DC Washington Books

I gave this guidebook to friends going to Washington, DC for the 4th of July.
It was just what they needed to help them enjoy their week in DC. The map that was included made my decision to buy this guidebook over others easier.

FODOR'S WASHINGTON D.C. 2008 is a great book about the Washington D.C. area, covering both the city itself and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs, including Annapolis, MD and Arlington and Alexandria, VA. Whether you're traveling to the area, or are simply proud of being an American, this book is for you.

We carried this book all over DC. The information was accurate and up-to- date. The recommendations were helpful. The book was well organized, and the information was easy to access. The map is OK, but we also purchased another map to have with us. I would recommend this book over the Unofficial Guide to Washington DC.

This guide was very informative. It included all dimensions of the DC area in an organized fashion. The map was convenient to use. School chaperones used this book to gather the details they would need for the recent student tour of the city.

One of his many on the city's neighborhoods, this book captures the old balck U Street in all its glory. Nicely done indeed!

The U Street Area of Washington, D.C. has had a long and varied history. It is best known as Washington D.C.'s Black Broadway for the vibrancy of its nightlife and for the many African American performing artists and intellectuals it attracted during the 1920s - 1930s. But U Street included much more than entertainment. It was the center of a largely self-contained African American community whcih flourished during the years of segregation beginning in the early 20th Century. In the late 1960s, U Street was decimated by the riots that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the community was slow to recover. Today, with the completion of the U Street Cardozo Metro Station, the African American Civil War Memorial, and the Reeves Municipal Center, U Street is a thriving and lively neighborhood in a city very different from the segregated Washington D.C. prior to the 1960s The Greater U Street Area became a National Register Historic District in 1999.

In his photographic history "Greater U Street" (2002), published as part of the "Images of America" series, Paul K. Williams offers an overview of U Street from its beginnings to the present day. Williams is a Washington D,C, historian who works with a firm that specializes in historic properties. He has written several books about Washington D.C. neighborhoods for Images of America.

In a brief opening chapter, William begins with the Civil War era when the area that became U Street was used as an encampment area for Union soldiers. William offers some rare views of Civil War life and of the hospitals and orphanages, and some of the people, that made U Street home before the 20th Century.

The remainder of the book traces the development of what became black U Street, the "City Within a City". Williams offers a view of both change and continuity. Many historic buildings on U Street were designed by African American architects, flourished through the 1960s, and then fell into neglect. Williams traces the history of buildings such as the Whitelaw and Dunbar Hotels, the 12th Street YMCA. and the True Reformers Building, all of which have a long history within the community. Williams also devotes substantial space to old Griffith Stadium, located at the eastern boundary of the U Street Corridor, the site of the current Howard University Hospital. Griffith Stadium was on of the few Washington D.C. facilities which was never segregated. It was home to the old Washington Senators as well as to Washington D.C. teams in the Negro Leagues.

Williams documents U Street as the "Black Broadway" and his book is replete with photographs of performers who appeared on U Street. These include Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Pearl Bailey,Louis Armstrong, and Harry Belafonte. The list could be extended. U Street was also home to the early African American lyric soprano, Lillian Evans Tibbs, known as "Madame Evanti" and to literary figures such as Langston Hughes, Jean Toomer, and Alain Locke who are also portrayed briefly in Williams's book.

In the chapter from which I took the title to this review, Williams shows everyday life on U Street during the 1940s and 1950s. During this time, the area included many African American owned businesses some of which, such as the Industrial Savings Bank and the small Whitelaw Market, still operate today. For me the high point of the book is a series of photographs by the African American photographer Gordon Parks which show a wide variety of U Street life, from stores to homes to street. Parks's photographs together with others (pp. 71-84) bring the U Street area to life as little else can.

Near the end of the book, Williams offers several photographs of the destruction resulting from the riots on U Street in 1968. He also tells the sad tale of the subsequent deterioration of many of the community landmarks. Recovery was slow, in part because the construction of the Metro station restricted access to U Street, driving out many of the businesses that tried to return to the area in the early 1970s.

The final chapter of the book shows briefly the current resurgence of U Street, juxtaposed with photographs of historical buildings that remain in a state of decay. Appropriately, the book both begins and ends with photographs of a landmark U Street restaurant, Ben's Chili Bowl, which survived both the 1968 disturbances and the Metro construction to celebrate its 50th Anniversary in August 2008. Ben's Chili Bowl is itself the subject of a recent book in the Images of America series.

Those who live in or visit Washington D.C. have the opportunity to visit U Street for themselves, to walk a historic trail, and to see the sites described in this book and more. But for those who may see U Street and for those who have no contact with it, this book captures something of a special community.

Robin Friedman

I really enjoyed the book, being a native Washingtonian it brought back some old memories.

I really enjoyed the book, being a native Washingtonian it brought back some old memories.

After having read the big lie I still was dubious as for knowing if the Boeing 757-200 from American Airlines Flight 77 crashed on the Pentagon or not. Even Though I fully agreed with Thierry Meyssan about the FBI lies and contradictions, the Meyssan's thesis was not supported enough and all he had done was asking questions without really answering them. Further to all these accusations here is a book which explains the thesis in minute detail - lots of pictures, testimonies and experts to back this up and this is very convincing. The demonstration lacks nothing and Thierry Meyssan easily quashes all his detractors' arguments to finally put forward a sturdy hypothesis. The Author and his team show a great analytic sense, without setting aside any fact or testimony in their disfavor.

When this book was published, the term `Conspiracy theorists' became more propagated.

You may not be persuaded much by what's described in your book `9/11 The Big Lie', but the fact remains that in history, and through some quirk in the fortunes of contemporary events, the truth never came out and a lot will remain mysteries that may not be discovered for many generations to come, like for instance `Who killed John F Kennedy and why??'.... "The Secrets behind Pearl Harbour!!' ... `Was Arafat given a lethal injection??' ... Angered at having to waste time and manpower `fighting' to prove to the world- using ordinary common sense - many will identify the open questions now raised in this book with possible obsessions by the 'Holocaust against six million Jews....'.....'Was 9/11 addressed against America or to address American public opinion...'How could a man on a mule shake America, and the world...'?

It is indeed admirable how much a `Camera' can do to the human brain.
The impact of the 'picture' is magnificent; it has eclipsed the impact of the written and even the spoken `Word'. And Thierry Meyssan used many pictures to substantiate his viewpoints.

Nevertheless, in this book the questions rose about `the Boeing should have dived on the roof'....... `video surveillance in the Pentagon parking lot, they did not see the Boeing either.' are fruitful and make one scratch one's head.

The Basic Question:

- How can a B757 that was said by officials to have
totally disintegrated and vaporized as it impacted
(accounting for lack of substantial aircraft wreckage
on site), have nevertheless penetrated through the 3rd
ring's inner wall with its nosecone (the punched-out
hole on the cover of this book), given that the nose
cone is the most fragile part of the aircraft?

There seem to be zillions of other subsidiary
questions, such as:

- Why the FBI confiscated and has
never shown the adjacent hotel and gas station
security cam videos that must have caught the B757's
impact;

- Why the officially blessed few frames of
Pentagon cam video do not show anything remotely
resembling a B757 and appear to have been doctored
anyway;

- How the "hijacker" pilot (incompetent by
instructors' reports) accomplished an extremely
precise approach and targeting (they say these guys
never learned to land, but the "B757" was just meters
above the ground when it hit, (in effect he "landed the plane"
very precisely);

- Why the little scrap of liveried supposed "wreckage" on the lawn shows lettering only one-half or less the size scale it should be for an AA liveried B757;

- Why the "plane" coincidentally hit the
least populated side of the Pentagon, after apparently
taking extra effort and time to target that position;

- Why after saying the plane was totally vaporized and
disintegrated officials now claim to have an almost
complete reconstruction of the "B757"; why the initial
entrance hole was so small;

- Why after a fire that totally melted and vaporized the plane computer manuals and other papers visible in offices at the
sheared cutoff are totally undamaged;

- Why initial eye witnesses reported a small plane or missile-like object; and on and on and on.

Meyssan deals with most of these questions and I got news for you - as a mainstream mind-controlled American (like me) you aren't going to like his answers!

Anyway let's face it - probably no Boeing 757 ever hit the
Pentagon.

The only evidence supporting the Boeing hypothesis
seems to be the following:

- About half the eye witnesses state they saw either a
B757, a plane with AA livery, or both (i.e. a B757 in
AA livery)

- AA Flt 77 is unaccounted for

- The government has officially stated that AA 77 hit
the Pentagon

- bits of possible 757 wreckage were photographed in
ambiguous settings

I really hate to conclude this, but to me it seems
probable that some form of cruise missile, dressed in
AA livery, was used and all the rest is a USA Mil-Gov
coverup. A horrible conclusion, I know it!

Please read this book and if you can convincingly
refute it, dealing adequately with all the anomalies I've
listed above and settling each concern, please write
your own counter-book immediately, and we'll put this horrible
hypothesis to bed once and for all.

Note that Purdue (Indiana) academics have completed a
government-funded graphical simulation of the crash
that on my reading, unfortunately again, does not come
close to answering all the questions raised above.

I don't know why the mainstream media doesn't at least
look into this? All I've seen are one or two jokey
reviews of Meyssan's first (much less detailed)
general book about 9-11. In one case, the "reviewer"
hadn't even read the book!

Why isn't the public more interested in this? Are we
just so satisified with our Hollywood FX story of
"Fires, Explosions, Arab Villians, American Heroes"
that we can't even be bothered to read and respond
rationally to an important analysis like this one?

"Nothing was wrong far as we could tell,
that's what we liked to tell ourselves,
but no it wasn't that way"

- Stevie Wonder "How Come, How Long"

Pentagate is a very important book about the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon because it points out the problems with the evidence that U.S. journalists won't even touch.

Meyssan has built much of his case on the problems in the official version of what happened at the Pentagon. His first chapter, "One Piece of Debris Too Many", points out that the large piece of debris that appeared to be from an American Airlines jet has not even been inventoried by the Dept. of Defense.

As a journalist for American Free Press in Washington, I have tried repeatedly to get the Pentagon to clarify the status of this important piece of debris that was seen by millions. As of this date there has been NO response to numerous requests. What's wrong with this picture?

Meyssan points to the evidence seen in the video from the Pentagon security camera and the round holes that were pierced in three layers of the Pentagon and builds his case that this was not a Boeing passenger jet that struck the building.

The explosion seen in the video and the nearly perfectly round holes that were bored in the Pentagon are evidence that a cruise missile, painted to look like an American Airlines jet, crashed into the Pentagon, according to Meyssan.

The book has an important chapter by a French military expert on explosives who describes "The Effects of a Hollow Charge". This technical information bolsters the case made by Meyssan.

Meyssan raises a lot of good questions. Now if we could only get some answers from the Pentagon.

Pentagate is highly recommended for those interested in the Pentagon attack by Christopher Bollyn of American Free Press.

Book arrived much more quickly than I expected...especially it being over the holidays. Great information. A lot of recognizable wineries, close too! Good purchase.

Elisabeth Frater's lovely travel guide is great for both residents and visitors. I have lived in Northern Virginia for 13 years and don't even drink alcohol, but I found this book to be useful. Frater gives clear, concise information, but also offers opinions. You hear the facts about each winery, but you also here the stories behind each one.

I have enjoyed living in this area much more after using Frater's book to plan weekend trips. Her book was invaluable when family came to visit recently.

Comprehensive review of the wineries in Virginia and Maryland. Describes how each of the wineries got started and a bit about the owners, growers, and/or winemakers. Also offers a brief summary of the wines produced. Includes sidebar-type sections on such topics as individual varietals, wine festivals, and competitions.

A wonderful resource if you like weekend getaways, beautiful farms, and, of course, sipping wine! Indispensable for budding regional wine connoisseurs and casual travelers alike.

Ever wish you had a book that had certain qualities, and then find one that just meets your needs?

If you are interested in gardens around Washington DC, this is the guide book!
I have quite a bit of free time this spring and wanted to plan several garden visits, but couldn't find anything other than detailed histories of some of the major gardens in the area. In a stroke of luck, I checked out from the library and liked it so much I had to buy a copy.

It's a wonderfully detailed, yet readable description of each of the gardens with lots of nice historical detail without getting bogged down. I am very familiar with oneof the gardens and found the description to be very good.
It is aimed at the gardener, with descriptions of plants.

A real joy for the gardener looking to explore the gardens of Washington, DC.

Judy Karpinski's photos and Karen Thompson's illustrations enhance Barbara Seeber's A City Of Gardens, an impressively informative surveying of public gardens in and around Washington D.C. Any who live on the East Coast will find City Of Gardens to be an excellent destination-oriented guide which invites gardeners and tourists to enjoy the city's garden wonders. Notes on rare plants, old trees, and more pinpoint what makes each destination special.

I left D.C. over five years ago for Southwest Louisiana. Ms. Seeber's wonderful book "A City Of Garden's" allows me the priveldge to re-visit some of the most wonderful public gardens in D.C., such as Dumbarton Oaks and The Bishop's Garden at The National Cathedral, via a book. And, introduced me to a garden I have missed: "The Old Stone House," which Ms. Seeber astutley points out, "you could walk by and miss." For anyone interested in discovering the real splendors of the D.C. (and vicinity), the public gardens, there is only one source: "A City Of Gardens." Kudos, Ms, Seeber. This is a walk through my past, and a treasure of the utmost to anyone seeking the original and finest destinations in the Washington, D.C. metro area.: the glorious public gardens in and around our Nation's Capital, as the cover rightfully conveys.

This book has the National Geographic glossy quality and lot of great information! We picked this up for our planned trip to DC. I will update this review when we take the trip. Well, we did the trip and we liked the pictures and information but I found the DK book better for current information and had additional information that this book did not have ....but it was still a good book to get a preview with.

I have already written reviews on other National Geographic Traveler Guides on Ireland ( Dec 4,05 ), San Francisco ( Jan 3,06), Interstates Crossing America (Feb 5,06 ),and California (Aug 23,06 ). I have given many reasons why these are excellent guides ;and after looking through the miriad of guides on the bookshelves,you won't be sorry if you choose National Geographic. They are of the highest quality and construction and make a great memory of your visits and on top of that the design and format is consistant. What you have to realize is that they are excellent as a guide to the history and places to visit. This is where Nat Geo shines over the others.This guide would also be a teriffic value to those who live locally or even as a reference of the areas and places for whatever reasons. In reading or following news ,it will be turning to them often. With other travel guides,one often discard after the trip , as they are generally mainly heavy on
Accomodation,Restauraunt and other information that quickly becomes outdated,printed on cheap paper and with minimal information and pictures,maps,drawings and information.
National Geographic are hard to beat in what they do.They are showing it again in Travel Guides.

This is a great guide to the sights and museums of Washington DC. The maps and descriptions of the sights and museums are excellent. The metro map on the back cover is very handy, and the detailed maps of the sections of the city are useful and easy to read. This is not a guide for hotels and dining, although some coverage is given.

Ok what can i say i'm exstatic, lol. What a shocking development..he put a shock to my system. Its static the man virgil hawkins. I ran into this comic a while back when it was hot but wasn't really into it at the time. But now that i've matured and seen the comic it got me interested so ya know what i got static all the static i could find. I love this comic its like a comic for the ages, it deals with all the issues that need to be dealt with in our society. I love how it works the fluency, the art and of course teh writing. I don't know why i didn't find this sooner now i've made quest for myself trying to get my hands on all the static i can i belive issues 1-45. I recommend this to any comic fan of any gender and age. Its the kind of thing that any person can enjoy even those who aren't into comics. The teen angst, super heroes using their brains not their brawn. And that's all i can say..or can think of right now at least

To be honest I kinda got interested in Static from the Cartoon series but, knowing he was an old character from the 1990's,thought there wouldn't be any comic books around for me read up on. How wrong was I? What a fantastic find this is for the die-hard fans too the casual fans of the TV show. The graphics feel so retro, but that gives it awesome appeal. I was so 'shocked' when I read what the real storylines were but thats what makes this a must have for any comic fan. It really does touch some deep issues and I haven't seen such as strong and influential black character in the comic genre for a very long time (If at all). They should re-release the original series so we can all benefit from this ground breaking yet fun and action-packed hero!

This book recounts the origin and first adventures of Static. The artwork by John Paul Leon is beautifully done, and the painted coloring adds a real sense of quality. The story really captures the feel of Static's everyday life. It is different from the TV show in the details, but the characters, feel, and attitude are the same. I highly recommend it.

This book is very helpful. It provides a world of information that will help anyone be able to get around and get involved in their community.

This is one of the greatest resource books I've ever used! It is so comprehensive, in that it provides resource information for everything from professional associations to book clubs. I'm a Guidance Counselor for the US Army, and I've used it on several occassions in counseling women on career matters. What was really astounding was that all of the phone numbers I called were correct! Many of the organizations are National and therefore are not only helpful to women in the Washington area, but for women throughout the country as well. The only other thing that I could say is thankyou , to the author for providing such a valuable tool for women. It has enriched and enhanced my life in many ways.

This book relenquishes a wealth of information and services that are available in the Washington D.C. area.

Very good, both entertaining and informative. Really a good thing for first-time children visitors.

We gave this book to our son for his 7th birthday to announce our trip to D.C. this summer. He has thoroughly enjoyed leafing through it and reading all the fun facts the authors included - some of it the oddball kind of stuff kids love. His favorite part is the map on pg. 30-31. He's already mapped out all of the places we'll be seeing. We are going to order another one for his cousin.

I don't think there's any better place for kids to visit than DC. But, because it's not Disney World, not all the information is geared towards them. That's why this book is so great. It's perfect for my nephews (8 and 10) who, although quite intelligent, are not ready for Fodors quite yet. Plus, it has a lot of interesting stuff in it that I didn't know myself and I live in the area.

This book has tremendous photos of our nations capital!! If you have not been, this book will make you want to go. It makes for a great family vacation!!

Billy Wannyn

Having just recently called DC home, Jake McGuire's photographs have been a great introduction to the DC area. His work is not only artistic, but captures the details of the unique architecture in this region. The book provides a great introduction to every newcomer and visitor to the area.

For anyone who loves Washington, D.C. this book is not to be missed. The photographs are unique and show familiar locations in unusual delightful perspectives. For those who have not been to the nation's capital it will surely whet the desire to make the trip. It makes a wonderful gift which can be appreciated for many years.