5 comments about A Blast to the Past.

1. Chief Petty Officer Brian Skelley, US navy bomb expert, had been on his last assignment in a remote training area of the Scottish Highlands. Brian had planted several different types of inert bombs for his men to locate and identify. However, they found one planted by someone else...and it was live!

   Brian woke up to find himself in the year 1301. Kilbeinn Castle, which had been only ruins before, had somehow become tall, sturdy, and full of life. The Clan Mackenzie dwelled in the keep. Callum and Malcolm had chanced upon Brian and took him to the castle for treatment by Caira.

   Caira Mackenzie was Laird of the clan. Her father and husband were dead. All the able-bodied men had left to join the notorious William Wallace when Caira's father had signed a treaty of neutrality with King Edward. Thus all the care and protection of the clan fell on her slim shoulders. Caira had no way of knowing if Brian was part of the foul Englishmen in the fort nearby or not. Wisely, she kept wary and sent him to the fort, by way of Callum and Malcolm, when he was well. Upon finding out Brian was NOT with those from the fort, and seeing him stand up to the cruel English, the two escorted Brian back to the keep. Caira allowed Brian time to "experiment". She never understood what the black powder was that Brian was experimenting with or what he meant to do with the foul smelling powder.

   Brian wanted only to return to the year 2004. He was positive that if he made the powder just right the blast would send him back home. However, he could not ignore the plight of Caira and the clan. In the process of helping them, he and Caira began falling in love. Now he must decide whether to stay in 1301 with Caira or return to his own time.

   ***** Ah, this story is pure bliss! The characters are so easy to care for and the ending was an act of genius! Brava, Virginia Farmer! I enjoyed every minute of this time travel romance and highly recommend it to all. *****

   Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.




2. Bombs are not normally creative, but a blast from one creates a new life and new hope in this tale. Brian Skelley rockets back from the present day to the days of Braveheart in Scotland. The ancient Scots are not sure what this sooty, burned man is. He might be an English Sassenach, and a danger. On the other hand, he could be one of the Wallace's men, and as such would help get rid of the English.

   Brian at first, of course, can't believe he not only was not blown to bits, but is back in time. Once he adjusts, he secures a place for himself as a bard and sets out to make a bomb, hoping to reverse the process. The hitch in his plan is that Caira Mackenzie is the loveliest woman he's ever laid eyes on, and going back to the future would leave her behind.

   *** Ms Farmer has well used familiar elements to create a romantic version of Connecticut Yankee, with a happier ending. Caira is a strong and admirable heroine, longing for both love and independence she can only have simultaneously with a man like Brian. Though the story is one we know well, it's also well done. ***
   Amanda Killgore




3. Chief Brian Skelley is supervising a bomb search and diffusion training exchange exercise in Scotland when a strange relic is discovered. One that explodes and sends Skelley man back in time to 1301, the time of William Wallace's rebellion. Caira Mackenzie is struggling to keep her secret (both her husband and her father are now dead and Castle Kilbeinn is without a laird) from the nearby British. Can the recently discovered Skelley help or hinder Caira? A Blast to the Past is brisk, breezy fun, with the adventure aspects getting just as much attention as the romantic story. All in all a short and satisfying read. Recommended.



4. This is a very interesting story. Most of the books that I have read on time travel have been from the female point of view.
   
   Traveling back in time through the eyes of a male was very refreshing and the story seemed to have more substance and strength in the characters, as well as the story line.
   
   I really recommend this book.



5. Time travel books are always fun to read. I liked this one because it was a man that did the time travel and of course saved the day.

No comments about Lonely Planet Egipto (Spanish Guides).

1 comments about Day & Overnight Hikes in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest, 2nd (Day & Overnight Hikes - Menasha Ridge).

1. I just used this book to navigate through the Dolly Sods Wilderness loop last weekend. The book was an invaluable tool because of the (somewhat) detailed trail maps it offers and the elevation profile of the trail. I did find the 2-3 page description of the trail to be pretty good, but I felt that it was too vague in spots.
   
   Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get started hiking in the Mon. After a few trips, you might even start making your own loops with knowledge you soak up from this book. I digg.

3 comments about On Tugboats.

1. On Tugboats-Stories of Work and Life Aboard is an extensive and detailed survey of the contemporary use of tugs and towboats throughout the United States. Meticulous research and many interviews with builders and restorers, pilots, masters, deck crews and fleet owners-who tend to be both frank and funny-combine to make this book a highly readable overview of the industry.
   Interviews with tug boat people delve into the many specific tasks of these unique vessels and their crews. They assist larger vessels in and out of tight places. They push and/or pull barges full of every conceivable commodity from garbage to petroleum. They cross oceans, tiptoe down the intracoastal waterway (there are 600 bridges between Virginia and Florida-most of them on bends) and navigate the narrow creeks of harbor cities. On 9/11 working tugs assisted the city fire boats in supplying water to fire fighters and ferried evacuees to New Jersey.
   Offshore tugboaters like it dull and quiet. "Boring is good." And then you receive the order to steam straight into Hurricane Floyd to search for a loose barge in 40' seas after its own tug has sunk. "Sometimes you're too scared to be seasick," says the captain who took that trip. Nevertheless, the consensus is that the tugboating life is a good one. " `Sometimes its like driving a taxi-cab through a snow bank with the doors open,' " says one captain, and " `sometimes it's like being a cowboy in complete control of your horse, herding and making the cows do just what he wants,' " says another.
   Notice to Mariners:
   Captain Bob Peterson who runs a tug for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company told Thorndike in the course of their conversations, " `If there's one message you can get out there it's to tell yacht people in general to find out where the commercial vessels are working on the radio-usually it's channel 13-and at least have the courtesy to communicate with us...I would be happy to talk with you and let you know what I want to do, what I'm going to do. When I call someone and they answer, it makes my day. Often they're intimidated, think we don't want to be bothered, but I would rather be bothered than dragged off in chains."



2. A very enjoyable and informative book. For the novice it is a detailed inside look at what "Tugboating" is all about. What will amaze the reader is the diversity and hard work that goes with the profession. My perspective is from the bridge of a United States Navy Aircraft Carrier. As a "Navigation Officer" I had both the pleasure and challenge of working the tugs as we got underway and came alongside the pier. The great skill demonstrated by the tug captains always impressed me and spurred my interest in their work. With an aircraft carrier it is "blind" work because of the shape and configuration of the carriers unique hull design. The point being is that the tug captains and crew, as pointed out in this book, must be skilled and up to the myriad of challenges that tugboating presents. This is a good, hands-on work by the author.



3. If you liked "Tugboats of New York", you will love this book. Where "Tugboats of New York" gave the history of tugboats and some details, it was just enough for me to want to know more. Now "On Tugboats" fills in some of the gaps and than much, much more. The author goes into the detail that I sought and explained (for example) with text and photos how the tug and its barge are coupled; something that intrigued me. There is, of course, a lot more information given. Now that more and bigger tugboats are being constructed as fast as the shipyards can fill the outstanding orders, because of the increased size and number of the new container ships that need their help, the industry is being revived, giving more impetus for the need to become better acquainted with them. There is no better way than reading this book. My only regret is that this book wasn't issued as a hard-cover edition with coated paper; the photos are great but would have shown up better on better quality paper and the hard cover would stand up better to the test of time for those of us who consider this a "keeper". Lastly, if you buy this and like it, get yourself "Tugboats of New York", you won't regret it.

1 comments about Fishing the New River Valley: An Angler's Guide.

1. Mike Smith provides informative tips for fishing the New River, its tributaries, and Claytor Lake in this delightfully concise book that should fit into a tackle box, glove box, or back pocket when folded up. He tackles times of year, water conditions, bait selection, lure presentation, and methodology (whether wading or paddling a canoe) to help readers make a more informed decision about where and how to fish in order to change the act of fishing into the action of catching. Moreover, Smith goes into species specific strategies as well as more general tactics called "Big Fish Tips" such as my two favorites from the book, which are found on pages 32 and 57: "Practice stealth" and "One word--topwater." You can tell that Smith knows his fish and his prose flows effortlessly and steadily like the river he details. From time to time, he punctuates his tactics with anecdotes that range from nostalgic musings about trips with his grandfather to more recent waxings on conservation and the plight of trout and smallmouth as civilization encroaches on their habitat. I read this book on a flight from Atlanta to Lexington, KY and was impressed with the scope of Smith's knowledge in such a brief work. It really made me homesick for Virginia and a float down the New where I have seen and caught some of the big fish for which Smith gives his expert tips. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fishing and more particularly to anyone who will be fishing in southwestern Virginia.

5 comments about Lonely Planet Vietnam.

1. I recently spent about 3 weeks in Vietnam. It was a great trip and I highly recommend visiting Vietnam to anyone who enjoys travelling in Asia.

   With that said, I feel that during a trip to Vietnam, the Lonely Planet book is absolutely one of the most important books to have, to read before you go, to look at while you are there, and to reflect back upon when you get home.

   The book was great. It was so good, that I was constantly passing it up and down the bus to other people on the trip. Everyone used it, and to my surprize there were some people that had never used a Lonely Planet book. LP is the best, and they have never let me down. There Vietnam book is no exception.

   If you are going to Vietnam, buy and use this book.

   It is a great purchase.




2. I spent this summer studying in Vietnam, and it became clear that the Vietnam in the LP is quite different than the real Vietnam I saw with my own eyes.

   I think the book was intended for travelling businessmen who only plan on staying in Vietnam for a few days, and have plenty of money to spend for plush hotels. This is regrettable since there is so much more to Vietnam than tourist traps, tourist-oriented restaraunts, and hotels.

   For example, in my first couple weeks in Hanoi, Vietnam, I followed the book's suggestions for restaraunts, only to realize they were severely overpriced, and not nearly as tasty (or exotic) as the more "local" restaraunts. Before long, I stopped going to the LP's preferred restaraunts altogether. Only when I stopped following the LP altogether did I really start to delve into Vietnamese culture, both the good and bad.

   Also, the LP tends to whitewash the more unpleasant aspects of Vietnam, such as being harassed by people on the street, who are more than eager to rip you off, and the grueling poverty. If one really wants to appreciate Vietnam, these less pleasant factors have to be taken into account.

   If you plan on just "visiting", but don't really plan on getting to know the culture, this book may be enough. However, to truly appreciate both the good and bad of Vietnam, I suggest avoiding this book, or at least not relying on it too much.




3. LP Vietnam, as several others have mentioned, is misleading and out of date. But even worst, is that it tries to scare most travelers into following its suggested itinerary instead of venturing out on their own. I was going to outline some of the more glaring mistakes, but other reviews beat me to the punch.

   In defense of LP, who have produced decent guidebooks in the past, Vietnam may be changing at such a fast pace that as soon as it was published much of the information was already out of date. However, not all the mistakes can be blamed on a country in the throws of rapid changes and as such as easily dismissed.

   Hopefully the next edition will have greatly improved and won't be written in such an amateurish way. However, I think I'll pass and try the Rough Guide or take my chances without a guidebook! What a novel idea...




4. I bought the Vietnam LP on advice from my roomate who never travels to a new place without one. The Vietnam LP soon became my bible in Vietnam, not to mention every other travelers that I met there as well. In fact kids on the streets of Hanoi and Saigon often sell photocopied versions of these LP's to tourists. No other tourist book is more popular there, and for good reason.
   I used my LP all the time. I kept a bottle of water under one arm (Vietnam in July is hot) and my lonely planet under the other. Every question I could possibly think of LP had an answer for and a story and a map to go along with it. Honestly I can't recommend a book higher.



5. I just got back from a three week trip to Viet Nam, and would have been lost without my trusty LP guidebook. I travelled from north to south and was never at a loss with the help of this book. Granted LP should have put in diacritics because without them, communication breaks down when you don't know the tones, but the in depth research and care that went into this book (and subsequently, all of LP's books) shines through to provide the reader with a competant, user-friendly travel guide. Plus, LP is much more gay-friendly than the other guidebook series.

5 comments about Moon Handbooks Charleston and Savannah (Moon Handbooks : Charleston & Savannah).

1. I have been to Charleston and Savannah several times, so I picked up this book to see if Mike Sigalas "got it right."

   He certainly did.

   This book not only tells you the things you ought to see, but also tells you things that you ought to know to really appreciate these two extraordinary places. For example, his extensive history sections help explain why these two cities are not simple clones of each other.

   His small articles do not shy away from controversial topics. When writing about the very few remaining slave houses, for example, he explains how these humble structures were not torn down to obliterate any visible remembrance of the bad old days of slavery, but fell the same fate as almost every other working class house from that time.

   The book has good maps and directions, and--best of all--in my estimation, it does not sound like it was written by the local Chamber of Commerce. Sigalas's humor comes through without feeling a need to show off.

   This book is best read before you go to Charleston and/or Savannah. It will make your visit(s) so much better.




2. I was very disappointed using this book on my first trip to Charleston and Savannah.

   The maps contained numerous errors. The index was incomplete, omitting many attractions contained in the book. It was frustrating trying to find information.

   The hotel and restaurant listings were skimpy, and omitted helpful information. It took me 30 minutes to locate one restaurant because the map was wrong, and then when I arrived, I discovered that the restaurant was only open on the weekends.

   The main strengths of this book are the historical background and anecdotes (some of which were more fiction than fact, according to the docents I met at the museums and plantations.)

   I have been a fan of the Moon Handbook series. Their books on Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Yellowstone Nat'l Park are excellent. This one, however, was bad.

   Luckily, I brought a second guidebook along, Fodors. While I usually don't like Fodors, this one was good, and was more helpful than the Moon Handbook. Save your money and buy the Fodors.




3. I really enjoyed the details and humor in this Moon book. It's really well written and has great maps! I took it with me on a recent trip to Charleston and found it to be an excellent resource. Mike Sigalas really captures the feel of the region and has great recommendations.



4. I used this book on my first trip to Savannah, and it was great. The author has a lot of personality, and he vividly describes the people, places, and atmosphere of this most unique place. We tried out a number of the recommendations in the book, and they were all good. A highly recommended guidebook to a fantastic city.



5. I hoped to kill two birds with one stone with this book as I plan to visit both Savannah and Charleston. I have only made it to Savannah so far, but found this book very sparse on information. There was only a very small section on Savannah which contained one lone page of restaurant listings. There was also only a small piece on Bonaventure Cemetary (two paragraphs), and the book did not include any maps or directions to get you to the cemetary and it is quite off the beaten track! I would recommend saving your money for real guidebook.

No comments about Paradise and Plantation: Tourism and Culture in the Anglophone Caribbean (New World Studies).

No comments about Archaeology at Monticello (Monticello Monograph Series).

No comments about Appalachian Trail Guide to Southwest Virginia.