i remember the days in which the book was written , and we were so bored i think this is what kids from that area really did, at least the violance and smash and grab type stuff. i think this book would make a better screen play.

Strong punch. Drags you face to face with an all too real option our society gives our youth.

I enjoyed the way it carries plots and messages at several levels.

I found this book to be very entertaining, a great first novel for Gio. I hope to see much more from this author in the future.

This is an excellent book with a few, minor flaws. The book tells you at what mileage markers you can find specific landmarks, so you shouldn't have any difficulties finding old mines, ghost towns, etc., whether on a paved or 4X4 backcountry road. The author includes a brief history of each mine and ghost town, though they sometimes leave me with more questions than they answer. However, in a book that attempts to cover as much as this one does, such shortcomings are inevitable. Indeed, one gets the impression that the author wanted to include more anecdotes, but the publisher wouldn't allow it. People interested in botany and geology should find this book especially useful, while those interested in wildlife will find this book to contain only basic information.

There are a few minor inaccuracies...for example, an abandoned camp along Butte Valley Road is listed as being abandoned since the early 80's, but a marker at the site says it was abandoned in 1988. Also, though the book covers most roads in the park, it hardly mentions a few, including the (difficult!) road from Eureka Valley to Saline via Steele Pass. This omission won't be a problem for most readers, since the vast majority will stick to the paved roads. And the author writes about the paved roads with the same detail and enthusiasm as the unpaved ones.

Some remarks are downright mysterious and leave the reader hungry for more. For example, when describing the features of a particular road, the author says "a few maps show a 'Marble Bath' but no one can agree on where or what it is." Well...?!? Has the author seen this landmark? Can he tell us what SOME people think it is? Give us a hint!

While the book is very good at telling you exactly where to find major landmarks, there are no maps. Even though the book describes in words where to turn, what route to take, etc., a map would be most helpful. This omission can be rectified by visiting your AAA travel center.

But don't let these flaws stop you from buying the book. If you're going to Death Valley, and especially if you're taking an unpaved, backcountry road, this book is an invaluable resource.

It would take years of visits to Death Valley to enjoy all the trips outlined in this book, and without this book, you won't get as much out of them. This book really made my recent trip to Death Valley a success.
One suggestion: get a map to use with this book. The book itself has only tiny outline-maps of the various trips described imposed on small silhouettes of Death Valley. A map will help you get an overview of where you are and where you want to go. A map will make it easier to plan your itinerary. I used Tom Harrison's excellent map of Death Valley, which you can score at outdoor-oriented stores. When you pay your user-fee at the park, they also will give you a simple map.
Enjoy.

As I was studying this book,when I was writing important
secrets with in the book's Repitoire in my journal.The
place itself is amazing to know how much of Death Valley that
we never knew before.Not only the book,but the place itself,
must have a lot hidden secrets and the geography of the place
that makes it astonishing.The book is really a piece of
ancient art,especially Death Valley itself.
Throughout, the captivity of Death Valley, the stunningly
beautiful sceneries. The amount of plants, flowers, and the
nature of it, can really bloom out in fantastic shades and colors. I always thought, that Death Valley is a good National
Park to visit, but not to live in. I felt the amirition of
the book's scriptures based on the National Park, as
overwellming, and someday I wsh to to become an American
Female Archeologist and explore more of Death Valley. There
are still more to be discovered, that remains a mystery.
That's what Death Valley means to me. The place itself
remains a mystery.

This is an awesome book, in my opinion. The plot is really exciting, but I have only read the first and third books. I think that I should say to readers who are intending to use that little piece of information about Mary, Queen of Scots on p. 100 had better check their facts: Mary was beheaded in 1587 at Fotheringhay Castle, not the Tower of London. And in case anyone was wondering, the wax museum is called Madame Tussaud's.
Still, I really recommend this book to anyone who loves a good scary, mysterious story.

As I have all the books in this miniseries this book really connects well to the next.I think it is the best of the three in the actual miniseries.It's brill!

This has got to be the best Sweet Valley Book I've ever read! It gives a good mental and physical description of it's characters. If you like werewolves this is a must read book.

I'm french and I advice you all to buy this well-ilustrated book, with breathtaking photographs !

This Road Guide was the only book I purchased before traveling to Death Valley in April 2001 with my husband and two daughters, ages 12 and 10, and I found it was the only book we really needed. The Road Guide gives you all the information you need to explore Death Valley over a 2 to 3 day period of time. And don't worry about taking the "bumping" roadways if you don't have a 4WD! They are really no problem and actually have the most interesting scenery. I will look for other Road Guides for our future travels.

Having just returned from Death Valley two days ago, The experience is fresh in my mind, and the photographs are in my hands. Pauls CD is is quite good. The 360 degree panoramic photographs give one a much greater sense of what it is like to be there than ordinary pictures can, even panoramic ones. All that is missing are the air temperature, smells, and eerie silence that the real thing offers. The CD will not replace being there, but it is a good pre-trip teaser or post trip souvenir. My only complaints are that the interface is a bit clumsey, and panning is a bit slow and jerky. These are more a problem with the state of the technology than anything else. A fast computer helps. In spite of these shortcomings, I think the CD is a good buy. Besides all the photos, there are many books and articles, the details of which can be seen at the inyopro.com website. System requirements are Windows 95 or greater, 100 MHz 486 with 16 Megs ram or Power PC 16 Megs of ram with system 7.5 or later.

This CD is a great example of Apple's QuickTimeVR technology, where you can "look" all around you, in 360 degrees.

A neat trick is that there are hidden areas in each panorama that you can click on, that will take you to different panoramas.

This CD-ROM is really useful if you are planning a trip to Death Valley.

As a descendant of William L. Manly, and as an avid reader of history, the book appealed to me. It is a tale of raw survival and heroism, as well as a testament to the pioneering spirit of people from our American past. It is also a book of human triumph over one of Mother nature's most trying environments on Earth. The easy-going narration of the events in William L. Manly's life draw you into the scenery, the essence of the beautiful, yet enigmatic desert which lures yet imposes such harsh demands on the body and soul. It seemed that the nearly intolerable conditions that William and his fellow pioneers endured were a kind of "Offering" to the desert, which is one of Mother nature's testing grounds of the human spirit.

First hand account of pioneers crossing the American west in 1849. Epic and heroic in scope, Manly describes hardships and an America nearly lost to history. Where it survives is in the deserts and wastelands of Utah, Nevada and California. One will never be able to travel these regions without thinking of Manly, Rogers and the Bennet-Arcane party.

Jean and I edited the Heyday Books edition of Manly's monumental work. This edition has foreward by Dr. Limerick and Jean and I added a preface, 400 notes, an epilogue, and an index. We, of course, are biased and think this is the best edition of his book. Needless to say, the original edition is the best. We hope you enjoy Manly's words and our additions.

I am a Vietnam infantry veteran and served with the 101st Airborne Div during this same time period. Chambers first book, Recondo, was much more interesting and far more accurate. This effort seems to have come from an author who never felt the heat of combat, just heard the stories, I know however, that is not true in this case. His recollections bounce around so much I kept getting lost in the stories. While I was "only a leg" my company employed most all of the super sneeky tactics you macho LRRPs seem to have invented. I bought this book based on the author, my mistake.

This is the second Larry Chambers book I have read. And I have enjoyed both of them. This is not a Pulitzer Prize book but it is a good book written by one guy who describes his personal experience in Vietnam in a humorous, matter of fact way. I have learned several field craft principles from Larry Chambers books. This is a very good light reading book for those who enjoy reading about the Vietnam War.

This book stands alone on the merits of its content. It is characterized by excellent writing. I have read other books about LRRP's and Special Op's in Vietnam, and most have been characterized by poor writing and sketchy details. Not so here.
Mr. Chambers has written a truly superb book that never once lets up with the riveting suspense. It is simply one exciting tale after another, and this is one ex-soldier who knows how to vividly detail his experiences 'in-country'.

There are many missions in this book that will leave you leaning forward in anticipation. Nightime airmobile extractions under blackout conditions while NVC soldiers were taken by surprise, only yards away. Once Mr. Chambers had an NVC soldier grab him at the same moment he was extracted while holding the line, having to kick away his assailant. He paints an excellent picture of a silent life, using hand-signals and often traveling at night, avoiding any trails and utilizing complete stealth.
His recollections are not always positive,as he discovered another party who had their deception revealed and were left dead for their comrades to find. Another time while on leave in Vietnam he visits a friend at a training facility, and watches as an instructor is showing a class the proper way to handle a grenade and it explodes, causing him to lose his arm. Even using the radio while no enemy was near was hazardous, when 'miking' the transmitter on a mountaintop caused stray electricity at this high altitude to send an electrical strike to the transmitter, necessitating an Airmobile evacuation of the injured.

Mr. Chambers went on to earn a Masters Degree after his service. This was clear from the first chapter, as I found myself completely involved in this book, finding it hard to put it down. A riveting book that better describes life behind the lines than others of its genre.

This book was ok. However I want to know why Liz was picked to go on this trip. I mean, its a survival trip and stuff so shouldn't they have just the jocks go on it?? All Liz does is sit around and write articles...but anyways back to the review. Heather is driving Jessica crazy by flirting with Ken. Everyone is arguing and not getting along. Heather twists her ankle or something (I forgot) and so Jessica and Heather have to stay behind and wait for the others to return for them. While Liz and the guys go ahead, they get into yet another argument over which trail to take. So they split up again, with Bruce and Todd (who DO NOT get along) going one way, and Ken and Liz going the other. Ken and Liz are wondering if they still like each other and Todd is VERY jealous. Everyone keeps a diary entry and all 3 guys write about Liz! I started having second thoughts about Heather because in her entry, she wrote that Jessica was prettier than her, she missed her mom and she felt bad for ruining the trip for everyone. Ken wrote all about Liz! haha. I'm too lazy to explain everything soo in a quick summary: Bruce saves Liz's life, they all reunite when 3 bandits try to kill Heather and Jessica, they all finally get along, almost get shot, get lost in a cave that fills with water and miraculously get home safely. It seemed as if they would finally all be friends and get along but in the next book, #117 Jessica the Genius, Jessica is fighting with Bruce and Heather again and the trip isn't even mentioned. Not a very realistic book.

Elizabeth,Jessica and friends are still trekking through Death Valley.They have made a mistake by choosing to take the gold they found because now their lives are in danger as vicious crooks,who are alot greedier than they are,are on their trail.And Elizabeth is pushed over a cliff!

I really loved this book, it's one of the best books i've read.I loved it when they set off, and I admired Elizabeths courage to lead the group through the valley.There were some scary moments, but thankfully they all escaped. I was shocked when one of the escaped convicts decided to turn over a new leaf, and help them escape from the valley.I would recomend this book to someone aged ten.

This is an autobiography in which New York Times reporter Kirk Johnson explains why he raced the Badwater, a race that some consider the most dangerous in the world. He chose running across Death valley as a combination homage to his older brother Roger, a suicide victim as well as a need to cleans his own soul as well. The second half of the book deals with the race itself and is not just excellent. It is some of the best non-fictional literature of the year as the audience begins to understand how far a person is willing to go. The first segment seems more introspective and philosophical, which is insightful but after a time requires ultramarathon endurance. Still TO THE EDGE is a strong account that pays homage to the writer and his family and is worth reading by fans of biographies.

Harriet Klausner

As I read through Kirk Johnson's account of his journey and motivation and inner search that made up his Badwater ultramarathon experience, I was pulled into his writing the same way long-distance running seduced me as a young man. He captured the euphoria, isolation, drive and the heart and essence of endurance running in a way I haven't seen done. He was lyrical and poetic in his descriptions of the epic battle of man against himself. I would recommend the book to any runner or to anyone who wonders why we run. The only criticism I have are the few moments in the book where Johnson seems to repeat emotions he is feeling that he already has delved into. But the power of the book is evident in that Johnson's gripping tale has created in me a runner who longs to tempt Badwater and Death Valley. Well-done book.

As Johnson passes a fellow Badwater runner near the end of the race, he writes: "I thanked him and wished him luck, and felt a pang of guilt for how damn good it had felt. And still the road ahead beckoned." Similarly as Johnson climbs toward the Mt Whitney Portal at the end of the race, with tears streaming down his face, he summarizes his emotional feelings about the death of his brother in the powerfully terse language of an ultramarathoner: "I'm alive. I go on."

Johnson's well written book creatively uses the challenge of the Badwater race as a model for the journey we make through life. There is no sound-bite exclaimation of "I solved the mystery of endurance and it is...", or "The best way to run an ultramarathon (and your life) is ...". Instead, Johnson shows us his journey with remarkably clear, honest and insightful writing. Far from being a model athlete, Johnson is an ordinary person in the midst of extraordinary struggles who uses determination, planning and instinct to find a path, his path.

I found myself laughing out loud many times and my eyes welling up with tears in other sections of the book. The moments of self-doubt when he finds himself struggling to speak to his hero were hilarious; the frogs and Bach were pure comedy genius, and the deep dive into a semi-hallucinatory second night on the road were frightening. As a runner I marveled at his determination and the magnitude of his feat. But I'm certain non-runners will respect and admire the honesty he uses to describe the sometimes conflicting emotions and experiences he and his support crew have during the race. This is not a training manual for running long distances, but rather an engaging story about one man dealing with the death of a brother and searching for ways to unite and celebrate with the most important people in his life - his family.

As a writer for the Times, Johnson was instructed to do his research, then return to the office and forget everything about being polite or rude, careful or exclamatory, and to report the truth. He succeeds brilliantly at that task with this book.

What promise this book held. There it was smack dab before my eyes on a shelf in a store in Death Valley. I was drooling. I had to buy it. I did.

What a tremendous disappointment. Don't know if it was the ineptitude of the writers or of the editors, but this book is filled with errors and lacks continuity. On every page characters are brought into the discussion from nowhere and without as much as an introduction. Then, as soon as they appear . . . they are gone.

There are many maps, but they offer little and are not located in the appropriate places in the book.

Still there were tiny crumbs that kept me reading. To see the names of those who sought their fortune or sought a place to hide . . . forever. the book whet my appetite to go and find a better book.

Save you money and put it to a trip to DV. It is a glorious spot on earth that allows you mind to run as far as you will allow it.

Cheers,

Dave Ross

This book puts together two of the most comprehensive writings on southern California ghost towns under one cover. Both L. Burr Belden and Mary DeDecker retell the stories that many of which were told to them by first hand citizens of mining towns of the late 19th century and early 20th century. The book is historically informative and holds the interest of this reader. I highly recommend the work, but due to its early publication,(both authors originally released their books in the 60's.) I do not recommend it as a guide to the modern day ghost town visitor. Nonetheless a great and interesting read.

As an officianado of Death Valley and the surrounding area, I found this book a really great read, and in fact I couldn't put it down! Lots of fascinating true history and tales packed into a nice package. Highly recommended!