North America Books

A must-have book for anyone with ancestors who fought in this unit, the reporting is both academically complete and personal.

The book is well written, and quite informative. It is about North Carolina's most famous regiment in the Civil War. While this might seem like a book of narrow appeal, it offers a great deal about how the war was conducted and should be of interest to any Civil War buff. I bought the book because I had an ancestor that served in it. I learned far more than I had expected. As a former
Infantry Officer and a Physician, I was also interested in tactics, morale, supply, casualties and their handling, intelligence and care of the soldier from recriutment to the end (whether death or discharge). I found all of these and much more! The battles are well described, as well.
Expecting a regimental history, I found a greater comprehension of life in the South during the War, it's politics, it's problems and their solutions, and a great military overview of many areas. If you liked Gone With the Wind, or Cold Mountain, or Shelby Foote's volumes on the history, you will get some of each here. I highly recommend this surprising book to anyone interested in the Civil War.

While researching my genealogy last summer I came across this book. My great grandfather was Woodson Garrett who is mentioned in this book and who served in the Bethel Regiment. I visited several of the battlefields and the descriptions of the battles here are coherent and emotionally charged. Highly recommended.

Craig Chapman's book struck a chord here. As one who is very much interested in Gettysburg, and the Overland Campaign of 1864, I am glad I found this jewel of a book. The author writes the story very well, and the research that he has done is exceptional in this tale of the boys from the Tarheel state.

This regiment is not as well known as the the 26th NC, but their trevails at Gettysburg was just as horrible. It also illustrates how they were used in the Overland Campaign...and the perils and suffering that they went through in 1864.

I heartily recommend the book, and can confidently say if you read it, it will be tough to put down.

I purchased this book when it was published in '68 and used it quite a bit for several years as I collected moths and butterflies. It is a wonderful resource for the collector.

This book has numerous full color pictures of hundreds of moths. Most of the similar species are on the same page which greatly aids the user in determining the distinguishing identifying marks for the common moths of North America.

In addition to the color plates which are pretty clear and a good size, there are drawn pictures throughout the book that emphasize things to look at when trying to id a moth. I'm very new to moth id - just curious about the moths that are in our yard so I picked up this book - so far I'm really happy with it although I'm not very good at the id itself yet.

This is a must have for any moth aficionado. A comprehensive guide chock full of valuable information. It is well illustrated although the photos are a product of their time and lack the clarity of modern day photos. It is considered the bible of moth books although since its printing many other books have since come out with better photos and more recent information in such the subfield of moth rearing.

Weaving the history of the Black Mtns with the author's personal diary made this book exceptional. I particularly enjoyed the theory on how mountain balds were formed and how native americans survived and made most of the land. I recommend this book to anyone who hikes or camps and appreciates the mountains.

What an excellent book! Timothy Silver has given us a two fold view of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains of North Carolina. A combination of the natural history of the area, and man's exploration/exploitation of these lofty peaks. I think what I enjoyed most about the book, were the short "interludes" where the writer inserts his many experiences of car camping, hiking/backpacking, trout fishing, or just marveling at nature while sitting at some well known spot, or some "hidey-hole" known only to people who frequent the area. These personal thoughts heightened my reading pleasure, because like the writer, I have spent a great deal of time in the Blacks and know of what he speaks.

The battle between the Mountain's namesake, the Rev. Elisha Mitchell and his former student, future Confederate general Thomas Clingman about who measured the mountain first, is fleshed out completely, and is probably the definitive account of this famous row.

The end chapters deal with mankind's interventions on the mountain, and the consequences of these acts. This is followed up with concise information about the acid rain/woolly adelgid issues affecting the Fir and Red Spruce trees on the mountain tops, along with some discussion about the growth cycles about the above mentioned trees, which in my opinion, clears up some of the misinformation out there. For years, the problem was blamed on woolly adelgids, then on acid rain. I personally feel like these two scourges work together hand in hand to decimate the once proud Fraser Firs.

This is truly a groundbreaking book. I'd like to see more works that follow this vein. Nicely illustrated.

Timothy Silver has given us an excellent history of Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains.
The work is titled as an environmental history, and it is supported by a wealth of factual information, but the whole presentation is a wonderful flowing story of these peaks in western North Carolina, and their history as they were shaped by nature and by man.
Of special interest is the account of the feud between Elisha Mitchell and Thomas Clingman. The story encompasses misunderstandings, fragile egos, and desperate politics. When Mitchell fell to his death in 1857, the public mind established Mitchell as a hero and martyr who died to establish these peaks as the state's best known landmark. His body was later moved to the higest peak, which is forever known as Mount Mitchell.
We are also able to see the history of man's interaction with nature. In the case of the Blacks, it is often with tragic results, and even when the intentions are good, the outcome is often marginal.
Dr. Silver leaves us with a compelling book that provides much information and asks many questions that we should consider not only for this mountain range, but for our environment as well.
I highly recommend this book. The author has done us a great favor.

What a terrific book Timothy Silver has crafted! Anyone interested in mountains, hiking, fishing, environmental issues, natural history, or the local history of North Carolina's mountains will enjoy this wonderful account. Professor Silver, a historian in western North Carolina, has written a book in which Mount Mitchell stars at the center of his narrative--and both general readers and professional historians can find meaning and pleasure in his tale.

Like many environmental historians, Silver sees in the reciprocal interaction between nature and culture a larger story of a region. And he brings us this compelling story from a variety of intriguing angles. He offers his own assessments, ones generated on his extensive hiking and fishing trips in the Black Mountains of western North Carolina. He provides insight into the steamy 19th century historical controversy between rivals each seeking to determine which was the highest peak in the region--and to see who could do it first and most authoritatively. (And as a New Englander, I found the tale inviting even if our White Mountains fall short in elevation to North Carolina's peaks!) Professor Silver also examines logging practices and regional boosterism, the antecedent of eco-tourism.

The book has something that will be compelling for a wide audience of readers interested in the natural world and local history--and the style is accessible and enjoyable. Whether you've hiked a lot, love North Carolina, want to investigate stormy political and personal feuds, or wish to know more about regional environmental history, "Mount Mitchell" is a fine read. I commend it to you!

This has been a great book for my son (age 3). He can't wait to work on a few pages each night and his skills have improved quite a bit as we near completing the workbook. This book is engaging and gives great instructions for the parents as well to encourage development while still focusing on encouragement. The skills develop incrementally which means the kids get better without realizing the skills are getting harder. My normally easily frustrated son is progressing rapidly and loves every minute of it! I'd recommend this entire series!

On another note, my two year old (25 months) has been using the "Let's color" book in this series for 2 and up and I'd say that he's a bit young still for that book, let alone this one. I would say that the 2-3-4 recommended here refers more to the average 2.5 year old rather than a young 2 year old.

I can't say enough about Kumon books. I got 5-6 books for my 2 1/2 year old. My daughter is very interested in painting but not so much into crayons and coloring. I wanted her to get interested in coloring as that is the basis for writing later. She is very interested in the coloring books and the fact that the coloring spaces progress from small to large is very thoughtful. The paper quality and picture quality are excellent. I will probably purchase this coloring book and the others in the series again and it will be good to see how she has improved.

My son had a lot of fun with the Kumon First Steps book "Let's Color" and so when Kumon just recently released "My Book of Coloring", I bought him one. It is very very similar to "Let's Color", only is in a bigger format. There are 40 pictures to color, all on the right side pages. On the left side pages, are "mazes" for the child to go thru, to learn crayon control. The coloring pages are in full color, the maze pages are in black and white. The coloring pages have only partial white areas for the child to color, a white circle in the cherries, a white sqare in the cheese, a white triangle in the fire truck. Later pictures have more than one white space to color, and then it becomes coloring things like, the stripes on the tiger, the spots on a giraffe, the strawberries on the cake. Some of my favorites are at the back: finish coloring the prince and princess, the robot, the magician, the tropical fish. Artwork is pleasing and fun, cute, but not babyish. The book is recommended for ages 2-4, but I think older children will like it too. My son is 8 and he likes it. Some children don't like coloring; a whole blank page to color can crush the spirit of some children to even start. Kumon gives the child only small areas to finish in the picture, so the completion of the coloring page is more quickly realized, and the child is satisfied. I guess I would have liked to see this coloring book be a bit beyond the first "Let's Color", and have had more pages like the ones at the end of the book, with a bit more white areas to color. The purpose of the book is for the child to learn control of a crayon/pencil (my children have all enjoyed coloring with colored pencils best), and to match colors. This book teaches these skills in a fun way. My son is always amazed that if he colors neatly, and the colored pencil he chooses really matches the surrounding printed ink color, that it's hard to tell where he colored it! Printed on heavy white paper, My Book of Coloring is a far superior book to the junky coloring books printed on flimsy newsprint paper that you find at the local store. I think any child just learning to color would love this book, and I think it will please parents too! Note: cover art does NOT represent the inside art. Be sure to also give a nice box of crayons or colored pencils when you give this book to a child! I recommend Prismacolor colored pencils and Crayola twist up crayons.

As a teacher, and mother of a 3 year old, I think this workbook deserves a good solid A. The only thing the designers of this book could do to improve it would be to provide more practice of the same skill. My daughter loves the book and asks for it when we are out to eat.

my grandson is three-years old and loved this book! he sat down and in one day had gone through the entire book. my daughter and my son-in-law erased the pages when he was sleeping so he could do them all over again!

My daughter loves these "Kumon" books. We now have several and the Amazon price (with free shipping) was cheaper than we'd pay at our local store. Also the selection here is awesome!

This is a lovely book, but it really seems to be for 4 or 5 year old kids. Or precocious 3 year olds.

My son (5) loves all the Kumon books we have tried so far (Numbers 1-30, Capital Letters, Mazes - Animals and Mazes - Things that go). While he normally does not like to practice writing skills, he spends a good amount of time on the Kumon books and I consider them a good investment. His 3 year old sister is very skilled with the mazes as well (we bought her the beginner maze book, also excellent). The quality of the paper and images is superior as well, compared to most activity books out there. Highly recommended.

I bought this book for a class in First Nations Social Justice to give us a background on the American Indian culture and beliefs. This was one of my favorite books of the class. It was easy to read and understand as well as a great story. The author breaks down each concept such as the types of souls or beings in the "afterlife" and discusses their roles in it. From a western point of view, learning about the culture of the Great Lakes American Indians was a really interesting comparison that made me WANT to read a "text book."

Highly recommended!

I've had the pleasure of being taught by John Boatman at the University level... he is very knowledgeable and passionate about his subject. If you only read one book on this topic, this should be it.

The book is a quick read. It is written in plain language, but filled with forceful words. If all could read it- it would help make sense of alternative philosophies other than those of our European ancestors.

In this book, Boatman tells us the stories, myths and legends of Western Great Lakes Native Americans. It is an insightful book of stories rendered directly from tribal elders. Boatman explains the reverance of all life held dear by Native Americans. He also explains the inconsistancies normally beheld in books on the subject written by outsiders and Europeans. This book is thought provoking and enlightening. We can all learn from these teachings, weather we are Native American or not. This is a universal book, filled with timeless lessons

Although it might seem dated, the information in this book is extraordinarily complete, with detailed descriptions of anatomy, behavior, and chapters devoted to specific species. You might consider a book like "Owls: The Silent Fliers" just for it's excellent photographs, but if you want detailed information, P. Johnsgard's book is unmatched. Note also, although it's fine photographs may be moderate in number, the technical illustrations far exceed all other books I've seen on owls.

This book is a fantastic reference book pertaining to the appearance, mating behaviors, habitat and range, nesting patterns, and favorite foods of North American Owls. The color pictures are so much better than any black and white drawing could hope to achieve. The individual discriptions are well organized under sub-topics for quick reference.

I have many books on owls, and this is one of the most comprehesive books that I have seen on the natural history of owls. There are good drawings and photographs in the first 15 pages of the book. The classification and evolution section was of great interest to me and very useful. The natural histories of each species is very in-depth and thorough. There is also a glossary, which is very helpful in defining words which you may not know. Overall, the book is excellent, and I would highly recommend it to the beginner, novice, or expert birder.

The book is about many different owls and how they live.Some owls live in the forest some in the snow some in the the hot dessert.they eat rodents,lizards,

Are you one of those people who hates crowded, commercialized destinations? My idea of a vacation is NOT fighting traffic and waiting in lines and seeing row upon row of tacky giftshops that are all the same.

If you want to get off the beaten track a bit (but not totally away from civilization), this is the perfect book to help you plan your family vacation! It lists 77 towns - the maps are great of course, the pictures are captivating, and they tell you what's so great about the town, where to stay, where to eat, and even where to shop, if you're so inclined.

I can speak for only two of the destinations listed in the book, but both of them are fantastic. We've been to Ephraim, Wisconsin (in Door County) twice now and we're going back too! The other town we've been to is Ouray, Colorado. Even though we were just passing through there, and only got to stop for lunch, I can see where this town is a great destination all its own.

Get this book, pick a location, and pack up the car and you'll have a great vacation!

Happy traveling!

Escape for a Season or So

Every so often someone comes along who tells me that if they won "the Lottery" one of the things they would like to do is travel. Well, I would, too, except that I want to
do more than just pay a visit, I want to stay a while... perhaps a season or so.

This book just whets my appetitie for such travel. I have been to a number of the towns in this book. Just for one example, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, is as good as it gets. If you visit Eureka Springs in the Autumn, the trees of the Ozarks are gorgeous. Coming in from the west, you might even see a cloud in the one of the valleys below. You'll probably pass by Thorncrown Chapel which is one like no other. Once in Eureka you'll find the Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Railway and the only church in the world through which you will enter through the bell tower, St Elizabeth's. Ripley's Believe It or Not once mentioned this story. You'll want to stay for more than a visit
to Eureka Springs because nearby is the Pea Ridge Civil War Battlefield just to mention one.

This book is about places like this one from one coast to the other. I have visited some of them and they are all just as fascinating. I wish that I could see them all.

For anyone who enjoys the out-of-the-way small towns and villages, this guide book is a must. It is so well-written that the unique feeling you get about each place compells you to make an actual visit there. A perfect example is the story about Cutchogue, Long Island, New York. After reading so much about the movie stars, the Clintons and other glitterati in the Hamptons on the South Fork of L.I., I was utterly amazed that there is such a small undisturbed rural paradise (at least until this Guide was published)on the North Fork across Great Peconic Bay. The wineries, farm stands, historic sites and great seafood restaurants made our brief weekend visit a true delight. The Guide gave just enough data to locate Cutchogue and its environs to make the drive easy. The Cutchogue residents we encountered were amazingly friendly and helpful in giving directions to a few haunts of the locals that made this a definite "come again" destination. I trust the other places listed in the Guide are equally as wonderful as the one we experienced.

This was one of our "most valuable" books when we took our year long adventure around the USA. The towns they describe are really worth exploring -- they are the way towns used to be in this country. We came back from our adventure and wrote "Live Your Road Trip Dream" to help other road trippers actually get move from the dreaming to the doing for their trip of a lifetime.

Beautiful and breathtaking designs. As a first time cross stitcher (now hooked)I found the instruction in this book very user friendly.

I wanted to make everything in the book and/or adapt some of the designs into my own creations.

I live in Cape Town, South Africa and my husband and I travelled to london for a holiday in July, 1999. I saw this book at Harrods while I was there and promptly bought two copies, one for my youngest sister, and one for a very good friend. It is amazing that an English designer of the stature of Julie Hasler, who has published many other fine cross stitch books, has been able to, so perfectly, portray the wonders of the Native Americans and their culture, both ancient and modern through this medium. The two people I have bought this book for have been stitching non stop from the more than 40 patterns featured in this high quality book. The picture of the Nes Pearce woman featured on the cover is but a small taste of the wonders to be found under it. I would recommend this book to anybody who loves the art of Cross Stitching and who loves the culture of the Native Americans. For cross stitchers who hate back-stitching, this book is ideal as Julie has managed to portray her subjects poignantly, using mainly whole cross stitches and using little or no back stitch. A fabulous buy. Stunningly easy patterns to follow, and the colours are amazing. I have found myself totally inspired by the contents of this book and have, as a result, started to read up as much as I can on the Native American culture. If you have the money and you like this type of work....buy it...you won't regret it! :)

I really liked this book - I did find the large designs rather "busy" but very striking never the less. A nice varity of design complexities and sizes. Well worth owning.

Jack Weatherford is a well known and respected professor and author and he brings great perspective and respect to this subject. The book is not terribly long or difficult to get through but really does a great job of educating the reader about the enormous contributions of the Native people of the Americas, in particular the U.S. and should be assigned reading for high schoolers.

This book details the origins and development of many everyday / ordinary things in our lives. You may be surprised how much the Europeans owe to the natives of this land. This is NOT a hate filled, preachy, or mean spirited book. I think that regardless of age, race or up bringing you will enjoy this book and be educated by it.

Although the clarity of some of his writing is a little fuzzy, Weatherford uses his expansive knowledge of Native American history as the basis of his work in a manner that is quite intriguing. However, I believe that while the basic premises of Weatherford's thesis are sound, his assertions frequently overstate the Indian's influence on the settlers. For a number of his references, he has relied on secondary sources, some of which are incomplete or even controversial in regards to the validity and reliability of their factual assertions. For instance, Weatherford frequently refers to historical documents and journals of various explorers (i.e. - DeSoto, Schoolcraft, Columbus), missionaries and other early settlers as sources for his "facts", without having the benefit of being able to interview any of them first-hand. He would have been able to make sure he more fully understood the nuances and exact meaning of their writings if he had at least conducted more first-hand interviews with their descendents and others who were associated with them. This is, of course, something that is at times unavoidable in this genre of writing. And even though he usually clarifies the reliability of the material he cites, Weatherford does not always make it explicit that the events he refers to are chronicled as someone's opinions of what they observed, and are not necessarily a 100% accurate account of what really took place.

It would seem that with such an extensive knowledge of Native American history as his basis, that Weatherford's work would not only be adequate, but even possibly the defining work on this subject. I feel this is not the case. Although he writes about some 20 or so different aspects of the social, material, technologic and intellectual culture of Native Americans in an attempt to show how present-day America was built on Indian foundations, his rendition of the abuses, atrocities and various injustices they suffered is somewhat one-sided. Weatherford tells of Indians being extensively enslaved by the early Spanish and European explorers and how they were cruelly treated while in servitude. He also tells of their homes being burned, their places of worship and burial being looted and desecrated and other offenses that would make even the most callous person cringe with disgust. While these tragic atrocities most certainly happened, he does not make mention of the other races (except for brief mentions of African American slaves), such as the poor, lower class Europeans, that were forced into indentured servitude along with the Indians. These whites were slaves to almost the same extent as the Indians. Whether it was to pay their fare across the ocean to the "New World", to pay off some real or imagined debt to a nobleman or some other circumstance, these indentured whites were treated just as poorly, if sometimes not more so, as the enslaved Native Americans. Weatherford also does not make any real mention of those that spoke out against the practice of enslaving the Native Americans and African Americans. Just as there were abolitionists in the Civil War era, there were sure to have been anti-slavery advocates in the early days of the "New World". If one were to take Weatherford's account of early North American history at absolute face value, it would seem that the Spaniards, Europeans and other newcomers were little more than self-centered, cruel, greedy warmongers that had no other cares in the world than their own advancement. It would also seem that they did nothing more than rape, loot, pillage, destroy and/or enslave every Native American group that they encountered. Other races suffered injustices just as grave as those purported upon the Indians. They just are not always as "publicized" in the annals of history. The positive contributions of early European settlers, such as the introduction of horses, metalworking and other skills, are virtually unmentioned in the pages of Native Roots.

Weatherford's work is more than adequate in the sense that it gives the reader a wealth of information about how the Indians provided much of the foundations upon which modern North American culture is built. It also is adequate in regards to detailing the horrors that were committed against the Indians by the explorers and early settlers. However, I find it lacking in that it seemingly presents only the totally "pro-Indian" point of view. If I were face-to-face with Weatherford, I would ask him why he did not adequately discuss the massacres, rapes, looting, burning, etc. that the Indians committed against the settlers and other newcomers. Would he say that their acts were in retaliation for the crimes first committed against them by the whites? Perhaps he would, but even that would not justify the "cruelty-in-kind" on the part of the Indians. Regardless of the injustices suffered, returning evil for evil does not solve anything. As the old saying goes, "Two wrongs still don't make a right." What are the implications to be found in the history of the interactions between the early Spanish and Europeans with the Native Americans? How does what happened so long ago affect us today? I think we can take the lessons about the need for racial tolerance and cultural integration learned in these long past decades and centuries and transplant them directly into modern times. Some of the misunderstandings and misconceptions about others of a different ethnic or cultural background still exist today. The early Spanish Conquistadors, the European "explorers" and "missionaries", their monarchs and others all touted the superiority of their individual ethnicity and cultural standing. They felt the Indians were mere savages to be enslaved or "converted" as a means of controlling them and taking what was rightfully theirs. Organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, the Arian Nation and the Black Panthers as well as others each advocate their own brand of hatred, often calling for "racial purity" so as to be able to emerge as the dominant race in the world. We must learn from the disastrous consequences of these types of attitudes that were evidenced in the early days of North American settlement. If we do not, we will be condemned to repeat them and once again suffer the intolerable injustices of a bygone era that is best left right where it is; in the past.

Native American history is a significant part of America in all its facets today. The myths and half-truths that have filtered down through television, movies, school textbooks and the educational system have seriously tainted these indigenous peoples. Jack Weatherford has placed the lives, cultures and customs of the Native Americans in an historically refreshing and accurate portrayl. He writes with carefully researched truth essential to create the groundwork for understanding and respecting America's first -- and perhaps most intelligent --civilization. Once this is accomplished, Mr. Weatherford weaves the complete tapestry that makes up this rich and self-sustaining society, long before the first European set foot on this continent. A must reading for serious students of American history and adults like myself who missed the full story the first time around!