Virginia Books

Since I spent my early years in that geographic region of the country, I can understand the local lore and people descriptions. The author is right on target with both. I liked the development of the characters and local activities. The plot was well laid out and there was enough mystery and suspense to keep me turning the pages. I am ready for the sequel!

Grave Creek Connections is completely captivating and I'm only on page 102. Mr. Morris' intimate knowledge of the area and it's people put me right in the hills among his characters.

As Continental forces and Virginia militia units were engaged in winning independence, American quartermasters and provisioners struggled to provide these units with all the necessities of life, from meals and guns to meat, fodder for horses, the horses themselves, firewood, and every other type of material. Much of this was requisitioned from the civilian population and certificates were issued payable in either continental or state funds, depending on the units supplied, upon presentation to court authorities. Thousands of these certificates issued to Virginians were duly entered by the courts, and they provide a fascinating insight into the period of the Revolution. These "Publick" Claims booklets contain interesting and useful information about the contributions of ordinary people to the Revolutionary War. They provide some details of people's service in the militia or as guards for prisoners of war; they indicate where some bodies of troops were at particular times; and they identify providers of horses, wagons, cattle, grain, or other supplies. Much of the information in these booklets cannot be found anywhere else, which makes the surviving records particularly valuable. Also remarkable is the fact that records survived from virtually every county in the state at that time with the exception of the newly formed Kentucky counties. This makes the collection even more valuable in covering areas which heretofore in this time period have suffered from a lack of personal data. The "Virginia Publick Claims" are published by counties. In addition to a faithful transcription by Janice Luck Abercrombie and the late Richard Slatten, a complete index is provided for each county booklet. This series is an extremely important genealogical tool for searchers in Revolutionary-era materials.

Not only because they were good friends but because they shared an astonishing good life in the Còte d'azur in the best of moments for Picasso's creative activity. And he contacted all of his best friends. For he was a surrealistic painter as well and he knew about all the art intrigues at the time. You can get every detail on Picasso's life and his way of living, all of his tips, even the cars he had, his life with his relatives who came to visit him. A very personal and human aspect of a great genius is what this book gives you...

This is the most vivid, interesting account of a family caught up in the throes of the Civil War that I have ever read. It provides an exciting look at what it was truly like for a family to face crisis, challenge, and tragedy. None better!

This is the most vivid, interesting account of a family caught up in the throes of the Civil War that I have ever read. It provides an exciting look at what it was truly like for a family to face crisis, challenge, and tragedy. None better!

A very enlightening description of the grief process when experiencing a mental illness for the first/second/third time. A great support and acknowlegement of the grief that family members/caregivers experience too.

Now in a newly revised and expanded second edition, Grieving Mental Illness: A Guide For Patients And Their Caregivers by mental health practitioner Virginia Lafond is an informed and informative guide to coping with the onset of mental illness in a friend, loved one, or family member. From dealing with the overpowering emotions of grief, anger, and fear; to answering frequently asked questions; Grieving Mental Illness is a "reader friendly" and strongly recommended introduction for non-specialist general readers faced with the unique challenges that mental illness brings to themselves and to their charges.

It doesn't take the Coast Guard to know the Coast Guard, but sometimes the inside knowledge and access helps the cause. Authors Stacy and Virginia Thomas met in the Coast Guard while both serving at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and got married at one of the lighthouse of which they write in Guarding Door County. Their writing style in the book is professional and precise, their words carefully chosend to show respect for their service and the men and women who served before them.
The authors have broken the book down geographically, assigning themselves southern, northern and island blocks of lighthouses. Life-saving stations, as there are only three in the county (Sturgeon Bay Canal, Bailey's Harbor and Plum Island) are covered in one extensive chapter. And as there are only twelve historic lighthouses on the peninsula as well, they also receive lengthy coverage in the book, with multiple images of each lighthouse through time.
An added bonus to this book is the authors' treatment of their final full chapter, a primer on "Current Events: Preservation and Tourism" of Coast Guard heritage on the peninsula. Guarding Door County, therefore, goes beyond the history to the story of the present day, allowing those folks who go to (or in many cases, return to) the peninsula the opportunity to carry this book with them as a travel aid.
(published in Wreck & Rescue Journal, May 2006, V 9, No 1)

Guarding Door County is another wonderful addition to Arcadia's titles. The book gives a very good overview of the U.S. Coast Guard which explains how lighthouses and life-saving stations became part of the organization. Each picture has detailed captions that bring the stories to life. I liked how the authors included a final chapter on preservation and tourism to update the reader on what was currently happening to the structures. Finally, the appendix really helped me understand how Fresnel lenses worked. Overall, I loved looking at the historical photos and learning more about the lighthouses and life-saving stations in Door County.

Allen Balik makes his passion for wine very clear in this wonderful book...a must for both beginners and those in the know...very approachable

This is an interestingly and refreshingly written guide to the whole world of wine for people who may not want to become total wine experts, but who do truly enjoy wine. This book can only enhance their enjoyment. The authors, Allen Balik in particular, obviously are wine experts, so confident of the depth and breadth of their knowledge that they aren't afraid to write with an engaging, accesible style, and without condescending to their readers or patronizing them. They cover a wide variety of subjects -- wine growing, wine selection, wine tasting, ordering wine in a restaurant, buying wine for your dinner table, and many, many more, all with a light, witty touch. The profuse graphics, both art work and photographs, are beautiful. But more than that, they combine synergistically with the written words to make the learning experience easy and aesthtically pleasing. This book is a real keeper!

Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg are about six months apart but very close in distance and in personal. These are the last two great victories the Army of Northern Virginia would enjoy. The Union army would finally get a commander structure that would stand and fight as intelligently as possible. Never again, would Lee find victory through failures of the other army commander. There are many firsts in these battles and no easy answers. This excellent book covers both battles in detail and gives us the Battle at Salem Church too. I had this book with me when touring this area and recommend it to you. I would never have found many sites without it.
The series format is directions to a point on the field, orientation, a general lesson on what happened in your view, followed by first person accounts of the action. These guides are designed using the general staff training concept of a Staff Ride. This is when a class is taken to a historic location, discuss what happened and see how the terrain influences the event. Staff Rides are designed to be intensive "on the ground" training coupled with physical observation in the hopes students will gain experience for later use.
I am not saying this to frighten you away from this guide but to tell you this is not a walk about and look at the monuments type of guide. This guide will have several pages devoted to the action at this point. It may contain a critique of the local commander's actions with possible alternates.
My experience is that reading the book prior to my visit works best. This allows me more time observing the field and less time reading the book. Of the tour options, a professional guide is usually the best but most expensive choice. The park driving tour is the best choice for a quick trip through the field to get the kids passport stamp. This book is the best choice for a serious student of the battle looking for a detailed explanation.

These series of books are the best available resource for conducting ACW battlefield tours - assuming that your purpose in touring battlefields is to study and understand the applicable tactics, strategy and terrain and to develop an appreciation for the objectives and efforts of the participants. If you go to ACW battlefields to gawk and gossip as an everyday tourist then you do not need to study these guides. If you have an active interest in ACW history, military history in general or fascinating chapters in human history, then these guides are remarkable values, "Best Buys". Thorough but not intimidating, insightful and objective, with no deficiencies noted.

A beautiful book filled with mouth-watering recipes and gorgeous photographs. One which will be treasured in your library for years to come.

Gulf Coast Cooking is one of the five best Florida/Gulf Coast cookbooks out there. Well, that's my opinion. I've been updating my Amazon "So You'd Like to Guides" and I have one on Key Lime Pie. Take a look at it if you want. Anyway, I've included fifty cookbooks (the maximum Amazon will allow) in all my guides, so I've had a chance to go through my collection. And quite a collection it is, I've got hundreds of cookbooks and I go through them all the time. That's my problem, how to organize them. While going through what I wanted to include in my guides, I started separating them into piles, the ones I couldn't live without and the ones, if I absolutely had to, I could give away as gifts, you know, like if we moved into a very small place.

Gulf Coast Cooking is one I could never part with. I love the food and the atmosphere of Florida and the Gulf Coast, have spent a lot of time there, as I'm a sailing lady. I'm also somewhat of a gourmet chef. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, or galley, depending if I'm at home in the States or on our boat in the Caribbean. The recipes here will make your family, or even just yourself, if you live alone, drool. They are mouthwatering good and that's the truth.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

I recently read By Blood Possessed and enjoyed it immensely. The novel reminded me of the best of the Barbara Michaels novels, suspense with a little of the supernatural thrown in. Her second book is just as good. The story of Pat, Miss Maggie and Bell Run continues, when another ghost makes his presence known to Pat. Shortly thereafter, a skull is found in Pat's proposed tomato patch. The anthropology department of the local university is called, and a team is sent up to Bell Run. A contemporary death seems to connect the two eras, and Pat and Miss Maggie try to find two murderers in two different centuries.

One day Pat Montella, the ghost detective, will inherit Miss Maggie's Bell Run, Virginia estate as the last known descendent of the Bell family. Pat begins to "dream of a young Black male living in the mid 1870s. Apparently he was named Emancipation in homage to Lincoln's freedom speech at Gettysburg a week before he was born.

At about the same time, an unknown gravesite is found. Considering the history of the estate where many Civil War skirmishes occurred that would not be a shocking scenario. However, not long afterward, the police believe that a friend's assistant committed murder. Somehow the three events: the vision from the past, the newly found gravesite, and the murder are linked with Pat's abilities to see ghosts as the only chance of finding out the truth.

The second Montella paranormal mystery retains the freshness and uniqueness within a strong amateur sleuth story line that highlights the debut tale (see BY BLOOD POSSESSED). The plot is fun and never loses steam as Pat struggles with her century plus old visions and trying to find the connection to present events. The characters (mortal and spiritual) add depth that propel the story line forward in such a way that paranormal mystery readers will appreciate. After HANG MY HEAD AND CRY Elena Santangelo can hold her head up high with pride.

Harriet Klausner

I was impressed with this book! I can sense my kids (6, 4, & 3 year olds) are really absorbing the content of this book as I am reading it. It gives a very basic, yet thorough explanation of what the word faith means. This book does a wonderful job giving child-like examples of how faith is demonstrated in a typical day of a little one.
This is one of those books that takes a complex subject, such as faith, and describes it so a child can understand it. Also, the illustrations are adorable and very eye-catching to little ones.

This book is a wonderful description by example of what faith is. After reading it, in board-book form, to my 1-year-old I thought it should be required reading for every adult too. I only hope they have written on other topics too.

Here are some of the pages: "Faith is seeing with your heart what you can't see with your eyes. It is finding a caterpiller and believing that someday it will change into a beautiful butterfly. Faith is praying to God and believing that He is listening. Faith is knowing God is always with you, even when you don't see His face."