No comments about Field notes of a surveyor in Panama and California, 1849 (Bulletin / Michigan Historical Collections).

No comments about Panama.

No comments about 'At the Extremity of Civilization' : A Meticulously Descriptive Diary of an Illinois Physician's Journey in 1849 Along the Oregon Trail to the Goldmines and Cholera of California, Thence in Two Years to Return by Boat via Panama.

3 comments about Travel & Site Guide to Birds of Costa Rica With Side Trips to Panama.

1. Lots of tables and descriptions of where to go to see birds. 99% Costa Rica. A few black and white drawing of birds, plants, maps. Not good if you want color photos of birds you might see.



2. This is not a birding field guide, but a helpful guide to quite a few Costa Rica birding sites. Very good descriptions of sites included (including some information not available elsewhere) but many other places were not covered. The author's assessments are useful. Supplements other guides.



3. This is a good little birding site guide, not a species identification field guide. This would be very helpful in planning a birding trip to Costa Rica and gives information for about 75+ sites with a good introduction to birding Costa Rica in the beginning. Here too is a table on pgs. 20-22 called "Characteristics of Major Birding Destinations". This table groups destinations with accomodations in the different sections of the country (NE, NW, SE, SW, highlands, lowlands. It details accessibility, cost, comfort, guide availability, and difficulty of birding.
   
   The book is arranged in chapters for each region of the country with details of the birding sites including excellent maps (better than most site guides I have seen) and written directions. The birding accounts are first person and folksy and make for easy and yet absorbing reading and are enhanced with many black and white location photos. There are also bird lists for each site that tend towards the more expected commonly seen species rather than an extensive checklist for all species located at the site. Each site does have a list provided of the birds the author found when he was there including notations of their abundance and the season that he visited. Some sites have additional checklists provided by the lodges or other birders.
   
   There are brief mentions of a few sites in neighboring Nicaragua and Panama at the end of the book and two appendices the first is a complete list of birds of Costa Rica in checklist order and grouped according to location with notes on abundance, habitat and elevation. The second is a a seven day checklist for your trip.
   
   I enjoy sitting down in a comfortable chair and reading over books like this but you should consult the internet for updates on lodges and parks as this book is now over ten years old. Some places of course are not included, including one of my favorites Savegre Lodge also know as Cabinas Chacon in San Gerardo de Dota. Other site guides that I would recommend in addition to this would be Dennis Roger's "Site Guide for Costa Rica" and Nigel Wheatley and David Brewer's "Where to Watch Birds in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean".

3 comments about Adventuring in Central America: Guatemala Belize Honduras El Salvador Nicaragua Costa Rica Panama (Adventuring in Central America).

1. If you want to get a real feel for the place without falling asleep, save your money. The author takes an otherwise fascinating subject (the outdoors Central America) and, using lifeless prose, makes you wonder why you were ever interested in CA in the first place. Hotel listings are scant, as is specific information about destinations. No picutres or maps. Possibly good information about hiking, but not much on the safefy of such excursions. The Let's Go guidebook has more specific info (though not only on the outdoors) and is much more enjoyable to read.



2. Hi, I am working at ILISA Spanish Language Institute in San Jose, Costa Rica and I just want to let you know that this book help our students a lot by giving them helpful tips and by making any travel plans for the weekends. Thanks!



3. I live in Nicaragua -- can only comment on that location. This book is just ok to suppliment. Buy Lonely Plant Central America for detail (its better then the Rough Guide).

4 comments about The Voyage of the Vizcaina: The Mystery of Christopher Columbus's Last Ship.

1. This is a truly exciting read. Although the title and subtitle both suggest that the book is mainly about the Vizcaina, in fact, only about 20% of it contains discussions that directly pertain to that ship; most of these discussions deal with efforts towards determining whether the wreck that was found in the Bay of Playa Damas (Panama) is indeed the Vizcaina. Naturally, when something of such historical importance is found, some form of politics must step in to play its important frustrating role of slowing down, with utmost efficiency, any exciting archaeological progress; this case is no exception. However, the main bulk of the book is about Christopher Columbus: his life, his travels and his adventures. Also presented are fascinating outlines of current disputes as to his true origins as well as where his bones are currently located. Published in 2006, this is an English translation of a book that was originally published in German in 2004. Although the original German title seems to be more appropriate than the current English one, the translation is well done in the sense that the writing is so clear and engaging that the book is very difficult to put down. It will likely be indispensable reading for most history buffs, but it can be enjoyed by anyone.



2. In the mid-1990s, divers discovered the wreck of a large ship just off the coast of Panama, feeding the rumors that this might be the remains of one of the ships from Columbus's final voyage. Columbus was able to persuade Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille to give him a fleet of four ships in 1502 to return to the New World in search of more riches. Although he reached the Americas, his ships, all victims of shipworms eating through the hulls' wood, began to sink one by one. Columbus reported abandoning the fourth ship, the Vizcaina near Portobelo.
   
   It was said that this ship has three masts and a loading capacity of fifty tons. But when divers went searching, they couldn't immediately determine that the abandoned ship off the bay in Playa Damas was the Vizcaina because of the contents of the ship and the relative integrity of the ships structure.
   
   The authors combine Columbus's history, and the discovery of the ship buried beneath the ocean for decades. Divers and archeology experts are quoted throughout the book, which makes it a bit of a hybrid historical read. The past and present converge by finding the Vizcaina. Yet, it's a true adventure whether you like history or archeology. The history of the man who founded the New World is fascinating as he was a true adventurer.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Thrilling historical, yet scientific reading that leaves you satiated with a host of historical facts and awe about modern archeology.



3. This book is not the easiest read. That said, it contains amazing detail about Columbus and his several voyages to the new world. I felt the book delivered a good feel for the man and for the times. A tremendous amount of research has been done on Columbus over the centuries and this book seems to touch on the major findings and integrates them well into the overall story. I was amazed at the amount of information to be had and how little I actually knew about Columbus and the history surrounding his discovery of the new world.



4. What really happened to the last voyage of Christopher Columbus? This is a great story of history, politics and exploration.

4 comments about The Panama Guide: A Cruising Guide to the Isthmus of Panama.

1. I am the author of Lonely Planet's guide to Panama. While conducting research for LP Panama I came across this incredible work by Nancy Schwalbe Zydler and Tom Zydler. Their attention to detail is remarkable. The history and description they provide is right on and well put. Much of the information that appears on the islands they comment upon you won't find anywhere else. For cruising sailors and Panama buffs alike, The Panama Guide is an excellent read and a vast source of knowledge. My hat's off to both of you Zydlers for a job extremely well done.



2. excelent book Tom and Nancy,proffesional piece of art.Finally i found you Tom,im your old buddy from naval academy in Gdynia,contact me pls.Chris kowalski E-mail-kowal17@hotmail.com



3. We just finished (July 2006) cruising the Pacific side of Panama and through the canal and found the Zydler guide to not be as useful as the newer Bauhaus guide. The major difference is in the charts & chartlets - the Bauhaus guide is all color charts that look like real charts - the Zydler guide is all B&W hand drawn sketches that are extremely hard to read - virtually useless. The Zydler guide has more words but less useful information as it's quite a bit older and some information is way out of date - eg. the Western Panama Islands like Coiba.



4. The zydler guide was ok in its time. But the new Panama Cruising Guide by Eric Bauhaus is very, very much better than the Zydler. ALL PAGES IN COLOR, beautyful photos and nearly 200 precise charts. Dont dream of cruising panama without it.

No comments about Panama (World Road Trips).

1 comments about Panama (Ulysses Travel Guides).

1. My son is in the Peace Corps in Panama. This book reflected fairly well what it is like to travel in Panama, especially outside of Panama City. However, the warnings concerning travel in the provience of Darien need to be a stronger. American citizens are forbidden to enter there. The section on Colon should also be stronger. It is a VERY dangerous city. The book stresses but to me not strong enough. It should also tell you that it is common for the public buses to be pack to the boundries of being very dangerous and bald tires are the norm. Pick up trucks with metal bench seating in the bed and a steel cage is consider a bus. Also being a woman who is fair skin please use caution when in Panama. The section on travelers checks was not quite right. No one even in Panama City would cash my travelers checks. The book also glosses over the bug and rodent problems. Panama is not a safe country for a single woman to travel in outside of Panama City. And it should have stressed the need to be fluent in Spanish. If you are not you are in deep trouble. The hotel it recommended in Chitre was a real dump and unsafe. However if you need a book on traveling in Panama this is the best one I have found. My son felt it was very good, except for the warnings of safety. He keep the book there to use while he travels through out the country. Also it did not tell you enough of being over charged by everyone in that country if you are white. From the grocery cashiers, to the bus drivers, to the resturants. Also it mentioned that tipping was 10% of the bill. It should have told you if you tip more it is considered an insult. Overall if you are going to Panama and will be visiting the interior take this book, you will need it.

4 comments about Hunter Travel Guides Adventure Guide Panama (Adventure Guides Series) (Adventure Guides Series).

1. What a wonderful surprise this guide book has been! My wife and I are off to Panama for a couple of weeks in 2005. We stumbled upon this book while searching for reference material for our trip. Patricia Katzman has a terrifically engaging writing style that makes one want to read the entire book, not just sections that one is traveling too. There are 73 pages of detailed introductory chapters, how to get there, what to expect. Then each province is discussed in details, including places not to miss, along with those narrow dark streets to avoid. There are 4 sections of full color photos depicting the fascinating people and stunning countryside of Panama. This is by far the most useful and well written guidebook I have ever read (and I have read many dozens).



2. Not wanting to burden ourselves we choose to bring just this guide book to Panama on our 2 week long vacation. It was published recently, in late 2004, so we felt it should be sufficient. We were wrong. While it is packed full of good information and recommendations, it also misses a lot of essential points. For instance, there are very few maps and the ones they did include, have hardly any street names or even neighborhood names that they are rendered utterly useless.
   
   The Panama City map was especially frustrating and we were very fortunate to have picked up a tourist pamphlet that helped us figure out the city.
   
   The Index is pretty awful. It appeared to have only the major items and didn't index many sights. You had to thumb through to the town or area and find it yourself.
   
   A lot of the information in the book is already outdated. I think this is just a symptom of how quickly Panama is changing, but we found many hotels and restaurants to be shut down.
   
   A final fustration is that sometimes places would be written in their Spanish name in the book and other times as their English translation.



3. I am the travel editor for a national travel magazine and have recently had the priviledge of using Patricia Katzmans excellent guide book to Panama. First, the cover is outstanding, one of the best I have seen. I loved all the pictures...they added so much. Second, the print is readable. Third, and most important, I found this guide to be extremely helpful to the average tourist planning a trip. The various areas and activities and the way to reach each destination were well researched. I consider many guide books to be useful only to those who know exactly where they are going (probably with a tour) and want to read about what they are going to see. Pat writes with a touch of humor and a sense of history that brough each area alive. I had the feeling she knew her subject well and I would be inclined to trust her judgement. Her chapter on the Darien, even included a few "reasons not to go" or at least, to not go alone. Great resource material. Mary Jo Plouf



4. I am the travel editor of a lifestyle magazine, and I used Hunter Travel Guides Adventure Guide Panama to plan a recent research trip. I was very impressed with the amount and detail of information the author offered. I looked at many other guides and none came close. I also carried the book with me in Panama and used it to make sightseeing and dining decisions while I was there. In my opinion, it's the best guide to Panama available, and I recommended it highly to my readers in the story which resulted from my trip.