Mexico Books

I own quite a few Southwestern cookbooks and my parents lived in Southwest for quite a few years. I find this cookbook to be the best resource for authentic Southwestern recipes. Highly recommended.

The first thing that attracted me to this book was the title -- Mexican-American Cooking. What we typically call 'Mexican Food' in this country really isn't at all like the foods that the typical restaruant will have as you progress away from the American influenced border towns. Mexican-American food is derived from the foods of interior Mexico, but these food have been heavily modified as they crossed border. And YES, Mexican-American food is the style of food that I happen to like.

Then when he was talking about favorite Mexican restaurants and he said 'These were places you needed to be - at least once a week.' And he started talking about going into withdrawal, he was talking my language. To feed my withdrawal symptoms I've gone seeking Mexican restaurants in London (much improved in recent years), Bremen Germany (the Guacamole was Pink), Taipai (not too bad if you just don't think of it as Mexican).

Anyway, he says that he has been collecting the recipies for 18 years. And he's done a supurb job. I've found a lot of things that I want to try.

One small complaint - in the appendix he lists some mail order sources for ingredients. Fine, but he doesn't give web sites where the products might be ordered. And, another source that I've found excellent for hard to find items is the Gourmet Foods section at Amazon. But a new hispanic grocery store just opened across town so I guess I really don't care.

I am not sure how I overlooked this book. The author deserves the top awards anyone can heap upon him. Well researched, and the history is extremely good. The recipes are extensive, wonderful, and covering every region. An outstanding book. Now I will have to look for other cookbooks from this author.

Jim Peyton has written a really terrific book. This is one that should be in everyone's collection.

Those of us who live in the Southwest simply have to have a periodic Tex-Mex fix, so we head for the nearest drive-in or our favorite Mexican restaurant. One of the best things we've done is buy a copy of La Cocina De La Frontera, a comprehensive collection of recipes for preparing Mexican-American dishes, and also a view of this particular ethnic cuisine from both a historical and culinary perspective.

Emphasizing the styles found in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, the 349 page volume offers everything from Bebidas (drinks) to Postres y Dulces (desserts and sweets). In between you'll find flautas, enchiladas, beans, quesadillas, burritos, chiles relenos, and a host of other delicacies that Mexican food aficionados find irresistible.

After 18 years of research, James Peyton has collected what is in my estimation one of the finest guides to this popular cuisine. Also included is an appendix of mail order sources for some of the ingredients, plus hints for adapting recipes to low-fat and low-cholesterol diets.

- Gail Cooke

This book is a great reference book for artists and afficionados of the New Mexican landscape. It is full of colorful, large paintings that represent many different styles. I saw the book in many gift shops and galleries and decided to come home and check the price. Amazon saved me almost $25.

If you live in New Mexico (or even if you just like the New Mexico landscape) and you like art, you'll love this book!

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to New Mexico. We always like to buy a photographic book as a memento of our travels to enjoy once we return home. While shopping, we did not find such a book with pictures that did the landscape justice. This book provided exactly what we wanted. We are now enjoying the landscapes of this beautiful state through the eyes of various artists.

Great book if you like New Mexico and seeing the land.

The book opens with a discussion of landscape painting in New Mexico, with reference to the late nineteenth and early twentieth century artists and what inspired them. The bulk of the book, pages 30 to 279, is given over to the present day artists and their paintings. The book concludes with a very brief Biography for each artist, a Glossary and an Index to the artists.

Each artist has a page of introduction and at least three examples of his/her work, occasionally more. While brief the text for each artist is surprisingly comprehensive, providing an indication of background and training along with comments on the work. What is particularly appealing is that it also manages a certain intimacy, bringing each artist to life. What is particularly interesting is the even balance between male and female artists represented. The artists, thirty one in total, range from the established to the immerging, and the range of work is wide, predominantly representational from impressionist to realist, but with a few approaching abstract.

This is a large book, landscape in format which of course allows for most of the work to be shown advantage. It is illustrated throughout in full-colour with well in excess of 200 paintings.

The whole thing is illustrated in pen and ink, so you never have to worry if the food comes out like the picture or not. The pinto been looks like a bloated comma.

Mary Sue Miliken and Susan Feniger are two of the top chefs in LA. Their "Border Grill" in Santa Monica (4th and Broadway) is a noisy, splashy, foodie haven with superb drinks, a decent wine/beer list, and amazing food. Mesa Mexicana offers recipes that one might easily see on Border Grill's menu. For those of us who grew up equating Mexican food with Tex-Mex, Miliken and Feniger's inventive take on traditional Mexican cuisine is a revelation.

As a cookbook, Mesa Mexicana is interesting, has an attractive layout, and, by the minimal standards of the genre, is well-written. One would not want to use it on an everyday basis. Many of the recipes involve a fairly intensive amount of prep work and/or require specialized ingredients. For the hobbyist chef with access to a decent Mexican grocer and time on his/her hands, however, it is an inspiring and provocative work. Highly recommended on that qualified basis.

We love their restaurants and really love this book! The recipes are easy to follow and most are quite quick to make yet are complex in flavor. We particularly like their comments before each recipe that summarize the dish and make recommendations of other dishes that complement the flavors.

I have made several recipes from this cookbook and have had loved them all. The salsas are now staples on my table as are the skirt steak, the flans (yum!) and the tortilla soup.

Many of the recipes appear on the menu at their restaurant, Border Grill. When prepared to specs, they taste just like the real thing. This makes me happy because Border Grill is one of my favorite restaurants.

Great Mexican cooking takes time, but as this cookbook shows us, it is not complicated. The book is beautiful, the recipes clear, and the results fabulous.

`Mesa Mexicana' and `too hot tamales' are the two books currently available from the chef / teaching / restauranteur team known as the `too hot tamales' of early Food Network fame, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. They recently went up against Bobby Flay on `Iron Chef America'. Not that it really matters, but I don't remember who won or what the secret ingredient was. What is important is that it was easily one of the most entertaining and memorable `Iron Chef America' episodes, comparable to the very first one featuring Chicago Mexican cuisine expert Rick Bayless and the competition featuring Oriental fusion master, Ming Tsai of `Blue Ginger'. What I do remember is the imprint of the iron on the back of Susan Feniger's blouse and the inventive recipe they did for Scotch eggs.

The first impression of both of these books is not inspiring. The layout is ordinary, leaning toward the garish. The photographs are in a grainy black and white and too small to easily make sense of what is happening, not to mention the fact that most are missing captions. In `too hot tamales', it is even difficult to tell which of these two delightful ladies is Mary Sue and which is Susan, from the lack of clear identification on the photographs. The flyleaf of `Mesa Mexicana' clears this up. Mary Sue is the taller with blond hair and Susan is the shorter with dark hair. They also neglect to give a good picture of co-author, Helene Siegel, whose voice seems to be strong in the prefaces and introductions.

Based on the strong `Iron Chef America' appearance, I decided to check out the books from this duo, even though their Food Network show was before my time. I figured two gals with this much energy and a strong showing against the indomitable Bobby must have something to say. At the outset, the book `too hot tamales' did not impress, until I got to the chapters on soups. At this point, the authors' observations seemed to come alive. This was not nearly as strong as what I saw in Deborah Madison's recent book on soups, but the comparison showed that Mary Sue and Susan clearly had something important to say. That is not to say that `too hot tamales' is the better book. `Mesa Mexicana' is actually the better of the two for anyone who is not familiar with Mexican cooking. Having determined that these books have something to say, the next big question is why get these books instead one from the heavy hitters of Mexican cuisine, Rick Bayless or Diana Kennedy.

For starters, both Bayless and Kennedy's best books are more strongly oriented toward teaching Mexican cooking, either by technique or by region. Milliken and Feniger's books are more for fun, without straying too far from strong roots in genuine Mexican cooking technique. If all you want are some good, snappy recipes without being tied to the grill (as you are with many of Bobby Flay's recipes), Milliken and Feniger may be your best choice. They are certainly your best choice if you are attracted to entertaining with a Mexican theme. I had an epiphany of insight when I realized that a rather large number of pages in both books, as well as many pages in many other cookbooks are dedicated to `starters', `finger food', `appetizers', `hors `d'ourves', `antipasto' and what have your. But if you live in a typical family, how much time do you really spend making `party food' in comparison to daily breakfasts, lunches, and suppers. Why don't cookbooks dedicate 20% of their books to breakfast and 35% of their books to brown bag food rather than giving so much room to entertaining food, which the average cook may make once a month, if they are inclined to entertain with food in the first place.

All this means is that these books are much more valuable to you if you do entertain often. This is especially true because both books are very reasonably priced, appropriate to their uninspired art work. It is also true because of the rather odd organization of the recipes. In both books, some chapters are organized by function or meal, some by style of cooking, and some by principle ingredient. This means neither book is especially good if you want to find a book to fit a particular function or to use a particular ingredient. The fact that both books are relatively short confirms that neither book may be very useful if you have room for only a very small cookbook collection. But if you can afford the money and space for a large cookbook collection, you will probably already have one or more volumes from Kennedy and Bayless, so why load yourself up with our spicy gals?

For most people, the answer is simply that they are great fun to read and their recipes get right to the point. If you are a foodie, you don't need another tutorial on technique. If you are a casual cook who entertains, you can go straight to the largely very concise recipes and get on with it. So, both books are easily worth the room they take up on your shelves.

As an aside, it is really interesting to see our gals' comments on the cooking talents of the Mexicans, which is very similar to Tony Bourdain's comments in `A Cook's Tour', where he states that almost all his line chefs at `Les Halle' are Mexican with practically no formal training, yet they are as capable as most French trained cooks.

If you really like cookbooks or you really like Mexican food, I recommend both of these books.

This book was a beautiful insight to the 30's art of Mexico. Also through it one can understand much of the culture of ancient mexico and what was going on in the era. I loved it. I have always been fascinated in the calendars of this time. Great! KCT

What a marvelous book! I grew up in a bicultural home in Monterrey, N.L. Mexico, so I am familiar with these Mexican calendars. Although I do not remember having one of these calendars at home, I remember visiting homes that had them. It was fascinating to learn about the talented artists that created them. However, it was sad to see how early on the commercial world was trying to set standards of what a "beautiful woman" should look like. Never the less, these calendars are an important part of the Mexican culture and history. I hope these unrealistic standards are changing - in both Mexico and the USA! (PS - Although there were a few mistakes, the Spanish translation was well done.)

Nice texts abouth the authors, and a lot of good images about the mexican pinups, very influenced by the american ones, but dressed in traditional mexican outfit.
I'm interested in the pinups subjet and that's what I loved from this book. Another good feature is that is bilingual!

very well written. interesting historical account of artists and their methods and subjects. have never seen a greater accumulation of beautiful images, colorful-exiting-romantic portraits. full of 'old time' detail and glamour. hard to put down.

I highly recommend the picture book on Mexican Calendar Girls. The author really did her homework and touched on an aspect of Mexican Popular Art that played on cultural symbols. From La Adelita to La Malinche and even the venerated Virgen de Guadalupe, this artwork found in kitchens, neighborhood tienditas or bakeries evoked an idealized Mexico and its various viewpoints of womenhood. These images are the cultural equivalent of the Norman Rockwell paintings that evoked an idealized North American culture to generations. Angela Villaba hit a homerun with her book as far as my family was concerned. I gave it to my mother who is an educational advocate for multicultural education here in the Southwest and she could not put the book down.
Sergio S. Guerrero Jr.
El Paso, Texas

Contemporary Mexican history is definetely shaped by the events (Mexican Revolution and its impact on Mexican society) that took place in the early 20th century. Casasola could be considered the father of Mexican photojournalism. Along with many other photographers that followed his steps or worked under his wings, Agustin Victor Casasola left an invaluable visual legacy of Mexican history and the participants that took place on it (from the radical painter to the workers on the streets). I recommend this book for anyone interested on Mexican history.

A terrific introduction to the work of the relativly unknown [ outside of Mexico that is] photographer Augustin V. Casasola. Casasola ran a small commercial photographic studio in Mexico during the long turbulent years of the Mexican revolution. Although he generaly worked with various medium and large format cameras the work is often astonishingly modern, direct and immeadiate. Covering not only demonstrations, firing squads, battles and the rebel leader Emiliano Zapata, but also intimate portrayals of daily life; its all at a level to obliterate any distintion between photojournalism and 'art' photography. If only we had photographers like this covering todays news and events.

This is a terrific book of photos of the Mexican Revolution and other photos of historic Mexico. I highly recommend it.

We saw this exhibit at the Museo del Bario in New York City and the photos are wonderful. Many were taken 90 years ago yet they are in beautiful condition and give a wonderful sense of history. The book does complete justice to the photos. Terrific size and detail. It is better than I expected.

Mexico has a great history of producing world class photographers. Along with Hugo Brehme, Augustin Victor Casasola is one of the founders of that tradition. His photographs of the Mexican Revolution have passed into the realm of iconic. Casasola is so esteemed that the Mexican Government purchased all of his negatives and used them as the foundation of a National Photographic Archive.

In 1912, Augustin and his brother Miguel started the Casasola Photo Agency. They hired a number of photographers around the country to take pictures of the great events of the day. Along with portraits of the important people of the time, there are many beautiful photographs of revolutionary soldiers, peasants, urban workers and criminals. A quarter of books photographs are of the Revolution. The rest show Mexico as it was entering into the Modern Age. I especially loved his photographs of Mexico's Jazz Age.

This is a high quality publication produced by Aperture. It is hardback book and is 13" by 9.5" in dimension with 155 photographs. All the photographs were made with large format cameras and in turn the photographs are very clear and detailed. This is a great book for both photobook collectors and people interested in the history of Mexico. Highly recommended.

If you have a Spanish style home, or are merely interested in decoration, this is simply a wonderful book. The kitchens are all brilliant with color and festive with decoration. Lots of tile, alcoves, and sunny spaces captivate the eye. This is happy book, and full of inspiring ideas.

I ordered Mexicocina because I was looking for decorating ideas for my kitchen. But, I found so much more! This book is not only equipped with beautiful Mexican kitchens, but also the history behind the kitchens, and tasty recipes. Me and my husband's favorite country to visit is Mexico. This book gave us some great information on bed and breakfasts in different areas of Mexico.

This is a great coffee table book too!

Thank you,
Adrianna

I'm addicted to Mexican style, colors, and design aesthetics. This newest book in the "Mexi-" series focuses entirely on kitchens. The photos are profuse with color, light, and (if you love this stuff the way I do) decorating ideas!

As a bonus, if you own all the books in this series (Mexicolor, Mexicasa, In a Mexican Garden, and Mexicocina), they themselves become a terrific Mexican-style design accent placed together on your bookshelf. :-)

My husband and I are building a new home in Mexico and wanted to make sure we kept it as authentic as possible, thus the book orders. This particular book is filled with spectacular photos of Mexican kitchens ranging from the most spectacular to the more common. Each page is filled with building ideas as well as decorating inspirations. Who would have thought of collecting beautifully carved wooden spoons for a wall display ! The authors include much narrative explaining background of the kitchens and various decorations/selections, as well as history. Everyone will enjoy the brilliant colors and artwork as each page is turned.

The pictures are glorious and the text is very well written, concise and informative. I have travelled to many of these kitchens with Betsy McNair and it's like taking the tour all over again. There's no better guide to Mexico than Ms. McNair. She really knows the history and the people. If you can't go with her in person then the book is the next best thing.

Odyssey: 1970

John, first I would like to thank you for making this fabulous piece of artistry available. To keep such work hidden in the mind would deprive us all a wonderful insight to living.

The artistry of Odyssey: 1970 comes through with the complexity, intelligence, effectiveness, and the use of the fundamental elements of language and narrative in which it was written.

The story captures aspects of human experience vividly, precisely and freshly. And John opens for us the emotional, moral, intellectual and social complexities of its theme.

The summation of Literary Gateway in John's work-at least for me- was the drawing in of my mind and imagination in such a way that I became involved in the issues and decisions with which the story confronted me. Finally, John persuaded a consideration of actions and issues that fit in with larger cultural, political, social, and intellectual concerns.

The following are examples of Literary Gateways, some sentences, some a few words, but never the less, most powerful: I paraphrase

"Salvation is just around the corner" During this period in time, people searched frantically for something to believe in, they certainly knew what they didn't believe, war.
Suddenly, the youth found a certain connection, whether it be because of (cause and effect) of the world around them, or the vacuum of destiny.

John speaks of people taking "Time Out" in that period of their lives. These two words found their mark in that vortex where I once lived, trapped in a consciousness which cannot be conscious of anything outside itself, war. I sank into the vortex, the maelstrom, suffocation by premature death; I became non-self while others became addicted to one poison or another. "Time Out"- the most turbulent of times.

"That Key" Rique knew its connection with John, what it stood for, and John, it may be at rest with Rique, but it remains in you. To Rique, the key was symbolic, a destiny, with you, your thought's dominion.

"I watched in awe as each individual sunbeam of the breaking dawn shot like a grayish-red rocket above the Sandia Mountains and exploded into the fast-lightening sky."
This particular passage arouses my mind, and out of interior compulsion, I reach that plane of a broadening cosmos.

Finally, I must admit, I found a portion of myself in Odyssey, a little Ernie, Vince, and John Cassell himself.

Robert A Meacham

After reading the very human search for meaningfulness of the protagonist in Crossroads: 1969, I had to read the sequel. The book paints a vivid and obviously knowledgeable portrait of a young man's coming of age in what had to be one of the most exciting yet challenging times in our country's history. The characters are fascinating and in many cases tragic. The reader comes to appreciate the destructive impact of the war in Vietnam on both sides of the politics as well as on young and old alike. The deadly cat-and-mouse duel of the protagonist and his rogue cop pursuer is compelling. The collision of the new values of the rebellious younger generation of those days with the realities of their world is vividly portrayed. As one who was not alive during those times, I found it a worthwhile literary journey, obviously fortified both with historical research and personal experience. Yet as one dealing with the challenges of young adulthood in the first decade of the new century, I also found both the conflicts and lessons depicted to be universal in their appeal.

All in all a great experience... a very human story with lots of excitement and some major surprises thrown in. I hope there will be a sequel.

after reading his first book, i just had to read this sequel to Crossroads. often staying up quite late to read, i was totally immersed in the lives of the characters. the author is very adept at plumbing the depths of his own & his characters' feelings. this gifted writer & story-teller unfolds a different time in america in such a real way - i was taken there to live it for myself & i hated for it to be over. i am DEFINITELY looking forward to his next releases.

This is nothing short of a landmark novel. The precision of research into this segment of history melded into the deeply significant personal experiences of an author seasoned in his art feature a finesse worthy of the literary classics. I've never read a book, fiction or non, which accomplished more in clarifying alternate angles in play during a heated, hassled period of recent times. The voice of this author on this subject is pure, clear, and charismatic.

As a slight sample of evidence of the verity of this praise, read an excerpt of the opening of chapter one of ODYESSY: 1970:

>> For a town of just over thirty-five thousand people, one telephone exchange and with tumbleweeds frequently blowing across its main north-south thoroughfare, Santa Fe, New Mexico boasted some pretty impressive distinctions. For one thing, at six thousand five-hundred feet and more above sea level, it was the highest altitude state capital in the country. To get there from Albuquerque, itself a mile above sea level, one had to limb a steep mountainside of almost a thousand feet before arriving at he plateau on which the town was located. From there, it angled upward even more as one approached the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.... I guess it was fitting that I should be spending the second full day of 1970 in such a place. I was boasting of some pretty impressive distinctions these days as well. <<

As added evidence that this novel is a hallmark of classic literature, note some of the chapter titles in the Table of Contents, which itself reads like a list of seasons of literary excellence:

1. Aquarian Passages
2. New Myths And Old Realities
3. The Wisest Eighteen Year Old In The World
4. More Streets And Roads
5. The Worm Turns
6. Menace And Movement
7. The Long March Back
8. Armageddon
9. Inside The Kaleidoscope
10. By The Dark Of The Moon
11. The Green Leaves Of Summer
12. The Attack Of The Badge People
*******
21 chapters conclude brilliantly with an Epilogue, Acknowledgments, Glossary Of 1970 Slang, Police Radio Ten Code, and a Bibliography on page 683 of this thick trade paperback worth lifetimes beyond its price (see also the Kindle version: Odyssey: 1970 (N/A)).

Kent State and Cambodia are dramatized and unearthed as the facets of politics and youth unbounded clash in an X-Ray exposure of cultural change in catalytic process.

In a discussion forum titled "Toasting John Cassell's HELL'S QUEST: 1972, An Ongoing Commentary," located in the Amazon Shorts main category, you'll find a quote (posted Feb 2, 2008 by author John W. Cassell of a passage in this novel) which you won't want to miss, including the commentary around that excerpt. That quote focuses a philosophical pivotal point upon which Cassell's collection of novels build a maturity of art and life which he has exquisitely executed and fully lived, with ODYESSEY: 1970 being a prime literary jewel in the crown of his books.

Don't miss reading the best examples of classic literature, at the moment in time of the author's pausing on a precipice of acknowledgment and accolade.

A link to the novel in the forum title noted above, Hell's Quest: 1971

With greatest admiration and respect for a friend and colleague,
Linda Shelnutt

Shelnutt is the author of several Amazon Shorts and Kindle books including:
Myrtle's Ultimate Mystery
Morning Comes: the Pre Dawn Blues - Part 1
The Rose and the Pyramid (The Books of Gem)
Full Moon Rising (The Books of Gem)
Quarter Moon Dues: Book Two (The Books of Gem)

I should probably not give such a title to John Cassell's 'Odyssey before reading the other two of his works that lie, expectantly, on my office desk but it is hard to believe that he can top this one. This is the third of his book's that I have read and each one confirms the man's talent.
Is 'Odyssey', in fact, a novel or a memoir? It matters little. You will be very quickly immersed in the 'age of Aquarius' and all of the turmoil that the era encapsulates. Whether describing, in amazing detail, the events at Kent State that, more than any other happening, ruptured sensibilities in the United States, or recounting intimate conversations with friends, lovers and would-be soul mates, Cassell manages to create enduring passages that should stand with the best ever written - and I am not being kind here, this is one of the best books (novel or memoir) that I have read.
There are numerous examples that I could quote to illustrate my point - a description of a man being '35, hard years, old', Linda's encounter with the Kent State riots (beautifully detailed, especially in the quiet leading up to the shattering climax), the anticipation of breakfast in Berkeley with Roberta etc. etc. I re-read many passages just for the pure pleasure that the prose created.
Well rounded characters, who interact seamlessly and believably - even when events have you asking 'how can that happen?', the characters and their dialogues will make you believe - inhabit a world that helped shape the USA in the late sixties and early seventies, in a novel/memoir that is as good as any written about the era, and better than most.
Do yourself a favor and read it, it is THAT good.
TW

I only received this book from Amazon today so I have no review of the book itself. But be careful when you order it because it comes in two volumes and unless you scrowl down you won't know that Volume Two is a separate book which you get only if you order both at the same time or order Volume Two separately. One of the other reviews said that the first volume took you up to the the Battle of Vicksburg, the second volume takes you to the end of the war. Reading this, I assumed I would get both volumes with the order. Not so.

Amazon and its various sub-concerns obviate customer inconvenience- and any reasonable complaints! First-class people of merchandising withal.

Much to my surprise and delight "The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant" are surprisingly readable and full of a dry understated sense of humor. U.S. Grant's memoirs give a very down to earth approach to his personal history starting in Ohio and continuing through his education at West Point and his involvement in the Mexican-American War. I highly recommend this book to anybody who enjoys Antebellum U.S. and Civil War history, or just history in general. Personal memoirs are an excellent medium for getting into the shoes of some of histories greatest figures and seeing the world as they saw it. U.S. Grant's memoirs do all that and more. You will not be disappointed.

To start off, I am usually relectant to read autobiographies, as many should be considered works of fiction. I have read countless book on the Civil War and several on Grant, but I had shamefully neglected reading his Memoirs-my mistake. Several years ago I got a copy on sale and thought I would give it a read-I was a born again Grant fan!
As many know, after leaving the presidency he lent his name and money to a failed business venture in New York and was near bankrupt. He had been approached by many to write his memoirs, but always resisted. The prospect of his beloved Julia not being provided for plagued him and so he consented to write them. He intially had a fairly good contract to write a subscription book, but his friend Mark Twain interviened and got him a deal that was substantially better. For an excellent overview of this, see Mark Perry's, "Grant and Twain".
After reading this, I came away with a completly different view of Grant. The only job he suceeded at was the one he disliked the most-a soldier. He served with distinction in Mexico, but was opposed to the war. All he wanted to do was to teach math at West Point.
The real heart of the memoir is, of course, the Civil War and here a masterpiece was made. He writes in a simply, though not an uneducated style. He is quite defferential and praising to his subordinates and clear describes where he made errors in judgement, not the usual justifications seens by so many. He cannot say enough good about Sherman and tactfully puts down Henry Hallecks meddling. The book ends with the end of the war and his last words were written only a week or so before he died.
In my opinion this is a classic in history and needs to be read by anyone interested in knowing how the North really won the war. The copies of the original maps leave a lot to be desired, but this is trivial. My only regret is I cannot give it a higher rating than 5 stars!

General Grant wrote this book while dying of throat cancer. He had been swindled by a dishonest Wall Street Broker and his trophies and possessions were stripped from him to satisfy the demands of his debtors. Bankrupt, suffering from a terminal illness and never passing a moment without acute pain, he produced this magnificent monument to his greatness. Those who denigrate Grant as a drunkard, butcher, bumbling President need to read this book in order to correct these errant assumptions. It is impossible to read this book and not realize that Grant was an inordinately intelligent man and one hell of a writer.

Grant's Memoirs are a deserved classic in American literature and considered the greatest military Memoirs ever penned, exceeding Caesar's Commentaries. Grant wrote as he lived: with clear, concise statements, unembellished with trivialities or frivolities. The only "criticism" the reader might have is that Grant bent over backwards not to wound the feelings of people in the book. He takes swipes at Joe Hooker and Jeff Davis, but what he left unsaid would have been far more interesting. A compelling and logical reason why Grant was so spare in his comments was because he was involved in a race with death. He didn't know how long he could live and therefore, "cut to the chase."

Grant's assessments of Lincoln, Sherman, Sheridan and other military leaders are brilliant and engrossing. His style, like the man himself, was inimitable and couldn't be copied. In everyday life, Grant was a very funny man, who liked to listen to jokes and tell them himself. His sense of the absurd was acute. It's no accident that he loved Mark Twain and the two hitched together very well. Twain and Grant shared a similar sense of humor, and Grant's witicisms in the Memoirs are frequent, unexpected and welcome. There are portions where you will literally laugh out loud.

Though Grant's Memoirs were written 113 years ago, they remain fresh, vibrant and an intensely good read. I have read them in! their entirity 30 times in my life and I never weary of the style and language that Grant employed. He was a military genius to be sure, but he was also a writer of supreme gifts, and these gifts shine through on every page of this testament to his greatness. All Americans should read this book and realize what we owe to Grant: he preserved the union with his decisive brilliance. In his honor, we should be eternally grateful.

I bought this new book as it came out just in time for my photography journey through the four corners area of Colorado and New Mexico. I've seen some of the same sites before but Martres gave routes I've never known existed or was possible. Hence, I have new photos from angles I've never known I could get.

This book is great and a must-have for photographers in the Southwest area!

If you're planning a tour of the American Southwest these brilliant books are simply the best possible guide to what to photograph, and how. In three volumes Martrès guides you to all the photographic highlights of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. At the well known tourist spots he tells you what and when to shoot for best results, but he's also not afraid to take you off the beaten path to some less frequently visited scenic gems.

I've just completed a photographic holiday following roughly the traditional "grand circle" route, and I couldn't have got some of my most successful shots without these books.

The author provides consistent, detailed instructions for each location, including guidance on lenses and timing. Sometimes he even tells you which rock to stand on! Follow his instructions carefully, and you'll usually get good results, although some instructions require careful interpretation.

It's also great fun shouting "snap!" when you realise the only other souls in some lonely location are also clutching a copy of the same book.

All three volumes have recently been updated, with high quality colour photos throughout, and a comprehensive index of locations including ratings for accessibility and scenic and photographic value, invaluable if a tight schedule means making difficult choices.

I'm already planning my next trip using volume 3! Highly recommended.

This book is a fabulous guide to photographing the natural sights in Utah. Martres provided specific information on where to be for the best shots and also gives basic photographic advice. While you read, you need to remember what he says at the beginning of the book: he photographs the southwest in autumn due to the heat and light. So, use common sense when Martres says, "early afternoon is the best time to photograph..." If you are there at other times of the year, you'll need to do a little research about when the best light is available.
loved the book and will buy more of his work!

I bought all three books from the series Photographing the Southwest by author Laurent Martres. I'm preparing for 2 weeks trip to USA next year. I found these books very useful. All provide very valuable information about the best time and conditions for all the people having passion for taking fotographs at most famous places all over Southwest. Simply must have.

This series belongs in the library of every nature photographer traveling to the Southwest. My one complaint with the first edition was that it was so comprehensive as to be difficult to pick the great from the meerly good sites. The second edition offers a solution to this problem by having a comprehensive table in the back of the book rating every site for natural beauty and photographic value on a scale of 1-5. So with just a quick glance You can identify all the 5 star places and research them. Then all he 4 star sites and research them, and so on. In the same table he gives lots of practical information like road conditions. The color photographs are also a big improvement over the black and white in the first editions. Over all, a tremendous asset to anyone exploring the Southwest.

Wonderful retelling of Cherokee story handed down through the oral retelling of old stories by the grandmothers of the tribe.

I am a former fifth grade instructor, a National Board Certified Teacher, and a college professor in Teacher Preparation. I highly recommend the Grandmother Stories series to elementary and early childhood instructors and parents who are homeschooling their children. The books have appropriate vocabulary and tell stories that explain nature in a creative manner. I learned several things I did not know about nature and its interactions from these books. Children love to have the books read to them and to read them to themselves. Duvall and Jacobs are a wonderful creative force as they merge their talents to produce books that will be enjoyed for generations to come.

This review appeared in Roundup Magazine, Oct. 2004. A children's picture book that recounts Cherokee historian and storyteller Duvall's latest rabbit tale. Volume 4 of the University's "Grandmother Stories," Rabbit and the Bears tells the story of Rabbit accompanying his friend, Yona the Bear, to the Mulberry Place in the Smoky Mountains where Yona participates in the bears' ceremonial dances every autumn. Rabbit sees a bear with an arrow in his shoulder running from a hunter. Yona and Rabbit follow the wounded bear to the Magic Lake, Ata-Gahi, where the injured bear is healed. Rabbit wishes to know more about bear medicine, but Yona teaches him many other things...a wonderful story suited for the very young as well as elementary school children.

The Grandmother Stories are eloquent, beautifully illustrated tales that recapture the imagination of Native America. Deborah Duvall and Murv Jacob have done a brilliant job of revisiting the mythic world of Rabbit, Bear and Otter and introducing them to a contemporary audience. These characters are timeless, as are their stories, and readers of all ages will delight in their antics and unique insights. (...)

Takes the reader into a magical world where real problems are solved in the ancient way by teaching examples of timeless characters, such as Rabbit and Bear. Based on Cherokee legend and tradition, the prose and the artwork are subtle and refined enough for adults but also intriguing to children. I'm sending all four of the books now available to all of my grandchildren, knowing that not only will the kids enjoy them but their parents as well. It's a pleasure to be able to recommend something new in the world of children's books that is so fun and worthwhile.