What Bruning has done in "Jungle Ace" is remarkable: he manages figuratively to bring to full flesh-and-blood life a man who has been dead for nearly 60 years. When I finished reading this biography, I felt I knew and understood Gerry Johnson: felt the weight of the command burden he carried, the exhilaration of victory in combat, the self-doubt when losses occurred, the grinding boredom of life in the SWPA, and the never-ending homesickness. I also got a sense of what he would be like in different situations: as a friend, as a commander, as a classmate.

This is exceedingly hard to do, but Bruning has done it: he somehow got long-ago memories jumpstarted, got people talking. While I accept that some of the quoted conversations probably did not take place word for word as presented, I feel the approach helps the book make the man more real. Charles Martin, in his bio of Tom McGuire, did the same thing, and it worked for both authors.

Thanks, Mr. Bruning for bringing a too-little known hero to light. You can be sure that my children will read about Gerry Johnson.

Just finished reading this book a few days ago, and I've got to say that it's one of the best WWII non-fiction books I've ever read. Not only is it easy to read and exciting, but Mr. Bruning skillfully covers some of the more technical aspects of Johnson's air combat battles.

Good for hard-core WWII air combat nuts (like me!) as well as the average reader. Anyone with any interest in combat aircraft, WWII, or great reading material in general will love this book!

-Scott Rudi

John's latest, "Jungle Ace," ranks without a doubt as one of the best biographies that I have ever read. John spent several years painstakingly researching for this book, and it shows in the incredible level of detail contained in these pages. Without boring us with this detail, the book highlights John's ability to tell a story with just the right word selection to paint a vivid, movie-like picture in the reader's mind. "Jungle Ace" follows the life of P-38 fighter ace Jerry Johnson from schoolboy to aviation candidate to grisly combat conditions, all in amazing clarity that will immerse you into the story, as if you were standing side by side with Johnson himself. As tense and taughtly written as a best-selling fiction novel, author Bruning has created a story that even non-aviation history buffs will enjoy thoroughly...

For those readers looking to see just how demanding, unforgiving and gruesome air combat in the steaming jungles of the South Pacific islands could be, this is the book for you. "Jungle Ace" is a rich, vivid and thoroughly honest chronicle of a young Oregon man who helped save the world. A rewarding read that goes beyond the military history genre.

I thought I knew the Monterey region fairly well until I was given this book as a present! It is packed with great "bites" of information: natural history, human history, and how to get to all the beaches and parks. The writing is easy to understand, friendly in a way, and even fun. The maps are very helpful, and the book even has resource sections with phone numbers, website urls, and directions. AND, the photographs are stunning. A great gift for visitors, home libraries, or the glove compartment of your car.

I received this book as a gift and was immediately taken by the depth and breadth of this book. If you are traveling from Ano Nuevo to Monterey get this book! The author and photograper bring this spectacular shoreline alive with great descriptive copy and super photos(you've got to see page 136). Hidden beaches and other great spots that I would never have known existed. Great information about how to get there, what to do and how it got there. Get the family together, pack a lunch and bring this book. Guaranteed great day!

I have lived in Santa Cruz County for 15 years and thought I knew the Monterey Bay coastal zone very well--that is, until I read Jerry Emory's Monterey Bay Shoreline Guide. This Guide is the best--it covers both familiar territory and less well-known aspects of the Monterey Bay and its coastal towns. I've found myself consulting it whenever I make any kind of shoreline jaunt, from discovering where one can walk one's dog on a beach in Carmel to locating the best on-shore whalewatching sites. The photos are beautiful as well as informative. The organization of the book, which includes sidebar articles on specific topics, lends itself to easy access for both the casual and serious reader.

I have to say that this book is just cool. I just got back from my first visit to San Francisco, and I am so glad I had this guide with me. The fold out maps are very clear and helpful. Even though the book is small, it hits all the highlights. I visited several shops and restaurants listed in the back, and I was never disappointed.

I've lived in San Francisco for five years, but I still get lost when exploring a new neighborhood. The comprehensive pull-out maps found in Moon Metro are so detailed, that they even include those hard-to-find alleyways and cul-de-sacs. I had friends in from out of town last weekend, and I let them use my copy. They loved it! I definitely recommend this series.

I agree that what makes them cool is the foldout maps. The book is also pretty small. I've lived in the Bay Area all my life but still manage sometimes to get lost while hanging out in the city. I can put this in my coat pocket before I step out and not worry about looking clueless in front of my out-of-town friends. For people who are just visiting, I liked their selection of shops and places to eat. They didn't just list the usual tourist traps. And the color photos inside were pretty nifty, they could be postcards!

Stunning photographs of America's number one wine region. Every page of this masterpiece is a feast for the eyes.

If you have no idea where the Napa Valley is, or that it is an exquisite little Eden, & if you like the wines that come to you from this delightful part of California, then A VIEW FROM ABOVE NAPA VALLEY will be a grand adventure.

Come fly with Charles Feil in his gyroplane, & see the mists over the patchworks of vineyards, the rows of vines as they undulate over rolling hillsides, the startling & poignant blends of water, trees, roads & fields; catch glimpses of the elegant architecture of the wineries, hot airballoons over sunset fogs.

Perhaps the most telling feature, as we glide above this inspiring landscape, is that all the things we human have made are foursquare & angled, whereas all the vines nurtured & groomed, are in flowing patterns following the contours of the earth.

There are so many photos that take my breath away & the fabric of corduroy often came to mind.

A great gift idea!

Not to brag, but I have personally seen California's famed Napa Valley, the foremost wine-growing region in America, from above - courtesy of a half-hour glider tour I took some years ago. Of course the sights I saw from that airborne vantage point have faded from memory, so I was pleased to receive this lovely book that provides much of the same experience to the general reader (without requiring you to strap into a fiberglass flying machine). A number of towns, well-known vineyards, and geographic features such as the Napa hills and Lake Berryessa are all seen here from the expert eagle's-eye view. This book is one in a series from veteran high-flying photographer Charles Feil; through his lens you can also look down on Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Key West. If you want to get the lay of the land before planning a trip to Napa, this volume provides a spectacular overview.

So much of what happened during the political development of Micronesia now come to light as a result of this well researched book. Until now, much of what transpired during the political status negotiations required tedious search in US government archives and the Library of Congress. That is if the documents were declassified. This book is insightful.

So mucy of what happened during the political development of Micronesia now come to light as a result of this well researched book. Until now, much of what transpired during the political status negotiations required tedious search in US government archives or the Library of Congress (if unclassified). Insightful!

I speak as one who has lived in the Northern Mariana Islands for more than thirty years, and who had a role in the events (I was one of those who were interviewed) and who knew and worked with many of the central figures involved in them. Willens and Siemer have written a thoroughly researched and historically accurate work, and one which I enjoyed reading immensely -- as will anyone interested in this corner of the Pacific.

I've been carrying around a now-dog-eared copy of this book for about 25 years. It is an essential guide for those of us who want to know what we are looking at, but aren't out enough to memorize all those trees. Bravo!

The Pacifc Coast Tree Finder is an excellent way to tune in to those stately giants and miniture cousins of the forests surrounding us. Easy questions about the unknown start in the front. Simple choices (needles or scales vs. ordinary leaves?) lead logically from one choice to another. Quickly, one confidently identifies the tree they are quizical about. I always feel more at one with Nature when I am able to know what is around me. This book has been a great companion for many years. An excellent choice for those seeking quickness and simplicity without having to "wade" through thicker, complicated nature identifer books.

I first used the original "Tree Finder" as a Scout almost 30 years ago, and was delighted to find this Pacific Coast version on a recent trip to Big Sur. Like the original, it seems to be an absolutely foolproof means of identifying trees. I found it especially useful since I wasn't familiar with any of the trees of Big Sur, none of which grow here in the Midwest. Coastal California has some magnificent species -- such as the Pacific Madrone, the California Laurel, and above all the Redwood -- and any visitor to the region who spends time outdoors will find this little book helpful.

Shaffer is a gifted poet, generously allowing us to see the world from his sometimes tilted (like a pinball machine) but generally optimistic viewpoint. His verse is accessible without being simple, and often cheerful but not sappy. And it comes with instructions! If you like your poetry dense as ancient fruitcake and studded with indigestible pellets of unidentifiable allusions you may not enjoy this book, but I found it refreshing and strongly recommend it.

Portable Planet is that rare book of poetry that gives you both immediate pay-off and a lifetime of contemplation. From the opening poem, "At Play in the Fields of the Word," Eric Paul Shaffer makes you laugh ("None come to the door but grim vendors of an angry God and trademark plasticware") and makes you think ("Today, I define 'freedom' this way: with nothing done, the future is full"). Each of Shaffer's poems hits you with power and precision. Shaffer has more to SAY than any other living poet I've read. Unlike most acclaimed (and rather boring) poets, he never hides behind safely ambiguous imagery; his voice is loud and clear, and playfully challenging. For example, consider this line from his long poem "The Western Room:" "From Japan, America is the land of the rising sun, inscrutable." From his poem "Yadokari: Hermit Crab, Okinawa," you can also learn how to live your life: "Life is kind. Move on. Carry what you can." If I were forced to choose my favorite, I'd pick "On the Verge of the Usual Mistake." (His titles alone are both funny and thought-provoking.) If you buy only one book of poetry this year, make sure you buy Portable Planet. It doesn't get better than this.

Portable Planet liberates American poetry from the stuffiness of the Academy and the silliness of the Slam. Here is a book whistling with fresh air, open vistas, and good humor. Portable Planet should be made into our next National Park, but hurry and get your copy, before the next administration sells it off! If Walt Whitman had looked under his own boot soles, he would have found Eric Paul Shaffer--and Shaffer would have been giving old Walt a hot foot. This book burns!

I like Walter Lord's writing--A Night to Remember and Day of Infamy. These were two great books about disasters. Unlike those books, this book is about the experience of the twenty coastwatchers in the Solomons campaign. It is well written but does not have the intensity of those other two books. The book is well written and tells about the alert activities of the coastwatchers, along with their guerrilla and rescue actitivities. The Allied victory at Guadalcanal had much to do with the coachwatchers.
This part of World War II might never have been written about were it not for the rescue of the future President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. Kennedy's part in the rescue shows his leadership abilities. It also dispels the notion of negligence on Kennedy's part in the destruction of the PT-109.

I am partial to this book becuase Walter Lord interviewed my Father during the writing of this book. My Father Benjamin F. Nash was the only full time American Coastwatcher during WWII and was with Reg Evans when they spotted the fire ball that turned out to be the wreck of PT 109 when the Jananese destroyer ran over it. I met Mr. Lord during the days he talked to my Father during the Summer of 1976. I think it was '76. I have read the book several times. It is a fascinating history filled with facts, so you have to take your time in reading it to get the full impact. My Father told me that the facts that he knew of where 100% accurate in the book. Great book.

Walter Lord's book, "Lonely Vigil: Coast Watchers of the Solomons," written in 1977, was written as a tribute to those brave Australians who stayed behind in the Solomon Islands to report on the activities of the Japanese at great personal risk to themselves. They helped the United States during the Battle of Guadalcanal. One of them even saved the life of JFK. During World War II, the Pacific was a Japanese lake. They controlled every country in Asia and Southeast Asia. The Coast Watchers were a vital link in Australia's defensive chain. They even aided VMF-214, the legendary Black Sheep Squadron, commanded by the late Major Gregory R. ("Pappy") Boyington. If it weren't for the Coast Watchers, then we probably would have lost World War II.

Totally agree about the locals comment. I just moved here from San Francisco and found great stuff in the book to make me feel like a native. Well-written, funny, entertaining, and a great resource for anyone visiting or living here!

My husband travels to Los Angeles often for business
so he knows a lot about the city but I went for the
first time on his last trip. Since he was going to be
in meetings a lot I was worried about being on my own
so I bought this LA for Dummies guide and I'm so glad
I did! It was fun to read and so informative - it
even showed my husband the "LA expert" a few tricks.
I totally recommend it!

We visited Los Angeles for the first time recently and were worried about what we had heard - that the city is a big sprawling mess, difficult to get around, etc. All of which is true, but this book made it less intimidating and actually a lot of fun. We took the author's advice to heart and wound up not feeling like dummies at all! This is a great book for the first time visitor.

I love this book! I travel every week and I always find the packing for the trip to be the worst! I absolutely dread it each week. This book helped change that!

The different checklists are great for getting organized AND making sure that you pack every thing you need for your trip.

The bundling system is so incredibly simple and easy... with no wrinkles once you arrive at your destination.

The last part of this book is chock full of good reading on how to pack those bulky items such as shoes and winter sweaters and coats.

With all the security requirements with the airlines now (and tough limits on carry-ons), I really recommend this book... and I'm a road warrior that should've figured out how to pack by now!

After reading this book I found I could pack more "stuff" and arrive at my destination with wrinkle free clothing! The "bundle" method is a great idea. I recently bought this same book for my daughter-in-law and a friend's daughter who was traveling abroad.

Judith Gilford's book is aimed to the ones who have no clue about of how to pack, no matter if it is related to a weekend, business trip or a dreamy vacations. She makes the worst part of any travel experience mild and clear with her hints and tips throughout the book. It is a must-read if you need to know how to pack right. End of story!