Travel Books

The service was exceptional as always and, the CD's are a great hit for my children as they follow along with the books. Ages 5-7

just loves these stories. They really are fun to listen to, and now he can hear them when ever... no waiting for mom!

These books on CD are fabulous. My five year old loves them. He tells me that he doesn't need illustrations because he can create images in his own mind. They are very educational. Each story covers a topic in such an interesting way that I now use these them to introduce that topic. These stories generated interest in history, science,art and much more.

My six year old loves these CD's! He wants to listen to them whenever we are in the car to go anywhere! I will have to buy more!

My son, who is 5, loves these stories! He would rather listen to the Magic Tree House Stories than watch a movie. And that is saying something for a kid that thinks the world is going to end if he doesn't get to watch his daily movie!
I love them because they have a smattering of interesting facts and the each story is long enough for me to get my dishes done uninterupted!

gave this book to my mom as a b-day gift, per her request and she loves it. the pictures are beautiful and it was a great armchair travel!

"Markawasi: Peru's Inexplicable Stone Forest" by Kathy Doore is an impressive compendium of more than four hundred full-color and informatively captioned photographs, illustrations and maps showcasing the 'sacred mountain' country of Peru. This unique photo guidebook is more than just a collection of interesting images as the author has arranged for an engaging and informative two-page Foreword by Peter E. Schneider, followed by an extended Preface, an Introduction, and historical background to Peru's Markawasi Stone Forest complete with a map and hiking routes. The rest of this elegant 176-page coffee table book is devoted to 'Temples of Light and Shadow' (showcasing specific elements of interest); then 'Superbatolite Circompacifigue'; 'Faces & Sculptures'; 'Sons of the Ray'; 'Fiesta del Agua'; 'How to Go!' (with festivals, village life and outfitting for the mesa); 'Nature's Gift' (medicinal plants of the mesa); and 'Voices of the Mesa'. Of special note is the bibliographic list of suggested reading for further study. Perfect as a preparational reading for onsite visitors and an ideal browse for armchair travelers with an interest in something 'off the beaten path', this superbly written, organized and presented compendium is very highly recommended for personal, academic, and community library collections.

Kathy Doore is an exceptional human being who has lived years beyond her age. The book is truly a legacy and affirmation of the depth of her perception about the light and energy of Markawasi and Peru in general.
We are blessed to have Kathy living in this time warp. I am delighted that I own being one of her best friends. To know her is to understand her genius and dedication...
May we all be blessed by this profound work of brilliance and love for a country that owns our soul.

Patricia

In this stunning book Kathy Doore has put together a gift fit for everyone.
If your interest is photography, graphics, sculpture, painting,
anthropology, history, mysticism, story telling, South America, Peru,
geology, Hiking, traveling or book collecting, I am sure that you will love this book. There's even a travel guide on how to get to this far-out sculpture garden up in the Andes.
It's one of the coolest and hippest books I've seen in a long time. The reading material is super interesting. If you prefer you can just flip through the pages full of awesome pictures and beautiful illustrations. I highly recommend it.

I found Markawasi to be completely inspiring. A must read for any seasoned traveler, or dreamer who has yet to embark upon a journey of discovery. This book combines both an impressive expanse of research as well as another element, missing in so many guidebooks: the human element. The author combines a notable array of research, practical traveler's advice, as well as a richly woven tapestry of human experience and personal revelation. This book encourages not just a physical trek to this spot, but also a spiritual quest in order to explore the mysteries of this ancient culture. Complete with amazing photography, colorful descriptions of life in San Pedro de Casta, and inspiring stories of personal growth, the author allows a glimpse into her own connection to this place of profound depth. The author's own revelations provide a token of authenticity, we as readers, can begin to unravel and understand why this place holds such importance to so many, and this helps to break down the barrier between author and audience. Overall, an incredibly well thought out creation. Be prepared for an experience in reading this book. Definitely a testament to the transformative power of travel and exploration.

this is a fantastic read, if you have ever climbed any mountain this would probably interest you

I'm not sure, but I may have been one of the pilots on the C-130 that helped to coordinate the rescue of the team off of Mt. McKinley. Rescue 489 sounds like one of the 17th Troop Carrier Squadron's aircraft. And, I recall dropping (parachuting) a couple of radios on the emergency frequency to a climbing team that we helped rescue. The aircraft commander and I are discussing this particular rescue as "I speak."

As I recall, the person from the expedition that was talking to me was very very reluctant to leave the climb, finally asking what it would cost. When the team was assured that there would be "no cost," things did change... :-)

On the rescue that I'm describing, perhaps the one covered in this book, the Army Huey helicopter had difficulty landing at such a high elevation, and carrying out such a load. I watched as the helicopter lifted off, and it had to dive down toward the base of the mountain to get into more dense air, and to gain associated lift. On the way back to the airport, we slowed the C-130 down, and lowered the flaps, so the Huey helicopters could fly on each wing tip...

I loved how suspenseful it is when they are trapped in the snow cave for a week. I would definetly recommend this book to anyone about the age of 12. It is kind of challenging.

this was an awesome book. it was so suspensful i couldnt put it down it was like my fingers and eyes were glued to the book.i had a great time reading it.the people in this book went through alot of bad luck.im not going to describe it though for those of you review readers who havent read the book.this book was the complete oppisite of a waste of time and i highly recommend reading it because there is so many bad things happening like death, frostbite, and wind speeds i didnt even know were possible that its amazing anyone could have survived a adventure such as that.this was a good book i highly recommened it for anyone looking for a good time , or anyone who hasnt read a good book lately, or ,OH THE HELL WITH IT! I recommened this book to anyone, anywhere, anytime!

This book is incredible. You cannot put it down. A great gripping TRUE story!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought it. I didn't like it. It's really for someone who likes to or wants to tour Napa wineries. If you want to explore Napa, this book will help you find something you might have overlooked. You might also save time by avoiding certain wineries. A good book for the right person.

What a funny book. A 12 month journey visiting all wine tasting rooms in NAPA. Not a review of the wines, but a review of the tasting rooms. If you are into NAPA Wines, then this is the book to read. Each chapter is a short story. I would have given anything to be able to take their year long journey. Very well written....

I loved this book! Not only is A Moveable Thirst an informative read, it was a pleasure to read. The writing mirrors the rollicking ride these two authors obviously enjoyed while on their "Quest" in the Napa Valley. Highly recommend this to both the wine obsessed and anyone planning a wine tasting trip. Great fun!

This book is a humorous narrative and guide to most of the wineries in Napa Valley written from the perspective of a person who likes wine, but hasn't adopted the artificial habits and vocabulary of a "wine snob". Rick Kushman has co-written a book along with Hank Beal, who is the executive wine buyer for Sacramento area Nugget Markets, that both informs and entertains for people who want to learn about wine and the hundreds of wineries in Napa Valley. It is one half narrative, filled with facts and information about the art and difficulties with wine-making, described through multiple interviews/conversations with local winery executives and personnel in the tasting rooms. The other half lists objective information of most Napa Valley wineries with facts that include: hours and days open, varietals offered, tasting and tour information, access information,and extras such as food offered or picnic areas. I have used this book several times to take friends and relatives to Napa and to successfully select vinyards that complement their interests and tastes.

This is a fun book to read. Part personal story and part tasting room reviews, it combines interesting information about wine making, the stories behind the people and the wineries, and details about each tasting room. It is well-written but in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. It's very approachable and teaches about the wine business without making you feel like you are an idiot. One of the authors is a professional in the wine industry, the other (the primary author) is a journalist with little experience other than he likes to drink wine. After reading this book, and knowing something about wine, I still learned a lot and was greatly entertained. I now want to plan another trip to Napa Valley as there are many new places that I want to check out! I have recommended this as a must-read to many friends as they plan their own trips or are just looking for a good book.

This was a very well-crafted and informative book, which I would recommend reading to those who haven't yet. For those who have, and who enjoyed it like I did, I would recommend Tent Life in Siberia: An Incredible Account of Siberian Adventure, Travel, and Survival, which George Kennan's account of his travels around eastern Siberia on dogs and reindeer sleds.

The Other Side of Russia is part travel narrative, part social history, part memoir, part food writing. All these parts come together to make a terrific book.

Sharon Hudgins and her husband Tom spent a year and a half in post-Soviet Siberia teaching business management for the University of Maryland's overseas program. As peripatetic ex-patriates, they were familiar with unfamiliarity. But they were still not prepared for what Siberia had to offer them.

Join Sharon and Tom as they picnic with the Russian Mafiya, try to teach in an educational system that discourages questions and independent thinking, and ponder why a herd of horses is tangled in downtown rush hour traffic.

In "Absurdistan" it is just one perplexing thing after another. The electricity and water in their poorly-constructed apartment building work only intermittently. But in spite of such challenges, they make friends and entertain regularly. Cultural differences mean that the same friends who swoon over delicacies such as wafer-thin horse liver slices rolled with layers of horse fat, are unable to enjoy a Hudgins Tex-Mex feast.

Hudgins's previous work as a food and travel writer are evident here, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she writes fiction as well. The narrative is effortless and the stories she tells are by turns engaging and frightening.

In The Other Side Of Russia, author Sharon Hudgins takes the reader along on her Trains-Siberian Railroad adventure through Siberia and the Russian Far East, an area that was closed off to Westerners (and most Russians) prior to 1990s and the collapse of the old Soviet Union. Here the reader will be treated to a unique travelogue that will take them from the frozen surface of Lake Baikal, to feast with native Siberian Buryats, the food markets and "high-rise villages" of Vladivostok and Irkutsk, Christmas celebrations, New Year's banquets, Easter dinners, and Siberian festivals. The Other Side Of Russia dispels the myths and misconceptions about the Asian part of Russia which extends across eight time zones between the Ural Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Offering a window of observation into this land of harsh winters, vast uninhabited spaces, friendly people, strange cuisines, and thriving modern cities, The Other Side Of Russia is a welcome, informative, and highly entertaining read which is especially commended to the attention of armchair travelers and students of Russian culture and history.

The Other Side of Russia emerged from Barbara Hudgins experience of living in Siberia for a year and a half, from 1993 to 1994. Working as the onsite program coordinator for the University of Maryland University College in Siberia and the Russian Far East, she worked and lived in Vladivostok and Irkutsk.

Hudgins book is the first book about Siberia I'd come across written by someone who spent extensive time in Siberia. This gives her a depth of understanding that adds a lot to her memoir.

The structure of her memoir is unusual. She's divided the book into two sections. The chapters in part one focus on place - Irkutsk, Vladivostok, Lake Baikal, etc. - and the chapters in the second part focus on aspects of life and culture in Siberia - housing, education, food and festivals. Hudgins supplemented her first-hand experience with extensive research. This offers readers an in-depth source of information about many aspects of Siberian place and life.

What's lost in this non-chronological format is Hudgin's own adaptations and reactions over her time in Siberia. She does insert some feelings and personality, but the focus is on the topic, rather than on her personal experience or characters who change and develop over the period.

Hudgins seems to have thrown herself into Siberia with a remarkably open mind. She expertly captures the small details of Siberian life and renders vivid pictures of feasts shared with Russian friends. For those who have been to Siberia, this book will take you back there. For those planning on going, The Other Side of Russia provides a great overview of the life and culture.

In THE OTHER SIDE OF RUSSIA, the University of Maryland University College has established a joint undergraduate degree program in business management with the Far Eastern State University in Vladivostok and the State University in Irkutsk. In the summer of 1993, author Sharon Hudgins and her husband, Tom, packed off to Siberia and the Russian Far East to serve as teachers in this cooperative venture, while the former was also Maryland's on-site program coordinator in both cities. This book chronicles their experiences from their arrival until their departure in December 1994.

Whether she's describing the immensity of pristine Lake Baikal, the problematic living conditions in their high-rise apartment, local customs and food of the Buryat people, the vagaries and perils of shopping for household necessities, maddening water and electricity outages, local festivals, the growing pains of a free-market economy, the university students' learning ethic, or the conviviality and generosity of their Russian friends, Hudgins has a keen eye for small details, as when describing an open air market:

"An Uzbek woman ... sold raisins and nuts in small paper cones made out of official forms from the Irkutsk Municipal Water Department ... In one part of the market, a pretty teenage girl, wearing a garish, flower-printed dress and a thousand-yard stare, held a handful of peacock feathers and sipped a can of Dr Pepper, while in another section two older women, both drunk, tried to punch each other out in a fist fight."

I haven't been so engaged by a travel essay about Russia since Hedrick Smith's 1976 bestseller, THE RUSSIANS. My only criticism is the relative lack of photographs - only a couple at most per chapter. Luckily, Sharon's poetic prose paints pictures almost as effective as snapshots, as this from her vantage point on the Trans-Siberian Railroad:

"A profusion of wildflowers carpeted the meadows, like an Impressionist painting exuberantly expanding beyond the limits of canvas and frame: undulating shades of yellow, gold, and blue, maroon and magenta, soft pink and pristine white, the pale purple globes of wild onions gone to seed, thousands of red-orange tiger lilies, whole fields of dark purple Siberian irises, and occasionally a single red poppy or two, like a stubborn symbol of politics past. Outside Chita a small lake glistened under the midnight moon."

For me, a travel narrative is all it can be if it makes me want to go there myself. THE OTHER SIDE OF RUSSIA accomplishes that. Well, maybe for just a brief visit, perhaps, because I certainly wouldn't want to live there.

St Barts is about great food and this book completely encapsulates the essence of the island cuisine. You want some incredible recipes?. Then get this book and bon appetit

St. Barts is very dear to my husband and I, but more so for me. It holds a very special place in my life. It has offered me peace, contentment, a chance to regroup, recharge. We have placed our copy of Paradise Found on our coffee table at home. Robert and Kara have produced a book that is both a recipe book and a history of St. Barts. The book takes me back there whenever I look at it, read it. They have captured not only the essence of St. Barts, but the people that make St. Barts what it is. The stories are fascinating. The photographs are breathtaking and when I look at the photo on the front cover, I can smell the ocean, hear the ocean, feel the sun, feel St. Barts. I have tried several of the recipes and so far none have failed. As a "wanna be" gourmet chef, this is quite the accomplishment ! We have been to most of the restaurants featured and have now visited those we hadn't previously. This is a beautiful, wonderful book and if you love St. Barts, you'll love this book. If you've not been to St. Barts? This will make you go !

Debby Best

This book reveals St. Barthelemy in a unique way. The Brooks' exceptional photographs & revealing interviews with resident restaurant owners present a compelling case. "Paradise Found" is in a class by itself--more than a guide, more than a cookbook. For those who already know the island, it keeps the flame alive between trips. For those contemplating a first trip, it will give a feel for the people, the marvelous cuisine and the ambiance of a special piece of paradise.

As a long time visitor to the island, I found the book accurately captures not only the cuisine, but the feel of the island...the blend of french and caribbean influences creates some memorable meals, which the book will allow you to duplicate (well, sorta...LOL) in your kitchen at home.It's a great way to keep memories of St Barts alive, and a wonderful introduction to the island for a first time visitor.

This book is a wonderful blend of terrific recipes and an inside look at the beautiful island of St. Barths. The photos are breathtaking and the recipes delicious! If you haven't already been to the island, you'll definitely want to put it on your travel list after reading this.

I found this a fantastic guide to finding many of the hidden gems that we all take for granted when visiting Disney World. You blink you will miss them. I like some of the history and meanings behind many of the items that I would have missed otherwise. I think this guide would be great to entertain and the teens on your trip.

This lets you see the ins and outs of Disney. It lets you look at Disney in a different way. It's just fun and it's great. So it's great fun!!!!!

I'm sure this is a perfectly wonderful book and I'll give it 5 stars based on how well it's written and how much fun it looks like it would be. However, I bought this book along with the Hidden Mickey's book and we soon learned it was impossible to do both, so we chose looking for Hidden Mickeys. I think the Treasure Hunts would be a lot of fun for large families, church or school groups.

My husband and I are avid Disney goers, visiting at least once a year. We always try to find something different to do when wer're there (i.e. tours around the parks). This book has provided that new fun thing to do on our next trip. It asks a lot of questions and you really have to hunt for answers. There are differnet levels of hunts so it's great for kids, teenagers, or kids at heart. Enjoy!!!!!!

This book is a necessity for anyone who visits WDW. We have been 11 times now, and thought we knew everything. WRONG. We had more much fun on this last trip using this book than ever before.

If you look around at WDW, everyone is hurrying, running, to get to the "next" thing. What you may not realize is that every step IS the next thing.

WDW is not just about shows and rides. It's all the little details that create the whole fun effect. We had never even stopped to read all the handprints in front of The Great Movie Ride, examine the fountain in front of Muppet Labs, notice all the details inside Country Bear Jamboree, or a million other things. Treaure hunting gave this trip so much more and really made this trip more "magical" than ever.

I just finished this book, the 2nd time travel I've read, and I thought it was excellent. It was a real page turner. For the most part, it didn't have a lot of funny scenes (except when it finally dawns on Nadine that she isn't in Kansas anymore, just after deciding that everyone was not in on some kind of a joke involving her), but
the last line in the book was hysterical! It ended on such a happy note. I really liked Faulk, and I realized fairly early on that he truly loved Nadine, though he denied it through to nearly the end. The book was more of a reincarnation book than a time travel, I thought. If it had been more of a time travel, it would have been interesting to see the medeval Nadine in our modern times.
I hope to read Sandra Landry's other book, The Wishing Chalice,
soon.

This was a wonderful story full of heart and wit and was a enjoyable read. I would recommend it to anyone who loves romance or especially time travel romance.

This is a book I couldn't put down! Great characters, great plot,great pacing-- this book has it all. Do yourself a favor and buy it today!

Modern day Nadine du Monte reluctantly leaves her family in Rouen, France to study in London. Prior to leaving, Nadine and a friend decide to visit a gypsy--who prophesizes that 'death is only a transitional time' which initiates a vision in which Nadine sees herself--or at least a woman who LOOKS like her and shares the same name 800 years in the past. Unnerved by the experience, Nadine seeks comfort from her beloved mother before she leaves for London. Upon her arrival, however, Nadine learns that both parents perished in an auto accident that day. Unable to get a late flight, Nadine faces her crippling fear of water and boards a ferry across the English Channel. Once again, Nadine is overcome with a vision of the medieval Nadine and falls overboard. Lord Faulk of Whitecastle, loyal knight of Richard II, had long delayed acting on his promise to his father to return from the battlefield, take a wife and sire an heir. Upon his father's death, Faulk guiltily returned to Whitecastle intending to immediately carry out his duty. Only when he found the waterlogged body of Nadine du Monte lying upon the beach near his home did he recall the witch's prophesy: a golden vision with the mark of the rose would come from the water and would be the only woman who could bear his children. Cared for by Faulk's beloved retainer, Nadine recovers and finds herself, unbelievably, in the 13th century. Reluctant to accept her circumstances, plagued with the grief from her parents' deaths and trying to understand the flashes of "memories" she experiences of her apparent previous life in medieval England, Nadine must temporarily rely on Faulk's largesse. She refuses, however, his offers of marriage, but does find herself powerfully attracted to the honorable man who believes she is the woman of a prophesy. To complicate Nadine's identity crisis even further, a man claiming to be her betrothed arrives at Whitecastle and demands she return to Rouen with him immediately. Nadine's memories of her medieval life return in bits and pieces and she cannot recall her bethrothed. She decides to return to Rouen to learn more about herself, but the man she has come to love and the man who claims to be her betrothed constantly posture and fight. Upon her arrival in Rouen, Nadine learns of her medieval life and is inundated with the memories of her former life and, conversely, her memories from her modern life become vague and distant. Faulk knows Nadine is the woman of the prophesy and must find a way to make her his. He cannot, however, offer her his love because of the betrayal he suffered from his first wife. Nadine loves Faulk and realizes that she could live happily in medieval England with him--if she could believe that he wanted her for more than just her ability to bear his children and fulfill his promise to his dead father. But the prophesy must be satisfied or Nadine will be returned to the future--and only Faulk's love will hold her in his time.

An original combination of time travel, reincarnation and prophesy. A great debut from Sandra Landry.

I really enjoyed reading A Perfect Love. It's a very interesting story and made me laugh and feel tender at the same time. All the confusion situations of past and contemporary are showed in a very funny way during the dialogues between the two main characters. A love with no barriers, even time... I'm longing to read something else from this author, definitely she has her own style!

In my second visit to Istanbul I bought this book at the Istanbul airport minutes before boarding the plane back home as a "divertissement" for the long flight. It turned out I couldn't put it down. Is a poignant memoir of a life style gone forever and happy times that would never come back. As a woman I ached for the mother, she is really the central character of the book, and of the author's life as well.
Is a sad, beautiful book which I enjoyed very, very much

Exellent book realy well written (if a little dry in some parts) This is Irfan Orga's personal biography of most of all how his mother held the family together in one of the most difficult periods of Turkish history. How his father sadly passed away fighting in Galipoli (something many Turks can relate to) but most of all the sad, pointless way he died as so many Turks did during those years not just in Galipoli but on the Eastern front against the Russians not by bullets buy by poor supply lines, confusion and lack of communication and support.

It should be kept in mind that Irfan Orgas family were of the middle class and were largely receptive of the reforms of Ataturk (I would be interested to read something from those who were not) There are some interesing parts of this book such as how when he was at school under the old system students would be punished for missing prayers under the new system they are now punished for attending them. How their hats (so important in Ottoman days) where slowly changed to have a peak on them in order both to make them more 'western' and also to prevent prayer.

Well written and interesing, worth a read.

"Portrait of a Turkish Family" is a memoir of the decline of old Istanbul, and of the author's once-wealthy merchant family, during the military and economic crises that followed Turkey's entry into World War I, the wars of the early 1920s, and Mustafa Kemal's (Ataturk's) nationalist revolution. The book, republished by Eland Publishing Ltd., was written originally in English and in an elegant, end-of-the-19th Century style. In the Afterword, the author's son Ates, hints that his father Irfan planned the book and wrote a sketch, but that his aristocratic English mother drafted it. This warm and tragic remembrance is a minor classic of English literature; it echoes the aching nostalgia of the British upper classes for things oriental in 1950, the evening of the British Empire.

Though British in style and sentiment, the book belongs to Irfan Orga's very Turkish memories of childhood. It is his touching, often moving, evocation of the charms of a world lost forever; the world of servants, comfort, and of cloistered women and small children. Women of this social class stayed mainly at home in the Ottoman era, leaving their homes only with relatives and completely veiled. Small children were happily spoiled.

This charmed if out-dated existence was destroyed by Turkey's entry into the First World War and by the succession of military reversals that followed. These brought blockade, food shortages, inflation, and repeated drafts of militarily unqualified civilians. Many died, including the author's father; who was drafted, hardly trained, and sent off with his battalion, dying en route from marching day after day on swollen, bloody, and then infected feet. The fires that periodically ravaged old Istanbul burned the family home, and most of its savings --in paper notes- were lost. The tale follows the family's quick slide into poverty and even hunger, Irfan's mother's struggle to remake her self, by acts of will, to earn money through labor, and his grandmother's incapacity to adjust to new realities.

With the victory of the Mustafa Kemal's revolution, their mother places Irfan and his younger brother in officer candidate school, to avoid hunger and provide some education, and Irfan goes on to a career in military aviation and, during World War II, to a posting in Britain. What follows is sad, and according to the Afterword; although this book won recognition and sold reasonably well in Britain when it was first published, Irfan Orga fell into poverty once again.

Although Orientalism is famously out of fashion, this book is worth reading for its sincerity of feeling, for its extraordinary style, and for its personal point of view on the end of Ottoman Turkey. For an alternative point of view on Old Istanbul, this time of the 50s and 60s, read the Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk's Istanbul: Memories and the City. This is also a mémoire of childhood and youth, but it is less sentimental, and instead, absorbed with eccentric aspects of Istanbul's near-past.

Bought in a bookshop in Istambul in a more expensive edition. Found it deep on both sides of personal and historical insight. Relates from a child clear and sharp eye the involvement of Turkey in WWI and Ataturk "modernizing" impact on the country. Individual struggles outlined on common sufference and historical stream. Mooving and never pathetical. For foregner reader language is quite easy, reveals a non-native-tongue writer, yet is subtle and sort of classical. Pity most of I. O. books are out of print.
a.m.negri, pavia, italy

Portrait Of A Turkish Family is the true and biographical story of a Turkish family's effort to persevere through incredible and disastrous wartime hardships by Irfan Orega, a son of that family. World War I brought poverty and desperation to the formerly affluent Orega family, and small triumphs over something as small as a silver candlestick became crucial pieces of hope for the family's survival. A powerful true story of endurance and adaptation, Portrait Of A Turkish Family is an extraordinary biographical testament and very highly recommended reading.

A lot of the people I know never KNEW about this part of our history. I'm glad someone had the good sense to write about it before it's lost for all time. Ever wonder why a person's blood boils in a vacuum? What the highest parachute jump was? Who were the people that pioneered this effort, even before the U.S. considered having a space program? That and more is in this book.

This book tells a story that happens in a time when the romantics were more powerfull than the cynics. This happens at a time when it was possibe to be non conformist and still contribute in very valuable ways to the advancememnt of humankind.

The book of Mr Ryan is instructive yet very pleasant and relaxing to read. It is very rigourously documented, logically organised, systematically researched. He was able to tell the facts, while at the same time describe the human beings and analyse the human factors . The autor worked hard to write so you can effortlessly witness the lore of these chivalrous people.

At the end, you will find yourself more knowledgeable and emotionally moved. You will feel like these heros are your personnal friends.

This book is a complete compendium of Project ManHigh and Stratolab. Includes a full story about Col. Kittinger epic jump from a stratospheric ballon (the first person ever to break the sound barrier...in a freefall!!!) and the contributions of Dr. Stapp, and the others that made the U.S.A. space program possible.
Well written and informative.
Yes!A must-to-have for aerospace enthusiasts!

This book is a complete history of Project ManHigh and includes a full story about all three flights. It also details the flights of Project Excelsior, Project Stratolab, and the flights of aeronaut Nicholas Piantanida. A must-have for aerospace enthusiasts.

This book is an awesome book about an awesome feat of humans thirst and curiosity to go higher!!! I love this books look at this interesting program. I would recommend it to any and all space fans!!!