Being an annual visitor to Colonial Williamsburg I was very thoroughly pleased with the extrodinary color photos of The Majesty of Williamsburg. This book is aptly titled and a wonderful addition to anyone interested in Colonial Williamsburg or 18th century America.

Never have I been more drawn into a series of photographs. I can practically feel the temperature, hear my surroundings as I peer into what is almost real. These pictures are works of art. New York rarely looks this beautiful, yet Lieberman has either found every instance, or created them just for us. Breathtaking. Truly.

"Manhattan is a machine, fuelled by the millions of people who pour through its streets and subways each day, many of them locked into an exhausting but addictive live style which makes anywhere else seem dull and slow."

Wow! The words touched an nerve. I have never seen such a succinct description of Manhattan as in this British guidebook written by Fiona Duncan and Leonie Glass.

I don't read New York City guidebooks. After all, I'm a New Yorker. I know all the places to go. I LIVE HERE. But a few weeks ago, when visiting my friend who runs a Bed and Breakfast, I picked up this little gem of a book.

Here it is. Neighborhood by neighborhood. Street by street. With the best architectural maps I have ever seen. All the basic New York City highlights are here too. But most of all, it really gets the flavor of this city that I love. And that's a big compliment.

Published in 1992, by Passport Books, it is of course a bit outdated. And there is no one book that can do it ALL, especially in a mere 144 pages. But for tourists and New Yorkers alike, this book is a treat.

Having looked at dozens of NYC maps, I can comfortably say that this is the absolute best for the area it covers -- from 30th to 66st. The map is laminated for use even in the rain. Moreover, it's so well constructed that it can be refolded in any direction and has no critical details in the foldlines that may become obscured upon use. It's the only map that shows the actual building names for everything from Carnegie Hall to museums to the Hudson Hotel to Macy's with different colors for hotels, shops, restaurants etc. The map also includes a subway map as well as thoroughly decent index. It's not pocket-sized so has to go in a backpack, purse, or other carryall but this is still the one I carry with me at all times when I'm in NYC.

Mr. Washington has managed to summarize the rich, diverse history of a small yet fascinating section of the northern half of Manhattan which has consistently been ignored by virtually all writers on urban culture. His prose is terse and informative, and his photographs are truly stunning to anyone familiar with this neighborhood. This concise book is a precious piece of primary historical research which provides evidence on every page of the thought and effort that went into its creation. Whether you live in this neighborhood (as I have for twenty years) or are simply interested in the social and economic evolution of urban areas, this volume will provide you with a living, breathing history of an incredibly diverse slice of a continually evolving city. I urge you to read this fascinating tale of a truly unique part of our city and country.

This is the best guide available for walking tours of the cultural attractions of the Big Apple. I've used this and earlier versions of this book off and on for 25 years, both when I lived in New York and subsequently. The ratings of New York's major and minor sites from one to three stars are spot on, just as the Michelin Green Guides for London and Paris are. Useful both for the tourist with a few days to spend in New York as well as the resident New Yorker who needs to haul visitors around town to those attractions usually disdained by natives.

A great book that gives you the details on museums and locations of interest. I've been to NYC several times, but found the floorplan of the Metropolitan to be helpful...so this trip I can focus on areas where I haven't spent time. Also reviewed museums I may decide to see this time, based on the details in the guide. Even if I miss some of them, the book gives good details, so I feel as tho' I haven't missed everything! Maps are helpful, with suggested daily tours areas... it is good to know what is realistic to see in one day! I look forward to my next trip to NYC...I will bring this book for reference!

This beautiful and informative book (one of a series) is valuable for the armchair traveler as well as the actual tourist. History, photographs, simple and elegant maps, as well as interesting tidbits about people and places. For traveling with kids, it's invaluable. No threat of museumitis, here; lots of outdoors destinations to explore. The authors never preach, yet show convincingly that much is available - for family travel as well as adults - beyond multiplexes and outlet malls. They offer interesting and often "hidden" diversions and historically important places to visit: monuments, parks, houses, and more. It's produced lushly, to be enjoyed and admired - and it succeeds.

The Smithsonian Natural Guides are my new bible for travel. Who really cares about all those motel & restaurant guides w/cheesy attractions anyhow? These guides bring to life what kind of America lies behind (and often even above) the tourist traps.

In the guide to New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania's natural places, Eugene Walter takes the reader to the Adirondacks, the Finger Lakes, the Valley & Ridge Province, the Pine Barrens and other lesser known reserves in an often poetical manner, making it for once a travel guide that's a page-turner! His descriptions of certain places follow streams down their courses, allowing full visualization as well as a desire to get in the car and go there!

Love shipwreck stories? Like to dive for treasure? Like reading about Eastern states history? GET THIS BOOK! I read this book non-stop, I couldn't put it down. Anyone familliar with east coast shore towns will love reading about the fantastic treasures lying hidden somewhere "down there" off the coast! I guess the average person would not be interested in this book, but I often stand at the waves at the New Jersey shore and think about ships laden with gold and silver, from 200 years ago and wonder how many are still buried beneath the waves. Arm-chair historians, treasure divers and ship wreck romantics: find this book!