I had to read this book...and comment on it. Like Thomas O'Connor, I am also a native of Southie. Using a voluminous store of references, and countless personal interviews, O'Connor has written the most comprehensive history of "The Town" I've ever read. He takes the reader from the very beginnings of life in the relatively isolated peninsula settlement, through the cultural, ethnic, occupational, and religious history of the residents, emphasizing their insular nature, seemingly always at odds with the rest of Boston and other outsiders, right through the 80's.

The detailed background information provided by O'Connor over an entire chapter, regarding the forced busing for school integration and ensuing Southie riots, will give the non-Southie(and maybe some Southies also) reader a much better understanding, and different perspective, on the town. O'Connor is clear on the causes of the riots, namely a clueless judge following the path paved by a self-serving state legislature that passed a law which would preclude busing to Boston's lily-white suburbs, compounded of course by Southie's insular nature and desires to maintain their neighborhood schools. I recommend Michael MacDonald's recently published "All Souls" for a terrific read on the tragic experiences of one very poor Southie family in the projects during the those riots in the 70's, and on through the 80's, into the 90's.

Overall..a terrific historic work on South Boston by O'Connor..the best Ive ever read.

As we are reminded in this stunning pictorial chronology there is little on our shores to rival the grand beauty and dramatic history of the Southwest. Photographer George H. H. Huey illustrates the volume with contemporary photos of landscapes from Arizona, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, and Utah.

Presenting the stories of this region and its peoples - Indian, Hispanic and Anglo - the author begins with the Clovis people, who can be traced back some 13,000 years, and then he moves on to the Pueblo and Hopi tribes who found homes on in the mesas of Arizona.

Spanish and French missionaries and explorers also play a role in the area's rich cultural background. Among the first missionaries to pioneeer the Southwest were Eusebio Kino and Junipero Serra who traveled to California to convert the native peoples and claim land for the Spanish king. Expeditions from France were largely focused on Texas.

Perhaps most impressive of all is the recounting of William Becknell's forging of the Santa Fe Trail.

Walker brings the area to the present with nuclear research, contemporary border issues, unparalleled growth, and diminishing resources.

Both fascinating and edifying, "Gold, God & Grandeur" will be of interest to all Southwesterners.

- Gail Cooke

To get the record straight: this is mainly a photo book of St. Louis. Bob Costas only wrote the introduction. I think I have to say that I have never been to St. Louis and that a friend of mine (who lives there) gave me this book as a gift. One of my hobbies is photography, so when I see photos by other people, I expect a high standard. I can truly say that I was amazed by the standard of the photos contained in this book. For example, there are great pictures of Eero Saarinen's Gateway Arch and of St. Louis' art deco gems like Fox Theater or Union Station that are really inspiring. In addition to this, the book contains a large section which portrays the industry situated in and around the city. So if you want to know what St. Louis looks (and is) like or want to show somebody, I highly recommend this book.

North Carolina (of which I am a native, so please forgive the bias) likes to advertise itself as the "Variety Vacationland" and after reading the "State Parks of North Carolina" it's not hard to see why. Eastern North Carolina features hundreds of miles of beaches, lighthouses, coastal villages, swamps, Civil War forts, and the two largest landlocked sounds in the United States. The central section of the state (the Piedmont) features rolling, forested hills ocassionally broken by isolated, jagged peaks (usually called "knobs" locally) with excellent rock climbing and superb views, and swift rivers and large, manmade lakes. And in western North Carolina there are the Appalachian mountains, featuring the highest peaks east of the Mississippi river. This outstanding book, written by two biology professors from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, covers all 41 of North Carolina's state parks. These two men traveled to each of the state parks and thoroughly explored them (they traveled over 9,000 miles in researching this book). Although naturally concerned with the plant and animal life in the parks, the book is still designed with the camper, hiker, or even casual visitor in mind. The authors divide the parks into three geographic sections - coastal plain, Piedmont, and mountains, and they also include seperate sections on the state's nature preserves and recreation areas (all located on the shores of its' largest manmade lakes). The chapters on each park feature a map with roads, hiking trails, campgrounds, etc., contact information for the park, the park's main attractions, a section on the history of the park, a section on the plant and animal life to be found in the park, a section on hiking and (if relevant) climbing trails, a section on campgrounds or other facilities (and park activities, if any), and a section on nearby historic and/or natural attractions. There aren't many photographs, but I suppose that's to encourage the reader to see the parks for themselves. If you're interested in visiting North Carolina, or you're a native Tar Heel who's looking to explore your state, then this book is a great place to start! I've used it on a number of trips, and it has proven its' value time and again.

I read a lot of fiction and, quite frankly, loved this book as much as anything I've read lately. Stough has written an unpretentious chronicle of Panama from the Spanish conquest to the present--and beyond. The story is told through people connected by blood and also by Panama's rich, varied culture. There are enough heroic, doomed, quixotic characters--spread over 350 years--to shame the Bard, a collection of natives, Spanish conquistadors, English pirates, opportunists of every ilk and, of course, French and American canal builders.

"Strangers in the Land of Paradise" by Lillian Serece Williams is a brilliantly written book about the creation of an African American community in Buffalo, New York from 1900-1940. Illuminating with new information, pictures and graphs, it answers many questions about the daily life experiences of a group of Americans adjusting to political and economic changes. The family support system that Williams delineated in this turn-of-the-century community is one of those strengths that too often are overlooked in contemporary literature on African Americans. Yet these are important strengths that are present in contemporary African American communities across the nation and upon which I frequently draw to treat some of my patients.

This timely, outstanding blend of scholarship and humanity places this work in the category of a genuine classic. The book is a "must" for every serious scholar of American history. "No Shame in my Game" by Katherine Neuman would be a wonderful contemporary companion.

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!

TERRA INCOGNITA is the telling of history from another point of view, connecting the dots between voyages, ships, cargoes & paymasters.

If you like to know the who, why, when & how of historical things & events, then TERRA INCOGNITA will thrill you. Into this little book is packed a ton of trivia that is both fascinating & extra-ordinary, about the exploration of the world from the "Twelve Wooden Plates" upon which a new map was secured for printing & what Amerigo Vespucci had to do with them, to "The Commercial Revolution" in which the Black Plague had people sailing away in fleets to the farthest reaches of the globe, to "A Young Genoan Arrives in Bristol" being excerpts from journals of the icon of exploration to "Bristol Ships in Lisbon and Huelva" where Christopher Columbus had been dwelling, to "Shipshape and Bristol Fashion" wherein a medieval proverb comes to life & so on into the stuff of legends, all the facts & the fictions.

Very well done...a superb history of mapmakers & voyagers...certainly for every history buff, & anyone interested in writing about merchant seamen, explorers & maps.

This weighty history of the geographic evolution of the U.S. will prove a unique and important addition to any library strong in geography and American history: This Land Is Your Land examines patterns in the growth of the country, the movements of peoples and cultures across the land, and the early political and social influences on mapping the nation. More than 300 illustrations reinforce the geographic exploration and enhance the fresh new approach to American history. Highly recommended.

My 8-year-old son is a machine maniac, and he loved his story of a boy in 1912 helping to harvest wheat in North Dakota by learning to run a steam engine. Lots of info and great drawings of the steam tractor and thresher, plus fanscinating details about life on the prairie. Mom enjoyed it too, and often had a tear in her eye.