Atlantic Monthly Books

This novel paints a realistic and believable portrait of Cook, his protege Bligh (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame), and the events of Captain Cook's final voyage. It is an interesting and rivetting read, and kept me up for a few nights. The conflict between Cook, the practical-minded captain, and the religious Bligh, is at the heart of the book, and the author takes no sides in the argument, allowing the reader to draw his/her own conclusions from the tragedy that ensues. I heartily recommend this novel to all who are interested in well-researched historical fiction.

Osborne's book is an excellent account of the first European expedition up the Mekong River, from Saigon into the Southwestern region of the Chinese empire. As it is based on official and unofficial records of the exploration, written by the actual members of the French team, the account is both vivid and accurate, and conveys so much of the hardship and heartache experienced by the Frenchmen and those who accompanied them. It is also a profound and readable introduction to the history of Southeast Asia, its relation to China, and its position as the centerpiece of a colonial competition for trade, conquest, and scientific discovery. Great book!

Seasons of the Angler includes short stories, essays and memoirs by many of our country's most celebrated writers. Stories cover numerous forms of angling, from fly fishing for selective trout and salmon in New England and the West to bait fishing for catfish in the Southwest. When this collection first came out in 1988, the NEW YORK TIMES called it "... the best fishing collection to appear in at least a decade." Said Tom Rosenbauer of the Orvis Company, "Seasons of the Angler is the best fishing anthology I've ever read..." Fly Rod and Reel's Silvio Calabi said, "Seasons of the Angler is a literary gin and tonic..." Authors included are: Tom McGuane, Jim Harrison, Charles Gaines, David Quammen, Bill Barich, Tom Williams, Vance Bourjaily, Russ Chatham, Richard Ford, Ray Carver, Rip Torn, Robert Traver, P. J. O'Rourke, Robert F. Jones and others.

Diane Darrow and Tom Maresca offer 200 recipes emphasizing fresh ingredients. Each seasonal section is organized by course and tempts with a variety of simple and complex flavors.

For fall, with summer produce is still available, there's macaroni with baked tomatoes, beets with balsamic vinegar, sweet and sour braised rabbit. Winter choices include comfort foods like Umbrian onion soup, Tuscan pot roast, grilled radicchio with anchovy mustard sauce.

Interspersed with the primarily traditional recipes are discussions of classic dishes like polenta or ingredients, like tomatoes. Every dish comes with wine recommendations.

I received a pre-publication copy of this book amongst six. Being in the US, I had never seen Lawton's work, so I picked it, and was immediately sucked into the time and place. Lawton's characters are human, well-developed and fascinating; his descriptions of setting and events at the time superb. Having a real affection for the UK, I was immediately drawn into the dialogs, at times with dictionary in hand. Be assured, I will read the rest - if I can find them here!

About the only way that we know about her nowadays is by visiting Maudslay State Park in Massachusetts. The drives and gardens there are what is left of what she did on the Maudesleigh estate in Newburyport for Frederick A Moseley. And yet Martha Brookes Hutcheson was among the first women students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one of three women given fellowship early on in the picky American Society of Landscape Architects. Fortunately, her one, excellent, very readable book is still around also. Probably that is because of her beautiful notion that people feel connected to their buildings and land by way of THE SPIRIT OF THE GARDEN. That spirit basically meant seeing the garden, never a greenhouse, as an outdoor room of the house. It also meant being the first to call for growing local, native plants. In spelling this and more all out, she might also have been the first to use before and after pictures!

The Deer Hunter's Almanac was a very informative book about deer hunting. Sid Evans thought of just about everything in this book. This book is mainly geared to rifle hunters but there is a chapter on bowhunting. I learned so much that I want to read this book another time before next years hunting season. I think the information presented to me will improve my chances of bagging a trophy deer. If you are looking for an all in one deer hunting book, then this book is for you

These autobiographical essays describe two worlds, two different times and parts of Jacobson's life. The first is his early years growing up in Kimberly , South Africa. The second are the first years of his life in London. The first set of essays are rich in characters, family, neighbors, school- acquaintances, teachers. I found particularly striking Jacobson's story of an incident where he was treated cruelly by a teacher and the 'bulls' of his class. In this incident Jacobson gives a riveting description of the effect of such intimidation on the soul of the boycotted child. In another powerful essay he writes of an immigrant Jewish South African who unusually takes an Afrikaaner( as opposed to 'English') identity and who later upon sensing with the Cuban invasion of Angola that the Communists are about to destroy his Afrikaaner world , takes his own life.
After South Africa Jacobson finds London to be a spacious land of incredible variety and liberation. He describes here key encounters, including one with the famed critic F.R. Leavis, and tells us how an incidental meeting leads to a dramatic change in his life, his meeting with his future wife.
In the last chapters of the book he focuses on his uncle's and his father's last years. He also writes on a spell of his own as a patient.
There is a sense , an underlying tone of gloom in these pages. But Jacobson is a serious, strong, insightful writer whose work is well- worth reading.

An amazing book. DeMott's books about race and class really opened my eyes... highly recommended

I have been fishing for trout for over 30 years and I learn something new from this book every time I pick it up. It is not a sit down and read through book but is more of a referance book which is also a good read. It quotes many noteable authors who were also fishermen. Entertaining information which you can apply to the stream. Covers all types of trout fishing. Buy it, if you like to trout fish or are thinking of trying trout fishing.