No comments about BIG MOUTH THE AMAZON SPEAKS.

No comments about Frommer's Miami by Night.

No comments about Buenos Aires Para Chicos.

No comments about The Romance of the Colorado River.

No comments about Frommer's Dollarwise Brazil 1989-1990 (Frommer's Brazil).

No comments about Lonely Planet Chile (Lonely Planet Chile & Easter Island).

1 comments about Footprint South American Handbook 2003.

1. I have only been in five of the fourteen countries covered in this handbook, but of those I have travel through, I found this all-in-one guide to be succinct, reliable and valuable. That said, it does not replace the comprehensiveness of a specific country guide. Basically, this handbook is a digested compilation of the specific country handbooks that Footprint produces. Thus, if you are only visiting one or two countries, buy those handbooks. If you are going to explore South America and want only one guide, this guide will be valuable.

   Each country section is condensed, comprehensive and reliable. Though smaller towns will be omitted, the most important cities, towns and sites will be covered. Each country has been segmented into regions, as noted by the country's map, and within each region Footprint covers the top two, three or four cities or towns in a region. Basic travel information is given at the beginning of each country.

   As with all Footprint Handbooks this guide has excellent color maps. In the back of the guide you will find ... exceptional color maps of South America. Also, throughout the book, I found the b&w maps of regions and cities to be very good.

   Another impressive aspect of this guide is found at the beginning, in the 'Essentials' section, where there is a very good discussion of bringing and using a car/SUV throughout South America. This section also includes information on motorcycling and a section on cycling throughout South America.

   Though each country section does have a 'futher reading & useful websites' section, this is very basic. The section on health/vaccination is bare bone basic.

   On the "downside" I often found that the brevity of the restaurant and lodging remarks were so terse (or no remarks at all) that they were not helpful, i.e.,. Hotel Barros Arana (Chile):modern, or a restaurant remark: good not cheap, or a hostel: helpful. Also I find the intrusive paid advertisements for hotels, tour companies, hostels, calling cards and travel
   services throughout the book (a half-page, a full-page, a quarter page) offensive. The purchase ... should be more than enough to make a profit, but Footprint chooses to afflict its readers with uninvited advertising to increase its profits.

   For those using glasses, the small type that the publishers uses will cause you to strain to read in low or poorly lighted areas. Also, the pricing for accommodations is a cumbersome rating system that could be simplified. It is not user friendly. There is no pricing guide for restaurants.

   That said, this is an adequate, to very good, guide for those who are going to visit a multitude of countries while in South America. The information is current and reliable. Especially recommended for those that plan to motor through South America. Recommended

No comments about Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania.

1 comments about Ambassador of Air Travel: The Untold Story of Lindbergh's 1927-1928 Good Will Tours.

1. Everyone knows that Charles A. Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic in 1927. But what many people have forgotten is that the journey across "the pond" (as we now call it!) was only the beginning of a long adventure for both C.A.L. and his aircraft, the Spirit of St. Louis. From June of 1927 through April 1928, Lindbergh undertook a goodwill tour of the United States that eventuallly stretched to include Mexico and the nations of the Carribean. It was an audacious and unprecedented jaunt, and one which further endeared "Slim" to an American public which had already placed him on a splendiferous pedestal.
   
   Lindy's intent in taking this second epic flight was not self-promotion, but to extoll the virtues of air travel and to demonstrate that flying could be safe, efficient, and dependable. What better way to make that point than to fly cross -country, barnstorm dozens of cities, and wow the crowd with the spectacle of that silvery plane that had already seized the headlines and the national imagination? It was the type of audacious and inspirational gesture that makes Lindbergh, despite his well-known personal flaws and scary political leanings, an American for the ages.
   
   Ev Cassagneres has chronicled Lindy's trans-Atlantic flight, and the planning that made it possible, in an earlier book, "The Untold Story of the Spirit of St. Louis". This text serves as a sequel of sorts, and sheds light on what has been until now, an oft-overlooked aspect of the SOSL story. Each stop on Lindy's itinerary is described in detail, and illustrated with numerous black and white photos.
   
   If you're a Lindy fan, or are curious to know more about a stop in your hometown -- for instance I fanned the pages to read about Lindy's stop in Tucson, Arizona -- then this is the book for you. (In Tucson, incidentally, Lindy was greeted by a replica of his plane made out of cactus. He took one look and said, "You don't expect me to get in that thing do you?" !!)
   
   Unfortunately, a tour like the one Lindy conducted is in many ways like the whistlestop trip taken by a politician -- lacking in drama and with the same stump speech recycled on frequent occasion. This is in fact one of the key weaknesses of this book; simply put the subject is not engrossing enough to garner more than a casual read. That, and the fact that the illustrations are given short shrift (most are less than 3x5") makes the book less attractive than one might have hoped. Also, and this is my real criticism of this book, the text does not cover the most critical aspect of this whirlwind tour, which is to add Lindbergh's perspective and feeling. Perhaps Ev Cassagneres felt this was covered best by Lindbergh in his own books, or those written by others, but it leaves the text feeling dry and matter-of-fact.
   
   The conclusion of the book, and the conclusion of this epic tour, for instance, is recounted in a rather droll manner. One wonders indeed how Lindy faced that moment. He had braved the Atlantic and flown thousands of miles in his trusty Ryan, given about 150 speeches, and had now returned to Bolling Field to hand his plane over to the Smithsonian. Did he choke with emotion, wondering what the future might hold? Or did he walk away without a care in the world, his thoughts on pretty Anne Morrow? For the answer to that question and ones like it, you'd have to read another book.
   
   That being said, "Ambassador of Air Travel" is a nice reference work for any afficianado of C.A.L., and would make a good addition to any library's reference room.

No comments about Charleston South Carolina: A Collection of Photographs.