No comments about Snowshoe Routes New England: Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine (Snowshoe Routes).

No comments about Nicholas: A Maine Tale.

No comments about Fifty Hikes in Southern Maine: Day Hikes and Walks in Southwestern, Central, and Coastal Maine (Fifty Hikes Guide).

No comments about Dragon's Breath: Mountain Biking the Appalachain Mountains Georgia to Maine.

No comments about Maine Cities & Towns Atlas.

No comments about Maine State Guide Map.

1 comments about Discover the White Mountains of New Hampshire: A Guide to the Best Hiking, Biking and Paddling.

1. Discover the White Mountains of New hampsheris is an excellent introduction to the many wonderful outdoor activities in the area. The narrative and descriptions are a joy to read and the activity suggestions are very easy to follow. This book offers excellent suggestions on hikes and bikes and padles in the area. If you are new to the area this book is a must have. If you are an old pro in the White Mountains you will like the easy style author uses to delicately describe the various trails and adventure you will undertake. Even someone very familliar with the area may discover some new and exciting places to hike, bike and paddle. I've read many booka on hiking in the Whites and Discove the White Mountians is amoung the best I've found. The book is a real page turner or just put into the library for easy referance when you are in the area. Excellent!

3 comments about Compass American Guides: Maine, 4th edition (Compass American Guides).

1. An excellent book to take along with you during your travels to Maine. The photos in this book are simply beautiful! The photographer, Thomas Mark Szelog actually lives in the lighthouse on the cover!! I was lucky enough to meet him and he was kind enough to show me some of his photgraphs. Absolutely beautiful work. This is a great book and I highly recommend it when you travel down east!



2. Charles Calhoun's MAINE is a departure from most travel guides. Rather than just pages and pages of lists of motels, restaurants, and things to see, Calhoun focuses on the state's people (past and present), natural history, and state-of-mind. Instead of simply an address and phone number for the famous L. L. Bean's (outdoor outfitters, for example, Calhoun gives us several pages, including the story of the founder of the company.

   The book opens with a chapter entitled "Learning Maine" and is organized geographically into nine main sections which cover the entire state. The final chapter, "Practical Information" gives all the usual, plus "A Dozen Fun Places to Eat" and antiquarian booksellers. Scattered throughout the book are literary excerpts and topical essays by authors such as May Sarton, John McPhee, and Longfellow. There are maps, reproductions of period art, and plenty of gorgeous color photos. Whether the reader is planning a trip to Maine or merely wishes an intriguing armchair journey, this guide is a must.

   Kimberly Borrowdale, Under the Covers Book Reviews




3. It is nicely packaged (heavy paper, color photographs), but the index is incomplete, the organizing odd, and the subject matter is rather limited. Never once does the author say what he would do if he had a day - or week - in Maine. He says nice things about it all, and retells funny anecdotes written by other authors, but gives little direction about the places one really should see. I found the British Rough Guide to New England much more helpful and accurate in describing the nature of towns, and whether they were worth visiting. I really liked the Compass Guide to Arizona, but found this one disappointing. The organization was confusing, as the body would occasionally mention names of places to eat or stay, but you had to look in an appendix for the phone number, etc. Also, the author would not actually vouch for any of the establishments he listed - it seemed as if he just compiled his information from a Chamber of Commerce brochure. The thing the author did well was to convince you that Maine was lovely, but we were already convinced. I like that he recommended other reading about Maine and by Mainers, but his book was little help once we were there.

No comments about Fodor's Maine, Vermont & New Hampshire, 11th edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1 comments about A Bride's Passage: Susan Hathorn's Year Under Sail.

1. Susan Hathorn speaks for herself through her diary, but Ms. Petroski provides background and insightful comments that explain some of Susan's more obscure references. Newly married, Susan accompanied her husband on his ship to England and the West Indies. She kept this diary for the whole year of 1855 while she was on the ship and then when she was left behind in their hometown in Maine because she was expecting a baby. I found it absolutely fascinating although a lot of Susan's time was spent at mundane tasks. Susan sure had a thing for sewing! I recommend this book highly to anyone who is interested in the lives of women in the 19th century.