This is one of my most treasured books. Anyone that is passionate about art and horses will thoroughly enjoy having this book in their library. The artwork is predominantly watercolour sketches accompanied with the writings of a young Englishwoman. I highly recommend this book; buy it and enjoy it, over and over again.

The Rio Grande River (Great River) is the third longest river in the United States that divides Mexico and the US. Peter Lourie travels the entire river from it's headwaters in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. This is a wonderful account of his travels on this grand river. The history, rich land and people of the Rio Grande are captured in the detailed and colorful photographs. Each region that the Rio Grande travels through is unique and beautiful. I admire Peter Lourie because he is very respectful of the people and the delicate land of the Rio Grande. He did a wonderful job in illustrating the beauty and importance of this remarkable river. I absolutely enjoyed this book because the Rio Grande is very close to home!

I love old photo-history books, and this is one of the best. It shows photographs of the Salt Lake Mormon Temple, taken by various photographers at different times during its construction. Many historic photos are contained here. Also, much of the history of Utah as a Territory can be learned by the photos and the text.

I gained a greater appreciation for the pioneers and their legacy, by reading this book.

--George Stancliffe

This book is a must for any boater around the Great Lakes. Too often, national press focuses on the East and West coasts when searching for great places to feature. This book provides a introduction to the "3rd Coast".

This was an excellent review of the history of a Great lakes freighter. It gave me a good idea of what it was like to work on a boat and some insight into the importance of these boats to the steel industry. The tour of the Irvin is really interesting but the book is much more so. I can't recommend it enough. The author has a great deal of knowledge about the subject and conveys it in an enjoyable read. I hope the author is able to write more books like this in the future because he has a great foundation to work from.

Tap into the Great Lakes - A guide to the Brewpubs and Microbreweries of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin.

What a title! What a book! This is an in-depth review of microbrews in the Great Lakes region, and oh what a region it is! Mr. Bice must have had a great time sampling the various brews throughout the five states listed.

Having visited a few of the microbreweries, I can certainly attest to the accuracy and quality of the reviews. It is very well written and clearly understandable. The glossary of brews is certainly a useful tool when search for the perfect Scotch Ale!

The author has provided a well written and carefully researched narrative about a heretofore forgotten unit from Michigan. Herek consulted a wide variety of original manuscripts, letters, and diaries that add much to our understanding of the unit from a variety of perspectives.

This regiment was unusual in that it contained a single company consisting of Native Americans, many of whom could hardly speak English. Herek explores the prevailing prejudice in a state that was part of the frontier only a few decades earlier, and how notions of citizenship evolved over the course of the war.

I also highly recommend this book to those who are searching for a soldier's eye view of the Civil War. The book is full of details about regimental organization, recruitment strategies, rivalries between officers seeking to recruit companies, daily routines, food, and a host of other minutae.

Finally, the book sheds light on prison conditions in the North, since the 1st Michigan SS were stationed in Chicago doing prison guard duty for much of 1863. There is also a great chapter on the unit's confrontation with rebel John H. Morgan's cavalry raid into Indiana.

My only complaint is that the author should have provided more information in the regimental roster that appears at the end of the book. As it stands, the book is not of much help to those seeking to do statistical analysis or geneological research. For the average reader, though, this is only of passing concern.

and Sunnie Wilson lived up to that motto by giving back generously to the black community. His motto might also have been "a bed and good meal for every musician" because he owned and operated the Mark Twain Hotel expressly for that purpose. BB King, Dizzy Gillespie,Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and many more stayed there. Sunnie also ran several show bars in Detroit's "northern" Paradise Valley. The book contains hundreds of stories having to do with musicians whose names are very common today. He was also very influencial in the political climate of the 1930 and 1940s in Detroit, and provides much insite into those times. Some of his greatest successes occured in the rich entertainment district that centered around John R, where today the Detroit Medical Center sits. To understand the history, you have to read the book, almost nothing remains of what was sometimes called the "near eastside ghetto".

A great read. It reads like a novel, but leaves you with hard facts that easily pop up in conversation, and give perspective into the future.

The Penrose family shines again in this essential guide to our great lakes lighthouses...."the castles of the midwest". Keep it in your car while traveling the great lakes coast line and you'll find an adventure around every bend!