No comments about Brazil (Country Guide).

1 comments about Peru (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. It's tough to pick the "best" guidebook for a particular destination, and the proliferation of free travel information on the web makes choosing "the one" even tougher. My wife and I always start with a copy of an EyeWitness guide for the destination: there are pictures on every page, and we find the images help us plan our trip: the guides are particularly good for architecture and art. The practical guides in the back provide a useful overview of currency, hotels and restaurants.
   
   This guide to Peru is a particularly good example of the DK offerings: the images, paper, text, all are up to the high standards of other books in the series. We returned from our trip to Peru two days after the Eyewitness guide arrived, so that we used two other guides during our trip. That experience reinforced our belief that the Eyewitness series is the best starting point for us.
   
   Peru is a very complicated country, and Eyewitness does a superb job of describing that complexity in words and in pictures. Its treatment of Lima was particularly good -- we were lost in the details in the two other books we used on the trip, but Lima came to life clearly in the Eyewitness guide.
   
   Of course, you'll need more specific and detailed guides to many of the attractions: the Inca Trail if you choose to hike it, or Machu Picchu if you visit. But for a comprehensive and visually appealing overview, Eyewitness can't be beat.
   
   Having written that, there is really only one page that matters in deciding whether to buy: the newer the guide the better. This book appeared in a fully revised American edition in May, 2008. That will be very hard to beat for two or three years, in our experience.
   
   Note: DK maintains an excellent website at TravelDK , with updates on many of its guidebooks.
   
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008

5 comments about Moon Costa Rica (Moon Handbooks).

1. I usually purchase Lonely Planet guides, but the LP Costa Rica was too old. Moon was more recently published and I'm very glad that I was able to try out a different series. I was very impressed with Moon Costa Rica and the Moon series will definitely be one that I check first when looking for a guidebook in the future.
   
   The book has a similar tone to LP as it is written by a Brit, but one with a tremendous amount of knowledge of Costa Rica as well as Latin America. The layout was logical and easy to navigate.
   
   Of all the Costa Rica guidebooks on the shelf this one had the most, and most detailed maps. In small towns where there are no road signs and "intestinal" roads that make getting turned around and confused very easy these detailed and zoomed-in maps came in very, very handy.
   
   Of all the guidebooks it also devoted the most amount of pages to the areas where we were visiting (the Pacific beaches/Nicoya peninsula and the Arenal volcano area).
   
   I liked this guidebook especially because it gave me the feeling that nothing was left out. For instance, while driving by the tiniest town I noticed that it would be mentioned in the guidebook even if very little was written about it.



2. Although originally from the US, I've lived in Costa Rica for many years. This is the guidebook I use personally and the one I recommend to friends. Not only is it very complete and up to date, but it's also well-written and enjoyable to read.



3. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, as I photographed the cover art. Having lived in Costa Rica and traveled there many times, I was interested in the content and immediately set about looking through the book. I found many of my favorite hotels described exactly as they are, in such glowing detail that I find myself wanting to go back. The writing is engaging and it's clear the author knows the country inside and out, often inserting blurbs on future projects where relevant. It's also well illustrated with b&w photos throughout. This is THE guidebook on Costa Rica!
   
   Also recommended: Moon Guatemala (Moon Handbooks)



4. Extremely happy with this guide book. It is very well organized and seems complete. The authors will tell you their favorite places as well as ones to avoid. Has phone numbers and websites (if available) for most of the hotels. Quite a few pictures included. Totally worth the money.



5. As a loyal Lonely Planet reader, I thought Moon would be as good or better, considering the reviews for the two. This book is written for the author's ideals only - anyone who is really into sportfishing and seeing exclusively expats while traveling. It does a poor job of listing the more budget-minded lodging and restaurants, and has little to no mention of info that would suit someone with cultural interest. All restaurants and lodging are "to avoid the Ticos, book here" or "try expat Chuck and Susan's pace, here". It would help someone book an entire trip to see other travelers traveling, and to go fishing. Disappointed, I went to the bookstore and paged through LP's older, more concise guide book, and was thrilled to see better descriptions, more color pictures, and more cultural insight. Moon's book also packs an extra 100 pages of Costa Rican history - something that is nice, but not necessary to take with me in a backpack trekking around the country.
   Lastly, the author has an absurd overuse with superlatives! "This beach is the best in the country" and "the wildlife in this park is unmatched" - these are good descriptions, but when applied to every park and every beach, given that there are dozens, it makes it difficult for the traveler to make an informed decision to organize their best trip to Costa Rica.
   Overall I was disappointed and will be buying a different guide book to take with me.

5 comments about Streetwise Washington, DC Map - Laminated City Street Map of Washington, DC.

1. This map was a great help when we were in DC - the detail was fantastic and it was easy to tote around. The enlarged detail for the national mall was extremely helpful
   
   one small detraction - the print is small - so be warned



2. When I moved to DC I had only been there one additional time, my job interview! My friends got me a guide book for moving to DC and this map. It saved my life the first trip to DC on a weekend, and it helped me explore great dining since I knew how far it was to walk or Metro. I love this map so much I know have one for most cities I visit, like Manhattan!



3. Map is extremely small and difficult to read. It did help but, it was not easy to use, especially while driving when information is needed rapidly.



4. This was the best source for helping us maneuver through the maze of buildings, monuments, and memorials in Washington, DC. The map is very functional. Flip it one way and you see the Metro, flip it another way you see the mall, still another and you have a DC area map. Since it's laminated, I kept it in my pocket while walking around and didn't worry about it getting sweaty or damaged. I really like the detailed names of the buildings and monuments near and around the national mall. Metro stops and streets are well marked. The next best thing to GPS.



5. We used this guide everyday of our trip to Washington, DC. The subway guide was especially useful. I never felt lost, and didn't waste any time trying to figure out where to go. It was such an important thing to have each day, we double checked each time we left the hotel to make sure we had it. I highly recommend it.

5 comments about The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour.

1. The book was a great book to have while at the site and to refer back to upon return from the trip. It provides a great insight into the construction and detailing as well as closeby offsite areas that are important to know about.



2. Having walked the plateau and ruins of Machu Picchu over a two day period this book has served as a marvelous tool to relive the experience. The wealth of pictures, duplicating some of my own, and the text set a perspective for this wonder of the world. Subtitled as "A Self Guided Tour" the book does accomplish that role. If there is a negative to the book it rests with the fact that most of the photographs are shot in black and white. Even so, you will have no difficulty recognizing the sites as you stand before them.



3. I spent 8 hrs visiting Machu Picchu following the guide. It was very detailed in describing each sector and the information given was enough to get a good understanding of the place. We walked to see the "Inca Bridge" and it described exactly what to expect and when to stop walking. I will recommend this book to anyone that is going to visit Machu Picchu. Great guide!!!



4. The reviews of this book on Amazon and elsewhere are comprehensive on its strengths and weaknesses. We used it to research our trip to Peru, consulted it on the ground at Machu Picchu even though we had a very good guide, and have re-read it as a memory aid on our return home.
   
   We've heavily annotated Wright's book, both before and at Machu Picchu. It's been a great help in writing captions for our photographs.
   
   My wife and I followed the same procedure with an excellent pocket sized guide to Pompeii years ago, where we broke away from the guided tour and spent hours wandering on our own. We carried the guide back to Italy a few years later, and added additional annotations on a second visit to the site. We've often re-read that little guide and re-lived those two excursions.
   
   We hoped to watch a sunrise from the Guardhouse, "where a visitor can anticipate the sun with nothing more than a llama grazing in the distance. As the golden rays slip down Huayna Picchu, the buildings on the ridge below start to emerge from the shadows until Machu Picchu is presented in all its glory. It is a breathtaking, almost spiritual experience, and one you will never forget."
   
   In the event, the valley was socked in and we climbed Huayna Picchu instead. From time to time, the clouds would clear and small parts of the site would appear. In my imagination, I was seeing Machu Picchu much as Hiram Bingham might have done, when much of the site was covered with vegetation.
   
   Altogether, Wright has written an excellent and very useful guide to a wonderful site.
   
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008



5. This book is fairly scholarly and serious, but I read it on a cross-country flight, using the detailed map insert to locate key items as I read. It made my enjoyment of the site itself many many times greater. Most local guides you hire at the site will only show you "Machu Picchu's greatest hits", and with the book's knowledge you can really appreciate what they are taking you to and can explore the rest effectively on your own. I was glad to have read and studied the book and its many illustrations ahead, however, as the weather was wet and using it as an on-the-spot guide wouldn't have worked so well.

5 comments about A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail).

1. I am a big fan of Bill Bryson, and this is one of my top two or three favorite books by him, which is saying quite a bit. In this outing he takes us with him as he and a friend hike sections of the Appalachian Trail. I don't say "takes us with him" lightly, as with his descriptive style and expert narrative, you really feel as though you're slogging through the eastern US right along with him- and laughing every step of the way. When I finished this book, I actually felt as though I had walked the trail (in spirit, at least) and gained a greater respect for it and the folks who take care of it.
   
   The hilarity starts before the hike, as Bryson goes into a sporting goods and buys all of the requisite items for the hike. It is here that we first get an idea of a) how funny this is going to be and b) how expensive it is to hike and camp. As he arrives at the airport in Georgia to start the trail at its southern terminus, you're actually psyched- you really feel like you're with Bryson and Katz on their journey. Along the way, they meet many other people, many of whom Bryson pokes fun at, as he tends to do. Instead of hiking the entire trail from Maine to Georgia, they take it in sections over a period of time, which actually makes for more interesting reading.
   
   Especially interesting is Bryson's philosophical musings on the whole hiking experience and how it has changed his life. He brings up a good point: after months of doing nothing but walking along a trail in the woods, what do you DO with yourself? It makes you think about larger issues, like nature, the earth, life... which is most likely his point all along.



2. Bill Bryson's travel writing is filled with humor, introspection and fascinating information. In this work, Bryson takes us through the trials, tribulations an joys of hiking the Appalachian Trail. On the way, we learn of the origins of the trail, of the flora and fauna along it, of the tragedies that have occurred in it, but most of all, we are left with a deep and profound respect, and even awe, for nature's wonders. Adding to the flavor of the tale is Bryson's companion, an old friend who resumes his friendship with Bryson to join him on the trail, and is a foil to Bryson's personality, a sort of Sancho Panza to Bryson' Don Quixote.
   
   Bryson is a skilled craftsman with words, and gives vivid, memorable accounts of his ramble through the trail, all the while interjecting his own persona, his witty observations relating to the woods, environmental issues, the lore of the trail, without diminishing the powerful presence of the nature and environment in which he moves. As a very average Joe, in many respects, it becomes easy for the rest of us to identify with Bryson, with his fears and failures on the trail, with his frustrations and his triumphs. We are left with all the emotions and experience of the trail but without the bumps and bruises.



3. Simply put - what a delightful read! I laughed so hard at times I needed to go "potty". What a great light-hearted book! This goes on my "keeper" pile for a future re-read for sure!



4. Bill Bryson is hillarious. The first few chapters contained bits and pieces that had me laughing out loud, which is not something I come across often in literature.
   
   The book details a hike that Bryson and his friend (an out-of-shape character's character!) took on the Appalachian Trail. Both "older" gentleman aren't exactly in the best of shape... neither is a very experienced outdoorsman. Yet they both appreciate the signifigance of the trail, and are able to hike a good bit of it without mishap.
   
   The way that Bryson writes is just invigorating. He's just so funny, and describes people in the most beautiful way. He's also managed to get quite a bit of back-story on the Appalachian Trail into this text, so the book is not only entertaining, but also somewhat educational. It made me want to jump on a plane and start hiking the trail!
   
   After reading this book, I'm definitely going to search for more of Bryson's work. He's a good author, and this is a good story.



5. This is actually a review of two books, one old and one new. Both are nonfiction, and both are intended for grown-ups. There's nothing in them that kids will find objectionable, but they may find them boring. I found them to be funny, poignant at times, and thought-provoking.
   
   The first is called A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson, published in 1997. The second is called Scout's Honor, by Peter Applebome, published in 2003. Bryson is a writer and journalist who decided to walk the Appalachian Trail at around age 50, and Walk is the story of his adventures on the AT. Applebome is a writer and a journalist who decided to become a Boy Scout dad at around age 50, and Honor is the story of his adventures with his son's Boy Scout troop and with Scouting in general.
   
   I read Walk several years ago, and just discovered Honor last week. Reading Honor reminded me of Walk, so much so that I couldn't review the former without talking about the latter.
   
   Bryson and a friend decided, almost on a lark, to hike the AT which they had heard so much about, but Bryson was so inexperienced a hiker that he couldn't tell a Nalgene from a North Face. In fact, his introduction to backpacking and hiking occurred in a sporting goods store. He and his friend started at the southern end of the AT, in Georgia, on a snowy autumn day, and ended, with a few breaks, at the northern end in Maine several years later.
   
   Bryson's writing is self-deprecating and intentionally funny. He plays for laughs, and he gets them. By poking fun at himself, he gives himself license to give all the other characters on the trail the same treatment he gives himself in his writing. The book is funny throughout. But just as Mark Twain and Will Rogers gave us lots of food for thought in the middle of their humor, so Bryson writes a series of thoughtful essays between the lines of his funny stories: lessons about people's character and behavior, about greed and status, about environmental awareness and social responsibility, and about what Thoreau called "the need for wilderness" or something like that. (Yes, Thoreau talked about it before John Muir did.)
   
   When you finish Bryson's book, you will be as satisfied with the conclusion as he was with the end of the hike. You may also come away with a renewed appreciation for wild places and with an awareness of the personality flaws that make you similar to the characters Bryson writes about. It's definitely a book I would read again.
   
   Applebome, like Bryson, knew nothing about hiking, camping and backpacking, until he moved his family from Atlanta to Chappaqua, New York, and his son wanted to join the Boy Scouts. He was reluctant to get into the hiking and the canoeing, the knot-tying and the sleeping outside on the hard ground surrounded by rain, snow, wind and critters. He had hoped that his son would express an interest in Little League baseball instead, but, wishing to score some Good Dad points with his son, he went along with him to the Boy Scout meetings and outings.
   
   Even before he started, Applebome had anti-Boy-Scout leanings -- but as he became more involved with his son's troop, that changed. Interweaved with the funny and poignant story of his own adventures with his son's troop, Applebome tells a balanced, thoughtful, well-researched and honest story about the history of Scouting and its founders, its awkward attempts to adapt to social change, and the recent controversies surrounding it. The book isn't all narrative -- it includes a lot of reporting, exposition and editorializing -- but it's definitely worth reading.
   
   Applebome comes the end of his book grateful for having been able to share the experience with his son, the troop leaders, and the other Scouts and their dads. He himself grows considerably through his experiences, and he faces a huge crisis of conscience when the Boy Scouts win the Supreme Court judgement in their favor with respect to gays in Scouting. The crisis of conscience occurs because he feels that the corporate organization that is the Boy Scouts of America is dead wrong on at least one of the "three G" issues (gays, God, and girls) and not faithful to the wishes of Scouting's founders, and yet he sees that the local organizations of Scouting, the councils and troops, are a powerful force for good in their communities and are getting a raw deal by both BSA headquarters and the left-wing liberals who get all over Scouting's case because of the three Gs.
   
   Being a reporter and a problem-solver at heart, he takes a long, hard look at what Scouting could be (and should be), compares it to what it is, and makes several really good recommendations for fixing Scouting. One of the most interesting things he says is that the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, the moral foundations for Scouting (in the U.S.A.), are rock-solid and it woud be a very good thing if all boys (and men!) lived by those tenets. He also says (either himself, or quoting someone) that the Boy Scout Handbook, any edition, is just the kind of "advice to boys" that people have been longing to give to boys today.
   
   Unfortunately, Scouting is increasingly irrelevant in a society which competes so heavily (and so much more effectively) for boys' attention with sports, video games, and so on. Applebome laments this turn of events, and yet he asserts, with his primary evidence being the members of his own son, that Scouting appeals to a certain group of boys who really don't care if other people think it's uncool, and that Scouting (practiced the way it should be) really is a Good Thing in the boys' lives and is a major influence in turning them into the kind of men this world needs. (Those are my words, not his. He said it differently.)
   
   Scout's Honor is written to and for three groups of people: former Boy Scouts who are now adults; current and former Boy Scouts; and current and former Boy Scout leaders. It's high-energy food for thought for all three groups.
   
   A Walk in the Woods is written for everyone, and will be especially enjoyed by those who love or hate hiking, backpacking, camping, wilderness and the fools they find there. Although it contains more mental junk food than food for thought, it will open your mind and is definitely worth reading.

5 comments about Peru (Country Guide).

1. I am a seasoned backpacker and have been to places in the remote jungles of the Philippines to the cosmopolitan city of Sydney and back. I have tried using Fodors and Frommers, but Lonely Planet has by far served me better. I am not saying that I totally depend on Lonely Planet for all of my travel needs and resources, but I use it as an invaluable resource especially for transportation and maps. I have yet to use the Rough Guide Series or the Moon Series, so I cannot speak on their behalf.



2. As always, Lonely Planet gives you all of the information you need for a trip that meets and exceeds all of your expectations. This includes those little known corners of a place that are the most memorable.



3. I am not a huge fan of Lonely Planet Guides like everyone else is...I much prefer Rough Guides. That said, this LP is much more up-to-date than Rough Guide Peru. It's helpful and gives you the facts, but I find the tone and attitude of the authors to be too jaded for my tastes. They seem to like being alternative for the sake of being alternative. I hope Rough Guide comes out with an update before my trip. Otherwise I'll be taking my Moon Guide, which I've found very helpful and upbeat.



4. Great book, very in depth. Perfect for my trip in 6 weeks! Can't wait for the Bolivia book to arrive.



5. The book was exactly as I expected and was in excellent condition. It arrived in a very timely manner.

5 comments about The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey.

1. A real story, a real adventure, all done by a former President of the United States. Since I slept thru most of my history classes, this book offers great insight into what I've now learned to be one of the greatest men to lead this country.
   
   A very satisfying read and highly recommended.



2. A 54 year old ex-president tries to get out of a funk by planning a trip down the Amazon. Then after the planning is done, on an off-hand remark by a travelling companion, he decides to explore an uncharted river filled with flesh eating fish and alligators, controlled by indians, and dotted with rapids. Only Teddy Roosevelt would have considered this and only Teddy would have survived it. With real stories like this, who needs fiction?
   
   A great read for adventure lovers.



3. Great book. I read quite a few books of this type and this is one of the best. This is a part of Teddy's life I new nothing about. I'm surprised there hasn't been a movie made from it yet.



4. I enjoyed this book of adventure & discovery in the Amazon basin. The events in this story take place less than 100 years ago but what a different world it was then. This story takes place within a year or two of the first people reaching the North & South poles - this is a time of great discovery around the world. Theodore Roosevelt takes one last daring journey in a life that was full of adventure (or in his own words he "had lived the life of 10 men..." ) The journey takes him & his companions on a several month journey down an uncharted river.
   
   Candice Millard does a good job mixing the telling of the story with the background of world events at the time & some interesting details about the people, plants & animals of the Amazon basin. It is amazing how much our world has changed since the events in this story took place. I would recommend this book as a good historical adventure story.



5. I read this while on vacation in Florida, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The rain has been torrential. It took little imagination to see myself in a dugout with Roosevelt. A great read in any location.

5 comments about The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 (Unofficial Guides).

1. I am an admitted Disney fanatic - I have two rooms in my home that are disneyfied. I own a disney time share and I used to work for the disney store when my children were little. I never miss an opportunity to go to Disney. Everytime we go to Disney, I buy another one of these books. Not only are they realistic, not just the standard Disney line, the touring maps that they give are ExCELLENT! We have used their maps and guidelines everytime and they have been awesome. Yes, you criss-cross the parks at times but the shorter wait times made it so worth the effort!! It may seem ridiculous to plan your day like that but do it just ONE time and you will be hooked!! We will not go to WDW without it!!



2. This is a fantastic book. It gives an organized, thoughtful overview of every aspect of Disney World-- hotels, rides, food, events. Visiting Disney is NOT an inexpensive trip, and we wanted to see the things that were most important to us and not waste time on inappropriate rides or long lines. The Unofficial Guide gives great touring plans that you can modify to fit your particular needs and wants. THESE PLANS WORK! We weren't militant about them, but used their general guidelines. I have a 3 year old and a 7 year old, and the suggestions for age-appropriate rides and shows are quite accurate. Our trip was 2 weeks ago, and we are still basking in the glow of a succesful vacation. DO follow the book's recommendations to make reservations for the Fantasmic! show and for Cinderella's Table. Great book, don't go to Disney World without it.



3. Want tons of information about everything you need to know before going to DisneyWorld? Then this is the book you need. It details every aspect in a well layed out format that allows you to read as much/little as you want. What you will find is you read more than less due to the wonderful tips that will help you save money and spend your time wisely. Great information on the parks, the restaurants, places to stay (on and off campus) and a wealth of other information such as: only have one day for a park? there is a rip out map to show you how to maximize your time! Want a specific type of food? the restaurants are listed categorically. (TIP: set your reservations months in advance!) Need a direct phone number to pretty much anywhere that takes calls in the parks? its there.
   
   The only 'con' i will throw out is that the pictures are few and then not in color. This is more by design than a real flaw. Plenty of other park books have full color pics if that's what you want. I ended up ordering both types as my 10 year old daughter wanted something to look at too. (I stuck with this one, she loves her book.)



4. This book has been a great resource in planning our upcoming trip to Disney World this fall. Without this guide, we would have missed out on some great deals and opportunities, and probably ended up with a far less enjoyable trip than what we have planned. Definitely required reading for anyone anticipating a Disney getaway.



5. This is a really great book!! I've been to Disney twice before with my 2 children who are under the age of 5. This book offers great tips on things to do with children while waiting in line, what to do about strollers, etc. Lots of things I hadn't thought of before. I wish I had bought this sooner. There is a ton of info in here all in one place. As far as the touring plans, I think you just need to take those in stride...if you have a family that will follow them...great...if not then try to follow as closely as possbile. I think as long as you are armed with information, your trip will be much more pleasant than if you just show up and wing it! Love the comparisons on Character Meals and also on the Hotels on Disney Property. There's even info on hotels and restaurants other than on Disney Property. Again...great source of info all in one place.

5 comments about A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World.

1. Some of my favorite books are those in which the authors recreate historical voyages. Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki and Ra journeys, Colin Tubrin's pilgrimage along the Silk Road, Dayton Duncan's re-tracing the Lewis & Clark path: I love reading that stuff. And now Tony Horwitz has contributed to the genre with his A Voyage Long and Strange, a book in which he "roams the annals of early America" (p. 7). Readers who remember his Confederates in the Attic can well imagine the insight with which Horwitz explores the history of the New World's discovery and the wry sense of humor he brings to his personal rediscovery of ancient routes.
   
   Horwitz set out to explore all the points in the New World "discovered" and described by early explorers. Focusing on the three categories (that frequently, in reality, overlapped) of discovery, conquest, and settlement, Horwitz narrates the history of, for example, Coronado's search for the Cities of Gold (pp. 134-164) or the settlement of Roanoke's "lost colony" (pp. 293-325), and interweaves in the narration accounts of his own travels over Coronado's route and his exploration of the Carolina peninsula where the lost colony once flourished. The mixture makes for exciting reading, lending a contemporary vitality to the historical descriptions.
   
   I was especially intrigued by Horwitz's account of the Spanish exploration of the New World (chapters 5-9). It's as good a short account of the conquest of the southeastern coastal regions, the southwestern deserts, and the plains west of the Mississippi, as any I know. Chapter 9, which deals with de Soto's rather aimless trek north of what today is Louisiana into Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas--which Horwitz describes as "wandering blind, deaf, and mute in the middle of the continent" (p. 255)--is particularly interesting.* It really does underscore just how much of a leap into the unknown the early visitors to the New World were making.
   
   All in all, an interesting read with a good bibliography and several helpful maps. Highly recommended.
   ________
   * While trying to recreate de Soto's confused ramblings, Horowitz makes his way to Arkansas City, where he's been told he'll find de Soto's coffin. But Horwitz discovers he's been on a wild goose chase. As a city elder tells him, "Young man, I do believe you've been led on. Just like those Spanish, always chasing their gold" (p. 259). In more ways than one, then, Horwitz walked in the early explorers' shoes.



2. Who could have guessed that history (and current events) could be so much fun. Horwitz, whose previous triumphs have included books about Civil War reenactments, travels in the Middle East, and a retracing of Captain Cook's voyages in the South Pacific, turns his gimlet eye on the first European forays into the New World. "Washing up" in Plymouth, Massachusetts one day on a New England road trip, he buys a beer at the Myles Standish Liquor store, beds down at the William Bradford inn, and then mocks (in his mind) the clueless tourists at Plymouth Rock. But as he mulls over his experience, he realizes how little (even as a history major) he knows about the origins of the land that became America. The rest, as they say, is history, and history of a most witty and enlightening kind. Who knew, for instance, that Juan Ponce de Leon came to Florida looking for gold and slaves like everyone else, and not for the Fountain of Youth? or that the man for whom the DeSoto touring car was named was a butcher of unequaled savagery? The first feast in the New World that might appropriately be called Thanksgiving took place in St. Augustine and probably consisted of a stew of salt pork and garbanzo beans. (And there is some contention between Floridians and "the powdered wig" states over who should get credit for the national holiday.) A Voyage Long and Strange is a ball of laughs and a veil of tears--the offhand executions of women and children play out in the same text as deliberations upon whether moose is kosher and whether one should ride the "Trolley of the Doomed" in St. Tourist Trap, Florida. Horwitz goofs some stuff up--he thinks Mormons believe themselves to be descendants of the Nephites--but on the whole this is a fascinating, impossible-to-put-down look at where we came from and what we have become.



3. When a history book describes Plymouth Rock as looking like a "fossilized potato" and Florida's capitol building as "The Big D...," you know you're in for something unusual. Having gone to college in Tallahassee, I can attest to the reasons for the capitol's nickname -- its "towering shaft flanked by gonadlike domes," as author Tony Horwitz puts it. He writes with equal wit throughout "A Voyage Long and Strange," a smart, funny book that skewers traditional views of our nation's past. I couldn't put it down.
   
   The book explores the lusty, violent period in American history between Columbus and Jamestown. Horwitz embarks on a journey of his own, exploring the modern-day places where our country began. Along the way he uncovers some strange truths -- Columbus never saw or set foot on any land that became U.S. soil; Pocahontas was only 10 years old when she met John Smith and they were never romantic; Ponce de Leon was looking not for the Fountain of Youth but rather gold, just like so many others. The overall picture is cruel, hilarious, messy, unfair and always fascinating.
   
   Over a dozen maps and many historical black and white illustrations are scattered through the book.
   
   Here's the chapter list:
   
   Part 1: Discovery
   1. Vinland: First contact
   2. 1492: The hidden half of the globe
   3. Santo Domingo: The Columbus jinx
   4. Dominican Republic: You think there are still Indians?
   
   Part II: Conquest
   5. The Gulf Coast: Naked in the New World
   6. The Southwest: To the Seven Cities of Stone
   7. The Plains: Sea of grass
   8. The South: De Soto does Dixie
   9. The Mississippi: Conquistador's last stand
   
   Part III: Settlement
   10. Florida: Fountain of youth, river of blood
   11. Roanoke: Lost in the lost colony
   12. Jamestown: The captain and the naturals
   13. Plymouth: A tale of two rocks



4. Another interesting book historical travelogue by Horwitz as he looks and resteps the paths of the early explorers and settlers of America and looks at what the sites are like today. Horwitz's starts each subject with readable, well researched historical summaries as he personally visits the sites and attempts to accurately follow their trail in the present day world and while trying to solve the mysteries along the way. What is unique about Horwitz is that he interviews local historians, park rangers, qualified historians and authorities on the subject including the local folk who have their own insight and opinions, adding the local flavor. That's the attraction of Horwitz's style, he gives you the interesting history and its controversies with a touch of humor as he also meets some interesting characters while running into some unique situations. And he dosen't just see the easy tourist stop such as when he went looking for the remains of an Indian village he unexpectedly ends up in a swamp, requiring a hasty retreat. He gets the real history and quite often the local legends are challenged, most aggressively in historical St. Augustine where the alleged fountain of youth is peddled right next to authentic historical sites. The author starts with an initially under whelmed visit to Plymouth Rock that has been suggested as the historical start of America but he then follows the first paths of all the known first Europeans to make it to American from the Vikings in Newfoundland, Columbus, Conquistadors (from Cortez, Desoto to Ponce de Leon), the French in Florida, the Spanish in St. Augustine, the late coming English in Roanoke Island, Jamestown and Plymouth Rock returning again where his travels started. Following the conquistadors seems the most trying aside the Columbus and the heat in the Caribbean, but you will find Horwitz's travels quite interesting particularly if you not only enjoy history but also actually standing on sites of historical significance, regardless what urban development has done in the present. Fortunately, much of the country that Horwitz encounters is either remote or reasonably protected. I particularly enjoyed reading of the extended travels of Desoto who continued to chase the dream of gold that he could never find, for four years! Exploring endless unknown interior of America while his troop strength eroded and his forcefulness with the Native Americans became weaker and more aggressively challenged until he becomes the victim. Horwitz provides appropriate attention to the most depressing aspect of American history, the harsh treatment of Native Americans that seems most severe by the Conquistadors but it reoccurs with the English settlers as well. The exposure of the white man's diseases to the natives and its devastating impact is astonishing virtually eliminating complete tribes literally easing the Pilgrim's ability to settle in pre-cleared Indian lands. The failed Roanoke colony's abandonment is fascinating as always but many other early soldiers, slaves, hunter and etc. were left behind with no knowledge of what happened to them as well and the author tells you about them. Aside from the history summarized or seen first hand, Horwitz provides nicely detailed descriptions of the towns and people he meets, the various places he stays, that obviously vary in quality, even a sweat lodge in Newfoundland that almost does him in. Entertaining and quite frequently Horwitz's rye sense of humor and observations give you a chuckle. In closing, his references are nicely detailed so if a subject fascinates you, you have the resource to read more. With his references, I found an excellent book, the right book, on Desoto's relentess and devastating exploration.



5. I have been waiting for this book and I wasn't disappointed. Tony Horwitz has an uncanny ability to make history fun! I plan on sending this book to friends and family who still believe the many myths of history. Keep up the good work, Tony!