No comments about The countries of the king's award,.

1 comments about Wanderings in Patagonia: Or, Life among the ostrich-hunters (Leisure hour series).

1. Father of the famous essayist, critic, and caricaturist Max Beerbohm, Beerbohm senior had spent some time in Patagonia. There, he wrote this book and illustrated Lady Florence Dixie's RIDING ACROSS PATAGONIA, an equestrian classic that is still in print. Fortunately, Nonsuch Press resuscitated this early travel book which is well worth reading for aficionados of the Patagonian wastes.
   
   In WANDERINGS IN PATAGONIA, Julius Beerbohm writes about an overland journey he took between Puerto San Julian in the Argentine state of Santa Cruz to Punta Arenas in Chile (which he calls Sandy Point). A rank amateur, Beerbohm had no previous knowledge of the land, its flora and fauna. Fortunately, for the most part of the journey, he travelled with several old hands at ostrich hunting: the memorable pro Isidro, the Frenchman Guillaume, and the Austrian Maximo.
   
   Most memorable are the several chapters in which the group is stuck on the north side of the Rio Gallegos (near the present day site of the city of the same name) which was experiencing what we would call a hundred-year flood. The group splits up, with Julius and Guillaume venturing a dangerous crossing, which almost drowns our author. Then, when they finally arrive in Sandy Point, the local prison -- along with its military guard -- mutinies, gets drunk, and takes over the town, killing many of its citizens.
   
   Beerbohm's two encounters with Tehuelche Indians near the Rio Chico and the Strait of Magellan are well written, with some excellent characterizations.
   
   When pushed to it, Beerbohm is also capable of some memorable prose. In Chapter V, he writes:
   
   "It seemed like an unfinished portion of the globe, the very skeleton of a landscape. The outlines were there, indeed, the framework of the intended structure. There were bold hills, sheltered valleys, isolated peaks, deep basins; but over all was silence and desolation, all was empty and void. The finishing touch was withheld, -- the last touch which was to have softened and modulated those rugged contours, clothing their barrenness with verdure, filling the dry basins with clear water, and bringing life and gladness to what was now lying in sad and eternal deathliness."
   
   The only negative note -- other than the book's slow start -- is Beerbohm's rather obvious racist attitudes toward peoples with whom he was not familiar, notable the Chilotes (inhabitants of the island of Chiloe) and the Indians of Tierra Del Fuego. Having just finished E. Lucas Bridge's great book, THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH, in which both groups were extolled, I tend to trust Bridges more. He actually lived with them.

1 comments about Atlas de Rutas Firestone: Argentina, Sur de Brasil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay.

1. This road atlas is invaluable for driving in the Southern part of South America. The best maps are for Argentina and Argentine cities. The Chilean maps are not quite as good, but will at least get you to the town for which you are looking. E-mail and internet are non-existent in the boonies (and intermittent in Argentine cities) so internet devices will not work in all rural areas, making a paper map a necessity unless one has a reliable GPS.

No comments about El Jimmy: Outlaw of Patagonia.

No comments about Argentina Tax Guide.

No comments about Trois ans d'esclavage chez les Patagons: Récit de ma captivité.

No comments about Guia Ilustrada de Las Regiones Turisticas Argentinas.

No comments about Modern Argentina, the El Dorado of to-day;: With notes on Uruguay and Chile,.

No comments about Through five republics (of South America): A critical description of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Venezuela in 1905;.

5 comments about Buenos Aires: El Escenario Urbano (Spanish/English Bilingual Edition).

1. If you like - or think you might like - Buenos Aires, then this is a book worth having. As opposed to the typical great picture approach that makes every place look like paradise, the author's photographs reflect the city as it really is, balancing the typical beautiful views with others that depict every day life and even less pleasant ones that also form part of every city.

   At the same time, the author explains in very ammenable text, how and why Buenos Aires got to be what it is, thoroughly analyzing in each chapter a different component of the city's life.

   This beautifully assembled combination of text and pictures conveys a very truthfull and wholesome idea of Buenos Aires.

   Worth buying and keeping!




2. Once again, Mr. Letemendia produces a powerful book which immediately pulls the reader in. The photographs are outstanding! They represent not only the beauty of the city, but also a feeling for how people live in the city. In addition to being an exceptional photographer, Mr. Letemendia is also a talented writer. His portrayal of the city's history and development give the reader an understanding of and appreciation for the complexity of Buenos Aires. I have never been to Buenos Aires yet now I feel I know it. The book is a great enticement to visit Buenos Aires. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!



3. A rare view of Buenos Aires, from an insider's perspective. Having read a number of books on Buenos Aires, it seems that many authors only think of La Recoleta and Palermo as the only interesting places in Buenos Aires. Mr. Letemendia shows his readers the beaty and complexities of a great city. A great read.



4. We bought this book as a gift to an English-only speaker, but to our regret, we are returning it, because the English part of the book comes as an addendum at the end of the book. It would be great if it is published with Spanish and English side by side.



5. I have always been interested in Latin America, particularly when its regarding it's metropolises. The sheer economic, social, and cultural contrasts these metropolises display is exciting and appealing to me, more so due to my interest in politics, sociology, and economics.
   
   However, Buenos Aires: El Escenario Urbano is an excellent book depicting Buenos Aires in all its dimensions. It covers this amazing South American capital in all angles and points of views. It's well balanced giving the reader glimpses of what life is like for the denizens of Buenos Aires, while at the same time it does not neglects some of the urban social/economic problems the city faces. Despite this, the problems are presented in such a way that its not depressing at all! The author is truly impressive in his way of accomplishing such a well rounded book of a metropolis worth discovering.
   
   The photos are incredible!
   
   This book is a perfect introduction to anyone planning to visit Buenos Aires, anyone who lives in Buenos Aires, or anyone who simply likes to travel from the comfort of a couch and simply let the imagination do the work by reading about other places on earth!
   
   I hope Sebastian Letemendia starts a series of "El Escenario Urbano" about other Latin American metropolises such as Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Santo Domingo, Caracas, and others.