This valuable tome tells the interesting story of the arms race of the War of 1812. Gallant naval feats are few here, and there are mismanaged operations and no showdown fights. There is, though, a very interesting story to tell. Well-researched and better written, the author has chosen a topic that is seldom talked or written about and that is a valuable addition to the literature of the little-known War of 1812.

The story of the 'naval war' on Lake Ontario is a strange one. The British commander, Sir James Yeo, built an excellent fleet, and never really sought decisive action against his foe, American Isaac Chauney, who more than obliged him, apparently believing that to save his hard-built fleet was more important than hunting down and destroying his enemy, in the words of the immortal John Paul Jones, seeking a fast ship (or ships) and going 'in harm's way.'

In cold fact, Yeo didn't have to. By denying the Americans the control of Lake Ontario, he accomplished his mission. By not seeking decisive combat, Chauncey denied his country a strategic advantage, at the same time starving his very competent and aggressive subordinate, Oliver Perry on Lake Erie, experienced seamen and assets to build an overwhelming superiority on that other lake, which didn't stop him from winning the decisive victory at Put-in-Bay. It would have been interesting to see Perry command on Ontario against Yeo afterwards.

This book is highly recommended and belongs on every history buff's bookshelf, whether or not he or she is a War of 1812 enthusiast. It is another piece of the puzzle that is American militiary history.

This book is everything that military history should be. Mr. Malcolmson has a very readable style, while still providing a strong level of detail, and is not overly judgemental of most of the principal characters. Indeed, for the most part, both Commodores Chauncey and Yeo come out much better than most other histories of the War of 1812 have rated them. Lots of excellent and readable maps, are provided through the book where appropriate in the text. Excellent contemporary and modern art provides an evocative feel for the action, and is again placed strategically thoughout the text. Reserved for the appendices are tables showing the ships and broadside statistics for each fleet at several key intervals in the campaign, an appropriate decision given the changing nature of the fleets. The data is useful for understanding the different strategies employed at different stages of the war.

The book is not just a naval history, and does not overly concentrate on details of construction of the ships involved. At most times it would appear that providing crews for the fleets was more of a concern than the construction of ships. The book does a fine job illustrating the interaction of the land and naval arms and also the impact of events elsewhere such as on Lake Erie and Lake Champlain. Detailed accounts of the battles at Sackett's Point, Oswego, Sandy Creek, York and the 1813 campaign to Montreal are provided, as well as the many potential fleet actions on the lake, and more minor fleet activities. The struggles of both sides' commanders with their superiors, and the management challenges some of their underlings provided, are also covered, again, in what I found to be just sufficient detail to help keep the writing entertaining and evocative of the period.

I have read quite a bit on the War of 1812, and I still found much to learn from reading this book. I highly recommend it.

In Lords of the Lake, Robert Malcomson explores the naval activity that took place on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. In this brilliant and highly readable work, Malcomson succeeds in outlining, perhaps for the first time, the importance of the naval war on Lake Ontario in determining events of the larger conflict. While avoiding the national bias that has often marred the study of the War of 1812, Malcomson was able to establish the rightful place of the naval conflict on Lake Ontario in the lager contours of Canadian and American history. A must read!

This book is great. It divided milan into smaller sections so it's easy to figure out where everything is located. It's rare to find so many pictures that are as big and clear as they are in this book. There's also a street finder map in the back, which is very helpful. It really helped me prepare for my upcoming study abroad trip to milan.

I usually buy these guides when I travel for my pleasure, so it seemeda good idea to buy this one when I had American friends visiting , and I wantedto introduce them my city in a thorough, well-informed way. And it was a really good idea indeed! This volume is consistent with the other ones in the series: the Eyewitness may not be as updated or insightful as the Frommer about hotels or restaurants (though I found the Milan listings generally good), but it's virtually unbeatable when it comes to find your way around a city. The many maps and, above all, the amazingly detailed 3-D drawings with the itineraries are entertaining and real time-savers: thanks to the visual approach you don't waste a lot of time trying to understand if the old building you're looking at is actually the one you were looking for! As a native , I found the big "X-rays" pictures of the "big attractions" ( the Galleria, the La Scala Opera, the Castle, the Duomo Cathedral) especially well done, but I also could find at least a couple of off-the-beaten-path attractions I didn' t know ! As ever, the guide also provides an informative presentation of the social and historical background of the city. Finally the "practical life" section (money , transportation, aiports) is extremely well done and clear. We also used the guide for a trip to Lake Como and Bellagio (astonishingly, I had never been there before!) and the whole thing was smooth and exhaustive. The texts are, as ever, somewhat succint but not too simplistic : they tell you more or less what you need to know, and the (unavoidable) inaccuracies are few. The guide is also satisfactorily updated, even if it misses some of the latest renovations, like the new huge Deco-ish fountain of the Castle and the new La Scala Square, now beautifully restored to its turn-of the century appearance, but these guides are regularly updated, and the next edition will surely have them. Finally , my friends' visit was a success, and I know much more about my city, too. Also used (and recommended) : Rome, London, Berlin, Barcelona NYC, San Francisco, Florida.

This is the state-of-the-art tourism book. After dozens of titles edited during the last years, Eyewitness really did it! I used to live in Milan and it's a great place to spend some days, along with the lakes. The coverage of the main lakes (Como, Lugano, Garda) is amazing!

The main attractions in Milan are also covered (the Duomo, the Scala, Il Quadrilatero etc).

Excellent!

Roger Sheffer is an amazing writer, let me begin by saying that about him; however, there were times in this book where the harmonious relationship between music and life (and/or death) became too much of the story. I realize that Sheffer was going for something a bit different here: a themed collection on something that he obviously knows a lot about and that has obviously changed his life in a positive way. I applaud his effort, in fact so much so that I would never tell someone not to read this book. The stories are all fantastic revelations of the human spirit; and the prose, well the prose is beatiful. I could have given this book five stars for prose quality alone, but I felt that the narrative tension, the push and pull of characters that keeps so many readers glued to their seats, just wasn't as strong in Mr. Sheffer's collection as I had hoped it would be.
However, don't let that stop you. This is a great book. The stories all touch on humanity in a way that is special and unique, and Mr. Sheffer has earned a spot on my list of writers to reread for years to come. His characters are supurb, please don't let them suffer alone. Read about them, live with them, and then tell Mr. Sheffer that you too feel like music is the avenue to the soul. Thank you Mr. Sheffer for this wonderful book and I look forward to your future projects.

Roger Sheffer shows us that even the smallest moments are fraught with meaning. We run away from that idea, because to possess it makes us responsible for being fully alive and fully conscious each and every minute of each and every day. Sheffer isn't for the timid. But if you want to probe the Byzantine and unwritten rules behind most human behavior, listen to Sheffer's "music."

Sheffer's newest book of short stories is told by a most unusual, original set of voices. The stories are entirely fresh insights into the human drives for connectedness and meaning; their characters are odd and fully fleshed out people who fit no established types. Sheffer's territory is untrammeled; he explores some most unattractive, unprepossessing characters as they insist on finding their place in their circumscribed worlds. It is a book about sounds and voices, and Sheffer's voice is a clear, sane and unequivocal one, free of self-consciousness or fear.

My son is almost 3 and loves to read this book along with me. We have supplemented this book with actual "field trips" to a local aquarium and he enjoys the relationship between what we read and what we see. The author has included many interesting and informative facts without "going over" the little ones' heads. We recommend it!

My visit to the Aquarium captures the feeling of being at the Aquarium with its beautiful illustrations. The author has very thoughtfully included a diverse gathering of people who visit this Aquarium, including a young girl who is using a wheelchair. There is so much information to teach a child who is reading this book about fish, sealife nad other water resources. My daughter exclaims her excitement when looking at the illustrations in this book. It is truly a visit to the Aquarium with out ever having to leave the house. We have renewed this book three times from the library and have decided to add it to our perminent collection since it is liked by every member of the family, adults as well as children. We know you'll love it too

Akiki's 'My Visit to the Aquarium' is another wonderful addition in her series of children's books about nature and science. For us, it became the inspiration to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium while on vacation in California. I can still recall my six year old son's excitement as he acted as our "tour giude" from the knowledge he gained from this book. Beautifully illustrated.

I read this book while working on a mineral exploration survey in Northern Saskatchewan in 1974. The author and his brother preceded me by some 50-80 years. However many things about this wonderful part of Canada had not changed and it was easy to identify and imagine being with these fellows as they learned how to live and trap in the bush.... The writing is quite plain; but as the events are real they carry the book... (imagine your bro going lala while you are 500 miles away from the nearest civilizatioin...) Highly reconmended for anyone who loves the wilderness and adventure.... I believe I still have a copy kicking around here somewhere... Does anyone know how many copies where printed?

Art Karras' book, about he and his brothers trapping career in northern Saskatchewan is quite factual and certainly illustrates the trials and tribulations faced by the old-time trappers and adventurers in the 1920s and 1930s....

Will be enjoyed by anyone who likes to read about life in the wilderness as it was about 60 years ago. A very matter of fact book that I found very interesting .

This past school year was my last, as I just retired after 28 years. My ED class read, listened on tape, and studied the book Holes. Of course, we went on a field trip to see the movie - awesome!. Stanley Yelnat's Survival Guide makes a very good companion for the book. I even ordered it knowing I was retiring - for 2 reasons. One because I wanted to read it for myself and the second reason was to give it to other teachers if I found it worthwhile. Two very lucky teachers with be getting Stanley Yelnat's Survival Guide. Buy!!

I *loved* the book Holes, I've read it over ten times, so I was a little unsure if this would be as good. Stanley Yelnats Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake is hilarious, just as good as the original, Holes.

This book is written "by" Stanley Yelnats, so it's really funny to read about what he thinks. He uses sarcasam to tell you what went on after he left, everything about how each camper (in his tent) got there, how to avoid the wildlife, and what not to say to the campers. There are also quizzes, which are hilarious, but the highlight of the book is definately the appendix-type thing in the back, which explains why each camper was there, and they're laugh-out loud funny.

I recommend this book if you liked the book or movie Holes, you won't be disappointed, the only thing is, dont read it in public, because you will laugh out loud!

Overall grade: A+

good short little book. i enjoyed it but you really need to read holes otherwise you won't like this book... go see the movie too 'cos it was AWESOME!!!

I purchased this book because I am doing a paper about Stellwagen Bank. If you are interested in marine biology, whales, oceanography or know a young budding marine biologist, this book is an excellent and very enjoyable resource. It is easy to read, good photos, yet packed with information about everything from Captain Stellwagen to glacier formation to the numerous forms of sea life that thrive in Stellwagen Bank. It is peppered with lore about the history of local fishermen and the former whaling industry, and very interesting tidbits about the Massachusetts coast. A bright youngster on your gift list would enjoy this book, as would the college student or anyone seeking knowledge about the sea and the life forms that depend on it.

This book is absolutely wonderful! Last summer I worked for a company that took passengers out of Provincetown and went out to watch whales. As the naturalist, my job was to provide information about the environment and the things we were seeing there. This book was with me on every trip! There were many occasions when I walked around showing pictures out of it or used it for a quick reference. It was enjoyable and easy to read!

An excellent overview of the Fauna of StellWagon Bank. It includes many wonderful photopgraphs. There is also pretty balanced account of some of the significant environmental issues effecting the bank.

Now, I am a huge Keillor fan. I laughed myself hoarse over ... "Casey Strikes Out" and once climbed over twelve rows of seats in order to get his autograph on my dogeared copy of "Lake Wobegon Days."

But I've got to say, this wasn't up to his usual standard of excellence. Sorry, Mr. Keillor. I really wanted to like it. But the "magic" was missing.

I disagree with the earlier reviewer who said something is missing. . .perhaps these stories are not pure comedy, if that is the only "something" you are interested in. This collection is deeper, more thoughtful, the best of all GK's collections for insights into the human condition.

I may be biased--I own nearly every tape and CD set Keillor has put out!! As expected, "Mother (etc.)" does not disappoint. I find his voice a tonic, curing me of everything from insomnia to pessimism. His stories are bittersweet ("Ronnie and the Winnebago" and "Love While You Dare To"), nostalgic and thought-provoking ("The Flood"). Keillor is not forcing morality and religion on us, he is speaking from the heart as he always does, regardless of subject matter.

Even though all we ever see of Keillor is an older, reserved looking character in photos, I can actually picture him as he worries, dreams and gets into trouble as a child and young man. His descriptions and delivery are nothing short of remarkable and his closing lines are poignantly sublime. Maybe that's why so many listeners actually think Lake Wobegon is real, or just wish it were....

A great read! McLaughlin captures his reader immediately and holds on throughout each story. I especially enjoy the way he writes about the strength of the women in the old west. He has an obvious respect for their trials and accomplishments. Refreshing! I lent my copy to a coworker who took it on her family vacation to read aloud during long rides in the car. She said the entire family enjoyed it (husband and 2 kids - aged 10 and 15) and they're looking forward to reading Volume II on their next trip.

A collection of true tales of the people who made the Sierra Mountains of California so interesting in the last 200 years. McLaughlin has chosen his tales well and shows great skill in crafting them so they are fun to read and informative to boot.

We bought both books after hearing Mark McLaughlin lecture at an Elderhostel in Lake Tahoe. They are short, factual stories brimming with historical information presented in extremely interesting manner. They are as fascinating to read as he is in his lectures and we highly recommend them.