No comments about Eugene Springfield, Oregon: Street Atlas.

No comments about Dancing With The Elephant of Joy & Other Love Stories (volume 1).

4 comments about Following the Nez Perce Trail: A Guide to the Nee-me-poo National Historic Trail with Eyewitness Accounts.

1. This is an excellent work which I plan to use as a tool for planning vacations over the next summers. The history is concise yet accurate and supplements works by Helen Addison Howard (Saga of Chief Joseph), Merrill Beale (I Will Fight No More Forever), Alvin Josephy (The Nez Perce and the Opening of the Northwest), L. V. McWhorter (Yellow Wolf & Hear Me My Chiefs!) The maps, side trips, and road condition guides are useful. Classifications of roads for vehicles and travelers described as mainstream, adventurous and intrepid are unique for this type of history book and assist in planning based on the type of vehicle one might be using. Reminds me of hiking books. A knowledge of geography is vital to understanding history. Wilfong aids amature historians visiting the areas to view and get a better understanding of the physical conditions both the troops and the Nez Perce found in this tragic chapter of American history.



2. The story of the Nez Perce bands of Wallowa Oregon is one of the saddest of the expansion period of the American West. Driven from their homelands by a sneaky treaty they never signed, several bands of Nez Perce were moving reluctantly onto the new, smaller reservation. But a few angry young men left camp, on their own, and killed a white man they knew to be bad to Indians. The U.S. Army responded and thus began the pursuit of the Nez Perce, across Idaho, to Wyoming, and then Montana, over 1100 miles. Eight hundred Nez Perce men, women, and children walked and rode hoping to find a new place to settle where the Army would no longer pursue. But the Army did pursue, and finally caught up with the Nez Perce on a cold October day in Northern Montana, where after a 5 day siege, Chief Joseph finally surrendered to save those that were left, cold, sick, and tired. This book follows the trail, and recounts the history as told by several authors and particpants including General Howard, Yellow Wolf, and some Army Scouts. It is the one book you should read first. Then get out and drive the trail that the Nez Perce rode. I bet you can't drive it in one summer, but they rode that distance, moving camp every day, with the Army shooting at them when ever they didn't move far enough. Chief Joseph wondered when will the white men ever tell the truth. Why is the Indian not allowed to live under the same laws of freedom as the white man.



3. Alas, I have been asked by my publisher to write yet another book on Chief Joseph. I wish to do it well and respectfully, and, if possible, break a little new ground. So, I may be one of ten people on earth who has travelled the Nez Perce trail, both known and unknown, from the Wallowa all the way to Tonkawa, with requisite sidetrips to Nespelem and various relevant sites. All in all, I've put about 10,000 miles into this enterprise. And here's the hard truth: Cheryl Wilfong, whoever she is -- and God bless her researching soul -- has made this trip possible. She has broken the route down into three categories -- mainstream traveller, for the pavement folk; adventurous traveller, for the dirt road folk; and intrepid traveller for the white-knuckle, high center clearance, "I don't need guard rails" folk. I did it mostly on the adventurous/intrepid roads. And I can say, unequivocally, that she has created a work that will not soon be bettered, and which is absolutely invaluable for any Nez Perce afficianado, from the casual traveller to the "I only come out of the archives to breathe" geeks who are researching the familial ties between Wahlatits and Yellow Bull.

   By the very nature of the task, she has a few errors, and they can put you in harm's way, such as having you travel 1.8 miles to a crossroads in the vast emptiness of Montana's back country when the actual distance is 11.8 miles. But these errors are so few as to be remarkable in their infrequency. Overall, she takes you mile by mile, dusty crossroad by dusty crossroad, rutted mountain pass by rutted mountain path, and conducts you on an assiduously researched journey of the trail that the Nez Perce followed from their homeland in the Wallowa and Snake/Salmon country to their exile in Oklahoma.

   I could give you endless specifics, but here is the bottom line: you cannot take this trip, or any portion of it, without this book. You can forget your Josephy, misplace your Haines and your Lavender, or trade your Greene and your McWhorter for extra gas money. But you cannot -- CANNOT -- take this journey without having this book on the seat next to you.

   Take it from someone who stopped at every pile of stones, every remnant of rifle pit and breastwork, every old campsite and every battle and staging area; who walked the high country trails near Lolo and the lowland campgrounds on the flats below Fort Leavenworth: You absolutely must buy this book if you choose to retrace any of this journey.

   The Nez Perce Historic Trail Foundation and the National Park Service should canonize this woman.

   End of story.




4. The book was put together in an informative and easy to read way. It's a travel log, for anyone wanting to visit the Nez Perce Trail National Park, plus it gives a summarized overview of that happened. I loved the author's method of narrating the story of what happened, with easy to read maps and tables of information. Her list of references was also impressive. More detail will require further reading, but this is a starter. What is missing from her story is what this band of renegades really was. They were outlaws, shunned by their own Nez Perce Nation and what is also missing is the national impact of this unfortunate Indian outbreak had on our Country. That is why I didn't rate the book higher. It's a view into history "through rose colored glasses", which is quit in style today, but that gives the starters on history a dangerously biased view. Real history is often painful to read about. These Indians were not heroes. Hundreds of innocent people were murdered and the real Nez Perce almost lost their wonderful Idaho Reservation because of this War. Congress was in a complete uproar. They were also opposed by other Indian Nations, specifically the Bannock, Shoshone and the Crow to mention a few. This is the story of a national disaster and tragedy. The real heroes were often those they attacked and the horse soldiers that had to chase them. Still, as a travelog and guide to 80% of the historic sites along the Nez Perce Trail, this book is a good starter. I also loved the historic photographs, some of which I have not found anywhere else.

1 comments about Roadside History of Oregon (Roadside History Series) (Roadside History Series).

1. That this book was published in 1991 didn't detract in the least from its usefulness in providing much greater insight for the areas we explored in Oregon. The book far exceeded my expectations. It provided remarkably detailed descriptions of historical characters and events. Very entertaining read.

5 comments about Uncle Mike's Guide to the Real Oregon Coast.

1. I lived on the Oregon Coast for almost two years. A friend gave this to me as a going-away present and it was the perfect gift. This book sums up all the reasons you wouldn't want to visit Oregon like sea-monsters, clever sea gulls, devious ravens, and, of course, the weather. All in a dark tone that perfectly matches my memories of the dark skies, and yet side-splitting funny. A great gift for an Oregon Coast dweller.



2. A copy of this book was sent to humorist Dave Barry taped to a six-pack of beer. In return, Uncle Mike recived a dummy front page of the Miami Herald, the headline of which declared: "Michael Burgess is excellent. Why do I say this? Because he sent me beer."



3. I bought this book because it's by one of my favorite authors, and was not disappointed. Uncle Mike is a talented author. I grew up in Oregon, and all my "beach" experience revolved around the Pacific Ocean--on or near Cannon Beach. My friend grew up in both California and Oregon, and defines Oregon as a coast, which you "look at it from the warm car while you drive by to a real beach (in California)." As I can't stand California beaches, and think cold and gray is a perfect way to see the ocean, we frequently debate the points of our favorite locales. Based on my background, I wholeheartedly support Uncle Mike's portrayal of the sea monster, sea gulls, and other fine folk of the coast. I enjoy reading it to my friend, who morosely insists that it's funny because it's TRUE. (Apparently she's one of those that should have read the book before venturing out barefoot onto the sand as a child.)
   The artwood is phenomenal, and Uncle Mike's commentary is first hilarious. If you've never experienced the Oregon Coast, read this book and be warned!



4. If you have never lived on the Oregon Coast, but are planning a visit, you need this book immediately. If, like me, you spent many childhood years on the Oregon coast, freezing and miserable, and you wish that someone would finally reveal that it is a perfect place to stock with polar bears and penguins, and that the beaches of Oregon are ideal for hardcore fanatic beach-lovers who enjoy sandblaster wind in the face and water so cold that it invites damnation, you must get multiple copies of this book and start handing it out to anyone who thinks Oregon beaches are the northern version of California beaches.



5. I've lived in Oregon for over 20 years, and this is the first book that tells the frightening truth about the Oregon coast. Forget those posters and coffee table books showing beautiful coastlines and majestic cliffs bathed in sunshine--as Uncle Mike explains, these pictures were actually taken "during a break between storm fronts that occurs once or twice a decade and can last as long as a week." As for the inhabitants, "the culture that endures today, while of morbid interest to anthropologists, isn't for the squeamish."
   
   The wildlife is not much better. Uncle Mike points out that there are many sharks on the Oregon coast--and that there are no happy sharks, only hungry ones. A giant octopus can "snatch you and your toy poodle from the rocks with the lightning ease of a frog catching flies." An elk is "basically a deer on steroids," and a sasquatch is a "nearly nonexistent" monster that "hunts down humans for sport." You get the idea: from tsunamis to seagulls to ceaseless rain, the Oregon Coast is a scary place to be.
   
   Of course, it may be that Uncle Mike is only joking. It may be that the Oregon Coast is really a bright, beautiful place with cheerful inhabitants and friendly critters. On the other hand, it might be true that Oregon coast crabs "move quickly, are quiet as ghosts, and work well in groups." You do the math.
   
   If you enjoy Uncle Mike's sardonic sense of humor, consider getting "Uncle Mike's Guide to Sex and Drinking" (hard to find) and the two volumes of "Letters to Uncle Mike." Come what may, the Oregon Coast will never be the same.

1 comments about That Ribbon of Highway III: Highway 99 Through the Pacific Northwest (That Ribbon of Highway).

1. Route 66 has all the glamour -- songs, movies, web sites galore. It's an icon of American car culture. Its sister, U.S. Highway 99, on the other hand, doesn't get no respect. But as this volume shows, 99 is more than just 66 upside-down.

   This book, the third in the "That Ribbon of Highway" series, follows Highway 99 from the Oregon-California border north to the Canada line (the first two books take it through California). In some places, 99 is a significant urban thoroughfare. In others, its track is almost forgotten. But along the way, Jill Livingston and Kathryn Golden Maloof reveal the often surprising wealth of history, engineering, culture, and nostalgia that line the route. An appendix knits old 99 together from one end to the other, with directions and local highlights for anyone adventurous enough to make the drive. They make the trip sound worthwhile.

   Living as I do a half-block from Highway 99, it was hard to think of the road as being as interesting as it apparently is. But now I even have a little affection for the old thing. This book is a great one to keep handy in the glove compartment. Who needs to head off down Route 66 when we have our own transportation and cultural milestone right here?

No comments about The Rough Guide to Pacific Northwest 2: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

No comments about Driving Through History: Rockford, Illinois, to Newport, Oregon on U.S. 20.

2 comments about Oregon Golf.

1. For those enamored with books on golf courses (and I am one), "Oregon Golf" is a gem of a find. Author Paul Linnman takes you on a personal tour of the courses in Oregon and thoughtfully conveys the surprising variety that exists in the state. Having personally played most of the best, it was reassuring to see that all the best were covered...there were no omissions. Traveling along with Linnman, you experience through him the feel and highlights of each course along with some fun anecdotes. Equally important is the outstanding photography by Rick Schafer and complimentary layout that brings the text to life. This is a coffee-table book with heart; and the price is right. If you have any interest in Oregon golf or golf architecture in general, "Oregon Golf" is a "must-have" for your library.



2. There are not very many books available about the Oregon Coast, that include Golf course pictures and info. This is a nice one, with many great pictures to show you what the area is like.

No comments about The California and Oregon Trail: Being Sketches of Prairie and Rocky Mountain Life (Classics of the Old West).