Mangum, the Superintendent of the Little Big Horn (LBH) battlefield writes a portrayal of the Crook's campaign against the Sioux that culminates in the Battle of the Rosebud 8 days prior to Custer's attack. Since the LBH is roughly 30 miles southeast of the LBH, Mangum is extraordinarily familiar with the battlefield that still looks like it did 134 years ago. The book covers Crook's earlier March campaign where he was first in the field which peaked at a failed attempt to destroy a predominately Cheyenne village which also included some Sioux on the Powder. Crook again restarts in June with almost 200 Shoshone and Crow allies. As Mangum expertly retells the battle, Crook is surprised while encamped leisurely along Rosebud Creek on June 17. Mangum notes that Crook was similarly surprised also with great consequences in the battle of Cedar Creek in 1864 where he was surprised by Jubal Early. In the description of the battle, Mangum points out that if it wasn't for the Shoshone and Crow who spotted the Sioux and Cheyenne first relatively distant from camp while also absorbing the initial attack, Crook's command may have been destroyed. The allies gave Crook's troopers a chance to prepare for the attack. Crook's forces, which included mule mounted infantry and miners, stemmed the attack but as Mangum points out, the Sioux seemed to come at Crook from three sides from the high ground to the north. After Crook seems to control the battle, Colonel Royall with his calvary battalion rolls up the Indian right so successfully, his enthusiasm isolates himself from Crook allowing the Sioux and Cheyenne to consolidate against him requiring a furious battle of retrograde movements causing the most severe casualties of Crook's forces. Mangum states that Crook was in peril with Royall's potential collapse because Crook sent off another battalion to the Indian's left in search of their village that was not in the immediate area as perceived. Only the recall of Mills saves the day but the Sioux and Cheyenne have initiated enough casualties and psychological harm to cause Crook to retire and take over a month to retrofit his command. I was at the Rosebud site in 1999 and had I read Mangum's book with the terrain maps, my tour would have been far more beneficial. The battlefield today is a State park and the modest valley that Crook stopped in on June 17 looks is framed with high hills and interesting landmarks like Conical Hill. This is a great book about a key battle that indicated that the Sioux and Cheyenne were agressive in defending their village which was overlooked by all of Sheridan's generals. This battle besmirched Crook's otherwise great post Civil War career.

Between the confusion typical of any engagement and the scarcity of surviving testimony, it may be that no definitive account of any Euro-American vs. American Indian battle can ever be produced. However, Neil Mangum has produced a through, balanced, and convincing book that is as close as any such work may ever come to being authoritative.

This is by far the most intriguing and accurate book I have read concerning the Rosebud. Neil Mangum's writing is accurate and a complete joy to read.

BERMUDA ATLAS AND GAZETTEER

Paradise lost, paradise found,
In pages that are bound.
A timeless treasure of pictures and words,
If you've never seen, nor heard
The Siren's song like those who've been.
You'll want to return again and again.

-----------------------------------------------------

1962

Thoughts of the past come back
To a place called "Cotton Patch",
It's not here in Tennessee,
But somewhere far across the sea.
A pale green house high on a hill,
I wonder if it sits there still,
Surrounded by banana trees
And childhood memories.
Salt spray on shutters in a storm,
A pony to ride in the neighbor's barn,
White steps on our roof to catch the rain,
I wonder if it's still the same.
Caves to hide in and rocks to climb,
Out all day, never mind the time,
Easter lilies grown to sell,
But we didn't have to pay for the smell,
Or the view--
Every day was something new.
Gnarled cedars on a sandy path--
I think I found it on a map
In the BERMUDA ATLAS AND GAZETTEER,
A book to ponder year after year,
To find the places I have seen,
Long ago and in my dreams.

Jane Barcroft Forgy
9/6/00

A beautifully designed and thoughtful book. The watercolors evoke the pink gentile Bermuda I visited as a child. This book is a must for any history and nautical buff who wants to learn of the origins of the island,as well as shipping and sailing lore.400 pages of comprehensive, thorough, detailed information about this corner of paradise on earth

As a first-time visitor to Bermuda, I was looking for a comprehensive book to learn about the island's history and culture. I was struck by this sophisticated volume - it stood out among the others for its beautiful look and feel, more like a fine 19th century guide for the well-heeled traveler. I found the watercolors alluring and then, as I scouted Bermuda, I realized that the artist had painted with such sensitivity and grace that he captured the real beauty of his chosen sites. For instance, the magnificent painting of the cave in Tom Moore's Jungle is exactly as the mystical and enchanted grotto appears in real life. Yet the artist's style still adds something magical that photographs or other mediums could not match. The book is also a joy to read as well as behold. The author's writing style, while factual, is easy to read and the entries include interesting folklore and anecdotes about all the places of Bermuda. The book is at once a valuable reference volume, an atlas with sixteen fold-out maps, and a beautiful collection of exquisite watercolors. Although it is pricey, the Bermuda Atlas is well worth the money spent as the ultimate souvenir of the island.

This book is wonderful- I have used it to entertain out of town guests and for myself and friends on a regular basis. It is a great reference for places you may have never been or to stir your memory of places you have enjoyed going to. Every place mentioned in the book has been exactly as they had written. There were no surprises, but in fact excellent suggestions of ways to truly experience the local life. I just moved to Seattle myself, so I have found the book to be quite helpful. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody new to the area or coming for a visit. Who knows... you may just run into me at one of the local hangouts...

I'm in debt to this book - I've been using its earlier edition for three years since I moved to Seattle, and it's still the first place I turn to when I want to find something new to do on a weekend. There are entries about the best lodgings, cafes, coffee places, theaters of all kinds including indie. And of course, this being a book about Pacific Northwest, it contains the most complete guide to all the places to visit around Seattle: islands, mountains, places to ski and hike and bike. Whether you live in Seattle or you're just visiting, you will not do better than choosing this book to help you explore this beautiful city. I know I wouldn't have enjoyed my time here nearly as much without it.

Planning our vacation in and around Seattle was going to be interesting since I had never been there and had no tips and referances to go by. I searched on Amazon.com, and found some interesting books with lot's of tips. I chose the Best Places in Seattle book and once I had received it I fall in love with it. It is very detailed and informative and thanks to this book,I had hotel rooms booked and wonderful ideas of how we were going to spoil ourselfs with fantastic food in wonderful restaurants and of course all the highlights of Seattle were well explained in the book as well. Once we got there it was easy.. the book offeres a map,of the loctions of the hotel and palces to go and really it was a breeze for us to find our way around and let me tell you, the hotels were no dissapointment and the restaurants wonderful. I recommend this book to everyone. The author really wrote it as it is and the star rating of the hotels and more are really fantastic and a big help.She also makes a point to inform you of small details , for example, if the hotel has AC or not or if the service is nice and which floor offers the better view and such. That really is important for some people I am sure. This book helped us a lot to enjoy a wonderful vacation and we will be back. Enjoy Seattle and with this book you will.

"City Smart Austin" is an indispensable guide to aculturally-rich and multifaceted city.

Austin natives EleanorS. Morris, Paris Permenter, and John Bigley wisely present the city in six geographic zones. And they cover everything from Austin basics (weather, homes, people, etc) and day trips to recreation areas and where to shop/eat/stay.

Whether they are writing about "BookPeople" (one of the largest bookstores in the U.S.) or the 'Dillo Express (one of the city's laudable forms of public transportation), the authors speak with warmth and home-town credibility.

I was especially pleased with their accessment of Austin's accommodations. Yes, they duly point out the grandeur of the historic Driskill Hotel. But they also note the convenience and affortability of the La Quinta at the Capitol, which not only has a gracious new manager, but renovated "Gold Metal Rooms," which have new decor, 25-inch TVs, and speaker phones!

The book's maps are clear and helpful, with inset-captions for easy referral; and the b&w photos--while a tad too small--are often bright and sharp.

An added treat of "City Smart Austin" are the valuable coupons in the back of the book. Don't miss them!

Like the last reviewer, I too was considering a work-related move to Austin. I wanted a guide book that could give me a quick and easy entry into what Austin had to offer a tourist and potential resident. This guide book gave me a good overview of Austin while I was there -- it wasn't just an index or list of area attractions and businesses: It contained a lot of useful 'tips' interspersed through out the book and the maps were clear and well integrated with the text.

I had some reservations before I bought this because the maps were not in color. However, the maps were clear and concise. Rather than clutter up 1 map with icons for restaurants, attractions, etc., the maps were repeated in each section of the guide, and contained only the relevant data for that section; this made using them very easy. I'd also say that the authors of the book were very generous with the number and variety of maps.

Overall, the design of the book made reading and finding information easy. Good use of bold type made flipping through and finding stuff easy too.

In the end, I got the Austin job and will be moving there soon. As a future Austin resident, I think this will still be the only guide I need.

I am considering a move to Austin and found a lot of useful information in this guidebook. I used it to plan my freetime following a job interview in the city and found it right on target regarding the restaurant reviews. Good buy!

This book was very interesting. Not only did it have plenty of photos, the text was actually useful and have a great message. Reading Galen's work is just as great as looking at it. I had never even heard of or seen most of the places in the book until I got the book. Now, I'm walking some of the same trails I discovered in the book.

An incredible photographic argument that nature is ever-present, fecund, and indomitable! Rowell and Sewell capture the majesty of one the world's most beautiful urban areas to describe nature's ability to adapt and thrive next to mankind. A surprising array of wild animals are photographed within the ex-urban landscape and combine with dramatic Bay Area landscapes to make a compelling story of the beauty that surrounds us--if only we can take time out from our busy lives to see it! This is a great gift to bring back East for the holidays.

Galen Rowell is showing here surely the nicest landscape shots I have ever seen. The Bay Area, that I didn't know, is here in spades, and if you know a little bit of tech, you see several uses of Galen special shooting way (flash, A2 Nikon filtering, s.o.)

This is a great atlas, and at a great price too! It gives you a good idea of what the topography is going to look like, so you can plan your week end getaways, and can be used as a road atlas too. Note that there is also one for Oregon that you can buy.

No one map [or atlas] can serve all purposes. The Benchmark California Road And Recreation Atlas seems to fill a middle ground between the pure road atlas [the Thomas Guide California atlas is my number one pick in this category] and a topographic/backroads atlas [the DeLorme atlases are my favorites in this category]. The Benchmark atlases are good road atlases with color-coded and shaded relief added to indicate topography. Each map covers more territory than the maps in the DeLorme atlases. This means less detail than the DeLorme maps and I wouldn't want to do much backroad driving with only the Benchmark atlas available for reference. I generally bring my copy of the Benchmark atlas with me on road trips because I find it good for doing a visual and mental overview of the area I'm exploring. I think all travel enthusiasts should have a copy of this atlas in their map library and especially those who want information on topography, but are contour line phobic.

This atlas is highly recommended. The beautiful maps are great for looking at (and daydreaming) at home or as a navigation tool on the road. I have already given two as gifts. It is simply the best atlas of California on the market.

This is a fine collect of 10 early hikes and float trips Abbey made mostly in the high deserts of the American Southwest. The last takes place in Alaska. In "A Walk in the Desert Hills" Abbey tells of a solo hike across more than 100 miles with only his backpack and the hope that water will be found in natural tanks. What, the reader may ask, compels a man to undertake such a trek with only a belief that salvation lies ahead in a bowl shaped stone (tanks) filled with rain water, and then further on, perhaps another, and hopefully another still? Throughout the book he answers this question by showing us the hidden beauty of slot canyons, how the Colorado looked beneath the flooded Glen Canyon before the dam and shares with us his discovery of petroglyphs and pictographs whose meanings still remains unknown. This is Abbey when his desert world was still new, before the roads and bridges and dams he hated changed it all. This is the world beyond the wall, his world. "Beyond the wall of the unreal city, beyond the security fences topped with barbed wire and razor wire, beyond the asphalt belting of superhighways, beyond the cemented banksides of our temporarily stopped and mutilated rivers, beyond the rage of lies that poison the air, there is another world waiting for you. It is the old true world of the deserts, the mountains, the forests, the islands, the shores, the open plains, Go there ...into the ancient blood-thrilling primeval freedom of those vast and democratic vistas. You will never understand the secret essence of the word freedom until you do."

Abbey was as about as free as a man can get.

The first two pieces in this collection provide the best introduction to Abbey I can think of. "A Walk in the Desert Hills" describes a 115-mile walk across the Sonoran Desert, in search of adventure, wisdom, and water. "How It Was" describes his first incursions into the Four Corners and Glen Canyon area, before the pavement came. "How It Was" will make you understand what got Abbey intoxicated with the desert. "A Walk ..." tells why it was still more magical than bourbon even thirty years later. For these two pieces alone this is my favorite of Abbey's books. The remainder of the pieces in the book, which describe forays around the Colorado River region, the Sea of Cortez, and a rafting trip in northern Alaska, are pure, delightful gravy.

Although Desert Solitaire is Abbey's most popular work of non-fiction and is an undeniable American masterpiece, Beyond the Wall in many ways surpasses it in its praise of the beauty and granduer of nature and as a meditation on humanity's place in it. As a work primarily concerned with Abbey's experiences on several hiking/camping trips alone in the Desert, from Southern Colorado, and West Texas, through theNew Mexico and Arizona wilds to the Sea of Cortez, the reader is allowed an glimpse into his psyche that is unsurpassed in these quiet revelations, documented in many a lonely, but not lonesome walk. In Beyond the Wall, Abbey is closest to his comparison with Thoreau, in the way that the simple description of Nature itself is the focus of this work. In many ways this book is both a eulogy and a celebration of Glen Canyon and raw unspoiled Nature.
Whether narrating "a Walk Through Desert Hills" or a "float trip down the doomed Glen Canyon, Abbey's awareness of the subtle force of nature is everpresent, and is expressed in the metaphoric image of Freedom and Wilderness versus industrial insanity and slavery. In many ways, what is beyond the wall is the possibility of our unmeditated communion with nature. And although this wall seems forminable, it can be overcome simply by venturing off the beaten path into a wilderness unknown to many. His solution lies in the simple concept of reestablishing an intimate relationship with Nature, which is deprived of so many today. Thus, in becoming acquainted with our environments and surroundings we will be much more involved in saving what is there. The case of Glen Canyon is a sad illustration of this, for despite its stunning beauty and granduer, which Abbey claimed surpassed even that of the Grand Canyon, it was destroyed simply because not enough people had experienced it and too few cared enough to save it.
In reading the essays in Beyond the wall, Ed introduces us to one way that we can all get beyond the walls that alienate us from nature and ultimately ourselves. And since this book can only guide us so far, it is we that must take the next step and decide on what side of the wall we want to live our lives.

Big Sur to Big Basin is the only book I have experienced that fully portrays the feel of the area. Fantastic photography complements the books detailed narrative, and if there ever was a book to remember a visit to a region, then this is it.

The California coast is a wonderful place to explore, and in particular, the Big Sur area is one of my favourites. From the mighty trees, to the wonder of the rugged coastline, there is something for everyone.

Larry's photography leaves you thinking "I have to see this for myself". So we did. Twice now!

Buy this book if you ever want to travel to the area. Buy this book also if you just want to experience the area without leaving your armchair. Most of all, have this book on your coffee table, and you will always have something to remember from a fabulous trip to a unique part of the world.

I had a getaway to Big Sur last summer and was stunned by the breathtaking view of where the ocean meets the sky. About a few months later I picked up a copy of Big Sur to Big Basin at a local bookstore and began a virtual re-visit of Big Sur. Like many pictorials with pages of astonishing sunsets, Pamela Cain, a former Carmel resident, recounted anecdotes and memories of hers that make the photos alive. The redwoods, the beaches, cheery blossoms, the meandering streams, Pebble Beach golf courses, Monterey bay...Big Sur to Big Basin is your window to panoramic view in central Californian coast.

This book offers the reader a bird's eye view of the breath-taking scenery along California's coastal highway...and the history behind the pictures. Pam Cain's stories make Larry Ulrich's pictures come alive...it makes me, a former Carmel resident now living in Connecticut, homesick...a wonderful trip back home

The remarkable thing about this book is the beautiful close-up colour pictures of almost every species. Not all the pictures are flawless--anyone who's ever photographed birds knows how hard it is to get a good, detailed, well-lit close-up shot--but they are very high quality and make this both a gorgeous coffee table book and a valuable identification aid.

The coverage is not as complete as, say, Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds of Texas, which I also own. The Peterson has, for example, many more of the confusing fall warblers; the Tveten explicitly says that detailed coverage of the warblers is outside its scope. But the differences in coverage are generally of the rarer birds; anything a casual bird-watcher is likely to see will be in the Tveten; and the Peterson has few good colour plates.

This is a larger book than is really convenient out in the field, though. Plus the descriptive sections, while well-written and interesting, aren't organized in a way that makes it easy to quickly find important field marks or check the range. If you want to get just one book I'd recommend this one; get another for completeness or for use in the field.

This book has beautiful photographs of Texas birds. It describes their songs, how they eat, mate, nest, care for offspring, and all in an interesting manner. The way the author describes birds, you know he has a great love for these winged creatures. Cedar Wax-wings are "courteous", Loggerhead Shrikes have "the inclinations of a hawk", Grackles are "bullies", Carolina Chickadees are "acrobatic", Horned Larks have a "rakish, devilish air", etc.. Believe it or not, these descriptions actually help me remember what the birds look like and what they are called. Highly recommended.

This colorful book thoroughly covers the wide range of birds in Texas. The close-up photography is stunning and provides for easy identification of birds encountered in the wild. Every aspect of each bird is described in depth in lively and interesting prose. The excellent organization of this book allows the reader to find the bird they are looking for quickly and efficiently. I highly recommend "The Birds of Texas". I only wish I had bought the hardcover edition instead of the softcover.

I confess to a penchant for accounts of pioneer history and this amazing biography offers far more than the oft-published times, dates and places.

Bold Spirit-Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America, is simply riveting. Helga's true story, brimming with struggle, loss, hope, peril and audacious moxie, portrays a complex woman pushing prevalent cultural boundaries, while holding loyally to her values surrounding family ties and religious conviction.

Born in Scandinavia, Helga emigrated to Minnesota as a child. Following her marriage at 16, she, Ole and their growing family eventually homestead south of Spokane, Washington. Within a short time, the depression of 1893 finds them desperate for work and for funds with which to pay their mortgage.

When an anonymous donor offers $10,000 to any woman who will walk across America under stringent constraints, Helga and her 18 year-old daughter Clara accept the dangerous challenge and strike out together for New York City. Defying the era's "suitable" behavior standards for women, and confronting myriad hazardous obstacles, Helga and Clara display a determination to save their home that results in a confusing combination of respect and condemnation from those who follow their journey. Their arrival in New York heralds both an ironic ending and another beginning to this fascinating story.

Utilizing accounts garnered from extensive research and personal interviews, Linda Hunt recounts this absorbing saga with the objective of preserving the truth of Helga's gifts, tragedies and legacy. The story, stilled for many years by members of Helga's family, might have been lost altogether. We are indebted to Professor Hunt for her gift of presenting this glimpse of a truly surprising Victorian woman. Historically intriguing, poignant, engrossing and beautifully illustrated with vintage photographs, Bold Spirit is absolutley recommended for individuals and Book Groups alike.

Linda Hunt weaves a fascinating story from the old newspaper accounts of the extreme challenges and dangers faced by Helga and Clara Estby as they walked across America in a bid to win the money that could save their family farm. Once I started reading, I could hardly put the book down. (I'm an opera singer, and I read this book during my waits between entrances in a run of performances for Mozart's Don Giovanni.)

As I read this book, I expected to learn more about the role and place for women in late nineteenth century American culture, and I expected to learn about the silencing of stories that happens within families. However, I was surprised to find the story so relevant to my own history. I gained a new insight for myself from Ms. Hunt's description of "breaking the central code of a culture"; that a story simply cannot be heard when the actions of the characters in the story go beyond or "break" what is accepted in the prevailing culture.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in a glimpse of what life was like for independent thinking women at the turn of the last century, and I also recommend it for anyone who cherishes family stories.

I read very little non-fiction, but have really enjoyed two non-fiction books this summer, this book (BOLD SPIRIT) and SEABISCUIT by Laura Hillenbrand. They are similar stories about overcoming the odds and doing what no one thought possible. I hope BOLD SPIRIT gets the attention it deserves.