Travel Books

Absolutely the best, most accurate and most user friendly book ever published on worldwide ski resorts. Wish they would print an updated version but this is still worth purchasing.

This was an invaluable guide for going to europe and enjoying some classic and wonderful skiing. The book was so worth the cost that I packed it with me to review plans for the next day while we ski bummed through the french and italian alps. The book pulls together the information you can find and gives a real experience feel to it. It also allows you the freedom to be able to travel on your own without a group, it also allows you to take a trip to europe for less than a resort in the US! Great book, great time.

Trust me on this one folks. If you have gotten this far, pulled up this ski guide and are reading this review, just save your time and order the book immediately. While on sabbatical from a corporate job last winter I skied in Europe at 28 resorts over 4 months and used this guide exclusively. It was simply invaluable for the complex decision making required when laying out a ski trip especially if you have flexibility in choosing resorts. The layout and design of the book is first rate and gives 1 to 5 star ratings by resort for snow, size, terrain (expert, intermediate, beginner), food, liftlines, scenery, resort charm and off slope activities. The uncannily accurate judgement of the editors on these many points really clinches the value of this book. (Why are you still reading?) The book is about 70% Europe, 20% USA, and 10% rest of the world. There is an enlightening write-up on Europe vs. US ski experience differences. There is a synopsis of the skiing peculiarities of each country. There are useful high level road maps showing the geographical location of each resort. In the front section of the book there is an excellent matrix synthesis of the top 100 or so resorts for a high level view of where you might want to go. There are just enough small but clear trail maps to be useful but not cluttered. There are some accomodation listings with punchy accurate quotes from recent visitors. Because of the high efficient layout and design, all this info is easily accessible and clear.

The book is missing pricing info which is a bit of a gap but everything else is done so well its hardly a complaint. There are some real bargains to be had, especially in Italy and Austria, and less so in Switzerland and France. ... The pricing gap can be resolved by calling the local tourism boards for the resort you are interested in or accessing the local websites. Most of the tourism contact info is in the book also.

The guide is even aesthetically pleasing....very much so.....with nicely placed original small high end (whew!)photographs from some of the resorts giving a pleasant intuitive feel for the area you might be choosing. If you are planning a ski trip in N. America or Europe, buy this guide. Highly Recommended

With all the resources on skiing available on the web, printed guidebooks have almost become obsolete. Resort web sites and ski portals such as DCSki typically provide most of the information found in guidebooks. Web sites also contain up-to-the-minute information on weather and conditions plus timely reviews and firsthand accounts for just about every ski resort on the planet. Finally, many web sites are true communities of practice, places where devotees to snow sports come together and exchange information and ideas.

With that being said, I must confess that I have finally found a guidebook worth purchasing. Where to Ski and Snowboard Worldwide is the ultimate reference for those contemplating a ski trip to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The book features full length chapters on every major destination resort in Europe plus additional chapters covering major resorts in the rest of the world, including the U.S. and Canada. Within each chapter, a reader will find a general review of the resort; a description of slopes for each ability level; and a guide to accommodations, dining, and aprés ski.

Readers will appreciate the no-nonsense candor of this book. At the beginning of each chapter, the guide provides a 1-5 star rating for various aspects of the resort ranging from slopes to aprés ski, and also a quick list of pluses and minuses for each resort. The authors, for example, give Courchevel lots of stars for snow, slopes, and lifts, but only two stars for charm. In its plus/minus matrix, the authors note that Courchevel has "extensive, varied local terrain to suit everyone from beginners to expert," but then notes in the minus column that the resort is "expensive," and that its villages are "soulless." In short, Where to Ski calls the shots where it sees them, offering both compliments and criticisms for each resort profiled.

Where to Ski also offers a nifty "Mountain Facts" sidebar in each chapter that allows one to quickly compare resorts by benchmarks such as skiable vertical in both meters and feet, number of lifts, and kilometers/miles of trails. There is also a "resort ratings at a glance" section at the beginning of the book that brings together the ratings the book gives to each resort in an easy to read table format. If that were not enough, the book provides 200 resort photos, 125 full color trail maps, 70 scale village plans, and general maps for most of the world's major ski regions.

The major weakness of the guide is that it is very Eurocentric. The majority of the 400 resorts covered in detail are in Europe, primarily in the Alps. The book devotes a mere 38 chapters to resorts in the United States, and only four East Coast resorts receive chapter-length treatment: Killington, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, and Sunday River. I nearly returned the book when I did not find a single Mid-Atlantic venue listed in the table of contents. Shame on Reuters! How can this book devote a chapter to ski resorts in Romania and not mention the great skiing of West Virginia and Pennsylvania?

On the plus side of the matrix, what the books lacks in its North American coverage, it more than makes up for in its coverage of Europe. Furthermore, the guide does a superb job of comparing skiing on both continents with an introductory chapter entitled, "Transatlantic differences." From it, I learned that few resorts in North America possess skiable vertical greater than 3,330 feet whereas some of the biggest European resorts offer verticals of over 6,600 feet. The large resorts in Europe also dwarf the biggest resorts in North America in terms of ski terrain. On the other hand, it snows much more in North America, and North American resorts have far more advanced and comprehensive snowmaking than anything found in Europe. There are many other differences that this book describes, but you will have to purchase the book to get a complete rundown.

Whether or not this book will be useful to you depends on what type of skier you are. This doesn't mean what ability level, but whether or not you cherish the same things that the writers of the book do: good snow, good trails, good atmosphere ("charming village"), and most amusingly, good lunches. (Maybe it's because they're Brits, but these guys love a serious meal in the middle of their day and will mark it as a real minus if the resort has bad food!)
Basically, the book is fantastic. It's well organized, well laid out, and crammed full of carefully researched descriptions. If they don't have info about a particular aspect of a place, for example, the ski schools, they will say so upfront. But this is a rare occurance; usually they have clear, concise and dead-on accurate information about resorts literally worldwide. They know their own preferences well enough to state them clearly, so that you can easily figure out how your take on things compares to the authors'.
As another amazon reviewer suggested, reading the reviews of resorts that you've skied will give you a standard from which you can guage their perspective. They review trails for all levels: beginner, intermediate (see below) and expert. They are particularly good at breaking up that catch-all term "intermediate", and describing trails at different resorts as appropriate for the "aggressive" intermediate or "timid" intermediate.
I would not suggest reading this book on the fly; there is just too much information in there. Read through it before you plan your trip, if you want to get the most out of your time and money.

Where will Nana go next is sheer fun! It gives kids (and adults) the idea that travel and adventure is fun... but there's no place like home. Showed it to a couple of 8-year-old girls and they loved it.

Where Will Nana Go Next lends me the opportunity to share new and exciting adventures that Nana takes with my five year old son. The maps shown helps place him there in his mind. What an energetic trip.

The adventures, people and locations Nana experiences on her trips makes me want to go too! The illustrations are beautifully done and imaginatively laid out. This is not your average children's book! My kids were facinated by the different places Nana travels to and I loved the maps showing their locations. This book is a great addition any child's library. Grandparents need a copy too!

This is a great book for early readers! It teaches geography in a fun, painless way, with lyrical prose, and colorful, bright pictures. Children will love it. Highly recommended for Kindergarten and First Grade teachers.

Where Will Nana Go Next? is a fun book that tells the story of Nana's trips around the USA (and the world!) in her motorhome. The sentiment is warm and the illustrations are fantastic--not to mention educational. While following the travel's of Nana, a typical "Grandparent on the road", children will also be learning a bit of geography as the book "maps out" Nana's trip. Nana is one busy traveler! She's found surfing in Southern California, on safari in Africa, even climbing Mt. Rushmore! A great book that your child will remember fondly in years to come.

This book has all the information you need and want about roller coasters including, hieght,speed,length, duration and number of inversions. It has pictures of all recent coasters exept a few and the information I just said. I give this book two thumbs up. Rush out to buy this one.

This book is THE refenrence for world wide coaster informations...Superb color pictures,great details,and is the most up to date book on coasters.The "quality -vs- price" ratio is excellent,you won`t regreat this book,if you`re a long time coaster fanatic or a new comer like me !!

I first got the book when I was just 4 years old. It is the most awesome book in the world. I like how it tells you about how high and how fast each roller coaster is. I have read this book so much it is falling to pieces.

Nice pictures and good descriptions of many roller coasters, including some NOT in North America. The book begins with a history and sometimes dabbles into the science of the rides. A bit more precision on the science of the rides is desired. The large middle section is devoted to just about every kind of type of coaster except the (now defunct) side friction coaster. Chapter 3 briefly includes white knuckle rides that are not coasters.

This is really a very good book. The book features some great photographs, but not so many that it is simply a coffee table book. There is still plenty of great information, from the standard "history of coasters" discussion to a directory of parks referenced in the book.

I think what I like most about this book, is that it provides some great photos and informative text on interesting coasters that you don't always here about such as the White Cyclone and The Bandit at Yomiuri Land in Japan as well as many coasters at smaller parks in the states.

The book divides its space well between woodies, steel hyper coasters and steel loopers. It even gives space to water rides and spin and pukes. The book was published in 1996, so of course none of the latest and greatest coasters are featured, but it provides a very full and diverse selection of rides and I can't say enough about the great photos of rarely featured coasters. Well worth the purchase price for any coaster nut.

Over the Andes and through the jungle to ineptness we go. A quite humorous account of science gone jumbled. But not all is lost here.

In 1923 eight scientists plus the author venture through the South American mountains and rainforests to make further discoveries in their respective fields of study. Touted as, "The most perfectly equipped expedition that has ever started to explore South America", it quickly unfolds into a blundering journey with many problems and mishaps.

Thanks to MacCreagh's sense of humor and wit we see how every imaginable incident went from bad to worse. One by one these scientists quit the expedition to forsake the author and one other to travel up the remote Uaupes and Tiquie Rivers meeting face to face with hostile natives. What transpires is a remarkable short term study into the culture of these indigenous peoples.
Entertaining read.

I am enjoying this travel account very much. It's like Bertie Wooster goes to the jungle.

Mr MacCreagh has maganed to write an outstanding book based on a rather unsuccessful expedition. It is the tale of an expedition of eight eminent scientist in the Amazon, who were put together not for their ability in the outdoors, but for their scientific knowledge.

The author is a helper/manager of the expedition. He manages to describe the expedition from its beginning in the Bolivia highlands out to the Amazon plains and to its disintegration. It is quite clear that the scientist were not sure what to expect, and so had not prepared accordingly. Huge volumes of luggage went unused and were a huge burden. Egos and discomfort made the scientist into bickering children and inept explorers. The author masks their names because apparently these were well known figures of their time.

There is a bit of scientific content in the book, but clearly the main reason to read it is for the good humor of the author in describing the situations they get themselves in. One learns more about people and how they behave when taken to extremes than one does about the Amazon.

When your read of other expeditions and how well they were conducted, then you read Gordon MacCreagh's humorous account of a mistake-ridden expedition into the Amazon, and you may wonder how this could happen. Clearly, the leader of MacCreagh's expedition was no Roy Chapman Andrews. Too many mistakes with both men and equipment. It is a humorous, often hilarious account of how not to conduct an expedition into the Amazon -- or anywhere else. I found it to be much better than Peter Fleming's "Amazon Adventure" and somewhat better than Arthur O. Friel's "River of Seven Stars," which has not been reprinted. MacCreagh's sense of humor and keen observations are what place this book at the top of my list of exploration/expedition books. I found it difficult to keep from sharing portions of this book with family and friends...

I can't believe you can get this book used! I own three copies and I don't even loan it out. This is a terrific expedition book and a wonderful book about being human. My family was thrilled to know that this book was being re-issued. Like one of the other reviewers, I was brought up knowing who the various scientists were because my father had worked with a colleague. It gave us plesure to know the names, some of whom were quite well known even today. It was also nice to know that at least for the eminent icthyolgist and the eminent entomologist the work that they produced from this expedition was very useful. I have recommmened this book countless times, and get copies for friends I really like.

Reading this wonderful book gave me the vicarious pleasure of wandering the globe in the company of skilled writers who know just how to crystallize their experiences for the reader. I recommend it to any armchair traveler! (And it's a great book to take on a plane.)

What a refreshing, beautiful book. The essays within are full of powerful and rich personality, which serves to give a full sensory perception of the places of which they write. There is an abandon and adventurous spirit that blows through the pages and inspires the reader not just to travel, but to really experience the places one goes, even close to home.

This book was perfectly conceived and executed. These 24 smart stories by 12 smart women cover the whole tonal range -- funny, poignant, gut-wrenching, beautiful, thoughtful, irreverant, wonderfully sappy... And the publishing concept itself was brilliant, a clever way to crack a difficult market: strength in numbers, taking power into their own hands...in retrospect it seems so obvious, but I'm sure that two years ago these women had little idea how brilliant they were being... I'm 50 years old now, and anyone who has reached my stage of geezerhood knows the value of having even one good solid friend. I attended a salon event these women put on in San Francisco recently, and I mentioned to one of them just how great I thought it would be to have twelve friends as tight as they seem to be. Her response: "Well, now you do!" And that is the feeling that one comes away with after reading their book: Twelve new friends.

This book exhilarated me and ignited my passion for travel to an even higher level than before. The courage (and insanity!) of some of these women; their appreciation for travel, culture and their unrelenting desire to soak up every bit of their experiences, inspired me to - not only travel to every destination listed in the book - but to truly appreciate the journey, with all its flaws. Because, who knows, it might make for a great story someday!

I love this book.
So great to hear all the adventures these women have.
They are all so independent. They go off to see the world in so many different ways. Each one has their own personality and way of traveling.
They go out and do all the things I wish I could do.
Way to go Ladies ...........
Thanks for the inspiration
p.s. I also love their monthly news-letters

As I am serving in the Air Force in the Middle East, I found Mr. Martin's book to be quite timely and an interesting mix of personal accounts and additional history to make it a joy to read and own!

I heard Lou MArtin speak about his book "Wings Over Persia" at the Vette theater in the EAA Air museum on July 31, 2005. After his interesting lecture, I bought his book and read it in two days. It was difficult to put down! It's an exciting book about his life of flying in Iran during the 1978 revolution, and provides a much better understanding of the weird philosophy of the Middle East.
It's a clean book with no profanity or F words, a refreshing change. I recommend it to readers of all ages.

Lou was definitely not bright enough to survive in Persia. His life was saved only by the most fortuitous grace of God. One would think that after a few hints, even an idiot would have bailed country. Fortunately for Lou and us, he has survived to tell a pretty informative tale that gives keen insight on the time of the overthrow of the Shah and transition of Persia to the hard line Islamic state of Iran.

If Lou reads this, please drop me a line samdurbin@yahoo.com.
Sam

Several weeks ago I rode my bike to the local airport to see why there were so many planes suddenly flying around the small community that I live in, and once there I found that there was a fly-in. Now, I'm not very knowledgeable about aircraft but I have had a life long fascination with aircraft of any sort. I enjoyed walking around inspecting aircraft of various kinds and being mesmerized by some formation flying, but couldn't get answers to some of my questions, especially those having to do with WWII (which were the ones performing low level fly-byes, and higher level formation flying).

Eventually I worked my way over to the hangar where breakfast was being served by the local Boy Scout troupe. Right outside the hangar was a small table with a display of pictures and several books on it, and a man sitting there with aviator style sunglasses on engaged in discussion with another gentleman. As I looked at the display I couldn't help but overhear some of the aviation stories he was telling, and became enthralled with not only the information I was hearing but the manner in which it was being conveyed.

After some time I got into a discussion with Mr. Martin about some of the aircraft that I had seen that day. He answered all of my questions and cleared up those that most intriqued me (the WWII aircraft were T-6 trainers, an aircraft that he had experience with). He then began telling me stories about his adventures as a pilot in an Iranian air taxi company during the last days of the Shah's government and the revolution that brought the Ayatollah to power.

To say that I was hooked on his storytelling is an understatement. I really had no intention of buying the book when I first saw it, but my subsequent conversation with Mr. Martin convinced me that I couldn't pass up this opportunity to delve deeper into his experiences during such an important period in world history. Sitting in front of me was someone with vast experience in aviation who had first hand knowledge of some incredible events that still affect our world today.

Mr. Martin's writing is crisp in its detail and weaves some historical background information to flesh out his stories so that the reader has a better grasp of not only the flavor of the times but of a society and people we Americans (and most Westerners I would imagine) are likely to be unaware of. Not only was I entertained but I learned an awful lot.

Wings Over Persia captivated me from cover to cover, keeping me on the edge of my seat with stories that alternated between high drama, humor, and suspense. Sometimes people who can tell a great story fail miserably when they commit them to paper. Not so in this case. Lou Martin is a storyteller/writer par excellance. It was a lucky day for me when I met him and now I have this jewell of a book to relive some of his fascinating escapades.

This book is suitable for any reader, young or old, as there is no unacceptable language for parents to worry about - just great stories that kids will love and older people will appreciate. It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of young readers will be inspired to persue a career in aviation due to this book.

If you're interested in flying, cockpit humor, and insight into some of the behavior and thinking in the Middle East, you must read "Wings over Persia." It is both informative and highly entertaining. I give it two thumbs up.

Avery comrehensive production covering a selection of dumplings beyond most food lovers knowledge and experience. Thoughtfully put together in an easy-reading, friendly style

This is a great collection of all things dumplings, the definition might be a little loose for some, but that gives you an in to some tasty dishes you might not have tried. Just be warned a few sunday afternoons might be lost to making dumplings after buying this book :)

I love single subject cookbooks because of how in-depth the good ones are. And this is an especially good one. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but the book is fun to read, very informative and educational and makes me very hungry while I'm reading it. I can't wait to try some the recipes!

This is a very interesting book with excellent photographs throughout. I have already made the Meat Piroshki from Russia, Cabbage and Mushroom Pirogi from Poland, "Fast and Naked" Gnudi con Zucca from Italy and the Little Ear Dumplings in Borscht from Russia. All were very tasty. The recipes cover specialties from many countries in Asia, the Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe and the Americas. Why 4 stars instead of 5? I was disappointed not to find any dumplings to drop on top of stews or fruit, no drop dumplings for soups and the one recipe from Canada (from Quebec which is where I live) is not one that I or my friends have ever heard of. Maple syrup dumplings would have been really typical but alas, there is no recipe for them. Still, this book is certainly worth having for what it does contain.

`A World of Dumplings' by Brian Yarvin is exactly the kind of passionate treatment of a specialized culinary subject we like to find from `little presses' like `The Countryman Press' up to and including former upstart (and now giant) 10 Speed Press. Yarvin is neither a chef like Rick Bayless nor an established culinary journalist or writer such as Paula Wolfert or Claudia Roden. But Yarvin has what appears to be a consuming interest and passion for his subject which has produced a book which is at the top of its class as a survey of dumpling recipes.
The very first thing Yarvin does right is that he covers the whole world, as promised, but touches of few if any types of food which are NOT easily recognized as dumplings.
My very first interest was to see how he would approach that very special Pennsylvania Dutch contribution to world dumplings, the baked apple dumpling. As it happens, Yarvin lives and works just across the Delaware from Dumpling Central, in western New Jersey, so he was in an excellent position to do lots of first hand research, and that is exactly what he did. As a very amateur student of this dish, I have tried several different recipes from PA Dutch cookbooks, and I have eaten many a sample at local restaurants and fairs. And, I can attest that Yarvin has captured this dish in all its sweet and spicy and doughy glory. This is NOT diet food, kiddies, and Yarvin has applied the sugar, lard, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg at all the right places. Even better, he has not assumed, as many of these PA Dutch cookbooks do, that you know the basics of preparing dough. His recipe is more detailed than anything I have seen coming out of Lancaster County from Best Books!
My second check on Yarvin's recipes was to compare his Steamed Chinese Pork Dumplings (shu mai) to a recipe by an oriental culinary specialist, Ellen Leong Blonder in `Dim Sum, The Art of Chinese Tea Lunch' and I found again that Yarvin again gives us a recipe which is as good or better than one available from specialists in the area.
My third check was to compare his empanada recipe to Rick Bayless' recipe in his authoritative `Authentic Mexican' book and also to the equally authoritative Diane Kennedy's `The Essential Cuisines of Mexico'. Here, I found a somewhat puzzling result. Bayless and Kennedy give two different recipes for the empanada wrapper, with Bayless using only wheat flour and Kennedy using only masa (corn flour). The simple explanation is that Bayless is describing Empanadas de Picadillo from northern Mexico and Kennedy is describing Empanadas de Requeson from southern Mexico. Yarvin splits the difference with his single recipe and creates a wrapper with about ¾ wheat flour and ¼ corn flour. So, Yarvin is not giving us ethnically precise empanadas; however, just like his apple dumpling recipe and his shu mai recipe, his empanada recipe is as detailed and illuminating (or better) than any of the ethnic sources. And, Yarvin gives us five different recipes for fillings using the one `universal' empanada wrapper recipe.
The story of empanadas is repeated for virtually all of the world's varieties of dumplings, from Italian raviolis to Polish Pierogis to Russian Varenicki to Indian Samosas. Every major dumpling genre has its variations which change from region to region and, if you are to believe many writers, from household to household, with everyone believing theirs are the best.
Yarvin adds to his recipes some great stories describing his search for some of these recipes, plus some very nice condiments, such as the dipping sauces for the Chinese dim sum dumplings and pasta sauces for the Italian galaxy of filled pastas and onion marmalade condiments for the eastern European dumplings.
Very few books of this type have ever disappointed me, and this one is better than most. If your interest is exclusively in dumplings from Italy or Mexico or the Ukraine or China, this book may not be the most authentic source, but if you are a foodie omnivore and relish the notion of experimenting with all sorts of dumplings, Yarvin is your man. Of course, if you are in love with Dutch apple dumplings, the recipe for that dessert may be worth the price of the book.

This book is hard to put down. It shows there is still a lot of kindness left in this world.

My ex-husband just completed walking the Appalachian Trail, so I tried to locate Steven's WORLDWALK book to give to him. While Steven's walk took 4 years & my ex's trip took 4 months, I still felt sure it was the same type of exciting adventure. I was amazed at Steven's story when I read it, & like Lou, I also heard him speak--his story couldn't be any more exciting than the fiction novels that I usually read. Guess I'll have to loan him my signed copy.

I'll admit to having a penchant for nonfiction. However, the next two sentences from Chapter 18 of Worldwalk stopped me COLD (not easy to do).

"I sensed a pocket of time and space where the past still weighed heavily on the second hand of the present. Where, instead of being trampled under, history was allowed to crumble away at its own pace."

They, alone, are worth the price of this book.

If you don't learn from, appreciate humankind more, and enjoy this book, I will remain forever in awe of an unreachable person who happens to occupy this planet at this time.

Do yourself a favor and curl up in your most comfortable place and allow Steven to "do the walking" for you - not through the Yellow Pages, but Around the World.

This is a great book. One of my favorite of all time. The adventure is well written and keeps the readers interest. It is educational, entertaining, and heartwarming.

This work has been around for a few years now and is one of those I kept meaning to read, but never seemed to get around to it. Thanks to an Amazon Friend who read my "wish list," I received this one on my birthday...Thanks Terry! Anyway, as I suspected, I have missed out on a great read for all of these years.

Worldwalk by Steven M. Newman is the true story of a young man, who at the age of 28, left his front door on a small town in Ohio, and walked around the world alone. This was not one of those walks with a gigantic support team or financed by some company or cause. This was a walk undertaken by a guy who wanted to see the world, to meet its people, who lived simply off the charity of others for the most part, and who sincerely wanted to learn. It is actually more of a pilgrimage that a journey. While it is certainly an adventure of the highest sort, it is so much more.

To begin with, this is one very lucky young guy. I have been to many of the places he walked, alone, with no support, no guide no special language skills and no special help. I on the other hand, was usually with people, heavily armed people, as I was myself, and I was still fearful many times. There is absolutely no reason that he should not have been killed a dozen times over, either through exposure, accidents or human intervention, i.e. robbery or murder. His journey began in Ohio, on April 1, 1983 where he walked east. He, in his travels passed though Scotland, Ireland, England, France, Spain, several countries in North Africa, Turkey, Greece, some of the Balkans, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Australia and the Western United States. He actually crossed around twenty countries. Steven Newman gives us a first hand account of the country, and more importantly profiles of the hundreds of people he met on his journey.

This is a very inspirational book. Newman pretty well proves his beginning belief, that is, that people all over the world are a pretty nice lot, and that despite cultural differences, religious differences, races, creeds, histories, and we are all pretty much the same. Most of us are down right good and a few of us are bad.

The author has told of his four year journey through simple prose, almost always upbeat, almost always realistic. I feel the author was a bit naïve at times, but perhaps that was an advantage and perhaps that is one of the things that allowed him to complete this spectacular journey. I was quite struck with the author's faith, not only in his God, but in the goodness of mankind...a rare thing these days.

I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the various individuals the writer encountered on his journey, and the record of the conversations he had with these individuals. I also enjoyed his description of the physical challenges he faced on a daily basis. This was truly inspiring.

Now this walk took place over twenty years ago and you would think that some, or most, of the material might be a bit dated. Not so! I suppose the one part of the book that did discourage me some what is that not all that much has changes in those twenty years, and if anything, things have gotten a bit worse. Still good people, but, as usual, poor governments. This is a very enjoy able read and I do highly recommend it. It is one of those books that you will hate to put down.

Craig Mathew's brief but detailed writings for each water is just great and stating plain facts. It's even just fun to read. Also, his store "Blue Ribbon Flies" is probably the best in West Yellowstone. Fly-fishing guides are very experienced and the store has lots of fly-tying material in high grades. I also recommend to review Craig's other book "Fly Fishing the Madison". That's also well-written with his smooth and detailed explanation. SY

Craig Matthews gives you great information and helps the reader pick and choose where to fish in YNP. With Matthews knowledge of the Park and insect activity it's hard to go wrong with this book. Great information on hatches,locations and whether the hike is worthwhile to take make this a great book. If you are planning on fishing YNP you need this book. I would also purchase his dvd on fishing Yellowstone National Park and on fishing the Madison.

This guide provides very detailed information on the rivers, streams and lakes in Yellowstone National Park, the fly hatches and terrestrials found on each (by month of year) and the best patterns to fish with. It also shows which fishing areas can be accessed by car and which require a long hike. I found it invaluable for planning a fly fishing trip to Yellowstone.

The "Go to Book" for fishing in the Park. Has all the information one needs to find "backcountry waters" as well as the "hotspots". I've fished Montanna for the last 7 years, but have never fished in the Park until last year. This book cut the learning curve by a considerable margin. Not only does he unleash his considerable knowledge of the "spots". He is very complete in informing the angler of the certain flies and times of the year to use them. I read this book practically every time I sit down to the flybench. Just to jog my memory on what to prepare for the coming trip. I wsih I had bought this years ago and fished the park alot earlier in my years. Could have cut alot of corners! Thanks Craig---great job!

This book is easy to use and extreamly useful. It splits the park up into four regions, tells you where (or not to) fish, and where to start looking in your flybox. I have used it the last 3 or 4 years and will use it as long as I vacation in Yellowstone. I have looked at several books on fishing in Yellowstone and this is by far the best that I have found.

This guidebook was perfect. It included all the information you would want to know visiting Yosemite. The pictures are beautiful and give you a great idea of what is to come. I think his descriptions of the trails were very accurate and helped make my trip to Yosemite perfect. I am going to buy all his books!!

Thought this was the best of the Yosemite guides I previewed. Great mini typo maps covering different areas of the park. My only complaint is that the maps are not oriented with North at the top, so it took some time to get the orientation correct. Other than that, the book is great.

Bought this book back in March for a trip in early May. At the time, there was only one review, but I bought it anyway as it was the most recently published guide available.

Wow - the day it arrived, I sat down and read it front to back. The history of the park, the geology, the history of the Native Americans who lived on the land ... I was so impressed that it was more than just a "camp here" and "eat here" kind of guide.

What this book has over the others out there:
- The most gorgeous photos. It made me giddy with excitement to go and see those places for myself!
- a small but helpful section with pictures of the most common wildlife and plantlife that you encounter in the park (ended more than one debate about "what flower is this?!")
- Information about the native tribes' names and legends for the features in the park, or other important history of a particular place, highlighted in boxes set off from the main text.
- A sizeable section on the High Sierra Camps and hikes around them. Absolutely made me want to do the whole circuit (maybe next year...)
- This guidebook was clearly a labor of love for the author. This wasn't compiled from a bunch of staff travel writers ... it was written by someone who obviously knows the park extremely well and has chosen to highlight only the best parts, to give readers the best experience in Yosemite.

Why this might not be the book for you:
- There are no compass markings on the detailed mini-maps. This bothered others in my group more than me.
- Very few details on lodging. Not a problem for me, as I already had accomodations booked, and the lodging choices in the park are few anyhow, but this book is better for planning your TRIP, not your STAY.
- The descriptions of the hikes are kind of vague. If you are going to Yosemite to back-country hike, this isn't the book for you. If you want the best day (or 2-day) hikes, he hits the great ones. I was relieved to see how well-marked they are once you're on the trail.

I thought this guidebook was absolutely cream of the crop. So did my mother and sister-in-law - they each wanted to steal it from me and keep it as a coffee table book! (I bought them each a copy once we returned home)

A great general information/guide book for Yosemite.

I highly recommend this book for everyone. If you haven't been to Yosemite before, you get high quality photos of what is to come and some great general trail information to help plan your trip. If you have been, it is still a good buy as it is more than just a trail guide. The first 100 pages provide history and geology of the area and are a quick but fun read. In my opinion, it is just a great overall book to own. I plan to purchase the author's books about other National Parks in the future.

I also purchased the Moon book for Yosemite. It has more details on hikes, but for the average vacationer, I think this book is better.

I purchased several books on Yosemite and found this one to be the
easiest to read and most useful.