5 comments about James Herriot's Yorkshire: A Guided Tour With the Beloved Veterinarian Through the Land of All Creatures Great And Small And Every Living Thing, Gloriously Photographed and Memorably Described.

1. Having never been to England, this book with its wonderful pictures was a real treat. Herriot gives his own commentary on all the locations pictured. It was very enjoyable reading.



2. I put five stars here because I'm sure the hardcover edition rates it. I thought I was ordering hardcover, but got a very cheap paperback instead. This is a book that NEEDS big pages and color pictures; forget about the paperback edition. I tossed it.



3. This is the perfect book for those of us who are James Herriot junkies! I had just finished re-reading the four Herriot books in the American series, and found it great fun to read Jim Harriot's own words describing so many of the scenes in the books, and in the TV series.



4. Wonderful!It is a lovely description of the sites and it presents splendid photographs.
   I enjoyed it very much.



5. Great book, it was a gift for my father, unfortunatly the pages started falling out it, if it came in a hard bound I would have preferred that better. That is why I gave it only 2 star, because of the quality of the binding.

5 comments about Hiking Acadia National Park (Regional Hiking Series).

1. I found this book to be very helpful in planning my vacation in Acadia. I have 2 boys aged 5 and 13 and needed hikes that were doable for the youngest one. He turned out to be the best hiker of us all! This book gave me a good sense of what the trails would be like. We only did easy and moderate and one strenuous one (South Bubble Trail). You will need to buy a more detailed map (like from the AMC) but the trails are well marked. I liked the section on the authors' favorite hikes. We did most of our hikes from their recommends. Don't miss the Wonderland and Great Head trails if you go! Happy hiking.



2. For a party with kids, this book is just what we needed. The descriptions and difficulty ratings were right on. The directions to the trail heads were very clear (unlike in many hiking guides). Perhaps the best thing about it was the size. The book fit easily into my back pocket. No taking off my backpack everytime I wanted to check the map!



3. This guide is a scaled-down version of the longer "Hiking Acadia National Park" by the same authors. Included in this guide are 21 day hikes within the national park boundaries, some of which follow along the coast while others go to the more accessible mountains. Each hike contains directions to the trailhead, an adequate though not particularly detailed map, and a brief but adequate description of the hike. Length ranges from 0.5 mile to 5.8 miles, with the average falling at around 2 miles.
   
   There are a couple of things you should know before purchasing this guide. The book is only 84 pages long and only measures 6" by 4". This small size makes the book easy to carry, but at a cost. Specifically, only hikes on Mount Desert Island are included in this guide, with the rest being left on the cutting room floor from the larger version. So, if you are only planning a few days vacation to Acadia (like I did), this book will probably fit the bill. If you want a more comprehensive guide to Acadia hiking, you will want to look elsewhere.
   
   Second, the term "easy" in the title is relative. True, there are no multi-day backpack journeys described here, and the handhold rock climbs do not appear in this guide, but not everyone in even decent health will be able to hike all of these trails. For example, as an experienced day-hiker with average conditioning, I could have hiked any trail in this guide. However, my 60-something mother would have struggled on many of these trails even though she has no major health problems. My point is simply that not all of these trails are easy strolls on a level path, and I think you should know that before buying this guide. You may still need to choose a trail for your ability, and given the guide's size, your choices are somewhat limited.
   
   In summary, I gave this guide a good rating because I felt that it accomplished what the authors intended, namely a compact guide designed for short-term park visitors. However, depending on what kind of trip you are planning, this guide may not be for you, as I described above. So I recommend that you decide what kind of Acadia visit you desire and then use this review and others to choose the guide that will help you the most.



4. My wife and I just got back from Acadia. It was amazing. However, this book was useless for planning hikes. It has less information than what you can get from the park hand-out you get. We stayed at the Atlantean B&B and they had a book with a man and his 3 dogs on the front. It was excellent. I did not get the name/ISBM, sorry.
   
   However, we really enjoyed the extended Bubbles, Beehive and Goram (sp?) hikes. The beauty of this area rivals the Rocky Mts.



5. Good book and the descriptions are accurate.
   If you haven't been to Acadia, this is a good book to get.
   Acadia National Park is very big and has a lot of different areas with many options, so this book really helps you make informed decisions.

3 comments about The Mystery of the Blue Train: A Hercule Poirot Mystery.

1. Agatha, in her autobiography, said she never knew why people liked this book.
   
   It was a charming adventure--great for Agatha fans.



2. The Mystery of the Blue Train begins with the story of an American millionaire obtaining a set of unique rubies despite the attempted interference of a mysterious criminal. From there we meet the millionaire's daughter Ruth and her no-good husband. The story is a bit of a soap opera involving infidelity on both sides, proposed divorce, blackmail, and various other unpleasantness. Later a woman is introduced who has recently inherited a large sum of money. After following her story for a bit, most of the cast boards the Blue Train (along with Poirot) where Ruth is murdered and the rubies stolen.
   
   It is worth noting that the murder does not occur until page 100 and that we see very little of Poirot until then. For that matter, we don't see nearly as much of Poirot after the murder as we typically would. To be sure, there are the typical interviews with suspects but far more time is spent following the other characters around France and England than you would normally expect. This change might be welcome if the characters were interesting, or if the space given to them resulted in real growth and development, or if just about anything noteworthy happened at all. Unfortunately, they mostly seem to listlessly wander about mouthing inanities and doing very little of consequence.
   
   When Poirot at last solves the case, it is much more of a relief to be done with this book than it is satisfying to learn the answer to the crime. This book is such a poor effort that I can scarcely believe Dame Christie really wrote it. The structure feels like she meant it to be a standalone mystery like And Then There Were None rather than a Poirot novel and then perhaps the author changed her mind at the last minute and grafted the little Belgian in to very poor effect. It also feels much more like a crude first draft than a finished novel from a great writer. All the extra space given to the cast is wasted since they all remain little more than cardboard and the story is equally bland. I have greatly enjoyed some of the Poirot novels I've read but this one should be avoided by all but the most devout Poirot completist.



3. This book was published in 1928. One of the things I like about Agatha Christie's books is that things are done the old-fashioned way with messengers, no cell phones, no computers. In other words, with plain old leg-work. Hercule Poirot is his usual amusing self.
   
   I didn't try to guess the murderer and just enjoyed the book! I wouldn't mind taking a trip on the Blue Train myself.

No comments about Maine Mountains Trail Map 1: Baxter State Park-Katahdin/Rangeley-Stratton/Gulf Hagas.

5 comments about Vermont: An Explorer's Guide, Eleventh Edition (Vermont: An Explorer's Guide).

1. About six months prior to my husband's and my trip to Vermont, I purchased Tree & Jennison's book and poured over its contents, intrigued by all that the New England state could offer these Texans. Because the authors had taken the time to visit the various locations noted in the book, I had no worries about the trip. Once in Vermont, I used the book as a bible, knowing what to expect in each village. I met many of the people that they had mentioned, and each had glowing remarks about them. Without this book, my vacation would not have been as organized or enjoyable, and we even went during Mud Season! I recommend this book wholeheartedly because the information is well researched.



2. This book provides all the information you need for a first-time trip to Vermont.



3. We used this book this summer to travel throughout Vermont. We found the guide very helpful. This book helped us see places of wonder, taste fantastic food, and meet wonderful, friendly people! The info was very helpful. Before our trip I studied the guide, and marked all possible interests, then research each of those points online before we left, both tools helped create a fantastic wonderful adventure!



4. We used this guide exclusively for our Vermont leaf peeping adventure, October, 2007.
   
   Wonderful!!!!



5. I bought this for my trip to Vermont and read it for the most part. It provided useful information for the most part. However, I did find that a few things were hyped up somewhat. Apart from that, this guide was useful to plan my visit to Vermont. I did find that the authors recommendation of restaurants were in the high end price ranges and were not really useful for me since I was looking for something more in the medium range. And some local favorites such as "Pie in the sky" in Stowe were not provided the coverage they deserved. This restaurant was moderately priced and had the best homemade italian food that I have ever had in the U.S. Apart from this, I would definitely recommend this as a worthwhile purchase since it clearly identifies scenic routes, local attractions, side roads etc.

5 comments about The Photographer's Guide to the Maine Coast: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them.

1. David Middleton and Bruce Morrison have created a very insightful guide to coastal Maine photographic "hot spots". I am a professional photographer based in Maine, and while I am quite familiar with most of the places mentioned in this book I was pleasantly surprised to find out about others I had overlooked or was not aware of. (I also have a few secret spots of my own that did not crop up in the book..thankfully... but that's what makes this fun - a guidebook is best put to use as a springboard for further exploration.)

   Photographers who live in Maine or are planning to visit coastal Maine will find much to enjoy here. You couldn't ask for a better resource. Even non-photographer types would do well to mine the gems of this book for general sightseeing and hiking tips.
   Middleton and Morrison put you smack dab in the middle of great photo opportunities. A bit of a warning here: after you get a copy of this book you will feel a sudden and intense urge to be out on the Maine coast with your camera.

   PS - Middleton's guide to Vermont photo sites is excellent as well.




2. This is a good guidebook. It has enough detail/description to allow one to rationally select "likely sites" without being overpowering. However, there are an number of annoying editing errors present. (For example, every time the text reads "this place is 0.05 mile beyond that place", what's really meant is "0.5 mile". This is wrong in every place it's mentioned!)



3. We followed his book to the letter and a great book with valuable infomation. Would recommend this book for anyone traveling to Maine and who likes Lighthouses. Wonderful and helpful tips.



4. My wife and I are planning our vacation to Maine for late Summer '06. We enjoyed the book, pictures, and suggestions for "great pictures."
   We'll see how it goes!



5. Book has loads of information and beautiful pictures. I plan on using the suggestions during my trip to Maine.

No comments about Michigan's Upper Peninsula: Great Destinations: A Complete Guide (Great Destinations).

1 comments about Mobil Travel Guide New England (Mobil Travel Guide New England (Ct, Me, Ma, Nh, Ri, Vt)).

1. The item was received in EXCELLENT conditon, it was here within about three days, and I am TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. Thanks for doing such a good job.

3 comments about Massachusetts Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. The 80-page book is loaded with topographic maps showing in detail important information, like trails, rivers, forests, hills, and more. The Gazetteer is loaded with important information such as state and recreational areas, hiking and biking trails, paddling opportunities, golf courses, wildlife viewing areas, downhill and cross-country skiing areas, private campgrounds throughout the state, museums and attractions, and city maps of Boston, Springfield, and Worcester. For example, under wildlife viewing is liested Barre Falls Dam Project. Barre is famous for song/perching birds, upland birds, hoofed mammals, barrier free access, parking, picnic areas, restrooms, hiking, non-motorized boating, cross-country skiing, hiking. Folks! I have been here and what is listed is 100 percent true.

   Armand J. Courchaine, The Mansfield Buzz, May 27, 1999




2. Some back roads in western MA are incorrectly named. An otherwise excellent resource.



3. Hey! I like 'em. I've used these books for most of my trips for many years and they really are unmatchable time savers. ... With these books there is enough detail to find the feature you are looking for, yet not overly detailed as to require a lot of page flipping. ...To use as a fine detail map for driving they give terrific information about which streets to take. We used ours to try to negotiate the traffic at rush hour in Salem, Mass. ... The book was able to show us alternatives to avoid the worst of it. I also like the DelOrme software on my computer. ...

1 comments about Maine's Most Scenic Roads (Traveler's Guides).

1. Unspoiled Maine is criss-crossed with pretty roads that traverse some of the handsomest scenery in the Northeast. This book directs the traveler to the best routes with full descriptions along the way. Nothing quite like it, and you'll never wind up on some congested superhighway! Recommended for those who like to explore off the beaten track.