Central Michigan Books

Albom's look at the best group of freshmen ever assembled on one college basketball team is pure fun. Due to the resulting financial scandals, sadly, the amazing athletic accomplishments of this group has been demeaned and diminished. They were trend-setters in so many ways, and will always hold a unique place in the world of college sports.

I'm not really bothered that Mitch apparently missed all of the under-the-table deals. Going into that aspect of the Fab Five would have required a completely different focus for the book -- a much less appealing one. So, outstanding college athletes get paid by boosters -- is this really a surprise to anyone?

Highly recommended.

With all the kids going to the pros now this book just gets more and more interesting. College hoops may never be the same as it was when the fab five were together. Although it may be wrong to say they were the reason for so many changes, they were certainly style agents of the nth degree. No doubt about the power of youth and potential and Albom captures all of it with a lot of excitement and enjoyment.

This book is excellent by far. I read this book whenever I'm bored, and it still excites me to this day. I can just flashback and remember what I was doing during the time the Fab Five was wrecking havoc on the college hardwoods. I still believe dat dis book is the greatest book Mitch Albom has ever written. He's already my favorite sports columnist in the world. Just like another person typed, if you love basketball buy this book. If you don't still buy this book, because you will grow to love college basketball.

This is an amazing in-depth look at the most popular and ballyhooed basketball team ever, Michigan's Fab Five. As a huge maize-and-blue fan I have read this masterpiece countless times but it shows all the details of running a major basketball program, the troubles that Steve Fisher had to deal with, and talks about the complex lives that Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson led and lead. Pickthis one up now.

"What scares you Jalen? Death, said Jalen,... because I can't imagine a world without me in it." The cockiness that was the Fab Five is captured perfectly by Mitch Albom in his book the Fab Five; Basketball, Trash Talk and the American Dream. Like Albom's other books Tuesdays with Morrie and 5 People You Meet in Heaven, his story telling engulfs the reader and transforms a normal story into a legendary tale. Albom recognizes the important interaction between people in their actions and conversations and captures that in his writing. This story, the Fab Five, was a great book and one of the best for any sports fan. The "Greatest Class Ever Recruited", as Albom called them, is a great story that is told from behind the scenes, during the Fab Five's historic career at the University of Michigan. The Fab Five by Albom is the finest sports book because Albom's humorous and stylish writing brings to life the events surrounding five freshmen that transformed college basketball.
The Fab Five is a book about Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson, the fabulous five freshmen at the University of Michigan. A group assembled in many different ways, each contributing a unique story to what brought them to Ann Arbor. Albom takes his first few chapters describing the intricate lines that connected each player to Ann Arbor. Jalen and Chris were from Detroit and went to UofM because they were always best friends. Ray Jackson and Jimmy King are from Texas. Ray Jackson was noticed accidentally while scouts were in Texas recruiting other players. For Jimmy King, he came to UofM because Juwan Howard, his roommate on a recruiting trip, was going. And to put it all together, Juwan became a Michigan Wolverine because his recently diseased grandmother wanted him to go to UofM. Together they became the Fab Five and marched their way on campus and took the college basketball world by storm making it to back-to-back NCAA men's national championship appearances.
The caliber of talent that sounds this book is one for the history books. However, the Fab Five would not be the book it was without the writing and story telling ability of Mitch Albom. Albom has been voted the number one sports writer an unprecedented seven times by the Associated Press Sports Editors. He has hosted a TV show on ESPN and written many famous books as well as a sports column for the "Detroit Free Press". His ability to touch every reader regardless of background is rare. He makes people cry reading Tuesdays with Morrie and people stand up in cheer for the `91 Michigan basketball team in the Fab Five. Undoubtedly, Albom is one of the best writers in American and is writing about one of the best sports teams America has ever witnessed.
Albom accurately describes the sequence of events leading five high school seniors to main-stream college freshman superstars. But one of the things that makes this story one for the ages is that while on many teams today it is rare to see two freshmen starting a game, in 1991 the Fab Five were five freshman players who all started on a team that made it to the NCAA men's Championship basketball game. Having five freshman start a national championship game is unheard of and still to this day, unmatched. Albom predicts, "There will never be another group like the Fab Five." Through what brought them to Michigan, through every behind the scenes event, through every exciting and electrifying game, this book comes to life in front of the readers' eyes. As the book progresses the plot thickens for these young athletes as if Albom himself wrote the story. Every big game and tournament game was commentated as if live from the radio. Albom writes, "And with 21 seconds left, Michigan lead by just a basket, 71-69. `No three-point-shots,' fisher yelled." The games brought a sense of involvement for the reader taking them back in time to the game. With writing style that is clear and descriptive, and while combined with the dazzling games provided by the Michigan Basketball team, this leads to a suspenseful, well illustrated book that makes the heart pump and adrenaline rush. While watching the suspenseful games, Albom knew greatness at the very moment it happened and was there to preserve ever moment of history in his book; a book about kids who became "The Greatest Class Ever Recruited."
They had become the most popular names and faces in college basketball. In Ann Arbor, they sold jerseys and shorts for a hundred and fifty dollars total; "They sold out in a heartbeat," Albom wrote. Stories like these make this book different than any other sports book, a book written while the events occurred with detailed stories nobody else could get. He also wrote about that one game they all walked onto the court with their fashionably baggy shorts, black socks and black shoes revolutionizing college basketball, and he was there to catch every story and detail. Black socks, black shoes and baggy shorts all surprised people watching college basketball. Later looking back, people would contribute these five freshmen as revolutionizing basketball and creating its image today. Albom knew this and felt it was necessary to capture their uniqueness in this book. Mitch Albom, like the rest of the world knew greatness while it was happening and the passion and enthusiasm that he wrote with to illustrate that greatness he was witnessing is another example of why this book is so fabulous.
Albom also included inside stories, taking the reader to a place only a few were able to see. Inside the games, inside the practices and inside the family that was the Fab Five. When Jalen walked in the first day as a freshman and announced, "Freshmen verse ya'll," everyone in the gym was stunned. Where most freshmen come in to find themselves at the bottom of the barrel, these freshmen came in and ran right to the top. After saying, "Freshmen verse ya'll," the five freshman went on to win three scrimmages against the upper classmen. Albom wrote, "The Fab Five has been born." While many people could watch the televised games and see for themselves the spectacle surrounding these freshmen, he took this audience backstage and incorporated these stories that give the reader more than they could otherwise see. Stories about crazy pranks to trash talking rants and bizarre interviews to the baggy shorts and black socks and shoes, is why Fab Five gives the reader more than a sports book. It gives the reader a legendary, and even though no previous knowledge is necessary a substantial amount of time is essential because putting the book down once the readers starts if difficult.
The Fab Five is a humorous, entertaining and well written book, but furthermore, it is an inside look at one of the greatest college basketball stories. Mitch Albom, as one of America's most heralded writers, gives one of his best writing performances for his perfectly illustrated, historical tale of "The Greatest Recruiting Class Ever." He captivated my attention and sparked my interest in Michigan Basketball because of his urban style humor and story telling ability. While most other historical accounts tend to be boring, Mitch Albom captivates his readers and provides one of the best books about sports; a must read for any sports fan. Albom quoted Jalen Rose, "they'll be talking about us for 20 years." This is true about the Fab Five and the Fab Five will be talked about for many years to come

We loved the first edition version of this book, and tried in vain to locate the second edition for more up to date info. We ended up checking it out of the library in Paradise, MI. We love our U.P. trips and these guides are invaluable, easy to read and lots of fun.

Ditto the comments of the reviewers before me. This is easily the best guide for travel in the U.P. The number of listings, the variety of listings, and the highly readable style make this guide stand above the rest. Now the bad news. It's out of print. You won't find it in major bookstores. We eventually found one in a historical society museum.

We spoke with people at two bookstores and at a restaurant listed in the guide, who said they had spoken with the author recently. (Apparently she calls around regularly to get updates.) They told us that the second edition (with the red cover) didn't sell well, which is insane, because this is a great guide. The plan was to publish the third edition online. However, the website we were given, www.huntsguides.com "no longer exists". Sigh.

We just got back from a U.P. trip. This book was recommended by a friend before we left. It was extremely useful. There were many places we would never have known to visit without this book. It covers local history, describes natural features, tourist places, and restaurants. There are many illustrations, although they're all in black-and-white and don't convey the full beauty of the U.P. This is definitely the book to take along on a U.P. exploration.

I too love this book to the point of the pages being very worn and dog-eared. I had never heard of an online version, but after seeing the previous review, I did some digging and found the website that was referred to. (...) Now we can all get the updated info we've been looking for!

Since our book has been delayed, many people seem desperate for the old one. But too much has changed, even in the Upper Peninsula, to make it very useful. These high prices are not ours! I don't think an out-of-date guidebook is even worth $20, its original price.

A new edition of "Hunts' Guide to Michigan's Upper Peninsula," completely revised, is coming out sometime this spring. It is the book to get! Editorially, it covers the same material as the old book -- probably more.

The new edition will be smaller (6" by 9") but fatter. Easier to shelve.

Meanwhile, much of the book's content is on our web site, hunts-upguide.com. Be aware that it is not always up to date. Gradually new material will be added, with the date at the end.

As always, no one pays to be in our book or on our site. The Upper Peninsula is a wonderful, little known place for vacations and getaways, rich in natural beauty and in history -- great for families -- and relatively quite inexpensive, too.

U.P. reading tip: People familiar with the Upper Peninsula and its weather may well enjoy "So Cold a Sky: Upper Michigan Weather Stories" by Karl Bohnak, weather forecaster at TV 6 in Marquette/Neguanee. Weather has played such an important role in U.P. history, and Karl combines meterology and history in a fascinating way.

Enjoyed reading this book. I had family who survived Camille in Nelson County, spent several weeks there during the summers visiting during my youth and remember vividly going there as soon as we were allowed in to see the damage. This book did an excellent job describing the storm, the aftermath and how it changed the lives of so many people who lived in that area.

Once you pick this book up, you won't want to put it down until you've read the very last page and the dust cover notes as well. As a reader all too familiar with the wrath and destruction of hurricanes, I found the historical facts eerily accurate and the human drama so tense that the reader is drawn into the story as if sucked into the vortex of the storm itself. Category 5 is gripping and powerful like a well-written novel and not the true account of devastation and suffering that it is -- without the dry, clinical approach of a mere assessment of storm damage. The human element is often invisible when looking at the overall picture. Howard and Zebrowski take us to ground zero to examine the personal lives of those affected and no reader can ever put those images out of his or her mind. Excellent read!

Tom Aswell
Baton Rouge, LA.

"Category 5" is excellent reading. The plot, with many interesting facts, keeps the reader spellbound. It is difficult to stop reading once you start! Many long hours of research had to be done for this fact filled book. The racial feelings in Louisanna, corupt polititions, and the "state of the art" science of 1969, all combine to make this book all come together for one of the best books I have ever read!

The authors of this book were putting the finishing touches on it when Katrina made landfall in generally the same area as Camille. They went back and added a chapter but for the most part the book was left to stand on its own in light of the more recent disaster and it stood up quite well. All through the book there are obvious parallels between the two storms and especially the response that came in their aftermath. It is to be hoped that government officials took the lessons of Katrina to heart in a much more effective way than they did the lessons of Camille and that when the next major hurricane devastates a costal area the outside response will be far more effective.

One of the few things that did improve in the years between the hurricanes was the ability of forecasters to predict the track of the storm and to get the word out. In 1969 radar tracking and computer models were in their infancy and up until shortly before landfall forecasters were sure that Camille would strike Florida. Once they did realize that it was headed for Mississippi they had trouble getting the word out and had it not been for the foresight of local officials the death toll would have been much higher. These authors take the meteorological aspects of this story and present them in a remarkably easy to understand way and do so to the extent that the reader will almost be able to feel the angst of forecasters as they try to figure out just what Camille is up to. These Hurricane Center people are remarkable.

These authors do an excellent job of relating how local authorities had taken to heart the lessons learned from hurricane Audrey in 1957 and the precautions that they had taken because of those lessons. It is not hard to see in this narrative that state and federal authorities were far behind the local authorities in preparedness for Camille and that the same was true all those years later when Katrina came ashore. This is not however just a story about the failure of government though, it is also very much a story of the people who were the victims of this great storm. This is a story of the heroism of and resilience of people who were hit with the worst that nature has to offer.

These authors do a marvelous job of relating the stories of individuals and families who were in the path of the monster Camille. Through the reminiscences of those who survived the authors tell the stories of families ripped apart and of whole families who just vanished. They tell the true story of the much publicized collapse of the Richelieu apartments in Pass Christian, they tell the story of a group of men out for a sail who end up weathering the storm near the mouth of the Mississippi as their boat breaks up around them, they tell the story of people who sought refuge in local churches only to find the large old building disintegrating around them and they tell the story of quiet communities in Virginia where the people went to bed with no warning at all that many of them would be washed away before dawn. Through it all the survivors immediately turned their attention toward helping each other once the storm had passed and these survivors, many of them wounded or in mourning themselves immediately began rescue efforts that saved untold numbers of people. It is the heart and soul of these people that is the true story to be found in this book and these authors have truly done these people justice in this highly readable account of one of the great disasters in American history.

This book, the story of 1969's Hurricane Camille, is a breezy (yes, that word APPLIES) read which interweaves several plotlines -- the powerful force of a Cat 5 hurricane, the lives it touched and the tragedies which occurred, the will to survive, the peculiar and corrupt qualities of Louisiana politics, the ongoing civil rights movement of the time, and the surprisingly primitive nature of weather forecasting in the late 1960's.
As a person who once moved out of a city in part due to the fact that the local cable company DIDN'T carry The Weather Channel, I expected to enjoy the stormy aspects of the book. I did not expect the history and politics of the time to carry this story down unexpected avenues. It was a pleasant surprise.
I recommend it without hesitation.

If you go hunting or wild camping it is important to know what land is for public or private property. Also very useful by driving with car (any car). Easy to know which street/road are ok for different kind of vehicle, truck or motorcycle.
The size of the map could be better it is not very handy, but so you don't need to have magnifying glass to use this guide.

We bought this book with the idea of just wandering Michigan for our week of vacation. We wanted to avoid the Interstate as much as possible. This book was great for our plan! There are many roads and towns on these pages that aren't on a regular map! We really enjoyed traveling back roads, while never feeling lost.

This book is incredibly detailed and easy to use. Along with a GPS, there is nothing you cannot find. Whether an occasional traveler or a resident, this is a must to have for God's Country, Michigan's U.P.

I spend a lot of time off the beaten path. This map is great for getting there and back. Very useful. This is my third one, as I keep wearing them out.

I have been using DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteers for many states for many years. I have always found them very useful for travelling over the back roads and secondary highways as they give one detail not found on the usual road maps. They also list parks, historic sites, recreaton areas, etc. which are also very valuable when travelling in unfamiliar areas.

While I also own a GPS system for my automobile, it doesn't give you topographic detail or large area views due to the limitatons of the small GPS screen. However, I find using both the DeLorme Maps and the GPS system to make for very efficient trip planning.

All the information you need to explore new rivers. Giving it as a gift to all our paddling freinds and family.

What a great book! I am a beginner kayaker having never kayaked a river before - and was nervous even thinking about it. This book was very descriptive and informative. We did the Platte River from Loon Lake to Lake Michigan and it was a blast. Very relaxing. The maps of the rivers were great as was the description of the landings and portages. Looking forward to my next river, and this book will help decide which one!

This book is really good to have in the car or for planning a trip. It is really handy having the maps next to the description. Good accurate maps and great insight.

It would be nice if it were easy to scout out a river before driving to an access point and paddling it. This book does it for you. The directions to access points and places to park are very detailed and good. The maps are excellent and very clear. There are written notes on the problems or special circumstances you will encounter, which are very intelligent and accurate. I checked the rivers I have paddled and read the remarks, and they are just what you need to know, and they are true. The author really knows what he is writing about, this is not a book thrown together by someone who hasn't actually been on the river. If you want to know which Michigan rivers are in this book, here is a list:

Lower Peninsula:
Au Sable
Au Sable South Branch
Betsie
Black
Boardman
Cass
Chippewa
Dowagiac
Flat
Huron
Jordan
Kalamazoo
Little Manistee
Little Muskegon
Mansitee
Muskegon
Ocqueoc
Pere Marquette
Pigeon
Pine
Platte
Rifle
Shiawassee
Sturgeon
Thornapple
Thunder Bay
White

Upper Peninsula:
Black
Brule
Escanaba
Ford
Fox
Indian
Manisique
Michigamme
Montreal
Ontonagon (East Branch, Mainstream, Middle Branch, South Branch)
Paint
Presque Isle
Sturgeon
Two Hearted
Whitefish

The people who wrote this book definately did their homework. I've gone down a few of the rivers in the lower peninsula and this book was an impeccable guide. Now, Lower Peninsula rivers aren't exactly the meanest or fastest, but there are enough twists and turns to keep your attention and to want a book like this aroud, if only to know what's all out there. There was also good attention paid to campsites and drop off points gone through in great detail. I once tried a dropoff point agains the recommendation of this book and paid for it dearly.

The problem about getting hardcovers of natural wonders like rivers is that all too often the data becomes obsolete after a couple years. For this case is seems that it's still pretty to date, but check on the web anyways just in case conditions change.

This is the second book we've purchased from the author, we wore the first one out. This is incredibly detailed and makes it extremely easy to find these lighthouses. The detailed mapes and the history of each light is enlightening and heightens ones excitement to visit each one.

I am a freelance photographer that travels the State of Michigan. This book is by my side when I plan trips and when on the road. It is organized logically in a trip around the state. Each light has a complete and detailed map and distances are almost always correct

Lots of great information and pictures of each lighthouse. We have used this book to visit many of the lighthouses and to keep track of our visits. I highly recommend it for Michigan lighthouse fans.

If you are planning a trip to visit lighthouses in Michigan and are not familiar with MI do not do it unless you buy this book. I used this book to visit about 50 of the 116 lights. I would have visited more except the rest are out in the water or on islands.
I have the previous edition of this book and it only has a
few color photos. This newer edition may have more. There are several B&W photos in the edition I have.
Laurie Penrose also has these books:
A Traveler's Guide to 100 Eastern Great Lakes Lighthouses
A Traveler's Guide to 116 Western Great Lakes Lighthouses

Just this past May (2001), I toured to most of Lower Michigan's lighthouses. Starting in St. Joseph and traveling north to Old Mackinac, then up to Whitefish Point in the UP, then back down in the Lower Peninsula. Once in the Lower Peninsula, we followed Lake Huron south to Marine City and then crossed over into Canada for our trip back to Buffalo. All I can say is...WHAT A GREAT BOOK. The biggest thing that I like about it is it includes directions to each light. What a concept. This book, coupled with my Garmin Streetpilot GPS unit got us everywhere we wanted to go without guessing. All together, we visited about 44 lighthouses and took over 30 rolls of film. ...

I am a biologist that has been working in the Galapagos as a Naturalist leading tours there for the last 6 years. Michael Jackson's book is the "Bible" for the beginning naturalist and certainly more than adequate for the casual "ecotourist". Jackson covers all major aspects of the history, geology, ecology, and biology of the islands. In the "biology" section, he gives a clear, concise, but thorough group-by-group treatment of all major taxa including plants, reptiles, land and sea birds, mammals, and a brief section covering marine life. While there are other guidebooks available, none come close to the accuracy, clarity of presentation, and logical format of this book. Of particular usefulness are the many photos, tables, and graphs which provide a visual representation of many of the topics discussed and a synthesis of large amounts of data.

My wife and I bought Jackson's book in preparation for a trip to the Galapagos. The book served us well; when we arrived at the islands we felt that we were almost on a first-name basis with all the fantastic creatures and plants that make the Galapagos such a fascinating place. The book is considerably more than just a field guide; it includes information on the islands' history, their environmental and ecological setting, and the conservation efforts being made to preserve this truly unique place. And, as the title indicates, the book provides a lot of natural history, not just a brief summary of bare facts about each animal or plant. Not only is it a fine guide, it is a most enjoyable read.

Every naturalist guide in the Galapagos has this book. They also sell this book at the Charles Darwin Center in Santa Cruz, and it is a must read. It explains how the islands came about and what makes them so unique. I highly recommend this book!

I just recently returned from the Galapagos Islands, and the book that guided me throughout my journey was this book by M.H. Jackson. Very easy to find the animal you are looking, and also helps to discover more creatures to look for. Helped explain things further from what the guides had said. Also helped me in answering many people's questions about different creatures. A Great book! A must for all travelers to the galapagos in search of unique wildlife.

I would imagine that most visitors to the Galapaos are not naturalists. For those without a strong background in natural sciences, I would highly recommend this book. The book is easy and fun to read, detailed without being tedious. The photos are amazing and the author's passion for the islands is evident. If you only have time to read one book, this is one I would advise a Galapagos visitor to read in advance of their trip.

Didn't refer to the book a whole lot, but what we did try was successful. Information was timely and our experience was better for it.

I will say without a doubt that if you are looking to do anything off the beaten path in the UP (which is most things), then this book is absolutely crucial. There are hikes for all levels of hiking experience, each with a bit of background information and spot-on directions. The hikes are all personally recommended by the author and not just a re-hash of what you read in the Hunt's Guide or some other lesser peer (if I may use an oxymoron). A complete guide to hiking the UP would take a series of books this size, but fortunately for us Eric Hansen has done all the walking himself to find the fifty that cannot be missed. I live in the UP and I had frequented many of the places in this book before it came out, yet I still was never left without some fresh knowledge regarding each and every hike. Buy this and begin walking!

I used Eric's book Memorial Day weekend 2007 to plan a series of day hikes in the U.P. The hikes he chose to highlight are indeed spectacular. The trail descriptions are helpful and accurate, to the point where I took one of the Norwich Bluff alternative routes and found the suggested, little traveled side trail with no problems. I also used this book for some route planning in the Porkies a year or so ago. Thanks for the great guide!

I met Eric randomnly while on a camping trip with some friends. We came upon him while he was fishing and he just struck right up about hiking and camping and ended up giving us a suggestion for finishing up our day in the area, casually mentioning later on that he had written a guide about hiking the UP. A girl and I took him up on the idea and it was easily one of the most magical things I have ever done. Don't know as if it's in the book or not, but as it turned out my mom had bought it that same day by coincidence. Just wanted to say thanks to Eric (and I'm going on the other trip too) and tell all you people out there that he really knows what he's talking about!!!

This is the book I've been waiting for ever since I saw Eric's article and photos on the undiscovered Trap Hills in the Western U.P. in an outdoors magazine. Eric, who lives in Milwaukee, combines the been-there trail notes with the perspective of someone widely familiar with what the Upper Great Lakes has to offer hikers.

The actual book chapters I read completely lived up to my expectations. Now, alas, I've mislaid my copy and must write my review from memory. My husband and I do a very wide-ranging guide to U.P. points of interest and history - www.hunts-upguide.com. We are always looking for good books that do certain subjects on a deeper level. Thank you, Eric, for taking the time to explore our beautiful, out-of-the-way corner of the world.

I purchased SEVERAL other books. However, I really ONLY NEEDED THIS ONE. It is BY FAR the best of the other books on Lake Michigan I got.
DON'T purchase any others YOU WON'T NEED THEM and will save money on getting JUST THIS ONE.
It has COLOR PHOTOS OF ALL THE LIGHTS, HISTORY, LOCATION MAPS AND WRITTEN DETAILS DIRECTIONS on how to get to each light. It also has a list on the ones with: museum's, hauntings, Tower access, catwalks and MORE!
WHAT A BOOK, WHAT AN AUTHOR.
Please, please please do write more of these books ON ALL THE LIGHTS OF THE USA!

I own almost every book ever written about Great Lakes lighthouses and this is the best one yet. It has a brief history of all the present Lake Michigan lighthouses, along with color pictures and directions to get there. In addition, many lighthouses are shown in historical pictures from the National Archives, US Coast Guard files, or the authors own postcard collection. Long-gone lighthouse are also remembered and pictured when possible. I hope this is a first in series covering all the Great Lakes. If you have this book, you don't need any other about Lake Michigan lighthouses.

I thought the author did a wonderful job on this book. I hope he someday does the rest of the great lakes of Michigan the same way. It has been a pleasure to read. Plus it makes a great gift.

This book is fantastic. It gives you great information about the history of each of the lighthouses around Lake Michigan and reasons why some may have changed over the years. The pictures are great! It is also one of the few books that I have come across that is so complete. I also like how he included the status of each light and how to access it. I hope the author does another book like this about Lake Superior.

There has never been a more complete, well written, accurate
and better illustrated book on Lake Michigan lighthouses.

Pictures of existing and long-gone lighthouses are beautiful,
and frankly my wife and I can't put it down.

This is a must have.

This book has incredible arial pictures of Michigan. We bought 3 to give as gifts to other Michigan lovers. What a hit!

I stopped in the bookstore and this book caught my eye with the tremendous aerial photo of South Manitou Island in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. I've hiked there many times and was impressed by this beautiful view of the entire island.

When I looked through the book I knew this was one to share with friends and family. There are unique views here of many of the most beautiful spots in Michigan from Tawas Point to Garden Island. The views are all aerial photographs done with great artistry and perspective. There are views from on high of Manistee and the Lake Michigan Shore at sunset with the sky full of color and the lake spread out to the horizon and the lights of the city seemingly twinkling below,and others of green emerald forested islands settled in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron with a surround of aquamarine waters.

There are dozens of "coffee table books" full of beautiful pictures of the Great Lakes. It is not difficult to obtain pictures when there are so many scenic coastlines in the state. What sets this book apart and makes it by far the best photo book of the Great Lakes is the selection of the images, their color and the depth that the aerial perspective provides. You have probably not seen the Mackinaw Bridge as shown here from up in the clouds looking down across the span to the shore at St. Ignace and the eastern reach of the Upper Penninsula. I think anyone with an interest in the land and shores of northern Michigan would be enthralled with this book and would enjoy sharing it with others as I have.

I just received my personal copy of Marge Beavers latest effort ABOVE THE NORTH. If any book comes close to illustrating the beauty of Michigan,this is the one! She has combined her love of aviation with her talents in photography to produce one of the most beautiful "coffee table" books currently available. The color,detail and beauty of the state as show by Ms Beaver just hits you in the eye and is a book i definitely want to share with others.

These striking aerial photos show views of northern Michigan's most beautiful landmarks and terrain. The book includes many views of Michigan's beautiful lakes and scenery with seasonal photos from spring through winter. Not only are the pictures exceptionally well done from a technical standpoint, but it is evident that Marge Beaver has the eye of an artist as well. It was fun seeing all the places in Michigan I've visited, but also to find new locales in Michigan that I hope to visit one day.