Travelogue Books

Well worth reading if only to get the point of view of how Mexico looked and felt in the eyes of someone who saw it over a hundred years ago. Simply a magical journey!

I have to warn the reader that I am a field biologist and thus somewhat prejudiced. However I think Jennifer Bové has collected a great series of stories about what it is like to be a biologist in the wild in her new book "The Back Road to Crazy: Stories From the Field." I only have met one of the authors, but in my life I have had or have known someone who has had many similar experiences as her writers describe. From Mark Moffett's sad account of a herpetologist who dies from krait bite in the Myanmar forests to Jeff Beane's lament in the North Carolina mountains this is a treasure trove for field biologists, people who like travel stories and just plain "nature nuts", to use John Acorn's Canadian TV program's title.

While I have not been to Myanmar or even North Carolina's mountains, I could tell a number of such stories, from a rainy "rattlesnake night" in Arizona and watching scorpions court under UV light on a hillside at midnight in New Mexico to an absolutely insane collecting trip to Ichetucknee Springs in northern Florida and seeing leatherback turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on Trinidad's east coast. All field biologists have a stock of such tales, because you simply cannot be a field biologist without having unusual things happen to you, even if you plan well (and, as any field biologist will tell you, a badly planned field trip can be an absolute disaster!) Jennifer Bové has now opened up this store of great stories and presented us with an absolute feast of them.

Anyone who wants to know what field biologists do should read this book. Keep in mind that there can be hours, days or weeks of boredom, but to be honest in field biology we are seldom really bored. The neat part about being a field biologist is that there is discovery awaiting all of us in every forest, desert, prairie, sea shore, creek, pond or lake. We are truly fortunate in that even waiting near a city vacant lot we can find interest in the ever fascinating tapestry of living things. It is what makes all the risks worth it. Although I could point out that crossing a street in any large city in the United States is usually more dangerous than any field work in a rain forest or desert!

(Please see William J. Higginson's excellent review of the earlier, Echo Press edition of this book.) I have Ueno Yozo's scholarly edition of Oku No Hosomichi which I've been going over, section by section, with a real scholar of Edo Japanese. My little knowledge of Japanese allows me to understand the differences between modern Japanese and the original, and yes, there's a density, a quickness, and a terseness, in the original that Cid Corman's translation faithfully captures in English. I give a great deal of credit for this to Cid's co-translator, Kamaike Susumu, and to Cid's love for just these qualities in poetry, which he learned from such earlier masters as Ezra Pound, and of course from his great teacher William Carlos Williams, and was on the road to perfecting for himself when he did this project and published it (in 1961) in Origin magazine. Cid's style was a good "fit" for this project--in other words, as the Japanese put it--Cid had "en" or destiny when he undertook this translation with Kamaike-san, for the plain truth is, Cid Corman did not know Japanese. Even after all of his many years of living in Japan, he was not able to speak, read or write it. Cid was absolutely honest about this, however, and you'll see that he shares top billing with Kamaike-san on the title page. Startled? Well, I'd argue that the top English translation of this Japanese classic being produced by a non-Japanese reader, writer, and speaker, is not quite as startling as Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage being hailed by Civil War veterans as being the most accurate rendition of their experience of war in print. Scholars argue that Crane's psychological dynamic allowed him to present the "truth" of conflict. I'd argue that the same sort of dynamic--albeit stylistic--was at work with Cid and Basho. On this point, I differ from Higginson.

I recently used a copy to find my way around Malta and Gozo. The entries are concise and focused. No unnecessary detail. I enjoyed the historical basics about the places I visited - just what I needed to know. The entries are precisely indexed - a really easy guide book to find your way around! My uncle has been living on Gozo for the last year and has decided that a copy of Baedeker's Malta is just what he needs.

Baja Outpost by Marvin and Aletha Patchen and Their Guests

Out in the high desert of Baja nestled between boulders and boojums, Marvin and Aletha Patchen have a cabin. And they have been gracious enough to open this cabin to friends and travelers they have met in their journeys. Due to its unique location this cabin has truly become a Baja Outpost.

A guestbook lies in wait for those coming through the door. Some write of what brought them thus far on their journey. Others write of where they hope the road will take them. Some write in the purely in the moment, describing the cabin, the sunsets and the flora. One particular visitor seems to revel in his encounters of the very close kind with the local fauna. But various desert critters don't deter the guests from enjoying the comforts of a place to call home during various adventures in Baja.

The Patchen's interesting and insightful comments are interspersed with the guest entries of over fifteen years, providing us with a very personal history of place. At the beginning of the book, the cabin seems like a simple refuge, nothing more than four walls, a ceiling and a door with a working lock. But it becomes a richly decorated home with the thoughts and impressions left by its visitors.

Some of the names are instantly familiar. Some become familiar as people are drawn back again to the little cabin in the middle of nowhere, providing the reader a very personal glimpse into the heart of Baja as seen through many eyes.

This is a perfect present for readers who long for those dirt roads and smell of sage, for those who travel off the beaten path and know the value of a good road story.

The only book I ahve found that has data and informatin that will allow one to use as a real tool. All other book about Baja are poor imitations of this one. Others have errors thru out. I have used this one for 27 years and have updated it on each trip. The information is accurate to day as it was in 1970. Leland Lewis did an outstanding work here. If anyone is interested in the updates contact me.

This book really grew on me. I bought it in its first publication by Hong Kong's 'The Guidebook Company' in 1990, along with the usual Lonely Planet and an updated version of Bill Dalton's extremely hefty Indonesia guide. (I first took his book to Indonesia in '79, and his guide continues to be invaluable to the drifting back packer and serious off-the-beaten-tracker, but that type of guide may be overkill for the package traveller to Bali).

I find I keep returning to Charlés book for cultural references. Whereas the Lonely Planet and Dalton are great for planning where to stay and how to get around, and they're chockablock with data, data, data, this little gem of a book is a great if simple tool for planning cultural events and jaunts. It's laid out in an attractive fashion, with all kinds of great photos. Very interesting sidebars highlight personalities, artists, or historical events. It's light enough to be the only guide book you might need, especially if you plan to stay in one place (as on a package deal) and confine your forays into different villages and beaches to day trips only.

So if you are limited in your time in Bali, and you have to plan your days with care, spend a week or two with this book before you go, and it will quickly guide you to the things that interest you most.

This is the most beautiful book of this region that I have ever seen, and I have read dozens! As a life-long hiker in this area, I can assure you that the trail discriptions tell you everything you need to know, and the photographs are exquisite. The historical sections are well written, entertaining, and incredibly informative. I can't imagine visiting this area without this book. Just reading this it almost makes you feel like an expert on this gorgeous region. Buy It!

All you need to know about using a map & compass is in this book. Honest! Bigger books complicate simple things like declination and bearings. I developed and wrote the orienteering and navigation stuff for Minnesota schools--and the heart of it is in this book. BE Map & Compass has earned rave reviews and is recommended by the Boy Scouts.

This guy travels Borneo, Siam, French Indo-China, Japan, the Malay States, and the Phillipines in the early 20s. And not one dull page in all 395 of 'em.. It was simply wonderful reading, with not a few laughs. He travels on freight cars among pigs, walks through the jungle, and meets the most fascinating people and goes to the most interesting places. It was all great! One caveat, however. This did take place in the late teens and early 20s, and Foster's prejudice for other races clearly shows through. Unfortunately, he was not atypical of his times, and the book must be read with that in mind. Thank god times have changed.