I was really impressed with this book. The author clearly cares a great deal about the topic, and this kind of book can easily get bogged down in absolute trivia and become dry as dirt. Luckily that isn't the case -- he keeps the story moving without sacrificing the kind of accuracy he desires. Some of this is as simple as putting things in footnotes that other others would have left in the main text, and some is an ability to stick to what's important.

Miwoks To Missiles provides the first complete history of Angel Island, covering over two hundred years of the island's history from Miwok Indian settlements to Spanish exploration and immigrant arrivals. Anecdotes, personal recollections, and source material documents make for an excellent and lively presentation essential for any collection including regional California history.

John Soennichsen's spectacular new book Miwoks to Missiles: A History of Angel Island is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Angel Island and it's history. As state park docents, we may each think we already know all we need to know about the human history of the island. But every page for me deepened my perspective and provided a wealth of new information. John is a master of making historical transition readable, entertaining and informative. The author begins with the lives of the indigenous people who used the island for fishing and hunting. He then moves gracefully through the Spanish and Mexican periods and concludes with chapters covering the more modern era: military utilization of the island during our 20th century wars, the dynamics of the creation of the Immigration Station and its many uses, and finally the effort to make the island a bit more angelic in the transition of the Island to state park status. The particular strengths of the book for me are found in the myriad of detail about the early history of the island: the travails of Lt. Ayala and the San Carlos, the voyage of the Racoon, and the "original owner" Antonio Maria Ossio. The later periods were also thoughtfully reassessed. The author's use of archival material-old photos and rare written accounts bring the island and its people to life in dramatic fashion. John Soennichsen is a first rate historian. Unlike most historians, however, our resident author has a sense of humor and is able to punch through the pretentiousness of so many of the people who were in leadership positions during the different island epochs. Filled with stunning photographs and informative sidebars, the book is a really good read that should enchant virtually everyone who picks it up. We must all be grateful to John Soennichsen for providing us with the first thorough and sensitive history of the people and places of Angel Island.

North Star Bay is an exciting novel by Richard Thompson which is set in 1968 when a clandestine clash takes place between diverse nations over lost megatonage H-Bombs, one of which has survived in the sea near Greenland. A fast-paced, action-packed thriller about deadly scuffles and desperate machinations, acts of heroism and terrible tragedy, North Star Bay is a compelling read from beginning to end.

His first book (Tiger Cruise) was great. With the luck of the Irish, I managed to purchase the Proof for North Star. I was actually in fear that Thompson could not meet the high bar he set in penning Tiger Cruise. Nothing is worse than being let down by an author. As I began to read the proof, my mental state was totally absorbed within it. Thompson has done it again! He manages to take facts, slide in amazing and totally believable fiction and presto... another suspense novel with real life action. The plot twists and turns, keeps your mind racing with the result of your eyes wanting to absorb the words on each page faster than your brain can process. IT is a Winner! He has brought "Clancyism" to a new era. I now call it "Thompsonism"! Read the book! Few new author's of our era have the ability to come out of the box swinging like Thompson.

This is our first fiction review and we picked a dandy. By a stroke of luck we got our hands on a galley copy and it almost found its way into the circular file had it not been for the first chapter in the book, which is factual.

As a maritime and military history book reviewer we were quite familiar with the January 21, 1968 incident in Thule, Greenland when a B52, flying the Strategic Air Command, caught fire and crashed into the ice spewing radiation from its cargo of four hydrogen bombs. The U.S. has long maintained that all four bombs were destroyed in the fiery crash but many Greenlanders believe otherwise. The theory is that one of the bombs survived the crash and lies on the bottom of North Star Bay.

The author turns the theory into fictional fact when a local fisherman inadvertently snags the weapon while fishing the fjord. Not surprisingly, the bad guys (Libya and China) learn of the discovery when alarm bells go off in the CIA - activated by sensors placed on the H-Bomb 34 years ago. The CIA, FBI and the NSA, not all that concerned with an antiquated nuclear weapon, aren't really worried about its discovery until they get word that the Libyans are going to sail halfway around the world intending to snatch the bomb and bring it home. It seems that America's National Missile Defense (NMD) pet project is located in Thule's backyard and the thought of the Libyans snooping around the area makes for some very nervous bureaucrats in Washington.

Things deteriorate quickly for the U.S. when the bad guys find out there's more in Thule than the bomb. When a test of NMD goes awry resulting in a live "shoot," the Chinese and Libyans decide against snatching the bomb but instead plan to detonate it and destroy the NMD site that, heretofore, they did not know existed. That's enough for now; we don't want to give too much away.

A page-turning thriller set on top of the world, North Star Bay will keep you on the edge of your seat until the exciting, surprising ending. Grab it wherever you can and get ready for the best darn fiction to come your way for some time. Five stars all the way!

This book is an excellent look back at over 100 years of San Francisco bay Area baseball. Starting off with the first sandlot and then professional teams, it goes on to describe the histories of the SF Seals and Oakland Oaks (along with some of their players), and some history of the PCL. It also talks about the Giants and A's moves to the Bay Area and gives a history of those teams through the 1993 season.

The book is full of pictures of players and memorabilia and the back of the book lists the records and all-time stats for the Seals, Oaks, Giants and A's.

Well worth the money. The authors did an wonderful job writing this history.

Mr. Dobbins account of baseball in the Bay Area is a wonderful narration of how the GAME of baseball shaped the region. If you never experienced baseball before the A's and Giants, or if you did and just want to return momentarily to those days, this book will take you there. This is a coffee table book for all true baseball fans.

This book is a must for baseball fans! Dick Dobbins does an outstanding job covering the history of baseball in the San Francisco Bay Area. With his outstanding knowledge of the players and the teams, the rich history is brought to life. Mr. Dobbins collection of photographs and memorabilia from the old Pacific Coast League is the highlight of the book.

Annabel, and Cody were easy to imagine and seemed to come to life from the pages. The story was well developed and their was real development of the relationship that let you believe they were falling in love. I am glad to know that I will meet these two who are old friends to me now, in Saving Grace. Thanks Jennifer and can we have another!

A wonderful story that captures your imagination.While reading,you will invision the beauty of Passion Bay..As well as the people and their personas..Your hearts will rise and fall with each chapter,as you ache for more...I loved it!! Looked forward to the next books that followed,I was impressed but not surprised that they gripped ME,just as much as Passion Bay did!!

The book was well written and holds one's interest. A great reminder of the initial stages of a relationship that runs deeper than simple lust.

Kathryn Wall is destined to become one of the great mystery writers of our time. I've gotten so I can hardly wait for the next Bay Tanner adventure to hit the stands. Unlike some popular female sleuths, Bay is no ditz, no wilting violet looking up beneath her lashes to glean her clues from some macho male. She's sexy, funny, gutsy, and savvy--the kind of woman you'd love to have as a best friend. Bay Tanner makes me laugh out loud, a rare and delightful treat. And Wall's skilled plotting and scintillating prose keeps me turning pages. I think her latest episode with her arrant "distant cousin," Mercer Prescott,is her best work yet.

You'll feel like an old friend has come for a visit in this third Bay TAnner mystery. As Bay winds her way through the Lowcountry, you'll almost be able to smell the marsh. When a young woman she's never seen or heard of before shows up in the local jail claiming to be a distant cousin, Bay has no idea the path that the two of them are about to embark on--one that could claim both their lives. A great read just as we've come to expect from Kathy Wall.

Former financial consultant Bay Turner convalesces at her Hilton Head home still recovering from the murder of her spouse. However, when she is asked to help her twenty something fifth half-cousin Mercer Mary Prescott who was arrested as a vagrant and locked up in Beaufort County jail, reluctantly Bay gets involved. Though a relative, Mercer is actually a stranger. Bay gets her dad's friend Judge Talbot Simpson to set bail. Mercer is freed.

Still Mercer remains in trouble due to a federal trespass charge for illegally entering the Savannah River nuclear plant. When Mercer flees thugs, goons and cops pursue. With other family woes descending on her, Bay joins the chase only to become involved in the deadliest family secret of all, PERDITION HOUSE.

PERDITION HOUSE is a strong thriller that seems almost out of control, but is deftly kept in line by author Kathryn R. Wall. The story line centers on Bay, who just wants a little peace of mind, but her relatives think otherwise. Instead of domestic tranquillity, Bay concludes that blood may be thicker than water and she somehow seems to get sucked into storms caused by her extended family starting with Mercer. This terrific tense thriller takes readers on quite a ride.

Harriet Klausner

A must for any person who enjoys saltwater fishing in the state of California. Ken has done a wonderful job of clearly and concisely describing fishing tackle & techniques for angling at California's coastal piers, as well as environments and species available at each specific pier. Though useful to any fisherman - as a boatless shorefisherman, this guide has been invaluable to me. The author's obvious years of experience are reflected in this book, which has greatly increased my learning curve (and fish count). And the illustrated reference guide in the back of the book is a great tool in identifying what you've hooked into. Makes me want to go fishing!

Ken Jones has written a masterful book that details California piers up and down the coast. This books tells you the secrets and tips for more sucessful fishing adventures on California piers. An in depth look at each pier, what types of fish you'll catch, and most importantly, how to catch them. Ken reveals what baits to use, how to hook them and even some favorite recipes to prepare your catch. Also included are pictures of many species to easily identify fish. You will learn knots, rigs and what type of tackle you'll need to become a better angler. This book is no nonsense and straight to the point but never lacks for detail. This book is great for saltwater anglers no matter where you live. If you love fishing the way I do, this is a must read... Great book!

Consumerism has invaded fishing much as it has ruined many other pastimes. We are constantly called upon to buy more and better exotic products, in pursuit of the perfect trade magazine nirvana. No longer can one just go to a pleasant locale and just fish--one must be on a five day trip in Mexican waters aboard a luxury yacht with a ton and a half of electronic equipment and shiny tackle materials that make graphite seem archaic. Pier Fishing in California is about a simpler way--fishing from public piers across the state. Here are simple, inexpensive ways to have a day of fascinating fishing, without the need for boat, high tech tackle, trawling motor, or (in the cases of public piers), even a fishing license. The book does the job just right--a pier by pier rundown of where to fish, what you'll catch, how to catch it, and how good the fishing is, usually with a pier picture. All "how to" books should be this simple and useful, and pier fishing is a sport that deserves more attention. I suspect if more young people were taken to piers and taught patient technique rather than taken on expensive charters and taught how big money= easy fishing, then we might generate more young people with a genuine love for the sport.

"Woven through a stimulating journey, filled with the surprises of travel in such an exotic land, are the wonderful pearls of Pablo Neruda, the Vajra-and-Bell Initiation, words from one of my favorites Chief Seattle, teachings of the Great Perfection and many more. Jane Bay's journey and narrative is the thread that holds the "Jewels" of this necklace as one piece. But most important of all, I gained from her book a new appreciation for the heroic struggle of the precious Tibetan people."

"Precious Jewels of Tibet" speaks to us from the heart as Jane Bay shares with the reader her innermost thoughts and feelings on her life as she embarks on an incredible journey of transformation. We are lucky to have Jane share her story with us. As we feel her joy and sorrow, we get in touch with our own painful and joyous journeys of self discovery.

Jane Bay has written a poignant memoire about her mystical journey to Tibet. How insightful it is for us to observe the allegory of her spiritual unfoldment, from her wounded life to wounded Tibet. Indeed, modernism has resolved a number of vicissitudes at the superficial realm of existence, but it has simultaneously magnified a piercing existential dismemberment, while escaping the most fundamental plight of the human being: the aspiration to surpass oneself, like The Buddha. Jane Bay has experienced an intimate experience of felicity. I recommend "Precious Jewels of Tibet" to anyone probing the same everlasting question : Who am I ? Graciously echoed by Jane Bay' s gifted prose, this book is a window to the quintessential matters of the soul, a longing that is invested right now, for each of us, with a very vital meaning.

Bring together an elegant top-quality publishing company, a gifted photographer, superb essayists and you have all the makings for a good book. Let the subject be San Francisco, though, and you have a great book.

This is the 3rd edition of this best seller with 218 full color images by Morton Beebe as well as essays by Herb Caen, Tom Cole, Barnaby Conrad, Herbert Gold, John Hart, Allen Pastron, Miguel Pendás, and Kevin Starr. Together, they provide an intimate portrayal of the City by the Bay. This stunning collection of photographs captures the contrasts, the energy, and the vitality of San Francisco. As do the essays.

Tom Cole takes us back to the beginning and provides an historical review of the raucous town that suddenly grew up overnight in its feverish bid for gold. Barnaby Conrad leads us into the night with anecdotes witty, clever, and sensuous from an eclectic mix including, to name just a few, Graham Green, Frank Sinatra, and Eva Gabor.

"Bahnaby tells me you haf a vooden leg, vitch vun iz it?"
"Eva, I never thought I'd have to tell a Gabor what a man's leg feels like."
"Vell, dahling, ve vass never in zee lumber business!"

In a final essay, Allen Pastron walks us through much of the city beneath our feet. Here, we discover the world's finest anchorage being dug up and, therein, its archaeological heritage. Penned a "worm's-eye-view," the essay provides some wonderful insights into what was once the bawdy Barbary Coast - particularly, the story of the discovery of the buried ship General Harrison.

Rudyard Kipling opined San Francisco was "a mad city inhabited by perfectly insane people." So it lives on! Multi-faceted lifestyles unfold with each page, the images capturing the curious joie de vivre that reigns over The City. Other pictures highlight the unmistakable landmarks: the skyline with its Pyramid Building, the Golden Gate, and my favorite, the Palace of Fine Arts in the gentle light of dusk below a full moon glowing. The photos speak volumes in this book. Each offers a glimpse as to why the city Herbert Gold called "America's last great metropolitan village" has won the most coveted travel destination award in the world - now ten years in a row - the Condé Nast Traveler's annual Readers' Choice Awards.

San Francisco, City by the Bay, was first published in 1985. This edition features ninety new images and three new essays. The publisher, Abrams, boasts that Beebe's book is their longest running best seller. Not surprisingly. It is said that San Francisco is a city full of people that want to be here. Morton Beebe, a 3rd generation San Franciscan, reminds us of why this is so.

Beebe's images have truly captured the many diverse flavors and charms that make San Francisco the unique city that it is. Combined with the entertaining and informative essays, the beatifully printed images in this book bring a reader as close as one can come to walking through the streets of San Francisco itself. I throughly enjoyed this book.

Absolutely gorgeous pictures, great for San Francisco lovers. New edition has several new pictures and essays. It serves as a great gift if you are visiting someone and want to show off the city you live in

I had the pleasure of listening to this author lecture to in class during my senior year of college. Having the opportunity to discuss this book with the author made Slave Counterpoint come to life. Slave Counterpoint makes the topic of Antebellum slavery captivating for those interested in learning about the early days of slavery in the Cheasapeake Bay region. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has a sharp curiosity about early colonial history and wishes to be engaged in an honest account of events(I would recommend reading this book a couple of chapeter at a time).

I had to read this book for my History of Slavery class, thought by the author. Dr. Morgan gave excellent insight in addition to his book. I would suggust this book to anyone for anytype of reading, pleasure and required.

I have read no better detailed study than this book. Long but worth it due to the rich detail.

This is a beautiful tale about finding comfort and a sense of well-being when one feels alone. Parents tell me that this book is a favorite of all the children I have given it to as gifts. The narrative style and the simple water-colors lend a sense of poignancy to this story of a turtle and his new-found, reliable friend. This is sensitive story-telling at its best in children's literature.

This book is so lovely! Incredibly simple, and appropriate for any age, but spell-binding and beautiful. The illustrations are spectacular, and the story is gentle and quietly sweet.

I only wish it were more readily available, so I could give it as gifts to every new baby I know...

One of the most beautiful children's books around, "The Turtle and the Moon" is such a quiet, gentle offering among recent children's literature, that it seems to have been largely unnoticed. A shame, because the splendidly lyric paintings and mellifluous prose blend together in a such dreamlike, languidly lifelike story that both parents and children, the storytellers and the story-rapt, find themselves utterly intrigued.

Discovery, friendship, creativity, providence, nature, imagination, loyalty and joy shine gloriously through on every page, while the simplicity of the story of a solitary turtle finding new worlds in his every day is one that any child can understand and love.

So read this story just before bed, and hope that we all have half so beautiful dreams...