Park University Books

I enjoyed this biography of Shakespeare very much. My wife and I were in London at the just opened Borders on Oxford St. when I saw a signed copy of this book for sale and decided to purchase it. It was a great read and quite convincing in its approach to the playwright and poet. There is not enough direct evidence of the man's life to flesh everything out, but Park Honan uses the plays forensically. What does a close reading of the plays tell us about the man who wrote them? And then look into how that matches with what we know directly of him. It matches quite well and becomes a wonderfully fleshed out portrait. That being said, there is much more direct evidence about Shakespeare and his plays than many of the conspiracy theorists would have you believe.

We follow him from his youth in Stratford along his journey to London and what work in the theater of those days was like. We learn about the sheer volume of lines an actor of those times would have had ready for use in their mind at any given time; it was thousands and thousands of lines. It is drawing upon that resource, just as a Handel or a Teleman or a Bach called upon the hundreds of works they had in their minds, that allowed him to compose with such rapidity. It was his genius to improve upon his sources just as Bach and Handel always made more of their borrowings. Genius never requires a noble source. In fact, it is usually sprung from seemingly poor soil. Yet it comes.

The author is very specific about what we know directly from the record versus what is a normative behavior for the time and a possibility for Shakespeare. Honan never allows speculation and possibility to become fact. Nor does he follow other modern anachronisms of wondering about the psychology of Shakespeare or whether he was "Gay" since even the term homosexual would be out of place in Elizabethan times, though homoerotic attachments were not.

I believe the author makes such a powerful case the William Shakespeare of Stratford wrote the plays that the Oxfordians will simply attack the book because of their faith, however unfounded in anything beyond desire and assertion.

I recommend this book highly.

A wonderfully written book that cuts through the myths and speculations concerning Bill's life. A view of Shakespeare's life as he lived it. As a boy, a writer, a business man. Easily the best book on the Bard.

Honan's biography of Shakespeare is superb. The writing style is good, the research reliable, and the play reviews are appropriate. The reader ends up with a detailed knowledge of the life of the bard. That is the purpose of a biography. Highly recommended.

We will perhaps never be able to come across a "definitive" (in the modern sense) life of Shakespeare because of the obviously sketchy nature of the extant documents relating to his life .Realising this,Mr.Honan has done the next best thing : to fill in the bare bones of the Bard's life with information from the Elizabethan period & done it in an exquisite fashion.What we get is not what Shakespeare DID at any given point in his life but a sense of what he was MOST LIKELY DOING given the socio-cultural milieu,Elizabethan mores,surviving public documents ,comments by his contemporaries and autobiographical fragments from his plays and sonnets.Mr.Honan's view is by its very nature "oblique" but given the paucity of "hard data" ,it is the wisest approach .Moreover he doesn't gloss over the gaps in our knowledge of Shakespeare's life but freely acknowledges them .Each chapter is thoroughly referenced and annotated .The picture that emerges from this account is of a remarkably sensitive genius endowed with a superlative gift for expressing the universal & the ineffable pertaining to the human condition____ in timeless prose .Interestingly ,Honan manages to do this without deifying Shakespeare ,which is wise given that Shakespeare is too fascinating a man to be 'deified away' !In the final analysis genius is always inexplicable in that it breaks the existing molds and "liberates" us to see,hear and experience the world in a novel and yet distinctly human way .This is an exquisite and enjoyable book .

A great deal of Shakespeare's life appears never to have made it into the official record, and Park Honan, for all his skill as a writer, cannot change that.

What Mr. Honan does do, however, is construct in detail the setting for what facts we do know about Shakespeare's life. Even if we lack many of the basic facts of Shakespeare's boyhood, for instance, we know what Stratford was like, and we know what kind of lives boys in Stratford led. Mr. Honan lays out this setting, gives us the known facts about young Will, contents himself with making the occasional relatively safe guess, and leaves it at that.

Despite the fact that Mr. Honan's book is mostly setting, with a fairly scarce plot, it's a good read, flowing well and entertaining. Your study of Shakespeare should start here.

I just recieved this book and already have read it half through. The history aspect written about Coney is done first class. The book is presented in hard back form and fabricated well. My reason for only 3 stars is the lack of more photos. I was looking for a pictorial history along with the story.This book has some pics but not like I thought it would. I have just ordered the DVD and hope that will show more of the viewed history that I am looking for.
Being from Baltimore I have never been to Coney and only what I have read has always amazed me. I grew up going to Gwenn Oak amusment park, that was destoryed by Hurricain Agnes in the early 70's and sometimes a few days during the summer at Wildwood NJ, the plase I still love today over 40 years later.
"Enjoy" Joe Kopeck

Michael Immerso once again shows he is a cultural historian of the first order. His first book, "Newark's Little Italy: The Vanished First Ward," was near and dear to my heart as a native of Newark myself. This time, though, Immerso had a tougher sell. Not only did I know practically nothing about Coney Island, I had never set foot in it. After reading this book, however, I feel I know Coney Island's history, development, and demise as well as possible for a non-native.
We all know that there is a story behind just about any historical locale. What we need is the story teller. Michael Immerso is that story teller for this magical place called Coney Island.

Michael Immerso has taken a slice of America's past and captured it with all the sights, sounds, and glitter that made Coney Island what it was. This book is filled to the brim with history that comes alive on its pages. Mr. Immerso's compelling story telling and vivid descriptions are complemented by many classic pictures. You can't pick this book up without becoming part of one of the great icons of America's history. This is definitely a book to own, enjoy, and share.

I just got Michael Immerso's book on Coney Island as a gift to remind me of the excitement and magic I felt when I visited there. I was delighted to get a coffee table book that was not just slick, but edifying as well. I felt justified in this delight as the pictures were given weight by the academic tone of the narrative explanations. Although I hoped for a bit more colorful "sleeze" in both the pictures, and the descriptions, nevertheless I'm not disappointed. I feel both my need for visuals as well as story have been satifactorily met.

In this excellent book, Michal Immerso meticulously traces Coney Islands' wild history, from its origins as a sandy haven for rabbits to its development as the most spectacular amusement area on earth to its slow and sad decline.
Although this book would be right at home on a coffee-table, readers should know that they will be getting much more than photographs and anecdotes of Old Coney. Immerso's book is fairly serious in tone and crammed with details: I found myself wishing that I had a map of the area before me, so I could trace all the comings and goings of all the attractions that graced the three spectacular parks of Coney Island--Dreamland, Luna Park, and Steeplechase. Immerso also tracks the development of the main streets, the hotels, the great migrations of immigrants (still continuing today). He writes about the destructive fires that regulary swept through large swaths of Coney Island, noting in great detail what was destroyed in each and what grew each time from the ashes.
My favorite sections dealt with the amusements themselves--the many roller coasters (the evolution of which is carefully traced), the carrosels, The Trip To The Moon, Over and Under The Sea, and emporiums with great names such as the Pavillion of Fun and Wormwood's Dog and Monkey Circus.
If I have any criticism, it's that Immerso has given us too much, for in addition to this exhaustive history, he tackles even more ambitious territory: what it all means in the context of the American experience. No doubt Coney Island provided a template for the mega-amusement/entertainment industry that was to develop in its wake. But it also was one of the first, true, democratic vistas, where millions of Americans from every ethnic group have rubbed elbows on one stretch of beach for more than a century. This anarchic democracy born of sand and fun has, according to Immerso, left a profound imprint on the American consciousness.
My only real regeret is that Immerso did not include a time machine and ticket to transport me back Luna Park to see, hear, feel, and taste for myself the thousand-and-one delights of Coney Island on a summer night in the early 1900s.

This book is a great resource tool. A fairly inclusive area guide with historical, geological and physical details. There are very few locality specific guides available for plant identification. This book has a fairly detailed plant section without falling into the text book category.

I purchased this book for helping us plan a 5 day stay in Stove Pipe Wells. Well worth the money spent.

This book provides a good general introduction to Death Valley, but lacks detail on hiking routes. If you're going to be hiking Death Valley, Michel Digonnet's "Hiking Death Valley: A Guide to Its Natural Wonders & Mining Past" provides better details. The Bryans' book covers more locations, but provides less detail on each.

For a general introduction to DV and several of its scenic roadways, unpaved roads, and hiking trails, it's not bad at all. Of course, you always need a good topographic map(s) of the park as well, and the latest information from the rangers, as roads wash out, and trails become blocked or impassible. Only a fool would explore DV, even by car or 4WD, with only the tiny maps in a guide such as this.

While motor vehicle travelers can get by with plenty of water, a full-size spare, a recently checked-over vehicle and proper caution for remote areas of the park, inexperienced desert hikers would be well advised to acquire some additional knowledge on trip planning, equipment, first aid, and map reading. An excellent resource for this is The Ultimate Desert Handbook by Mark Johnson.

We planned a week exploring around Death Valley based on this book. Not visiting the touristy places that you can find on any map, but exploring canyons that don't get nearly as much traffic. Maybe it was partially because the book hasn't been updated in awhile, but the descriptions of the places were wildly different from what we found on the ground.

This guy was a Superintendant there for a few years, and thought he'd write a book -- big deal. Coming out of one canyon where he described springs all over the place but we found only rock, we met some people who had another guide that was much better -- sorry that I can't remember the name. Anyway, my advice is to look around, and buy something else -- and something with maps in it, for one thing.

We picked up a copy of "The Explorer's Guide to Death Valley" and found this book to be a fantastic resource for our visit! The book is very comprehensive in nature, with detailed descriptions of drives along ALL the roads in the park. It turned out that during our visit in March 2005, a large number of the roads through the park were closed due to storm damage from this winter's record rains, so the book was truly a godsend in figuring out alternate routes through the park.

Another great feature is that the authors tell you pretty accurately the condition of the roads (most of the roads are unpaved), including such important details as washed out areas, how steep are the grades, and the like. We also really appreciated the details on what mining ruins were to be found at the end of the bumpy drives.

We found the information in this book to be very accurate and honest, helping us to decide what we wanted to see in our way-too-short visit to the park. This book is a great one-volume source for seeing the most when you visit Death Valley. Enjoy!

"Red State, Blue State" starts with an often under-reported paradox: wealthy states vote Democratic whereas wealthy people vote Republican. It then proceeds to explore this paradox from every angle possible using polling data.

My background is data mining. What impresses me most about "Red State, Blue State" is the way it effectively communicates results in understandable ways, particularly using charts rather than complicated formulas. It is not a book about innuendo, selected examples, or technical bravado. It is a book about effectively communicating the results of innumerable polls and many elections to understand a paradox.

The book is divided into three parts. The first introduces the problem, leading up to a chapter on how pundits -- both on the left and the right -- can be so confused. Chapter 3 introduces the idea of the "ecological fallacy", which is the tendency to take summarized information (say, poor states vote Republican -- which tends to be true) and to apply it to individuals (say poor people vote Republic -- which tends to be false).

The second dives into the issue in more detail, both historically and geographically. It is highly unusual to see authors attempt to apply theories about US politics to other countries. This is a daring approach, since most American readers will not find it relevant.

The final section discusses what it all means, particularly the importance of party stances on economic issues versus social issues.

I do not agree with every conclusion in the book. In particular, I feel that the data provides more support for the Republicans "southern strategy" than the authors do. In addition, there is one area where I believe the book could have gone into more detail, and that is the role of turnout in presidential elections.

Prof. Gelman (who is a renown statistician at Columbia University) and his coauthors do an excellent job exploring the relationships between the outcome of elections and individuals, states, and other geogrphic regions. At just over 200 pages, it is definitely worth reading.

At a time when we are on the precipice of deciding who will become our next president, Andrew Gelman and his associates have delivered a terrific new book about recent voting patterns, demographics of all sorts and how states and their people vote, vis-a-vis the economy and other issues. It's less of a prediction about what happens next but as an analysis it's worth every page. As a narrative it's a slog.

Challenging a mere red state/blue state divide, the authors provide candor as to how and why we vote. As a resident of Connecticut, that pocket of insularity in the northeast, I was happy that Gelman countered the Thomas Frank book, "What's the Matter with Kansas", substituting Connecticut in its place. Decision-making about voting is a complex matter and the authors do a good job at its explanation. I recommend it but only wish it had been more readable.

This book is like a bottle of Gummy bear vitamins for the politically curious. The cover and maps look colorful and inviting. The words and charts are made from careful research of election results and polls. They are delightful, but require a bit of time to chew. The insights from the book fortify the mind to better digest the barrage of information and opinions about American voters.

Dr. Gelman introduces many common misconceptions about American voters with funny quotes from famous politicians and pundits. He offers reasons behind these myths and debunks them with clear analyses that are presented in the form of powerful and thought-provoking graphs. I appreciate the large amount of graphs & charts that he includes in the book, because they help the reader to see the logic behind his viewpoints.

To paraphrase Stephen Colbert, "Andrew Gelman knows American voters (and so can we)".

The subtitle of this book is "Why Americans vote the way they do". It looks primarily at three influences: State and region; income; and religion. Gelman is fully capable of getting as math- and statistics-heavy as anyone. He is, after all, a professor of statistics. But in this book, he takes another path --- he lets all the technical details sit in the background and presents results using a lot of graphs, but minimal mathematics.

He punctures a number of myths.

Perhaps the most famous myth was part of a title of a book "What's the matter with Kansas?" which posited that Kansans vote against their own economic interest because of disagreement with the Democrats o social issues. In fact, wealthier Kansans vote Republican, poorer Kansans vote Democratic. Further, that same pattern (the wealthier you are, the more likely you are to vote Republican) happens in *all* states.

But there's more.

The very first words in the introduction are a quote from Tucker Carlson to the effect that wealthy people, particularly those with incomes over $100,000, vote Democratic. Strictly speaking, Carlson is wrong. Rich people tend to vote Republican (and this trend is more in evidence at incomes below about $100,000 ... that is, people who earn $100,000 are *much* more likely to vote R than those who earn $50,000; peoploe who earn $200,000 are still more likely, but the difference between 200K people and 100K people is smaller than that between 100K and 50K). Gelman is kinder, and calls Carlson 'half right' because rich *states* vote Democratic more than poor states do.

Open the book to almost any page, and you're likely to find something interesting: On page 47, for instance, he compares Southern and non-Southern states and voters over time. Here we learn, e.g., that the gap between rich voters and poor voters in terms of voting Republican has been growing since 1960 (when it was 0), and that it is growing much faster in the South than elsewhere.

On page 84, we learn that, in poorer states, rich people tend to be more religious than poor people (most true in SD, AR, and AL), while in rich states, rich people tend to be *less* religious (most true in NJ and NY)

On page 126, he graphs split ticket voting over time -- it rose from the late 1950s to mid 1970s, peaking at almost 30%, and declined since then -- in 2004 it was a little under 20%.

On page 151 he analyzes how he thinks Kerry and Bush should have shifted their economic positions to maximize their share of the vote.

In short, this is the kind of thought-provoking book that a lot of people here would love. Clearly, this book is for people who like numbers and graphs --- but, again, you do *not* need to know a lot of math to read it, there are no formulas, and the most advanced statistic used is 'correlation'.

Warmly recommended.

This review is really just a warning for those of you out there who, based on this book's catchy title, might think it's another Blink, Nudge, Click, etc. It is most definitely not. There is a LOT of data here, and it's not always discussed in the friendliest fashion possible. Yes, there is tons of interesting stuff, but it's really not very accessible.

The writer's style seems to be one of an academic trying to write a popularization. Lots of stops and starts, lots of digressions, lots of repetition, lots of half-digested material. Flow seemed to be the biggest problem, with the author introducing one chart after another, but with very little feel for identifying an argument and advancing it forward.

Overall, very interesting data, but very poor writing.

The story of Euro Disneyland is an exciting topic and therefor I purchased 'Once upon an American dream'. I was both dissappointed by both content and style. I am affraid that even a high school student would have written a more superior and more enticing storey. Please do not waste your money on this book.

Once Upon an American Dream: The Story of Euro Disneyland is extremely well researched, with interesting backgrounds and developments preceding the opening of Disneyland Paris (DLP).

However, the book is published in 2000, but the last information on DLP in the book date back to November 1994, which is almost ten years ago!

The final chapter furthermore has very little to do with the European park, because it focuses solely on the development of the Walt Disney Company in the States.

The notes, bibliography and index take up one-third of the whole book. It shows how thoroughly Andrew Lainsbury's research has been, but represents a disappointment for the reader who expects 100 pages more on DLP.

Finally must be said that although Lainsbury worked in the European park, the book is written from an American point of view on Europe, which shows in Lainsbury's sometimes negative appreciation of French culture.

The book is definitely a recommendation for everyone interested in the development and initial years of Disneyland Paris, but is too short and covers too few years to be satisfying for the interested reader.

If you're a theme park enthusiast, the description of the design phases of Eurodisneyland are particularly detailed. If you're a Disney fan, this is a rare chance of looking backstage to discover hidden aspects that will boost your respect for the genius behind the magic. If you're a marketing student, this case history is enough to feed your thoughts for years. And if you're a sociology scholar, "Riding the Black Ship" is better. Warning: no mice, fancy photos and/or hypocrisy inside.

This is a great book, well documented and footnoted. Plenty of information for the Disney novice. There are anecdotes and paraphrases which imply first person research, but the notations are useful in clearing up issues.

A strong argument in favor of the theme park as a diversion and entertainment and not as an entity to spread American philosophy or forced culture. This is a compelling thesis for a talented author.

A little pricey, the book is a fine compliment to other books in the Disney library.

So this is the real story of EuroDisney... I have to admit that I never even thought (hoped ? forget it...) to find such a well made book on this particular topic. It's fascinating, how Lainsbury packs all the different contents and perspecticves into a single, compact book. Comprehensive, informative and above all, entertaining; you'll really enjoy reading it. It's too sad that it only consists of about 200 pages, but hey... it's really well worth a try. If you are curious about the history of EuroDisney/ Disneyland Paris and searching for a comprehensive, interesting source, this is your book of choice.

This book would be a welcome trip down memory lane for anyone who knew and loved Palisades Amusement Park and the simpler times the park thrived in. A plainly written, honest account by a man whose life was indelibly imprinted by this magical place; the book contains loads of small black and white photos, many of which look like copies from newspapers, but most are fairly poor reproductions. The two lonely pages of color photos left me longing for more.
If you grew up in Northern New Jersey with fond memories of your times at the park; then by all means you will enjoy looking back through the pages of this book.

This book dealt more with way before my time, more with the beginning times. I would have liked more from the 50's on. Returned the book.

Reading this book brought me back to the 60's and a wonderful time in my life. The book is filled with history but it is, more importantly, chock full of the spirit of Palisades Park.

Palisades Park was like Christmas, New Years and a fun Birthday Party all rolled up into one. As a small child I visited the park with my parents where we shared good times like a family should, but as a teenager it became something even more special. I performed there with my rock band a couple of times, and felt like I had really "made it".

How can these feelings be expressed in a book? Mr. Gargiulo does it with intelligence and a child-like awe of this place, the first "magical kingdom".

The prose is wonderful as so are the amazing pictures.
If anyone wants to take a time machine and return to those magical days in Fort Lee, one has only to read this book!

ITS GREAT. BROUGHT BACK ALOT OF MEMORIES.DIDNT CARE FOR CONEY ISLAND THO. TOO MANY PICTURES AND THAT ALL IT WAS

While "Palisades Amusement Park" might not be a book everyone would enjoy, it meant a great deal to me. I grew up in New Jersey, where this park was located and went there often as a child. The bus company where my Dad was employed provided free passes, which encouraged us to go. When it was destroyed, to erect a condo, my heart was broken, as I knew my daughter and grandchildren would never know the excitement I felt when I first rode the Cyclone at Palisades Park. Through this book, I was able to share some of my experiences with them. Even my son-in-law, who grew up in Georgia, enjoyed it, as history is one of his interests. If you are into historic sites or ever went to Palisades Park when you were young, I think this is a wonderful trip into the past.

Dozens of photographs, drawings, maps, and a comprehensive index make this an excellent guide to the battle of Shiloh.

In addition to actual military reports, the editors provide explanatory information that helps clarify the reports.

With input from the National Park Service, this handbook is an excellent tourbook for the visitor to Shiloh Battlefield Park, and a fine way for the reader at home to come to appreciate the importance of Shiloh.

It is well-organized, with listings of the forces involved, a recapitulation of casualties broken down by brigade AND division, and a comprehensive index to track down specifics.

This is the second battlefield guide in the Army War College series that I have used on a tour. I found it an indispensible aide to understanding how the battle unfolded.

The guide arranges the stops on the tour in a logical manner, and the selected descriptions of the battle by participants do an excellent job describing the combat. I highly recommend this guide to anyone touring the field.

I recommend that you use it in conjunction with the Trailhead Grpahics map of the battlefield, to ensure you have an accurate understanding of the terrain.

Shiloh was the first Civil War battlefield that I ever visited. It was a moving experience, as I viewed the Bloody Pond, the Hornet's Nest, and so on. But I really didn't know much about the ground before my family and I traversed the battlefield.

This was the first real monster battle of the Civil War, surpassing anything that had come before. My memory recalls a statement by a Union soldier at a later battle, when he said something like "I haven't been so bad scared since Shiloh."

On Page ix, we get a sense of the vision of this book: "This guide is designed to help you enjoy this experience at Shiloh. The stops are arranged to present the most important phases of the battle as it developed. . ." This volume would be very helpful as one treks across the battlefield, to make sense of how events unfolded.

The book itself starts off with a brief introduction that provides context for what comes next. The heart of these volumes is a combination of maps and where one should stop and the words of commanders from both sides, describing--from their perspective--what happened during the battle.

The comments from actors begin on page 11 with Major General U. S. describing the situation before the battle began. Then (Pages 23-25) we see General P. G. T. Beauregard's description of the early stages of the Confederate effort. The orders guiding the Confederate forces' movement toward Shiloh are outlined on pages 25-31. The plan itself had some flaws in it that unfolded as the battle progressed.

There are many points of interest in this depiction of the battle. One key event was the stout defense at the Hornet's Nest, where Prentiss' troops (and those of other Union units) held off the Confederate onslaught long enough for the other parts of Grant's tattered forces to redeploy. Pages 139-156 provide a number of reports from officers outlining their views as to what actually happened.

On pages 177 and thereafter, the second day is described. Both forces were disorganized after the first day of the battle. Some of General Buell's Union troops arrived on the field as well as one of Grant's divisions, under Lew Wallace (author, later, of the novel "Ben-Hur"). As the next day began, Grant ordered a counterattack. With the new, fresh troops, the outcome was almost foreordained. Beauregard's troops (the commanding general, Albert Sidney Johnston, had been killed in battle on the first day) finally withdrew, leaving the field to Union forces.

Two concluding sections close out the book--a lecture on the battle given in 1910 by Major Eben Swift; a segment on the controversy over why General Lew Wallace arrived at the battlefield late. Fi9onally, the always useful "Order of Battle," where we see which units fought here by both armies as well as the names of commanders at or above brigade level and where we see the casualty reports.

This was the first monster battle of the Civil War, surpassing earlier clashes such as Wilson's Creek and First Manassas. This book does a nice job of providing a sense of the battlefield for those who wish to see the site itself, of presenting key actors' perceptions of the battle, and of reporting other useful information. This is a nice addition to the Army War College series.

The Shiloh battlefield guide is the fifth of many Civil War guidebooks and maintained the standard started in the Gettysburg guide. The book covers the first big battles of the American Civil War and a Battlefield Park that is the closest to the veteran's vision of "their" battle park. Shiloh is a confusing battle with a story that is being rethought by the experts; this is not a battle history as such. My recommendation is to read Cunningham's book "Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862" before visiting the field. This is best of the very few guidebooks on the battle and is an option to employing a guide or purchasing a park driving tour.
The series format is directions to a point on the field, orientation, a general lesson on what happened in your view, followed by first person accounts of the action. These guides are designed using the general staff training concept of a Staff Ride. This is when a class is taken to a historic location, discuss what happened and see how the terrain influences the event. Staff Rides are designed to be intensive "on the ground" training coupled with physical observation in the hopes students will gain experience for later use.
I am not saying this to frighten you away from this guide but to tell you this is not a walk about and look at the monuments type of guide. This guide will have several pages devoted to the action at this point. It may contain a critique of the local commander's actions with possible alternates.
My experience is that reading the book prior to my visit works best. This allows me more time observing the field and less time reading the book. Of the tour options, a professional guide is usually the best but most expensive choice. The park driving tour is the best choice for a quick trip through the field to get the kids passport stamp. This book is the best choice for a serious student of the battle looking for a detailed explanation.

I have bought several of the guides in the U.S. Army War College Guide series printed by the University Press of Kansas, and have never been disappointed--until now. Living only a two-hour drive away from Shiloh, I have been to that battlefield too many times to count, and have in that time become very well acquainted with it and the surrounding area. I decided to give this book a try, mainly in the hope that it would reveal something to me at the battlefield that I didn't previously know about. I will repeat that I was disappointed, especially considering the high standard I had learned to hold this series of battlefield guides to.

First of all, there are gaps in the authors' coverage of the battlefield. In other words, they skip important parts of the battlefield while giving other parts plenty. I was also saddened to find out that the authors don't cover sites off the actual battlefield that have to do with pre- or post-battle events, such as the site of the Confederate council-of-war on April 5 or the location of Fallen Timbers, where Nathan Bedford Forrest fought a brilliant rear-guard action after the battle was over. This book would have been much better if the coverage had been widened to sites other than those located within the park itself.

Secondly, I feel as though the authors did not describe each tour stop very well. They would describe what was happening in the general area, but woudln't put that into the context of where you are then standing. For example, most tour guides would say something like the following: "From where you are now standing, Adams' brigade (randomnly picking names here) attacked in the field to your left. At the same time, Shaver's brigade attacked to your right." If the authors had done this, the book would have been much better.

For those who wish to see only sites within the park boundaries, and not see all the important sites associated with the battle outside the park, this would be a good, not great, battlefield guide. For those, like me, who are very adamant about touring the lesser know sites, this guide will be disappointing. I may even be a little too generous in giving it two stars

This field guide give a good general introduction to Big Bend, but is disappointing when it is time to go deeper. Also, there is almost nothing on the geology of the region, a topic that deserves attention.

I've been to Big Bend National Park several times. But this book introduced some plants and animals that I have seen, but not given much notice to. That will change on my next visit.

Naturalist's Big Bend is a comprehensive overview of the flora and fauna of the Big Bend National Park region in Texas. Big Bend is unique for a couple of reasons. First, because the US/Mexico border dips south there, many species are found in the US only in this region. Secondly, as the climate changed following the last ice age, other species found themselves islanded in the cooler mountain ecosystems as the plains around them became deserts. These "sky islands" hold unique flora and fauna that has remained isolated for thousands of years.

Authors Wauer and Fleming have comprehensive first-hand knowledge of the park that comes through in every chapter. The book provides the advantage not only of their expertise but of their access to many unpublished Park Service and other reports and surveys of the park. The bibliography is the definitive go-to guide for anyone wishing to research any aspect of Big Bend's ecosystem. However, for a more personal tour of the park, you might prefer For All Seasons: A Big Bend Journal by author Wauer.

The book makes an excellent reference for the knowledgeable biologist or biology buff planning, enjoying, or remembering a visit to Big Bend National Park. Casual tourists will find the detail overwhelming and the illustrations miserly. With a bigger budget, this could have been a stunning illustrated field guide. As it is, most species rely on description alone for identification. There are a few black-and-white plates of plants, a limited number of fascinating black-and-white photos of animals, and a select group of stunning color photos that illustrate the diverse habitats found within the park.

A good set of lists, with location, for the various natural species found in Big Bend. Unfortunately drawings are not to scale and are not near the plant descriptions. The decriptions do not include any identifying characteristics such as bundles and number of needles, etc. The drawings are in black and white. It would be difficult to take with you as it is not eay to identify items by the descriptions and or drawings. You would need a plant book and bird book and tree book all in color to help you.

My husband and I both found this useful and interesting for our recent weeklong trip to Big Bend. I would recommend it more as preparatory reading before the trip, or evening reading at your room or campsite while in the park, than as a guide to specific areas or species. Also it is best used with oher books accompanying it rather than relying on it alone, such as hiking, lizard, flower, or birding book too, depending on your interests. The bibiography uses up about the last quarter of this rather slim book. So you may want to get it way ahead of your trip then order more books from the bibliography or elsewhere.

The Puebloan culture at Chaco Canyon reached its height between AD 1050 and 1120. In addition to constructing greathouses, kivas, tools and pottery, the people also had to solve the problems of living in a harsh environment. For example, they developed intricate systems of controlling water through canals, dams, gates, and gridded gardens.

This book is an excellent reference that lists subjects alphabetically, with brief decriptions (usually not more than one half to one page in length) for each entry. However, I will echo another reviewer's comment that this is not a useful book to take with you when walking among the ruins of Chaco Canyon National Park. I also did not find it as useful when approaching it as an 'introduction' to the culture. It is useful however if you're reading another book about Chaco Canyon or you're already familar with the culture and you want to look up what a Herradura is or to identify what the Rabbit Ruin is and where it's located. There are black-and-white photos and pen-and-ink drawings displayed throughout the book, and there are also maps of topographic and hydrologic features of the area.

My only disappointment is that it was touted on the back cover as 'The Beginner's Salvation' but I never got the beginner's 'big picture' when reading the book's introduction. I would've preferred an overview that addressed the subject in this sequence: reasons the Puebloans began moving and settling into the area, what did early aspects of the culture look like, what main conflicts/issues did they have to resolve along the way and how, what did later aspects of the culture look like, and what were some possible reasons why they left. Instead, I had to wade through a lot to piece this together and there are still a few pieces missing. An overview followed by the introductory chapters would've been more effective. Overall though, as a reference, this book has some great information.

Also, a travel note if you're plannning to visit Chaco Canyon... To get to the park, you have to take a 20-mile long desolate dirt road. I would recommend not taking a regular car or RV out there. When I was there in September, we were just leaving the park as it started to rain. I soon felt fortunate that we had rented an SUV because the road very quickly turned into a thick muck.

Someone's pointed out that this isn't a guide to help you explore Chaco. That's true. This is a book you should probably read before you go there, or even contemplate going there.

Visiting Chaco and other ancient ruin sites in the Southwest is an adventure. If you'd like to see these ruins innocent of any understanding of what you are looking at, of the people who built them, of what's known, believed, speculated about concerning their mysteries, don't buy this book. You'll still enjoy seeing it, but you'll do so with approximately the same level of comprehension as the thousands of others who visit there every year.

This book won't give you a thorough knowledge of Chaco or the Chacoan Culture. No book will. No 100 books will. The fact is we only know a lot about those people when compared to knowing absolutely nothing about them.

But if you want to know what's known and believed about pre-columbians in New Mexico, this is a good place to begin.

This incredibly detailed and cross-referenced "handbook" is also a fine "literary work"that will delight anyone from novice to active archaeologist. Vivian's lifelong professional involvement with Chaco and Hilpert's facile expertise for public information clarity have made a perfect merger of technical information and spellbinding narrative. Add in wonderful illustrations (many of Vivian's photos and drawings) and time lines and charts, and you have everything one needs to understand, and better yet, REMEMBER AND TRACE, up-to-date info on Chaco. This really goes into the heart of the entire realm of SW PreHistory even beyond Chaco culture. As an active "amateur", I use the gloriously wide margins to record notes from all the good references the book provides on Chaco. Others of less intense interest in Chaco have found gift copies especially rewarding: my son's wife has seen only Mesa Verde, yet she found that this book explained general Anasazi life "at last" in a clear and direct manner; my sister fell in love with the Hopi culture on a visit to the 3 Mesas, and she now feels informed "about the whole idea of the Prehistory of the area" (Hopi and Zuni have their own topics in the book); and my 94 yr old Aunt was here in the 50's and loves SW PreHistory -- but now is quite blind -- so her daughter reads from this handbook to UPDATE her on the whole info range and latest Theory base of the Anasazi/Chaco world. She says the narrative is SO EASY TO UNDERSTAND that she can "build the pictures in her mind". We have been given a fine gift from Vivian and Hilpert. AND CHECK OUT VIVIAN'S LATEST BOOK FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. It includes -- for young people and adults-- a charming personal history on Gwinn Vivian.

Ever feel that you let the enthusiasm of a review persuade you to purchase something for the wrong reason? Well I did. Like many of you who will visit this amazing site, I was looking for a book that would help me explore it. This book WILL NOT help you plan your trip nor will you want to pack it with you when you go. What it will do is help you write a term paper on Chaco Canyon. Things I want to know when I read about an area are when to go, how long each area should take and strategies to get the best views and pictures. I figured this information would be intermixed with detailed descriptions on the sites history which would elevate it above a typical travel guide. Wrong. It is as far removed from a travel guide as a book can get. Is this the books fault? No probably not. I should have taken the "Encylopedic Guide" reference more literal. However, all those glowing reviews made me feel I was missing something. I was not. I found out just as much about the sites when I visited the on-site museum and read the much shorter official site book (Chaco - A Cultural Legacy). I also found Sandra Hickman's - Hiking the Southwests Canyon Country, to be a better travel companion then this book. Want to know where the petroglyphs are or how to get to New Alto? Not happening with this book. Want a multi page explanation of masonary styles or find out what Uto-Aztecan is? Then this is your book.

Chaco Canyon, site of one of the most remarkable civilizations in North America prior to the European invasion, has long been the subject of speculation, fantasy and intense scientific exploration and study.

The mystery of its origins may never be unraveled, which is perhaps the enduring lure of the Chaco Phenomenon. Visit the ruins of an English castle, or a coastal monastery destroyed by Vikings, and the origins and fate are readily available. At Chaco, the Great Houses built from about 850 AD to 11 AD were the highest stone structures built in the Americas until at least the 18th century.

For Navajos and New Agers, like the English of 850 AD when called on to explain Roman ruins, the structures were built by gods. The reality is more prosaic, Chaco was built by the ancestors of today's pueblo Indians. The mystery is "Why ?"

The Chaco Handbook doesn't attempt to solve the mystery. Instead, it provides a concise handbook of Chacoan studies, illustrated with more than 100 maps, drawings and photos, plus definitions of 250 of the common terms relating to more than a century of exploration and investigations. On the basis of my personal visits beginning in the 1960s, it is the best single volume introduction available to explain Chaco.

It's up-to-date, covering some of the latest original and provocative work by longtime professionals such as Thomas Windes and Steve Lekson. It also mildly debunks the sensationalism of Christy Turner who caused a brief flurry of revulsion with his suggestion it was an ancient pueblo cannibalism center.

It's a handy reference for anyone who has visited, an invaluable resource for anyone who plans to visit and a perfect introduction even for those unable to visit. Instead of the usual detailed archaeological minutiae, "The Chaco Handbook" is ideal for average readers. Written by two consummate experts with decades of professional experience, it is an excellent introduction to visiting and thinking about Chaco.

After reading this book, dozens of other books are available which range from professional reports and analysis of excavated sites to esoteric speculation that varies from Aztec warlords to visitors from outer space. Once again, based on personal experience, this book is the next best thing to living there for several months.

Care for some speculation ? Chaco was abandoned after 1100 AD when the Southwest was hit by a decades-long drought; I've studied quality reports of Chaco groundwater which is laced with high levels of natural pollution that can cause mental retardation. The decline roughly coincides with the introduction of the Kachina religion, still a vital part of Zuni and Hopi societies -- two good reasons to start over someplace else.

When we consider why people do things -- such as build Chaco in the first place, or abandon it after 250 years -- we're looking at some fundamental ideas about the origins and fate of societies. Why migrate to Chaco and build Great Houses ? Look at it this way -- Why should Europeans migrate to America and build a Great Society ? Chaco is a metaphor for our world.

This is the fun of studying and speculating about Chaco, a rich and materialistic society that offered far more than a marginal or subsistence life. The Chaco Phenomenon was a vast construction project lasting hundreds of years, with a profound impact on the regional ecology. It leaves the enduring question, "What inspired these Pueblo Ancestors to such greatness ?"

Granted, this book doesn't delve into such idle and sometimes amusing speculation. But, it offers a concise and comprehensive background for those who ponder such issues, and I recommend it as the best introduction available. It's part of the charm of studying Chaco, the temptation (by amateurs at least) to combine facts with "What if ?" speculation.

"The Chaco Handbook" is the best introduction you will get.

I give the book high marks for the research that apparently went into the book. There were a number of references cited in the book that were new to me. Maybe that was enough to earn it 4 stars, but like another reviewer I found the presentation to be a bit disjointed and uneven.

Mr. Honan previously wrote a biography on Shakespeare, so it appears he was careful to avoid discrediting Stratfordian doctrine, or contradicitng what was prevously written, which may account for some of the inconsistency. I feel the book would have been much more effective if the focus remained on Marlowe, and had not attempted to explore a possible relationship between the two men.

Park Honan (Emeritus Professor at the School of English, University of Leeds) presents Christopher Marlowe: Poet & Spy, an in-depth biography of the famous literary figure. Chapters cover Marlowe's childhood, his street fighting, his alleged atheism, a thorough examination of the circumstances that led to Marlowe's murder, and much more. A handful of black-and-white illustrations intersperse this involved, heavily researched and meticulously presented true-life story. Also highly recommended are Honan's previous biographies, most notably the acclaimed "Shakespeare, A Life".

This book seems to have been written mainly for an audience of professional Marlowe scholars. General readers will find it frustrating and confusing. His writing often wanders all over the place. For example, in reference to Marlowe's activities as spy, Honan writes, "He involved himself in some duplicity, if not in faithlessness and treachery, with regard to fellow scholars at Cambridge" (109), suggesting that Marlowe may have betrayed some of his fellow students with Catholic sympathies. But the point is frustratingly dropped until some 44 pages later, when Honan observes that "we cannot be certain that he betrayed Corpus [i.e. Cambridge University] men, or lured them as a provocateur" (153), seemingly contradicting his earlier point. Because his writing tends to wander, the story of Marlowe's life is hard to follow in Honan's account. Important contexts, such as espionage under Queen Elizabeth, and patronage, are not well-explained. Honan assumes that readers already have a detailed knowledge of these subjects.

An account like this necessarily involves substantial speculation, since the documentary evidence is quite spotty. Readers need to know exactly what the historical evidence is, and where speculation begins. Honan's discussion of the documentary evidence is quite uneven. In some places he gives a detailed account, but in many other places, he simply leaves this essential information out. As a result, the reader is often wondering about the historical basis for Honan's account. He often fails to distinguish fact from speculation.

One useful feature is an appendix which reproduces some important historical documents including the so-called Baines libel and coroner's inquest of Marlowe's death.

'The Tragic History of the Life and Death of Dr. Faustus' was perhaps Christopher Marlowe's masterpiece. The hero endeavors to save his soul and trick the devil; his devil, Methostophilis, was no match for Faust who had been tormented with 10,000 hells -- after he had seen "the face of God and tasted the eternal joys of heaven." If we find succor in hate, "neglect reconciliation," 'we shall always carry hell about with us.' Faust had boasted that "a sound magician is a mighty god."

Marlowe was no atheist as believed during his short life, but he did believe in Merlin's magic. His patron, Tom Walsingham, was a former spy who dabbled with magical spirits, (not alcohol, though he did have a brewery. 'Dido (Queen of Carthage)' was the play in which Dido's love is like Petrarch's, which Marlowe is said to have inherited. It is limitless; Marlowe portrays the intensity of her desires and playfulness, In his poetic treatise, she expressed herself with "a valid new logic" as she extolls the virtues of the winds and the seas. Marlowe, nicknamed Kit Marloe at Cambridge, was not a romantic, but a "questing realist." Personally, he was excitable, vulnerable and inconsistent.

'Tamburlaine' was written in blank verse using Marlowe's 'pathos' and much hyperbole. His views on history, society and social violence began to evolve as he showed the feelings, attitudes, motivation and behavior of humans from a religious aspect. He evokes four or five different religions in this play. In it, his hero was compared to Christ. "In dramatizing faith, desire, and our other attributes in their ambiguity, Marlowe belongs to us." For six months in 1594, the year after he was murdered, revivals of these two parts were played out before audiences as large as two thousand. Every foreign locale in his plays had a relation to England.

He had just completed 'Hero and Leander' in 1593 before he was arrested as a spy and met his untimely death. He had portrayed the "gap between his well-disciplined life of art and thought and the loose and easy exuberance of his talk." His mentor was partial to speaking Latin, which he called 'the music of the spheres.' Born in February, 1564, he was only twenty-nine when he died in May, 1593. His memory lingers on.

A book best for people with some prior understanding of Marlowe's works and the era in which he lived. In regard to the spying done, most casual readers will be lost in the confusing cross currents of British politics, heavily influenced by religious factors, of the late 1500s. And the fact is much of Marlowe's life is lost to documented history. In a pleasing style, Professor Park Honan fills the lacunae with his informed guesses and conjectures.