5 comments about Hornet Flight.

1. Another exciting, WWII fiction by Follett............Stays suspenseful throughout and keeps you pulling for good to prevail!



2. Follett has written some really great books; "Eye of the Needle", "The Key to Rebecca", "Night Over Water"; that can be easily classed as a "beach read". How is a "beach read" different from an "airplane read" or a "little boy book"? Well, Tom Clancy does "little boy books" and Cormac McCarthy does "airplane reads". Follett's books - except for "The Pillars of the Earth" - are action books with an escapist bent that focuses the reader on learning about a key piece of the plot. In this book it is the Hornet Moth airplane powered by a Gypsy Moth engine - both made by de Haviland. The book's many twists and turns are accelerated by characters as diverse as sinister Nazi cops and strict Lutheran sect ministers along with a handful of bumbling Wehrmacht soldiers. Oh and do not forget the threat of the Gestapo always available to pull out a victims fingernails at the drop of a military secret.
   
   As with all Follett's books, the good guys live in the end to not only escape but return to fight the Nazi's to the bitter end of the war.



3. I had liked very much a trip to Denmark last fall so I was looking forward to reading this book, set there. I was disappointed. It was a rehash of innumerable WW "thrillers" - although not very thrilling!



4. Could not drag myself further than to page 70 - what a disappointment. His style of writing in this book is incredibly poor, it felt like reading a dime novel picked up at the gas station.
   I loved all his previous books, but I am not sure if I will give his future books another try.
   Good luck that I only checked it out at the library and did not buy it.



5. This is not a bad book -- it just seems pretty formulaic and uninspired to me. I saw the romance angle coming from miles away -- Follett uses variants on the same formulas for almost all of his WW2 thrillers (Eye of the Needle is the big exception--but this is the identical formula he uses in "The Key to Rebecca" and "Code to Zero" to name just two). Follett's writing style, as usual, moves right along, but this is a quick read, and not a particularly memorable one.

4 comments about Nathaniel Hawthorne : Tales and Sketches (Library of America).

1. The only complaint I have about this book it its paper, which is "bible thin." The tales and sketches from all of Hawthorne's collections are included here, along with 16 previously uncollected stories. If you've read any of Hawthorne's more popularly anthologized tales, you will be amazed at the eloquence and quality of these lesser known jems.



2. This is the best selection to buy of Hawthorne's short stories because it is NOT a selection, it is complete and, if you believe the editor, it's actually more accurate in its assessment of what is and is not a Hawthorne story than some complete collections because he did not include here some stories that his co-editors on the Hawthorne Centenary Edition did want to include. (Hawthorne spent much of his career as an underpaid and unsung magazine writer and some of his work went with no byline and without reprinting at his own choice, so what he wrote is no easy matter to decide.) The stories are, you probably know if you're looking up this book, stark and wonderful. But some of them are also twee and a little fanciful and not so wonderful. That too is instructive. One very useful thing about this volume is that it includes a listing of when each story first saw print in magazine form and when in book form. In that way the reader can chart Hawthorne's development as a magazine writer and a professional which in every possible sense of the word he determined to become and despite some difficult odds finally was. Some of the most beautiful and terrifying stories in the language and a beautiful object to hold in your hand. Expensive, but if you can get it - this is the one to buy.



3. If Library of America had never published another book, this one alone would have justified their existence and earned them the gratitude of readers everywhere. Nearly 1,500 pages of what is arguably the best prose ever published by an Ameican writer.

   I am sappy enough to enjoy Hawthorne the most in old editions, the older the better. But the stories are the same, no matter whether you're reading them in a dusty 19th century edition of _Mosses from an Old Manse_ or in this state-of-the-art omnibus edition, which includes all of Hawthorne's tales and sketches arranged chronologically, with brief bibliographic and biographic essays and a few explanatory notes. Take it on vacation with you some summer and experience it for yourself.




4. An excellent book
   A treasure of Hawthorne
   A must have for any library

No comments about Gardens Maine Style, Act II.

2 comments about Who Would Have Thought It? (Recovering the Us Hispanic Literary Heritage).

1. Who Would Have Thought It? by Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton, re-released by Arte Publico Press in 1995, is an entertaining examination of the Civil War, gender and class conflicts during the 1860's in the United States. The story begins when Lola, a young Spanish girl whose mother has recently died, comes to live in New England with the Norval family. While Mrs. Norval is not interested in the young "black" girl, she is interested in the gold and precious stones that were left to the girl by her dying mother. While her husband tries to find Lola's father, Mrs Norval schemes to get rich, as do the local "ministers." Meantime, the Civil Wat complicates matters for everyone, leading all the characters through a plot of treachery, lust, and intrigue. Who Would Have Thought It? is a delightful commentary on the American social culture of the 1860's



2. Who Would Have Thought It?, a novel by Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton has as its kernel the Cinderella story. The Cinderella is Lola Medina, daughter of a prominent Spanish-Mexican family, whose mother had been abducted by Indians shortly before she gave birth. Before dying, the mother handed her daughter over to the care of Dr. James Norval, and appointed him trustee over a fortune that had come into her possession. Dr. Norval would be the kind stepfather in the tale, while the evil stepmother is his wife Jemima Norval, hypocritical upholder of Puritan morality. As Lola's skin had been dyed by the Indians she bore the stigma of being of mixed blood which intensified the hostility with which she was treated by her New England guardians.

   By using irony and satire, the author created a wide contrast between the merits of beautiful (but passive) Lola, with whom she identified herself, and the demerits of greedy Anglo-American social climbers. The most offensive of these are the cynical Rev. Hackwell and Mrs. Norval, the covetous stepmother. Upon receiving a false report of the death of her husband, Mrs. Norval entered into a clandestine marriage (so she believed) with the sexually appealing Hackwell. To show the inner life of these conniving people, the author used a simple analogy. Beneath their apparently unruffled services, devils of passion and greed, also called imps, clamored to be released.

   The novel is set during the Civil War and ends with a glance at matters during the Reconstruction. The two heroes Issac Sprig and Julian Norval, brother and son respectively of Mrs. Norval, fight in the Union cause. Issac was confined to a Confederate prison from which he was released through the intercession of a kindly Confederate office. Julian was wounded at the battles of Bull Run and Chancellorsville, was falsely accused of treason, and received a pardon and promotion after defending himself before President Lincoln. Before joining the Union cause, Isaac had learned of the existence of a Mexican heiress, who had escaped from Indians, but did not know that this person was Lola. Isaac acted the role of the fairy godmother in the story and, as such, his interferences defy reality. Julian, the prince in the story, was in love with Lola but could not marry her until she reached legal age.

   Ruiz de Burton had read many works, in both English and Spanish. Allusions and borrowings from them occur in the novel . . . Greek mythology, Roman history, Shakespeare, Thackeray and Cervantes are conspicuous. Partial to her Mexican origin, she was critical of the provincialism of upper class people on the East Coast. Her political sentiments were based on reactions of the moment rather than on learned perceptions. She disliked republicanism (both as an institutional practice and as a political party) and this dislike encompassed Mexico as well as the United States; she thought women could do a better job in managing public affairs than men; regarded Manifest Destiny as a ruse fostered by the United States to steal land from other nations, had little sympathy for subject races in the United States or Mexico; be these Negro or Indian; ignored the plight of lower class (and fellow Catholic) Irish immigrants; and admired President Grant, who did not want to exploit people in the defeated South;, and in one of the best parts of the novel, believed the wounded and imprisoned on both sides in the War, should be treated humanely.

   Almost on the same level with the scorn with which she regarded the religious double-dealing of Hackwell and Hammerhard was her dislike of the chicanery of northern politicians, whom she personified in the Cackle clan. This bunch of rapscallions was motivated by self-gain. Like the prosperous proponents of religious sobriety (which they mocked in private), they pretended to be promoters of public rather than private good.

   Such were the good and bad polarities with which Ruiz de Burton structured her novel. She had fun exposing fraud, but, nonetheless, she found one senator on the northern side who was not on the take and treated President Lincoln gingerly, blaming the faults of his administration on hangers-on or on a system that kept people away from contact with their representatives.

   Who Would Have Thought It? generates suspense up to its happy ending when Lola, the Mexican heiress, and Julian, the Union Colonel, are united. A like coupling took place in Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton's life when she married Colonel Henry Burton to whom she was devoted. Some of the characters are names who move in and out with negligible impact; others are mocked in detail; and others are the heroes for whom, the reader cheers as the solution of their perplexing problems seems even more uncertain. Although not a masterpiece, the novel provides a politically incorrect sidelight on social and political life during the Civil War era.

5 comments about 50 Hikes in Vermont: Walks, Hikes, and Overnights in the Green Mountain State, Sixth Edition.

1. The fifth edition of this book, written by two members of the Green Mountain Club, covers hikes everywhere in the State. To no one's surprise, the majority are located along the Appalachian trail and the area with the least hikes covered is in the Northeast Kingdom.

   The authors offer a very good "At A Glance" section in the beginning with hike name, location, and so forth-- many of the things also covered in the individual hikes, but what stands out in this secion is whether or not each hike has a view, good for kids, nearby camping, good for winter, and my personal fav, notes that state whether the hike is good for x-c skiing, snowshoeing, waterfalls, historical interest, etc. The book also contains a "hiker's" guide to trail map symbols, safety, what the pack and more.

   There are no surprises in the write-up for each hike. The authors have not left anything out: distance, hiking time, vertical rise, difficulty rating, pictures and topographical maps.

   You won't find a better book about hiking in Vermont for this reasonable price.




2. I liked this book - easy to read and informative. The only problem was it didn't have very specific information on things like shelters, camping, etc. - it's more of a day-hike book. I phoned the Green Mountain Club (the authors) to get more info, and it turns out that they have written a book of their own called "The Long Trail Guide")that is much more comprehensive and they recommend it more than this one. I would check that book out before you get this one. But if you just want a good book for day hikes, I like this one fine.



3. This book does provide good trail descriptions for a reasonable number of hikes in Vermont. I've hiked about a dozen of the trails listed in here, of those 10 there were:

   2 in which the directions to the trailhead listed the wrong forest service road to take.

   3 in which I saw other trails at junctions that weren't mentioned in this book leading to nearby attractions (without giving full descriptions it would be nice to mention alternatives for longer hikes available).

   1 in which the directions led to a difficult hike, but it turned out talking to people at the top that a much easier hike was available to reach the same destination from the same trailhead.

   Having said that, this book does give the visitor an easy way to plan some hikes in Vermont. The Falcon guide looks to be similar, so it might be useful to read both before planning your hikes.




4. Living in California, I don't get a chance to hike in Vermont as often as I would like. But when I do, I always take this lightweight guide along in my car and in the pack. The best part about the guide is that hikes are described in detail and directions to each trailhead are given in exhaustive detail. This is especially important for out-of-towners who aren't familiar with the back country roads. The authors have hiked each of the trails and they offer pithy comments on trail conditions, the possibility of seeing wildlife and other pertinent information.

   There is a separate section on the magnificent Long Trail, the 260 mile hike which runs from the Massachusetts border to he Canadian border. My one slight criticism is the photos, which could be of better quality, but the text, route descriptions and ancillary material are of high quality.




5. I purchased this book when I first moved to Vermont to help me find my way around the trails here. It provides a decent cross-section of hikes, "rambles", and overnights throughout the state and across the entire spectrum of difficulties (from "easy (even with kids)" to "oh goodness, that was rough").
   
   If you are just starting out with outdoors activities, this is a good place to start because you are almost certain to find something near to you that is within your comfort zone (as far as challenge goes). However, if you are a more experienced hiker, you will outgrow this book too quickly. (And if that is the case, I would suggest the Green Mountain Club's "Day Hiker's Guide" instead.)

1 comments about Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands: A Guide to the City's Hidden Shores.

1. This book is a refreshing and interesting new look at the Islands. Chris Klein has brought the old and new history together in a way that holds your interest from cover to cover. I am familiar with the Islands and it was wonderful to learn more about their history. I was especially pleased with Chapter on Peddocks, since that is the Island where my heart is.

5 comments about Sacco and Vanzetti: The Men, the Murders, and the Judgment of Mankind.

1. Some names cannot be spoken by themselves, but must always be a part of a pair: Laurel & Hardy, Wilbur & Orville, Martin & Lewis, etc.. Thus we have the names of two immigrant Italian men whose execution took place almost exactly 100 years ago (August 22, 1927). In the ensuing years, a plethora of books, pamphlets, articles, dramas, etc. have been produced, each one arguing either their innocence or guilt. This extremely well-written book really tries to walk the thin line between the two extremes, but appears (to me, at least) to lean into the innocent side, or at least the side of an unfair trial. As an attorney, I was shocked and dismayed at the tactics shown by both the prosecution and the presiding judge, and I know with certainty that today any one of a multitude of errors would have given these men a new trial. Would that have made any difference? I truly don't know, but I know that they never had that second trial chance, and for that alone the authorities of the Commonealth of Massachusetts bear a heavy burden of their own guilt. Read this book and try to make up your own minds about these men: it's not easy.



2. Watson has put together a thorough study of the men and the global phenomenon surrounding their trial, appeals and eventual execution. I give him a lot of credit, for while he takes a pretty dim view of the trial judge and prosecutor (as well as S&Z's early defense team) he is objective about the question of their actual guilt and innocence.
   
   Watson spends the early part of the book with an introduction to the accused, some family history and laying the political groundwork; but, the real yeoman's work in the book is done in his methodical trip through the appellate review (if it can be called that given that no judge other than the trial judge ever ruled on any element of the appeals - including the trial judge's potential bias). Watson's research shines through in what is a narrative heavily reliant on sources ranging from personal letters to court records and past first person and scholarly work.
   
   Similarly, there are some really eye-opening sequences in which Watson recounts the global fervor that arose around the accusation, incarceration, trial and execution of these two world-famous criminals. As he notes, in many ways, nothing has ever risen to the level that this case and these men did as global political discourse.
   
   Finally, as others have noted, there are some important constitutional, and legal issues brimming just below the surface of Watson's narrative that I think he - correctly - alludes to but nevers indulges in himself. contemporary Guantanamo Bay, the mid-century transformation in criminal trial practice around evidence, the Red Scares, etc. He truly keeps his eye on the ball here in delivering a definitive history not of these men, or their politics; but, of the events surrounding the "judgment of mankind."
   
   JAW



3. The 1920s was referred to as the Jazz Age. Names like Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, Bill Tilden, Charles Lindberg, Red Grange, Al Jolson, Al Capone, and numerous others dominated the decade. Often overlooked, however, are the names of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti who spent the greater part of the decade in a Massachusetts prison until executed in the electric chair in August of 1927. Victims of a vindictive judge, a prejudicial jury foreman, and a politically charged atmosphere against Italians both Sacco and Vanzetti remain an example of justice denied in America to two individuals who came to America in hopes of bettering their lot in life. Denied both a fair trial and a second trial this book uncovers one of America's secrets best swept under a rug, and uncovered here in this new book. Isn't it a good thing that this miscarriage of justice doesn't happen anymore? Or have we already forgotten the names of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Campeon unjustly convicted for upholding their duties along the Texas and Mexico border as border patrol guards? This book is a reminder that history repeats itself because we too often refuse to learn from the past.



4. This is a vibrant history of the tragedy of Sacco and Vanzetti. The book bursts with relevance when the reader imagines the "wops" of the 1920s as the "ragheads" of the 21st century. Whether S & V were guilty is not relevant (though most likely they were not guilty of any crime). The tragedy of the story is how they were denied a fair trial because Massachusetts was swept up in a xenophobic backlash against all Italians/anarchists based on isolated acts of terrorism. That a few Italians were suspected of terrorism meant that all Italians were guilty of any crime of which they were accused. The same thing is happening today, with Guantanamo, torture, rendition. The case of Sacco and Vanzetti was judged an historical failure, a tragedy. It is a mistake we should have learned from.



5. Honor the Memory of Sacco and Vanzetti on this the 81st Anniversary of their execution by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (August 23, 1927).
   
   I like to put each item about the Sacco and Vanzetti case that I review in historical context with this well-worn standard first paragraph of mine. It, I believe, holds up today as in the past- Those familiar with the radical movement know that at least once in every generation a political criminal case comes up that defines that era. One thinks of the Haymarket Martyrs in the 19th century, the Scottsboro Boys in the 1930's, the Rosenbergs in the post-World War II Cold War period and today Mumia Abu-Jamal. In America after World War I when the Attorney General Palmer-driven `red scare' brought the federal government's vendetta against foreigners, immigrants and militant labor fighters to a white heat that generation's case was probably the most famous of them all, Sacco and Vanzetti. The exposure of the tensions within American society that came to the surface as a result of that case is the subject of the book by Professor Bruce Watson under review here.
   
   In the year 2008 one, like myself, who openly proclaims partisanship for the heroic memory of Sacco and Vanzetti when looking for a book to help instruct a new generation about the case is not after all this time afraid of a little partisanship by its author. One is also looking to see if, given advances in modern criminology and technology, those sources have presented any new information that would change the judgments of history. That is apparently not the case with Professor Watson's book. It is rather another garden variety narrative of the events that have been covered elsewhere by partisans on either side of the divide on the question of the guilt or innocence of the pair. Nevertheless it is good to have an updated narrative so that the youth will know that the pressing issues around the case have not gone away.
   
   Professor Watson has presented a good description of the events that led up to the Sacco and Vanzetti trial in a Dedham, Massachusetts court presided over by an old WASP figure, Judge Webster Thayer. He details the hard work lives of the two Italian immigrants, the problems with foreigners especially South Europeans like them trying to gain a toehold in America, the future troubles to be brought on by their anarchist beliefs and more damagingly their departure for Mexico in 1917 to avoid being drafted into the American army after its entry into World War I.
   
   Professor Watson further links the personal trials and tribulation of Sacco and Vanzetti with the general political atmosphere after World War I with its wave of anarchist bombings, the victory of the Russian Revolution and the response of capitalist America with the Attorney-General Palmer-led " Red Scare, Part I". He further details the South Braintree payroll robbery that set in motion the events of the next seven years that would bring world-wide attention to the cause of the two beleaguered anarchists. He gives the factual events of the day of the robbery and double murders, the subsequent search for the robbers, the narrowing of the chase to these two who were found to be armed at a later date in a very different context and their arrest and indictments for murder.
   
   Needless to say any narrative of the Sacco and Vanzetti case needs to pay close attention to the trial itself, the personalities of the players and the evidence. In the background one has to look at the state of the law, especially its procedural aspects, at that time concerning capital punishment and further the social climate against foreigners, specifically Italians here. Watson, more than most accounts, gives special emphasis to chief trial defense lawyer Fred Moore and his various maneuvers, intrigues and, frankly, mistakes.
   
   Of course, the heart of the book is an account of the appeals both legal and political throughout the seven year period. That included various strategies from calls for gubernatorial clemency to mass strikes by labor so the whole litany of class struggle defense policies gets a workout in the case. Although Professor Watson does a creditable job of describing these efforts as far as he goes I object, on political grounds, to his short shrift of the work of the Communist International and its class defense organization the International Labor Defense in publicizing the case. Who do you think brought the masses of workers out world-wide? It was not those Brahmin ladies on Beacon Hill, well-intentioned or not. This is certainly a subject for further comment by any reader of these lines.
   
   The other point that I object to is Watson's agnostic approach to the question of the guilt or innocence of Sacco and Vanzetti. At this far remove it is not necessary to be skittish about the question of their guilt or innocence in a legal sense. There is, obviously, not quite the sense of urgency of the call today for Mumia Abu Jamal's freedom rather than retrial. However, although 80 years separate the two cases there is a steady tendency to limit justice in these cases to calls for retrial. However, in both cases the parties were innocent so the appropriate call would have been and is for freedom. This political ostrich act by Professor Watson, allegedly in the interest of being `objective' and 'letting the new generation decide for itself', does a tremendous disservice to the memories of these class war fighters.
   
   Nevertheless, this is a worthy book to use as a primer toward understanding the background to that long ago case. The end notes are helpful as is the bibliography for further research. Additionally, unlike Professor Watson's excellent book Bread and Roses that I have previously reviewed in this space here he stays more closely with the subject and avoids bringing in every possible historical fact that might tangentially relate to the case. As always, until ultimate justice in done in the Sacco and Vanzetti case honor their memories today.
   
   
   Added: August 17, 2008. Please read Mr. Watson's comment below. I, incorrectly, assumed that he was a professor. That he is not nevertheless turns out to be a compliment to him here as he has done a well-researched job here. The real question turns on our very different political perspectives on the case. And, apparently, from the last sentence of his comment the legal concept of what is guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and its consequences then and now, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

5 comments about The Law of Dreams: A Novel.

1. I was transfixed by Peter Behrens' novel, The Law of Dreams -- the story, the language, the characters. The writing is extraordinary and, if anything, the reader comes away with an awed understanding of the American immigrant experience and what those immigrants endured to leave their countries to get to North America. I agree with many of the other reviewers -- the biggest problem after reading the books is, what to read next?



2. I trawled my local Barnes and Noble for two hours the Sunday before Christmas, determined to find a good book to read over the Holidays. I was just about to give up when I came across The Law of Dreams, the last copy in the store.
   I wanted a good story that was well written. After flicking through a few pages in the store I was quickly convinced it was well written. After finishing the book I can now also confirm that it's a great story. Right up there with Zafon's 'The Shadow of the wind'. Just a damn good read and beautifully written to boot.
   If you know you have some Irish blood in you and you are in anyway curious about what things were like for your people and what they went through in the 1840s to survive and to get over to America, this really gives a great insight. A very entertaining way to learn a little about the past.
   Not just that though. The structure of the dialogue is awesome, really believable. Irish coutry folk have a great way with words and Behren's really captures that. Apart from the structure of the dialogue, the text is also peppered with words that have long been lost, it's great to see they are captured here. Congratulations to Peter Behrens on a great book. Fully deserving of the honours and awards it has won to date.



3. I liked the book, and thought it was well written, but it was a little too depressing for my taste. It seems like he could never catch a break. I know it was during the famine, but still, I think the depressing aspects were a little excessive. I would recommend reading it, but only if you don't expect to come away feeling good about life afterwards.



4. I am of Irish decent. I suppose this hit close to home for me. I clearly remember arguing with my grandmother when she told me how horrible the Irish were treated. I insisted she couldn't compare it to some other minorities who were mistreated. And she responded, " You don't understand, you weren't there."
   
   Upon reading this book my eyes were opened to a history of the famine we don't learn of in school. It mesmerized me. I literally could not put it down. I finished it in less than a day. But, really what this book did was make me want to apologize to my now dead grandmother. I wrote off her rantings as an angry old woman. Now, she was an angry old woman. Come to find out she had good reason to be.
   
   I have now researched the subject more and the information out there is even more horrible than the book explains. Please read this book. You will laugh and cry. You will also be drawn into a world that you did not know existed. I am sorry grammy.



5. ARGH!
   
   Depressing, explicit descriptions of death, violence, cruelty to animals and people, betrayal and hopelessness.... Only because it was my book club's selection did I finish this book.

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.

5 comments about Stand Firm Ye Boys from Maine: The 20th Maine and the Gettysburg Campaign.

1. This is a well worked area of the ACW but Thomas A. Desjardin brings a fresh look to the subject. He is an excellent author and scholar, both show in his books. The book contains very good maps, photos and current status of Little Round Top, roster of the 20th Maine, 5 Appendix, notes and index. This is a very well done book that can be used as an introduction or reference.



2. I initially read this book after participating in a staff ride of the Gettysburg battlefield. My knowledge of the battle at that time came largely from Shaara's "The Killer Angels", and the subsequent film "Gettysburg". As both were meant to inspire and entertain rather than inform, I had an unrealistic understanding of the 20th Maine and its place in the struggle at Gettysburg. Thomas Desjardin's book changed that.
   
   Well written and fast moving, "Stand Firm Ye Boys From Maine" provides excellent background information on the 20th Maine, identifies members of the Regiment beyond Chamberlain and his brother Tom, and reminds the reader that the 20th Maine's opponents at Little Round Top weren't a nameless mass of rebels, but members of a proud regiment with a strong leader all their own.
   
   Desjardin explains the fight between the 20th Maine and the 15th Alabama in tremendous detail, with accompanying maps that enhance the narrative. More importantly, he describes the post-war growth of the Chamberlain legend, and explains the difference between Chamberlain the Man, and Chamberlain the myth. Desjardin's Chamberlain is not the battlefield intellectual who conceived an unorthodox maneuver in the face of the enemy to win the day, but an ordinary man who led from the front under extraordinary circumstances. I prefer the latter.
   
   Students of Gettysburg will be interested in Desjardin's perspective on familiar events, and those unfamiliar with the battle will find it a great introduction to the subject. While not a history of the overall campaign, it is definitely a great starting place to learning what took place in PA over 140 years ago.



3. Interesting book, good subject. Some people, with a degree of justification, bemoan the attention given to the 20th Maine, but I'm not one of them. What I would like to see is that same attention given to other deserving regiments as well.
   
   This book has the advantage of being well-documented and, as far as I can tell, accurate. It has the disadvantage of being somewhat superficial in that the regiment is never put into any larger context. There are anecdotes galore, and of course there is a thorough reconstruction of the 20th Maine at Little Round Top. But the substance of the battle around them is lacking; to be fair, this is not supposed to be a book about the battle as a whole.
   
   In short, this is a good supplementary book if you have already read a thorough account of the battle (I recommend Coddington, personally), and it's good for bits of information about the 20th Maine, so it fulfills its purpose. Subjectively, I found it a rather dry account; interesting, informative, clearly written, but somehow lacking flavor.



4. Thomas Desjardin has done something I would have thought impossible. He wrote a history book that I found hard to put down! His expanded research included many eye witness accounts of the battle of Little Round Top which serve to give us a clearer picture of what happeded that day. No one or even couple of people can give an accurate accounting. We all have a limited range of vision. When gathering all accounts it may seem that one contradicts the other, but it's really only a matter of perspective. We all see things differenly plus & understand it differently. This book takes nothing away from Chamberlain. It only shows he was not alone up there. I found the book fascinating & well worth reading.



5. The defense of Little Round Top by the 20th Maine Regiment on the far left of the Union lines on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, is perhaps one of the most famous small unit actions in American military history, right up there with Custer's Last Stand - except the latter lost. As the author of STAND FIRM YE BOYS FROM MAINE (SFYBFM) points out, the U.S. Army still uses the actions of the 20th Maine's commander, Col. Joshua Chamberlain, as a model of leadership under hostile fire.
   
   Author Thomas Desjardin picks up the story of the 20th Maine in the aftermath of Chancellorsville on or about June 21 as the regiment marched north along the east slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains while Lee marched his Confederates on the west slope towards Maryland through the Shenandoah Valley. After some skirmishing at Ashby's Gap, the unit arrived in the vicinity of Gettysburg at the end of the battle's first day. Desjardin's focus is, of course, on the 20th Maine's resistance against the assaults of the15th and 47th Alabama regiments against Vincent's Spur on Little Round Top, followed by the 20th's relatively uneventful occupation of Big Round Top before being relieved. Chamberlain's command spent the third day, during Pickett's Charge, in reserve behind the front lines. The next day was spent maneuvering across the Gettysburg battlefield until, after it became apparent that the Army of Northern Virginia had decamped and was headed homeward, a pursuit was mounted through rain and mud to a final skirmish with the Rebels on Sharpsburg Pike on July 10, an event that marked the end of the Gettysburg Campaign for the boys from Maine.
   
   Having finished with the battle itself, Desjardin examines the post-war period, during which, Little Round Top having receded in time but not in the participants' memories, bickering broke out among the survivors as various accounts of that fateful day in July, 1863 had to be reconciled with each other (or not).
   
   I saw the film Gettysburg (Widescreen Edition) on the Big Screen when it was released, and was greatly impressed with the leadership qualities of the Joshua Chamberlain character under fire (as portrayed by Jeff Daniels). Subsequently, I visited the Gettysburg National Military Park and stood in reverence before the monument to the 20th Maine set in the trees now covering Vincent's Spur. Therefore, the final chapter of SFYBFM, "American Legend, American Shrine", in which Desjardin puts the regiment's defense in perspective and deflates some of the mythology surrounding the action, poured a certain amount of cool water upon my adulation. As the author points out, as evidenced by Chamberlain's recollection of the event, the colonel never actually ordered "forward", but only that his men fix bayonets. With that, the Maine troops charged off down the slope on their own and the famous "right wheel" by the 20th's left was more of a ragtag pursuit after already fleeing Rebels instead of the textbook maneuver of mythology. Moreover, the entire Army of the Potomac's line, from left to right of the famous "fish hook", was never in danger of being rolled up. Had the 15th Alabama actually been able to capture and hold Vincent's Spur, it would've had to face the 83rd Pennsylvania, the regiment next to Chamberlain's, as well as the 140th New York that had just come up. Furthermore, there was only room on Little Round Top for perhaps eight artillery pieces to be aimed at the rest of General Meade's army. If all of Longstreet's cannons couldn't dislodge the Federals on Day 3 of the confrontation, eight weren't going to do it on Day 2.
   
   The strength of SFYBFM is in the comprehensiveness of Desjardine's research, which encompassed examination of close to eighty accounts of the battle by survivors on both sides. There are twenty-two pages of Notes and a six-page Bibliography. There's a complete roster of the 20th Maine soldiers at Gettysburg, which includes each man's rank, company, hometown, age, marriage status, civilian occupation, height, and post-battle status as applicable (killed, wounded, mortally wounded, captured). In addition, Appendix One enumerates the number of combatants in the three regiments involved. Appendix Three, Four and Five list in greater detail the nature of each casualty for the 20th Maine, 15th Alabama, and 47th Alabama respectively. For example, Private Mansfield Ham of the 20th Maine is noted as having been:
   
   "Wounded severely in side, thumb shot off."
   
   SFYBFM includes a serviceable assortment of photos sprinkled throughout as well as a number of maps, the most useful of which depict the evolving positions of the 20th Maine and 15th Alabama as they engaged.
   
   STAND FIRM YE BOYS FROM MAINE is an exemplary battle history. While it may refute some of the more outlandish claims of the legend, e.g. that the survival of the Union hinged on the 20th Maine's victory, it puts the supreme efforts of both sides on a human scale and not on pedestals, especially as the personalities and civilian lives, both pre- and post-war, of combatants from both sides are described. From this vantage point, the Civil War student, whether casual or serious, can better appreciate the command style of the regimental officers and the heroic fighting qualities of their men. The volume deserves prominent place on any bookshelf dedicated to the American Civil War.