I have read almost all of Janes books, I enjoyed this first book in the newest series " A name of her own". I love to read how people arrived in Oregon and where they came from and Jane does such a great job on making sure her readers have all the facts.
I can't wait until June fo the next book .
I realy like when I e-mail Jane and she takes the time to personally e-mail me back.
Tia In Oregon :)

Imagine yourself alone in the world, hungry, cold, defenceless against all the elements and your children starving and left behind while you sought help. This was Marie Dorion and she and her children survived. Jane Kirkpatrick writes of strong women and this latest book is no exception. I especially like that this story is based on a real woman in the Pac NW. Marie Dorion's courage and honor is truly an inspiration for women of all ages and in all ages.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Good!!!!! I have read most of Jane Kirkpatrick's books and this is by far my favorite! Just when I think I have read her best she surprises me with another great read. Do as I did, buy this book, find a comfortable spot, get a cup of tea and go with this extremely talented writer to a long ago place in history and time.It is well worth your travel. I can't wait to continue the journey with her next book, Every Fixed Star.

Geology is not usually one of my favorite topics. I remember slogging through John McPhee's interminable series of articles for The New Yorker and vowing to avoid the topic at all costs.

My attitude has changed radically since reading Kevin Krajick's book Barren Lands. Somehow, he has managed to convert a dry topic into a thrilling adventure narrative, weaving hundreds of years of history into this story about the idiosyncratic characters who prospect for diamonds.

I highly value my sleep, but I actually stayed up late to finish this book. My only criticism is that I would have liked to see photographs of the driven, eccentric characters that populate the book, and the actual landscape they prospected.

...is certainly not always gold...or diamonds for that matter. This book, however shines from cover to cover. There is something for everybody in Mr.Krajick's book Barren Lands. In dealing witht the overall subject of the 400+ year search for diamonds in North America, the author took me through a graphic history of adventure, intrigue and science. Krajick's style of story telling brings the tale of the search for diamonds thru-out the world to life and kept me rivited page after page. After reading of how some folks just stumbled across diamonds in their back yards I will probably always have one eye to the ground from now on.

The more recent North America activities of Fipke and Blusson, around whom much of the book revolves, is told in a personal and intimate manner, as only an author with first hand experience and contact could have related. There is also a good dose of the author's wry sense of humor and irony thrown in throughout his book. Please take special note of his tips on how to use a port-o-potty in 40 degree below zero weather on the tundra.

Probably the best book since reading Stephen Ambrose's book about Lewis and Clarke, Undaunted Courage. My only disapointment was reaching the last page.

Did you know that in about half of the states of the US people have found diamonds? Diamonds of more than two carats have been found, for example, in Ohio and Alabama, and finding them is often just child's play. Kids are the ones who pick these gems up, because kids are close to the ground and always looking for treasures. Finding a reliable supply of diamonds is much more difficult; the ones found on the ground are often chance deposits that were dropped when a glacier melted, but the glacier must have carried them from somewhere rich in diamonds. There aren't many such places, and it was a surprise that over the past decade, the Northwest Territories of Canada were deemed to be diamond mining country. The eerie, exciting, and disturbing story of how this came to be is told in _Barren Lands: An Epic Search for Diamonds in the North American Arctic_ (Times Books) by Kevin Krajick. The lure of diamonds has proved inescapable for a certain class of men for centuries, and Krajick's book tells about some of them he met while he did his research.

The Barren Lands (yes, that is the designation you will see on maps) is a half million square mile region as far north as Americans can go. There are no roads and no people, and it is called barren because it is above the northern limits which trees can reach, Since diamond exploration has started, however, it could well be populated with workers producing gold, uranium, and other minerals. At the heart of the story of exploration here is Chuck Fipke, a weird little guy who does nothing to improve the image of geologists. When Fipke was in charge of a prospecting expedition, he drove his men ruthlessly, especially his own son with distressing ferocity ("When you're not eating or sleeping, you're working for me."). Fipke was just one of a long line of explorers to the region, and their history is well covered here. The unbelievable hardships of traversing the area, or working in it, are well described in many sections of the book; bears, mosquitoes, and deerflies all supply annoyance or danger. Then there were the people. Fipke could not keep his operation secret for long, and DeBeers and other mining firms shouldered in. Fipke's team painted the plywood cubicles that held the drills with camouflage paint that would prevent detection from the air, and even ordered army-surplus camouflage nets to cover supplies. This was not paranoia; there were commercial spy planes making regular flights to see what was up.

The prospectors faced challenges from the environmentalists, who worried that the caribou, wolves, falcons, wolverines, and bears would get shoved aside by the industrialization of a previously pristine area, and the local tribes worried about water pollution, looting of artifacts left by their ancestors, and "perhaps most of all they worried that they might be left out of the profits." Barren Lands now has a hugely expensive mining factory, and will simply churn out millions of dollars worth of diamonds every year. There is a pressure to build roads and power lines to the site, which will mean more alteration of a basically natural area, but profits like these cannot be resisted. While Fipke and his partners are all now unimaginably rich, they are not unimaginably happy. Fipke alienated many of his crew, and shattered his family during the most intense of the mining preparations. He admits that putting all his energy into his mine had its price. "But that was _cool_! To do all that we did? It was _fun_!" It is not surprising that with this attitude, all the riches and all the family problems haven't made a difference: he is still out there looking for the next strike.

I recently read Far North for a book report assignment for school. I chose this book because I like Canada. I could not put this book down. It is such an exciting adventure story, and I would recommend this book for anyone who likes wilderness adventures. (Ryan Groth, age 14)

This was a great book I couldn't stop reading it, one morning I started it had to take a break for breakfast and then read it all the way until lunch when I finished it. It is about a boy who goes to a school in Canada and ends up lost in the woods with Jonny Raven and Raymond, read it to see what happens to them. This is a great book it is action packed and will keep you interested.

This book was so good, that I could never put it down. If you like books that are full of adventure and excitement, you will love Far North. Hobbs does a wonderful job of keeping up the suspense all throughout the story. It becomes a story of triumph and survival when Raymond and Gabe get stuck in the wilderness of Canada. They are all alone with a pistol, and three bullets, trying to survive the winter of the Northern Territories. If this book sounds good to you, you can also read other books by Will Hobbs, such as Bearstone, Downriver ,orThe Maze.

This is an excellent history of the Ohio River Valley during the time period covered. However, this book is written more along the lines of a typical history book than his "Winning of America" series (The Frontiermens, Wilderness Empire, etc.) That isn't bad, it just means that it is less of the narrative style than one is used to in Eckert's books. Also, I found some of the events and happenings covered in this book to be more engaging in his other books. Eckert mentions in his introduction that he didn't want to just repeat things in this book that he had already covered in other books, but I think this is a "stand alone" book and he should have used all his best stuff for this book instead of worring about repeating what he wrote in his other books. In any case, this is an excellent book that keeps one interested; it just doesn't have as much of the "being part of the action" that is displayed in some of his other writings. With this book one is more of the outsider looking in on history instead of being involved in it; although it is still better written that most books concerning history. Also, there are a few instances of possible errors of history. For example, concerning Braddock's defeat at the Monongahela in 1755, Eckert states that Braddock was shot purposely by one of his own men. I can't think of any other historian who has no doubt on that matter. While it can not be proven that he wasn't shot by one of his own men, there is also not concrete evidence that he was. In fact, most evidence points to the opposite. Eckert, however, states it as fact. Every other historian seems to believe it not to be true, or at the most, doubtful. Eckert should have pointed this out. Also, dealing with the same battle, Eckert claims that the great Indian leader Pontiac was present. Now, there is no concrete proof that he wasn't, there also is not concrete proof that he was. So why state it as a fact? Or for another example, Eckert states that Blue Jacket, another great Indian leader was a white, captured as a boy and raised by the Indians. This is apparently not true either, as proven by DNA testing of the family's descendents involved. So why state that as a truth, when it really doesn't matter as far as Blue Jacket's activities in history are concerned? In any case, Eckert's possible errors are of the minor nature and do not distract one from the generally excellent writing and history telling; it just makes one wonder what else Eckert may be in error about. In the end, however, I don't think there is any other book concerning this area and time period that is better. Were is not for the possible historical errors, I would have given it a 4 or 5.

By far the best and most engaging chronicle of the border wars of the Ohio River Valley, Dark and Bloody River takes us back to the time and place first encountered in Eckert's other great book, The Frontiersmen. This was the first Eckert novel I read and it hooked me from the start. It begins with a description of the ancient Indians to first settle the land that would later become known to some as Kentucky and the Ohio Valley, and to others as "That Dark and Bloody Ground". It ends with the closing of the eastern frontier in Ohio in the early 19th century and the twilight of the Indian way of life. What comes in between is a classic tale of historic adventure and horror. Eckert is known for his great historical novels and this is one of the best. Here we again encounter some familiar characters like Daniel Boone, Simon kenton, and Simon Girty. Eckert gives one of the most sympathetic interpretations of the white renegade Girty to date, portraying him here as a troubled frontiersman who was more a victim of years of character assasination than the satanic monster he was remembered as. Here we also meet Lewis Wetzel and Eckert makes clear that Wetzel, though hailed as a frontier hero in his time and for decades to come, was most surely a cold-hearted killer, intent upon exterminating the Indian race from the face of North America. This is really a great book and despite being some 600 pages, has often been reread.

this book is the most informative book on the history of the Ohio river valley that has ever been written. It is informative in every detail t o geographical references and historical events! As with all Eckert writings, it's impossible to put it down! READ IT!!!!.....

This book is so richly textured, I read it in small sections, so I could savor the paragraphs a little at a time. Mr Egan's style of writing is vivid and beautiful, without being overly wordy. A lot of the history in this book, I already knew, but discovered anew; and some I did not know, and am thrilled to learn. My grandparents were immigrants to Seattle in 1906 from Poland, and I feel such a sense of belonging here, that it is wonderful to view the Northwest with someone else's eyes. I count myself as a fan of Mr Egan. I am recommending this book to many friends and family, as it was recommended to me.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in or fascinated by the Pacific Northwest---its geography, history, ecology and pressing issues on environment and preservation of its cultural and anthropological resources. I like the range of subjects and the "traveling sense" or the sense of place you get as he shares his experiences one area at a time. Very well written, uplifting, and pleasurable reading even to people who have not lived in this region but at least got a sense of it on short visits. Suddenly, visions of Mt. Baker looming on the horizon over Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands spring up!

This book wonderfully depict the beauty of the Pacific Northwest before people took control and developed it. He describes the ways we changed the land, how it was before and how it is today and yet tells a story of his grandfather. As a native Washingtonian I felt like I went back in history and appreciated the historical and well as discriptive views of a land I love well. It was easy to read and I hard time liking the Army Corp or Engineers after reading this book.

Easily coined as a coming of age story, Craig Lesley's brilliant work *The Sky Fisherman* contains as many unpredictable currents as the river which flows through it.

Lesley establishes characters with ease, embellishment and energy. His language suits the people he creates, the landscapes described and, most importantly, the town that combines both entities. He does not shy away from intriguing subjects like death, mourning, sorrow, lost dreams, prejudice, love, arson and murder.

Told through the eyes of young Culver, the protagonist whose father was "lost" on the river Lost while fishing with his uncle, Lesley allows him to know more than he should but retain a striking amount of innocence throughout. Although Culver admits to flashes of his future such as, "Deep in the marrow of my bones, I felt that nothing was going to turn out as we had hoped, and I felt sick for all of us, especially my mother.

Culver's mother, who facilitated the move back to Gateway, the place of her husband's death and the home of his brother, Jake, is sensible, likable and sometimes surprising. The strength she needs to leave her second husband, Riley Walker, is mustered one day in a cafe which served bad cottage cheese and sour pears.

Culver doesn't mind the new surroundings. Riley walked his family from one railroad town to another on his general decent with the Union Pacific Railroad. Landing in his last two dog town, losing his wife and adopted son finally drives him over the edge, causing him to torch the town before turning into a vagrant.

The future looks bright for Culver and his mother, they both have jobs, they have their own house and they are rid of Riley, they believe. Culver works at this Uncle Jake's adventure outfitting store and is often left in charge when Jake is leading fishing trips with the "dudes."

The colorful characters who grace the threshold of Jake's store are as interesting as their names and stories. Gigantic Gabriel Webster, "Gab" is the station manager for the local radio station. He continually tries to sell advertising and consistently sees ways for the town and businesses to grow. Buzzy Marek is a crop duster who "swoops so low he's got to burp to clear the barbed-wire fences." Sniffy St. John is a night watchman and glue mixer for the ply wood mill. Seaweed Swanson is a retired chief petty officer of the United States Navy but has trouble with the clock and "actually spent two extra years in the Navy before realizing he could retire with full pensions after twenty" he blamed this on "too many trips across the international date line."

All of these characters also have mugs hanging in the Oasis cafe with "nicknames labeling their coffee cups...I (Culver) enjoyed trying to match the customers with their colorful monikers: Big Joe, Babe, Grasshopper, Heavy Duty, Short Stack, Skook." And Culver often walks home alone from the cafe in order to "study the town at night and consider how I fit in it."

Just as the colorful characters cannot be ignored, the powerful force of the river takes on characteristics of its own. Culver becomes a man on this river by not only challenging the rapids which claimed his father's life, but also pulling his first dead body on the Lost and almost getting pulled under by a panicked tourist. Jake contends that "There's a fool born a minute and only one dies a day."

Also surging through this novel, are the beliefs and teachings of generations. Jake and Culver's father took his boys fly fishing on the river frequently. Jake remembers that "Whatever he knew about the river, that's what he saw in the sky....There's the Sky Fisherman. Those stars closest to the mountain are the hip boots. Straight above is his vest, and the little curved line of stars is a pipe jutting out his mouth. That long row of curved stars makes up his fly rod. From the deep bend in that rod, I'd say he's hooked a dandy." Jake passes on to Culver important family history and respect for the nature surrounding him.

Another current swirling in this tale is Native American mythology, beliefs and humor. Gateway is situated next to Hollywood, a reservation, which is also plagued with scandal, murder and suspicion. The tribal policeman, Billyum Bruised Head, befriends Culver due partly to his relation to Jake and also his display bravery.

Unfortunately for the characters, there is also a deep undertow which pulls at the inhabitants, sometimes cursing their dreams forever. Culver witnesses extreme drought which results in unbeleivable fires and more men lost.

Lesley's previous books, *Winterkill* and *River Song* are equally as intriguing novels. His ability to establish characters and his art of storytelling are phenomenal. Even those not thrilled about fly fishing can enjoy this latest effort and those who are will have an enhanced read. Lesley is also a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest and currently lives in Portland, Ore., which is obvious from his poignant topical descriptions.

Craig Lesley has the uncanny ability to draw readers into his narrative immediately. His characterizations and dialogue are so realistic that it's often difficult to believe his works are fiction. In 'The Sky Fisherman,' Lesley writes something of a coming of age story, in which the book's narrator Culver Martin comes to terms with his father's death years earlier and the circumstances that surround and haunt relations between himself, his mother and his uncle. At the same time, Lesley provides a real picture of relations in a small town near an Indian reservation. Here Lesley brings to life the complex feelings and resentments on both sides of this line, i.e. among the town's mill-workers, farmers, etc. and the Indians on the other. Also well-rendered is the love for and obsession with fishing and hunting on the part of the locals, which the author brings to life in his evocative descriptions of the landscape - although he fictionalizes many place-names, it's obvious that he is referring to the Deschutes River in Oregon. This is certainly Lesley's best novel.

Craig Lesley is one of those writers that well-meaning acquaintances tried to push on me several years ago. Hence, I resisted much of his work, and reluctantly read _Winterkill_ one afternoon out of a sense of obligation. After reading _The Sky Fisherman_, I'll likely become one of those who pushes his work on others.

The story is narrated by Culver, a teenager at the time of the events in the book, and told from a point of view some time later. These events were decisive moments in Culver's coming of age, and marked a critical time of transition for the network of small towns at the center. Young Culver must find the way to deal with the traumas of his father's death, his step-father's failures, his mother's fears, and more adventure helping his uncle Jake than most young men are called upon to survive. Culver's drive to know more about his father brings out buried conflicts that threaten to destroy the little bit of stability that anchors his existence. Lesley gives Culver a voice through these struggles that offers a gripping narrative. Culver's youth and inexperience prior to the momentous events come through clearly in his reflections as an adult. There is wisdom in Culver's perspective, but Lesley avoids the pitfalls of forcing this wisdom on the reader.

In some respects, this book is like a large number of other coming-of-age Western novels, from _Huckleberry Finn_ to _A River Runs Through It_. With its setting in border towns near an Indian Reservation, and communities where the economic life centers on lumber and river recreation, the book aptly reflects life in the rural West. Unlike so many other such novels, however, Lesley allows a sensitive and perceptive portrayal of Indian-white relations into the heart of the book, but without making race relations the driving force of the narrative. In doing so, he may get closer to the heart of the West than most of the novelists and historians who have made the effort.

This novel is a serious work of fiction, entertaining and provocative. It stimulated me as a reader in several ways. I'm eager to return to _Winterkill_, as well as Lesley's other novels. I'm stimulated to make a dent in my pile of unread books by a host of other writers. And, I'm provoked to write by Lesley's powerful handling of the language. In addition, reading this book the week prior to a steelheading trip on the Deschutes River also proved to be good timing. This book energized me in a fundamentally important way: it reminded me of the reasons money saved from avoiding a cable-TV subscription is well-spent on literature.

Award winning authoress Jayne Ann Krentz, who also is known by Amanda Quick for her historical romance novels, gives us exactly what this title indicates--grand passion. Flavoring her settings with descriptive tones of wealth and art add to Cleopatra Robbins (the central character)sensual and suspenseful predicament with handsome yet snobbish Max Fortune.

I especially enjoyed scenes involving "The Mirror"--a book which Cleo is writing that unmasks her hidden desires of erotica. And, you just know Max will buy into that, along with attempting to discover hidden art treasures.

A fun, well written book which even authoress Sandra Brown commented, "Grand Passion is Krentz at her best...with the snappy dialouge that has become her trademark and a cast of characters you want to know personally."

Thanks for your interest & comment votes--CDS

This is my favorite book --- i must have read it 5-6 times & listened to the audio just as much! I love Max & Cleo & the whole Robins Nest Inn family !!

I totally enjoyed this book. Cleopatra Robbins is a very normal, but very unusual woman, and a great heroine. I loved the quirky supporting cast-Andromeda, Daystar, the private detective who wears very loud, obnoxious clothing! Max Fortune (unFORTUNEate choice of a name, but) is a good hero for this story. Honest and human people, who have standards and care about what they do. Buy it, it is a great read and a very winning story.

A very good book! Peretti is very talented in his storytelling style. I read just about all of his adult books and this one ranks as one of his best (second only to the wonderful "This Present Darkness")

There are those who feel this book is too dark and too horrific--This is as close that Christian fiction can come to secular horror novels such as those by Stephen King and Dean Koontz--And I admit, I was surpised from some of the content I read and often thought to myself: 'And this is supposed to be a *Christian* book!?'...But really, it does make sense and is warrented. All in all, this story is about Sin. This book is very allagoric and symbolic of what sin is and what it can do to people. It usually starts small, and it grows. Quickly you become addicted to it. You don't even want to aknowledge your sin and so you become blind to it...that is until it is too late. You become a slave to sin and the only way to truly free yourself is through Jesus. Otherwise Sin will grow and grow until it devours you (Something litterally from this book). I know that this is starting to sound like a sermon, but this message is EXACTLY what this book is about...And yet, It never gets *preachy*

It's a fairly hefty novel, especially for Peretti, and at times you wish something more interesting would happen. But the pace never falters and it does manage to hold you. Only the most impatient of readers would put this book aside for good without having it finished.

I've read all of Peretti's adult novels, except The Visitation, and this is by far the darkest he has written. It seems secular for the most part with not much mention of God or Jesus, angels or demons. However, it does not have cursing or sex scenes in it, but there is some gore.

Cliff Benson is apparently killed by a bear, yet his wife survives the attack. Cliff's brother, Steve, a wildlife biologist, sets out to find out what killed Cliff. Well, he meets a brick wall in the form of a clanish town deep in the mountains, who believe in a dragon!

Only one individual, who is labeled a fanatic or looney of the town, Levi Cobb, knows what happened to his brother, and what deep dark secrets the town keeps. Another person, in the form of Tracy Ellis, deputy, assists Steve, but also they have a mini romance, and actually sleep together, though, thankfully, Peretti does not describe it. The question on your mind as you read this book, is who can you trust and is there really a dragon killing some of the people of Hyde River?

As the town becomes more corrupt, more people are killed, and black stains start appearing on people's hearts, of course, which is symbolic of sin. The town hates Steve for investigating into their private lives and "dragon" lead.

Well, there is a dragon in this book, and it symbolizes Satan. The head honco of the town, Harold Bly, apparently thinks he has control of this dragon to do his bidding, but read the book and find out what happens when you think you can do what you want with Satan and not have Christ in your life.

Very suspenseful and easy read. My second favorite of Peretti's to This Present Darkness.

Adrenaline pumping, heart racing, sheer terror............ Does this sound like a Stephen King novel to you? It should but it isn't. This is a 550 page novel by Frank Peretti without all the cussing that is contained in a Stephen King novel. "The Oath" was a wonderfully chilling book, that kept me hooked, wondering what was going to happen on the next page. To start out the book, there is a bizarre murder that has taken place, and Steve Benson, the victim's brother, will stop at nothing in trying to find out who (or what) killed his brother, Cliff. The oath, is the secret that the people of Hyde River Valley have had for over 100 years. Steve has to discover through years of legends what this oath is to find out the mystery to his brother's death, as well as the deaths of four other people since he has arrived in town. He goes on the search with deputy Tracy Ellis, and along the way, they discover truths that are too frightening to hear, but also too frightening not to do anything about them. Along the way, they meet Levi Cobb who has a journal of hundreds of entries testifying to the oath that everyone is trying to keep--BUT, no one ever listens to Levi, and Steve and Tracy doubt whether they should, either. I cannot reveal any more without giving away the secret of The Oath, but I think you will find it breath-taking and fear-invoking. I was thrilled when I went to the local Christian bookstore, and found this novel. It is every bit as good as one of Mr. King's novels (along the line of "IT"), but without the dirty language and innuendos. I highly recommend this book, and hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. Hope you enjoy. Melissa J. Mills rynomel@aol.com

Having loved Jade Island, I couldn't wait to read Pearl Cove. However, like the other books in the Donovan series, there is far too much detail about the gem in the title. The *excessive* detail about pearls distracts the reader and takes something away from the story as a whole.

What I really missed in this book was the relationship and verbal sparring between Archer and Kyle which was one of my favourite things about Jade Island.

The heroine didn't seem like the type to attract a man like Archer. I'm still not entirely sure why he fell in love with her (other than the fact that she looks good in a bikini and the sex is really hot).

Wait for this one to come out in paperback.

After reading the 2 previous books about the Donovans, I thought Elizabeth Lowell couldn't live up to the high standard she had already set. Boy, was I wrong! The story of Archer Donovan and Hannah McGarry sizzles. Mystery, intrigue, passion and family all combined to make this book soooo readable. I finished it in one afternoon-late evening. Lowell just gets better and greater. If you have never read Elizabeth Lowell this Trilogy just shows what you are in for. All Elizabeth Lowell books are KEEPERS. I read them over and over again. Can't wait to hear about Lawe and Justin. She simply can not write fast enough for me.

IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE OTHER "DONOVAN" BOOKS, THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU RUN TO GET THEM RIGHT AWAY. ARCHER DONAVAN IS THE DEFINITION OF A COMPLEX MAN AND HANNAH IS THE PERFECT WOMAN FOR HIM. ASTHEY WIND THEIR WAY THROUGH THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL MINDFIELD OF THE PEAL TRADE AND THEIR PAST HISTORY, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF SORRY TO SEE THEIR STORY END. IF YOU READ "AMBER BEACH" AND "JADE ISLAND" YOU WILL ALSO GET A CHANCE TO VISIT OLD FRIENDS. THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL SEX, INTRIGUE, JOY AND SORROW, I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT "DONOVAN" STORY.

A good basic guide book for campgrounds in the northwest. What this book lacks is a way to evaluate campgrounds before you get there. Ya, it gives you the facts but it is hard to distinguish the enviromental factors (road noise, etc.) until you pull in with your tent on a Friday night. It is best to supplement this book with guides such as:

"Camping! Washington : The Complete Guide to Public Campgrounds for Rvs and Tents"

which give a general feel for what public campgrounds are more desirable and why.

After reviewing many camping books for the northwest, this one is far and away the MOST complete, the MOST helpful, and the MOST fun! The organization has obviously been well thought out and tested, and the information is priceless. It's like having your own personal guide to ALL the campgrounds, primitive to RVparks. I found 30 campgrounds within an hour of my home, 20 of which I never knew existed! No review can do this book, or it's author, justice. It's undoubtedly best camping investment I've ever made, period. This also makes an EXCELLENT gift for anyone, beginner or expert, who does any camping at all in Oregon or Washington...bought one for my Mom just weeks after pre-ordering mine, who's had previous editions and sworn by them.

I had the pleasure of running into Tom on top of Mt St. Helens. He turned out to have a personality just like he writes! He was generous with his time and seemed happy to talk with me and find out how I like his work. I had been using an old edition of PNW Camping for a few years. He told me to get the new one because he and his staff did a ton of new research and a lot has changed and been improved. So I got one. Wow. My wife and I just finished a two week tour of Oregon: the coast, Cascades, and southestern high desert. The new book was right on, every time. It would be a total understatement to say it was useful. It was utterly indispensible. The text let us look at all the possibililties for each night, and make a really reasoned choice, then the directions got us right to the place we had chosen. I felt like the book was my co-pilot and trusted advisor. I also had the old version along, and found that things had indeed changed, and that the directions, style, and content of the new one to be quite a jump in quality and utility. Stienstra totally nailed it this time. I wont go anywhere in the PNW without this book. Bravo!