Recreation Books

It's a nice book, well written and with a nice alternating between anedocts and game recaps with box scores and precise recollection of the Mets most important games over their history. I wish the author had expanded a bit more the final part of the book dedicated to players profiles. But overall it's a nice reading for baseball fans interested in the recent history of the game, not only Mets fans

I loved this book. If you are a baseball fan, half the fun is reliving great moments. Blatt puts you back on the field only the way a seasoned sportswriter can. There is also plenty of stuff from off the field. I love baseball and this book does it for me. Even after reading it, it's a book you can pick up and enjoy all over again. Buy it.

I just finished reading Howard Blatt's book, Amazin' Met Memories. I really enjoyed the trip down memory lane with the Mets. This book had terrific accounts of over 40 of the greatest games in Met history. My whole family have been fans of The NY Mets for many years. Since we don't live in New York anymore we can't attend the games, but this book made me feel that I was sitting on the third base line at Shea. I will keep this book in the company of every Met yearbook I own, since '62. Mr. Blatt, keep the Met books coming!!!

After realizing that Howard Blatt couldn't possibly have spent 40 years in the Mets' lockerroom, I became aware of the fact that his amazin' book only makes it seem so, and that he has astounding knowledge of both the Mets and baseball in general.
This is an enjoyable and fascinating chronicle of 40 sometimes great, often frustrating years.
Perhaps my biggest kick, however, came from Bud Harrelson's wonderful and honest introduction. It alone makes the book a great buy, and brought back for this original Met fan many fond memories of the '69 Miracle Mets.

Might this be the best Mets book -- ever? I'm old enough to recall the Mets first win in 1962, and here's that game again, one of dozens of games -- from the good years and the wishful -- with dozens of box scores (box scores! Why don't baseball books have more box scores like Blatt gives us?) and excellent game stories, with the best quotes, scene-setting and analysis you could want. I just pick this book up, read any game at random and next thing I know I'm reading three games, four, and the writing of each game-story is so crisp, evocative, witty and intelligent that nothing about it tires. It's like sitting next to a great afficianado who's seen it all and makes you feel as if you're seeing it fresh in the thrill of the original nights and afternoons. Like a time machine, you're placed in the game's seasonal situation, the immediate dugout calculations, and the cultural implications for the Blue and Orange. And then there are the chapters on best/worst trades, best players (complete with stats and rain-delay musings) and like the song says, "I don't care if I ever get back." And the topper is that he even includes "bonus" games, plucking the extraordinary from the ordinary (if there is such a thing as ordinary in baseball). Any old book can give you the World Series games but Blatt gives you it all, from the Aprils to the warm summers to the October chill. It works on every level. Not only is this a book for the deepest, most passionate fan but also the perfect volume to introduce and explain to your girlfriend, wife or kids why the Mets matter, why this is not just the Mets history but our own. Just as you can love and appreciate Wrigley without being a Cubs fan, or appreciate Jordan without being his team's fan, you can love this book even if you're not a Mets fan. If you value great baseball writing you'll become a Howard Blatt fan. As do all great authors and their classics, this book transcends its particulars to become something any fan will find fascinating and historically compelling. This book will become as dog-eared as your first scorecard and just as precious.

Michael MacCambridge's book is a superb research effort. The material on the early history of professional football is especially good, and richly detailed.

This is a very impressive overview of the history of the NFL. Well researched. Like all good historical books, this places the development of pro football within the larger context of events and attitudes of the times. Very informative stuff particularly with the early murky (and generally long-forgotten) history of the NFL. The league owners have always been a hard to manage alpha male group and commissioners Bell, Rozelle and Tagliabu have done an impressive of keeping the ship in order. I highly recommend this book. I would love to see this author come up with a follow-up; profiles on characters of the game, particularly in the early days to really show the flesh and bones of the players who made it all possible.

An excellent book on the history of the NFL. From the early years to the present, the author gives details of the people and teams that have made the NFL what it is today. The 70's were of great interest to me since I grew up during the 70's. Another book on the NFL that covers the 70's is "The Super 70's" by Tom Danyluk. Well done.

Book gets 5 stars from where it starts (end of WW 2) through the AFL-NFL merger, then loses steam from 1970-present.

That said, it is worth reading simply for the first part. The section on the LA Rams itself makes the book worthwhile as is the section on the early Cleveland Browns.

Yet it pretty much ignores the 50s Detroit Lions who were a power as well.

The AFL is treated quite fairly, which is unusual. And you get a very nuanced picture of Lamar Hunt, nice going.

Wellington Mara gets panned a bit, he is not seen as the generous man whose altruism gets praised time after time. Rather, his backing of the National TV contract is seen as something he was talked into. His signing of Pete Gogolak is roundly panned in this book.

Great great information on Bert Bell, the commissioner before Rozelle.

Very little on George Halas.

But it seemed to me that the author could not find many topics he liked in the post-merger NFL.

BTW, this book is almost totally concerned with the owners and managers of the team. Relatively little on the players.

MacCambridge has written an outstanding history of modern professional football known as the National Football League. The primary theme of the book is how football has eclipsed other sports, specifically baseball, to become America's game.

The book starts out with the Baltimore Colts defeat in overtime of the New York Giants on December 28, 1958 in the National Football League championship game. The game was televised and is called the Greatest Game Ever Played, partially because it catapulted the NFL into the national spotlight and sent the league on its way to be the dominant sport in American culture.

For the most part this is a very linear history of the Nation Football League, and a very well done one. While it is about the game itself, it's more about the business of professional football and the importance of decisions made by those who ran it leading to a thriving game and a thriving business enterprise. Much is discussed about the first commissioner Bert Bell who held a motley collection of owners together and strived for parity in the league, and Pete Rozelle who help reap millions in television revenue, fostered the revenue sharing agreement between big market and small market teams keeping competitive balance, and maintaining relative labor peace compared to other sports.

Another very interesting and pivotal part of NFL history was its competition with the American Football League in the 1960's and how a group of maverick owners created a rival, viable league of its own and how the eventual merger of the NFL and AFL came about. Interestingly, Lamar Hunt, late owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, was the pivotal figure in both the creation of the AFL and the eventual merger. The merger, in fact, made the NFL even stronger.

There are a few key themes in this book about why professional football became the dominant sport it is today. First, and foremost, is television. The game of football, more so than baseball, is a sport made for television. Television thrust the game into the national spotlight and keeps it there. Second is parity. While there have been some dominant teams in the league and a few dynasties, the revenue sharing, scheduling, and now salary caps which keep the teams on a somewhat even playing field has helped maintain interest in the game. Third, labor peace, relative to other sports, has also helped the game thrive. And finally, the owners and commissioners who have lead the league have been visionary. In these pages you meet the legendary coaches and owners like George Halas, Paul Brown, Vince Lombardi, Wellington Mara, Art Modell, Art Rooney, and others who made the NFL what it is today.

Overall, this is an outstanding history of the modern NFL and I highly recommend it.

This book is the only reference one needs for any navigational issue. As a U.S. Naval Officer, I use this book to keep my navigation skills sharp. While it is an "official" publication, it is so useful I decided I needed a copy of my own, and purchased one. When I was instructing midshipmen at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, I routinely used Bowditch as my sourcebook, to ensure I was ready to teach each navigational subject (especially celestial nav). On the occasions where a midshipman asked me a question I could not immediately answer, I invariably found the answer in Bowditch. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

"Ship handling" is something you get a feel for, specific to each vessel. Navigation, on the otherhand, can be learned (and used) by a hermit in the desert. And quite easily with his trusty "Bowditch" by his side. Navigation, as a science, didn't spring up overnight. Like the Aztec calendar, thousands of years of observation went into its development, beginning with the earliest seamen. Today, the New American Practical Navigator reflects those years of patient record. Everyone, from the weekend warrior to the crustiest salt, can find a lesson in its pages. From the latest chapter on Electronic Navigation in 1995's "red book", to the esoteric sights for lunar longitude in the old leather-bound editions of the early 1800's, "Bowditch" gives you no excuse for losing your way.

I am a professional Capt. and I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to become a proficent mariner.

as a first year student in a marine program in Canada I don't know where I would be with out "Bowditch" this is the book for any one who sails on the Great Lakes or Deep Sea. I would advise any person who sails or is pondering sailing buy this book!

I am a career, surface warfare-qualified Navy officer and believe this to be the best reference in the world for nautical navigation and related matters. Superb.

This book is just the perfect companion for my husband's work-out routine. You don't have to be a biology major to appreciate the relevance of understanding how human anatomy and weight training go hand in hand. All strength and weight trainees should get this book as a guide to working out.

Este libro es muy técnico pero dirigido al público en general, se entiende todo muy bien, explica de manera agradable la conformación del aparato músculo esquelético incluyendo gráficos explicativos. De manera muy amena se conocen los músculos a trabajar su ubicación y brinda orientación sobre cómo ejecutar en forma correcta algunas rutinas; es un libro muy bello con sus dibujos y su lenguaje muy asequible. Lo recomiendo altamente.

I was never very good at science/anatomy and don't understand too much about the inner workings of the body but I LOVE to work out so this book is perfect for when I just need to know which specific muscles I'm working when I do specific exercises. I highly recommend it!

I find this book useful on two levels. On one level, I have used it to deepen my own knowledge and make sure that I am targeting where I wish. On another level, it has allowed me to show my teenage son exactly which muscles are being worked by which exercises. I like the author's emphasis on functional strength.

It's a great resource for me. I am a woman who goes to the gym for fitness and strength training. Even though the gym provides a trainer, who has explained these things to me, the great illustrations in this book really help me to visualize how the muscles work and I now understand and can work them even better.

I purchased this book because of my great interest in birds (not hunting) and I particularly have an interest in the other birds of his menagerie. Frederick seems to me to be a truly Renaissance man before his time who had indoor plumbing, an extensive traveling library and who was a very creative architect of many of his palaces and lodges (which were more extensive than those of others). I am still searching for more information about how the many parrots and other exotic birds were housed and cared for, though I see that (in this book) that he had a large preserve for the large wild animals (elephants, lions tigers etc) and another just for hunting birds - no mention is made of the lovely gentle creatures and their care. My especial interest is in the Umbrella Cockatoo -so well described on page 59 of this book as "white parrot" but with details and it is apparent that there were at least numerous green parrots as well. I will keep searching and if anyone knows of a book showing his care of parrots please email vldazzle at Cox.net.

This is the perfect book for whoever wants to learn about what falconry was like a long time ago. However, I would not reccommend it to anyone who wants to learn about present day falconry. After you get your license, I would reccommend it. The reason I say this is because it can confuse the apprentice. It confused me. It does teach a lot though, and can give insight to diff. ways of training hawks. Belongs in every falconers library!

Frederick II was one of the very few brilliant minds of the Middle Ages who opossed the Pope and the teachings of the Church, even, it is said, declaring Jesus, Moses and Muhammad [...]. Patron of arts and Science, warrior and writer, it is also said that he spoke nine toungues (in an era when most members of the highest nobility were unable even to read). He was known as Stupor Mundi (Astonishment of the World), a Pope declared him the Antichrist, was twice excommunicated, and Dante sent him to the fires of Hell in the Divine Comedy. This book, about one of his passions, hunting, should therefore be in the shelves of every learned reader of the world. It is a fantastic source of information for falconers, historians (both of the Middle Ages and of Science) and for everyone interested in the history or the life of this great King, who, when crowned, wore a robe with this inscription wrote in Arabic: "May the Emperor be received well, may he enjoy vast prosperity, great generosity and high splendor, fame and magnificent endowments, and the fulfillment of his wishes and hopes. May his days and nights go in pleasure without end or change". So be it.

Beisdes being an incredible tract on falconry (modern ornithology has yet to surpass it, really. Doubly impressive, considering Frederick was writing some three centuries before the scientific revolution). This book is a cross-section of one of the most profound minds in all of Western history. Frederick the Second was the most magnificient of all the latter day emperors. From nothing he raised the throne of the Roman Empire to transcendant limits, defied both God and the Church, and brought in the fabled "third age" for the superstitious people of medieval Europe, who believed that he was either the bringer of Peace before the apocalypse or the Anti-Christ himself. His memorable utterance "...I am tired of being the anvil. Now I shall be the hammer!" was the inspiration behind Nietszche's work 600 years later. The Empire died with the next brilliant generation of the Hohenstaufen.

In light of all this, his book of falconry is indespensible. It shows us Frederick the Renaissance man, engaging in Scientific method in an era of revealed truths, and it shows us Frederick the hunter: shrewd, catching every detail, and always for the love of the chase. This book will amaze you to no ends!

As a practical guide to modern falconry, I don't believe this book would be as helpful as some on the market, but as a primary source from the middle ages it is first rate. The intricacies and details of the hunt, the housing, the care given to the birds, hounds, etc. . . . for this, the book is priceless. If you are looking for summaries of the hunting practices in the middle ages, Marcelle Thiebeaux and Anne Rooney are among the best authors to seek. If you want the actual details of the way it was by someone living at the time it was practiced, there is no better source than Frederick II's book (and few even close).

This is the 'source' information from which all useable functional,and common sense hitting instruction comes from.It's still just as relevant in '08 as it was back when the White Sox had those horrible uniforms.(and haircuts)
This book De-bunks a lot of the 'Red Herrings' of Hitting folklore. I am constantly amazed as a player and coach how much out and out, wrong information is out there.
Lau wrote this book right at the advent of the use of video. He was the first person to analyze a swing in all it's entirety. He not only came up with the '10 absolutes' but he points out what is NOT important...(stance,elbows up,staying back...whatever that means?)

No more 'squashing butterflies and squishing bugs'....
He speaks of the importance of:
Rhythm,weight shift
You Hit off of your FRONT foot.
You go back to get forward!
You do not keep your eye on the ball....Your head goes down when you swing.
and all importantly...tough as nails Charlie LAU talking about what most guys don't want to...fear and tension in hitting.

etc,etc,etc.

I was struggling at the plate when I bought this book. I was a power hitting .200 pull hitter. I retired from adult ball,hitting twice that. More importantly I taught everything I learned in this book to my son who has won a few league batting titles,though he still gets the occasional snide remark about how his swing 'looks' (LOL!)

I have taught many sub .150 hitting kids how to hit .400...it always lights up a kids face to find out I don't give a darn where his elbow is (or how many bugs he squashes)

I recently stepped into a cage after not having touched a bat in over a year. I drilled 10 consecutive line drives into the L-screen. I thought of Charlie's ghost smiling down as I imagined 'hitting the pitcher in the forehead' and driving it 'back through the box'

Charlie lives forever!!

I know this book isn't cheap because it's so hard to find (they need to reprint it!!)

BUT... It'll be worth every penny !!

-solpig

I read the first edition of this book when I was 14 years old. I followed all the advice to the letter. Subsequently, I led my baseball league in hitting with a .625 batting average. What a ringing endorsement, huh.

I was a scrawny little kid to whom baseball was everything. To my parent's dismay, I judged myself by how I played baseball. But I was scared of the baseball and lost as to how to go about hitting it. My coaches gave me harmful, misguided instructions like, "make sure it's a stike, then swing at it" and "snap those wrists". I was a wreck. Then one winter my Dad (like me, a George Brett/Wade Boggs fan) bought me this book. My Dad had never been able to hit either, but he and I dissected it over the course of a summer.

It was a lot of work, more work than any 12-year-old could could have undertaken without the guidance of an equally determined adult. But my Dad and I realized that hitting was a process, a method that could be learned. Lau taught that everything I had been told -with horrible results- was in fact wrong. You don't judge whether a pitch is a strike and then swing; you start your swing and let your reflexes hold you back. You don't swing hard with your arms; you swing easy and get your power from your whole body.

All spring we worked on it, practicing in the garage, spending literally hundreds of dollars at batting cages working on mechanics. That very next season, I was hitting the ball better, and I only improved from there. By the end of that season, I was a certified leadoff terror. My team won its league title thanks to a game-winning single by yours truly. I even hit a few home runs (by not trying to, as Lau teaches). I was deliriously happy.

Even since then I've been a good hitter. Not a power hitter (I'm much too small), but a solid doubles guy with surprising pop. What I learned from this book kept me in organized baseball through Babe Ruth and high school (simultaneously), college, and semi-professional leagues. I am a hideously slow runner who soon after puberty had to give up dreams of playing professionally, but to this day I can step in front of a pitcher or pitching machine -cold- and drive the ball. This book taught me how. If you really want to hit a baseball, buy it, read it, internalize it, and put your faith in it. It will serve you well.

I recommend this book for anyone wants to learn (or teach) advanced hitting techniques. Pictures and descriptions clearly explain common hitting problems and show correct swing mechanics. My 15-year old struggled through his first slump before we applied Lau's hitting fundamentals. He added fifty points to his batting average over the next month and hit 0.638 in a national tournament. I believe this book had a lot to do with his improvement.

If you want to learn to hit the right way, this might be the best investment you will ever make. Like another reviewer wrote, though, you must be willing to do the work to learn the lessons the book teaches. Also, if you just want to be a home run hitter, this book is not for you; a home run is only a pleasant mistake in the Charlie Lau/George Brett school, which teaches solid line-drive hitting. After studying this book, I became a Top 10 hitter in a highly-competitive Texas league. The Art of Hitting .300 is a baseball treasure.

Many players played for the Pied Piper(Holcombe Rucker).No one was has great as him though.He was a great man and founder of the Rucker Tournament.Most people who ended up playing in the Rucker Tournamet was better then most players in the NBA.They first started playing just in Harlem,New York then went to playing more teams in New York then more and more teams.They played as far as Mississippi.

this book talks about problems the players and coaches had with racism.Most players got started in the Rucker Park Tournament.After the park tournament they went on to college ball even some went to the NBA!
Asphalt Gods by Vincet M. Mallozziwas a great book about players before professional ball games.This book is a excellent book to pick up and read.

An excellent book. Well worth the read. Great read on the history of the fabled blacktop and the man who dedicated himself to making a difference in people lives. Great read on some of the characters to grace the early days of the tournament. you won't be dissapointed getting this book

Asphalt Gods is the best book on the planet.If you love basketball you should read this book.It is a true story which took place at Rucker Park.Rucker Park is named after the brother named Holcombe Rucker.Who was born in Harlem on March 2,1926.He was raised by his grandmother.It is interesting because Mr.Rucker brought some of the best players ever to play there.

I've read Heaven is a Playground, City Game, and seen On Hallowed Ground, for anyone that is a "real" basketball fan this is by far the "BEST" story of the best streetball.

Great subject, great storytelling. By the way, I played with Rucker legend Billy Rieser (aka White Jesus) and he was hands down the most incredible basketball talent and the most compelling personality I have ever been around. His story is worthy of a volume in itself.

You don't have to have knowledge of the Adirondacks to love this book. I have never been there and don't know anything about them, but still found this book a wonderful read. What I found most incredible is the amount of research and intervieweing that went into it. Each story held so much useful and clear detail that I felt I got a true sense of the atmosphere and events as they unfolded. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure reads, especially true ones.

I cut my outdoor teeth in the high peaks region back in the late 70s & early 80s. The beauty and unpredictability of the weather in this region are unmatched.
My spine tingled as I read the harrowing stories of people caught in the clutches of bad situations, and fighting to make the best of it.
I've been a Search & Rescue team member in Kern County Ca and Monterey county Ca, and been in some truely frightening situations, but none as scary as a severe thunder & lightning storm on the top of Giant Mountain. This book brought back the rememberance of my primal fear...feeling my hair stand up from the static building before the lightning strikes, the screaming of both me and my trailmates, as the thunder boomed, reminding us of how frail life really is.
What a great book!

I was born and raised in the Adirondacks, and I must admit that learning the details of some of these triumphs and tragedies was just riveting. Mr. Bronski has done an incredible job of bringing these stories to life and making you feel that you actually know the people involved and you are actually in the midst of all the drama, storms etc. I never looked at the Adirondacks as "dangerous", but the title says it all, "At the Mercy of the Mountains".

Could not put it down and did not want it to end. Gave me a greater appreciation for the Daks. Really inspired me to get out there and hike!

Peter Bronski's collection of survival stories is riveting. Beginning with an introduction discussing the unique history and characteristics that are the Adirondacks, Bronski sets the tone for some amazing and harrowing true stories.

The infamous 1995 `blowdown' (derecho) is witnessed by several campers, where tornado-like microburst combined with thousands of lightning strikes terrifies the region. The storm leaves campers stranded in a mix of tangled trees piled like matchsticks. Four young men on a winter hiking trip suddenly experience a fast regional thaw and watch as several feet of snow turn to slush, suddenly flooding their lean-to and leaving them to hike over treacherous lakes and rivers that can't hold their weight. An experienced pilot and his wife crash their small plane into a mountainside, barely surviving, only to find themselves miles from nowhere.

These are just some of the stories that the author brings to life, some old and some recent. The most striking aspect this collection is the emphasis on search and rescue (SAR) in conjunction with the survivors ordeals. There are numerous missing persons mentioned over the years, some found and some lost forever. Instead of dwelling on morbid or gory descriptions, Bronksi focuses on the survivors and those that risk their lives to save others. Sometimes remnants of a lost hiker are found years later. Sometimes the family never gives up the search. This book is an instant classic and a must read for any outdoor enthusiast, especially if they travel in the Adirondacks.

The book is great. It lists simple recipes that can actually be prepared in back-country without the requirement that you carry all of your kitchen with you. It also explains a lot about food purchase, storage, carry, preparation for camping meals, even the environmental impact. It provides lots of ideas that can be build upon.

We are generally car campers, but do venture into more adventurous terrain from time to time. I picked up this book on a whim and think its one of the best of its kind that I've ever read. Its realistic as to what is possible to bring with you and the time you are willing to spend, yet her recipes and techniques are still focused on getting the most flavor and enjoyment for your efforts. I enjoy reading through it from time to time just for fun.

This book contains recipes for camp meals that are tastier, larger portioned, and much, MUCH cheaper than the packaged alternatives available at camping stores.

Using a dehydrator and cleverly utilized items from the grocery store (e.g. the sour cream powder from a box of dried potatoes as an ingredient in a very good beef stroganoff) you can assemble a delicious menu for your next outing.

The book is geared towards wilderness camping, with an emphasis on light and dehydrated ingredients, all of which can be economically made in a dehydrator, or bought at a regular grocery store.

The recipes are very nicely classified by complexity of preparation, and length of cook time. The author's loves for cooking and wilderness camping combine wonderfully in this excellent book.

This is a superb compact cookbook for those who enjoy the outdoors and like eating home cooked eat'en while enoying the great outdoors! Well organized with easy read rating icons, this book lets you know at a glance what and how much preparation is needed to cook and serve each dish, the best and alternate cooking techniques, required grocery store ingredients, or baked at home recommended instructions. I enjoyed this book because we camp alot and I'm always looking for ways to cut down on our baggage, clutter, and weight. This book was worth it's weight in gold! It benchmarks most of it's recipes on dried foods or powder substitutes. It suggests premeasuring and placing in marked baggies ingredients to meal preparation. Weight cutting measures, such as, using powdered milk, powdered eggs, and dried ingredients can dramatically size down the amount of uncut or bulk items! This cookbook would be best matched with someone who owned and master a dehydrater, altough, it isn't necessary for most of the recipes. One can pick and choose the ingredients to dry and supplement based on their space or carrying capacity and purchase those ingredients at a grocery store near your camping location. The recipes included are basics and should give you enough to work with to possibly create your own renditions! Included are rehydrating techniques to use at camp for those lightweight dried ingredients to bring them back to life at the campsite. This book is compact, it does have a few pictures, some color, but small sized to accommodate the hand size of this must have trail and camping cookbook.Don't miss these selected picks I've found to be worth the purchase, Campfire Biscuits, Upside-Down Sloppy Joes, Grits With Egg And Cheese!

RECOMMENDED!

I started wilderness camping a few years ago and I have used this book for wonderfully tasty meals. When weight and space are an important consideration (portaging can be ugly) this book makes me look like a pro. Dehydrated store-bought food can be expensive and disappointing in taste and portions. This book has a simple approach to everything. I like the ease of preparation rating system, suggestions for packing the recipe as well as preparation in camp. Pictures make it easy even for a novice. I usually make a copy of the recipe and put it in the baggie with all the ingredients for the recipe. I like this book well enough to give it as a gift to our friends.

Bride to be says these will make a wonderful addition to their camping experience. They are advid campers and had wanted these items, so I imagine they will make great use out of them.

Honestly, this is my backpacking bible. I love backpacking how-to books and books on the trail, and Mr. Townsend brings the both of those together in a manual that covers everything from specific components of boot construction to the five different kinds of ways to sew a sleeping bag. This book goes into EXTREME detail about what kind of gear he would recommend and why, so it's hard to read straight-through (I did anyway). He manages to insert his own stories and experiences to give you sort of a context as to why he thinks the way he does, and it lends the book the air of wisdom, like you're talking to a veteran scoutmaster or an experienced thru-hiker (which he is).

I wish he was a little more knowledgable about newer backpacking equipment, but other than that the entire book is priceless. Definitely a must-own for any backpacker, from day- to thru-hiker.

This is a detailed book on backpacking and backpacking equipment. Chris Townsend is the TGO Magazine (The Great Outdoors Magazine) gear editor. He receives all the new equipment, before it hits the shops, to test and write revues on. He has been hiking for over 25years and has walked over 20,000 miles so he has a good idea of what he is talking about. Unlike Ray Jardine's book, beyond backpacking, which advocates making your own gear Chris explains, in a lot of detail, all the different types of gear you can buy for backpacking. He gives his worldly advice on equipment and hiking techniques. If you want to listen to Chris talk about gear try going to backpackinglight.co.uk and click on podcast and you should be able to find some interviews with Chris.

There is a lot of detail in this book. I cannot strongly recommend it though because there isn't that much that is unique. It isn't bad. It just isn't great. In part, the author suffers from being knowledgeable of the past but not the present gear, clothing, or technology. The author researched enough to find out about what is now available, but it often appears as though he has only read about it on the Internet or in product literature. A quick example is the utility of a GPS. He mentions his own heavy weight relic and also the lightweight Garmin Geko. He considers a GPS an interesting gadget but he doesn't know how to really take advantage of a GPS combined with topographic mapping software for pre-trip planning and route finding. The old heavyweight relic of a GPS that the author has, gets the most coverage in the text and he simply mentions he might use a GPS more, if he had a Geko.

The Backpackers Handbook is more informative and easier to read than the other two books I bought recently (Hiking Light Handbook, and Everyday Wisdom). Save your time and read this one alone.