Mountain West Books

If you plan to visit or relocate to Phoenix, you won't find a better guide than the Insider's Guide to Phoenix (Fifth edition). Written in a clear and friendly style, it thoroughly covers all the basics and then some. Not only does it offer appealing descriptions of hundreds of places to see and things to do, it dispenses lots of valuable advice, such as how to safely hike in the desert (One tip: don't go alone).

This book by a trio of savvy insiders is the only one you'll need for your next trip to Phoenix.

I bought an older version of this book at a used books bookstore. We are consindering a move to Phoenix and had an upcoming preview trip. This books was amazingly helpful and thorough. It covers history, nature, attractions, events, places to eat, etc. It has a section on kids activities, relocating to the Phoenix area, retiring to the Phoenix area and lots of other useful info. If we decide to move there, I will definitely order the newer version.

Of the four books I read on the subject, this one was by far the best. It describes hikes that are "family friendly" as well as those which are more advanced and appropriate for hikers with experience in the high country. There are many hikes mentioned which are relatively unknown, and not on the popular "maintained" trails of the Tetons. Of the few which I had time to take, her directions were quite accurate. For someone visiting the Jackson Hole area who loves to hike, especially in the high country, this book is excellent.

The new edition (1999) of this book includes more hikes than before and covers the entire area surrounding Jackson. The descriptions and directions are easy to read and understand. The author also includes the elevation changes and difficulty of the hikes. I like this book because it covers a wide area and many popular and less popular hikes in and around Jackson Hole. The index also includes more place names and destinations than the table of contents, which is great. I recommend this book because, unlike many others, it includes hikes in Grand Teton National Park as well as those outside the park.

This is one of my favorite books. I just bought one for my cousin and decided to submit a review. If you're looking for a literary masterpiece, go buy Finnegan's Wake. This book is written by a pretty illiterate guy who spent his life exploring the West, back when it was all indians and a few couple white men. The author hiked naked over a thousand miles after he ripped a hole in the back of the Indian tent where he was being held captive, attacked, killed and ate a badger with his bare hands, and was generally the toughest, meanest SOB I've ever encountered. If you're intrigued by the old West, but you're sick of reading and viewing the lightweight fluff, get this book. Its the Real Thing.

We should be grateful that there were such men as Clyman to write down history as they saw it in the early to mid 1800's. Not many mountain men/frontiersmen were literate, and if this wasn't written down back then, it would have just been heresay. Clyman came out with Jedediah Smith in the 1820's as a fur trapper. He records what went on at that time. These couple of chapters are a fascinating read. Then in the early 1840's, he came out with the Oregon Trail emigrants. He was a very observant individual, describing not only the climate, but also geology, flora, fauna, agriculture, etc. along the way. There was a section in the book where he talks about "time and space" which really surprised me about how deep a thinker the man was...he was very intelligent, also writting poetry and prose. If you want to know what it was like then, read this book...it's a good one!

I bought this book because Warren Angus Ferris is my Great (many times over) Grandfather and I was researching the family tree. What a delight to find that he was an accomplished writer and pioneer! His journal of his life in the Rocky Mountains is exceptionally well-written and a beautiful view of the time period. I recommend it to anyone with an interest of the early 1800's or fur-trading.

Day to day survival in the early American West at its best! Pick up any reputable book on the fur trade era during this time frame, and Warren Ferris' "Life in the Rocky Mountains" is always cited as a reference. There is good reason for this. Ferris joined the American Fur Company in 1830 at the age of nineteen and this is his journal of how life was back then from 1830-1835, so far removed from the luxuries of civlization. He spent most of his time in the central and northern Rockies, describing and recording just about everything one can possibly imagine from hostile Indians and the unrelenting forces of nature to grizzlies, days without food and water, etc. He was there at the Battle of Pierre's Hole and the death of William Vanderburgh. He also details the Yellowstone area with its geysers and other oddities, along with many other geographical areas which we now take for granted. Ferris vividly describes the many different Indian tribes of the region of their customs, cultures and habits. This is an excellent book and I can see why many historians use this book as reference material. A must read for fur trade era enthusiasts and arm chair explorers.

Just moved here and this book is providing lots of background information plus wonderful day trips around the area!

When the subject of the Ozarks comes up in South Alabama, the first word to pop into the minds of most people is "Branson". Phyllis Rossiter's book proves there is much, much more to that complex and beautiful part of the country and its people.

Anybody planning to visit the Ozarks, or anybody living there, would do well to invest in a copy. As a travel guide, it shows there is something in the Ozarks for every taste. It provides great suggestions for fascinating, varied and unexpected things to see and the best ways to see them. Ms. Rossiter also gives addresses for getting more information about the places she describes.

In addition to its excellence as a travel guide, A LIVING HISTORY comes with a special bonus: Ms. Rossiter's insight into history and the Ozark culture and psyche. That insight will help explain the reasons for the uniqueness of the area and its people. Even native Ozarkers will come away with a better understanding of themselves. Don't head for the Ozarks without it!

This is a favorite from childhood. It's a good novel to get a picture of what a cowboy's daily life and background were truly like in the period of U.S.history when ranches were a big part of the western scene. The sketches by James add much charm.

Independance is riding a Wyoming ridgeline on Christmas eve in a blizzard,catching the lights of a remote cabin in the valley below,and deciding whether or not to ride down to the cabin,based soley on how badly you think that you really need a cup of coffee.Will James is the "Lone Cowboy"in this turn of the century autobiography of the life of a drifter who roams from Mexico to Canada in search of ranch work.Abandoned as an infant,James was raised by a French Canadian trapper who provide equal doses of love and sink or swim trials.James fills the many lonely and isolated hours of his youth with drawing.The book contains many of James's illustrations of cowboy life and particularly beautiful renditions of his favorite subject,horses.A simple cowboy tale to most,this story will, to some readers ,provide a moving testimony to the spirit of courage,stubborness,independance that characterized the itinerent cowpokes of the old west.A wonderful book for young readers who will love the early stories about trapping,camping and getting that first horse.All will enjoy the beautiful artwork that so effectively illustrates the storyline.This sensitive story,told by the roughest of men, will provide a moving experience for all readers.

I had the opportunity last year to visit the Rockie mountains. Mainly Colorado and a fast trek throught or should I say to Montana. Having bought Lonely Planets books on both Australia and South Africa earlier (trips that didn't come to fruition, yet) and also having enjoyed some of the tv programs from the same people I thought this would be the best bet for my trip. And it sure was. Now most of my stay in this erea was in Denver so maybe I could have just bought a book on Denver, but as much as I enjoy travel books they tend to be a bit expencive and this offered more value to me. An the books offers more than adequate information on Denver and it's immideate surroundings. Later on the book gave me what information I needed during my brief stay in Montana. The book also informed well about the strain of arriving in the Mile High City (Denver) when you are a lowland dweller, so it didn't come as a shock. Good thing that ! I'm going back to this region of the US, you can count on that and this book will come along on the next trip as well.

I'm so glad I stuck with Lonely Planet (LP) for my 4 day trip to Colorado where we covered everything from Rockies to Colo. Springs, Denver, Boulder and also did rafting and hiking.

This book is great and lists everything that you need. Accomodations, maps, rafting companies, tourist traps, restaurants, etc. Very nice, exactly what you would expect from LP. Although I haven't tried other states yet, I'm looking forward to making a trip to Yellowstone soon ...

Thanks lonely planet!!


Cons: In case you are new to the lonely planet style of writing, let me warn you that if you are looking for a book which is heavily edited and proofread, then you will be disappointed. This lonely planet book is written in a style which is reminiscent of the old LP books - it seems more like a brain dump of everything the writers encountered. They then tried to put most of the things under appropriate headings and did a fair job. This is what I expect from a 'pack and go' book like LP so it works for me. YMMV.

I was given this book as a gift about ten years ago. I have camped and backpacked in the Colorado Rockies many times and loved reading about its early pioneer days. Each story is carefully researched and presented. Many of the women encountered harsh resistance as they tried to homestead or pursue their varied outdoor interests, but, the overall theme for the stories is how courageous and strong the women were. I loved this book and although, I give away most of the books I buy, this one I keep close at hand.

Read it before you go the the Rocky Mountains. Then have fun exploring the places that are described. These women are awesome and I would love to meet the author, Janet Robertson.

I discovered this book in a store at Glacier National Park and immediately wished I had bought it before going. There is an excellent reference guide at the front of the book to help you identify species you may not be familiar with. There is also a short section with general information such as advice on mammal watching. The bulk of the book is taken up with detailed entries on each mammal. There are excellent photos and/or drawings for each, animal as well as background information, habitat, food, and a description. There is even a listing of what the most similar mammal is to help you tell whether you are confusing one animal for another.

I find this book to be both interesting and useful. It is probably more suitable for a beginning naturalist like me than a real veteran outdoorsman who would need more of an encyclopedic volume to learn anything he doesn't already know. But that's hardly a flaw and to be expected from a book that is less than 300 pages. A final note in its favor is that the cover is heavily laminated and the pages are very thick stock so it is well built to take on the road.

Lone Pine books are probably the most pleasing nature guides I've seen. They aren't as lean and functional as some of the great bird ID guides, they're... pleasing, like a really engaging encyclopedia. Their layout, their spare but well-written texts, their thoughtfully done range maps, their size and weight, their durable feeling, and just the overall tone of these books all feel right, just right.

As a publisher, Lone Pine seems to be aiming for spots that aren't saturated with competitors. They're also taking a regional approach. So, we get a "Plants of the Rocky Mountains" title from Lone Pine, with trees and perennials and annuals and so on, rather than an "Eastern Wildflowers" or something like that.

This Mammals book is more of a browsing sort of guide, a reference you skim through or go to check when you've see something, rather than an identification helper you'd use with binoculars. I'm sure it'd be fine as an actual ID guide too, but the idea here isn't to get a bunch of comparable deer species onto the same page to let you compare, it's to provide enough space for each species to really come into its own. (There is a little paragraph for each animal explaining what you could mistake for it, but that's not quite the same. And anyway, how many types of bear are there in the Rockies?) I've also seen a Squirrels guide from them that seemed to follow much the same style.

The format's beautiful, easy to use and very consistent. Each species includes at least one illustration and one photo, along with four pages of loving description. There are nice little callouts with explanatory text about behavior and so on. It's all extremely easy on the eye.

Once you've used one of this company's books, you'll probably want to set a shelf aside at your cabin.

Mike Butterfield's Guide to the Mountains of New Mexico is a rapturous photographic showcase of the natural beauty of New Mexico. Full-color images on almost every other page capture the rainbow hues of the desert, the tenacity of local flora, the glory of sunrise and sunset and the pristine powder of winter snow. Hiker, backpacker, and aspiring naturalist Peter Greene provides text filled with information about the formation of major ranges as well as their recreational opportunities, ecology, true tales of exploration, and pieces of lore. Multiple maps, including a separate fold-out map showing ranges in photographic relief, as well as detailed peak and wilderness lists round out this wondrous guide for armchair travelers and inspiration for outdoor enthusiasts contemplating a New Mexico visit.

As a New Mexcio native I have seen and owned a number of books about the mountains of the State. This book is well organized and laid out and it invites you to take time and learn about all the various mountain ranges available to us in NM. The photography is first class and inspiring in the their own right. I particularly like the organization and format of the book. The size is just right and the information is presented in a way that is fun and just enough to answer all the main questsions without going into an overload of detail. A high quality folded two sided map is included in a back pocket and the map augments the information inside the book. This is a great gift fo people who appreciate the wonders on NM and want to to learn and explore more. Mike Butterfield and Peter Greene have done a great job with the book. Five stars are not enough.