2 comments about Buildings of Delaware (Buildings of the United States).

1. After a several year hiatus, and a shift from Oxford University Press to the University of Virginia Press, Buildings of the United States returns with this fine entry.
   
   The books in this series are expensive, and let me tell you why. First, they're written by top experts in this particular field, for the use of architectural historians for reference and research. The amount of work that goes into writing and publishing one of these books is enormous, so the prices reflect that fact. Let me be the first to tell you, however, that any of the books in the series, and this one in particular, are endlessly fascinating for serious amateurs as well. That's why I've shelled out the money for more than a few of them. Architecture guides just don't get any better. This series sets the standard.
   
   Little Delaware is like a diamond (to quote Lofland), and art historian W. Barksdale Maynard has compiled a superb collection of important historic and modern sites for this book. Wilmington, Newark, New Castle and Dover all get the extended treatment you would expect, but the author also brings us comprehensive coverage of smaller towns and the rural landscape. There are 450 well-chosen entries here, all supported by interesting brief essays. There are about 250 small monochrome photographs that are adequate but not distinguished, mostly borrowed from other sources. The photography is pragmatic rather than artistic. The author introduces each district and town with a brief descriptive abstract, which includes reference to some of the important structures to which he does not dedicate a specific entry. This is a nice device for expanding the comprehensiveness of the survey. Trust me, you're favorites are here! For those of you who like age, Delaware contains some of the most ancient examples of European-American architecture in the original 13 states. Newark has probably endured the most destruction of its original colonial fabric of all Delaware towns, but there are many more examples across the state. And while Newark has suffered through haphazard development, it contains one of the loveliest public spaces in the country at the University of Delaware.
   
   Keep in mind that this is a selective survey. Wilmington alone has a building stock to support a survey of over 1,000 buildings, so respect and appreciate the author's keen eye for what he believes we will enjoy. He's done a lovely job of selecting important and interesting sites for all tastes.
   
   A true rarity for a book like this, the introductory essay is excellent, and a feature in itself. Don't just flip past it to get to the catalog. Maynard gives us an historical overview, a discussion of the geography and landscape, a description of the built environment, and an overview of important architects working in Delaware.
   
   All this good stuff is framed by sidebars spaced throughout the text on important topics such as the du Pont family and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.
   
   Well constructed in cloth and nice thick-stock paper by UVA Press, this book is proof that the Society of Architectural Historians remains dedicated to this important series.



2. This book is really well done, it covers all sorts of houses and buildings all over the state of Delaware

5 comments about Walking the Blue Ridge: A Guide to the Trails of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Third Edition.

1. The Blue Ridge Parkway, almost 450 miles long, connects Shennandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park astride the North Carolina - Tennessee border. In between it traverses some of the most beautiful mountain areas in North Carolina and Virginia. Although it provides splendid views from the road itself and from its many roadside overlooks, it is much more than a scenic drive. It is a ribbon of land administered by the National Park Service, at several places broadening into wider mini-parks. All of those parks as well as various other spots along the parkway's route have hiking trails that give visitors a closer look at the many natural wonders there. This book, as a comprehensive guide to those trails, is the one most indispensable guide to getting beyond your car and the overlooks in this remarkable National Park Service land. All of its official trails are rated in this book as to difficulty, from very easy to quite strenuous. Thus there are ample hikes for whatever level of wilderness adventure you're up for. Each hike is described in details, with points of interest described in the order you'll encounter them, with mileages to each from the trailhead. Some hikes described herein also get beyond the parkway's own lands, into National Forest lands that border the parkway in many places, as well as occasional adjacent commercial attractions such as Grandfather Mountain. Any visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway should be quite rewarding, and this book is one of the best resources for making it even more so, showing that you'll never be very far from places to park and take a walk for a more intimate view. And you definitely should sample at least some of the shorter and easier walks, if not the longer or more challenging ones, depending on what you're up to. This parkway is a natural treasure well-worth exploring, and this book may well be the quickest way to learn that there is so much more there than meets a casual eye.



2. for a day trip, a weekend trip, or a long vacation. We have hiked and camped in several of the places mentioned. I have lived in NC all of my life and did not realize there was such enriching trails and escapades off the parkway. I wish I had known about this book while attending WCU! Take it with you, it is very worthwhile.



3. The Blue Ridge Parkway, almost 450 miles long, connects Shennandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park astride the North Carolina - Tennessee border. In between it traverses some of the most beautiful mountain areas in North Carolina and Virginia. Although it provides splendid views from the road itself and from its many roadside overlooks, it is much more than a scenic drive. It is a ribbon of land administered by the National Park Service, at several places broadening into wider mini-parks. All of those parks as well as various other spots along the parkway's route have hiking trails that give visitors a closer look at the many natural wonders there. This book, as a comprehensive guide to those trails, is the one most indispensable guide to getting beyond your car and the overlooks in this remarkable National Park Service land. All of its official trails are rated in this book as to difficulty, from very easy to quite strenuous. Thus there are ample hikes for whatever level of wilderness adventure you're up for. Each hike is described in details, with points of interest described in the order you'll encounter them, with mileages to each from the trailhead. Some hikes described herein also get beyond the parkway's own lands, into National Forest lands that border the parkway in many places, as well as occasional adjacent commercial attractions such as Grandfather Mountain. Any visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway should be quite rewarding, and this book is one of the best resources for making it even more so, showing that you'll never be very far from places to park and take a walk for a more intimate view. And you definitely should sample at least some of the shorter and easier walks, if not the longer or more challenging ones, depending on what you're up to. This parkway is a natural treasure well-worth exploring, and this book may well be the quickest way to learn that there is so much more there than meets a casual eye.



4. Designed as a "drive awhile - stop awhile" recreational road, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit in the National Park Service. It has 17 million visitors a year as compared to 10 million a year for the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. But the Parkway is more than a beautiful drive; it is also a good base from which to hike. Adkins describes all the ways that we can get out of the car as we explore the Parkway. From a leg-stretcher to a view of Glassmine Falls Trail to the eighteen miles of the Shut-In Trail, Adkins gives a contextual introduction to the hike as well as step-by-step directions. He rates each hike from an easy leg-stretcher to strenuous.

   My only objection to the rating is that the author considers too many hikes as strenuous. For example, Adkins labels the Snooks Nose Trail, eight miles round trip and described as "not well-maintained and hard to locate" as strenuous. The two-and-a-half mile round trip hike up to Mt. Pisgah, on a clear, well-marked trail, is also rated as "strenuous". Hikers will have to decide what strenuous means to them. Ratings aside, the book is necessary to anyone looking for a variety of hikes in the area. The appendices are also a wealth of information. He lists every feature on the Parkway along with its mileage, all the inns and campgrounds as well as a roadside bloom calendar




5. My wife and I have just come home from a 3 week trip along the entire parkway. We started the trip with Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway, but ended up buying Walking the Blue Ridge at one of the visitor centers. While Hiking was ok, we found Walking the Blue Ridge to be the better of the two. It was very easy to use, easy to find information, and full of wonderful tidbits. The way the mileage data was set up in a vertical way made it very easy to use while we were hiking the trails, simple to always know where we were. In the Hiking book we had to wade through a lot paragraphs just to match up the descriptions with where we actually were on the trail. Also, it was obvious that the author of Walking the Blue Ridge had actually walked every one of the trails he was writing about. It was also nice knowing that it gave descriptions of every one of the trails along the parkway, even if it was just a short pathway; the other book neglected some that we found to be truly delightful. In addition, its smaller weight and size made it much easier to carry while on the hikes.
   All in all, we were happy to have found Walking the Blue Ridge and will be using it often.

5 comments about Guide to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

1. Why is the origin of the name French Broad River? Who was Art Loeb of the Art Loeb trail? Why is the falls that you can see from Mile Post 361.2 called Glassmine Falls? It does not look like glass. This guide has an overlook-by-overlook explanation of the treasures on the Parkway prefaced by a good introduction on the history and geology of the road. I only wish the authors had added the altitude at each overlook. One appendix lists a blooming calendar and the overlooks most likely to have the flowers. Another one has contact information for all the enterprises on the Parkway from the Shenandoah National Park to the Biltmore Estate.

   It is a beautiful book with gorgeous color pictures. Text boxes detailing a particular subject such as rhododendrons or Daniel Boone are sprinkled throughout. But why did they have to use black text on a dark purple background for these boxes? They are so difficult to read. Except for that shortcoming, this book is meant to be used, not to be left on the bookshelf. I take my copy wherever I think I am going to be on the Parkway. As for the answers to the questions above? Check pages 120, 129 and 108, respectively.




2. I was on the B.R. PKWY and needed something more than the simple park map to figure out where the interesting hikes and views were. This book does it and does it well. I have been on the pkwy many times, but some of the history had eluded me until I got to glance through this guide. My buddy liked it so much, he bought his own just because I was always reading it. If you are going to drive the pkwy, I would recommend this book to help you get the most out of your trip.



3. This book was so much more than I expected. It is very detailed in any and all aspects. All sites along the drive are marked by mile markers right down to the tenth of a mile. There is a brief section that tells about the history of the area. Other sites, stops, overlooks and points of interest are well documented. There are also sidebars to the wildlife that are native to the region. There is a section dedicated to what plants and flowers are in bloom(Bloom Calendar)from Jan. through Dec. Campgrounds are marked by mile markers and they specifically tell how many tent and/or RV sites are available as well as the elevation. Trailheads are marked by state. Tunnels are also marked by mile marker and length. However, the height clearance was not. A must have book for first time and repeat visitors. I also recommend "GUIDE TO THE NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY". It is by another author but has the same format.



4. If you want to know that the overlook at milepost xyz.a is scenic, this is the guide for you....all 200 or so overlooks are so described. If, on the other hand, you want to learn abut the history of the BRP, about historical events (e.g. civil war battles)that took place nearby and offer worthwhile side trips, or restaurants and lodging within easy on/off reach of the BRP, this is not the guide for you. Mindnumbingly boring, repetitive, without a scintilla of originality! A waste of money, especially if you are driving the BRP south to north, in which case you have to read this guide backwards.



5. Having researched and planned trips for clients over the past few years, I have come to rely very heavily on this book and "Blue Ridge Parkway Guide" Volumes 1&2. This one offers lovely photos and interesting details of each overlook. You can get some of the same info online but it is not any easier to follow. Hikers may need more back country info but if you are riding the parkway on 1 or more wheels and you can only get one guide, get this one!

2 comments about Hikes in the Virginias (Exploring the Appalachian Trail).

1. Before I read "Exploring the Appalachian Trail - Hikes in the Virginias", I thought you could only experience the Appalachian Trail on an extended backpacking expedition. Man, was I wrong! Even if you only have a few hours to spare, you can still enjoy hiking on the AT - this book shows you how. One of a series covering the entire trail from Georgia to Maine, this book describes a wide variety of dayhikes in Virginia.

   With this book, I've explored many beautiful sections of the trail in that state - including McAfee Knob, Grayson Highlands, and Shenandoah National Park. You can bet that I will continue to use the "Exploring the Appalachian Trail" series in planning future hikes on the AT!




2. PLEASE NOTE: THERE are NOT 170 hikes in the book. The whole series must contain that many.
   
   I own 3 books in this series. The Southern Appalachian, the Virginias, and the Mid-Atlantic States guide. I have found these books to be a great aid in planning hikes, especially 2-3 day backpacking trips. Since most of these hikes are either one-way or round trip (as opposed to circuit hikes) you either need to have two cars or plan on seeing the same sites twice. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but other books have better circuit hikes.
   
   This series IS very informative, not only with regards to the actually hike, but also the history both natural and otherwise of the area you are hiking in.
   
   I have done approx 10 of the 46 hikes in this guide, including both out and back day hikes, as well as 4 day 'thru-hikes' combining 2 or more of these hikes strung together, and this book has been very informative during these hikes. The maps could be a little better, as they are topographical maps with a green line for the trail.. They are adequate, but I've seen better.
   
   All 46 hikes come with a description, a map, an elevation profile, and an itinerary, as well as various other information.
   
   When planning for a hike I do tend to use this book in conjunction with other books, but I usually take this book (or copies of the pages) on the actual hike itself. The fact that the pages are so small allows for easier handling and storage of the laminated pages during the trip.
   
   So if you enjoy hiking and are near the AT while in the Virginias, you may want to take a look at this book. It is well worth the money.

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.

No comments about Frommer's Las Vegas Day by Day (Frommer's Day by Day).

1 comments about The Trails of Virginia: Hiking the Old Dominion (Trails of Virginia).

1. Allen de Hart's The Trails of Virginia:Hiking the Old Dominionis a classic and exhaustive study of places to hike throughout a statethat is known for its beauty and history but less acknowledged for its vast array of outdoor recreational opportunities. The author doesn't just cover his personal favorites or the 50 best walks, but every trail in the state. He's included information on distance, history, scenic features, degree of difficulty, and directions - every piece of information the hiker will need. I've used this book countless times in not only planning a hike, but also in the process of researching and writing my own outdoor guides. No matter where you plan to hike or what your level of fitness is, a well-worn copy of the Trails of Virginia should sit on your bookshelf as it does on mine.

5 comments about Jack Knife.

1. Jack Knife is a wonderful first novel by a very promising writer. This one combines science fiction with crime fiction with mystery, and works on all levels. A scientist and a special forces soldier are sent back to Victorian London from future America to capture and/or eliminate a (literal) mad scientist who had escaped through the portal back into time. While in London, they meet a noble born (younger son) detective, who is investigating a serial killer called Jack the Ripper. To their shock, the cases seem to converge...
   
   I really enjoyed this book for many reasons - it was great science fiction (with nice debates about the moral obligations of the time travellers), and a great mystery story. It even has a very touching love romance. And a lot of action and a lot of suspense. And all of it works!



2. After a confusing Prologue and first few pages of Jack Knife (Virginia Baker, 2007), I was off and running with time travelers to 1880s London, when Jack the Ripper was raging through that city. I will always give a book 20 pages to engage me; if it does not, I won't read it -- there simply isn't "reading time" to waste. Fortunately, this one caught my attention on page 10 and never let me down! Well researched, accurate historical background. The only annoying flaw in this otherwise riveting tale -- poor copyediting, shame on the publisher.



3. In the sci-fi, historical murder mystery, it is June 2007 and a time traveler named Jonathan Avery violates the safety initiatives of the Project he works for and makes an unauthorized quantum leap killing a fellow worker in the process. Avery finds himself with amnesia in the summer of 1884 London. With the help of a local woman and some powerful scientific devices he carried with him, he begins making a new life for himself and soon rises in the social ranks to become a powerful figure. Meanwhile, back in June 2007 a woman scientist named Sara Grant and military Special Operation agent named David Elliot are given the task of traveling back to capture Avery or kill him. Avery's jump threatens the fabric of the space-time continuum. Sara and David are more the best team that could have been sent after Avery, but 19th Century London is a challenge for even them. Not only are all the social norms they are used to practically nonexistent, but Jack the Ripper is loose and at the height of his killing spree. David and Sara find an ally in a police inspector named Jonas Robb who has been given the task of solving one of the murders in his district. Through Jonas, Sara and David learn about a powerful man named Jay Osborne who has purchased most of the papers, is rousing up the common folk, and causing trouble with the elites. Even stranger is that there doesn't seem to be any historical evidence about Osborne. The company of three struggles to unravel Osborne's plans, capture Avery, and prevent any more Ripper murders from happening all before the future that Sara and David know of ceases to exist.
   I have had an interest in the Jack Ripper murders since I was a kid. The stories used to fascinate me. So, I was drawn to JACK KNIFE after just reading the cover. Virginia has done a great job of tying together the Ripper murders and connecting them to the plot of her story. The details of the events, as well as the historical accuracy of the setting, are described quite well.
   
   I have seen JACK KNIFE marketed in some stores in the sci-fi section. This is a mistake because JACK KNIFE includes very little science fiction. The time travel scenario is basically just a device that allows the story to take place and provide a bit more incentive for the characters to perform their required task. First and foremost, JACK KNIFE is a murder mystery that is full of suspense and well-developed characters. If that isn't enough to interest someone, there's also a bit of natural romance thrown in for good measure.
   
   I highly enjoyed reading JACK KNIFE. I completed the book in about three days and am looking forward to other works that author Virginia Baker might write in the future.



4. This scenario has been done to death (pardon the pun) in science fiction before, in such classics as A Toy for Juliette, by Robert Bloch, and Harlan Ellison's Prowler in the City on the Edge of the World, as well as Nick Mayer's "Time After Time". I found the book cliche-ridden and quite unoriginal.



5. Sci-fi meets historic fiction. I found the dialogue engrossing and the depth of her accuracy was astounding.

No comments about Best Easy Day Hikes Shenandoah National Park, 3rd (Best Easy Day Hikes Series).

3 comments about 50 Hikes in West Virginia: From the Allegheny Mountains to the Ohio River.

1. Great book. Well written, interesting background on the hikes--both human and natural history as well as detailed descriptions. All of the hikes I've done so far have been very accurately described. Has some well known hikes, but also many others that are just as good, or better. I've used many other guides to the Mountain State--this one is the best.



2. I agree--great book
   I live in Marlinton, almost in the center of hiking in West Virginia, and just bought this book about a month ago. I have found it to be helpful in learning about new places that I have never heard of (and I thought I was a well-seasoned WV hiker). I also like the author's style of writing in that it flows nicely from point to point as it gives the directions you need to find your way along with wonderful pieces of information about the place you are hiking through. Again, I agree with the previous review. This is the best WV hiking guide I have come across.



3. 50 hikes in West Virginia has provided me with information on places that I have been hiking for years, but never knew the background on them, such as the history of the place, why it looks like it does, what plants and animals make their homes there and what their lives are like. So many guidebooks just tell you how to get to a hike and how long it is, but 50 Hikes in West Virginia is so much more than that.
   
   I enjoy sitting down and reading the book before I go on the hike, so that I will know what to be looking for while I'm out there. Get this book and you will have a great time in the wilds of West Virginia.