No comments about Iona: A Pilgrim's Guide.

1 comments about Howard Hodgkin Large Paintings.

1. The lush colorful paintings of award-winning Scottish Painter Howard Hodgkin may not be familiar to many Americans, but are well known in the U.K. and beyond. People who appreciate works by inventive colorists like Henri Mattise or fellow countryman, David Hockney, may respond favorably to this work. "Howard Hodgkin, Large Paintings, 1984-2002," contains two short essays and 14 lush color reproductions. Like Hodgkin's works, the small portions this handsome little book affords are perfect for art that is more complex than first meets the eye. In fact, the actual "large paintings" are only big when compared to their puny cousins. Essays by Robert Rosenblum and Richard Kendall provide thoughtful, clear commentary, on an art where important aspects hide in plain view; "ecstasy and dissonance" create unlikely harmonies. Big paint strokes, carefully planned, cover frames as well as "picture." This is cerebral, romantic art---think Zen pottery glazing--or Turner's seascapes. Quite uninterested in reproducing the outward appearances of things and settings, Hodgkin sees himself as an "emotional painter" of specific intimate events or people. "Howard Hodgkin, Large Paintings, 1984-2002" may appeal to literate people with conservative taste. Hodgkin's progressive art proves modernism need not be the enemy of emotion. A worthy introduction to Britain's brilliant working artist. A real eye-opener.

1 comments about The Ancient Monuments Map of Scotland.

1. Excellent map on what appears to be tear-resistant paper. The front of this item is the map; the back is a legend for the map. Lots of good detail. My only gripe is that the cover is glued to a portion of the map legend, so some information is not visible. Although I have not yet tried it, I think that with much care, the two can be separated. Now, if only international travel weren't so expensive...

1 comments about Footprint Scotland Highlands & Islands Handbook : The Travel Guide.

1. Having just returned from my 2nd trip to Scotland, and this time touring the Highlands, this book was by far the most complete and comprehensive of any guide book I used. It gave phone numbers, things not to miss, and even included info on "things to do on Skye when it rains" (which it did almost daily). I appreciated the maps and the little historical notes they wrote. I would recommend this book to anyone going to The Highlands for their first - or tenth - time. The only other thing you will need is an English - Gaelic dictionary.

No comments about Scotland Travel Pack (Globetrotter Travel Packs).

1 comments about Romantic Scotland (Country).

1. There are beautiful photos on almost every page. The background it shares gives you a greater understanding of the country. A must for any traveler to Scotland or anyone with a love of the country.

No comments about Bike Scotland Book Two: 40 Great Highlands and Islands Routes (Pocket Mountains): Book two.

No comments about Scotland Highlands & Islands, 3rd (Footprint - Travel Guides).

No comments about Lonely Planet Scotland's Highlands and Islands.

1 comments about Witching for William.

1. Evelyn Birkby is a master storyteller and homemaker whose chatty newspaper columns and radio commentaries have entertained, comforted and educated Midwesterners for nearly 60 years. She's done it so well that The New Yorker magazine in 1991 did a 15-page feature on her, and she wound up on all the TV network news shows. This new book Witching for William may be Evelyn's best story ever, and certainly the deepest reporting job she's ever done. It is a search for, and profile of, her long-lost great-great-grandfather William Corrie. She turns it into a riveting adventure. What makes it so for general readers like us is not that Evelyn's family is so much more interesting than yours or mine, but that she tells the story so much better than most of us could. It's helpful that she includes genealogy tips at the end of each chapter. And it's perfect that she includes a fitting recipe after each chapter, too. Her first boss in the newspaper business told her in 1949 always to put a recipe at the end of every column she wrote "because they may not read anything else but they'll always read a recipe." That advice has served her - and her readers - very well, and the recipes in Witching for William make it possible for you not only to read this story but also to taste it.
   ~ from Iowa writer Chuck Offenburger