District of Columbia Books

i loved this book--i had the good fortune to find it in the national gallery bookstore while in washington DC and read most of it before i left the city. it is a fascinating story that has been explicated in extreme detail by berg. l'enfant was incredible--a big dreamer with the connections to get much (but not all) done. my only complaint, and it is a petty one, is that the book is overwritten. berg has much to say and a vast vocabulary in which to say it, but too often he uses 40 words when 10 will do. it made the journey a bit taxing; a bit of editing and trimming would easily make this a 5 star book. very interesting tale--if you have the time and inclination to learn about the origins of washington DC and about late 18th century history, definitely read this book.

Nowadays, most of us would assume some (and I stress, some) people may turn up their noses to interracial couplings or encourage their children not to partake of it, Little would most of us realize that the government and various police departments were actively engaged in keeping people of different races from getting sexually or romantically involved with each other. Well, just like now, the couple that reaps the greatest wrath is that of a black man and a white woman. Here, Dr. Mumford shows that in the 1920s, demarcated areas of large cities became places where the races mixed surreptitiously, just as others would drink alcohol during Prohibition or engage in any other stigmatized practice.

I enjoyed hearing of my hometown of Chicago in the same breath as New York City. Usually, academics focus on the latter and forget the former. This book was a breath of fresh air which reminded me that there was a long period when Chi-Town was the Second City. Dr. Mumford states that other cities, such as Cleveland and Detroit, had interzones. Graduate students in those localities may want to use this book to write their own specific research in this area.

Even though this book covers sexual activities, it is far from sexy and that will disappoint many. This text does not give juicy accounts of people from 100 years ago talking about their own interracial sex lives. Instead, it is filled with quotes from police investigators discussing this activity. If you got a kick out of seeing the film "Mandingo" or reading about Malcolm Little's exploits "across the color line," you will find nothing that titillating here.

Dr. Mumford asserts that anti-vice advocates suppressed white prostitution and thus prostitution became a whiteman-blackwoman activity. This is not surprising since this sexual coupling was common before the Emancipation Proclamation. However, there are many racist people that would not hold company with blacks. Dr. Mumford suggests that white clients were more than happy to contract black prostitutes, but I imagine that in the pre-Civil Rights era, many clients would have said, "If I can't get a white woman, then I don't want anybody at all." Dr. Mumford mentions that the Cotton Club had black entertainers and white audiences, but refused to allow black audiences inside. I wonder if the same dynamic happened in these interzones. Did white men go to brothels in black neighborhoods, but still in pursuit of white sex workers?

Dr. Mumford actually discuss venues where Asian men danced with white women before talking of black-white couplings. Thus, he breaks the black-white binary that many Latino and Asian academics lament. However, he never mentions whether these brideless Asian men could have or tried to connect with African-American women. Other academics have noted that in California Asian Indian men married Mexicanas when their were no Asian women around to marry. Did the same thing happen in Chicago and NYC? Why does the author ignore the potential dynamic between groups of color?

Dr. Mumford states that he is biracial and wants this book to be a source of strength for other biracial persons in America. While an admirable goal, I highly doubt this book would make biracial readers happy because it says nothing about happy mixed couples raising children with positive identities in a supportive community. This book was all about authorities trying to break up mixed couples and mixed couples usually getting together for X-rated activities or failing to be allowed to marry. While we grow from learning the tragedies of the past, reading of that past can be a bitter pill to swallow.

Dr. Mumford includes a chapter on gay dynamics in these interzones. Gay studies enthusiasts may really want to peep this chapter. Dr. Mumford cites John D'Emilio, Jeffrey Weeks, and other gay studies experts. It truly shows how their founding work has influenced many aspects of the study of sexuality. Still, I found the gay chapter to be a bit cluttered.

The back cover states that Dr. Mumford is an independent scholar who lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Any college should jump at the chance to hire this author, especially UW at Madison, given it lack of racial diversity and its controversies surrounding it. They would be foolish not to hire him for a tenure-track position immediately. In fact, any college in or around New York City or Chicago would greatly benefit by having such a rigorous and promising scholar in their history department. A guy this sharp who can write a book this strong should not be just floating out in the wind.

Dr. Mumford's book mostly move chronologically, then, near the end of the book, he mentions "Birth of a Nation," a film made in 1915, not the Roaring Twenties. This non-linear move doesn't make sense. I also thought the conclusory chapter was irrelevant. Dr. Mumford moves from police reports to theater to more police reports to a film. This vacillating between life and art may bother some readers, especially hardcore historians. However, since I think art influences life and culture heavily, I did not have a problem with it.

Great book about the history of the Marine Corps Marathon, "The People's Marathon."
I had a chance to meet George Banker at the 2007 Marine Corps Marathon.

Recommended for all who have run this great Marathon.

As a lifelong 'Skins fan, it was great to hear stories from the "glory days" and hear stories about Riggins, Gibbs, Theismann and the rest. In addition, some stories are real eye-openers (the section where he discusses answering the phones on the sidelines and what he had to do surprised me), while others are just hilarious (Riggo figures prominently, surprise surprise). As a huge fan, I am glad I bought it, although its length was a little disappointing - it was a FAST read, and I for one could have used a few more stories, which is the only reason why I did not give it five stars.

I moved to DC because of the music, plain and simple. And this is a wonderful reminder of how great it was to be in a community of incredible creative people who were also passionate about politics and social change.

I give it two stars for a great concept but I have a few issues with it since it is suppose to be non-fiction. The 1st being that someone I know was was misquoted in it which makes me wonder how many other people people were misquoted as well. Also I would disagree with some the character descriptions and affiliations given to a few of the people.

It's a great book but you aren't into the bands and curious about the scene at that time then you will probably be pretty bored.

I loved reading this book. I even saw some of my good friends past and present in here. A must have for the DC Hardcore fan, what a great birthday present I give it 6 stars!

I suspect most people bought this book just because it is about Dischord and the DC scene, and we like the idea of a cool looking book format about the scene. But this book is, overall, a letdown.

Like the author himself, this book is a bit of a bore that seems to glorify certain things without driving a sense of vitality at all. The details can be cool but often times are tedious and painful to read. Let's face it-- no one from outside the scene would find this book tolerable at all.

I am not going to debate what bands were/weren't included. I just found the book to be long and, ultimately, slightly a downer. Disappointing. Steal it from a friend then give it back-- you'll see.

Small enough to carry along while schlepping, but not detailed enough to serve as a tourists guide on its own. Funny facts about sites, but is this enough to carry this book?

I've always enjoyed walking through the nation's capital, so
I was intrigued by the premise of WASHINGTON SCHLEPPED
HERE--written and read by Christopher Buckley.

It is a walking tour of Washington, DC, by an insider who has both
lived and worked there for some 20 years . . . ordinarily, I'm not a
big fan of such books, but I had fun with this one and only regret
that I was listening to it when driving to work in Pennsylvania . . . it
would have been so much meaningful to have it in hand when actually
taking the tours that the author describes.

Buckley interjects lots of humor into what ordinarily could be a dull
topic; however, he also gives mini-history lessons that taught
me things about the city that I never knew . . . though he also
presents information about the Arlington National Cemetery,
which isn't even Washington, I enjoyed that part perhaps the
most because of his mention of the fact that Allard
Lowenstein (my all-time favorite politician) is buried there.

"Washington Schlepped Here" is a better then average spoken tour of our nation's capital. Drawing on his experience as a former Washingtonian, Reagan administration bureaucrat and novelist, Buckley gives the listener a quirky tour of many of the special places in D.C. The author's emphasis on the Lincoln assassination sites alone makes this CD a great addition to anyones collection. I expected this book to be cynical and demeaning to various figures from Washington's past. However, Mr. Buckley delivers a city filled with honor, courage and sacrifice. The spoken CD therefore balances idealism with a healthy dose of skepticism. Although it is supposed to be used in conjunction with a tour of Washington, it can be listened to without traveling through D.C. Overall, a compelling, albeit short, tour of many interesting places in and around our capital.

I have not read anything by Christopher Buckley before, but I am, as of this book, a fan. Buckley offers a light-hearted romp through Washington, D.C. He's quite witty and a great writer. I also think he does a fine job of passing on some interesting tid-bits of information. It's kind of like a right-wing version of Vowell's "Assasination Vacation." She has more information, but Buckley is funnier.

I am neither ardent Republican nor Democrat. But, I am an ardent Christopher Buckley fan. I've read most of his books and find him to be unfailingly witty and insightful. And, if you've ever seen him doing his schtick in person, you'd realize that he doesn't take himself that seriously.

So, if you scrutinize this book looking for evidence of partisanship, you're surely going to find it. But consider the way Buckley presents it: screaming across the room to get Dick Cheney's attention, he is self-aware enough to acknowledge that his behavior is a source of embarrassment to his children. And as for those who might criticize his penchant for name-dropping, consider the following passage:

"For two years I had a White House pass that allowed me everywhere except, of course, the second-floor residence. One time, hearing that Jimmy Cagney was about to get the Medal of Freedom in the East Room - where Abigail Adams hung her wash out to dry, where Lincoln's body lay in state, and where I once sat behind Dynasty star Joan Collins while she and husband number four (I think it was) spelunked in each other's mouths with their tongues while Andy Williams crooned 'Moon River' - I rushed over from the Old Executive Office Building just in time to see President Reagan pin it on the man who had tapped out 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' and was now a sad, crumpled, speechless figure in a wheelchair. I remember Reagan putting his hand on Cagney's shoulder and saying how generous he had been 'many years ago to a young contract player on the Warner Brothers lot.'"

That's typical of the book and of Christopher Buckley's personal style. Just the right combination of name-dropping, humor and reverence. He's silly when can be, and respectful when he needs to be. His 'Washington Schlepped Here' demonstrates a child-like enthusiasm for museums, an insatiable willingness to learn from Park Rangers and other tour guides, and a respectful reverence for George Washington and (especially) Abraham Lincoln.

And despite growing up in a family where Franklin Roosevelt was known only as 'that man,' he pays tribute to the enormity of FDR's achievements when visiting both the FDR Memorial and the Holocaust Museum.

For Christopher Buckley fans and newcomers alike, this book is a great read.

I would strongly recommend you look at other guides to Washington D.C. as Frommer's Washington D.C. with Kids was not helpful and actually was a hindrance. This book gave us misinformation and was completely out of date. I will just share two of our experiences from our first days in D.C. we disregarded the book and relied on our concierge from then on...

The Zoo: Frommer's emphatically advised to get there early (it 'opens' at 6:00) and that you should stop first at the information kiosk to get a map and the daily schedule for feedings etc. They also stated that the Animal Crackers Cafe was open for breakfast. Well, we got there about 8:00 and NOTHING is open until 10:00....not the information kiosk (so we were without maps or schedules and the place is huge), most of the animals were inside the buildings which were closed until 10, none of the cafes were open for anything to eat or drink until 10. What you WILL see before 10 is zoo employees driving trucks and golf carts around setting things up and watering plants. By 10:30 when the elephants were scheduled for their bath my husband announced that he didn't care if the elephants were going to do the cha-cha, he already done enought walking and was ready to leave. Also Frommer's should have noted that the Metro is a pretty long walk to and from the zoo.

The most blatant example of out-of-date information...The National Geographic Museum: Pages 191 and 192 must be from the 1998 guidebook because the permanent displays, interactive exibits, and videos the book describes have been gone (we inquired) for 9 years. No volcanoes videos, no touch and play mammals kiosk, no tornado to 'feel', no flying dinosaur, no orbital flight, no global access video games that "your kids will have to drag you away from", etc. What was displayed while we were there was China and it was good but not at all resemble what we had anticipated based on Frommer's description.

Save yourself $17 and a lot of aggravation and don't buy this guidebook. We are headed to North Carolina and I'll look at Fodors or Michelin.

This book was a tremendous asset in planning our family's first ever D.C. trip. This was our first real encounter with big city transportation and I felt really sorry for those families who were lined up at the Metro ticket machines trying to decipher them. Also some really great hints for "cheap eats"(Union Station has something for everyone & won't break the bank),beating the heat, and sight-seeing options when the "big attractions" were impossible to get to. This guide was invaluable in planning our days with children who range in age from 7 -16. Purchased Fodor's Around Washington, D.C. with Kids (Around the City with Kids)which was simple for my children to read and enjoy. Using the Fodor's book in conjunction with this Frommer's my family spent many enjoyable evenings over 4 months planning our trip.

I found this book to be very helpful and complete. The humor and affection that the author shows for the area and kids in general was very welcome departure from the otherwise stuffy travel guides I'm used to reading. I found her insights about timing visits, local restaurants to check out, and walking tours to be very handy. Reading her guide was like getting advice from a helpful Mom. It's sold me on the Frommer Kids series, and I'm looking forward to using them on my next trip!

I have four editions of this book and I would not consider going to DC without it. It is worth the investment to make sure that you are getting the latest and greatest information. I have NEVER had a problem with the information if the edition is current. A quick flip through the sixth and eighth editions shows how much info has been updated, plus almost every listing provides a web address (in addition to all the other contact information) so you can get more detailed information if you desire.

When we are in DC, this book stays in my backpack at all times. The maps are clear and conscise, and the authors helpful hints have saved us a lot of time. I have all the info from the washington.org and AAA and just about everything that it covered in scores of brochures and booklets is in this book. It truly is the only book you need!

This book is an excellent guide for things to do in the D.C. area with kids. We live in D.C. and were looking for new things to do, especially with our 3 year old in mind. We bought the book and learned about exciting locations and activites that we never knew about. For example the Doll and Toy Museum, Naval Observatory and Amazonia exhibit at the National Zoo.

The restaurant and dining guides though are way off, the do not include the best food (including child friendly) nor convenient, fun and affordable hotels, infact they recommend some of the worst! Of course we've gained this knowledge from living here for 6 years, still would expect better form a guidebook...for food dining and hotels I'd recommend Lonely Planet's guide to D.C. area.

Only other downer was driving to the Childrens Museum only to find it was closed until 2009. Still I have the 6th edition and the 7th edition hopefully is updated with this info.

I bought this book for my mom and thought I would do a quick read of it. I've been to Washington DC four or five times. This book has some interesting things in it if you have never traveled before. Like it talks about how to get a decent deal on a flight, rental car or train. It also explains what the Metro and the Metrobus is. It has a good selection of hotels and restaurants. I think the thing I was most disappointed about though was the reviews on the attractions. I was expecting more in-depth insights and coverages of the museums and other sites around Washington. Not paragraph blurbs. It was kinda sad and it definitely lowered the ranking for this book. I would recommend this book as a quick read in the bookstore or a library checkout book.

I guess this book is useful if you want to know such insightful things as it gets hot in the summer in Washington DC and kids are not in school, or, that it gets very cold in the winter (imagine that). Other gems include that you can take a cab from the airport to your hotel, and to wear comfortable shoes if you plan to do a lot of walking. I picked this up before a trip to the nation's capitol, and was underwhelmed with the information. Luckily one of my buddies had a different much more comprehensive guide to the Washington DC, so we opted to use that.

I've read through several Washington DC. travel guides, and this one was, by far, the worst. It's very far from comprehensive, and spent far too much time on things like "How to get to Washington, DC", and very little time talking about hotels (a negligently small listing), restaurants and nightlife (a few paragraphs). Book is black and white with no color photos, no color maps (so no different colors for each of the metro lines), actually very little in the way of maps, and no photos to speak of either. Poor. Frommers Washington DC guide is a far better investment. Even Fodors is better. Possibly the weekend section of the Washington Post would be more useful than this paperweight.

My family just returned from a wonderful trip to DC. As a mom who always researches our trips, I have bought a lot of books that help give info and advice on what to do and see on trips. This was one of the better ones I saw in the stores on DC. After purchasing it and reading through it, I found that the info was acurate and up to date. It gave a lot of tips that I wouldn't have known any other way. It saved us time and money. It was also a neat way to share info with my kids while we were at different monuments that didn't have tour guides available. I am a fan of the "Dummies" books!

I'm the editor of this book (and hired Tom Price to write it) so I know it VERY well. Mr. Price is a longtime DC resident, and welcomes the reader into his home town in a way that is both informative and funny.

Price covers a lot of ground in a book that's not a long slog: he hits the high points like the new Spy Museum, compiles lists of attractons for people who love museums, architecture, the outdoors, and gives the pros and cons of visiting our nation's capital in each season.

DC is a momumental city, and it can be daunting to fit it into a short visit, but you CAN make the most of your time there with Price's expert guidance.

This book is so helpful for folks like us who are moving to DC shortly that my wife said "hands off", she was keeping this copy and that I should buy my own! Enough said...

The NTF series of guide books is terrific. It has absolutely everything you need and my friend who now lives in D.C. loves it.

I live in New York, and am a committed fan of NFT's NY edition. I still carry it everywhere, and I lend my older copy to visiting friends. That said, the Washington D.C. version seems amateurish by comparison. First of all, it's huge. It's the size of a DVD case, and thicker. It will not fit in your coat pocket. Second, the text written about various locations can read like bad blog-posts by some people who really hate DC, dripping with facile, simplistic sarcasm and snark. It can get a bit hard to read. It looks as if NFT's editors or marketing team decided to emphasize "attitude" in its DC edition, rather than the intelligent presentation and informed guidance that made the NY edition so great. On the upside, the maps' format and presentation are as clear and useful as ever, and are certainly better than the maps of most other guides.

I can only speak for the Silver Spring section of the book, as that is area I live and am intimately familiar with it. But if it is any indication of the quality of the rest of the book, beware!

The book contains listings of many companies and stores that have been closed for 5+ years, the map included is at least seven years old (many roads have been removed to make way for larger buildings), and many stores, bars and clubs have opened in the past five years that are not listed. The book fails to mention a shopping mall in the shopping section. Also, it lists Gold's Gym twice with the same address, and places Tastee Diner at the wrong location on the map (the location it was moved from about 7 years ago), even though the correct address is supplied. The text tells drinkers to be aware that bars in Silver Spring are few and far between, but many new bars and restaurants have opened up in the past several years that the editors are obviously unaware of. While Silver Spring has not become an Adams Morgan, there is certainly some good nightlife: Jackie's, McGinty's, Galaxy, Gallery, Piratz.

If the book was a 1999 or 2000 edition, it would be acceptable, but too much has changed recently for this book to be considered a valuable guide.

I bought this book so we could plan for our first trip to DC this summer. I have a ten year old son. I have really enjoyed this book. It lets me know what thing he will like and possibly dislike. It has been helpful as there is so much to do and we only have 4 days. We want to make the most of our visit and this is letting us do that by helping us choose the best things for us to do.

I bought this new book because it was the most recently published and sounded great. It is not great for a number of reasons. First, it is heavily weighted toward trips with tweens and teens rather than younger children. I was planning a trip with children 6-8 years old. Most of the recommended places are recommended for tweens and teens. In fact, had I not known better from friends, I would have skipped the International Spy Museum altogether, because the guide recommends it for "older tweens and teens" and makes it sound beyond the understanding of a younger child. Having now been to the museum, I can see that tweens would be able to take advantage of many things they have there that younger kids can't really do, but it is a GREAT spot for younger kids. There is PLENTY there that they can enjoy. It is very fun for the whole family, actually, and was my husband's favorite spot we visited.
Another reason the book is not great is that it includes paragraphs on virtually every page of "Smart Stuff" for kids (mainly addressed to tweens and teens again), which is little tidbits of info or quizes that may be interesting. I think that may be helpful for a family with super bored kids or a family that is super boring and cannot otherwise provide information to their children, but it is (a) mostly for older kids, (b)not all that interesting, (c) really bulks up the book to the point that it's a pain to carry around with you and (d) apparently takes up so much space that important basic information is omitted.
This leads me to my next complaint: When planning our visit to the Air and Space Museum, I consulted the book. It gives very little information but says that the museum is so large that you need to plan your visit in advance because you simply cannot see it all in one day. Hello!!!!! That's why I bought this guide book - - to plan my visit! The entry on Air and Space doesn't even list all the galleries/exhibits in the museum or highlight the "greatest hits". They could have done that in two short paragraphs, and that would have been the most useful information. Instead, they include more "Smart Stuff" and a list of kids books to supplement learning on the subject. Great to have that, but not at the expense of the information I need to actually plan a visit to the museum.
In sum, this book frustrated me. It was somewhat helpful, yes, but unless you are going with older kids or have taken your kids before, it's not exactly what you need. I'm not sure there is a better guide that is up to date, but this one needs major improvement.