North America Books

Yahoooo! Finally, the last book in the Lyon Saga series is out! It's been a long wait but well worth it. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this final story, completing the events of Jess's life from that of a fourteen year old to a mature woman with three grown children.

Oh yes, sending them from Croatoan Island made me very sad but it was the only thing she could do, and it continues the saga to its logical conclusion. Known facts are cleverly interwoven within the story. It is so believable, you can almost imagine you're there, meeting Robert Ashbury again and his carping wife, falling in love with Walter Ashbury, riding the outskirts of the settlement with Suzanne and Walter, breaking your heart over George, who longs to return to Croatoan. And learning what has happened over the past 25 years to Jess, her Akaiyan and all her dear friends.

My one and only complaint - why does it have to end!!!!! Come on, M. L. Stainer, write another story, please.

The Lyon's Crown is the last book in the Lyon Saga series. The story of Jess Archarde and her family rivals that of any new explorers. Their story should be made into a movie for all to see. The bravery of crossing the mighty Atlantic Ocean, establishing a colony from nothing, watching hostile Indians creep closer and closer to their encampment and finally, finding themselves abandoned is certainly the stuff movies are made of.
This is a brilliant series following Jess through 25 years, from age 14 to age 39 with children of her own. In The Lyon's Crown she is forced to send her children north from Croatoan Island, which has been her home for all those years. The story is told from Suzanne's point of view, her daughter and heir to her journals. In these pages are recorded Jess's life story. They are befriended by Robert Ashbury, Jess's one-time suitor for her hand. In extending sanctuary to her children, it is obvious that he still loves Jess. But his shrewish wife makes it difficult for all. Eventually they have to move northward to Jamestown, establishing a new life for themselves in a harsh, unforgiving country.
Little is known of these "lost colonists" and M. L. Stainer has done a remarkable job in bringing them to life. Her understanding of the Native-American culture is nothing short of extraordinary. I did not want the series to end with this last book. That is praise enough! Movie makers, producers, come on and read this series. It should be brought to the world!

"The Lyon's Crown" is the much anticipated final book in The Lyon Saga series. The series covers 25 years in the earliest American history and the lost colony of Roanoke Island. "The Lyon's Crown" completes the tale in the year 1612 and explores how things might have been for those who left Croatoan Island for the settlements of Jamestown and Henrico.

Throughout the series readers have enjoyed the historical fiction that is Jessabel Archarde's life. From her trip across the ocean from England as a 14-year-old girl to her having children of her own, we have come to love Jess and admire her strength. What will become of Jess' children, for they are half English and half Native American? After a smallpox epidemic that nearly devastates their Croatoan Island home Jess decides to send her children to live in Jamestown under the guise of English settlers. Hoping that the promise of Master Robert Ashbury to take in the young adults is still good, the three set off on their own adventure, leaving Jess behind.

Throughout this touching work of fiction are historical elements that lend well to children's understanding of our true history. The settling of Jamestown was no easy task and developing the new world was quite daunting. Relationships between the native peoples and the English settlers are compelling to study and this book certainly opens the eyes to what likely really happened. Historical figures like John Rolf, Sir Thomas Dale, and Matoaka (Pocahontas) give a feel of authenticity, while "seeing" the way the settlements were carved out and the development of the tobacco industry was begun gives the reader a better grasp on history than a social studies book might instill.

"The Lyon's Crown" is a satisfying end to a series that I have much enjoyed. I highly recommend the series for readers aged 10 and up who wish to explore history in a personable and enjoyable way.

Completing the LYON Quintet, which offers alternative theories about the fate of the "lost" colony of Roanoke, CROWN provides an emotionally-satisfying conclusion to the adventures of Jess Archarde. It is the year 1612 when Jess' three half English-half Native American children arrive by ship in the young colony of Jamestown. Suzanne, William and George were sent away by Jess, also known as Little Bird, from peaceful Croatoan Island. This was the desperate act of a mother to protect them from the smallpox epidemic which claimed her beloved husband, Akaiyan. To soften the sudden loss of maternal guidance, Jess enclosed many pages of her journal for her daughter to read and remember, for she had pledged to oversee her younger brothers. (First-time readers to the series will recap Jess' struggles and joys as an English girl, transplanted across the ocean.)

Although safe from the epidemic, Suzanne and her brothers are not joyously welcomed by the harassed and fearful colonists. Master Robert Ashbury, an old admirer of Jess, had promised them hospitality should the need arise, but his shrewish wife is resentful of a household of strangers (which includes a clinging widow with 3 youngsters). Treating them as little more than unwanted and inefficient servants, Mistress Ashbury recognizes something different in Suzanne' features and carriage. Her suspicions increase until she is openly hostile about their Indian heritage, for these colonists live in frank fear of the natives. How will Jess' children fit into this world, where their native heritage is grounds for stoning?

The author has skillfully interwoven authentic colonial history with an interesting story about her fictitious heroine and the second generation. Readers aged 10-15 should enjoy the entire series, for Jess' probeles and Suzanne's dreams can be understood by all. Deeper themes are hinted at as well; racial relations, possible fates of the lost colonists, and the role of a mother are subtly mentioned. The LYON series will educate as it entertains, hopefully inspiring further, future study about America's multi-ethnic past, focusing attention on Tidewater
Virginia and the outer islands.

I have finished the last book! I want to compliment you on a wonderful job well done. Your book is very comparable to the work done by Englis Fletcher of Bandon Plantation over at Edenton. Her success was due to the taking of a framework of historical fact and interweaving human characters into a realistic story.
Your work "has brought to life the human relationships of our first English people as settlers, and the Native Americans that were found here."
Your line, "I like to think that Eleanor and all our brave colonists, scattered far and wide... are part of the wind itself which spreads outward to the ends of the earth." How well this portrays the blending of two civilizations and their impact on the world to come.
To anyone, I heartily recommend these five books as a glimpse into the "people side" of our Nation's first colony. Their dreams, lives, loves and hopes. You will feel that in many ways, their lives had great meaning!
What will be your next project? You have too much feeling for people to let it all stop here. There is always another story!

I was delighted to come across this incredible book by Margaret Wyman. Having taught fourth grade in California for ten years, I thought I had a good understanding of the relationship between the native Americans and the Spanish. This indredible story of a Kumeyaay Indian woman, took me to new heights of understanding, and stirred emotions in me from compassion and sadness for the natives, to rage and disgust of the Spanish. The author does an exceptional job of bringing her characters to life. I literally could not put the book down as I raced to learn the fate of these intriguing characters. Margaret Wyman writes with passion and ingenuity. I highly recommend this fine book.

Besides telling the dirty truth, this book will keep you reading and biting your nails until the very end. (In fact, you will be asking "What's Next?") The book is that good!
Just remember that beyond the kind, decent, misguided and sometimes sordid characters, the story is historically accurate, even when the truth is frightening and shameful.

Margaret Wyman has written a compelling story about early California and its invasion by Spain and the Catholic church. Surprising twists and turns are followed through the intertwining of the lives of the natives, the Spanish soldiers, the Mexicans, and the "black robes". Good and Evil, sanity and madness, religious fervor and native beliefs are all portrayed in this novel.
I hope that her future titles will be as readable.

Mission: The Birth Of California, The Death Of A Nation is an historical novel set against the conquest of Southern California by the Spanish crown, set at the same era as when the United States was fighting for its independence. A brutal tale of the subjugation, forced religious conversion, enslavement, and massacre of California's native people seen through the eyes of a young woman who personally experiences the worst and most vicious of the conquistadors' treatment. A disturbing but highly recommended saga by Margaret Wyman, Mission accurately depicts the historical, genocidal impact that foreign settlement had on California's native population.

Margaret Wyman was blessed with the gift of story telling. She has the extraordinary talent of bringing her characters to life. I only wish I had the talent and eloqence to encourage you to read Mission. I found myself discussing Web with one of my friends as if I were reminiscing about my own sister. On daily walks along the trails of Lake Hodges I envision Web and feel her spirit as if she truly existed. Web's story has touched my soul and enlightened my view of Southern California history.

I purchased this book for my "just turned" 3 year old daughter before a 5 hour car ride. She loved this book - she did the mazes straight through to the end in one sitting. This is definately a wonderful beginner's book to mazes. Highly recommended!

Looking for an inexpensive educational item? Look no further. Kumon workbooks are excellent.

My Son is 2.5 yrs old and loved this book. He finished it in less than a months time. Yes, they weren't very challenging mazes, but kept the attention of my child for 10 minutes everyday. He liked it so much that everyday he would ask for it himself. I only wish they came in spiral bound or something like similar, so that I need not hold the book for him while he is working.

This is a great product, but geared to younger children as their first introduction to mazes. My 4 yr old son breezed through this book in one sitting. He may not have gotten them all perfect, but it wasn't much of a challenge at 4.

I loved the kumon books.i run a preschool and use the book at my school. each page is full of color and that gets the kids more interested in completing the pages

This is a great informational book. I couldn't wait to get it. The only thing lacking that would really be complete would be a pictorial key which I know is impossible for the amount of info . Everyone interested in botany, gardening or the ancient ways needs this book.

This is a bible of plant uses that goes a LONG way! It doesn't include the dichotomic keys to identify the plant, but it tell you what has been done with them for the past millenia. Highly recommended.

This is not only a great text book for the ethnobotonists, but a great resource for the avid naturalist. In depth information on many species. A must have for any botanist.

This is a superb written reference. However, it has no illustrations, and should be on your shelf as an essential reference to deepen your knowledge of plants for which you have illustrations in other books, or prior first hand knowledge from actually seeing and handling the plants.

This book is the perfect combination of all the books in my library!

This huge book, published in stunning quality (here meaning basic binding and materials quality as well as quality of photos), covers an enormous range of tribes and artifact types. It focuses most on the 18th and 19th centuries, though you will find references and photos on items ranging from ancient to modern. I like the blend of the topical and regional approaches the author takes. I was particularly happy about the coverage of beaded artifacts. This is a keeper and works equally well as a casual coffee table picture book or serious study material. If there is a shortcoming, it is that I was hoping for more coverage of Eastern woodland tribes.

My initial copy arrived from Amazon with a torn dust cover and broken binding. Amazon shipped a replacement immediately. In spite of the problems with the first copy, I can still comment on the quality of the book. The paper is high-quality, the binding is based on well-sewn signatures, the end cover papers are sufficiently heavy for a book of this size, and the reproduction quality of the photographs is just superb.

My brother-in-law has the exact same title book,his book has over 600 pages! I ordered the book thinking that I would get a similar copy at a great price. I did not realize that I was purchasing an condensed version. The information in the book, although somewhat sparse is good. Thank you.

A few years back I signed up for a class in silversmithing which soon became addictive. In addition to that interest, I have always been interested in primitive art such as that of the American Indians, the cave drawings, Australian Aboriginal art or spiritual drawings. These forms of spirituality and art or of art are very powerful. I have chosen to concentrate my silversmithing designs toward the designs I see from these primitive peoples. The book, North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment has proven to be very helpful toward that aim. In addition to that, it's just plain good reading.

This book is a must-have for anyone serious about studying Native American cultures. It is a fun read, while still being absolutely crammed with information. It's clear the author put in a lot of time and work to master her subject. Not to mention, the artwork featured in the book is beautiful. I love to breeze through it when I've had a hard day, just to feel my spirits lift looking at such amazing works of art. You will learn so much and enjoy the journey enormously.

This gorgeous book is indeed indispensable, especially if "read" visually. Unfortunately, quite a few of the tribal attributions for historic objects (information given to the author by museums) are wrong. Given the scope of this project, Dubin had little choice but to take often out-dated info at face value rather than do her own research. However, readers should keep this caveat in mind when using this work as a reference.

This book was great i wouldn't have read it if it werent for my 6th grade teacher. When i first got the book i thought it was an other horrible book i had to read for school. When i first started to read it it didnt interest me at all but i had to read it so n e way so i did the book got a lot better. All my classmates agree it was a great book.

i probably never would have found out about this book, but that's my picture on the cover so i guess it was fate. this is possibly the best book i've ever read. i really enjoyed it. the way its written with two people's perspectives really makes for an exciting story. its quite informative of the lives of the indians, but in a sense, has also a modern twist to it in jenny's telling of the story. if you haven't read it, you definitely should because it's simply wonderful.

THE PLACE AT THE EDGE OF THE EARTH masterfully combines mystery, time travel, Indian history, and suspense. Bebe Faas Rice skillfully weaves the factual information about the Indian schools into her well-plotted story.

This is a book to be treasured by children (of all ages) and their
parents. Like all great books, it is a "keeper", one to read and
reread and share with family and friends.

The Place at the Edge of the Earth by Bebe Faas Rice

Scrupulously researched, this book is a fascinating dramatized account of a young Lakota boy who is forced, along with other Indian children, to attend a boarding school in the late 1800s for the purpose of assimilation into white society. The story follows Jonah Flying Cloud on his frightening trip to the school in Pennsylvania where his hair is cut (a sign of mourning with his people), his Indian clothes taken from him, and he's made to wear scratchy long underwear, thick woolen uniforms, and shoes that hurt his feet. His days are scheduled by bells and bugles, and he's marched to meals and classes where he's taught to speak the white man's language. He's even taken to church and told he'll burn in a fiery pit forever if he doesn't accept the white man's god. Jonah Flying Cloud dies, brokenhearted, at the school and is trapped between the place of his earthly life and "the land above the clouds, where the eagles fly."

Jonah Flying Cloud's first-person narrative unfolds in alternating chapters with present-day Jenny Muldoon's story. Jenny moves with her mother and new stepfather to military quarters at Fort Sayers, which once housed the Indian school. When she finds out that her new home was once the school infirmary, the stage is set for her to meet the spirit of Jonah Flying Cloud who needs her help to be released from his dark half-world so that he can join his family and tribe members in the afterworld.

Both stories keep the reader moving quickly through the pages. In an interesting subplot, Jenny helps a friend, the son of the commanding general at Fort Sayers, stand up to his father and get help for his alcoholic mother. At the end, Jenny is finally able to figure out how to help her Indian friend. The novel ends with a final, poignant scene between Jenny and Jonah Flying Cloud.

This book a must for anyone interested in learning about the Indian schools. Its compelling story is sure to capture the interest and imagination of readers of all ages. Highly recommended!

This is a beautifully written and important book. It will give all readers, young and
old, a better knowledge, understanding, appreciation and sympathy for the Indian
children about whom the author writes with such deep feeling. Rice has managed to
balance the stories of the two main characters--the young Indian boy, Jonah Flying
Cloud, who died over a hundred years ago and the modern day young girl, Jenny
Muldoon--with exceptional skill as the two young people "meet" in a time warp and

gradually become sensitive of one another's feelings.
This is a well-told, smoothly flowing tale, a real page turner. Rice has a knack for
perfectly capturing the way young people talk, how they respond to one another and to
adults. Once again, balance comes into play in the way the author weaves flashes of
humor into the central, serious story line.
Though I hated to have the book end, my spirit soared at the conclusion, which
deserves to be read and reread several times. It's truly beautiful.
The Author's Note, where Rice speaks of writing this book "from the heart"
should not be missed. I wouldn't be surprised if The Place At The Edge Of The Earth
garners several awards, both for its writing craft and the importance of its subject.

Wonderful workings of writing the whole truth. A must have, must read, must distribute widely!

This book is about the relationship between the United States and the Sioux Nation from the signing of the 1851 Ft. Laramie treaty up to the present. The book centers around the efforts of the Wounded Knee Survivors Assoc. and their attorney Mario Gonzalez to obtain a formal apology from the U.S. government for the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre and the establishment of a National Tribal park at the massacre site. This book includes:

*Gonzalez' diary entries from 1989-1992--an excellent window to see firsthand how contemporary tribal governments work and how Native Americans on reservations interact with each other on a daily basis.

*Commentary (called chronicles)by Elizabeth Cooke-Lynn explaining events described in the diary entries including Gonzalez' efforts in stopping the payment of $100 million claims commission for the Black Hills in 1980, and his efforst in Europe from 1981 to 1984 to get the World Court to issue an advisory opinion on the illegal confiscation of the Black Hills.

*Appendices that include a complete chronology of Sioux land claims from the signing of the 1851 treaty up to the present--a must for anyone interested in Indian land claims.

*Excellent footnotes with valuable information found no where else including information about Chief Crazy Horse's family members contained in the probate records of Chief Crazy Horse's father.

This book is FASCINATING and should appeal to everyone! IT SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING IN EVERY NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES CLASS!

what elizabeth and mario have done is to create a work that will stand for the test of time! my favorite part of the whole book was when Elizabeth proudly states THAT NATIVE AMERICAN, ABORGIONAL, AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE NOT CITIZENS OF THE WHITE MAN'S NATION ! FOR EXAMPLE A PERSON WHO LIVES IN THE DINE NATION IS NOT A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE THEY NEVER ASKED FOR NOR DID WANT TO BE CITZENS OF THIS PATHETIC NATION! THEY ARE CITIZENS IN THEIR TRIBE AND NATION NOT OF THE PATHETIC UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OR THE WORLD FOR THAT MATTER! READ THIS BOOK TO LEARN THE REAL HISTORY OF WOUNDED KNEE AND ABOUT A PEOPLE WHO ARE CHANGING HISTORY EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Wonderful workings of writing the whole truth. A must have, must read, must distribute widely!

What first strikes this reader is the very frank and engrossing personal narrative, as well as the description of the on-going political struggle of the Sioux in their battle for the return of the Black Hills in South Dakota. The diary entries of lawyer Mario Gonzales and the commentaries of Elizabeth Cook-Lynn gave me an opportunity to re-think important events in Sioux and American history over the past century (including Custer and the Little Big Horn, the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, and others). The authors also show very clearly how these linked histories continue to influence the actions of individuals (white or Indian) and governments today. Cook-Lynn is especially deft at evaluating the political, economic,and racial motivations of the various stakeholders, from the factions within different Sioux tribes, the governors and congressmen, federal agencies, to the white landowners. The centerpiece of the book is the fight by the Sioux for the return of the Black Hills (preserved for the tribes by treaty in 1868), as well as the related fight for a monument to the Sioux massacred by government troups at Wounded Knee. But as the story unfolds, it became a means for me to understand the treaty rights and sovereign rights of not just the Sioux but other Indian nations in this country. Gonzales relates details of the legal battles and community struggles, and shows an amazing persistence and courage in his pursuit of justice for the Sioux. I hope that other readers come away from this book with as strong a sense as I did: of our need to resolve these ethical and legal dilemmas by recognition of Indian treaty rights and sovereignty. I'm grateful to the authors for their frank discussions of the real difficulties inherent in this task, and for outlining the rewards to all of us if they succeed.

The pleasurable "Q Road" provides the reader with a genuine experience of rural Michigan coupled with characters who have grown from this place, whose lives are a reflection of their landscape.

The story, centered on an irascible, oft-cussing brute of a girl (Rachel) and her relationship with an ageing farmer (George), allows the reader to become engrossed in a landscape rife with contrast. The primary arc of the novel encompasses a few years from the late 1990's. Aside from the quirky and delightful love story between Rachel and George, as well as a few other minor arcs concerning the loveably flawed residents of Greenland Township in Kalamazoo County, the novel is a study on the friction between people with fundamentally different views on how their landscape should be shaped.

Rachel, along with her mother Margo, live off the land, hunting and skinning their meals with ease, as one with the natural environment as possible. George is caught in between. As a farmer he maintains an intimate relationship with the land while at the same time experiencing the near futility of his occupation with the constant pressures of money and labor. Then, with an assortment of characters, the rural/urban divide is examined through the clashes between wealthy developers, a middle class fleeing the city, and those who (like the Potawatomi in another arc of flashback skillfully threaded through the narrative) are forced to respond to the invasion.
A terrific, fast read. Highly recomended for anyone who loves the beautifully rugged ladscape of the nothern Mid-West.

This first novel begins with the image of wooly-bear caterpillars crossing a rural road. If this doesn't seem auspicious, read on. I found Q Road to be a generous surprise and I don't say this easily. The depiction of the extinquishing of a goldfinch's life is beautiful and perfect and right,though I fought it all the way. The depictions of the people and their sudden realizations are equally stunning. What it is to believe in God, what it is to love another person, to gasp even for air: all these are given to us by this young author. This is a monster, a wondrous, beautiful book.

Campbell's book revolves around a quirky cast of characters in rural Michigan: foul-mouthed, child-bride Rachel, her husband George, and her best friend, asthmatic, 12-year-old David, to name a few. The story itself is not particularly remarkable, but Campbell's writing makes you want to not miss a moment.

Rifle-toting Rachel, abandoned by her distant, fur-trapping mother, marries the much older George Harland, a down-on-his-luck farmer, because she wants his land. She grows to love him in her own weird, tacit way. She also loves David, who becomes even more devoted to the mysterious Rachel after his near-death experience in a burning barn. There are some more neighborhood characters thrown into the mix, but you get to know these three the best. There wasn't so much in the way of a plot, it was really just a simple story, beautifully written, about loving the place you live and the people who live there, about getting lost, even in familiar territory, and finding your way back with the help of family and friends.

Q Road is not for the faint of heart. Author Bonnie Jo Campbell takes you down a Michigan side-road to a rough-hewn world of brutally flawed characters. No sparkling wits, no dreamy introverts here; rather these misshapen and misfortuned people struggle through each and every day. Cantankerous and eccentric, they are driven to alienate kin and neighbors alike. Victims of violent acts of their past, broken marriages, rural recession and self-abuse, they gain pleasure from the misery of others.

Around them caterpillars are splattered under the wheels of cars, crows munch the remains of road-kill squirrels and cats devour birds, all in a landscape haunted by the death-march of the indigenous Potawatomi Indians. Out of this harsh reality, Campbell builds a story of grittiness, purpose and great humor that is suddenly jarred by a tragedy. An act of carelessness not malice, it threatens to overwhelm the community and break their spirit.

In Campbell's competent hands, there is no hysterical reaction and no desperation, just people digging deeper and accepting less. Q Road becomes a road to recovery. No giant steps, no minor miracles, just a poignant reminder that the human spirit needs just small kindnesses to prevail.

Bonnie Jo Campbell has, rightly, been described as a fresh new voice in American literature. This, her first novel, should be the launching point for a distinguished career.

As carefully stitched together as a patchwork quilt, with colorful squares made of quirky characters, the inhabitants of Greenland Township, Michigan, are bound by the commonality of their daily labor and innate love of their farmland. This is the heartland of America, land that has sustained generation after generation. But as much as a failing farm economy, suburbia encroaches upon this pastoral existence, and city people are willing to tolerate only so much discomfort in their newly constructed rural environment. Once sprawled across the countryside, secure from city confines, the old families are slowly replaced by pre-fab housing developments.

Q Road's three main protagonists are strikingly different people, each with particular idiosyncrasies, forming their own core family: father, child-bride, and son, love filling the solitary loneliness so long entrenched in their hearts. The spirited 17-year-old Rachel, a new bride who has married for the security of owning land, smashes through life with no guidance or socialization, save that of her own invention. George Harland, her middle-age-plus husband, is a sixth-generation farmer who knows only that his days are suddenly more bearable with Rachel sharing their backbreaking work and love-drenched nights. George cannot imagine life without Rachel.

When twelve-year-old David is drawn to the Harlands, it is for George's fatherly protection and Rachel's pure female strength, his own mother ever more distant and self-involved. On a clear day when trouble hovers in the air, David is the catalyst for catastrophe, his one breach of judgment forever changing the landscape of their future. For the three of them, life will never be the same again.

The Darwinian inevitability of nature vs. progress lurks around the perimeter of Greenland Township and Campbell skillfully portrays the hardships and realities of farming, as even the vigorous landscape becomes a vital player in the drama. Campbell's reality is hard-edged and she never shies away from its blunt and often brutal surfaces. Yet the eccentric characters of Q Road fit snugly into the environment, their own edges sharpened early by experience.

Q Road is like an Alice Hoffman novel with sharp teeth and a rapacious appetite. At the same time, the peculiar township inhabitants have many of the intransigent qualities of Carolyn Chute's Beans of Egypt, Maine. Sprinkled with quirky individuals, neighborhood malcontents and busybodies, Q Road is overflowing with the many faces of humanity, as they reach bravely toward their better selves. Luan Gaines/2003.

This is unquestionably the best written book of its type that I have read. It's about time somebody took the time to write a book as a teaching vehicle using a light, humorous approach. I've a huge library of books on the subject, but this one has become my favorite. I fully intend to recommend it to others interested in the subject My advice to the author: don't stop now, write more !!!

This is really a great book!! It's very informative and easy and fun to read.This book gave me all the information I needed to visit the rock art and ruins sites I did while I was in Utah.It gives you directions,the type of hike to get there,when to go,photography tips and other useful comments.It also has lots of nice pictures,some in color and some in black and white.It's one of the best books I've read on visiting these sites in the Southwest.

IF MY HOUSE WERE ON FIRE THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST BOOKS I'D SAVE! IT IS FUNNY, CREATIVE, PRACTICAL, AND VERY WELL ORGANIZED. EXPERIENCED HIKERS, BEGINNING HIKERS, OR ARM CHAIR TRAVLERS - YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK - AND IT JUST MIGHT GET YOU OUT OF YOUR ARMCHAIR.

Rock Art And Ruins For Beginners And Old Guys is a travel and field guide to more than forty major Native American prehistoric rock art sites as well as fifty other ruins and attractions that can teach even the most urbanized city slicker the basics of prehistoric rock art in the West, including where to find it, as well as how to hike, camp, and cook while making the journey. From the equipment needed on the trail to the type of vehicles that are best to drive, Rock Art and Ruins for Beginners has it all - along with descriptions and directions for many ancient, fascinating rock art sites. If you are planning on viewing rock art in the American West, begin by reading Albert School's Rock Art Ruins For Beginners And Old Guys!

With a sence of humor Mr. Scholl does a great job of educating others about rock art.

In an introduction chapter he discusses what rock art is and types of rock art. He discusses what rock art means and refers you to other well written books. He also provides lists of emergency equipment, camping equipment and more that you should consider taking as you begin looking at rock art.

In the next chapters he tells where to go to see rock art. He also instructs the reader about the expected behavior, tours to take, and more.

There are directions for taking pictures of rock art and explanations of clothes to wear, weather, and even a few recipes for crockpot cooking... so you can cook while you are looking and come home to a nice meal. Great!

This is a very exciting book. It made me want to jump out of my seat and go looking. The pictures are nice. His enthusiasm is catching and the format is easy to understand. Well worth the money.

Enjoy

Hannah Breece was an amazing woman--strong, independent, and driven by her desire to help the people of Alaska during the early 1900s. This book is well-written, interesting, and informative. If you love reading about early Alaska, you will love this book! You might also check out a new release, When the Water Runs: Growing Up With Alaska.

When the Water Runs: Growing Up with Alaska

This book is a great read. I was swept along by this story of a single woman working in the Alaskan back country. She takes a matter-of-fact approach to all sorts of alarming situations (e.g. being buried in a snowdrift and having a bear and her cub wandering about outside her tent).

A great adventure story. Fascinating snapshots of turn of the century Alaska. Many of the most interesting parts of this book are those which talk about Alaska's relationship with Russia, particularly the power of the Czar and the Russian Orthodox church. Reading about this, Alaska seems more like a colony than a part of Russia. Maybe the Alaska America purchased wasn't Russia's to sell.

The book presents attitudes as they were without varnishing or apology. Some are decidedly racist. Hannah definitely saw her job as 'civilizing' the natives (nobody seems to have asked them if they wanted to be civilized). She talks about communities who lived underground - this was dying out as the US government didn't approve - the story of colonization the world over...

An excellent story with plenty of meat. Hannah Breece is a woman both of her time and ahead of her time. This book, although covering the early 1900's, really tells of a time when the balance and control of Alaska was switching from Russian influenced culture to American influenced culture. It is interesting to see that what was "correct" then is now "incorrect" and reminds the reader that values and judgements are culturally bound.

The action of the book takes place over most of the major regions of the state including the gulf coast, the interior and the southeast.

Jane Jacobs the editor did an excellent job of organizing and illuminating Hannah Breece's story. Without her careful introductions the story would have not had quite the same postive impact.

This book is largely alone in covering the topic of teaching in the early 1900's. For those of you interested in the early history of teaching in English in Alaska then this is your book.

In 1904, Hannah Breece (1859-1940), was recruited by the Department of the Interior to teach in Alaska. Alaska at that time was quite different than today. Preferring to work in poorer, more backward areas, she saw a side of Alaska that does not normally appear in the history books. This is Hannah stories, as told by her, and edited by Jane Jacobs.

This is a really great story. I found its depiction of life in 1904+ Alaska to be quite enthralling; Hannah certainly found her way into many fascinating adventures. The book shows life in 1904+ Alaska, as lived by the common people, including dealing with wild animals, sled dogs, fish famines, earthquakes, racism at many levels, and so much more.

All I can say is that Hannah Breece must have been a formidable woman. I have never said this before of a book, but I actually felt honored to be able to look in at Hannah's life. I highly recommend this book!

I fell in love with Alaska as described by Hannah Breece. She told an amazing story of a time that is long gone. She also showed great restraint in not "telling tales" on those who were her contemporaries. Her niece, Jane Jacobs, who compiled and edited her memoirs, fills in the "gaps," after Miss Breece's personal story is complete. I recommend this book to lovers of history, Alaskan history, early American history, education history and those with a romantic notion of how the "good old days," really were.