No comments about Maine Coast Impressions.

No comments about Glaciers & Granite: A Guide to Maine's Landscape & Geology.

1 comments about A Century Apart.

1. A Century Apart: Maine Then & Now is a gorgeous visual and historic tour of Maine's landscapes and cities. Author Cindy McIntyre was an avid collector of Maine postcards; inspired by the vintage photographs, she sought to compare snapshots of present-day Maine with images past, revealing striking differences and similarities. The text recounts changes in the last hundred years in various Maine towns, while the full-color paintings and photographs often display striking contrasts when placed side by side. A superb souvenir book for Maine vacationers, and a trip down memory lane for longtime Maine residents.

No comments about Vessels Of Camden (Images of America: Maine).

No comments about The Maine Dictionary.

No comments about Country Artwalks from Maine to Maryland.

4 comments about Maine Lobsterboats.

1. I wish the author had spent more time to the east of Penobscot Bay. With her repeated references to the designers and builders of Beals Island and Jonesport, I felt she should have spent more time there than she did. Interestingly, the oft heard complaint about the impact the modern, fast designs have had on the traditional good looks of the Maine lobsterboat seem to have come from those designers and builders whose boats don't make the "cut" at the seven-event lobsterboat race series held though out the summer along the Maine coast.

   A better read than expected but not as complete as I'd hoped for.




2. Thorndike has assembled a thoroughly engrossing collection of solid information, individual viewpoints, opinions and tall tales about the Maine lobsterboat told in their own words by the people who know and love them best. Each interview unveils the character of the individual as well as the boats they talk about. Downeast life on the water comes alive in the droll understated humor that is their characteristic means of expression. The book is pure pleasure.



3. Informative and entertaining with local flavor from the men who build lobsterboats and fish them. Enjoyed it.



4. "Dinnie" Thorndike, ex-diary farmer and town selectman, also book writer, has written about a type of motorboat she likes. She and husband Phil bought one, a "lobster yacht" they named Sea Smoke. In it they cruised Maine waters and saw other lobsterboats and, about the same time, the urge to write about what she was seeing snuck up on her and she had to start writing. (This happens to us writers. Can't help it.) The book is the result.
   
   Don't expect a scholarly epistle on the origins of lobsterboats and their evolution although Dinnie somehow includes an awful lot of such information. Nope, this book is what its title says it is-a series of lively interviews with those that design, build, operate, and race lobsterboats (race as in "up to 55 mph"). She gets people talking, she listens, she remembers, and it all goes down on paper so pat and smooth I can but envy her skill.
   
   A chapter may be the result of talking to one person. Old-timers Leroy Dodge, and George Allen. Designers Arno Day and Spencer Lincoln. Builders-in-wood Peter Kass and Dick Pulsifer of Hampton Boat fame. Builders-in-fiberglass like the Young Brothers. Lobsterboat racers like Gweeka Williams and the Holland Family. (Did you know that Maine lobsterboats were invaluable support vessels in the unsuccessful effort to defend the America's Cup at San Diego in 1995? One was the famed racing lobsterboat Red Baron, which was used as a weather boat.)
   
   Or a chapter may be Dinnie's assemblage of facts and stories about a subject. Rum-running. Old-time "fishing" (meaning lobstering). Lobsterboat superstitions. Lobsterboats as water taxis and tugs. Lobsterboats as valued family pleasure boats. Lobsterboats seining, hand-lining, gill-netting, and even lobstering.
   
   Dnnie keeps up an easy flow of quotes, stories, facts, and fun. I highly recommend this book if only for the pleasure the reader will get from watching a very good writer stoutly march through a subject.

5 comments about Discover Acadia National Park: A Guide to the Best Hiking, Biking, and Paddling.

1. This book does offer lots of informative descriptions of many hiking trails, bike rides, and paddling trips in Acadia. It describes not only selected carriage roads, but also some often-overlooked fire roads and other dirt roads. And the map which comes with it is, like all AMC maps, outstanding; it is even printed on waterproof, tear-proof tyvek. However, I would like to point out quite a few flaws of this book:

   1) The book is overly large to carry with you on a hike
   2) Confusing verbal descriptions of trail locations can be difficult to locate on the included map. Ideally, each trip should contain a thumbnail map, or at least be coded to the central map.
   3) Long verbal descriptions should be condensed into a cue sheet for each trip. Although the park is well marked, presumably the point of buying the book is to follow a route suggested by the author.
   4) A little more subjectivity wouldn't hurt. The book has lots of information but could use some more opinion. Again, the point of buying a book is to get a viewpoint from an "expert."
   5) The book is by no means "comprehensive". "Comprehensive" means "every trail in the park." This book is selective, not comprehensive.




2. I love this book and refer to it often when I feel the need to take an outdoor adventure in Acadia. While it aptly describes every trail in the park and comes with an impressive 4 color map , what sets this guide apart is its descriptive narrative of park features. It's sidebars and little factoids about the area's history, flora, and fauna give the reader a deeper understanding of the place he or she is hiking, biking, or paddling through. It makes for much more interesting reading than the typical "turn left at the trail junction." Visitors new to the area will also appreciate the book's listings of campgrounds, museums, gardens, whale and puffin watching tours, etc. Tons of great info packed into a reasonable size!



3. This book gives you all you need to know about travelling to Acadia. It covers biking, hiking, kayaking, and just about any other "-ing" you might be interested in.

   The maps help out anyone not familiar to the area, too.

   I think it's a great, well-written book that will aid anyone planning to visit this part of Maine.




4. Discover Acadia National Park: A Guide To The Best Hiking, Biking, And Paddling by nature photographers and outdoor enthusiasts Jerry and Marcy Monkman is a comprehensive, informative guide to the scenery, wildlife, trails, trip-times as it showcases the resources and sights of the beautiful Acadia National Park of Maine. Difficulty gradings, maps, and straightforward information make Discover Acadia National Park the perfect guide to learn which hiking trails are best for the interests of every reader. A fold-out hiking and biking map is included in this book enthusiastically recommended for anyone planning an outdoors expedition to this splendor-filled preserve. If you are planning an outdoor adventure in the Acadia National Park, beginning planning your trip by browsing through the pages of Jim and Marcy Monkman's Discover Acadia National Park!



5. I've used this book on a couple of trips to Acadia. It's best feature is the detailed pull-out map in the back which shows all the major hiking trails. This is a great book to study BEFORE your trip. It has very detailed descriptions of hiking and biking trails and paddling and sea kayaking trips. It's great to pick out the activities you want to do, but this detailed nature makes it less useful on the trail though. It's too wordy and too bulky. (Take the map with you though!) It would be better if it had more pictures of the different areas. It's also missing mini-maps of each hiking or biking trail. Instead, you're left to pull out the map and try to follow along based on their descriptions. It would be great if this book were split into two, one for hiking and biking and one for paddling and sea kayaking, each in color with more pictures and terrain maps. Until then, there's still a lot of great info in this edition.

No comments about The Wild, Wild East: Unusual Tales Of Maine History.

No comments about Northern New England: Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine (The Smithsonian Guides to Natural America).