3 comments about Oxford.

1. Oxford is one of the most intriguing, enchanting, mysterious, historical and beautiful cities in the world. It is the location of _Alice in Wonderland_, _The Wind in the Willows_, much of Waugh's _Brideshead Revisited_, and Dorothy Sayer's _Gaudy Night_. Jan Morris's book is a celebration of this city so witty, so well informed, and so gripping that you may find it to be the best "travel book" you have ever read. A must for anglophiles, lovers of cities, lovers of literature, architecture, and history, and those fascinated by university life. I myself have the same experience as Susan Hill, a reviewer in the (London) Times, who wrote, "I devoured, and now constantly dip with delight into _Oxford_."



2. This is an urbane, witty book, beautifully written and structured so that every facet of Oxford is covered in a very readable manner.
   Although I loved Oxford to begin with, this book enhanced my appreciation of the city and I feel that I know more about its history and its manners now than I ever did before.
   Jan Morris never resorts to sentimentality, but she shows her enjoyment of her research in many ways.
   I would recommend this book to anyone who is even remotely interested in "The Oxford Story".



3. Jan Morris writes in a verbose style that you either immediately love or loathe. I am fortunate to belong to the former category. Few writers could capture the wonder of one of England's oldest and most famous cities with such panache. Having lived in and experienced Oxford first hand, Morris captures perfectly some of my sentiments towards the place that I could never dream of putting down in words.
   
   The writing does border on the extravagant at times, but then again, what would a good piece of travel writing be without a little self-indulgence on the part of the author?
   
   Some people would also criticise the book for its arbitrariness. But the book was never intended to be a travel guide and one would be sorely disappointed if one were to read it as such. Neither was the book ever meant as an authoritative history of the place, or anything of the like.
   
   Not a piece of writing that would suit everyone's taste. But if you're looking to enjoy some lucid prose that conjures up vivid images of Oxford's long history, eccentric traditions and wonderfully diverse inhabitants, then you'd be sure to find this a delightful read.

5 comments about Underground London: Travels Beneath the City Streets.

1. News reporter and author Stephen Smith goes below pavement level in London, allowing the reader to vicariously explore burial crypts, dug-up plague pits, sewers, excavated Roman walls, remnants of Henry VIII's tennis courts, poncy wine cellars, secret government bunkers, the bowels of Parliament, and forgotten corners of the Tube.
   
   For me, the the most intriguing chapter dealt with that subterranean environment most obviously accessible to the tourist, the London Underground ("Mind the Gap!"). Did you know that the most prevalent litter in the system, cleaned up during routine housekeeping between 1:00 and 5:00 AM, is human hair blown from the heads of thousands and thousands of train riders every day? Then, there are all those wallets plundered and discarded by pickpockets. And, though it won't be on my Must-Do short list for my next visit to the city, Smith's slog down the northern outflow sewer was gratifyingly informative.
   
   However, UNDERGROUND LONDON is an uneven read. In the chapter dedicated to Anglo-Saxon artifacts, the author first describes a modern day ceremonial ritual involving holding a small schoolboy by his heels over the Thames while he beats the water's surface with a stick, and then goes on to describe the confiscated oddities to be found in the cellars of Her Majesty's Custom House. The connection between these and Anglo-Saxon period seemed forced. And the chapter in which Smith visits an underground vault of safe deposit boxes could just as well have been penned in the above-ground strong room at my local bank. No revelations there.
   
   Perhaps the narrative's best features are the brief lessons in London history, past and recent, that Smith provides as background to the central theme: the evolution of city sanitation, the medieval plague epidemics, the theory and practice of the Thames Barrier, Henry VIII's obsession with tennis, the use of Tube stations as bomb shelters during the Blitz, and the British government's renewed interest in secure bolt holes after 9/11.
   
   A criticism of UNDERGROUND LONDON has been that it includes no photos. Normally, I'd agree. But, in this instance, I'm not sure that the majority of Smith's subjects would've provided opportunity for interesting or instructive visuals. Somehow, a shot of the now-buried Fleet River churning along at the bottom of a well in Clerkenwell, or that of a disintegrating coffin in Kensal Green cemetery, doesn't seem necessary.
   
   For those who love London, UNDERGROUND LONDON will be an occasionally rewarding ... um, travel essay. I'm awarding four stars simply because London is where my heart is. Otherwise, it would rate three, or less.



2. It is somewhat hard to see London as the 'flower of cities all' from dozens of feet beneath the surface. However, some of the most intriguing bits of London fall well below the surface on which most people live. London is in many ways like a Middle Eastern tell - hills that contain the ruins of cities, built up in multiple layers over time, such that the stratification can be seen and identified in ever-increasing age the deeper one goes. London isn't quite so evenly distributed, but the idea is still much the same - there are layers of the city from Roman times to the present, and the more one digs, the more one finds.
   
   This can sometimes cause havoc in a city like London, which has a concern both for the success of present-day business and the preservation and study of its often-glorious past. When construction workers and miners find something of archaeological and historical interest, often work stops for time, and particularly in the city of London, time is money. Author Stephen Smith begins his survey of the history of London underground with a vignette about miners - these may well be Welsh and North England coal miners, but here in London they dig for space below the city, space that can be used for utility conduits and that most massive of subterranean projects, the London Underground.
   
   With regard to the London Underground, again the truth is far more fascinating than at first glance. Smith talks about Beck's map of the Underground (a rather ubiquitous sight in London, and a popular tourist item of memorabilia in its own right), and the way in which it gives just a surface glimpse (if you'll permit the expression) of what is down below. There are dozens of disused tunnels, both from redesign as well as structural flaws, and many no-longer used stations, most of which still have maintenance staff assigned to them - Smith highlights the Aldwych Station, which was in use off-and-on until 1994; even this station had secrets while it was functioning, as part had been closed in 1917, and another major section (about as large as the functioning part) was never opened in the first place.
   
   After looking at this criss-cross of mines and tunnels, Smith looks at the London water supply - the Thames is a mighty river flowing through the midst of London, but is far from the only water source, and both feeds and is fed by underground streams and currents of all sorts. Also, there are areas of London that have water supplies independent from the rest - the Vale of Hampstead was termed 'the Vale of Health' because it had a water supply separate from the rest of London, so it escaped the worst ravages of the plague when it swept through. Like many things in London, much of the surface tributaries and streams of the city have gone underground, but are remembered in place names, building titles, and street signs.
   
   After this two-chapter introduction, Smith progresses in a more or less chronological fashion (drawing in modern features as warranted in the discussion). He breaks the chronology into Roman London, Anglo-Saxon London, Medieval London, Tudor London, Victorian London, and Cold War London. Mixed in with these chapters (in more or less the proper spots chronologically) are sections devoted to The Gunpowder Plot, The Plague, London's Treasures, the London Underground, and even London's Lost Railway.
   
   As Smith states in the introduction to this last chapter, 'If the dead stations of the Underground exert a fascination, how much more so an entire subterranean railway running the breadth of central London, decommissioned and shut down but still in perfect working order beneath the streets of the city? This deserted line I all the more intriguing for being pint-sized, a scale model, a miniature railway.' No, this wasn't some railway enthusiasts idea of a practical joke or a toy train hobbyist gone mad - it is the Mail Rail, part of the transport system for the Royal Mail throughout London, operated independently of the Underground, British Rail or other major transport systems.
   
   Among the more fascinating bits of information, given the recent Hurricane Katrina disaster, is the discussion of the problem of flooding in London, a city which is very slowly sinking into the sea (along with the rest of southeast England). The Thames Barrier, the Embankment, and other such defences might be adequate, but the city has never had to face such situations, and what becomes of underground London in such a catastrophe is a cause for concern. The terrorist bombings of the summer of 2005 showed how easily disrupted the normal flow of things can be.
   
   There are a few oversights in this book. H.G. Wells is perhaps the most of literary artists to explore the idea of Underground London carried to extremes in his work 'The Time Machine', in which the Morlochs, descended from those who went to work in the smoky, grimy time of Victorian London, menaced the 'upper' class of people who lived on the surface - however, Wells' name cannot even be found in the index of Smith's book. There are times that the connects are a bit tenuous with the time periods he intends to illustrate, and sometimes his own tours of places are a bit lacking (as someone who worked in the Palace of Westminster / Houses of Parliament, I know there are things that could be highlighted about the underground facilities there that Smith left off, but he did mention the chapel in the Undercroft, and so gets high marks for that).
   
   This is a travelogue more than anything else, and those who have a deep and abiding love of London will find this an interesting tale, possibly with new information and certainly with new perspectives.



3. Delicious! I am using this book for research for a course I am teaching that culminates with a trip to London. Not only is it an historical account of the great city of London, it is full of off beat, fascinating information. Smith offers his readers a gritty (and often funny) look at the city beneath! Excellent. This will become required reading for my students next year.



4. A detailed examination of what lies underneath London, from treks down sewerage drains to bits of Rome dug up when the tube was being put in, to disused war bunkers.
   
   It is full of interesting corners, such as the Roman basilica preserved behind glass in the basement of a hairdresser. Or the piece of Roman wall the city wouldn't allow to be removed, so the officeblock developed simply built it into the carpark in the basement.
   
   Wonderful, quirky stuff. One feels very eccentric reading this book.



5. I was excited to read this volume in preparation for a more research oriented reference work on underground passages in the UK and continental Europe, however the strength in this work is the anecdotal information and less in the hard mechanics of the available material. This book was a second choice in two volumes ordered (the other of which is out of print and no longer commonly available). In hindsight, I would have foregone this book in favor of amterial commonly available on the Internet as public domain, fan-based sites and government information. In all, the information of use amounted to less than 500 words. As a book of entertainment and light reading, it is just about average.

1 comments about Three Men in a Boat - To Say Nothing of the Dog.

1. I want to be clear; this is specifically for the Kindle edition of this book. The actual content, the book itself, would get five stars. It's a great book, huge fun to read, shockingly undated given its age, and I could not have asked for more entertainment once I read it.
   
   I did not, however, manage to finish the book in this Kindle edition. This is perhaps the 25th book or so I have read in this format, and I have grown sadly used to the number of typographical errors and layout problems that lace the majority of the works, but this one I couldn't get through. There are hard returns throughout the book that presumably mark the end of the original line in the text. Unfortunately, they do not correspond to the end of the lines on the Kindle's screen, regardless of the text size, so literally every other line on the screen is one two three words long. It was too disconcerting to get used to, and finally I went through the trouble of downloading a public domain copy from Gutenberg and transferring that over to my Kindle.
   
   Maybe I am oversensitive to this problem, but do yourself a favor and look at the sample of the book before you purchase it. If I had done so I never would have bought it, regardless of the price. 5 stars for the content; 1 star for the edition.

No comments about Water Trails of Western Massachusetts: AMC Guide to Paddling Ponds, Lakes and Rivers.

2 comments about The Vermont Encyclopedia.

1. This is a great book! It's an encyclopedia just like it says and it's a good one! I love opening it up and just flipping the pages to find something that intrigues me. If you love the history of Vermont than you'll love this book!



2. The book was perfect for browsing before my vacation. It came quickly and was in good condtion.

3 comments about White Mountain Wilderness: A Photographic Journey to New Hampshire's Most Rugged Places.

1. I liked young Monkman's historic descriptions of the White Mountains, and his use of old sepia-toned photographs to illustrate the changes over time in this mountainous landscape that is such a favorite of all of ours. I thought the photographic reproduction, done overseas, could have been of higher quality. But, I think his writing overshines these great photos of the wilder parts of this mountain range. I am a former AMC Hutboy (Mizpah '65) and a Ridge Runner for the Saco District, USFS, in 1969. Wish I had still the legs to get to these beautiful places at altitude. Now I am a nature writer for the wildlife of this region, featuring ecological profiles on birds, mammals, and trees on the local radio station and in the Mountain EAR. My two brothers have recorded much of the legend and lore of this area in their newspaper work of 30 years. We have grown back to wildness in NH.



2. This book is basically a photographic journal of the White Mountains. Many photos are old historical sepias and the author compares them alongside modern day photos of the same locations. The book is also a written history of the White Mountains.



3. The book was a Christmas present for my mom and she loved it. The copy that we first got had some pages that were wrinkled (despite the book being wrapped up) but amazon was great about taking it back and sending her another one. Its a perfect coffee table book.

5 comments about White Mountain Guide.

1. You may rail against some of the trail descriptions after finishing a bruising hike that had not been described as such in the Guide.Many breathtaking views are described matter-of-factly. Still, no serious New England hiker, beginner or fanatic, should be without the AMC's White Mountain Guide. It is unmatched for thoroughness and save for a few gaffes, accuracy. Moreover, unlike the also fine "50 Hikes" series by Backcountry Publications or "New England Hiking" by Michael Lanza, the AMC Guide leaves enough unsaid to allow for the best kind of discovery - your own on the trail. There is more than adequate information, though, for planning and safety. I have only two complaints stemming from unfortunate changes made in the most recent addition: (1) the book is larger and no longer fits neatly into a backpack - an odd choice for a hiking book; (2) southern New Hampshire hikes, many fine half day choices, are now covered in a separate book, the "Southern New Hampshire Trail Guide." Despite the AMC's tinkering with what wasn't broken, the AMC Guide still serves the N.H. White Mountain hiker better than any other book.



2. This is indeed the bible of White Mountains hiking, and is particularly recommended for anyone attempting a multi-day hike and/or a hike above treeline. Not much I can add to what others have said, except that for casual hikes and dayhikes you should really check out White Mountains Map Book of New Hampshire and Maine (Hiking Maps and Guides) by Steve Bushey, Angela Faeth (Illustrator), Steve Smith (Editor), which has a superb map and brief descriptions of the most popular day trails.



3. i actually read this book for fun. my copy is extremely dogeared and annotated. it is my guide to life.



4. I have three books in my cabin. The Holy Bible, The Complete Walker, and The White Mountain Guide. They are all you need.



5. I just returned from my first trip to the White Mountains, and this book was the best thing I took with me. I stuck to day-hikes only, and found the information in the book to be the most helpful guide I had. The beginning gives an overview of the region, and tips for anyone planning to hike in the White Mountains. I'm glad I bought the book before I arrived, so I was able to make sure I had the necessary equipment to keep me safe and comfortable on my hikes. Experienced hikers may not need the advice, but novice hikers and those not accustomed to the perils of hiking above the treeline will appreciate it.

   The rest of the book is devoted to trail descriptions. Lots of them. Although I carried the book and the maps with me on every hike, I found the information was most useful when I was planning my hikes. Once I found the trails (with the help of the guide), they were so well marked that I didn't need to consult the maps. I also used the maps throughout my trip, even when I wasn't hiking. I didn't need to purchase a road map since everything I needed was included.

   After I had hiked a trail or two, I learned to "interpret" the descriptions, and figure out what would be the challenging sections of trails. The description of the first hike I choose didn't sound too tough, but I found myself hanging onto a boulder with only one hand and calling my husband back to help me. The description of this section is simply: "leaving the trees, it climbs over open rocks.." There are a few trails that come with serious cautions, such as the paragraph devoted to the Huntington Ravine Trail on the side of Mt. Washington.

   The one odd thing lacking from the book is the fact that AMC operates shuttles that can take hikers down from the summit of Mt. Washington (for a fee, and providing the summit isn't closed to auto traffic). I descended on foot, but it seems strange that an AMC book overlooks an AMC service, especially since all of the other AMC operations are mentioned.

   The book has a few suggested hikes for each area of the White Mountains, broken down into easy, moderate, and hard. Since this was my first visit, I stuck to these trails. I found them all to be enjoyable.

   I can't wait to return, for more hiking. This book makes it possible. Anyone going to the area should purchase it prior to arriving, and keep it handy at all times.

1 comments about Maine Trees & Wildflowers: An introduction to over 140 familiar species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press).

1. This is a pretty handy little pocket guide with little illustrations and descriptions of trees and wildflowers of Maine. But it is not a paperback. It is instead a laminated and folded two-sided card with six panels on each side. One side has six panels of flowers and trees, and the other side has four more panels of flowers and trees, a fifth panel panel showing a map of botanical sanctuaries of Maine, and the sixth panel is green and white title graphic shown in the Amazon.com depiction of the item. There's about a dozen tree and flower depictions on each panel. Each tree or flower on a panel is depicted solely by a small color illustration of nettles/leaves/cones or leaves/flowers, and the entire tree or plant is not depicted. There's a ten to twenty five word description of each species illustrated, including the common name, latin name, and genral size range. But it is a very short description. For example, with an illustration of two leaves on the same stem, and an acorn, you have this:
   
   "White Oak -- Quercus alba To 100 ft (30m) Leaves have 5-9 rounded lobes Acorn has a shallow, scaly cup"
   
   That's it. Not a bad quickie guide if you're on a hike in Maine, actually. But be aware, it isn't a paperback with a page of description per plant species, or anything like that.

No comments about Cape Cod Massachusetts Map.

1 comments about Haunted Connecticut: Ghosts And Strange Phenomena of the Constitution State (Haunted).

1. Haunted Connecticut is another in Stackpole's wonderfully entertaining series of regional books on hauntings, this time featuring the Constitution State, Connecticut. Connecticut was our nation's fifth state and with its early colonial history it boasts a very rich tradition of ghost tales. The book is written by Cheri Revai who also penned "Haunted Massachusetts" and "Haunted New York". Revai takes readers on a tour throughout Connecticut for over fifty tales that span from the era of the early settlers right through modern day.
   
   There is the "Curse of Dudley Town" where the Dudley family seemed horribly cursed by death an all manner of misfortunes including Indian attacks, suicides, epidemics, and madness and has long been the source of unexplained noises and apparitions. Union Cemetery in Eastern CT has headstones which date to the 1600's and is known most for the White Lady who appears to motorists along Route 59, even leaving a dent in the pick-up truck of a fireman who struck the specter.
   
   While we are all familiar with the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow in New York , the town of Canton boasts its own headless ghost. It is thought to be that of a French soldier who was carrying a month's pay to French soldiers in Saratoga when he disappeared after stopping for the evening at the Hosford Tavern in 1777. When the tavern burned down a hundred years ago a headless skeleton was found leading to speculation that perhaps the tavern owner killed the soldier and stole the gold and silver.
   
   Another well known spot for ghost enthusiasts is the historic Pettibone Tavern, first built in 1780. When owner John Pettibone caught his wife in the arms of a secret lover he killed them both, cutting off his wife's head. Today, the ghost of his wife Abigail is said to haunt the Tavern which is still in use. A cold chill is felt by women in the ladies room which is where Abigail was killed and lights turn on by themselves after the tavern has been closed for the night.
   
   Revai's book also takes a look at Connecticut 's lesser known, but still haunting witch trials and takes readers on tour of other haunted, historical sites such as the Nathan Hale homestead and Old State Hall.
   
   Because of their historical significance and age, ghost stories of the New England states are always the most quaint and intriguing. Revai completes her book with an exhaustive list of book, magazine, and internet sources. Not only excellent in terms of entertainment, but Haunted Connecticut also provides valuable historical information.
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson