Charming and delightful are the words that come to mind when I remember the experience of reading White Mountain Blues. This novel is based on a script Hal Zina Bennett wrote for the TV series Northern Exposure. His wife, Susan Sparrow, loved the story so much that she urged him to convert it into a novel when Northern Exposure was cancelled before the script could be produced. The transformation from script to novel was quite effective -- the result is very enjoyable on its own merits, while retaining the quirky humor of the TV show. (Now and then, the author receives a letter from a Northern Exposure fan who has read his book and discovered the link.)

White Mountain Blues "celebrates the spirit that connects us to each other and to the natural world, where eagles fly." In fact, one of the characters in this book IS an eagle whose name is Sun.

In his prologue, the author warns that "the tale is pretty sparse on impertinent sex scenes, kinky emotional abuse and colorful violence. Even more out of fashion, there's a mostly happy ending." Venture into White Mountain Blues -- you'll have a great time.

This guide has a lot of info presented very concisely and clearly. Includes: camping info, hike descriptions, suggested snowshoe and ski routes, and close-up maps of many of the most popular hiking trails. Also includes a large fold-out map of entire White Mountains region on waterproof, unrippable stock. Lots of illustrations, and an attractive and useful design.

I found that this book is quite under-rated by local booksellers. This is an excellent book for a casual White Mtns hiker who wants an abridged guide to the more popular day trails, with concise and clear information about each (including trail times, estimated difficulty, and short description of each). This is the guidebook that I use most often for day hikes; and in a lot of cases I find this map more useful than the AMC map series. For example, the colors are much more clear, and numerous scenic points are marked, although water sources are not.

Mike Dickerman does a nice job describing the White Mountains, and what hiking there is like as a hobby and a passion. His essays are alternately informative, amusing, and educational. He does have one strange habit of mixing up east and west, which for a serious hiker, is astounding!

It seems that Mike accidentally messes up east and west twice in his book -- Once when he refers to the Carter range as the Western? side of Pinkham Notch, and once when he refers to Mousilaukee as the Eastern?-most 4000 footer in the whites.

Maybe he was sitting upside down when he wrote the book? ;-)

Deliverance Review
Deliverance, written by James Dickey, is a very suspenseful book full of action and drama. In this book, you are viewing everything through Ed's eyes. Ed is a middle-aged man who in turn loves to do athletic things to make himself younger. Ed is a follower of a man named Lewis in this book. Lewis is the type of person who lives his life through thrill and excitement. Lewis decides to plan a canoeing trip down a very fearsome river. The surrounding woods where the men stayed at night were also filled with danger. The trip that Lewis planned was suppose to be a peaceful one but turned out to be a very tragic one. We see Lewis go from crazy to mad and Ed from a follower to a newborn leader.
I would say that this book starts out a little slow and at first made me want to quit reading. Well my friends, this is one book that you will not want to put down. Once Lewis and company make it to the river, the book goes directly up hill. Everything from there on out is exciting and thrilling. I would recommend this book to any person who loves to read books full of action and people who are in tune with nature. This is a great novel and would love to read it one more time.

Whoa! I stumbled across this novel as I was glancing at the "Modern English Library's 100 Greatest Novels of the 20th Century." I have never been as involved in a book as I was in this one. Dickey, a tremendous author and poet, literally warps his readers into the story. Great characterization and vivid details make this novel a chiller. This is the perfect novel for a rainy weekend... It takes a hold of you and doesn't let go until you turn the final page. Read it!

As good as "Deliverance" the movie is, the book is even better. It goes into more detail about the motivations that led each character to the fateful canoe excursion. Unfortunately, I read it after having seen the movie numerous times, so I kept picturing Bert Reynolds, John Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox in my mind. Author Dickey is a great storyteller at the top of his game. That the novel also conatins a greater social significance is also a given. Mostly though, it is a fine exploration of the modern American male and how dealing with his testosterone urges can get him into trouble.

The first time I read these books was when I was in grade school, and for years I could remember the story but not the book titles. Finding them on Amazon and reading them again after all these years was a joy.

The author weaves a tale of adventure that will captivate young people and adults alike. The perspective is that of a young boy who lives in a future Earth in which an alien race has
conquered earth and controls humans through mind control devices that force allegiance to the alien race and the Tripod machines they travel in. Despite the technology of the alien race, humans live as they did in the middle ages. The story is about this young man's journey and how teams of free young people, not under the influence of the mind control, try and destroy the alien cities and free humanity.

The books were written in the late 1960's so some of the symbolism of the decade reveals itself, although subtly. The most powerful aspects of the book series are the depictions of the landscape and the alien city conditions and the coming of age of this young man. The author captures the thoughts and emotions of this central character quite well.

The "newest" book, written as a prequel to the "White Mountains" series, was written well after the other three books and as a result has a different feel and tone. It is a "throw in" for the set, but doesn't add much value.

Overall, a fun and enjoying read for all ages.

I have nothing but prais to give this book and the entire series, John Christophers books are some of the few intresting books for my age group (13-14), first reading this book just for school I quickly took it home that night and was unable to put it down, I also proceeded to read the other books of the series-- The City of Gold and Lead, later on the Pool of Fire, and just days ago ,When the tripods came. These books are all incredable and I would recomend them to anyone. Just as an example I recomended them to all my friends and they too were unable to put it down Everyone should get these books

This is a great series. In the first book an alien race comes to Earth in the form of the Tripods. We know little of who they are or why they come, but they easily learn about how humans work and are soon taking over the planet (but I won't tell you how). The second book (and in reality the first book published) we find ourselves on a Earth that has been ruled by the Masters and their Tripods for as long as anybody can remember. While Will Parker, Henry Parker and Beanpole, the major characters of the last three books, seem to find everything from before the Masters, such as the City of the Ancients and even a simple wristwatch, strange and fearful the readers (us) find it normal and rich in details only they can truly understand. The third book and the fourth continue to follow the characters from the second novel, as they fight to free the world from the Master's tyranny. With each book, with each page we (and the humans within the novels) learn more and more about the alien race, till they no longer seem like Gods, just very advanced creatures, even likeable in some ways. But they HAVE to be stopped, for their future plans for Earth do NOT include humans. In fact, if they are not stopped, all native life on the planet is doomed!

I will always remember when Luke saw John in the cradle.
This book was very Exciting!
I think others should read this book because there are exciting things on every page!

I will always remember... The ending. This book was... exciting!
I think others should read this book because I think others will relate to it.

I will always remember the ending.
This book was... excting,awesome, and sad!
I think others should read this book because it is fun to read! It made me feel sad,excited, happy, and glad!

John O'Brien has lived and thoroughly researched the Appalachian label. This book is a "must read" for any native of WV that wonders why they don't feel like an "Appalachian" and yet have been referred to as such. It is also the story of a young man fighting "Appalachian fatalism". It can be seen as a struggle against and a struggle for West Virginian culture. A great first book.

As a resident of Pendleton County during the first 22 years of my life, I have discovered through the writing of John O'Brien why I harbor an intense pride of my home state. A must read for anyone who has lived in the beautiful mountain state, anyone who has traveled there, or anyone who is curious about Appalachia. Beautifully and simply written, with historical facts and interspersed with personal vignettes.

This is a terrific book. O'Brien writes with a compelling style that could almost classify the book as a page turner (which is quite rare for this type of non fiction).

As a native West Virginian, just about every chapter had something that I strongly identified with...the West Virginia style family reunion in Pocahontas County, the "deep family secrets" that only the women talk about, the strong sense of family and community, the love of the outdoors, etc.

Growing up in Northern West Virginia, I always considered (and still do) my childhood to be somewhat idyllic. It was small town life with football, 4-H camp, camping vacations, spending summers at my grandmother's farm, etc. I was always puzzled as an adult after I had moved out of the state for graduate school at the quizzical/sorrowful looks that I would receive from people when I told them of my native state. John O'Brien has clearly articulated the history and reasons behind those stereotypes and I believe debunked most of the unfair ones.

I would recommend this book to any West Virginian (both resident and expat) who has that strong sense of pride in their heritage, but is searching for answers and explanations about the conflicting messages they receive from "the outside".

My only trepidation in this whole thing is that it took John O'Brien so long to write this first book, that another book from him may be a long time in coming.

There are books that are very well written and interesting, this one is transcendental. The writing itself is above average, though not sublime or groundbreaking, but the imagery presented by this book is simply mindbending. Having never been to Central Montana, I feel like I could find my way around every valley, ranch and town if I were dropped there from the sky. I literally couldn't put this book down... I started reading it and three days later found myself in the interesting position of having to remember where I was, what I was doing before I started reading and wondering just what DAY it was! A book that can do this is sure to rank among those that are read several times over by me, and this one is already gnawing at the edges of my mind again. Oh, sure, McCumber does a fine job of documenting the raw vagaries and subtle joys of ranch life, but it is in the details that his work really shines. I read a review here criticizing his supposed lack of depth regarding the characters... don't believe it. I could meet any one of the members of his book and feel like I knew them well. If you are looking for a book / journal to captivate you and set you down in a different place, this is the book to read.

I love books that help me travel to worlds unknown to me. And, as I live in New York City, ranching is something I know absolutely nothing about. That's why this book by David McCumber, in which he chronicles a year spent as a ranch hand, intrigued me. As he was a 44-year old journalist with no experience ranching, I could easily relate to his trials as tribulations as he learned what it takes to be a cowboy today. He's a straightforward clear writer and he uses his words well to describe even the most mundane tasks that are the daily routines for the people who live and work on ranches.

Basically, it's all about the care and feeding of cows and this includes the baling of hay, an essential job which has its own set of challenges. There's the birthing of the calves and the cleaning of the pens. There's setting up and irrigation system, and fixing miles of fencing. Often the weather is brutal and virtually all the work is outside. There's some horseback riding, of course, but nowadays most of the work is done with various trucks and motorcycles and vans which always need mechanical work, also done by the ranch hands. Mistakes are made often and result in a tongue lashing from the owner who knows everything there is to know about ranching and wants no other way of life.

These are real people that the author meets and he writes about them all with a sense of admiration and I'm glad he also included the history of the White Sulphur Springs area, which he researched as background. The magnificent scenery comes alive, as do his aching muscles. He enjoys it all completely and made it quite real for me. I must admit though, that in spite of his detailed explanations, I didn't understand it all, especially when he described the mechanical aspects of the baling machines or the irrigation system or the fixing of the motor in a truck. However, I had no trouble at all understanding the birthing, branding and castrating process. And I was right there with him as he fixed fences and chased straggling cattle for miles.

I thank Mr. McCumber for writing this book. I learned a lot from it. Now, whenever I hear the word "cowboy", I'll think about the real work that that is his daily grind. I'll think of the harsh and beautiful country. And the simple joy of a job well done. Recommended.

I loved every minute spent reading this book; perhaps because I've always wanted to be a cowboy on a Montana ranch myself. And, oddly enough, hearing horror stories about days spent in blizzards trying to fix fences and birth calves while covered from head-to-toe in cow dung and mud didn't change that feeling one bit! McCumber is a great writer -- captures not only the look of Montana, but the feel of it, too. And the fact he had a fantastic time makes it all the more fun for the reader. Read this book! You'll love it!

'The White Mountains' is set in a time of the future which has reverted to the past, with a controling race of machines who oversee humans. People are controlled through an implanted device in thier brain, and the time at which this is done has become a great coming-of-age cerimony. Sometimes, before thier 'capping' children of twelve and thirteen have doubts. Are these doubts just silly fears, or is there something truly manevolant about thier advanced masters?

A boy sets out to find a land without these tripods, and is joined by his cousin(who he doesn't get along with well at all), and a boy in France, who they call BeanPole(his name is Jean-Paul, but the accent makes it sound funny to them). Along the way they face challenges of friendship, arguments, fears, and great temptation.

A good book for young readers, it can still be enjoyed as a light read by adults.

When I read The White Mountains I had no clue that it would turn out as good as it did. The suspense was so extreme at times I couldn't put the book down! All the mysteries of the Tripods had you on the edge of your seat. I felt like I was actually there watching the story happen.

The Tripods are Capping people around the world, but the Tripods do not travel into mountains, so the men living in the White Mountains in Switzerland won't have their heads controlled by the Tripods. Will Parker and his friend, Henry, set out for the White Mountains from their small town of Wherton.

On their journey they encounter many obstacles. They don't know who to trust, because anyone can be Capped and obeying the Tripods. If they get caught, they will be Capped and their journey will be over. Will they make it to the White Mountains safely? Read the book to find out!

This book is a great choice for the person who likes a suspenseful adventure book. When you finish The White Mountains, you will want to get The City of Gold and Lead, which is the next book in the series, right away and figure out what happens next. You will LOVE The White Mountains!

This book deserves a great rating. For all of its suspense and how good the adventure was, I think this book deserves a 4.5 star rating. So remember, one of the best Science Fiction books that you can choose is The White Mountains by John Christopher.

The novel The White Mountains is a science fiction story written by John Christopher. The setting in The White Mountains is England, the English channel, France, and the Alps. The main character is an English boy named Will Parker, and the minor characters are his cousin Henry Parker and a French boy named "Zhan-pole," whom Will and Henry call Beanpole. The world described in the novel has many differences from our world today. In many ways, it is like our past around hundred years ago. There are no cars, planes, glasses and only very primitive trains. Humans have less technology and are mostly farmers. In this time humans are ruled by colossal mechanical machines called "Tripods," which have very advanced technology. Humans don't question the Tripods because they are "capped." Being capped is a process where the Tripod picks up the human and puts a metal half sphere on his or her head, causing the human to lose a little of his or her individuality. These differences are what makes the book unique. The novel starts with the main character Will seeing his best friend and cousin Jack being capped. Then Will meets a free man named Ozymandias from the White Mountains pretending to be a "Vagrant." Vagrants are humans who had a mishap in the capping making them crazy. Ozymandias gives Will a map and a compass and then Will is off. Unbeknownst to Will, Henry follows him. Will and Henry go with Captain Curtis across the English channel, and are kidnapped by the French. This is where they meet Beanpole. Then they wander into an ancient mall where they find grenades and mistakenly find out how to use them. Will is hurt and then a French man hunting finds them and brings them to the castle. As soon as Will is better they are going to run away, but that night a Tripod comes. Will tries to outrun it on horseback but it picks him up and puts a tracking device on him without him knowing. Later when they realizes that they are being tracked, they cut the tracking device aw! ay from Will's arm. As soon as they do this a Tripod comes, and they destroy it with the grenades. Then they have to hide behind a rock for two days because the other Tripods are searching for the destroyers of the Tripod. In the end they get to the White Mountains and await their next adventure. Three adjectives a reader could use for this book are fascinating, thrilling, and mystifying. It is fascinating because they think people in our time are ancient but they are like a hundred years ago in our time. It is thrilling because they have to evade many Tripods and have to destroy one. It is mystifying because it makes you wonder what are the Tripod's motives? Who are they? Where do they come from? This book is recommended to anyone who likes science fiction.

A book which I found fascinating and gripping, but which I also found disappointing in several ways. The author researched the Eiger exhaustively, and his accounts are filled with details which bring them alive.

But I have three complaints about the book. First, the author at times spent too long writing about the philosophical aspect of climbing, and climbing the Eiger in particular. Thus the books starts off slowly, but once he gets to the actual climb stories, it picks up nicely. Second, I think the translation from German is wretched. Numerous times I had to reread tortured convoluted sentences. (I blame this on the translator since "Seven Years in Tibet" doesn't have this problem.)

The biggest flaw, however, is that the accounts end in 1964. Much of interest has happened since then such as the diretissima attempts. The only mention of these are brief descriptions given in a time-line in an appendix.

Its flaws notwithstanding, I did enjoy the book and do recommend it, but would love another book describing in equal detail the history from 1964 to present.

Harrers classic tale of the famous mountain face inspired me, last spring, to successfully climb the north face of that mountain. The book is the bible for many Eiger dreamers like myself. Any questions write me at Paul_kiernan@landon.net. Thanks.

I have spent every free second the last few days to read this magnificent book on the Eiger ascents, and is truly a big fan of those climbers both those who who tried and failed and those who succeded.

The Eiger North face has been a magnet to me the last 15 years, and after wisiting Grindelwald and the JungfrauBahn this book is really a magnificent source of information. Harrer write not only his own story, but also manage to bring me along the other ascents he describes. This is definately the volume to read before anyone try to climb this mountain.

Well done Mr Harrer!!!