Travel Books

This woman went on an amazing adventure and she should always be commended for that. I've been planning a long-distance trek by horse for a long time and so bought this looking for pointers and inside info, which there is.

BUT, although she completed an awe-inspiring trek, the writing isn't that great. Lots of abrupt paragraph endings and clunky sentences. It sort of reads like a sketchy abbreviated journal. Just wish she had hired someone to edit and clean it up a bit for her, it would have flowed better.

A friend suggested I get this book and I was sceptical at first as I have read only a very few, true-adventure stories that excited me. Crying with Cockroaches however had me mesmerized from the very start. I purchased the book in January and have read it cover to cover, twice already.

The voice of the author is so clear and her honesty, humour and optimism transparent on every page. All I can say is get this book. It is an easy read, well-written, great photographs and an excellent example of what we all can accomplish with determination and a strong will. The author is truly likeable and also humble, despite having undertaken this magnificent journey on her own but for two equine companions. She did not even know much about riding but her love for horses and really all animals and her perseverance to make this happen, made her triumph at the end. You'll laugh and cry, be exhilarated and moved as you are swept through the Americas on this epic adventure.

It's not a "horsey book" but just really a five-star read to be enjoyed by all ages.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

At the point this review was submitted (September 2008) all prior reviews were 5 out of 5. Now in all fairness to Marianne, Tolstoy, Austen, Euripides et. al. I will take the dastardly step of submitting a score more reflective of this book's place in the pantheon of world literature rather than a tribute to an amazing woman. Then again, that being the case I might be considered too cerebral and not connected emotionally to the adventure that Marianne experienced. But I truly enjoyed the book and read it from cover to cover. Thus, I arrived at my score of 4 out of 5 for the pure entertainment value of her book plus the bonus credit of providing a meaningful cultural and historic cross reference to the classic by Aimé Tschiffely.

A close read of the two books provides the reader with an opportunity to compare and contrast the world of the past with that of the present. But it's more interesting than a simple fact check analysis. What one finds is that the lives of the people involved are surprisingly constant over time. Generations pass and there remain invariable struggles and regional quirks that surprise the reader for not just their strangeness but also for the constancy and so often the sadness of their lives. Tschiffely spared none with his pithy and by today's standards politically incorrect assessments of the people and the lives he mixed with in his travels. His adventures simply cannot be replicated since the times are so different, yet in some ways there are remarkable similarities. One can clearly discern his preferences for the various residents of South America. Marianne notes that an Argentine acquaintance remarked that should she ever come across a humble Argentine or a smiling Bolivian she should immediately call and report back. For those who have travelled to these places the remark is easily understood and it demonstrates the degree to which she was able to access the humor and insight of the locals in her travels. Throughout her trip it is this type of one on one interaction that creates the greatest impact on the reader. Certainly the sights, smells and sounds along the way are memorable, but these can only be adequately captured in person or by the greatest of writers. She never seeks to do that and rightly so. Rather she seeks to explore the people. Tschiffely also had an interest in the people he met, but his interest was more analytical than emotional. In some ways his book tends to be more humorous for this very reason; and certainly he wrote to entertain. Tschiffely who like Marianne carried firearms (though he had much more than her small handgun) also delved into aspects that don't appear in her book. His excursions to the opium dens of Peru were especially memorable and throughout his story we can clearly perceive an interest if not attraction to the more beautiful women he encountered. Both Marianne and Tschiffely spent years away from home on their travels and it's likely that loneliness might lead to the need for more intimate human contact. The times and discretion may have caused him to exclude the details of his possible romantic encounters with women on his route. Today we live in a much more expressive time; nevertheless, Marianne seems to noticeably exclude any mention of romance from her travelogue. Certainly, this might have made the story more interesting, if only to address how she dealt with or combated these desires over the years on the road.

Comparisons of the two could be made on so many issues. Certainly Tschiffely was a horseman who understood his animals, the land the languages and people he encountered (at least for the most part). Marianne's boldness exceeded her abilities in so many areas. A complete lack of language skill, negligible equestrian competency, and general lack of preparedness did not bode well for her trip. Had she failed and perished she might be remembered as a bookend to Christopher McCandless who although on a different quest, entered the wilds equally unprepared. A huge difference was that Marianne was interested in engaging the world and the people in it rather than running from it. This is real adventure travel, not reality TV. There's no backup crew following her and providing assistance just when life looks to be getting the best of her. This is all-in poker and it's simply beyond what 99.9999% of society will willingly take on themselves. You'll undoubtedly enjoy her story and you might wish that she had better prepared since that would have made it different. I don't say better because the experience is relative to one's own life and expectations. But in the end she entertains us and appears to better understand herself. Congratulations to her, my only concern now is what are her days like without the adventure. Is it sad?

"Crying with Cockroaches" provides an interesting insight into an extraordinary journey of both personal and geographical achievements. Du Toit documents her trek with two horses in an honestly written account. The beautiful pictures help bring the story and the terrain of the Americas to life. Animal welfare is a predominant point and seems even more relevant as the relationship and co-dependency between Du Toit and her two Criollos develops. The story also uncovers the good and bad of human behaviour in a trip so unpredictable and dependent on the offerings of others. The most appealing aspect of this book however is in my opinion, the determination and perseverance of the writer who was focused in the pursuit of her dream. This is inspirational in view to the challenges she faced in a seemingly impossible journey. These messages will no doubt, be encouraging and motivational to any reader of this book. A highly recommended read to any adventure seeker or those in face of a challenge!

When you meet Marianne Du Toit she doesn't look crazy. She seems like a perfectly normal, charming and inteligent young woman. And then she starts telling you stories about her trip, and you start to wonder...

Then you read her compelling narative and you have to wonder how this woman summoned the courage to take on such an incredible journey. She claims she had no idea how tough it would be and that seems as good an explanation as any. Thankfully, nobody suggested she climb Mt. Everest on roller skates.

Her book is a wonderful tale of what the human spirit can accomplish with a healthy dose of determination and a little grass roots help along the way. Du Toit uses her equine adventure to enthrall and enlighten.

Well, I agree with the raves regarding this book. I believe this extends past an armchair sea-cruising book and wallows into classic literature. But I'm not an expert on that so I can't say for sure. However, this story that Caldwell tells closely resembles Holden Caulfield in Salinger's classic. I've always thought this after I put the book down. The transference from normal to borderline and then a psychotic state is very slow and subtle. I'll go no further. You'll have to read it.

I love sea stories, I love survival stories & I knew very little about this book besides the fact that almost every review was 5 stars. I thought I would give it try. This is the story of John Caldwell who at the end of WW2 was stranded at the opposite end of the world from his new wife Mary whom he had married the year before. Try as John might he could not find a way to get back to his wife in Australia. From his years of service in the merchant marine he had enough money saved up to buy a 26 year old 29 foot sailboat. With ZERO training & knowledge of sailing he set off from Panama for a 9,000 mile journey.

One of the things that sets this book apart is at the start John really knows nothing about sailing & he isn't afraid to admit it. Right from the moment he casts off he is only minutes from disaster but somehow he prevails & after numerous mistakes he slowly learns to be a better sailor. He sails solo but he is far from alone, he has two kittens who you learn to love & other secret stowaways. Some become friends, some become dinner. John writes with a great sense of humor. As I was reading the book I was expecting John to get lost or beat up in storms but I wasn't expecting the epic tale of survival. It is one of most successful sailing stories ever. I won't delve any farther into what happens but I will say he has endless interesting escapades with the creatures of the south seas & you will see why this is a desperate voyage. Also you will be amazed at what a human being will eat if pushed to the brink of death.

You will love John's storytelling. I was sad to learn that John has passed on. This week (Sept 2008) his wife has published another book (Mary's Voyage) about further journeys with John - I can't believe he stepped foot on another sailboat. If you love sea stories this book will not disappoint.

John Caldwell was in love. So in love he bought a less-than-adequate 29 foot sailboat to sail thousands of miles across the Pacific (from Panama to Sydney, Australia) to be with his new bride. On his way, adventure and obstacles ensue, and he really shows what he's made of throughout the story.

What a great book! A real page-turner. You will have a hard time putting this one down. I know I did!

John Caldwell, a young American who served in the Australian air force and the US merchant marine during WWII, found himself at the end of hostilities stranded in Panama. He had no way to get back to Australia and his new wife Mary.

With more pluck than brains Caldwell, who had not done any small boating, buys a small sailboat (about 29 feet) with the idea of sailing to far off Australia--more than 8500 miles of open Pacific. First he learns how to maneuver his boat in and around the islands off Panama, with many hilarious screw-ups. Finally he sets off across the ocean. He has a tiresome voyage to the Galapagos Islands, again with many screw-ups, some of which almost cost him his life and nearly wreck his sailboat and disable his auxiliary engine. After the Galapagos the sailing goes better as he has wind and current with him and only some 8000 miles left to go. Then about half way there, between the Marquesas Islands and Samoa, Caldwell is hit by a terrible hurricane that destroys his rig, nearly sinks his boat, and forces him to jettison all of his food, water, navigation equipment, and supplies. His prospects for survival, not to speak of getting to Australia, are remote. Fortunately he had an almost indestructible craft, and that was his greatest piece of luck.

Under jury jig and near death from starvation, he eventually fetches up in the Fiji Islands. He is nursed back to health by the kindly natives and soon makes it the rest of the way to Australia by hitching rides on boats and planes, and is reunited with his beloved Mary. They apparently have lived happily ever after (or at least until the late 1990s), even founding and running a resort in the Caribbean.

Desperate Voyage is a wonderful and wonderfully engaging story. Caldwell writes so well and so engagingly that this book is really hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it. You cannot help liking this plucky screw-up with a penchant for survival. Of course, I feel somewhat guilty enjoying this tale so much--after all it is mostly about screw-ups, disaster, pain, and close brushes with death most of which resulted from Caldwell's rashness and carelessness. Caldwell's voyage is not one to emulate. But as A.J. Mackinnon says in his masterful The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow (another boating story full of screw-ups) "No screw-ups, no story." Certainly if Caldwell had been an accomplished yachtsman and as careful as we boaters are supposed to be, there would have been nothing here to laugh and cry about. Also when reading Caldwell's tale I was reminded of Mackinnon's admission: "Of course, I exaggerate for effect." How much has Caldwell exaggerated to enhance his tale? No one knows, but I sincerely doubt that he really drank his engine oil in order to assuage his hunger when he was starving.

More than thirty years ago when my young family were avid deep water sailors, I read many survival and adventure stories written by those who had had narrow escapes. John Caldwell's vivid tale of his struggle to return to his Australian lady love following his release from the Navy at the end of WWII still stands out in my mind. This year, as I home school my grandson and encourage him to develop innovative thinking, determination and loyalty, "Desperate Voyage" once again comes to mind. One of your other reviewers remarked that Caldwell "had no literary pretentions," but his book is, nevertheless, well worth reading for Caldwell's own humor and durability in the face of disaster. I am happy once again to add it to my library on my grandson's behalf.

A.A. literature and independent research make clear the relevance of this little book to the A.A., 12-Step, Recovery picture. See Dr. Bob's Library, 3rd ed.[[ASIN:1885803257 ; DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers ; The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth [[ASIN:1885803265 ]; The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous[[ASIN:1885803176 ; and Turning Point: A History of Early A.A.'s Spiritual Roots and Successes.[[ASIN:1885803079. A.A.'s co-founder Dr. Bob said hundreds of time that 1 Corinthians 13 was an absolutely essential part of the early A.A. program. He thought so much of this Drummond study that he circulated The Greatest Thing in the World widely among the A.A. pioneers. It was part of his library. It was part of his expression of the meaning of love. For that's what the Corinthians chapter and the Drummond book are about.

I heard Larry Burkett highly praise this book years ago so I got one. I agree, this is an awesome book. read just a few pages and it will change your heart to love others more, no matter how grouchy you are at the time. I prefer the older editions of this book, they fit in my purse better

My brother sent me a copy. He liked it so much he brought fifty copies to share with friends. I in turn have purchased copies to give away. It is the Sermon on the Mount, The Gospel of John, and First John all in one by way of expounding upon Paul's great love expose. Gary Trawick.

This book by Henry Drummond is a much-neglected meditation on I Corinthians 13. With kindness and gentle encouragement, Drummond walks the reader through the characteristics of love we all fail so miserably to exhibit in our own lives. Well-written and short, this book should be on the shelf of anyone who is trying to live Scripture.

Hadn't read Henry Drummond's book in years, but I recently picked it up again and re-read it and found it had lost none of its power for me. This book can be read in twenty minutes, but it's a twenty minutes that can change your perception of life and love.

Drummond, who was an inspiring liberal-thinking Christian of the 1800's, divides Paul's chapter on love in First Corinthians into three parts: "love contrasted," "love analyzed," and "love defended." He shows us what love isn't, shows us what it is, and defends it as the "greatest thing in the world." He helps us understand that it is not a burden to love - it's the easiest thing in the world!

This book is one of the most inspiring pieces of Christian literature I've ever read.

I bought this book based upon the previous rave reviews. I guess I wasn't ready
to entirely believe what I read in them, but they are true. Usually, when
I buy a "travel book," I think of Fodor's or something from AAA. But this
is a work of fine literature. It has the stamp of a warrior poet, not just
a travel maven. Mr. Stanley delivers crafted lectures in this book, and I
feel he is sitting right next to me as I read it. Now, I know he wants me to
actually go to these islands myself, but he does such a masterful job of
discussing the experience and preparing the traveler intellectually and
emotionally for the trip that sometimes as I read it I feel as if I really
don't have to get on the plane,that I've been there! Of course, I do plan to
go, but with this book I feel as if I am extremely well-equipped to
make the journey. The discussions of historical geology, culture, and
the extremely thorough descriptions of the islands and their people make
this book a genuinely living thing. Sometimes books are titled "The thus-and-
such "COMPANION."" This book should be called "Your South Pacific Traveling
Companion." It is a living thing.

South Seas Photography always uses the Moon South Pacific handbook for all the extreme travel and not so extreme adventures.
Our Surf and photography schedule demands the best and we always find Moons South Pacific Handbook the perfect book in which to explore various locations in Polynesia. It even has Surf locations listed as well! Honest and comprehensive. As the largest beach lifestyle imaging company in the Pacific, David Stanley's book is the perfect guide for all aspects of South Pacific travel. We never travel without it.

Aloha - Karl Meinhardt
www.SouthSeasPhotography.com

Moon Handbooks South Pacific is the ultimate overview for traveling on any of the island groups of the South Pacific. This 1091 paged book is full of detailed travel information but is still practical sized to tuck in a daypack for easy reference. Furthermore, this book has plenty of fairly detailed maps, complete with accurate distance scales, for easy travel planning or reference while you travel.

There are eighteen chapters in Moon Handbooks South Pacific: Introduction; Exploring the Islands; French Polynesia; Pitcairn Islands; Easter Islands; Cook Islands; Niue; Kingdom of Tonga; American Samoa; Samoa; Tokelau; Wallis and Futuna, Tuvalu; Fiji Islands; New Caledonia; Vanuatu; Solomon Islands, and Resources. The introduction chapter contains an overview on the South Pacific area. This detailed information includes geology, climate, flora, fauna, history, economy, and the government of these islands. The next chapter, Exploring the Islands, contains general information on sports and recreation; entertainment; public holidays and festivals; arts and crafts; accommodations; and food as well as contacts for information and services; health; getting there; and getting around while in the south pacific. This chapter also includes a what to take section. The Resources chapter contains further information on suggested readings and internet resources.

The rest of the chapters in Moon Handbooks South Pacific focus on particular geographical regions, islands, or groups of islands within the South Pacific island groups. The first paragraph or page of each regional section describes a little about the region. After this overview, individual sights, recreation areas, special events, accommodations, food services, information services, and transportation services are depicted in detail. Depending on the size and general amount of facilities in a given region, there may be only one or two entries per category or over a dozen. Each entry contains the location, contacts, costs, and a short paragraph description of the facility or event featured. Several black and white maps and photographs accompany each section, clearly marked with the various facilities described in that particular section.

Moon Handbooks South Pacific is a helpful guide for anyone planning on traveling to any of the islands of the South Pacific island groups. Very complete key information is provided for easy reference while planning or while travel. However, this book may also be just as interesting for the armchair traveler as this book contains ample information about the natural environment, history, and culture on these beautiful islands.

A great value to anyone planning a trip to the South Pacific! Detailed, informative, educational...what more could anyone want.

As one of the editors of Travelers' Tales 30 Days in the South Pacific, I found David Stanley's Moon Handbook, South Pacific to be an indispensible guide during a recent trip through the South Pacific

Sean O'Reilly
Editor-at-Large
Travelers' Tales

I'd first heard of Karl when I got the Ricky Gervais podcast from a friend for my birthday. His book comes across just like he does on the podcasts. It's a collection of his travels around the world from his Parents' house to Los Angeles to Ibiza. Some are written in story format, others as journal entries and sprinkled liberally throughout are poems and comic strips of "friend-of-friend" tales.

It is a mix of non-sequitur and absurdism. It's as if Karl stops thinking after the first thought that crosses his brain. Sure, I might have had the same thought, "hey, if my head were on backward, I'd be able to face the audience if I were a pianist." But then, being normal, I would follow that thought up with all the other side effects of having my head on backward.

Pilkington, however, does not move past the first thought of childlike wonderment of having his head on backward and doesn't seem to realize there is anything much past that initial thought. The end result is absolute hilarity.

I can't sum it up any better than what's in the title of this review. I wish I could be in a room with Karl, Stephen and Ricky...I think I'd die laughing.

Just like Ricky Gervais said, "I've seen him blossom from an idiot into an imbecile." Karl has such a different way of viewing the world and it's like no other. Maybe it's because he's borderline retarded, yet extremely observant and curious. This book is HILARIOUS!!!

P.S. WE'RE ALL WAITING FOR SERIES 4 OF THE PODCAST, KARL. HURRY UP AND FIX YOUR DAFT BOILER AND GET BACK IN THE STUDIO WITH RICKY AND STEVE.

Great book. Karl IS a genius, Ricky is the idiot, I know this cos im a genius and if Karl isn't one then im not, but I am, so he is, so there. Love it!

Karl is the king, but he has become a lazy king, and his subjects are getting restless. MORE PODCAST NOW YOU ORANGE HEADED MONKEY FREAK!!!!

...And there better be new monkey news included in the podcast...I'm just sayin'....

But about the book....Great book. Karl's an idiot, but strangely, his book creates a very enjoyable read. I esp. liked when he talked about the squirrles in Carmel, CA. I live by there, and I've seen those squirrles, and I want to go back and see if they've been traumatized by meeting Karl.

You felt as if you were a part of the crew in this lovely book of a summer on the Mediterranean.

You don't have to be a sailor or chef to enjoy this book. David Shalleck firmly placed me in the galley and on the deck of this sailing yacht. I could taste the salt air and the wonderful meals he prepared. A wonderful summer read!

I loved this book! Perfect summer read. Plan to cook a lot after reading! The recipes are easy, but amazing. Will not disappoint! Ten years ago my husband and I sailed the west coast of Corsica. This was such a nice reminder of the trip of a lifetime. We did all our own cooking on that trip, but it was nice to see exactly what was going on on all those huge yachts that passed us by!

I have been to most of the places David mentions in the book. Last year in Portofino I watched a yacht like the Serenity dock and noticed the activity that took place in order for the owners and guests to come ashore for their lunch. They were seated next to me at the restaurant and, eavesdropping, I wondered what life on that yacht would be like.

I ran across this book on another Amazon book search and it looked so interesting that I bought it without knowing anything about the author. David brings the international food scene and the yachting scene to life in a down to earth and warm way. I traveled in my mind right along with him.

It is one of those books that I read slowly towards the end in order to savor the last pages before I finish reading. I highly recommond this book.

I felt like I was right there on the yacht, in the Med and tasting all of the wonderful meals. Once I picked up the book, I couldn't put it down. I have made a couple of the recipes in the back of the book and they were wonderful. A must read, especially if you like traveling, the beach, boating and cooking. Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful. I just can't say it enough.

great for the price and wow very fast shipping very easy to use. If you travel alot get this atlas.

This is a road atlas that has everything I was looking for. I'm glad I bought it and know I will use it for years to come.

Best map of USA I have ever seen. Very up-to-date. Tons of information. This map is a must have for USA trips...

You won't need to worry about getting lost with this in your car!! Wonderful detail. We went from NH to Florida and back without any problems!

This isn't your father's road atlas! This one has RADICAL streets, AWESOME rivers, and COOOOL lakes represented in TOTALLY TUBULAR drop-down 2-D! I should warn you that you may LITERALLY BURST INTO FLAMES when you note the 6 - 6!!!! - main thoroughfares out of Gettysburg, PA. That is but one moment of potential spontaneous human combustion in the Northeast. Do not look at panel A-4 on the Vermont map, WHATEVER YOU DO!!!!

The perfect size to place in your rucksack in your cross-country trek, the Rand McNally Road Atlas will give you much "G Love". By which I mean that you will be grody to the max and will blind multiple people with science. Science. The sweet science of geography.

I'm a recreational diver at the moment and I love this reference guide to some of the amazing stuff you can encounter while diving! Although it's just a small sample of what you'll run into underwater, it's a very informative and helpful guide to browse through before and after your dives to give your dive a fun scavenger hunt! It comes with a retractable clip that prevents it from getting lost or misplaced. A great gift for those considering becoming a scuba diver and veterans alike. Even if you don't go diving it will take you into the amazing underwater world through the wonderful pictures along with a description of the marine life shown.

I like its physical size since its large enough to easily utilize while checking out interesting animals, yet not overly big and clumsy so as to interfere with your equipment. With the animal's photo on one side of the page and its environmental aspects discussed on the opposite side, e.g., size, hiding areas, and behavior, it helps enlarge one's knowledge and appreciation for subject. And I first tested its `waterproof' capability in my marine aquarium, where it was left for 30 minutes, then removed and cleaned in freshwater. Still looks like new, and I'll test it somewhat further when I go to the Caymans in the near future. I'm already looking forward to Vol. 2. Bob Goemans

Just in the first five minutes I learned to much about the world under the sea.Great book.

Waterproof materials, GREAT photos, extremely useful information. I would recommend this clever reference guide to any diver. I can't wait for more scuba dic volumes! Retractable device a must, too.... places marine species identification literally at your fingertips.

I was skeptical at first when I saw this, but I was getting bored just knowing the names of the fish I came across. I thought this would turn out like Fish Flips(eg only names of fish listed for each pic), but it has a LOT more to offer. There are written descriptions for each pic, that don't just list facts, but also explain how to find & approach sea life (eg. Size, time of day, hiding spots/location, animals behavior, etc.), I found this really useful, because after tooling around with my camera, I was getting tired of only getting snapshots of fishtails. The book held up great UW; the pages just got sticky bc I didn't rinse it off initially, but I left it overnight in fresh water and there was no problem after that. Since i started taking along scuba dic for dives, it's been abused more times than tina turner, & its still in good shape....thus far. I do think it's better to get familiar with it on your surface interval vs trying to learn underwater. But all in all, it's a really good idea.

This is classic sci-fi in its space opera format. I read this when I was a teenager because I'd read Lord Kalvan (Paratime series) serialized in Analog. It's quintessential escapist fiction--one of the most popular sub-genres in sci-fi. Taken as part of Piper's grand Future History saga, this is one of the best.

If you ever played Traveller, or GURPS or anything else like that, you will love this story. Very well written and entertaining. Piper's death was a loss that the SCIFI community will never recover from, especially with books he wrote like this one.

This novel reads like an adolescent fantasy. What would I do if my new bride were murdered? Become a space viking of course! And start an empire, and then everyone would respect me!

I found the messages disturbing as well. A couple that come across include the idea that stealing from and killing those weaker than you is OK, and the concept that those in power shouldn't tolerate lower classes working toward equality.

For the price of the Kindle edition, it wasn't awful, but I'll take an early Heinlein any day.

_Space Viking_ (1963) was a four-part serial in _Analog_ in 1962-63 and was accompanied by some marvelous John Schoenherr illustrations. It was reprinted by Ace shortly thereafter to modest attention. Since Piper's death by suicide in 1964, a number of his admirers have tried to make a case that the novel is a classic. Well, it isn't. It is a well-crafted space adventure that has some intelligent things to say about politics and warfare. But there is nothing highly original about the novel in plot, style, or content. It doesn't have the sparkle of his own Little Fuzzy novels.

Briefly, the story is this: The Galactic Federation has collapsed, and planets are now at the mercy of marauding Space Vikings. The hero is a nobleman named Lucas Trask whose bride is murdered on their wedding day by a madman. To catch the killer, Trask becomes a Space Viking and begins a series of conquests across the galaxy. But gradually, he finds that he is also rebuilding...

One of the characters in _Space Viking_ is an admiral named Otto Harkaman, who becomes a right hand man to Trask. The name sparked an echo in my mind when I reread Piper's novel. And then it clicked. It reminded me of the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Frank Herbert's _Dune_ (1965), another _Analog_ novel. One man is essentially heroic, while the other is essentially villainous. But both are politically savy. Orson Scott Card once complained that most science fiction writers knew little about politics. They would have politicians in their stories say things that politicians would never say in real life and do things that real politicians would never do. This is not true of Piper and Herbert. You sense that their depictions of political meetings are authentic and that the policies that they make are realistic. Granted, their politics are somewhat on the medieval and Machiavellian side, but they are realistic nonetheless.

In any event, I heartily recommend _Space Viking_. Classic it may not be, but it deserves more attention than it has received in the past.

I picked this book up the other day at a used bookstore. I decided to do this when I saw that the book was in better shape than the one I have in the basement and the price was great (only $3.00, not bad at all for a book that I love). Having picked it up, I immediately started to read Space Viking (again for the upteenth time). As with many of Mr. Piper's books, Space Viking is as much a look at society and political systems as it is a space opera. In this case a futuristic feudalism is examined while remnants of the Old Federation raid their poorer neighbors.



For me this is a five star book. The story telling is descriptive, the plot; while simple it does have a style that enables the space opera to move forward nicely while Mr. Piper explores space feudalism (and other forms of government) and the impact when people leave one country/planet to seek their fame and fortune. While this book was written in 1963, Mr. Piper does a great job making this a timeless classic. More science fiction writers would be better if they'd emulate Mr. Piper's works.

This was my first Magic Tree house book and I was really impressed. The story was well-done, and the concept of the tree house time machine reminded me of when I was a kid with a tree house in the woods with books strewn across its floor. In a way, many of us did or do have a tree house time machine to carry us away on wings of imagination, and I guess that's one of the reasons why these books are so popular. Osborne is a skillful writer, and I liked that she was realistic about the medieval culture that the siblings visited while still remaining a children's fantasy. Many young adult books set in medieval times shy away from the fact that civilization smelled horrible in those days and life was lived unhygienically by today's standards. A modern person entering the culture would be shocked by the smell, and most time-travel books ignore this, even the adult ones. But it adds to the suspension of disbelief that in this story, Jack and Annie notice such things.
I also learned things about Shakespeare and his era from this book, even though I've taken classes on the Bard in both highschool and college. Osborne includes facts in an unpatronizing way that really supplements the story. The extra facts listed in the back of the book are a great added bonus, and I'd be willing to bet that most kids read and remember them as well as the story.
I'll be ordering more of these great books next time my kid brings home the old Scholastic form for sure!

J. Lyon Layden
The Other Side of Yore

Mary Pope Osborne has found a way to make it enjoyable for young people to read. There is a series of her books which will keep the student spell bound for the next chapter book.

Stage Fright on a Summer Night happened in England, which is where I live. Jack and Annie got to see Shakespeare, which I like alot. They did one of my favorite shows, which is Midsummer Night's Dream. I really liked this book alot because it was the 15th one I read this summer. Magic Tree House books are great because they teach you about all different places, people and things. They are great adventures!

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

I could write the same review for every "Magic Tree House" book. We were introduced to the series when my oldest son was 5, and just starting to read. We got the #1 book (the Dinosaur one) on audio when he was learning to read independently. Then he started to read the book along with the audio. Now, at 7, he is bound and determined to read every book in the series, in order, of course. He just finished this one. The words are fairly simple, so the series is great for kids ready to tackle chapter books - they won't get frustrated by having too many words they cannot sound out. They are all ten chaper books, with a little larger type and good line/paragraph spacing, making it easy for kids to keep their place. They all tell a little slice of history in a very interesting way. Everyone in the family learns something everytime.