This is simply excellent. Concise, informative text and attractive, well-researched maps. I have to agree with Barry Cunliffe in his introduction to this book - it really is an 'incomparable source'.

A whole host of historians such as Rankin, Moscati, Chadwick, Martel, Eluere, Markale, Aedeen, Powell, and Litton have all edited or written books entitled simply "The Celts," not to mention the dozens and even hundreds of other books with other titles on the Celts, so if anything there is virtually a plethora of works out there available on the subject, especially in the way of traditional histories.

Which bring me to the present volume. For something a little different on the Celts, try Haywood's book. The book skillfully combines text with the many maps, graphics, and photos. Among the book's several strengths are the many pictures showing Celtic art and the maps which provide a graphical display of the important events of the time. There are 54 maps and 160 illustrations in the book. The photos show the Celts to be superb craftsman and metal-workers, and before reading this book, I didn't know they have been around since at least 1200 B.C. and lasted all the way down to late ancient times in the 3rd or 4th century A.D. Compared to the Greeks and Romans, who left major monuments, many texts, and various archeological finds, we have comparatively little in the way of remains for the Celts, but Haywood does a fine job of detailing and discussing what we do know of these somewhat mysterious and shadowy tribesman of Northern Europe.

Haywood is especially skilled at linking the text with the maps, and to give another plug for this fine author, he did a really great job with his Atlas of World History, which is one of the best historical atlases out there, especially considering it's up to 1/4 the cost of some of the more famous "big guns" like the Dorling-Kindersley and Hammond atlases of world history. Hammond also writes much better than most atlas writers, who prose only too often is a good substitute for late-night television as a soporific. If I recall correctly, Barry Cunliffe is the author of 40 books on history and archeology himself, and in the introduction he describes the book as "an incomparable source." I would have to agree with him, and altogether this is a fine book to read, browse, pore over the maps, or whatever, by a talented scholar and presenter of history.

I have read this book and it offers a thorough and helpful view over germany. Its advices are good and mistakes from previous lonely planet guides have been corrected. Its maps are impressive and its hints, sincere and advantegeous

I recently used Lonely Planet Germany and Austria guides on a trip with my German class, and I must say the experience was wonderful--thanks in large part to Lonely Planet's incomparably thorough information. If you want a first rate trip to Germany, buy this guide.

Great book. Lots of nice information. Compact design so you can actually travel with it. The Frommer's book I just bought is already falling apart! A nice bonus is the history section at the start.

Based on the reviews, I expected to read an excitement filled, humorous novel. The humor was there -- to some degree, but the excitement wasn't. It was a decent read, but it's not one I could pick up again.

It was heartwarming to read about a middle class African American family who encountered the same or similar problems of our blue-eyed brothers and sisters. I WANT TO READ MORE OF THE LOUDERMILKS...WHEN IS THE NEXT ADVENTURE....IT HAS BEEN TOOO LONG..

GOING NOWHERE FAST takes time to introduce Joe and Dottie Loudermilk in their souped-up winebago, traveling here and there, and ending up at a pit stop with two unwanted passengers...baby son(aptly nicknamed), Bad Dog, and a dead white man in there mobile bathroom. The Loudermilks related to each other as if we had known them all along, and the totally manic/off-center Dog will remind you of that one member of your family that acts as if needs Pat Sajak to buy a clue, when all along, he knows more than he's willing to admit. Characterization hits high notes, and the mystery, while simple enough to follow, will take you along until bad guys have been caught and you want to see them in print again.

Although I agree with the other reviewers that the maps and the two-page spreads are handy and informative, in my opinion the book lacks information on some of the most important recent findings on viking life and culture in their homelands. It also bothered me that the author chose to use the derogatory term "Lapp" rather than "Saami" to refer to the other group living in Scandinavia at the time. I felt that for an American audience, the book assumes too much prior knowledge of British geography and history. The text makes many references that are not illustrated in the maps. The book is great for someone focusing on viking battles, influences and history in Great Britain (and to a lesser extent on the Continent), but I feel it lacks important information about viking life in Scandinavia. There were also some bloopers, like calling "Aud The Deep-Minded" (from Laxdoela Saga) "And The Deep-Minded" on p. 44.

The maps and illustrations are fantastic. Each pair of facing pages concentrates on one subject.

I liked the maps that conveyed additional info. There is one showing the last great expedition to reopen the trade routes with the Arabs, an expedition which ends in disaster for the Swedish adventurers.

The Khazars from Jewish history (a south Russian tribe that may have converted to Judaism) even make an appearance. It seems the Khazars gave the Vikings permission to loot their neighbors in exchange for half of the proceeds. But the Vikings were so brutal that the Khazars reneged on the deal and massacred the Norsemen on the way back from pillaging.

The Vikings eventually got even though, and their revenge led to the demise of the Khazar empire.

Reading this book is like leafing through a series of magazine articles on the general theme of the Vikings. By changing topics so often the book holds the interest of the casual reader who finds the Vikings strange and mysterious.

This book though small and short on pages is a good as the more lengthy reference books. Loaded with tons of great maps that show with clarity the actual extent of the vikings through out Europe. The reading is easy and full of easy to find valuable information. Well worth your money

I enjoyed the pictures of these houses, and thought the book was especially well written. It's impossible to separate the evolution of these houses from the changes in the city itself, so some history is inevitable; there is also a great amount of detail involving the lives of the owners and developers. (I suspect this is a result of the book's being partly funded by a grant. Nothing got thrown away, to give the sponsor their money's worth.) If you are not overwhelmed by all this, you will uncover some interesting bits: the ads for Formstone, the fact that basements were hand-dug by a crew of nine in two days, the tales of the "night soil" removers. Really concentrates on the local history, though, so it may not of interest to others.

The rowhouse is far more common in Baltimore than other US cities, and these authors have documented its history and development up to the present day. Every nuance of design change is thoroughly discussed, and the amount of detail allows a street-by-street discussion at times. We're told about the various developers who, parcel by parcel, converted old elite estates into street grids covered with rowhouses of varying quality. The book ends as an advertisement for new urbanism, in which dilapidated old rowhouses are renovated and run-down neighborhoods undergo renewal.

The quality of writing is particularly high. There are approximately 140 b&w photos, which for the most part are grouped together so they can be printed on high-gloss paper. This is an awkward arrangement that requires the reader to flip back and forth to the glossy photo pages. There are approximately ten cross-sections and floor plans. There are very few maps, and a detailed knowledge of Baltimore geography is assumed. Because of the highly specialized nature of this book, it is unlikely to appeal to anyone outside Baltimore, but it would probably be a delight to architectural enthusiasts within the city.

...and the time to read 'The Baltimore Rowhouse' is now! I'm telling you'se- this book has it all. ; )

You not only get the expected descriptions of the architectural styles of rowhouses, and a historical review of the development of this style of housing, but the author weaves in the chronological social climb of an immigrant family throughout the book. Following the family's real estate history gives the book a story-like, biographical feel; unusual for non-fiction of this nature. It is in a sense, a well documented account of one way the "American Dream" has been realized.

From a social/cultural perspective, the 'Baltimore Rowhouse' is a social commentary on Baltimorean (and American) housing development past, present and future from visionary authors who love the City of Baltimore.

I received the book as a Christmas gift and read it in about 3 days. I couldn't put it down and was a little saddened that it had to end. I say this rarely- IT IS A MUST READ.

Eddie is a boy with a goat who has a knack for getting into mischief. He takes his goat, Gardenia, by train and on his own, to his uncle's ranch. There he learns to do many jobs on the ranch, not the least of which is driving a truck standing up (and he a young boy!) When the time comes that he must return to his home, his departure is truly poignant. I read this book 25 years ago and still recall the passages with a fond tear. I hope that this book may be re-released soon, as I would like to share it with my own children!

I had read this book in the 2nd grade, and loved it. Although that was many moon's ago, I still like the book to this day. It has good descriptions to intice the young reader's imagination and make him/her feel they are actually there. This is a good book to read aloud to a 1st-3rd grade classroom.

Carolyn Haywood,with her usual fun-loving flair, tells a story of how Eddie had to give his goat away-but has a whole lot of fun and adventure while he does it.It is one of Carolyn Haywood's few books that touches on warmth and sincere feelings children have for animals.

Eddie is truly human in this story,and many children can relate to his predicaments.It's a lot of fun how he gets his pritning press,and as he does,realizes that girls aren't all that bad!

Louella the parrot is loaned for a bird-show,but gets mixed up with another parrot along the way. What happens before the mistake is discovered provides hilarious fun.

I just finished this book last night, and I was so irritated by the weird, incomplete and vapid ending that I couldn't wait to read the reviews on here today!

I try so hard to screen out all the man-hating, ball-busting women's books and I thought this would be a good one. Sure with humor (I certainly HOPE with humor) but with some insight and just a plain good read.

And the strange thing is that it was a pretty good read until about the last 3 chapters and then it just *Bam* like Emeril says, went south (pardon the pun) in a hurry.

I was checking out what I thought was some pretty good man insight with my sometimes too honest husband, and sure enough, she hit some nails straight in. But then, it's like she got sick, and someone else who *really* hates the male gender finished it for her while she recovered!

I could only think of those lit classes in college where you did a group book, with different ones of us taking a chapter to continue with the last one you read.

Hey, I'm flawed, you're flawed, everyone one is flawed, sisters. Not just men. Of course they are flawed too. After thinking about it, I decided that Ms Smith is still very wounded and can't get on with real life.

Don't waste your money, unless you really dig the books that diss the men and keep those ladies on their pedestal.

I love southern fiction and I was so excited about this one BUT while funny in the first few pages, don't be fooled. This story is lacking in PLOT and it never really grabbed me. I had to force myself to finish it!

The main character, Lin, is not very likeable and is bitter towards all men because her husband left her. She gets in a weird relationship with her boss, Grant, and things just never pan out for her but it does take a postitive turn towards the end of the book.

Overall, a boring story but I finished it ~ yeah! I see there are some glowing reviews here for this book - go figure.

You don't need to take a rose apart to know why it is beautiful, you don't need to dissect Queen Bee to know why it warms the soul. Just make yourself comfortable and let this cast of really likeable characters take you on their journey. Ms Smith reminds us life is too short to be taken too seriously. Isn't there a little Lin and Uncle Bedford in all of us? I hope so. Loved the book.

I have now read two of Haywood Smith's book and have enjoyed both. This one is set in Scotland in the ninth century. The heroine is a stubborn, warrior trained woman named Bera. She is the youngest of 13 children, and the only girl. She lost her mother at age 14 so she has been raised by her loving if not over protective brothers. She can fight her way out of any situation but also has the skills of a weaver. Nine of her brothers have been taken hostage by a neighboring Scot and she must go to save them. The brothers that are left behind have decided her fate and have made a pledge that if anyone can save the nine that they may have Bera's hand in marriage. She doesn't like this idea but agrees with it.

The hero is Curran, a mysterious Dark Warrior who has decided to take the up the cause of freeing the nine and marrying Bera. He is at the castle where the nine are being held and secretly helping them. He soon finds out Bera's identity and requests her hand in exchange for his help, she agrees. Together they must struggle to free her brothers, find a spy and overcome both of thier pasts. It is a touching story with some very humors areas. I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this book. When 9 of her older brothers are captured by their local enemy (Lord Drust) our herione, Princess Bera, disguises herself as the mysteriously cloaked "Weaver," come to weave an elaborate,gloriously woven cloak for Drust's wife, Princess Dierdre. Meanwhile, Bera's other 3 brothers have offered a prize to whomever can rescue their brothers from Drust's clutches - the prize being Bera's hand in marriage. Bera is determined to rescue them herself rather than be forced into a marriage with any mercenary who takes up the challenge.

Meanwhile, back at Drust's castle, the notorious mercenary "The Dark Warrior"(aka Curran, our Hero) has been hired to train Drust's men. However, this Dark Warrior has a mission of his own - he plans to rescue the brothers and claim Bera as his prize. Born a slave, Curran's life goal has been to achieve a higher place in life. He almost immediately senses that the "Weaver" is not who she claims to be and sets out to find out her true identity. Bera has finally met her match in Curran and the two team up to rescue the brothers. Bera fights her feelings for Curran throughout the book - despite everything he does to help save her brothers, she still has a hard time trusting him due to abuses in her past and also his connection to Drust's wife, Princess Dierdre. Furthermore, things get complicated when Bera discovers that one of her brothers has fallen for Dierdre. Bera is unsure whether Dierdre is trustworthy or not, and she worries that Curran is secretly in league with her.

While I enjoyed the story very much, there were some parts that seemed contradictory (such as Drust's complete change in personality half-way through the book) and I also didn't quite feel as drawn into the developing relationship between Curran and Bera as I expected. There is a sexual attraction between them and a sort-of friendship, but I just didn't feel the heartstring tugging one expects to feel when reading a romance book. I also got rather tired of hearing Bera's thought about how "lowly born" Curran was. I found the sex scenes to be rather explicit - some readers may find the wording to be quite vulgar in parts.

This is a wonderful story of love found in the most difficult times in the most unexpected way. A moving tale filled with desire, and unexpected turns in events. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will soon be reading many others by this author.