Travel Books

I travel to eat and, with this guide in hand, I ate memorably in a different restaurant or trattoria every night for three weeks in Venice and Rome. The author's listings are, for the most part, unique to this book and evaluate an establishment's menu, service, ambience and location. (All locations were easy to find.) Her reviews are well written and reliable: she has eaten repeatedly at every restaurant that she lists.

This book allows those with discerning palettes to dine well in the company of in-the-know natives. Friends who live in Rome were so impressed by the author's reviews of the restaurants already known to them that they were eager to try several others from the book and asked for my copy when I left Italy. (I gave it to them, of course.)

Note: The author's "Cheap-Sleeps" series is just as accurate in its descriptions of different levels of accommodations, the best of which need to be booked months in advance.

Best take out: Sisini in Trasteverte three blocks from Ponte Cavour. Best,astounding pizza, pasta. No drinks. Busy all day and night. Friendly, fast, very cheap. Try pizza with arugula.
This is not in Cheap Eats but should be.
Best pasta: L'Archetta near Pantheon, on east side of Via Corso near Trevi Fountain. Magnificent spaghetti.

see kosher bakery by main synagogue. Delicious baked goods-ask for 'pizza' a soft biscotti filled with crystallized fruit.

Going to Florence, Rome, or Venice? Like to eat well without breaking the bank? Buy this book. Went on my honeymoon to all three. Brought this book along, and we ate like kings, but paid like paupers. You can't go wrong with any of the restaurant,cafes, etc. suggested. Be aware, however, that the maps are hard to follow for Venice (probably because Venice is such a maze).

My friends and I recently went on spring break to Rome and Florence and we took along the cheap eats book. We had the best food of our lives on a college student's budget. Everything in the book was accurate, in our experience, and even the picky eaters among us were satisfied. We knew exactly what to expect at each place we went, which made things much easier. We actually met Sandra Gustafson at a restaurant in Florence where she was updating her entries for a new edition!

My wife and I have used this book in Rome on two occasions and were extremely satisfied both times. I believe there is now a revision appropriately entitled "Great Eats in Italy". Both books cover Rome, Florence, and Venice. The book is fairly accurate about the menus so you know what to expect (where to go or not to go based on your preferences). The meals are not cheap. They are reasonable. I think the author does herself a diservice but using "cheap eats" in the title of the book. Cheap is not relevant with this book. These are very good places to eat at reasonble prices. You can a vacation just sampling her recommendations. We let other people borrow this book from us when they go to Italy... I bought her other books for Paris, and Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville). She has another one for Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. Keep 'em coming!!!

This was without reserve the best Christmas music and movie review book I have ever read. The comments were both intelligent and funny. The whole book was both well researched and entertaining. The world is a better place because of this book.

Once you get this book, you may not want to have another Christmas without it.

In more than 280 pages, the authors discuss all things Christmas as they pick their "Top 10" in categories ranging from mistletoe to carols, from rangifer tarandus (reindeer) to animated cartoons. The choices are necessarily subjective, and much of the text is funny, filled with references to pop culture, music, TV and film. Pick your idea of the 10 worst Christmas songs on the radio, and see if your list compares with theirs.

The authors include scads of trivia and the inside scoop on holiday history and traditions you may never have heard of.

As you enjoy the nostalgia you'll also find useless but fascinating stuff like this: Somebody figured out that Santa has to visit 91.8 million homes in 31 hours, which means he has to make 822.6 visits per second and travel at 650 miles per second. Whew!

This would be the perfect book to have on hand for guests at Christmas, and it would make a great conversation-starter. It's fully indexed, and the bibliography includes quite a few Web sites for follow-up.

CHRISTMAS'S MOST WANTED is a reference book about Christmas customs, traditions, songs, films, evergreen trees, music, cards, foods, and a lot more.

Do you associate a certain film with Christmas? Well, this book gives detailed information in the chapter called Holiday Movie Classics. Some of the old movies mentioned are: Holiday Inn (1942), Christmas in Connecticut (1945), It's A Wonderful Life (1946), The Bishop's Wife (1947), Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and White Christmas (1954). With each film, a brief summary of the storyline is given and all of the actors are named. I have to say that was my favorite chapter.

You can also learn about the tradition of mistletoe, sending cards, singing carols, how Santa's reindeer were named and questions you never even thought to ask!

The book answers a lot of questions and I thought it was well researched, but this is primarily a secular book so don't expect many religious topics. Most of the religious references are in the chapter called Nollaig Shona which is Merry Christmas in Irish. The two references that I found to the Magi (Wise Men or Three Kings) was in a paragraph about the song, "Twelve Days of Christmas." In the song, the Twelfth Day is the Epiphany, the day that the Three Kings brought gifts for the Baby Jesus. (That's the reason that many of us leave our Christmas trees up until, January 6, which is the twelfth day of Christmas). The other reference was about a piece that was done by Dave Brubeck.

The word Christmas comes from two words put together. They are Christ's Mass.

This book will definitely put you in the Christmas spirit as you learn everything you wanted to know about Christmas but are afraid to ask! I highly recommend this as a read for yourself and a stocking stuffer for others.

This book is a real treat. It's a lot of fun to read about all the different kinds of trivia in here. I love holiday music, and it talks about all the great ones, and some new ones I haven't heard of before! And the movies and cartoons, brings back a lot of childhood memories.

Tons of short, fun, interesting snippets of holiday information. Just perfect to pick and read for a few minutes. This book is the perfect holiday "bathroom" book, and I don't mean that in a bad way. There's something in here for everyone, and tons of short, fun, and interesting trivia about Christmas. As the other review said, you can read a chapter or two then come back to it later.

Leave it out for guests to read, too. It makes Christmas more fun!

This is a book for teenagers - not the 4 to 8 year range as stated. Now -- several years ago I sat beside a friend who had lapsed into a coma after a horrible accident. I stared into her face and knew that her body was living. It was responding but her brain was not present - and I wondered....where is she? This book takes that question on a remarkable journey. Now take that premise and peel back the layers and add romance, mystery, natural disaster, family trajedy, fun -- and you have the book. It's wonderful - and as an adult I would recommend to all BUT the 4 to 8 year group.

I love this book! Its filled with happy and sad moments! Its about a girl that gets hit by a car and is in coma. Somehow their is a connection between this girl in the 1800 and her. She travel back and forth to her body and Becky's. Mean while she finds true love and respect for a guy that Becky has know since a baby. Becky need Allison to do something for her but Allison dose not know what it is. Will she ever find out or will she die trying? All you have to do is flip the book open, and dive into a book that well warm your heart.

A Circle of Time by Marisa Montes is an excellent book for young readers. I think that females might like it more than males. This is a story of time travel that shows the struggle of two young girls to survive during different time periods. Somehow, the two girls become connected as Melissa tries desperately to change history and save Becky's life in order to save her own future life. This book has a little bit of history, a little bit of romance and a lot of excitement. I like time travel stories and this one was an excellent blending of two worlds. This book is exciting right to the end. I highly recommend this book to young readers.

This book was very touching to me. At first it started out boring and a little confusing, but overall the book is great. If you are really sensitive, you will cry at the end.

Marisa Montes's A Circle of Time is a magical tale that blends time travel, fate, and romance. Fourteen-year-old Allison Blair lives in the 1990s, but after a horrific bike accident that results in her being thrown down the side of a ledge (minus helmet), she ends up hovering between life and death in a coma. A mysterious young girl named Becky Lee Thompson begs her for help, telling Allison that she helped save her life, and expects the same in return.

Allison is sent back to 1906 California days before the massive earthquake, and must relive Becky's footsteps to discover how she can help change the course of history. She's terrified of Becky's abusive mother and entranced by Joshua, the sweet young boy who has a chaste crush on Becky. Most of all, Allison-as-Becky feels horribly confused, since Becky's not giving her any guidance. Allison does reveal some future inventions to Joshua, but the most annoying modern insertion that grated on my nerves was the section where Allison is preaching about feminism to 1906 Californian men and expecting them to change instantly; it felt false and out of place.

At times, she's pulled back to the present, where she can hear her mother but can't respond. As precious minutes tick by and Allison develops a dangerous brain bleed in the present, her time to save Becky in the past runs dangerously low. After a disastrous first attempt, she has the opportunity to start over (it feels a bit like Groundhog Day - 15th Anniversary Edition for a brief minute).

Montes brings the settings to vivid life, particularly the forest where healer Magda lives, and the elegant estate where the Cardona Pomales, immigrants from Spain, live. The descriptions of vineyards reminded me of the glorious setting of A Walk in the Clouds. The plot unwinds gradually, with plenty of twists and turns in store, including several mysteries that have an impact on the finale. The ending was sweet without being overdone, and was the perfect finish to this bewitching blend of romance.

A bottom-up social history of some of the most important radical struggles in the last two decades; a critical, first-person account of revolutionary movements, their successes as well as failures, their potential as well as their flaws. Ryan's radical anthropology of a dozen different movements reads like an ethnography of activism, from Ireland to Kurdistan to Guatemala and Chiapas.

Never one to blithely proceed as a militant tourist, Ryan consistently critiques his own role in the narratives he recounts, exploring tensions of race, class and nationality in the brave new world of global neoliberalism. Nor is he simply a lifestyle radical, playing mount-the-barricades in a dozen different cities. "Unconditional solidarity for any political party or movement is a foolish stance," he writes after discovering the new neoliberalized version of Sandinistas in Nicaragua, "especially when one has no participation in the process of decision-making or ideological direction. But one's loyalty remains to the idea and the revolutionary actions of a movement in a particular time." (264)

Who are the "clandestines"? As Ryan describes it, "clandestinity is about protecting ourselves, our rebel spaces and allowing the seed to germinate underground." (273) His description of developing, maintaining and deploying these spaces will be interesting to anyone pursuing radical social change.

Written by diehard anti-capitalist Ramor Ryan, Clandestines: The Pirate Journals Of An Irish Exile gathers memories of an anarchist's travels and exploits across the world during the 1980's and 1990's. From the hovels of Berlin during the fall of the wall, to a mystery in the Zapatista Autonomous Zone, to a Croatian Rainbow Gathering following G8 protests in Genoa, to a Kurdish guerilla camp, Clandestines tracks the struggles of a world in flux, on the cusp of transforming into a post-Cold War society. A sharp-eyed perspective from an author who despises all forms of imperialism and is utterly unafraid to declare it.

I can honestly say that I learned a great deal from reading this book, and enjoyed every minute of it. Ryan's stories are full of grit, hope, morality and rebelliousness. Highly recommended.

I never thought I would enjoy a travel journal, but Ramor Ryan changed my mind. At first I thought it was going to be an over-romantic story of this guy traveling around the world in order to avoid himself, in the way that a lot of Crimethinc type of stuff reads. I'm really not into that kind of stuff. However, he really surprised me, and I'm ashamed I thought that of him in the first place in association with Crimethinc, because this guy is a real character, a great writer, and no one can call him fake for leaving out the messy details. In fact, read about his review of the two different "Days of War and Nights of Love" (one by Crimethinc, and one by Eduardo Galeano) online.

In the great tradition of Irish story-tellers, Ryan recalls experiences from the squats of West Berlin, the war zone of Kurdistan, the revolution and post-revolution repression in Nicauragua, his youth in Ireland watching the British army attack a Republican demonstration, and much more. He is an exile from his native land, moving from situations of struggle across the planet with a keen analysis of each. Ryan left Ireland in the 1980s for Nicaragua to help defend the Revolution there, and ended up seeing the Sandinistas crumble under the might of the US-funded Contras, alienating Indigenous peoples struggling for autonomy in the process. He remarks that a generation of international solidarity activists in the 1980s got their start in Nicaragua; much like many saw the same in Chiapas in the 1990s.

If you've never heard of Ramor Ryan, look him up. I would love to meet him, because this guy has such a wealth of information and has seen so much without thinking he is better than anyone else for having done so. He brings a personal touch to bloody places stormed by revolution, repression, and fights for a better world. By the end of it, I thought to myself that he had really lived his life thus far to the fullest, and brought a whole new meaning to what I thought of as an "international solidarity" activist. Much of what he writes is exciting in that revolutionary situations are very much within reach, but at the same time depressing when he discusses the aftermath in the case of defeat (like in Kurdistan or in Nicaragua).

If you want to find an inspirational person, you have to meet Ramor Ryan by reading his Clandestines.

I have read numerous engrossing and exciting novels this year, but this book tops all of those, and these stories are true! If you like adventure, or want to simply know more about the world, read this book. He puts a very human face on the trials and tribulations of so many varied people, you ultimately feel like you were there. This book is your chance at a small piece of Ramor's varied experiences. Don't miss-out on the adventures.

This is the classic guide book for the Tetons. Many pictures and topos are provided to help route finding, however most topos are for the more difficult routes. The text is very descriptive. The book is heavy so be prepared to make photo copies before your climb.

exactly what I was looking for. All the detail I needed and more. Please send my thanks to the authors for the great beta.

Excellent book. Clearly describes hundreds of routes with climbing topo's and ratings. Highly recommended.

If you are looking for a comprehensive, detailed, easy to understand reference guide to the history, approaches and routes of the peaks of the Grand Tetons...look no further. Complete with Topos, black and white Arial photographs, and hand drawn route diagrams, this guide is a "must have" in any mountaineer's quiver of guide books. The book opens with a history of the Grand Teton Range and introduces readers to the men and women who explored and developed many of the modern routes enjoyed by all today; particularly the "bold" first accents of the early Teton pioneers Paul Petzoldt and Glenn Exum. The meat of the book can be found in the remaining pages covering everything from, recommended equipment, mountain safety, to detailed accounts of the climbs and approaches on all the jagged peaks of the Teton Range.
As a climber of 20+ years, I found this book to be extremely helpful on my trips to the Tetons and highly recommend this guide to anyone entertaining the possibility of climbing or hiking in the Teton Range. Whether you are a seasoned climber, or are considering cutting your teeth in one of the most spectacular mountain ranges the United States has to offer, consider this resource a must!

A good climbing guide is a personal friend. You spend hours reading about possible climbs, adventures awaiting for you. There is much pleasure in browsing a climbing guide, remembering the climbs you have made, those climbs not completed due to severe weather or other reasons, and all those climbs you have yet to try.

My Teton guidebook has particular value as I always inscribe notes about my climbs: the date, my companions, the weather, route finding tips (or conversely, where I went astray), elapsed time, and other items of interest.

This third edition, 1996, is more than four hundred pages. It is much to bulky and heavy to carry on a climb. But it is a remarkable reference of virtually every climbing route in the Teton Range. The descriptions are detailed and well-written. I have not encountered any climbing guide that is comparable in detail and scope to this work by Leigh Ortenburger and Reynold Jackson.

The number of routes and variations on the favorite peaks can be overwhelming. The most commonly used route is highlighted. Route descriptions range from easy scrambles to difficult climbs requiring substantial technical skill on ice, snow, and rock. Numerous excellent black and white photos with climbing routes overlain are scattered throughout the texts. Also, there are many detailed ink drawings of more difficult climbs.

For climbers new to the Tetons, the authors have listed more than 130 of their favorite routes ranging from easy scrambles to severe climbs 5.12 in difficulty, as well as difficult technical ice climbing routes.

The introduction, some sixty pages, is quite good. Major topics include a history of Teton climbing, descriptions of great climbs and traverses, details on the national park service policy, and a discussion of the difficulty rating system. The section on Teton weather and climatology is both helpful and sobering. Also, on more than one occasion I had reason to appreciate Ortenburger's and Jackson's bushwacking hints for those canyons without maintained trails.

I have used A Climber's Guide to the Teton Range for many years beginning with the first edition dating back to the 1960s by Leigh Ortenburger. In the intervening years a condensed version, an extended version (volume 2), and a second and third edition have been published.

This third edition is really quite exceptional and I highly recommend this guidebook to anyone planning to climb in Grand Teton National Park.

Ive just finished speed-reading the last pages of The Coast of Chicago (I had my public library deliver it to me via their shut-in service & theyll be picking it up today.) My Polish-speaking psychotherapist (from Chicago) suggested I read it because Im half-Polish myself (maternally; my Polish-speaking mother was even a postulant of the Polish-speaking order of nuns of St. Felix, the Felicians.) Reading Dybek is a frightening & disturbing experience for me because the Polish Roman Catholic image-obsessions he writes about were once just beneath my skin, too. Dybek & I are the same age (b. 1942); but I grew up in Lynn MA. I had once thought Jack Kerouac wrote for all working-class Roman Catholics, but I now know Dybek writes for Polish Roman Catholics, & is the Polish Kerouac. I hope he writes a lot more stories & also tries writing novels.

Lovely stories that take place in the intersection of dream and waking life, stories you'll want to read again and again from one of the most original and lyrical writers working today.

You would have to search long and hard to find stories anywhere with this originality and beauty. They will stop you in your tracks. Dybek has staked out a territory purely his own, the lost and dispossessed of Polish Chicago. Chicago has proudly produced Dreiser, Norris, Algren, Levin, Bellow and Farrell--and now Dybek. His work is enduring, funny, incisive and unforgettable.

I have read all of Stuart Dybek's books and have even had the privilege of having lunch with him and discussing his works. Being of Polish descent, I have lived in the neighborhoods that he describes. All of his books accurately depict real Southside Chicago people and their histories, their hardships, their heartaches, their woes and their lifestyles. I read his stories and I am transported back 20 years to my childhood neighborhood. I am always overcome with a feeling of nostaglia after I finish one of his books.

It is only fitting that this collection of 14 short stories was chosen for the One Book - One Chicago program hosted by The Chicago Public Library this spring. What a better way to promote communal reading in Chicago than to sponsor a book about life in their own city. While reading each short story it is apparent that Stuart Dybek has an intimate knowledge of Chicago. He successfully uses his memories and fondness for the city from his childhood of growing up in the Little Village and Pilsen neighborhoods during the mid-20th century. Each short story details with the passage of time and what it means to live in Chicago. A sense of place is an important factor running throughout each story and successfully unites each story into this collection. The story that resonates the most for me is "Chopin in Winter" about one boy who is immensely affected by an upstairs neighbor who plays the piano each night. The portrayal of the grandfather Dzia-Dzia and his relationship with the principle character are noteworthy and memorable. THE COAST OF CHICAGO is a wonderful collection of short stories that will remain in a special spot on my bookshelves for enjoyment for years to come. I love living in Chicago; and these stories resonated strongly with me. Highly recommended.

Bob Horn has obviously gone to every one of these areas, or gathered info from other climbers and detailed them well in this book. His line drawings and sketches are better then usual and are easy to find and follow.
My only gripe is that a lot of the southern front range bouldering classics are on private property and no directions are given to several areas. I think when a climber is accessing private property, a simple stop at the owners residence will often gain you legal access to these precious gems.
From and ex-greenhorn valley dweller, enjoy!

This book offers easy to read maps and drawings with a personal touch not seen in other guides of this type. A wealth of information has been gathered and revealed within the text. This just one of a series of books that has a unique handcrafted touch were value will increase with time. In Front Range Bouldering texts the author has obviously taken the time to walk around and observe each individual boulder by drawing them and notating their features. Great bargain.

This book offers easy to read maps and drawings with a personal touch not seen in other guides of this type. A wealth of information has been gathered and revealed within the text. This just one of a series of books that has a unique handcrafted touch were value will increase with time. In Front Range Bouldering texts the author has obviously taken the time to walk around and observe each individual boulder by drawing them and notating their features. Great bargain.

This book offers easy to read maps and drawings with a personal touch not seen in other guides of this type. A wealth of information has been gathered and revealed within the text. This just one of a series of books that has a unique handcrafted touch were value will increase with time. In Front Range Bouldering texts the author has obviously taken the time to walk around and observe each individual boulder by drawing them and notating their features. Great bargain.

This book offers easy to read maps and drawings with a personal touch not seen in other guides of this type. A wealth of information has been gathered and revealed within the text. This just one of a series of books that has a unique handcrafted touch were value will increase with time. In Front Range Bouldering texts the author has obviously taken the time to walk around and observe each individual boulder by drawing them and notating their features. Great bargain.

I just love Colorado history, and this book is put together so well with the photographs and explains the history of each town. Great Buy!

The book starts out with a nice section on Mr. Collier's great grandfather Joseph then moves on into a little section on Colorado history (I assume all of the old photos were done by Joseph Collier). That's interesting stuff, and it's followed by the bulk of the book which seems to be several sections covering, for the most part, several Colorado mining towns. For each town you get some history and at least one then (1870's-1880's)and one now (1990's-2000 or so) photo, each of these is captioned. The pictures are pretty clear and usually very well positioned matched (Grant Collier makes note of one where he couldn't get the right spot)which can be hard to do.
About the only complaint I can come up with is that I'd like to have had more town and scenic photos to look at, this is a nice book.

This is a great mix of old photos, new photos, and history. It makes a great companion piece to the more popular "Colorado 1870 - 2000" and in some ways it is superior to that book. For one thing, "Colorado Yesterday and Today" costs half as much as the Jackson/Fielder book. Also, Collier takes the time to talk about each and every place that is featured in his collection of photographs, something which is sorely missing in the other book.

Collier's re-shoots are right on the money, and when they are not, he tells us (access issues pop up from time to time). The connection to his great-great-grandfather is touching. Most importantly, this is a book that you can read and enjoy. It is not a ponderous 'picture book' that won't fit in your bookcase.

Grant Collier's 'Colorado, Yesterday and Today' is an exceptional work in an exceptional period of time. Not often have I seen such dedication to detail. This dedication is evident in Grant Collier's testamonial to his great grand-father Joseph. What a piece of work this book is! Not only are the photographs accurately re-taken, but Grant also provides short details that accompany each section. I find this attention to detail quite refeshing. Not like other related books on the market. I am recommending this book to all of my friends. I do not wish to bore you any further with my writing. Just buy Grant Collier's book(s) and let him show you what he is capable of.

This is an outstanding book for those of us who are fascinated with what time can do to buildings or even whole towns. I have already read this fascinating book 3 times and each time I find something interesting that I missed the first time. Buy this book,you won't be sorry.

This book is very well written. I can't wait to work on my gourds, trying out some of these techniques. You won't be sorry if you love to work with gourds and you purchase this book!

I'm new to gourd art and was looking for ideas and techniques to try. This book provides both. The artwork is fantastic and the pieces portrayed are inspirational. A dozen different techniques are showcased with photos of several completed pieces created with each technique and with various tools. Some of the artists tell how they created their pieces in a general way, while others explain in great detail. I love the mix of styles and methods. I would recommend this book to any gourd enthusiast. The Complete Book of Gourd Craft, by the same authors, is also a great book for beginning gourd artists.

My husband does the carving on the gourds - and he says the book
is very good!

One of the best books of Gourd designs I have seen in a long time. The designs caputure your imagination and put it to work in seeing gouds in a more sophisticated and modern genre.Congratulations to Jim Widess and Ginger Summit. Mary Schisler, Paradise CA.

Great how to carving book. Great photos. Not just for the beginner.

This was purchased as a birthday gift, and it was a big hit! My daughter liked it very much. She has done a lot of work looking into our family's history, and so this was very helpful to her.

A great resource to not only learn about the history and mechanics of heraldry, but also for inspiration for creating one's own coats of arms. I mainly picked this up to create heraldry for my strategy table top war game, but the historian in me enjoys it as well for scholarly purposes.

A.C.Fox-Davies:HERALDRY
I already had a great respect for Mr.Fox-Davies, having two of his great books:THE ART of HERALDRY and HERALDRY-the magnificent pictorial archive for artists and designers. And I expected to learn quite a lot from the HERALDRY book.Guess,I was right.
.The texts are very,very good,BUT,there are just too many unnecessary and detailed descriptions of British and Scotch Armory.Was it because Mr.Fox-Davies wanted to show off( with his long description of many personal Arms,which I doubt had any great interest for the general reader-mentioning only a few Im sure he could have got his point) or maybe,he was just carried away by his wish too make a good(fat)book?Nevertheless,Mr.Fox-Davies is among the VERY FEW experts who dared mention the painstakingly long and slow development of Armory,from Moses and the Scriptures onwards,explaining that it were first the personal signs and symbols which existed long before the Heraldry proper.And are still going strong,not as Arms,but LOGOTYPES of more or less famous brands.
There is no" Deus-ex-Machina "Heraldry for Mr.Fox-Davies .It was a slow and painful process influenced by both the traditions and technology,development of society , classes and unfortunately.warfare..And I guess,Mr.Fox-Davies leans too much on the Crusades Myth,closed HELMETS etc..
By the way,closed helmets existed long,long before the iron clad warriors ! Many of the drawings and other examples are very good,so that the small percentage of superfluous ones,do not play a significant role.All in all,for anyone willing to learn more,and think while reading the book,the number of lines and pages should not be tiring.It is satisfying to know that even in the days when the book first appeared,there was somebody who was NOT a stereotype,somebody who really loved the job and loved the knowledge he so willingly transferred to his readers.

Good book - just wish it explained more simply and clearly - in a concise way - the symbols.

I can not possibly imagine a more complete guide to Heraldry. This engaging book really brings you into the world of crests, family honor, and ancestry. It gives a comprehensive guide to all the symbols used, and their various meanings. If you are even remotely interested in Heraldry, pick this up today.