5 comments about USA by Rail, Fifth Edition (Bradt Rail Guides).

1. The guide is very informative. It covers the Canadian rail systems, also.



2. Everything you need to plan (or dream about) a vacation across the USA by train!



3. I strongly recommend this guide for those who expect to take any substantial Aamtrak trip. We have taken a number of them and I throughly believe this is one of the best guides that is out. Not only does it provide information you can use as the trip progresses, but helps with distances so you can pick the right stop or what train to take while planning your trip. Some of the trains have small, specific brochures that provide similar information, but by the time you have boarded its a little late for the planning advantages. Even then, this book provides more detail than the pamphlets. The route maps alone are worth the price.



4. 
   In planning a trip for 2008 I have found USA by Rail to be very helpful in deciding routes to criss cross the USA and Canada. Covers a multitude of important subjects in easy armchair reading or to use as a guide in route.



5. Having looked at several other books on train travel, I believe that this is the one you need to have when embarking on a journey with Amtrak. With the price of gas having gone up as much as it has, there is still a whole land to see, so I highly recommend this book. We used it extensively on a 28-state, almost 9,000-mile trip. The book gives plenty of things to look for and helped us to better understand the geography (and landmarks) we were seeing. Each route is specifically detailed, including the stops. There are also sections with important information that should be read before embarking. I notice that the 7th edition is due this fall, so there were a few errors (scheduling, stopping, etc) that I'm sure will be corrected. So if you are not leaving until next year, you may want to wait for the newest edition. But again, don't leave home for Amtrak without this important guide.

5 comments about The Oxford Companion to the Wines of North America.

1. "Waiting on Petite Sirah hoping for elegance is like marrying a stripper in the hope of witty conversation in old age."

   This is the wonderful kind of wit that you find throughout this book. Bruce Cass, Jancis Robinson and the other fine wine writers who are responsible for the book's substance all appear to have a tremendous love of wine but don't need to deify it. I laughed out loud several times as I read descriptions of wines and wine characters.

   The Wisdom is even more amazing. There is a wealth of factual information and interpretation. Just open up the book to any page and start to read. Within 45 seconds, you will utter, "Wow, I didn't know that."

   This is the best book on wines written in a long time.




2. The Oxford Companion To The Wines Of North America is the definitive guide for wine connoisseurs, weaving the knowledge of 21 wine academics and writers from all over American into a set of compelling introductory essays. The comprehensive 302-page compendium includes an A-to-Z survey of North American vineyards and wine terminology. The informative, "reader friendly" text is further enhanced with superb color photography, twenty maps, and an exhaustive index. The Oxford Companion To The Wines Of North America is an invaluable, fundamental reference for all wine enthusiasts and would make an excellent Memorial Fund acquisition selection for community library collections.



3. I bought this book for our public library's reference collection. Reviews indicated that this book would be an excellent source of information about wine. It falls far short of that. One example: I needed it for a definition of "syrah" (which they refer to in an article) - neither the alphabetical arrangement of the book nor the index yielded anything. This is a coffee table book and nothing more.



4. The "Oxford Companion to Wine", edited by Jancis Robinson, is the definitive modern reference on wine. Not intended to be read as a book, the entries nevertheless make compelling reading and following the cross-referenced entries can easily consume a pleasurable evening. This "supplement" doesn't live up to the original in terms of quality, comprehensiveness or value. If you were expecting a version of the companion tuned to American wines, you'll be sorely disappointed. On the other hand, if you can't get enough of the original and long for more information on California growers, this isn't a bad start. We can always hope for a revised, expanded, second edition.

   For the North American supplement, Jancis Robinson served only as a "consulting editor". She apparently corrected the editor's English usage (see the preface), but she didn't write any of the entries. She did write two throwaway pieces in the beginning of the book on "How Good are North American Wines?" and "Commentators and the Wine Media". There are roughly 60 pages worth of introduction to North American Wine, most of which I did not find deep enough to be particularly informative.

   Almost all of the cross-references on vinification, wine-making, cellaring, tasting, defects, grapes, etc. are in the "Oxford Companion", making it essentially impossible to use the North American guide alone.

   Compared to the "Oxford Companion", the entries are relatively breezy. The font is larger, the margins are wider, and the book is much shorter. Like the "Oxford Companion", the maps are truly horrendous; you'll remember them from coloring assignments in grade school. Invest in Hugh Johnson's and Jancis Robinson's wonderful new "World Atlas of Wine" for maps. The Atlas's coverage of North American wine styles, grapes and regions isn't half bad, either.




5. Given some of the less than stellar reviews of this book, I was expecting far less. This is a collection of excellent information specific to North American winemaking, wineries, producers, etc., that can't - to my knowledge at least - be found anywhere else "under the same roof". There are also some good introductory articles that are educational, especially for the neophyte.
   
   True, the maps in the back of the book are fairly useless. They display towns, highways, mountain ranges, elevation, but no AVAs. That left me dumbfounded. I now know that Hwy 101 can take you from LA to Ventura and further north into Washington State, but - so what? I already knew that, and I live in Illinois. If you're going to include maps in a book like this, they need to be specific and informative.
   
   Still, as I said, the fact that there is excellent information in the A-Z section, and that in the text of that section references are directly made to the Oxford Companion to Wine if the reader wants more information, makes this a very good reference.

No comments about Maximilian, Prince of Wied's Travels in the Interior of North America, 1832-1834.

5 comments about Cross-Country Ski Vacations: A Guide to the Best Resorts, Lodges, and Groomed Trails in North America.

1. Cross-Country Ski Vacations is a delicious introduction to North American cross-country ski resorts and a refreshing testimonial to what's best about snow: skiing upon it!

   Jonathan Wiesel's humorous dialogue leads readers past the continent's biggest mountains and over the finest snows while highlighting lodges, food and services. In particular, I enjoyed the personal connection that the writer gives within each chapter by introducing readers to the local skiers or the local history.

   It's obvious that the writer has skied every one of the trails in his book and that he would love to have each reader join him on the cross-country ski pistes.




2. Cross-Country Ski Vacations is a delicious introduction to North American cross-country ski resorts and a refreshing testimonial to what's best about snow: skiing upon it!

   Jonathan Wiesel's humorous dialogue leads readers past the continent's biggest mountains and over the finest snows while highlighting lodges, food and services. In particular, I enjoyed the personal connection that the writer gives within each chapter by introducing readers to the local skiers or the local history.

   It's obvious that the writer has skied every one of the trails in his book and that he would love to have each reader join him on the cross-country ski pistes.




3. Thanks to Jon Wiesel for doing the leg work for this great guide--and kudos for presenting his exhaustive research with such style and wit. It's been a wonderful help in planning (and dreaming) for family ski vacations; I've also used it extensively for my business. It's clear Wiesel has done his homework, and he understands what skiers are looking for: We want to know how good the tracks are, but we also want to know about the food, the beds, the hosts, etc., not to mention approximately how much money we'll be spending and how long it will take to get there. And the best thing: Weisel's love for skiing comes across loud and clear--echoing the way so many of us feel about the sport. Thanks!



4. There are some rave reviews about this book already posted. I do not want to unduly detract from this excellent book. However, I do believe some balance should be given. This book, as a vacation guide, is ok. It provides a broad sweep of resorts and fine ski areas, but without any indepth insights about any of them. If you're interested in trying out a new area, this guide is excellent as a starting point for your web research. You will need other guides, or dig out on the web or from references, to really plan out your trip.

   I was particularly disappointed with the lack of information available on Northeast areas, but perhaps my expectations were off...again partially due to the rave reviews on this site.
   For example, 1 page is given about the Lake Placid region. Perhaps this region is more well known than others so a reminder is not needed?

   Fundamentally, I think this guide tries to take on too large a geographic region. I was looking for a few selections in different price categories that were independently reviewed,
   and best-in-class. This book doesn't quite hit that mark.




5. My husband and I have used this book to plan more than ten vacations and on each one we've had a great time. We are at two different levels of skiing (beginner/intermediate and intermediate/advanced), but using this book we have been able to find places that are perfect for both of us. Every place we have been to has had great food and amenities, too, which we read about beforehand. It has been really nice to know that we can plan a vacation being confident that when we get there, we'll have a great time.

No comments about Best Family Ski Vacations In North America.

4 comments about The Hidden West: Journey in the American Outback.

1. Rob's imagery and cutting edge mind put him up there with the best - I like him better than the proverbial Ed Abbey (Rob's a little more cerebral). I'm an avid reader of anything to do with the desert Southwest (and West), as well as a desert rat myself, and I was hard put to find anything I'd read to date that was this good. You won't be disappointed with this book - buy an extra for your friends, because they'll "borrow" it and never return it (I've now bought 3 of them and can't find my latest copy...hmmm, now that I think of it, I suspect it went to Hawaii with a friend...)



2. A cousin tipped me off to this little known masterpiece, which consists of a short, well-written series of anecdotes and tales about the West. An expert in verbal imagery, Schultheis takes you gambling at Native American pow-wow, canyon ratting in Utah, meeting a jack rabbit who lures motorcyclists to their doom, and other esoteric topics with equal aplomb.

   His best tale, and the one you won't forget, is the last in order, a fictional episode during the next great Western drought, when the xerothermic climate brings disaster west of the Mississippi.

   Schultheis is very readable, and each essay is thought-provoking. I predict you will enjoy this wonderful book. As the previous reviewer cautions, however, loan it out at your own risk.




3. I first read this book in the mid-1980s, and have been a huge fan of it ever since. It was out of print from a long time after the original publisher, North Point Press, went out of business. I am delighted that it is now available once more. It deserves to be read by anyone interested in the American West.

   This is a wide-ranging book that deals with many aspect of the American West in general and the desert areas in particular. Schultheis is a gifted writer, and has a knack not only for telling a good tale but also for turning a wonderful line. He is highly attuned to the remarkable and the humorous in almost every situation, and the book is a marvelous blend of the unexpected, the reflective, and the funny.

   My favorite moment might be an occasion he recounts of visiting a store in Navajo territory. While in the store, an elderly Navajo stumbles up to him and says, apropos of nothing, "Hey, I hear that Elvis died," in a tone that almost suggests the Schultheis and The King were lifelong pals. After replying, that yes, Elvis had died and that he had evidently been pretty sick, the Navajo, ignoring what Schultheis had said, continues, "Yeah, Elvis and Hitler, two of your greatest leaders, dead." (I am quoting this story from memory, so don't call me to task for specific inaccuracies.)

   This is a book filled with many wonderful and marvelous moments. I would heartily urge anyone with an interest in literature about the American West or the desert to read it as soon as possible.




4. I first read this one in 1982 and have returned to it time and again. I, like a couple of other reviewers, cannot understand why this book has not recieved more attention. It is well written, funny, informative and just simply fun to read. It is a collection of tales, stories, or what have you, of the western portion of our country. The author has wonderful insight and certainly knows his subject. I cannot think of a page of this work I did not absolutely enjoy. Highly recommend this one.

1 comments about The Travels of Peter Kalm: Finnish-Swedish Naturalist Through Colonial North America, 1748-1751.

1. Anyone interested in the story of our early settlement of this country and in the plants and animals found here will like this book.

No comments about Rand McNally Los Angeles & Vicinity, California: Major Roads & Highways (Rand McNally Folded Map: Cities).

No comments about New York: A Pictorial Celebration.

3 comments about Hidden Coast: Coastal Adventures from Alaska to Mexico.

1. I would have liked to write a favorable review of this book because I enjoy kayaking and being out in nature. Unfortunately it fails to convey the sense of high adventure, wonder, and splendor that are a part of every kayak outing in such remote and pristine locations. Instead, it laments the loss of ancient ways and cultures, and scolds modern man for his intrusions.

   I'm all in favor of no-impact camping and preserving pristine shorelines. As I started each chapter I hoped this would be where the book got interesting! But alas it disappointed.




2. Just a counter-review to the latest. The first edition was chocked full of page-sized award winning pics. This is NOT a how-to or narrative. It is essentially a picture book including some words by the author introducing and explaining the pics and area. If you want to be inspired to paddle the west coast of Canada and North West US....pick it up, fantastic look/read.



3. Joel Rogers is well known in the Pacific Northwest for being an excellent photographer, with a strong interest in sea kayaking. Many kayaking calendars and rowing calendars are photographed by Rogers. He's also a decent writer. This book is quite a beautiful description, in words and Roger's excellent photos, of kayaking trips from the Seattle/Tacoma area all the way up into Western Canada, including stops at locations not usually seen by man. Quite an interesting, quintessentially Pacific Northwest travel book -- provided that travel is on the water.