

Anyone with a background in Boy Scouting will love and appreciate this book. Oh my gosh, the memories that it brought back. I will definitely read this again.

A great read, very uplifting.
Captures the positive difference that Eagle Scouts and Boy Scouts create in our world.

A second class scout, I left Scouting at 16, became a father at 21, joined as an adult leader when my eldest of two sons turned 11. Two months later, the Scoutmaster announced at a Court of Honor that his job had gone away and I was taking over as Scoutmaster, and I was too surprised to say no. Steve came home from his first meeting and announced that he was going to be an Eagle Scout as soon as he could, and two years and 4 months later, his mother pinned his Eagle on his shirt, and I, as his Scoutmaster, MC'd his Eagle Court of Honor. His younger brother took a longer route, with more encouragement, and after I despaired of his ever getting there, he decided he also wanted the honor, and had his board of review the eve before his 18th birthday. I bought 3 copies of the book, after reading it, to give one each to my two Eagles, and one to the troop, which I still serve as a troop leader and counselor for several merit badges, in the hope that it will encourage several more boys to achieve. Years later, their Eagle awards opened doors for my sons, and in a way, I am still "paying thier dues".
As an adult leader, I have organised and led our sons and others to most of the high adventure bases, and many other high adventure trips, and as many of those quoted in the book, get more out of Scouting than I put in.

This is a priceless book for someone who is into scouting or who is an Eagle Scout. I bought this book for a family member who was extremely pleased. I would highly recommend purchasing this book!

Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts This is a great book for all Eagle Scouts, both new and old. Makes a great gift for a new Eagle. Solidifies the importance of the rank of Eagle latter in life. I bought two and gave them to knew Eagles. It was a great hit. Not likely to be a duplicate gift and something to refer back to as the scout gets older.

When this book first was published, the Hotel Technology department head inadvertently had the college library purchase this book for the department. When it arrived we laughed hysterically about it, and many times, I have laughed about it ever since.

Two years ago, I ordered a copy for the library where I am currently a Children's Librarian. It did not even make it to the "stacks", someone
liked it so much they "permanently borrowed" it.

If you need a good laugh...!

The 41st Century is full of mysteries. Like what happened to Ancient Yankees who lived in North America? Why did they die out and how did they live. One day a tomb, untouched, is found and it gives us a glimpse of what these Ancient Yankees were like in the 20th Century. Sacred items, musical instruments, and the sacred point will make you laugh and wonder how much of OUR knowledge is based on such conclusions?

Motel of the mysteries is a fun, easy read.
Everyday items are seen in the light of future archeologists, with interesting, funny and sometimes insightful interpretations. Good book to share with others.

My students are looking at ancient cultures and what a great book to start with. We learn about making inferences from observation and our own prior knowledge. This book is great on teaching this.

Absolutely enjoyable, all age readership done with genuine style and that utterly necessary dose of humor so lacking in our modern world. Motel of the Mysteries truly does show what happens when we, the "modern" researchers, imprint our beliefs and values on a prior culture. It is most definitely worth reading. I bought several copies for my friends.

BOUND FOR CANAAN should be required reading for every American! Every American! This is one of the most important books about our history and who we are and where we came from.

Bound for Canaan is a fascinating, engaging, book on the "Underground RR" written from primary sources. It describes in vivid, first hand detail the flight of slaves from the south and the changing attitudes of the northern and southern states on the slave issue from the 1820's to the eve of the civil war. Wonderful book.

I listened to the abridged audio version on CD and thoroughly enjoyed it. Read by the author, it is in interesting study that contains a number of riveting stories.

I have two minor complaints about this audio version. One is that the author's voice sometimes drops into a range that can be inaudible if you are listening in a vehicle with traffic noise around you. The other is that maps are not included in the CD set. Fortunately my public library had a copy of the book so that I was able to examine the maps and various illustrations. The maps were of interest to me since a couple of my great-great-grandfathers supposedly sheltered escaped slaves, one near the Ohio River and another in Philadelphia.

Overall, this is an enjoyable and inspiring book that raises questions about civil disobedience that we must ponder in order to understand the complexity of our history. I wholeheartedly recommend the audio version to those who like audiobooks. It is as exciting as an adventure novel, and you can supplement it with a hardcopy if you want.

Harriet Tubman was a great lady, and she did not simply help the slaves to freedom -- she helped move America to a better place. Growing up, whenever I heard or read of the Underground Railroad, Ms. Tubman's name came up again and again. This book expands the vision of the Undergound Railroad and shows it as a part of something much bigger in our history.

First, the book does discuss the railroad and how it works. The reader gets an idea of the perils involved and the logistics behind helping a slave to freedom. This was no easy task, and this books shows the reader not just how brave the conductors were, but how brave the "passengers" were.

Second, the book discusses the fortitude and determination of the different people who tried to make America better by fighting the injustices of slavery. We learn of the battles of the press as well as the battle of the gun. This was a dark time in our history, and the author does a good job in illuminating us to the various people that tried to illuminate their time.

Lastly, the book explains what else happened. In school, we learned that the Underground Railroad helped slaves to freedom. That was about it. There is more to the story, and the author explains this to us. We also see that just getting to the North didn't make things better. There were still things that needed to happen to help the slaves create their new life.

In all, I would highly recommend reading this book. It brings a much more enlightened perspective to this part of American history.

I really enjoyed this book, which fleshes out for the first time, based on significant new research, the numerous heroes and participants who risked their lives for freedom from slavery. A few insights in the book were new to me:

1. I had no idea how crippling and discriminatory the laws were against blacks who lived in "free states." Most of the time they could not vote, own property, needed affidavits in order to move or get a job, were subject to kidnapping by freelance slave catchers -- it was pretty horrible.

2. I did not realize the critical role that radical, truth-to-power religion, in particular but not exclusively the Quakers, played in ending the evil practice of slavery. These folks risked financial ruin, stonings, beatings, and criminal charges to put in practice their moral view -- based on their faith -- that slavery in all forms must end. They deserve our thanks and praise, and we should remember them as we are faced with current moral conflicts that call out for action based on our beliefs.

3. I found especially interesting the debates in Congress in the 1850s in support of the federal Fugitive Slave Act, and the justifications used by supporters of slavery to denigrate the abolitionists. Indeed, Mr. Bordewich makes the point that even in "free" states, a measure of your worth as a politician was how "tough" you were on abolitionists, in the same sense that today politicians are expected to be "tough" on communism.

But what was interesting to me was that slave supporters like Daniel Webster justified the practice based on the Bible (cherry picking quotes that supposedly support the practice); science (blacks were intellectually inferior and like animals who require our feeding and care); inalienable property rights (the slaves were chattel and were necessary in order for owners to make productive use of their land); and also anti-Europe prejudice (the abolitionists are getting all of their crazy ideas from Europe). These concepts are still being used today to justify social policies that may in the distant future seem equally morally bankrupt.

I did think, however, the book could have used a little editing. I found it a bit difficult to keep up with so many historical figures, and perhaps some of their activities could have been trimmed in the interests of narrative flow.

But in all, a highly readable book and a substantial step forward in terms of historical scholarship.

This book was nothing like I expected. I found it very unorganized. Tried to find a catarpillar I found in my yard, and it took forever, there was no simple way to find it without searching thru hundreds of pages. Didn't work for me.

I never knew there were so many different kinds of caterpillars. The book has wonder color pictures and great information on each species. One of my favorite moths is the hummingbird moth. I now know that its lava is a horn caterpillar, the kind I would automatically kill when found. Not any more!!
This book will be on my porch for quick reference every time I go into the garden.It is really great.

Caterpillars of Eastern North America is easily the best book on the subject in general publication today. It is an amazing book with incredible insights into the habits and lifecycle of this neglected stage in Lepidoptera metamorphosis. You will not be disappointed if you buy this fascinating guide.

A great book on ID of caterpillers!! I was able to find the IO Moth caterpiller with this book in hand. Very in depth info pack in this book. I would highly recommend this book, especially if one finds caterpillers they've never seen before, which was my case. Check out my photos!

With an ever increasing interest in butterflies I recently purchased an excellent book that had outstanding photos of butterflies.....but not of the caterpillars that produced the butterflies. This was a huge disappointment because very often you find the caterpillar but have no idea what it will grow up to be. Caterpillars of Eastern North America completes "the story". In addition to excellent close up photos of each species, the book supplies comprehensive information about the identification, foodplants, and occurrences in an easy to read format. Closing the circle, they provide a photo of the adult butterfly or moth. This is a must have for anyone interested in the life cycle of of these beautiful creatures.

I must say what a noble man. I just wish there was more about him. it was a beautiful story. one that should be read in every highschool along with sitting bulls bio, black elks six grandfather etc.

The 5 star reviews are right-on. When I first read "Crazy Horse" six years ago, I ranked it as one of my two favorite books ("Grapes of Wrath" being the other). One hundred books later and it still retains that ranking in my list, along with Grapes and, now, Katz's "Battleground" (a bullet-proof presentation of Jewish claims to Eretz Israel) and Fischer's "Paul Revere's Ride" (which brings that event to life brilliantly). Sandoz writes and retells magnificently. This is a great book.

I had never read Mari Sandoz so I can't compare this to her other books. The writing style is unique and pleasant. It is a very interesting, and unfortunately sad story about Indian life on the great plains. The book seems very well researched and therefore more interesting to read since it is about history. The Indians suffered strategically from a lack of organization, but their whole life style was about independence and in fact a much more pure form of democracy in selecting and de-selecting their leaders. In reading the story with regard to the lies and deceipt of the white men it reminded me that world politics and war is no different today than then. Crazy Horse had attributes that leaders should aspire to, he wanted to help his people and he was not vain about himself as leader. In the end he was tricked into surrender by his own people.

I thought it was one of the best books of Indian life and history that I have read.

Little is known about Crazy Horse in comparison to other legendary chiefs, warriors and heroes due to the quiet-spoken and solitude-seeking nature he possessed. Indeed, Crazy Horse was considered "strange" due to standing true to his ideals and who he really was, instead of the conventional ways of others no matter how traditional. Born of lighter hair and skin, young Curly stood out as different from the beginning of his days. Most humble and purely strong and good-hearted, Crazy Horse grew to be the truest and most brilliant leader of the Lakotas. Self-sacrificing even to the bitter end, Crazy Horse earned his place of honor as a hero to be respected.

Combining interview information of Eleanor Hinman with survivors who knew Crazy Horse, with Mari Sandoz's meticulous research, gives "Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of The Oglalas" clout in accuracy of detail and fact in the day and time of Crazy Horse. I very highly recommend this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and couldn't recommend it more. If you are a Native American history buff, or have any interest at all in the so-called Indian wars of the Great Plains, this book is a must-read. It is written in the vernacular of a Native American who speaks English tolerably well, and I believe this adds a great deal of character to the writing. The story of Crazy Horse's life is a sad one filled with the mistrust and back-stabbing deeds of his own people, along with the well known deeds committed by the American settlers and soldiers. Crazy Horse's ultimate downfall was aided by the restraining hands of his own people, as foretold by his vision. A sad ending to his life indeed, but Sandoz's re-telling provides a fascinating work of history. One word of advice to the reader: A much better understanding of the events that occur in this book can be had by "pre-reading" a good, concise history such as Indian Wars by Utley and Washburn.