With its useful maps and anecdotal entries, this pocket-sized guide is the perfect companion for a day or a lifetime spent in the New York metropolitan area. It lists location, atmosphere, menu items, tap and bottled beer brands of all the important and some not so important watering holes in NYC and beyond. I never leave home without it. I am constantly making notes and additions to it though as it is slowly become dated. I only pray there is a revised edition on the way.

This book has many things to commend it, from th fine paper stock to the marvelous images selected by Peter Simmons. Look at the pictures - really look at them and you will be brought back to a different era! I recommend it!

A fun and witty book that explores the little known details of past and present New York City. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

This comprehensive book is a must for anyone exploring the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks. I use it as my bible to plan every trip I take to the area. The topo map alone is almost worth the price (although it can be purchased separately).

The editor, Tony Goodwin, is born into a family of hikers, and is very involved with the DEC and ADK mountain club. He's a valuable source of information not only on the trail conditions, but on the future plans! I had a privilege of working on a trail construction project to build a new route that he spearheaded.

There are only two things I would like to see in future editions:

1) A more thorough listing of the locations of designated campsites (aside from those surrounding lean-tos)

2) Time/ distance/ elevation estimates for the unmarked/unmaintained trails of the 46 High Peaks.

For the unmaintained trails, Barbara McMartin's Discover the Adirondack High Peaks is more thorough.

What a joy to have a book not designed for tourists, but just for we who live, work and play in New York. It has all the info we need to access those neighborhoods we don't know as well as our own. I have used it every day since receiving it and don't leave home without it. It will be an annual purchase like Zagats from here on.

This book was extremely useful to me. I recently had a few hours to kill in Asheville, NC and visited both the new arboretum and older botanical gardens. Dempsey's directions were clear and enabled me to drive directly to these lovely public gardens even though I was unable to drive anywhere else in Asheville without getting lost! I intend to visit many more of the gardens listed and revisit some old favorites. The only reason I couldn't give this book a 10 rating is because it is a bit homely. Lousy graphic design and unattractive cover bother me but certainly do not detract from the extreme usefulness of this title as a guidebook. Thanks, Jack

New Jersey has been called the great "Crossroads of the American Revolution" because of its important strategic location between New York and Philadelphia, a fact well recognized by George Washington when he based his military headquarters in Morristown. This significance is superbly portrayed in DiIonno's Guide by numerous and fascinating vignettes detailing the locations, some now forgotten, of the events that shaped our country's history. For American Revolution history buffs, especially those interested in New Jersey history, this book is a real page turner.

As a kid growing up in New Jersey I had only been taught the basics of what happened here during the Revolution. I had heard the names and stories of famous places like Trenton, Princeton, or Morristown. But these were only the tip of the iceberg. After reading the guide I was surprised to discover that New Jersey is filled with countless places, events, and people connected to the Revolution that have somehow been forgotten by the history books.

For example, does anyone today know about the Battle of Springfield from which the classic image of Patriots skirmishing with Redcoats comes from? Or about the infamous Baylor massacre? Or the retreat of the American Army through Bergen County that inspired Thomas Paine? And what about names like Erskine, Lord Stirling, and Reverend Caldwell? And lets not forget George Washington's Secret Weapon!

These stories are here in this book and they make for a great read. After reading several pages I was inspired to seek out these places and view them firsthand. Exact locations are provided in the guide. In fact, I learned that several of them were right in my own backyard. Down the street from where I live are places once occupied by Washington, Lafayette, and Cornwallis.

The book is also the perfect reference guide for a family or school fieldtrip. Seems to me like a great way to get kids interested in American History... or anyone else for that matter.

So go buy a copy and "Give em the Watts boys!"

Written by Tom Dwyer, A Guide To The Allegheny National Forest is a marvelous pocket reference packed with history, detailed commentaries, maps, area-specific information and much more concerning this grand, 513,000 acre historic forest that makes Pennsylvania truly sylvan. Of especial note are the many hiking trail descriptions in this concise, easy-to-read, straightforward and friendly guide. If you are planning a vacation, hike, or just a plain day off to enjoy the beauty of the Allegheny National Forest, you should consult A Guide To The Allegheny National Forest without delay!

Simple concise, covers a lot of territory for it's size. Gives background on the different climbing areas, but again the descriptions are brief. An excellent guide for those who don't want much fluff.

this powerful book will move you to tears. It was born out of a perceived need to reacquaint all of us with our own history and the cultural need to work at preserving the land in some fashion for future generations. Previously untapped resources came together to champion this idea in a beautifully written tome accompanied by first-rate color photography.

i believe the idea of the book galvanized preservationist sympathies in Virgina and has been a key factor in major preservation achievements in more recent years.