I read this book after my father, who lived in Somerset during his childhood, gave me the book as a gift and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My dad rode the Old Somerset Railroad regularly as a boy and Mr. Macdougall's anecdotes and stories, documenting the history of the railroad in northern Maine, put into perspective for me what it must have been like for my father to grow up in those times. Thank you Mr. Macdougall - I found your work both fascinating and informative.

Begun in 1872, the Somerset Railroad linked the Maine coast with Canadian businesses. For fifty-six years it carried people and goods from the north woods around Moosehead Lake to Southern Maine and New England. A legend in the annals of northeastern railroading, Walter Macdoughall's illuminative history, The Old Somerset Railroad: A Lifeline For Northern Mainers, employs and easy-reading anecdotal style as he surveys the railroad's construction, rolling stock, employees, and the ways in which the lives of the people living along the tracks became interwoven with this remarkable railroad. The Old Somerset Railroad is a superbly written and presented contribution to any personal, academic, or community library collection railroading histories.

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT THE DIRTY PROTEST BY THE IRA PRISONERS IN H BLOCK OF THE MAZE PRISON ONE OF THE PRISONERS WAS BOBBY SANDS. WHETEHER YOU AGREE WITH THE IRA OR NOT IT IS A TRAGIC INCIDENT AND SHOWS THE WILL AND DRIVE OF THESE 10 MEN AND ALL THERE SUPPORTERS AND THERE STANDING FOR THE THINGS THEY TRULY BELIEVE IN ESPECIAALY IN SUCH DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS. SOME BOOKS ABOUT THE TROUBLES ARE A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH BUT THIS WAS A PRETTY GOOD BOOK

Published just prior to the hunger strikes of 1981 which claimed the life of ten IRA prisoners, "On The Blanket" details the so-called "dirty protest" that led up to the horrors of that year. With several first-hand accounts from prisoners and actors in the struggle, Coogan presents an unflinching account of the events in Long Kesh (the Maze) and Armagh prisons. The descriptions of the conditions in both prisons will move even the most cold-hearted reader. Coogan puts forth an important work that will stand as testiment to this troubled period in Irish history.

I have been living in the Bay area for almost 3 years and have had numerous books, most of which stink in comparison to this one. The vast amount of area that this book covers is great for doing just about anything in or around the Bay Area. I've probably utilized this book for more than 30 different activities (biking, hiking, camping, etc.) and I'd have to say that just about EVERYTHING that I've done was great and went smoothly because of the detail the book provides. The only bad thing I'd have to say is that the layout of the information is a bit confusing, but there are so many good "activities" in it that you get over that part quickly.

If you like the outdoors and spend time in Northern California like I do, this book is indespensible! I use it to find all kinds of cool things to do when I travel. I used it on my last trip and it guided me on fun things to do in and around San Francisco, up through Napa and Sonoma valley, great hikes in less populated regions further North around Mt. Shasta, down to Yosemite, the greatest park in the world, to Sea Kayaking in Monterey Bay and finally down to fun coastal stuff around Big Sur. Needless to say I'm very psyched that author Andrew Rice is researching a book on outdoor adventures in Southern California!

A very much needed book. Finally updates "Whitewater/ Quietwater" with much better information and maps. Written extremely well with lots of interesting tidbits of river info. This book has become the one must have book for paddling in Northern Wisconsin. Mike's Paddling Illinois is due momentarily.

I checked this book out from our local library in Green Bay and have subsequently asked for it for my birthday. This is a wonderful compilation of information, maps and helpful hints on a wide variety of northern Wisconsin rivers.

Having just bought a canoe last year, my wife and I have poured over these pages looking for new possible places to explore in this wonderful state of ours. A trip that we've taken the past few years is noted in incredible detail in this book. It includes notes on remote islands which we camp on to which rapids are worthy of portaging around. (We're amatuers!).

The author has done a wonderful job appealing to both rookies and more advanced paddlers by not taking anything for granted and explaining each bend and turn in superb detail. He also provides fascinating information on the history of the rivers and flowages he comments on.

Overall, I must say this is a must for serious (and not-so-serious) paddlers. A great gift. (Hint, hint mom! )

This book does exactly what the title says-it provides a short history of the IRA in around 170 pages in a small, pocket-sized format. The history is very concise and filters through many events ranging from the Easter Uprising in 1916 to the re-establishment of Direct Rule in 2000. While some important events are glossed over, in particular the ramifications of the SAS "shoot-to-kill" operation in Gibraltar, examinations of the internal factionalism that have occurred are looked at in detail, as well as their prominent role in the peace talks and their association with Sinn Fein. The only fault I found was in the captioning of one of the photos of an IRA patrol with "Libyan weaponry"- only one of the three weapons on display is of Eastern Bloc origin. A worthy addition to any collection on the Northern Ireland conflict. If you happen to be the author Tom Clancy-please read this book before you make any comments on Northern Ireland again!

The aforementioned title is one of the best, most comprehensive, and yet concise histories of a group who's exploits could fill libraries. It clearly addresses all of the major campaigns of the IRA and with equal quality, remains an unbiased viewpoint. This book is by all means deserving of its five stars.

Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California is the premier work on transportation in the Silver State. The photos are suprb, the text inclusive and the maps are a must for rail buffs and modellers seeking authenticity. I have owned this set for 35 years and it is nearly worn out from reference. The section on the southern roads is espcially well researched. I have been able to relocate features and buildings from Myrick's maps alone.

David Myrick did an excellent job of weaving history with technology in this readable work. Profusely illustrated, it connects time, place, and Nevada's colorful mining history together in a delightful fabric. The research appears flawless, as I have yet to find contradictory evidence in the several areas I have delved into. Reading the stories, one obtains a feel for the flow of commerce, the excitement of new discoveries, the character of the players in this real-life American drama. Detailed discussions of railroad technology, planning, construction, finance, and operations make this a delightful research tool.

The binding and printing are excellent, with beautiful crisp type and exceptionally clear photgraphs.

Overall, this set is a MUST for any serious student of Nevada railroads. Well worth the cost at todays price.

I have had my issues for years, and still use as a reference guide. Includes history of many lines that barely started.

Return To The Misty Shores was the first of Ms. Leon's book I've read. It's a wonderful, well written Christian story. Since then I have read all of her following books and have found them as compelling, well written and full of great detail. Ms. Leon must spend much of her time on research as her settings and time frames are very accurate. They are mentally stimulating which makes it so easy to visuallize places, scenes and people. I find them hard to put down and highly reccomend her works.

couldn't put this book down. the story of a young christian girl torn between her parents and the man she loves. the story follws the consequences of making the wrong decision and not following your faith. strong reading and powerful storylines!

this book was one of our favorite wedding gifts - absolutely great recipes - try the merlot one w/ tenderloin!

I received this book as a gift and am quite pleased. An excellent choice for those who enjoy, but might be bored with plain risotto. Creative, easy to follow recipes with great results. Well organized book. Includes easy cooking tips, broth recipes and risotto by chapter (vegetable, seafood, low-fat, etc.), no photos. Again, an excellent choice.

All of Patrick Leigh Fermor's books are of an unusual beauty, but this is without doubt the most beautiful of all. But the author is not for just anyone. I have a friend who bought Roumeli and got only ten pages into it before deciding she didn't like it. But there are reasons for that. She has a journalism background and she lives in New York. Appreciating Leigh Fermor involves taking the time to savor elevated language and imagery emanating from several sometimes unfamiliar realms of meaning. Sorry, folks, but the dumbing down process stops here.
In the first chapter we have a description of the author's travels in Trace and in particular the area around Alexandroupolis, which, interestingly, is named for the Russian Czar Alexander II and not for Alexander the Great. The focus here is the people he calls The Black Departers, or the Sarakatsans, a mysterious and little-studies nomadic group who some say are descendants of the original Greeks who came into the peninsula.
Then there is a delightful chapter centered on the monasteries of Meteora and the holy but realistic Father Christopher, the abbot of St. Barlaam, who has a few tales to tell about the foreign occupiers and their mindless cruelty and how the monks outsmarted them on a few occasions.
Chapter three deals with the famous difference between Hellenes and Greeks (or Romios) that has been used as an analytic model by many serious writers who take an interest in modern Greece, including Robert D. Kaplan in his Balkan Ghosts. This is the division or polarity existing within every Greek you meet on the streets and it shows the distinct pulls of the Eastern and Western orientations that still abide in the Greek collective consciousness and which give, sometimes, the impression of a split personality. Mention is made of George Soteriades the archeologist who insisted that Romios should be used only in the pejorative sense of a mean, vulgar, and sordid man. But the word has also had its very distinguished defenders.
Also worth noting is the fact that this book contains the very elegant and entertaining essay called Sounds of the Greek World, of which I cannot resist giving a few examples here:

Chios is a cakewalk on a cottage piano. ....Hermoupolis is the filioque. .....The Plaka is a drunken polyphony at four in the morning in praise of retsina and the tune of a music- box perched on a photograph album of faded plum velvet with filigree clasps at five in the afternoon.

Yes, this book is beautiful. Take the time to read and enjoy it.

Patrick Leigh Fermor's Roumeli gives us a glimpse at many ancient customs of Greece that were still practiced at the time of writing. His book is a must read for any one intrested in Greece

"Short Histories" are hard to write. You can be criticised by virtually all sides: it was very short, it left out something, it was biased towards some specific group, or it gave more attention to culture than to politics, for example. That being said, I was amazed by this book. Ranelagh is a fine writer indeed and he is able to keep it short, interesting, and accurate. And in the case of Ireland, that's a lot! Very fun to read, it is perfect for anyone - if you don't know anything about Ireland or you want to have a condensed history of the Emerald Island. I strongly recommend this one.

Ranelagh does a fantastic job of condensing a couple thousand years of history into a readable couple hundred pages. This book is a first-rate shortened version of Irish history.

At times, one thinks more and deeper connections could have been drawn (such as the resurrection, by twentieth century hunger-strikers, of Brehon Law-era practices like fasting for the redress of grievances) and more discussion fostered on particularly hard-hitting aspects of Ireland's past and present. But this is, after all, a SHORT history, and a remarkable one at that.

There is good coverage of Ireland before the arrival of the English, in a way that touches on both historical developments and cultural ones. Likewise, the era of Cromwell and the disastrous run-up to and aftermath of Black 1847 are given good detail. One comes away feeling a bit as though more recent history (say, 1916 and on) has been slighted, but this feeling is probably just the product of years of weighted emphasis on the twentieth century; Ranelagh does well to bring a historical balance to the overall sweep of Ireland's development into what it is today.

And what it is today is, for Ranelagh, closely invested as well in the question of what England is and no longer is. "A Short History of Ireland" may disturb those who view England as a still-unwelcome visitor into Irish history and culture, but Ranelagh concludes convincingly that the story of Ireland from the 13th century on is intimately related to its evolving relationship with its slightly larger neighbor and one-time persecutor/antagonist. Ranelagh quite usefully and realistically departs from other histories of the Emerald Isle in asserting that the England/Ireland relationship can, for a slew of reasons that he points to, only ever be one of co-dependence.