North America Books

I purchased this book as part of my research to a follow-up book, Don't Weep for Me, America: How Democracy in America Became the Prince (While We Slept). I wanted to see if the Cold War was the same big fraud as today's War on Terror. Thanks to author, Thomas Doherty, I learned that not only was McCarthy THE chief propagandist for the "red scare", but that television was almost invented for the purspose of providing its platform. The blacklist that author Doherty details in his excellent chapter, "The Gestalt of the Blacklist" is an incredible story that a reasonable person would have trouble understanding could happen in a true constitutional republic. But it did happen. And today, the level of crime committed by the state, through planned and systematic propaganda has reached its...zenith...

The author should take a bow. He has written a wonderfully balanced, anecdotal-rich account of the simultaneous evolution of the Cold War, TV and political culture in the Age of McCarthy (which is, in all too many ways, an age we are still in.) That the junior senator from the cheeshead state was a craven opportunist is as well known now as it was even then, but what he exploited via the new electronic medium was the pervasive fear that subversion lurked behind every vacuum tube as well as behind every State Department desk.

Cold War, Cool Medium is a terrific and compulsively readable study of McCarthyism in the context of the early history of television. Doherty astutely establishes the way televison worked in its formative days. Then he shows how its weaknesses aided in the rise of McCarthy and how both its strengths and weaknesses aided in his fall. Superb and easiy to read history.

We take trips by car every summer on the east coast, and try to work in as much education as we can for the kids, while still keeping it entertaining for me and my wife! For our trip to Williamsburg this year, we had a hard time choosing a guide, but we took this book with us along with our maps and a more general guide to Virginia. We were suprised to find that Clint Johnson's book provided all the general information we needed, along with things that weren't in the regular guide. It was a great resource for recommendations on places to stay and eat during our trip, that were really the type of authentic places we were looking for. It's also full of color photographs. We highly recommend it for anyone looking for a thorough companion on a trip to Williamsburg.

For Colonial America:
I'm a history NUT, and this one feeds the addiction well. It came with me on a lengthy trip recently and was pretty much my guide throughout. Excellent for finding the right B&Bs and unique Colonial accommodations that I wanted.

I recently read this book and only wish I had more time and money to travel! The author is very detailed about so many different sites, even some lesser known locations of great historical significance that I had never been aware of. I have seen other books specifically about Rev. War sites, but this book goes much further back in time with many colonial and pre-rev. war sites, such as the Lost Colony at the North Carolina coast. Another thing I like is that when listing nearby lodging, the author rarely mentions the average modern hotel chains, but instead lists the small bed & breakfasts or country inns that best invoke the mood and feel of the time period of the specific historic site that they are near. This is a great way to travel. I would highly recommend this book to history buffs out there planning their next vacation/historical tour.

Forget R.L.Wilson, this is the book you want. Adler is a fine writer and authoritative on Colt single actions. Some of the best photos of old Colts and factory engraving anywhere.

I must say I expected a good book following the purchase of Metallic Cartridge Conversions, what you get with Colt Single Action: From Patersons to Peacemakers is a superbly produced book covering this genre. Not only informative as you would expect but written so well, not over technical just sheer good interesting subject reading, add the brilliance of Dennis Adler's photography you have one of the best books on the market. If you are a devotee of R L Wilson's books as I am, he now has some very serious competition.

This book is chuck-full of information; the opening chapters, particularly those pages dealing with Patterson rifle conversions are unique in my experience! Mr. Leavett has some fascinating pieces.

The illustrations are of the highest quality; I was happy to see the coverage given to the engraved versions of the "second-generation" black-powder revolvers, having owned a few myself.

This is right in there with the best $19.99 you can spend on a gun book.

This is such a well structured and informative guide that I do not make my numerous trips into wine country without it.

Its one great failing is that the publishers have not seen fit to update it in over 7 years!

I shopped around extensively at local travel bookstores to find a good wine country book, and I think this one is the best. It has beautiful color pictures on almost every page. Many of the pictures show the wine labels, which helps make the book a nice souvenir for you to remember the wine/winery later. The pictures are supplemented with insightful commentary on the wines, history of each winery, and even pictures/descriptions of the restaurants, lodgings. The maps are also in color, and are detailed for each town. Also included is an events/festivals list and analysis of wine vintages by year. All that, and it's still small enough to carry with you when you visit the wineries.

My wife and I were completely delighted following the "tours" in this guide. The maps, directions and winery descriptions were second to none! Anyone contemplating a trip to the California wine country should consider this book a MUST. Of course, if your not planning a trip, you will be after reading this! We stayed at two different B&B's recommended by the book and were very pleased. The book accurately depicted the quality of the rooms and hospitality of the staff. Again, I highly recommend this wine country guide.

I have many books on identifying trees and I return to this book time and again. I have bought this book as a gift for tree lover friends twice.It's method of identifiing is very user friendly. Color picture books are nice, but many times I feel that I need more, this book will give it to you. Great book!

Finally someone has reprinted this essential tree ID, natural history guide. I have the 1987 edition and find it indespensible as a Certified Arborist. The range maps are especially helpful. I am buying the present addition as a gift for a Landscape Architect.

Within the pages of this volume you'll find 725 entries for all known native and introduced species of trees within North America. The book even mentions some hybrid and ornamental varieties you might not find in other guides. A tree common to southern Arizona, the Casuarina, or Australian Pine, was difficult to identify using other field guides, but this book contained quite a bit of information about it. Along with each tree description, the author has included a short narrative on the history and use of the tree; that's more than the average field guide can offer. Since this book is nearly two inches thick, one would be smart to pair this book with a more pocketable guide (such as Golden's "Trees of North America - A Guide to Field Identification," one of which I am personally quite fond.)

The only drawback to this book is that all illustrations are in black and white, another reason to purchase a field guide with color illustrations to go with this more exhaustive work.

I just did not want this book to end, so I tried to take it slower then I normally do. That was NOT easy, as this book race's along, keeping you hooked and needing to pick it back up. Thank goodness there is another one coming soon. As like the first book in their series, you try to figure out where "it is going", but you will not be able to. Since there was such an incredible review by the Seminole Tribune (Freelance writer Ms. Kiyoshk) I will not give detail's away about the plot. The Munson's have again put relationship's "on the line" and character's that honestly I found myself "laughing out loud" quite a number of time's. What a treat for a "legal and suspense thriller" and to also have some of the character's as such "missfit's". All of this kept me on the edge and thoroughly involved in the personal relationship's of the different couple's and their extended famlies's, AND as they tried to work through their problem's. All of this taking place in the middle of the biggest bunch of secret's, lie's, and back stabbing in the crime and judicial system...AND with it's politic's. (still don't know "who" some of the bad guy's are, but maybe in the next book)???? Thank you Diane and David. I would be remiss not to say how many time's you could see God working with each person, even the "misfit's", me included. I feel truly blessed with each book I read by the Munson's. What a rare combination in a book!!!! Mary from Keizer, Oregon

This is the second book I've read by the Munsons. They have an impressive resume' for writing a legal thriller due to David Munson being a former Federal undercover agent and Diane Munson who is a former Federal prosecutor. While Grisham does well in courtroom scences and Clancy is good with the law enforcement side, the Munsons make both the legal and agent action work. In Confirming Justice the Munsons create characters and situations that are realistic and believable. A must read!

Seminole Tribune commissioned free lance writer Ramona Kiyoshk to write a review of "Confirming Justice." Ms. Kiyoshk, who also writes reviews for the New York Times, wrote the following review which appeared in the Seminole Tribune on 10/13/06. It is provided by the authors in its entirety. WARNING!! "Confirming Justice" is a legal thriller. Ms. Kiyoshk's review may tell you more than you want to know about how the book ends.

"The latest book by husband-and-wife writing team Diane and David Munson is an exciting romp in American political intrigue that takes the reader from the gleaming halls of justice in Washington, D.C., to the gator-infested swamps of southern Florida and points in between. The Munson team draws on their expertise and insight as former inside players in the high-stakes and dicey game of White House law enforcement. Diane Munson has been an attorney for twenty years, and is a former Federal Prosecutor with the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Her husband, David, is a retired Federal Special Agent, whose career included positions in the DEA, U.S. Customs, and the Naval Investigative Services, often undercover.

Their understanding of human nature, and especially the criminal mind, gives their writing depth, heart and velocity. Their keen knowledge of their subject matter and their skill as suspense writers, make for a truly delightful read. I am a fan of the mystery and suspense genre, but I find that many books are simply clones of each other. This book is made memorable by the very believable characters that are developed as the story moves along. Their plights elicit sympathy, rage, laughter and curiosity. You want to join them on their quests for justice, peace, love, happiness, or whatever. In Confirming Justice, the players feel like old friends by the end of the book, something rare in the modern pulp fiction novel.

The central story is about Dwight Pendergast, a judge who is nominated for Justice of the Supreme Court by the President after another candidate is bullied into withdrawing by a vicious press and Opposition members hostile to his beliefs. The book opens with Judge Pendergast trying a Cabinet member¹s son for conspiracy to bribe and embezzle when a key witness disappears. FBI Agent Griff Topping, who is sent to recover the AWOL witness, finds himself in a quagmire that includes former Soviet spies, restless Native Americans, a deal-making petty felon with big ideas, and family skeletons that insist on popping out of long-locked closets. One thing is certain: If you want every detail of your life dragged before the public, become a candidate in a Supreme Court confirmation hearing.

The chase scenes are fast and filled with surprises. This is refreshing in a world where almost everything has been done at least once somewhere else. Small-time criminal Skeeter's leap through a pane of glass when he recognizes an FBI undercover agent and his subsequent trek through the swamp with alligators and manatees is too real. The houses and the landscapes are described through textures, smells, and senses rather that just adjectives. This has the effect of drawing the reader into the locale. It becomes very authentic.

The loving relationship between Judge Pendergast and his wife, Christine, is developed through action and flashbacks. This gives the reader a better understanding of the strength of their commitment to each other and to their children and their goals. The President's Special Assistant, Barbara Jo Houston as she conspires to topple anyone in her path, could be modeled after any number of angry, ambitious people in politics today. Bernie Spritzer, Pendergast's former law partner, is a brooding foil for the rising star and his wife, Rita, with a festering paranoia about an imagined love affair, could be any Washington wife who has been too long in her husband's shadow.

My favorite character is the FBI agent, Griff Topping. His role is to keep the story tied together as he moves in and out every situation. He is a widower and a loner who flies small airplanes for fun. His friends are always trying to match him up with a mate. He is also a skilled investigator, and is approached by Judge Pendergast to find his long-lost siblings, who were sent to foster homes when their parents died. Pendergast himself was adopted and his search for his family is instigated by his need for a kidney transplant.

The search for the lost siblings places Agent Topping face to face with cocaine smuggling desperadoes in the Gulf of Mexico. Skeeter¹s shrimp boat is recruited to move a load of cocaine, and a seizure by agents from the FBI, DEA and Customs, is engineered. This is presented with all the tension and logistics gleaned from David Munson's experience in the field. By now, Topping has determined that Skeeter, who was raised in foster homes and lives off petty crime, is really Pendergast¹s brother. Hyper and insecure, Skeeter is a perfect foil for the self-contained FBI professional.

With the drug bust wrapped up, Topping and Skeeter travel to the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation where they meet the last lost sibling, a sister, Eleanor. From here on, except for a few hair-raising twists, you can bet there will be a happy - and very satisfying ending.

The Munsons obviously are spiritual people and this is evident throughout the book. There are numerous references to the Scriptures and to the relationship of the characters to their Christian God. Volatile issues hinted at include abortion, eminent domain and creationism vs. evolution. This is done tastefully, without the battering ram effect present in many Christian publications. I also noticed they seem to promote the belief that good Indians are Christian Indians. There are those who might find the support for the Christian Right a bit obvious, but it is personal and should not detract from the story itself. If it bothers you, ignore it. After all this is America and FaithWalk Publishing is a printer of Christian books."

The story told in Conquest by Law could be the Enron scandal of the 19th Century...the irony is that it is all true and that you wouldn't have imagined it in your wildest dreams. We are used to a context in which the Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court of the land. It is implicit today that when the Supreme Court says what the law "is"...that is it, 'the final word'! However, when this story began there was no such confidence and no history of Supreme Court precedent! The Supreme Court was just another forum for speculation and that is what the protagonists do in Conquest by Law.

The speculation on land and the profiteering that was the underlying motive was not originally designed to marginalize or dispossess Native Americans...but that is quickly what it became... It was, as so many scandals are, all about money. The King and then later the Congress implusively protected Indian Land, but not for the Indians, for themselves. And that is where the conflict begins, with a tug of war over who had the right to buy land directly from the Tribes. The nation's first and arguably, most important jurist eventually crafted the answer...an answer that created a "legitimate" dispossession of Indian Land, a legal conquest that remains the most devastating defeat in the history of Native Americans.

Prof. Robertson exposes the scandal and legal manuevering behind Chief Justice Marshall's answer. The truth is a story of lies, bribery, politics, and and scandal that reads like a cross between McCullough and Grisham.

This is a great read if you are interested in legal scandal, Native American History, the Supreme Court and/or corporate intrigue. Enjoy!!!

I love a good mystery--and the resolving of the twists and turns that led to it. This book is not only a good "who dunnit" but is also a serious study of a fascinating subject of interest to all English speaking people in the world. I enjoyed the book from cover to cover--it is well written, sprightly, serious, detailed, and generally a good read.

It is not granted to every historian to discover a trunkful of old documents up in an attic somewhere. The fact that the Illinois-Wabash papers, which fortuitously fell into the capable hands of this particular historian, were located in a basement instead, hardly alters the aura surrounding this discovery, nor does it affect the drama of the issues involved. In sifting through the evidence brought to light by this remarkable find, Lindsay G. Robertson has provided more than a mere tale of "olden days" which might be of interest to a cloistered few: he has produced a revolutionary document which may have far-reaching consequences on the "history" of the future, as well as on our reading of the past.

Mr. Robertson's capable exposition of a complex history, and the drawing out of the major themes and undercurrents informing the events of the period makes this work of interest to a broader public than just those who may find themselves involved professionally, or by association, or in the case of Native Americans and aboriginal peoples elsewhere, because it is very much part of their own story. Indeed, the wider ramifications of the judgment in the case of Johnson v. M'Intosh for both Canada and Australia and the indigenous peoples of those far-flung lands, heighten the importance of the decision itself and extend the range of interest of this original work of historical detection and analysis.

It is not an easy story to come to grips with, and our thanks must go to the author for his careful unravelling and clear explanation of the facts surrounding what has partly been obscured by the mists of time, and partly intentionally covered up by many of the original participants. We live in age which has much to consider in the way of recognizing past faults. Much is owed to exploited populations in many lands: from the time of Cortez, no treaties have been signed in South America, and those lands have been subject to plunder for centuries. That the native peoples on our own continent have been herded and exploited perhaps to a lesser extent is no reason for not now attempting to reconcile the historical faults of which all Americans and Canadians now living are the heirs. Mr. Robertson's sensitive review of how the legal foundations for the transfer of Indian land into the hands of speculators, prospectors and other worthies of the period came into being, deserves our full attention.

All in all, Mr. Robertson has produced an eloquent, eminently readable text that ought to foster much debate within the United States and abroad. It is a commendable work of scholarship which should not, must not, go unnoticed. It can, should we decide to take heed, contribute greatly to the furthering of better relations between communities in North America and around the globe - and, in a world which stands in dire need of developing governmental systems that take a diversity of communities into account (Liberia, Rwanda, and the Balkans come to mind at once, but the problem is widespread), that is no small accomplishment.

Mr. Paiewonsky's terrific account and rich accompaniment with period art, valuable maps and charts, and contemporary perspective, gives us all a chance to review this history with new eyes.

As a Virgin Islander, Mr. Paiewonsky, was raised in a family that has for generations collected the history, art, and artifacts associated with the region. Finally we get reasonable interpretaions of the accounts of the New World process of discovery and indeed conquest. His understanding of this is all the more valuable because of his local knowledge, just from growing up in the region. He has sailed the routes, accompanied the archeological digs, and can interpret the art and the drawings of the old cartographers.

The description of the Reefbay petroglyphs on St. John alone, from this author, is worth the price of the book, which will no doubt become an historial treasure of its own one day.

This book is a gem. The sad results of the encounter of the Spanish with the indiginous population of the Caribbean Islands is presented objectively and the few accounts of the Tiano Peoples' own words are effectively used to hint at who these early victims of European expansion really were. The use of modern photos and historic illustrations opens up the real lost world where these events unfolded and every illustration adds to and interacts with the text. The result is both a good read and a rigerous scholarly introduction to the foundations of the American experiance. This is the first work of its kind that interperts the historic documents as understood by an island inhabitant who understands details the first explorer encountered from personal experiance.

History books on the voyages of Columbus can only take you so far -- until now. This book really ties the historical details together with the drama and adventure that the original explorers must have felt. It is impossible to put this book down -- for the reader interested in history or for the person seeking an adventure.

This book should become a major contribution to Latin American studies, because it provides fresh perspectives on topics we'd thought we already knew well. It does so by relating Latin America to vital issues in history, notably recent research on frontier history, "the new Western history," & themes of race, class & gender. The chapter by Susan Socolow, discussing Argentine frontier women & thus engendering the history of the gauchos, is particularly strong, but so are most of the others. One drawback is that coverage is largely limited to the far margins of Spanish America (northern Mexico & Rio de la Plata regions), when there is plenty of work to do on the frontiers of core areas of Spain's New World empire, e.g. Peru & Bolivia. (There is some fine material on Brazil, but the book's main emphasis is on Spanish America.) Nevertheless, this work definitely advances understanding of important aspects of Latin American history.

This book should become a major contribution to Latin American studies, because it provides fresh perspectives on topics we'd thought we already knew well. It does so by relating Latin America to vital issues in history, notably recent research on frontier history, "the new Western history," & themes of race, class & gender. The chapter by Susan Socolow, discussing Argentine frontier women & thus engendering the history of the gauchos, is particularly strong, but so are most of the others. One drawback is that coverage is largely limited to the far margins of Spanish America (northern Mexico & Rio de la Plata regions), when there is plenty of work to do on the frontiers of core areas of Spain's New World empire, e.g. Peru & Bolivia. (There is some fine material on Brazil, but the book's main emphasis is on Spanish America.) Nevertheless, this work definitely advances understanding of important aspects of Latin American history.

This book should become a major contribution to Latin American studies, because it provides fresh perspectives on topics we'd thought we already knew well. It does so by relating Latin America to vital issues in history, notably recent research on frontier history, "the new Western history," & themes of race, class & gender. The chapter by Susan Socolow, discussing Argentine frontier women & thus engendering the history of the gauchos, is particularly strong, but so are most of the others. One drawback is that coverage is largely limited to the far margins of Spanish America (northern Mexico & Rio de la Plata regions), when there is plenty of work to do on the frontiers of core areas of Spain's New World empire, e.g. Peru & Bolivia. (There is some fine material on Brazil, but the book's main emphasis is on Spanish America.) Nevertheless, this work definitely advances understanding of important aspects of Latin American history.

Coyote and the laughing Butterflies is a magical book about a coyote adn his duty to bring salt to his wife from a huge salt lake. It hooked my attention right away and I didn't want to put it down until I was done. The illustrations in this book are grogeous and since I'm an animal lover teh cover and title attracted me right away.
In the book because of teh vivid word choice i could imagine everything the author was telling me in my mind. It was wonderfully written and was very descriptive during parts of the story. i loved the way the author described the beautiful butterflies and teh huge salt lake. Even at times were i couldn't picture sections of teh book in my head the illustrations definately helped me. i highly recommend this book to young kids who liek animals and adventures. Don't pass this wonderful book up!

Coyote and the Laughing Butterflies is a very amusing bit ofNative American folklore that can be enjoyed by all ages. It is abeautifully illustrated work in vivid color, written in explanation of why butterflies always fly in an erratic, fluttering way. It is funny, interesting, and compassionate. It is delightful light reading to be lovingly shared with your children to introduce them to Native American folk stories.

As a children's librarian, I am always tooking for folk tales from around the world to read or tell to children in the 4-8 year old group. This tale is fun to tell, but reading it and showing the colorful illustrations of the Southwestern United States is a good way to show children in Maine a different region of our country. The listeners loved having the coyote outwitted by butterflies, and many were able to re-tell the tale to parents. I used a coyote puppet to tell the tale, and the children did a butterfly color page after story time. I would highly recommend it to children's librarians and to parents.