Unless you are familiar with the Fostoria line, this is not the book for you. As a collector who is just acquainting herself with glass, the arrival of this book is met with great disappointment.

Most pieces are unmarked, so a good reference to the patterns and color shades is valuable. Of the 240 pages, only 48 contain color pictures. The majority of the patterns are represented by black and white catalog clippings and silouette line drawings. Some patterns have no visual representation at all.

There is also a small section dedicated to reproductions with the warning that no value can be given to reproduced items. However, there are no tips on how to spot a reproduction.

Perhaps those already familiar with the patterns would find this a valuable tool, as the listings of pieces in each pattern appear to be complete and the patterns are sensibly listed in alphabetical order.

I agree wholeheartedly with the other review of this book. However, I have faith that it one day will be valuable tool for me. For now, it sits on my shelf.

I don't care what Martha Stewart says. I love her show and all... but this book stinks and was the worst recommendation she has ever given!
There are just not really good books on fiesta ware out there. T

All this book was to me (i returned it as well) was a nice picture book with beautiful color representations. If I didn't care about the rip of price of [cost] I would have laminated it and given it to a baby as a picture book.

Outstanding photography and color accuracy just don't make up for the lack of valid information. I read the book cover to cover and I just missed the reference part of the book aside from a list of prices. It is full of errors and distorted information. When you do find something reference about the book it is mostly confusing or plain wrong.
Things are mislabeled... etc.
This is more of a coffeetable book than a reference guide.

Overall [the price] is too much for picture book.

I am not sure exactly how I feel about this book. On the one hand, it's got some excellent photos, beautifully lit, lush with color. On the other hand it is not in any way an exhaustive reference of Fiesta, as one would expect with a collectible as popular as this. I like the fact that photos are shown of the various backstamps (marks), but I'm not wild about the lack of organization and skimpy table of contents. I'd like to see more examples added, categories more organized, and prices more accurate (mind you, prices in reference books these days are hard to pin down, due to the affect of online auctions on collectibles). Long on nice visuals, short on information (and a bit too expensive for what one gets!)

If I had gone by the first reviews I would have left this book alone and that would have been a mistake. If the text had errors in the past they are long one. The images are fantastic, the text is informative and very readable, the prices are right on target. Particularly good for those new to the field but of use to anyone. Maybe old reviews should be removed now and then. This is a great book!

Tidewater Dynasty is a fictional account of the Lee family. It is based upon historic dates and facts. The glimpses of the Lee family are not true to life. All the Lee husbands are good looking, intelligent, perfect husbands, unselfish, ... All the wives have the same traits. There is one Lee who does not comform to the Lee image. I suppose he embodies all the bad traits of the Lee family so that none of the others had any.

I've always been interested in the Lee family of Virginia, especially Richard Henry and Francis Lightfoot, the Declaration of Indpedence signers, so I ordered this book, hoping it would give me an insight into the world the two lived in. The book did, in a way. Some of the best points were when the authors described the society of Old Virginia, the relationships between the Virginia families, and how the colonists lived. Thankfully, the authors did a good job of portraying Richard H. and Francis L., but after that, the book sort of went downhill. I definitely did not enjoy how the authors portrayed Henry 'Light Horse Harry' Lee. He came off as some whiny, simpering man, and it really annoyed me. But, other than that, this book is a great insight into the society of Old Virginia and a fair look at the Lee family, and their roll in our history

Having brought along two guide books on several weekend trips throughout New Jersey this summer, I found "New Jersey Day Trips" by Barbara Hudgins to be a much more comprehensive guide to the Garden State's main attractions and hidden treasures than "Away for the Weekend."

The work of a biased amateur with no sense of the true West Virginia. The methodology is poorly conceived and rigged to yield the author's desired outcome. This book is a classic example of how not to do history.

This book is helpful because it contains very general information about Cuba. However, the manner in which the info is presented is questionable since the author's sensitivity about world cultures is limited. The author's perception about Cuban culture, and more specifically subjects like Santeria, seem more indoctrinating to the debilitating effects that stereotypes produce. On page 71, the author writes, "Santeria appeals to many people because it does not have the strict moral sanctions that Catholicism does".
If we are to appreciate and understand a foreign culture like Santeria (from an American perspective), we should judge it on its own terms and not on the borrowings of another culture.
Strict moral sanctions manifest itself in very different ways in Santeria. This and other aspects about Cuba have arisen from a different historical experience, something that the author is highly unaware of.
On Cuba and related subjects, I recommend that people interested in such subjects look elsewhere.

Believe it or not, WEST(by God)Virginia is not a part of Virginia! No, seriously folks, Richmond may be a great book, but it should not pop up under a search for West Virginia books! Sorry. And in case you're wondering, Charleston is the capital of West Virginia!

I have found a few inaccuracies with some of the statistics and data in this book. I'm not sure if anyone edited the writing before it was published because there are whole sections that really have nothing to do with the topics.