Oregon Books

My dad loves Australian wine. He's a trained sommelier but focuses much of his wine attention to Australian wines. I live in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle) and I know that the wine up here is pretty good. I gave my dad this book as a gift to help him build his knowledge and appreciation of Pacific Northwest wines.

He loves the book and already has a list of wineries he has to visit next time he's here.

Informative with some outstanding photography.

My wife I and I loved this book, as it combined fantastic pictures of popular wine regions of the Pacific Northwest along with historical information and the winery background. Get this book if enjoy looking at good photography and want to see what the area looks like. Do not get this book if you want to know the location and background of every single winery in the area (honestly, there are better ways to get this information). This is a book you will keep around on the coffee table for years as opposed to the typical winery guide book which can get out of date in only a few years.

I personally love this book because it really IS the best of both worlds. It features the guidebook part as well as the photobook. The photographs are really stunning and set the ambiance for a trip to the NW. The guidebook makes for a great pre-trip resource to Oregon, Washington or BC plus it has a list of good restaurants in the region too so thats always a plus. I think of it as a visual journey through NW wine country and highly recommend it to anyone.

As the title says the Ultimate winery guide. As in the best not just another winery guide. If you are interested in a guide book of all the wineries in the NW then this is not the book for you. If you want to know what everyone would consider 30 great wineries than buy this book. The photos are amazing and you get a true sense of what it takes to build a great winery.

This book is in no way an "ultimate" guide. It covers only 30 wineries in all of Oregon Washington and British Columbia. It mentions only 3 wineries within 150 miles of us and there are over a dozen. Do not buy this book if you are expecting to get a thorough and detailed discussion of Pacific Northwest Wineries.

The strong point of the book is the quality of the paper and photographs which probably accounts for the books cost.

There are many alternative books which cover wineries in the Pacific Northwest better and which cost less. Save your money and buy one or more of them.

I was encouraged to read this book by the cover quote from Mary Oliver and was rewarded appropriately. A beautifully written, thoughtful journey of self discovery. And a special gift at the end for anyone exploring their own path in becoming a writer, the author offers insight and direction that resonates as true.

This is a great 'get-away' book. It conveys what it must really be like to be alone in the wilderness for months, in a beautiful place, and the journey of a person's thoughts without the distractions of modern life. It also is a powerful story about the author's relationship with his father. Highly recommended.

The book has four themes: journal and musings while in the Oregon wilderness, auto biography, and father's biography. It's tough to write an interesting journal - face it, most lives aren't that interesting. Daniel has led an interesting life, but not that interesting. I enjoyed spending time with him in the wilderness, became bored with his reflections on his self-absorbed youth, and had to go for my own solitary walk to escape his musings on current politics - sorry, not interested in ruminations on Bill Clinton and Monica, the decriminalization of drugs, and the merits of Bush and Gore.

The sections on his father and the labor movement were fascinating and hope that Daniel can work through the emotional issues enough to write a full, more dispassionalte biography.

There are plenty of great nuggets to mine here, for example his experience as a choker in Washington forest, and having many fathers, that make the book worth reading. But often I could almost hear Franz Daniel saying, that's enough John, now get out and DO something.

I loved this book, and I'm glad the author brought us along on his journey. I have often wondered what it would be like to take off for awhile, and leave the bustle of everyday life behind.

From reading I discovered that I would never really be alone, because all of the people that I have been fortunate to know have shaped my life. They are part of me, and hopefully I am part of them. Our friends and family are there in spirit all of time - good and bad. It all makes up a portion of the fabric which is us, which makes nothing bad. It's all good.

The natural setting for the adventure is top-notch, and I do plan on exploring the Rogue River. I certainly need to bring my fly-rod.

Thanks for sharing your life with us, John.

Poet and nonfiction writer John Daniel spent four and a half months living by himself in a cabin in the Rogue River canyon of southwestern Oregon. Though his original intent was to go there to write, he did some nature observation and terrain exploration as well. He chose to make his retreat during the winter of 2000-2001, beginning just after election day. We who were stuck back here in civilization can only envy his self-made cocoon of quiet, blissfully removed from the incessant media analysis of the Bush-Gore-Florida quandry. We can merely shake our heads, remembering.

Memory comes into play quite a bit here. After taking care of his immediate needs and taking in the natural world around him, Daniel spends much of his alone time considering the past. Or two pasts, really: his father's and his own. Something he sees or thinks about at the cabin will remind him of something else from the past, and he follows that tangent. He writes about his father and traces the man's work in the American labor movement as well as his struggle with alcoholism. At the same time, he reveals much about his own life and about growing up in a 1960s culture that was both anti-Vietnam and pro-drugs. "Rogue River Journal" is as much about Daniel's voyage of self-discovery as it is a temporary escape from society. By the end of his sojourn, it seems as if he has come to terms with all of it: his relationship with his father, his own varied and sometimes illegal activities of his younger days, his writing career, even the choice to enforce this self-imposed confinement. Daniel gets *very* personal, yet this is not a pure autobiography. It's funny, it's sad, it's thought-provoking, it's Life.

Daniel writes, "I thought I might find two books here -- one about the experience of solitude, the other the story of my coming of age and my father. From the start though, the two wanted to loop and weave together, and I saw no reason, and see none now, to discourage their union." (p. 301) The result honors both men. Obviously Franz Daniel passed the story-telling gene onto his son John. He has a knack for offering vivid descriptions and the tales to go with them, knowing just when to bring one segment to a temporary close so that we'll want to turn the page to discover what happened next. Baby Boomer readers will have no problem reminiscing on their own, inspired by Daniel's candid ruminations. This book is more contemplative than most "Walden" wannabees.

John Daniel uncovers two truths for us: We need occasional solitude in order to understand who we are as individuals. And we also need distance from the past in order to comprehend its contribution to our personalities and lives. Thanks for the reminders, John!

Enjoyed this book -- even read it more than once. This purchase was a replacement copy person that borrowed my original coipy did not return the book.

Before you get excited and say - wow, a follow up to the Eclipse bay trilogy, be warned that "Together in Eclipse Bay" is compilation which includes the entire Eclipse Bay trilogy dramatizing the modern-day Hatfield and McCoy-style family feud between the Harte and Madison families or a coastal Oregon town.

Eclipse Bay ~ A matchmaking aunt wants to end a 3-generation feud by willing her estate to her niece Hannah Harte and Rafe Madison, the grandson of the rival family, hoping to unite them in romance and put an end to the feud once and for all. This is the best of the bunch.

Dawn in Eclipse Bay ~ When he is not able to make a love match, workaholic Gabe Madison insists that professional matchmaker Lillian Harte either find him one more date, or be his date, They manage to ignite a fiery passion despite the history between their families.

Summer in Eclipse Bay ~ After losing his wife in a car accident, lothario Nick Harte has met his match in sexy gallery owner Octavia Brightwell. She has a distant link to the Madison family. She likes him, but does not want to get involved since her great aunt sparked the family feud.

OK i happen to really like JAK normally and was soo excited for this trilogy to be in one book, but it didnt really live up to my expectations of her. In all fairness i didnt yet read the last story but i found that the relationships felt rushed and although the characters were likeable, the plots were so boring I had to force myself through them. All in all not her best but maybe bc they are shorter stories. who knows. still not bad if you have nothing to do one evening.

All three are exceptional is all I can say. What a wonderful way to read the triology, one of Jane's best.

A great way to purchase three of my favorite Krentz novels in one book: Eclipse Bay, Dawn in Eclipse Bay and Summer in Eclipse Bay. All three books deal with the Harte and Madison families and the resolution of a feud that began 30 years before. My favorite is "Dawn"; the love story between Gabe and Lillian is delightful.

If you spend any time in the Columbia River Gorge looking for wildflowers, this is a book you should have. Really, I'd like to give this book 3.5 stars, but Amazon doesn't permit that kind of specificity. It is, however, of virtually no use outside the gorge. The best part of the book is easily the lists of when species are in flower in each section (west, middle, east) of the gorge and places where you can find the best wildflower blooms throughout the year. The book is also very thorough, as virtually every flowering plant in the gorge is listed in the book.

Unfortunately, the book is extremely difficult to navigate because the flowers are organized by family. Also, there are no plant descriptions given, and, as such, it is impossible to tell the difference between similar species based on the photos. As for the photos, they are hit and miss, with some of them quite good, and others insufficient to identify a flower.

Overall, the book is worth getting for the lists of when plants are in flower and where, but as a field guide, it is insufficient. Pairing it with Turner and Gustafson's "Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest" would give you nearly all you need to find and identify most every flowering plant in the gorge.

Jolley's book is an indispensable field guide for hikers, mountainbikers and motorists visiting the Columbia River Gorge. This book includes color photos and descriptions of all 744 known species found in the Gorge, including plants endemic to the Gorge. Includes blooming times and locations for each species. Also includes week-by-week trip suggestions for finding plants at the peak of bloom. Whether you are a casual visitor or a wildflower enthusiast, I guarantee that this book will enrich the hours that you spend in the Gorge.

This book is great for people who do a lot of hiking in the Gorge, as it contains color photos of just about every flower you're likely to see out there.

However: unless you're a botanist, the organizational scheme of the book is terrible. Rather than being grouped by color, or even shape, the flowers are organized by family (phlox family, pea family, rose family, etc.) -- and the casual wildflower enthusiast has no idea that, for example, something that looks like forget-me-nots must be in the waterleaf family. Even if you do know which family to look in, there are no running heads at the top of the pages to help you find what you're looking for, and they're not alphabetical but rather grouped into four "sections" that are not explained or introduced. So you basically have to find things either by using the index (assuming you know what the flower MIGHT be), or by leafing through the entire book every time.

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy this book, because nothing else covers the Gorge so thoroughly, but I'd recommend ALSO picking up something like the Audobon field guide (ISBN 0375402330), which does group flowers by color and shape and should point you in the right direction when trying to find things in the Gorge book. The upcoming "Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest" from Timber Press (ISBN 0881927457), due to be released in March 2006, should be even better.

One of the very best area-specific wildflower books ever. Descriptions and photographs make identification easy. The guide to location includes best times to go, roads to travel and paths to follow.

CLEAR GLOSSY COLOR PHOTOS OF EACH FLOWER, THE SCIENTIFIC AND COMMON NAMES, HABITATS AND BLOOMING DATES MAKE YOUR COLUMBIA GORGE WILDFLOWER IDENTIFICATION A SNAP! THIS BOOK IS A MUST FOR THE LIBRARY OF THE GORGE HIKER, BOTANIST OR ANYONE WHO APPRECIATES THE SPECTACULAR BEAUTY AND DIVERSITY OF THIS NATURAL SCENIC AREA.

Adventure Guide to the Pacific Northwest by Don & Marjorie Young is a Hunter Travel Guide which I can also highly recommend. We love traveling in the Pacific Northwest but there is so very much to see I couldn't imagine how they could get it all into one book, but they have done a very good job of it! The organization of the book makes it easy to find just what you want in each area from restaurants and places to stay in all price ranges, tours, camping, information sources, maps, etc. I especially like the sections called Adventures which have separate catagories for on foot, horseback, wheels, water, and snow. This is a guide worth having and nominally priced

Too much information is packed into this book with not as much detail. Its alright if you want just an overview of the attractions / activities.
For a more detailed and more personal view of Oregon / Washington, I would recommend "Hidden Pacific NorthWest". And no, I've not been paid to publicize this book. hehe. Speaking from my own experience.

i bought this book because i read the review that gave this five stars. as a resident of washington state, i was very disappointed with the restaurant and hotel suggestions provided. since when should the space needle restaurant be a 'recommended restaurant?' it's pricey and noisy, and the food is ok - exactly what you'd expect from a touristy place. you are better off having a GREAT takeout meal at the buffalo deli on 1st avenue - which has the best sandwiches downtown - and taking your lunch to pike market to watch the ferries.

what about great, out of the way places to stay, like pensione nichols, which is inexpensive and charming?

you are better off buying the fodor's gold guide, or frommer's guide to washington state if you are looking for 'local color.'

Most people are aware that the Space Needle is in Seattle and that the Columbia River Gorge is a must-see on any trip to the Northwest. But where should you turn for information about watching the killer whales (orcas) among Washington's gorgeous San Juan Islands? Fishing along the rugged Oregon coast? Hiking in country said to be frequented by Bigfoot himself? Parasailing over Puget Sound? Engaging some llamas to carry your gear on a camping trip to the high country? And much, much more. "Adventure Guide to the Pacific Northwest" will take you where you want to go.

This book was impossible to put down. It is an absorbing novel set in (apparently) early 1900s Oregon. It is well researched as to the history and conditions prevailing in a country always hard to live in. And it is a rollicking good story.

I have enjoyed extremely some other works by H. L. Davis, most notably the novel Winds of Morning and the beautifully executed short story, "The Homestead Orchard." It was with pleasurable anticipation that I obtained Davis's prizewinning magnum opus.

But this monstrosity totally surprised me. The rendering of Oregon's history and geography is too far removed from the truth for a novel that is supposed to be a fanciful tapestry of Oregon's history and geography--it's so fanciful as to merely annoy. The characters are not well-developed and are cartoonish. I can stand fantasy sequences (loved Dickens's Little Dorrit), but this endless ramble exhausted my patience. I kept waiting to reach the good part. I should have given up after the first 100 pages.

H. L. Davis is a little-known and under-appreciated author whose works are not of even quality. Following is my list of his works that I've read, in order of my esteem from highest to lowest.

1. The Homestead Orchard--Humorous, sad, joyous, beautifully crafted short story about a father and son--a true masterpiece
2. Winds Of Morning--novel about a young, naive lawman
3. Old Man Isbell's Wife--Humorous short story with two great characters
4. Open Winter--short story about herding sheep, sweet edging toward profound
5. The Distant Music--sweeping historical-family epic
6. All of Davis's essays
7. The Kettle of Fire--a fictional legend
8. Beulah Land--a rambling Southeast-Midwest version of Honey in the Horn
9. Honey in the Horn--spare yourself! Overlong, random, Pulitzer-prize winning, historically inaccurate, pointless

To access the short stories, get a copy of his Collected Essays and Short Stories, published by the University of Idaho Press.

The book tells and interesting story of a young man in southern and eastern Oregon in about 1910 after the big pioneer rush. Very well written with good characters. It won the Pulitzer prize in 1935.

A well-told tale of settling of Oregon in the first decade of the 20th Century. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel captures the spirit of the times as those hardy pioneers struggle to settle a difficult land. Mr. Davis' wry humor makes this a reader's delight. Having lived in the general area as a youth I found many of the incidents sounding like the seemingly endless tales that my father and his collegues would spend hours swapping.

At the time of this review I had only visited one site so far listed in the book. I'm not sure when the author updated this book, but when we visited Three Creeks Campground near Sisters in late Sept 2007 (we purposely waited until after Labor Day/School was in session to hopefull avoid the crowds) it was full of exactly what she said it DIDN'T have. Not only was it jam-packed, but RVs and campers outweighed tents (I think there was two, and we were one of them). There were kids running around yelling and screaming and the RV/Campers were always firing up their generators for hours on end. These were the things we were trying to avoid.

I'm not discounting this book yet and will try other sites. My other camping experiences over the summer have resulted in the same crowding, noise, etc. Perhaps the camping of old where you find peace and tranquility is no longer to be found.

We're just back from a two week vacation in Oregon. I found the book a very helpful addition to the camping guide I had. And I think one needs an additional camping guide that covers all places since there are just a few in this book. We also found a lot of other nice places that were not described in this book, but still primitive, remote, quiet and beautiful. With one or two campsites we were disappointed and left. Also I would love to see an easier layout, because you have to flip back and forth to find the place. But that is not really important. We just found quite some more places that we thought would deserve to be in there.

Written by veteran camper and nature lover Jeanne Louise Pyle, The Best In Tent Camping: Oregon is a detailed guide especially for Oregon campers who like scenic and serene sites, removed from concrete, RVs, boombox-happy individuals and worse. Categorized according to the section of Oregon in which they are to be found, the campground sites are presented with detailed maps, directions, descriptions, and ratings on their beauty, privacy, spaciousness, quiet, security, cleanliness, and insect control. A superb guide for anyone looking to enjoy the peace and freedom of nature.

Solid guide with a nice mix of coastal and inland sites. We used the book to plan a week in Oregon and found the site reviews very accurate and helpful in steering us to great campgrounds we wouldn't have found left to our devices. When we were unable to reach one of these sites, we were dismayed by our lot as the alternate state campgrounds we found were overcrowded, RV filled, and exactly what we didn't come for. Highly recommend this book. Pyle offers usefuly ratings for various dimensions including best season to visit, level of campground bugginess, solitude, etc.

Francis Seow is a Singapore hero. By Singapore standards, however, he was flawed in that he was compassionate as he gave legal assistance to political detainees in Singapore. By so doing, Mr. Seow became a detainee, himself.

His account of his imprisonment by the Singapore police is as harrowing as anything written by Kafka. No one so articulate as Mr. Seow has described what it is like to be a detainee in Singapore.

I am an American, but was living in Singapore at the time of Mr. Seow's detention. I was in charge of the computer department of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). Many of my colleagues at IRAS were disturbed by the million-dollar budget had been allocated to investigate Mr. Seow's tax matters. Naturally, IRAS determined that Mr. Seow had a considerable tax debt.

Mr. Seow was and is a charismatic and brilliant individual. He had become Solicitor General of Singapore, and President of the Law Society. Had he gone along with the dictates of the Singapore system, he could be living a very distinguished life in Singapore today, in high political office. He now lives in the United States, but has not been forgotten in Singapore.

His generosity, which shows so clearly in his book, was extended to my wife (a Singaporean), and myself recently with his kind review of our book on many of the same subjects, entitled "Escape from Paradise."

My wife and I are Americans who recently honeymooned in Singapore, and we were quite impressed by how clean, orderly, and efficient it was. Yet we knew there had to be a catch, and none of the locals we met were willing to talk about it. So, upon returning home, we bought this book and also "Singapore's Authoritarian Capitalism," by Christopher Lingle, to find out. (To be fair, we bought Lee Kuan Yew's "The Singapore Story" as well, but haven't read it yet.)

After reading these books, we now understand Singapore's dark side. And it goes way beyond the prohibition on chewing gum and being caned for vandalism. Both of these books are important reads for those seeking to understand Singapore and authoritarian governments in general.

My only criticism of both books is that they are written for those who can sit down and finish the NY Times Sunday crossword puzzle in 20 minutes or less. The vocabulary, diction, and syntax are unnecessarily tortured (so to speak) in both books. Granted, they're both written by scholarly gentlemen, but I have an Ivy League education, and I can't help but think that both authors' voices would be better heard if their prose was more accessible to the general public. Seow's detention was especially dramatic, but he describes his interrogation by heavy-handed, chain-smoking thugs with a Shakespearean lilt that is completely at odds with the material.

Nevertheless, they're good reads, so make a pot of coffee, grab your dictionary, and dive in.

As a Singaporean, I heard about Francis Seow when I was younger. I remember him as a very eloquent speaker and a potential contender for Lee Kuan Yew's PAP government. I also remember how he was constantly potrayed by the local media as a 'dishonest' tax-evader, a 'collaborator' with the Americans to disrupt Singapore's political stability, a 'womaniser', etc. This book looks into the darker side of Singapore's politics from Seow's point of view. It begins with Seow's account of his early career as a government official, his clash with LKY after becoming president of the Law Society, and his 72-day detention without trial under Singapore's Internal Security Act in the late 1980s. Seow's book is a first-hand account of how a Singaporean has suffered under the PAP government's use of biased legislation and media manipulation to maintain political hegemony. Parts of LKY's speeches in the 1950s and 1960s were cleverly quoted by Seow to show the irony of LKY's government, demonstrating how LKY has become almost everything he used to be against since he came into power. Although the economic success of Singapore since independence is indubitable and has often been attributed to the great leadership and foresight of LKY, this book looks into the lesser known aspects of LKY's regime, and will no doubt, raise many questions for the reader.

Francis' book is an entertaining read with vivid accounts of how and why he was imprisoned. However, considering the circumstances of his time spent in detention, one wonders how he can remember such details about specific interrogation sessions. Some creative embellishment to spice up the narration was probably afoot. Where did fact end and literary fiction begin was a question I pondered constantly. His book is as biased as those favourable on the Singapore regime. Nevertheless, a must read for one interested in understanding Singapore's security apparatus and Lee Kuan Yew.

Jeremy

A visitor to Portland today might not realize that the city has a rich history in jazz. Fueled by the shipbuilding boom of World War Two, the city's black population grew rapidly throughout the 40's, creating a vibrant community on the east bank of the Willamette. This was a land of wild nightclubs, neighborhood bars, shady speakeasies that were open all night. Big names came to play, artists like Duke Ellington, Dizzie Gillespie, and Louis Armstrong, but the city also produced a number of local talents, like Wardell Gray and Doc Severinsen. It was not, however, to last; the construction of the Memorial Coliseum wiped out much of the jazz scene, and much of its history was lost. Dietsche's Jumptown: The Golden Years of Portland Jazz sets out to record that lost history.

Jumptown is by-and-large a narrative prose history. The story of the Portland jazz scene flows generally in a chronological line from the 1940s through to the 1980s, with each chapter focusing on a particular location that was key to the jazz of the time. The text relies heavily on direct research, consisting primarily of interviews with direct participants; many quotes and extended passages are included verbatim. Supporting this are numerous photos, many culled from those individuals. There are also reproductions of numerous LPs including recordings of local talents.

This work contains a wealth of information on the history of Portland music and Portland's black neighborhoods. The book is not written for jazz neophytes however; many portions seem to be a stream of name-dropping, as if the book is a bop version of the Chronicles in the King James' Bible. Without this context, many passages will feel confusing or dense, and even with it, it seems to be more a who's who list than a story. The book does yield up some gems of local history, however, including the locations of most of the big clubs and some entertaining anecdotes in the words of witnesses and participants themselves.

The book is printed in the dimensions of a typical hardbound book, but is in a softcover trade paperback binding. Paper weight is smooth and the photos are reproduced adequately. The back of the book contains a discography of Portland-related music that proves handy.

Though a bit thin, the book is the only work I am aware of dedicated specifically to Portland jazz culture. Jazz lovers will no doubt understand the laundry list of names better than the average reader, and there is enough obscure history of the city that it will prove a worthy edition for Portland historians wishing for a truly broad library.

A plethora of information on the Portland,OR jazz scene of the 40's & 50's. The author sets each chapter with a wonderful historical context that brings a real vivacity to the text. There are a multitude of pictures and the format of the book is extremely inviting. The book is packed with useful knowledge in a reader friendly manner. Increase your jazz info and read!

This book offers insight into the Portland music scene not available
anywhere else. Lots of detail, and reasonably well written.

This is an informative book telling about local developments in jazz. In order to judge what jazz means across America there is a need for more local histories.

Excellent maps , photos and facts. You do not need more details for plannin a trip to Alaska. Is really perfect.

The National Geographic Driving Guides are guides to Blue Highways, i.e., non-freeways. They are perfect for people who want to get back to the "real" America. Since they are written by different authors, they vary in quality.

Of the ones that I have read, this one is the best. The author, Bob Devine, loves the Northwest, and has done an excellent job of ferreting out a lot of great sights to see and things to do. He also writes clearly.

I was particularly interested in the sections on Alaska, because I was trying to figure out whether it would be interesting to me (I am not an outdoorsman), and if I do visit it, how to structure the trip. After reading this book, I decided that there were a lot of interesting things to do and see in the Anchorage area and decided to fly directly into there.

Other good books in this series are the ones for Pennsylvania/New York, and Texas. The only bad one I've come across is the one for California.

This book was disappointing. Although it boasts the, as always, lovely National Geographic photographs, the information and the writing are dated. It needs to be updated, at least.

This guide is well structured, the chapters on the states are color-coded and make it easy to find trips for the state you're interested in. I liked the classification with stars for locations - the reader knows at a glance which trip offers a lot of "must-sees" and/or interesting places to visit. And because it is a National Geographic guide, it also features lots of beautiful photographs.

The guide is ideal for people who are on a schedule, and would still like to get the most out of a short trip. However, it does NOT offer tips on accomodation or restaurants. Although the appendix lists 800-numbers for hotel & motel chains, this isn't helpful when you plan to stay overnight in, let's say, Ritzville, WA, because there is no information which, if any hotels/motels are in that town.

People who are looking for in-depth travel information would be better off with another guide. But if you don't want to carry a heavy book around or spend hours reading up on your destination, and you're just looking for hands-on tips on where to go, I would recommend this guide.