Budget Books

Its an easy and enjoyable read. Don't expect it to be the best book of your life but its interesting and well done.

Recommend for young readers looking for another adventure novel.

Frank Showell Styles (1908-2005) wrote more than 100 books. His titles include mysteries under his own name and pseudonym Glyn Carr, juvenile and adult military/history novels, and many books on climbing and mountaineering.

Ensign Byrd speaks for his creator when he says, "As for me, I have lived all my life among mountains." Styles began climbing as a teen in Wales and continued into his 80s. He worked in a bank in the 1930s, but gave it up late in the decade to tramp through France and the Pyrenees. Styles served in the British Navy during WWII, primarily in the Mediterranean.

He wrote part-time before the war, publishing his first novel, Traitor's Mountain, and several climbing books. At war's end, he decided to write full-time. Styles climbed in the Middle East, Norway and the Himalayas in the 1950s, and in the British Isles until late in his long life.

Reminiscences I read of "Pip" Showell Styles agree on his love of mountains, of walking/hiking, and especially on his youthful enthusiasm toward life. His sense of wonder was strong.

Most of Styles's books are out of print. I hope to find The Shop in the Mountain, The Ladder of Snow, A Necklace of Glaciers, and others he penned. I thank Bethlehem Budget Books for publishing the Midshipman Quinn and Flying Ensign tales. If you loved Septimus Quinn and want more, try Peter Byrd. You'll gobble up this book.

I first read this book twenty years ago and it is still just as refreshing. This book portrays a standard of behaviour; viz,to fight hard, fairly and gentlemanly, and it describes qualities of respect and resourcefulness, which we need to re-discover.

Philadelphia...a city of American history that steps out in front of you when you arrive. I had the chance to visit the wonderful sights of Philadelphia in October,2004. This was the guide that helped me get introduced to what to expect. From hoagies to the Liberty Bell to the great pipe organ at Lord and Taylor ( formerly Wanamaker's),Philadelphia is another of my favoriet cities. The guide gives its rankings to the hotels, restaurants and sights. Highly recommended reading!

Guide offers plenty of information. However, certain driving routes [Fairmount Park Drive, for example] will get you lost. Also, closed attractions are not clearly stated. For example, the Horticultural Center has open hours listed. But Fodors shoould CLEARLY state that it is CLOSED ON MONDAYS. Other details are also missing... like the Bishop White House and Todd House only accomodate about 20 people a day for tours, so you need to sign up EARLY to have any chance of touring it.

Fodor's Philadelphia is a great travel book to the "City of Brotherly Love". Everything from short hops around the city to great parts on restaurants and hotels, this guide has it all. The overview of Philly is also very well done. As a guide book, this is one of the best, if not the best, to Philadelphia and the surrounding area.

A shortcoming of this book is that most of it assumes you have a car. (There are short blurbs on buses and trains but they're of limited use.) While I suppose you could always rent one, there are often more economical and efficient ways of getting about. I was in Scotland this summer and found the restaurant + pub coverage a little outdated; I imagine that will be fixed in the next edition, which is due to come out next spring. A note about Wetherspoon pubs (cheap beer and food) and the non-gourmet food scene in general would have been helpful.

I'm not sure you need a guidebook for Scotland; there's so much free travel literature available at the information centres and online that I rarely found myself consulting this book. But if you want a guidebook this is still a pretty good one because it's so detailed and thorough.

It is pretty hard to cover the entire country, with travel tips, in only 400 pages, but Fodor's does an excellent job. Not many photographs, it is all business describing locations and sites. This would be an excellent book if you are planning to go to Scotland and are not sure what part (the Eyewitness Scotland guide is perfect for that also, and has a lot more photographs). Although I knew which part I was going to and had travel books for those specific areas, the Fodor's guide had information in it about those areas the other books did not. With Scotland, there are many side trips in all directions, and this book can give you some ideas. Well written, concise, informative: A great resource for the money.

My husband and I found this book extremely helpful- he was able to pick out the golf courses he wanted to visit, I was able to pick out the castles I wanted to see; the hotels the book recommended were excellent; and the practical advice about driving, eating, tipping and understanding the local accent was great.

It's a good book for knowing where to stay and eat. I also highly recommend anyone traveling to Switzerland read Geneva Nights. It's very entertaining and gets you in the traveling Europe mode.

We have used this guidebook and its predecessors each time for four trips to Switzerland. We think it is better than Frommer's, Michelin, Eyewitness, Rick Steves, and the other guidbooks for Switzerland, and we have looked at eight other guidebooks. All have something to offer, but we liked Fodor's the best. Given the cost of traveling to and in Switzerland, it is worth the cost in money and time to buy several and take the best from each, but if you only want one, we recommend Fodor's. It misses some great small villages some of the others recommend (like Soglio, a jewel in a small valley west of St. Moritz) and for some reason Fodor's never gives the population of the villages or cities they mention. If you like going to small villages, as we do, there is a big difference between Grindelwald and Gimmelwald, and knowing the population would help. If you are looking for a "travel on a shoestring" book, this isn't it, but for most people, it should be very helpful.

It is not easy to pick your ideal guidebook to Switzerland. Ideally, you would need more than one, but this should probably the one to start with.

The guide is thoroughly researched and features good regional maps in addition to the map of the whole country. Listings are very good, although some may say they have been picked arbitrarily - which is understandable as no-one can possibly squeeze all the worthy places into a reasonably-sized book. At least you can be sure that whatever is included has been reviewed
honestly and thoroughly.

In common with other books from this publishing house, Fodor's Switzerland is laid out in a commendably clear manner. This may seem as a secondary consideration - but think of how often you will be browsing this before and during your trip. Easy navigation in the book really cuts out frustration and saves time. Do not underestimate this.

Frommer's Switzerland does not have too many photographs - however, the selected few give you an idea and a visual taste of the destination. For a more thorough pictorial account, try Insight Guides.

The book is also very good on practicalities - transport, opening times, costs - all seem to be very up-to-date (it is amazing how many guides treat practicality research as an afterthought).

If you can, also get Michelin's Green Guide - it has some less well-known destinations that Fodor's guide omits for reasons of space. However, if you are only planning major highlights, you can very well manage with just this high quality book. You'll not regret spending your money.

I also bought their guides for new mexico amd arizona, and really didin't need this guide after all--it touches the high points in each state, but in western kansas, e.g., it didn't
touch on anything.

While on the road (Las Vegas, Arizona and New Mexico) I reviewed three USA guides (Fodor's, Frommer's and Let's Go) and, for those for whom money is not a primary issue, my first choice would be this guide.

Fodor's layout is great. The guide took you through a city in an intuitive manner. For example, in the `Exploring Las Vegas' section, instead of scattering the recommendations before you (as Frommer's did), Fodor's approached it from the point of you progressing down `the Strip'. Also, the guide only listed those sights (casinos) with "the most imaginative themes or attractive particulars."

The recommendations for accommodations were all `top drawer' and unique, but normally pricey. The restaurant and nightlife selections were great, always distinguishing and creative and worth the search to find. The maps in the guide did help, a bit, but this is a weak area that Fodor's USA needs to work on ( Frommer's USA has the best).

If you are a bit short on money, and cutting costs maters then check out `Let's Go USA'. If you are not financially challenged, and want to experience the best while you are on the road, then this is a great one volume guide. Strongly recommend 4.5 stars.

easily the best guide of its kind. indispensible for anybody doing traveling of any kind. a must buy. detailed information on all kinds of sites of interest. maps are helpful. very comprehensive.

I used this guide only for Maryland on this trip, and it was very useful. Fodor's is a reliable guidebook, and I will always purchase it first.

I find the guide pretty informative about many kinds of making tourism along these states, It contains lots of recommendations, hints and thorough points of view from the editors. One thing I remark is that the area dwellers have enriched the content of this book, who try to encourage the traveller to keep an eye in many things a normal guide might not point. I would recommend, though, that the book contain unfoldable color maps instead of those b&w that are within the pages, since it would clearly enhance the view of this guide, however the richness of this book lies on its variety of places of interest and its wide coverage of the minimal facts on every town of these states.

As a person who enjoys traveling, I decided to purchase this book on my first trip to Virginia Beach. This guide introduced me to many different sights to see that I never knew existed. They provide phone numbers and addresses of the locations and their descriptions of the places were very accurate. This superb book lists the best attractions, restaurants and many other things for all of the cities in Maryland and Virginia. If you're going to MD or VA for the first time or for the tenth time, this book is a great addition to add to your bag.

I've always had a feeling that Americans prior to the New Deal were highly cooperative and public-spirited, accomplishing their private and collective goals by voluntary, non-governmental means. Beito's book supports this view in a very powerful way, in a major area of social action. His detailed scholarship proves that people fulfilled their needs and desires for community and security by organizing voluntary systems of insurance and group enterprise. The book represents a compelling chapter in the history and character of American society, as well as a lesson in the fertility of non-governmental civic action. He proves that Paine and Tocqueville were right.

This book is about something that was once a central par of working class American life but has now almost vanished from sight. That something is "mutual aid" or "fraternalism", the way ordinary people, often poor, organised and acted collectively for mutual help and benefit. The book looks at the history of this phenomenon, its extent (enormous), the kind of services provided (very wide ranging - literally cradle to grave), and the institutions it created, the so-called "fraternal societies" such as Elks, Moose, Knights of Tabor etc. Some chapters look at particular examples such as "Mooseheart", (the orphanage of the Loyal order of Moose) or the creation of a hospital in the Delta by poor rural blacks via the Knights and Daughters of Tabor. Today we tend to believe that these kind of services can only be provided by government or (perhaps) by commercial enterprise. This shows that for most of the last two hundred years (and not only in America) they have been provided by the free co-operation of ordinary people. As Beito points out the benefits provided by mutual aid institutions were rights, not handouts, on a reciprocal basis, rather than one of hierarchy and dependency, and tied to a strict and elevated moral code. He also shows that women were heavily involved via their own orders (often feminist), and that blacks and immigrants were disproportionately likely to be involved. The book is based on detailed empirical research, with a huge array of illustrations and examples. One obvious question is where have all these institutions gone. The title says it - mutual aid has been replaced by the welfare state, partly because of intellectual shifts, partly due to the impact of the Great Depression. On reading this you may well ask, Has this been a gain?

David Beito has made a major contribution in the study of fraternalism with From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890-1967, David T. Beito (University of North Carolina Press, 2000).

Mr. Beito's research succeeds in casting light on the seemingly impenetrable area of fraternal history, an area that proves difficult to research due to many so-called secret societies failure to leave evidence of their history. His marshalling of facts is truly impressive. His style of writing is fluid and enjoyable to read. While there was not much information about non-insurance orders such as Freemasonry, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, or the Knights of Pythias, the book provides a wealth of information on the more obscure orders, many of which have passed into history.

Portions of his book dealing with the effects of the depression and New Deal legislation on mutual benefit societies has led me to revise my own postulates formulated in: Toward a Fraternal History of Marin County: A Survey of Secret Societies being a General History of Various Fraternities and Their Specific Impact in Marin

This is by far the best well put together guide. I love it. It is small. It fits nicely in a pocket or a backpack. It has fantastic maps of various scales. Even a detachable foldable tear-resistant map. For a quick look there is a perfect scale unfolding map in the left part on the first page. It also contains good reference about BART (the train), and other public transportation.

I love the neighborhood walks feature. This is really a way to experience San Francisco. Every area discussed contains a contextual map, which will make sure that you'll never miss anything.

There are plenty of small, but well chosen pictures that give you idea about the things that you may want to see.

I'm seriously in love with this series of guides. Which is why I think I'm going to go and comment on all the other ones that I've used so far (Amsterdam, and London). I was just looking for a guide to Toronto, and was very disappointed to find out that this series does not have one for Toronto. The next best thing, comparable to this series is the smaller version of Top 10.

Seriously, don't spend any more time picking out the guide, this series is the best by far!

this is the book that has enough information in it but organized in a strange way. it's perfect for people who don't want to think themselves at all. it's got all the daily itineraries you can follow without thinking and judging. but i'd rather it simply provides the information and let me do the planing. in order to do that you have to flip back and forth all the time because information about the same place can be in different sections everywhere. e.g, one place could be under romantic and reginal and shopping section. so if you just want to go to this place, you have to refer to both and it's easy to miss something. but i do like the nice pictures in the book.

I found the guide to be VERY well organized and helpful. The restaurant and hotel suggestions (we stayed at the Cow Hollow Motor Inn) were helpful and spot on. We were not disappointed.

The fold out map could have been more extensive, especially because a couple of the restaurants were in locations that extended beyond the map itself.

The book is light (weight-wise) which is a plus in my view especially when you're doing a lot on foot.

You know, there are people who Want to know where they can find free Celtic Pipes & drums practice opportunities. . . .

This book is a must for all tourists going to Hawaii. It has everything from concerts, to factory tours, best beaches, parks, art gallerys, gardens, lessons, sports,historical sites ,annual events and more. All for no admission. Also phone numbers to call for more information.

A good portion of what Hawaii for Free covers is also covered in many of the better Hawaii guidebooks, like my favorite: the Unofficial Guide to Hawaii. The real question is whether the added tips, like the time and place for free Celtic Pipes and Drums practice is worth the book's price. I thought no.

Ever start singing a show tune you'd just heard in a furniture store, and get stuck on a line? "Hide your heart from sight, lock your dreams at night, it could happen to you..." That's where this book comes in. It gives you words and melody line for 100 songs and these are strictly A-list of the Great American Songbook (plus some bossa nova, a nice touch), with no filler. Put together the 10 books you've been allowed to take on your Desert Island trip, then slip this one in your back pocket.

As others have pointed out, it's not really suited for instrumentalists. But that, along with the fact that you can probably find all this material on the Internet, is undoubtedly what allowed the publisher to offer this collection at such a low price.

This handy, pocket sized paperback is easy to throw in a bag or tuck into an instrument case. With a melody line in treble cleff, chord symbols and lyrics, it also has a guitar chord guide in the back. Full of real standards like "Caravan," "Misty," and "Take the A Train," the book covers most of your bases when it comes to playing common rep. Most of the tunes are laid out on a single sheet, though a few do require page turns. Also, the lack of spiral binding could makes it hard to keep on a music stand. However, I can't complain about the price. This book is a good buy.

This is a great book if you are ONLY looking for the melody, or lyrics, or chords. I came across this book thinking, great, so many songs. I was disapointed when I realized what it was. I can't complain. The price is right.