By Region Books

This old book, originally published in 1947, investigates the legends of Brazil, Peru with a little bit on Haiti. Author Harold Wilkins didn't have much patience with academic archaeologists and with those who claimed that civilization began no earlier than 5000 BC. According to ancient Indian traditions, civilization in South America dates back to antiquity to the time before the moon (the "evil planet") arrived to orbit the earth and when the position of the planet Venus was different to how it is now, and before an ancient catastrophe that caused massive upheavals that can be seen now in Peru, e.g. ancient seaweed on the shores of Lake Titicaca (12500 feet above sea level!). Topics covered include missionary men in black, extensive subterranean tunnels and legends associated with these, jungle lights that never go out, the mysterious fate of Col Percy Fawcett and tales of 18th century treasure hunters who returned starving hungry, but with incredible tales to tell of magnificent, abandoned lost cities. I'm looking forward to reading Mr Wilkins' sequel, Secret Cities of Old South America. This reprint doesn't include the index and bibliography of the original, nor a treasure map that Wilkins said is in the end paper, so if a cheap copy of the original edition is available I would recommend that instead.

I have long been fascinated by the stories of the exploration of the Arctic and the search for the Northwest Passage. I have read many accounts and have been enthralled by them all. This account, though, is different. Instead of being a narrative of the acts of others, it is a reprint of original letters and journals from the explorers themselves. This provided a new and valuable insight into the brave men who made these journeys.

Farley Mowat Introduces each example with a bit of background but then lets the words of the explorers speak for themselves. He usually finishes with a bit of summary. The choices are not always the most famous or the best known and they are all the more valuable for that. It is well worth reading.

I personally found the narratives written by other writers to be more engrossing and interesting in their presentations but reading from the originals has been valuable.

Anyone interested in the history of Vikings and Norsemen should read this book.It kept me reading long into the night.The action sequences were well written and it goes without saying that it should be read before veiwing the movie.If you enjoyed 'Eaters of the Dead' by Michael Crichton you will enjoy this.

Pilgrims badges were big business in the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. As it has always been people's tendency to adopt a "holier than thou" attitude, and the purchase of a badge or pin that would show that you had visited some shrine or other fulfills that need perfectly. This book is an excellent reference on these badges, with many plates and detailed descriptions.

Buy this book...it can't hurt you to know something about these.

I love Hess's Safari Animals. This book is similar, but not nearly as visually interesting to me. FYI... this version does not have the poems -- just the names of the animal. The front and back pages have panoramic views of the arctic, with the animals interspersed throughout. My advice: buy Safari Animals (Animal Verse) first.

An extremely good high-level narrative overview of the subject. This is primarily about the North Sea and Baltic Ocean, with some short side trips into Russia, England, Ireland and the Lowlands, but with the pivot in north-central Europe. Not many people knew how to write during this period, and relatively little of what was recorded has survived the passage of time, but what this book lacks in original documentation is well made up for in neatly summarized archeological findings. One of the interesting facets is how technology was developed to handle the sometimes bulky and growing list of goods being exchanged over remarkably long distances, without benefit of radar or GPS or even maps. The Hanseatic League is covered in some detail, perhaps because its written records cover a long period of time. And the pirates are reviewed, not for the first time as instruments of political policy, along with their ends when they no longer suited their supporters. There are several things that seem remarkable about all of this activity. The first is the creative human impulse to trade, for barter before the Commercial Revolution, and for account afterwards. Another is the sheer size of this activity, when the population density was very small. And, perhaps the most remarkable, this kind of activity must have been taking place around the world. The bibliography is extensive for those who would want to delve deeper. This is an easy and enjoyable read, a tribute to both the author and the translator.

Though slightly dated, this book is a fun general history of archaeology. It reminds me of the Ceram book Gods, Graves and Scholars which I read as a child and which gave me my first exposure to a life long interest. This book is more in depth than the Ceram book and covers a wider number of countries in which archaeological discoveries have been made.

Many American literature textbooks cover the topic of Transcendentalism with selections from just Emerson and Thoreau. Why they don't include some of the essays of Margaret Fuller is a mystery, especially in our current age of political correctness and emphasis on diversity. She provides a woman's opinion of life in general and of the landscape and people of the Midwest in particular in this, her first published book.


_Summer on the Lakes, in 1843_ is first and foremost a travelogue of Fuller's tour of the Midwest, and we follow her to Chicago and Milwaukee and into rural Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Her trip not only predates her friends' visits to the same area (Emerson first came through by stagecoach in 1850, and Thoreau took the train in 1861) but it also offers more observations about the people and the living conditions out on the prairie. Fuller had more time to spend roaming and adventuring, and she seems to have been more interested in the local culture than the men later were. (Or perhaps Emerson and Thoreau figured that Margaret Fuller had already provided the world with descriptions of the region, so they need not bother.) Midwestern readers should particularly enjoy the historic look at familiar landscapes, written at a time when white settlements were just beginning to congeal and take hold.


Secondarily, Fuller focuses much of her writing on the plight of American Indians and also of women in general. She had read a great deal about the native people and seems disappointed to find that most of the Black Hawk War survivors had already moved west by the time of her visit. She also points a critical eye to the fate of the members of her gender who were helping to eke out a living on the prairie: "The great drawback upon the lives of these settlers, at present, is the unfitness of the women for their new lot." ... All domestic labor "must often be performed, sick or well, by the mother and daughters, to whom a city education has imparted neither the strength nor skill now demanded." (p. 38) And yet, many of the people she meets seem to be happy; and while life is hard and without most amenities, entertainment (even the occasional piano!) and merriment can abound.


The narrative tends to languish when Fuller digresses into long-winded stories of the plights of specific women she either knew personally or heard about second- or even thirdhand. While these plot interruptions get tedious to the casual reader, they are further glimpses of feminine life in the early 19th century. Seen in that light, they can provide interesting diversions to the travelogue.


Original illustrations by Fuller's traveling companion, Sarah Ann Clarke (sister of James Freeman Clarke) augment the text. This edition's introduction by Susan Belasco Smith helps to bring perspective to the trip and the writing. Recommended especially for residents of northern Illinois and to anyone interested in Midwestern history, transcendentalism, or women's studies. [This reviewer was an Illinois resident when these comments were written.]

A few years ago I wanted to start doing more in my bike riding than just going to & from work & the store so was pleasantly suprised to find this dandy little book on the shelf where I work.

This book covers over 30 routes in 6 counties, & has plenty of maps.

You want mountanous routes? you got it!

You want hilly, flat, or a combo? you got it!

There are city routes & country routes (with some of these now part of the suburbs themselves after all these years.

Each route has a regular map & a topographical map, & turn by turn directions as well.

A calorie counter for each ride, a listing of the distance each step of the way, & how long it takes to ride at various speeds is also included

The only flaws in the book are not its fault.

It is 8 years old, so comparing the routes to a current Thomas Brothers Map is a must just to be sure there are no changes to the routes & terrain that you need to be aware of.

All sorts of resource info, some of which may have outdated addresses & phone numbers, is also included in the front & back of the book.

All in all, well worth the price of admission.

This book has a wonderful review and information about plants in the Missouri River Region of the United States, and a bunch of information as to how some of the tribes in the local area used them traditionally. My only beef with the book is that the authors did not do another one for at least one other region of the US - wish they would!