No comments about The 2007 RVer's Friend: North American Diesel/Parking Directory.

No comments about Golden Dream: Seekers Of El Dorado.

No comments about The Mountainous West: Explorations in Historical Geography.

No comments about The Columbia River: A Historical Travel Guide.

3 comments about Michigan Place Names (Great Lakes Books).

1. __________________

   Based on the old Michigan "postmaster history", this book is very handy for trivia buffs as well. The index is very reliable, I've only noticed a few minor omissions. I give this five stars because it's a nice and nicely sized reference work. It's about the size of one of those car sized phone books that TDI et al make for the cellular phone user and easy to handle. Fascinating and detailed, it is indispensible in its niche. A good companion would be one of the county by county state atlases which shows the locations of the vanished towns, although some of these are so vanished they won't appear on the map.




2. The book is excellent but not totally accurate. For example, LESLIE was named by the politician Jerry G. Cornell. The source quoted by Romig mis-typed his name as "J. A. Cornell" and Romig quoted that source with an additional typo-garble changing the name to "A. J. Cornell". This has created a 30-year misrepresentation of our town's history that is so hard to correct. That misspelled name is now on many web sites. If you read this book for fun, it's an interesting semi-true historical story book. It will make Michigan map reading much more interesting, too.



3. I agree with Patricia Rinadli's review there are errors in this book. If the book is examined carefully, you will discover that the author requested information for his book from many different places. In Eaton Co. the library helped him. While I am sure that the people who supplied the information for this book thought that they were accurate, I have been using it to help me develop a list of all of the communities that existed in Eaton Co. and have found many inaccuracies for Eaton Co. One was about the real name for the small community of Needmore which was very suitably named... I eventually found a map published by the Eaton County Bicentennial Commission in 1976 which can still be purchased at the old county building in Charlotte, MI which solved the mystery.
   
   Never the less this is a valuable resource for Michigan history buffs, genealogist and stamp collectors who specialize in covers. The book discusses the history of various post offices that were in existence in Michigan. Nothing can take the place of original research, but then not everyone has the time, neither do they have access to all the resources they need and must rely on other sources or people. Relying on the internet for correct information does not always give accurate information. Using your local library and asking for help from the reference librarian can usually give you the most accurate information.

No comments about Southeastern Indians Since the Removal Era.

No comments about Drawing the Borderline: Artist-Explorers of the U.S.-New Mexico Boundary Survey (Historians of the Frontier and American West).

5 comments about The National Geographic Traveler: California (National Geographic Traveler).

1. Ok, may be not the best - who judge, but very close too. Do not think, just buy and enjoy reading and traveling.



2. Recently we visited California for the first time. We covered San Francisco, LA and San Diego in one week. We had planned everything before-hand using the National Geographic Traveller and our experience is it turned out very useful in that respect. It exaclty tells you what is a must see and what looks good from where. So we were prepared and we expected certain things. For e.g. this book says that the views from Coit Tower are breathtaking and they really are so. We had to walk up from China Town to Coit Tower on the very steep streets of San francisco. But once we were at Coit Tower the views of the city were excellent. This book also mentions some driving tours which are very useful. One thing I would like to mention here. We had rented a mustang convertible to drive the Calif Highway One along the coast. Our friends recommended to take the 17 mile drive on our way and we were surprised why it was not mentioned in this book. But after driving through the seventeen miles we continued the drive along Highway One. And let me tell you the 17 miles drive is nothing compared to the gorgeous views on Rte One. If you ask me, please avoid the 17 miles drive it is just a rip off of 8 bucks. There is much more beauty ahead on Rte One. We should have listened to the book, the book was right by not mentioning it!



3. I can't comment on the substance of the book because there's no way to read it. My only advice is that if you purchase the book, DON'T buy a used one from Kudzu Books in Georgia. They ship it via the postal service in a very flimsy envelope. By the time you get it, it will be too mangled to read. Worse, they give no hint as to how to contact them by email or phone. Amazon is no help either.



4. Disclaimer: This is my experience with just this one book. I have not extensively used other similar travel books, so I can't compare them much.
   
   I was looking for a book to show me the sights around California and I specifically wanted something with a good mix of pictures and text, as pure textual descriptions can be rather subjective and occasionally unclear (not to mention boring). After a day at the local bookstore, I decided on this one.
   
   This book does an amirable job of combining the two elements. The pictures are descriptive and very helpful in determining which places to visit and the text helps fill in the remaining info. The format is pretty basic: You get a half-page photo of the major destinations along with a few pages of accompanying text describing the place and the surrounding attractions. The book is divided into major geographic areas, such as "Southern California", "Central Coast", and "Northern California"; the major cities (LA, San Fran, San Diego, etc.) also get their own sub-sections. This makes it easy to find information.
   
   Unlike some other guidebooks, this one does not come with maps of every destination -- which is something I actually prefer, since those are usually available at the actual destinations and there's no reason to waste pages on them. However, larger-area maps and driving route maps are included and they're certainly helpful in plotting roadtrips.
   
   More importantly, the included destinations seem to be well-chosen. I took the book with me on a one-week trip along California's west coast and it provided interesting things to see all along the way. I explored most of the destinations it mentioned and I was usually quite happy with the results.
   
   My one gripe with the book is that it doesn't always give enough details about the destinations. Some places get a few pages of text, but others are given only a simple sentence or two. I would really have liked to see more about all the mentioned destinations -- such as photos for even the less important attractions and pricing information for all the mentioned restaurants -- even if it meant a thicker and bigger book. The book wasn't bad; rather, I just wanted more of the same.
   
   As I said above, I haven't been able to use any other similar books so I can't really say how this one compares. This review may be changed or updated in the future if I find better guides. But as for now, I'm very happy with this one on its own and I definitely plan to take it with me on my next trip.



5. 
   National Geographic have set a whole new standard in travel guides. I have several and I think they are excellent. Generally speaking,travel guides become outdated within a year or so after being published. As a matter of fact,some series are issued annually. They are loaded with information on lodging, hotels,B&B's,and restauralts with lots of data on prices. These things become out-of -date very quickly;and even when you look up rates,you will find most of of little or no interest. Besides these things are easily obtained elsewhere ,for instance on the Net.
   Where this guide shines is in the information it gives on all the points of interest.It is loaded with excellent photographs,maps and drawings that we have become accustomed to getting from National Geographic. The book also covers history,culture and everything of interest to a visitor to California. This book is so good that when your trip is over,you will want to keep it as a wonderful memory of all the places you visited. A short time after a trip ,one usually tosses the guide,for the simple reason that it is quickly dated,printed on cheap paper,and is very short on real information and pictures,--Not so this one. You'll want to keep it.
   I do a lot of Birding,and have many of the Field Guides that have been published over the years.The most popular guide among Birders is and has been for several years is "Field Guide to the Birds of North America ",published by National Geographic.
   They have employed the same methods,skills and quality in this book as their others.
   This book will serve you even well after your trip as a reference to California, When reading or hearing news about places,or whatever;you'll find this a good place to look for additional information.

1 comments about Looking for De Soto: A Search Through the South for the Spaniard's Trail.

1. This is a derivative work which is most enjoyable if one has a tiny bit of knowledge about De Soto. For budding De Soto enthusiasts, Looking For De Soto is a must read.

   Joyce Rockwood Hudson has written a lively and entertaining account of a six-week vacation she and her husband took in November-December 1984 where they followed the sixteenth century explorer De Soto's trail through the southeastern United States.

   You have to love people who shun the cruise ships and Disneyworld and Madison Avenue in order to tromp around in the mud of backwater swamps while on vacation.

   One might reasonably ask, who is this lady, and why should we care? She is the wife of noted anthropology professor Charles Hudson, and we should care because Professor Hudson has set forth an alternative route for the De Soto expedition, differing in important ways from the route as determined by the Swanton Commission (published by Smithsonian Press, 1939).

   The issue has not been settled - that of De Soto's precise route - but Professor Hudson's theories are interesting and taken seriously by academia as well as people such as myself who enjoy visiting historic places.

   If you are lost, don't feel alone. So are the Hudsons. That's the point. No one really knows where De Soto went, exactly, but the author ignites interest. She also describes in an engaging way a portion of the field work conducted while on "vacation", adding weight to Professor Hudson's theories.

   And remember, folks, this is only one theory of many. That's most of the fun. Those of us who consider ourselves southerners can relate. It is sort of like arguing whether Alabama's football team is number one, or Georgia's or Florida's...

   Only this stuff happened four hundred and fifty years ago, and the debate rages.

   These Conquistador fellows didn't ask for directions, they just snatched the first native American that came along and clapped him in chains if he didn't speak right up.

   Mrs. Hudson keeps you moving right along, with interesting detours about pecans, zinc mining, salt making, etc. She writes clearly, has a keen eye for the absurd, and knows how to deliver a punch line. I'm still laughing over the French colonial town of Smackover. I would also imagine that if you poke too many holes in her husband's theories, she might chew off your ear. A stand up lady.

   One or two fly specks in the book. A map comparing Hudson and Swanton routes would have helped enormously. You'll find yourself sorting through the Atlas and a dusty copy of the Swanton report. The author also fails to mention the name of a good rib place in Memphis. Unconscionable. The Afterword updates the reader on happenings through 1992, when the book was published.

   I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I wish De Soto would have had someone like Joyce Rockwood Hudson along. Even epic tales of death, disease, despair, and war require the female touch.

1 comments about Trekking The Southern Appalachians: The Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia (Backpacker Magazine).

1. For backpackers wanting to do tough trails with 12-18 mile days. Clear information, excellent photos, nice little maps too.
   
   This is so much better than your typical Falcoln 3 mile loop hike book with scattered, inaccurate information. I used this book for the Art Loeb Trail and it was extremely helpful. I hope to do more of the trips in the book too.