If all history books were like this, we would all be avid students of history. I found myself wishing that this book was 500 pages long, because it was so interesting and enjoyable to read. If you have any interest in American history I would highly recommend this book. If you have no interest in American history, I would still recommend it!

The suicide of Meriwether Lewis has always been one of the more tragic and interesting mysteries of American history. Clay Jenkinson, in this book on the character of Lewis, is witty, profound, insightful, and highly readable. We learn about Lewis' interest in food, his views on Indians and women, his longing for an important place in history, his drinking and most importantly, his view of himself. We see the Expedition through the unedited writings of Lewis himself and through Clay Jenkinson's perspective on what those writings reveal.

In the end, we must still speculate about what was in Lewis' heart and head on the night he took his life, but we are left with a much better understanding of the workings of that mind.

This excellent and wonderfully written book celebrates and critically examines the sensitive, lyric, and noble soul of Meriwether Lewis. Clay Jenkinson explores Lewis' psyche from a unique perspective - literally - as a first-person historical interpreter. Profound, humorous, and soulful reflection make this a great read. Jenkinson's knowledge as a Jefferson scholar also enriches the text. Valuable to anyone curious about America's epic. There is also a wealth of information on the author's website.

I agree with the previous reader, this is it ... the definitive book on Charleston Farmhouse. Although I think this book is more than a glimpse of the house and garden for those unable to visit, it is a surperb reference for those of us that have visited and wish to recall the house, etc. The photography is stunning, the text is informative. A worthwhile addition to any Bloomsbury book collection.

i stumbled across this book on a beautiful indian summer sunday afternoon....it is a treasure for those unable to physically saunter through the rooms and out to the walled garden that is charleston. all photos in colour, all rooms as they were when vanessa bell, duncan grant, family and friends lived and worked there. inspirational.

Chessie the Travelin' Man is a sensitive and wonderfully written book that details the amazing true story of a very special creature. My children love the illustrations in this book as well as the rhyming prose. This story is not only charming, it is filled with factual information about a rare and endangered species. I would reccommend it to any parent or educator!

Lovely book, all in rhymes which my 6 yr old son loved. Based on a true story about a manatee that somehow makes it up the northern atlantic coast two years in a row. He is tagged and followed. Includes gentle info about how manatees get hurt by boats, and how few there are left in the world. Beautifully illustrated, and received a Parent's Award. "Chessie" is for the Chesapeake Bay, which he entered on this first trip. Five stars because my son loved it so.

Five years later and most of the places in this book still rank right up there.

This Chicago travel guide is fun to read and will get you excited for your upcoming trip. It is broken down into useful chapters (ex. Dining, Notable Potables, Shopping, etc.), with entertaining entries (Best hotel that's crazy about Chicago, Best club where both the food and the music are "hot"). This is one of the best Chicago travel guides available, and it is especially great for lovers of Chicago who return again and again wanting to discover a new, wonderful aspect to "our kind of town."

First published in 1960, Neil R. Johnson's The Chickasaw Rancher, Revised Edtion, tells the story of Montford T. Johnson and the mixed and intermarried Chickasaw settlements of Oklahoma (and Indian Territories). Abandoned by his father after his mother's death and then left on his own following his grandmother's passing in 1858, Johnson had control of a piece of land in the northern part of the Chickasaw Nation (and some in the Oklahoma Territory that was often occupied by the Boomers) in what is now Oklahoma.
The Chickasaw Rancher follows Montford's family and friends for the next fifty years. Neil R. Johnson (Montford's grandson) describes the work, the ranch parties, cattle rustling, gun fights, tornadoes, (the unexpected return of Montford's father after a thirty-three year absence, trips to Florida and New York City), encroachment of white settlers, the run of 1889, the hard deaths of many along the way, and the rise, the fall, and the revival of the Chickasaw Nation. (The original edition ends with Montford's death in 1896. The revised edition covers the next generation's continued expansion of the family's business ventures ending with E. B. Johnson's death in 1935).
Including more than fifty previously unavailable photographs, illustrations, and maps, (and more than 20% new material) this revised edition of The Chickasaw Rancher, edited by C. Neil Kingsley-grandson of Neil R. Johnson-is the perfect addition to any reader's collection of the history of the American West.

This book is a most unusual account of life on the range. It describes the life of Montford Johnson, a friend of Jesse Chisholm, from around the time of the Civil War until after the land runs in Oklahoma prior to 1900.
The unique value lies in the specifics of living on the range, the daily routine of the cattle drive, and the reality of cowboy life.
Taken largely from the journal of his son, it's a story that Hollywood could use.

Mr. Jackson did excellent research for this book. I have numerous ancestors mentioned in the book and even had a picture of one that I had never seen before. Anyone interested in the history of the Western Mt, Idaho and Eastern WA area, will need to read this book. I hope that the Author publishes more material from his research.

From the book, I found out that the Metis of the Pacific Northwest formed many communities in that area. My great-grandparents were born in Walla Walla, WA. and we were told that they were French- Canadian and "Black Irish". I read that in Walla Walla, is where they founded communities and that they hid there ancestry and called themselves French-Canadian. So, on reading this, I found out that the missing part to my full heritage was actually a mixture of French and Native American Indian. I owe a great gratitude to Mr. Jackson. Thank-you!!! Sean

Luchetti's book is a beauty, conveying all the joy and hardship, freedom and hard work, creativeness and schooling that went into the experience of being a child during those brief years we call the settling of the West.
Luchetti has written several books on Western themes, and this one, like all the others, is chock full of wonderful archival photographs, anecdotes told in the person's own words, snippets of letters and journals...
Wonderful!

I read every single word of this book, and that is quite rare for me. Anyone, no matter what their interests, would find something of interest in this book. This book documents, through first person accounts as well as photographs,the daily life of our country's western pioneers. The hardships these families went through make our lives seem simple in comparison. The rate at which family members died, the difficulty of finding enough food or nutritious food to eat, the constant dangers of wildlife attack, Indian attack, or unclean conditions are all well documented in this fabulously written book. The courage, fortitude, and generosity of these settlers can be an inspiration to all. The book also documents the experiences of Asian, Black, and Spanish settlers. You don't have to be interested in history to read this book; you merely have to be interested in the human condition.

China chic is a truly haunting experienc

*China Chic* is a gorgeous yet scholarly study of the interchange between China and the West in terms of fashion. Among the many intriguing points is how women of Chinese ancestry in the West are now influencing fashion design in new, very sophisticated ways. The combined efforts of Valerie Steele, John Major, and others make this book a must-read, just as the exhibit at the Fashion Institute in spring 1999 that this book used as a basis was a must-see for anyone who cares about fashion, culture and dress, or Chinese history.

Great Catholic high school history. Gives the role of the Catholic Church in American history. Starts with the earliest explorers and concludes with the 1990's. Covers American history in a fast-paced, thorough, interesting manner. Scores of amazing insights. Makes history really come alive. Great for students; stimulating and informative reading for adults also. U.S. and Central and South American history beautifully woven together. Each era gets its own in-depth coverage. Gives a great sense of American history.

Well worth its price, this book covers the history of the Catholic Church in America in great detail. It combines interesting stories with the basic facts. With a good index, I need no other book to study American Church History.

This is a wonderful book, beautifully written and immensely touching. The author interweaves vivid descriptions of his farm and its inhabitants -- both past and present -- with his observations on cider-making, the care of apple orchards, his wife's art, and his memories of his late, much-loved daughter. He doesn't gloss over the irony that, after he spent years working on nuclear testing, his daughter should contract breast cancer; but he isn't polemical about it, and by the end of the book his personal tragedy is subsumed into the rhythms of the seasons and the ongoing life of the farm. The timeline of the book is circular -- it's not a straightforward history -- but I felt that this further emphasized the cyclical nature of life in the orchard. I recommend the book unreservedly.

This is a very special tenderly written book about living...loving...working... and dieing. Every one can find something to relate too with Harvey in this book. I would highly reccomend it.