Travel Books

Sublette has done an amazing job pulling together political, cultural and social elements into a very compelling narrative. And super-informative too. Extremely impressive historical writing (and this is coming from a history major).

I LOVE how international and broad the perspective is. He really illuminates the dynamics of the time in a fantastic and vivid way.
It's seriously among the most readable and thorough books I've read.

as enlightening as it is it has a couple of major problems. It just peters out at the end as if the author lost focus and couldn't figure out what to do about it. The chapter on the "Indians" seemed to be just tacked on! It was as if it was taken from another book. It didn't fit this book at all. Maybe it would have if the author had continued his narritive in a linear fashion. I'm surprised the publisher or editor let this glaring problem go! Also there is the VERY tiresome rehashing of the "Did Tom sire Sally's children " routine. To further the sin the writer uses this as premise to launch into an anti-Jefferson rant. This is amateurish and I'm again surprised the editor didn't rein the author.
Thomas Jefferson had his many flaws as did all the founders but I doubt he was as evil as the author makes him out to be. Other than those problems I enjoyed the book very much!

Ned Sublette, author of Cuba and Its Music, embarks on a daring undertaking in a detailed and complete history of the Big Easy. Sublette spent the 2004-2005 year in New Orleans, leaving just three months before Hurricane Katrina hit and the levees broke, changing the city forever; making this book all the more meaningful and emotional.

With extensive research, Sublette starts at the very beginning, explaining the topography and geology of the Mississippi River and the substantial yet flooded Mississippi Delta, and how there was simply nothing that could really be built there before the advent of water pumps created the potential for draining of the area. In a time when the land that would one day be Louisiana was being fought over and used by the Spanish, French, and British, while every piece of natural resource in this part of the world was being used for the benefit of the Western World, coupled with the unceasing influx of slaves, a group of settlers began a town that would one day become the great city of New Orleans. Inhabitants included an influx of forced citizens from France consisting of prostitutes and convicts.

From its genesis, New Orleans was composed of an entire world of nationalities, cultures, faiths, and languages. Like the spine of the book, Sublette uses music as the backbone of The World That Made New Orleans, discussing the influences and developments of these different people, many of them slaves. It is a city that, after the catastrophic events of Hurricane Katrina, will never be the same - like New York missing the World Trade Center skyline. Thankfully, Sublette does an incredible job of revealing the many chapters in the history of New Orleans.

For more reviews, and writings, or to buy yourself a copy, please visit www.alexctelander.com

Ned Sublette is one of the brightest minds alive today. His fusion of historical detail, cultural development and human insight is a wonder to behold. If you think that you know something about American history and its antecedents think again, Sublette has redrawn the map of where we came from and the multiplicity of determinants that brought us to where we are today.
Not Since Robert Farris Thompson has anyone brought to bear such a feast of intellectual gifts and profound freedom from dogma. A work of unrivaled erudition.

I checked this book out when I was planning a trip to New Orleans. Initially I thought it was not what I was looking for but Ned Sublette's style was so laid back and appealing that I kept on turning the pages. When the time came for me to return the book, I wasn't done so I purchased it. The history is fascinating and rich in detail as to why New Orleans is decidedly Caribbean in its history and culture. I never knew how much the Spanish had influenced the creation of New Orleans. I really enjoyed the intricate history of how the French, Haitians, Cubans and Americans also came into play. My only complaint is that there was so little mention of the Native American's influence that I am unsure if that is because they had no real influence or if they were just overlooked.

I hope the publisher comes out with a digital edition of this book. I would love to have it on my Kindle. Like Charles C. Mann's 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, it is the sort of book I would like to have handy to consult or re-read sections of.

This second book is a real charmer. With a little bit of everything, D.J. Machale reaches inside the readers emotionaly. He makes fantasies come to life inside these wondrous pages.

I won't be able to put an in-depth review since I read the book a while back and am on book 7 right now so my head is swimming with information from all the books.

The second book in the Pendragon series throws the reader back into the territories of Halla. As we last read, Bobby had gotten back to Second Earth to realize that his life there was over. When Loor and Press come to drive him away back to another territory, he once again leaves behind Courtney Chetwynde and Mark Dimond, the two who he had been sending the journals to.

This book has an even more enthralling storyline as you meet yet another traveler, Spader, a young guy from a territory completely underwater. You grow to like him and his "people-person" attitude.

This book continues to show Saint Dane's power, and just what happens in the beginning (I don't want to spoil anything, but it has to do with two floating cities) has a very eerie feeling to it.

This is a must have, as it connects the characters further along in the book and helps make way for book three.

I love this book for multiple reasons.
The first, I think, is because of one of the side characters, Spader. He's so dreamy!!! I love him soooo much!
The second is because the plot is just so fascinating. The idea that a world could exist that is completely on water is just so cool.
The third is because of Saint Dane, the evil dude trying to take over Halla(all existence, all times, all places, and all creatures, great or small). He's such an evil person I just could hit him. ARRGGG!
The fourth reason is because of Bobby. I think he's one of the funniest characters I've ever read about(yes, I'm saying he even tops Ron Weasley in Harry Potter!).
I love this second installment so much!
You should definitely surrender to your craving!! Way to go DJ!

I loved this book, it is fun and creative. I didn't want to put it down. This series is fun for all ages.

Before I begin, let me say that I'm an adult (to give this review some context).

I read "The Merchant of Death" (Pendragon #1) a couple of weeks before ordering this book. I enjoyed "Merchant". I thought it was inventive and unusual, and it certainly addresses issues that young adults face. I'm sure kids enjoy reading books where their peers are heroes.

This book is even better. I say that for two reasons. The setting of the first book is quite grim. That was appropriate for the story it told, but it was kind of a downer, reading about those people being exploited. This book's setting is incredible - a world covered entirely by water where humans live on floating, barge-like habitats. I love water, and if I could somehow visit that world, I would do so in a heartbeat.

The other reason I like this book better is that the new Traveler we meet is incredibly endearing. I like Loor. She's a great person to have at your side. However, the Traveler we meet in this story is very funny, and that makes this book a lighter read (in tone) than the first one. He's also flawed, though, which makes things interesting. I relate to him better than I relate to Loor. (Does she have a flaw? I don't think I've spotted it yet.)

Overall, I recommend this book with a big smile on my face. It's a good ride, the characters are endearing, the setting incredible, the themes well developed, and it leaves you wanting more.

See you at Grolo's! Last one there buys the Sniggers!

If you are going to do The White Mountains, here's your book. Useful, hold that, extremely useful trail maps... If you want to do the 48 4000 footers in NH, this is a great tool to plan your travels!

"THe White Mountain Guide" is the Appalachian Mountain Club's 28th and Centennial edition of its popular and indispensible hiking guide to New England's top outdoor recreational area. The guide itself, once past a few introductory chapters on safety and geography, has descriptions of each of the established trails in the region. Each description tells how to get to the appropriate trailhead, a narrative of the trail itself, and a breakdown by distance and elevation change of the major segments of the trail. These trail descriptions, updated for each edition of the guide, are invaluable in planning anything from a day hike to a multi-day trip in the beautiful White Mountains.

The guide comes in a small cardboard box with three double-sided color maps that provide coverage of all the trail routes. The maps are detailed, easy to read, and at a usable scale for the White Mountains. Inexplicably, the maps included with the guide are paper and unlikely to stand up to repeated field use in the conditions often found in New Hampshire. Dedicated hikers are recommended to invest in the waterproof and tear-resistant versions of these maps, also published by the Appalachian Mountain Club.

This guide is very highly recommended to hikers and walkers planning an outing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

This is a great set of maps and trail descriptions, though its not much for planning or suggesting anything in the white mountains. The trail maps are very well detailed, complete, and having the mileage on them directly is a nice addition. The book is a hard to use for planning, though it works for simply looking up a particular hike and reading some about the difficulty and anything you need to know to not get lost.

This is the first edition of the WMG that I have owned, but owners of previous editions have pointed out that the maps in this edition are superior to theirs because the new maps include mileage on every single trail in the White Mountains. It is too bad that they are paper and not Tyvek or some other waterproof material, because they are already falling apart. If you are an avid hiker in the Whites, I suggest getting the Tyvek ones sold seperately.

The guidebook itself is exhaustive and lists every detail of every trail, which is useful if you already have a route picked out but not if you are trying to find a good hike and aren't sure where to go. For that, I recommend Michael Lanza's New England Hiking or New Hampshire Hiking from Foghorn Outdoors.

This 100th anniversary edition of WMG comes in a box that came unglued fairly quickly and then again after I reglued it. I would get rid of the box altogether except that the book doesn't have a pocket in the back for the maps like other AMC guidebooks do and I don't want to lose them. I hope that future editions of this guide will do away with the box and go back to the pocket.

If you do not have your own copy of WMG and are looking to purchase one, this is definitely the product to buy. If, however, you already have an older edition of this book, I would suggest buying the Tyvek maps seperately and wait for a few more editions to be published before replacing your book.

Just what I was looking for, a guide with all kind of details about the routes of the beautiful white mountains. This is a very complete guide and it is well complemented with the maps that come with it. Some visuals could be a good add to the book but the excellent descriptions are enough and clear.

Good buy for those seeking adventure at the whites.

I've always liked the Eyewitness Travel Guides for their great photos, maps, narrative and tidbits. This one lives up to the series' standard. And these books make a great keepsake after your trip.

We had one week in Geneva and this guide pretty much explained everything there was to see. Well written, easy to use, very well organized, it was possible to get a handle on any large Swiss city in about 30 minutes.

I had purchased a similar book for my son about France to help him with his French language courses in high school. I ended up spending more time with it than he did, and when I saw the other country titles, I decided to purchase a few more. The Switzerland book is excellent in that it condenses a lot of information into a very portable volume. The photos and illustrations are fabulous and the background historical and cultural information is superb. The listing of accomodations and restaurants also appears to be very well researched and provides a starting point for further Internet research. My favorite part of Switzerland is the Bernese Oberland, and this book provides a genuine sense of what it is really like. I can definitely benefit from this book on future travel to Switzerland. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about the country, as well as for experienced travellers. Well done to the authors, editors, and publisher!

I'm not a seasoned or jaded traveler ... yet! So a comprehensive travel guide is critical to my preparation for a trip and a great way of post-filling information and details into some of the holes or places that I might have missed or had to rush through when I was actually on the trip. Along with photographs and trip journals, they're also a wonderful way to resurrect detailed memories of a trip long after you've returned home.

Eyewitness Travel Guides seem to have the market beat by a long margin! That's not to say that Lonely Planet, Frommer, Michelin or the Blue and Green Guides miss the mark entirely but the Eyewitness series, in general, seems to be more informative. The photographs and illustrations instill a higher degree of keen anticipation and provide a better means of choosing in advance between a world of competing destinations and alternative tourist attractions.

Their guide to Switzerland, in particular, was astonishingly accurate and complete - history, food, travel, hotels, geography, destinations, estimated costs, highlights, outdoor activities - every last one of them spot on and accurately described from the perspective of an actual trip through St Moritz, Lucerne, the Bernina Pass to Tirano, Italy and Interlaken. Even now the photographs of Swiss cuisine and cheese can set my mouth to watering!

One noteworthy omission that my traveling companion and I discovered by accident - Switzerland offers a museum pass for 30 Swiss francs that will give admission for one month to virtually every museum in the country. That's a remarkable offer given that the countryside is positively littered with a host of attractive museums, castles and attractions most of which charge a 5 to 10 franc admission. We learned that little tidbit from the concierge of the Palace Lucerne Hotel - kudos to the hotel for over the top service and a great piece of advice!

With that one small suggestion for addition to future editions, the Eyewitness Travel Guide to Switzerland easily earns a five-star review. And Switzerland, by the bye, is certainly a delicious five-star travel destination!

Paul Weiss

Pros: this guidebook has lots of pictures and gives lots of information region by region, detailed cut-outs of major historical buildings. I also found the pictures in the survival guide section useful, where they describe the various Swiss dishes and food/drink products.

Cons: no information on how to get to different places by train (e.g. from Interlaken to Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch). I understand the guide cannot list train numbers and times, but at least it could have described how to, for example, get from Luzern to Mt. Titlis by train. Train travel is a big part of the Switzerland experience so this seems like a big omission. There's also not much information on hiking, even though this is a very popular country with hikers. An overview map of hiking trails would have been useful. However, there are other guides that cover hiking so this is a minor omission by comparison.

Well, heck, if this isn't just one of the cutest things I had ever had the pleasure of reading. Yes, I have read Ms. Osborne before, but I was still sadly wary of a book like this. How surprised I was to see her skill put into an excellent and educational fantasy that works wonderfully for the kids? My first-graders (at least the ones with the capability of listening to longer books) were entranced, and I have to admit that the tight, creative plot had me absorbed, as well. I realized shortly though that "The Magic Tree House" is best read serially, but this still was perfectly understandable on its own. Great job!

When I first suggested this book to my four year old she exclaimed "Where are the pictures?" I told her that she could create her own in her imagination and she sure did!
We both enjoyed this book and look forward to more of the series.

"The Blizzard of the Blue Moon" is a very good book. We have a 10 year old Autistic grandson who did not like to read. We started reading for 20 minutes every day and sometimes longer because he wanted to find out what would happen next. During the holidays, he read 3 of the Magic Treehouse books! I like this book and the series because Mary Pope Osborne weaves historical facts that we can discuss together, in her fictional books. I am so happy that there are many books in the Magic Treehouse series, and we look forward to the next new book in March! Thank you, Mrs. Osborne, for helping our grandson become very enthusiastic about reading!

This book is about two kids named Jack and Annie who have a magic tree house. They have a mission to find a magic animal, but it is snowing really bad. They meet a giant who plays the weather band. Teddy and Kathleen help them. They think the magic animal is at the zoo, but is it?
The magic animal's powers may go away forever! Will they find the magic animal? Will it keep its powers? Find out in the book, Blizzard of the Blue Moon!

I read this wonderful book to myself the day I got it. I was thrileed and couldn't wait for the next book to come out. It takes place in New York City in 1938 during the Great Depression. jack and Annie have to find a unicorn. But how will they find one in a big city? Finally Jack and Annie find the unicorn, whose name is Dianthus. But just then two teenagers named Balor and Grinda burst in and try and take Dianthus. Jack and Annie escape with the unicorn, and stop in Central Park. There, Balor and Grinda show up, and Annie recites her favorite magic rhyme, Turn Into Ducks. Balor and Grinda turn into ducks.

Teddy and Kathleen, Merlin and Morgan, show up and the two other teenagers ride Dianthus home to Camelot. Jack and Annie travel home in the Magic Tree House, and merlin and Morgan take a ride around New York City.

For ANY fans of the magic tree house, MAGIC TREE HOUSE #36: BLIZZARD OF THE BLUE MOON, I reccomend you read this wonderful book. You will be so surprised that you read this book over and over again!

Another fun filled adventure with Jack and Annie. My five year old had trouble visualizing this story because we haven't had much exposure to ancient Egypt. He still enjoyed the suspense and fast paced action that is characteristic of all of the Magic Tree House books.

If you are interested in fantasy fiction books like this one, read this review. At the beginning of the story, Jack and Annie go to the pyramids of Egypt. In the middle of the story they find an Egyptian ghost from the past. She is trying to look for four egyption symbols. To find out what happens to Jack and Annie, read this book. I gave it 4 stars because of it's mysterious ending.

Mummies in the Morning, by Mary Pope Osborne
If you're interested in fantasy fiction books like this one then this is the book for you. At the begining of the story Jack and Annie go into the treehouse and wish to go the pyramids of egypt. In the middle of the story they find a egyption ghost from the past. she is trying to lookk for four egyption symbols. To find out what happends to Jack and Annie, read this book. I gave it five stars because of its mysterious ending.
By Matthew Broome

The purpose of these little books
Is to encourage reading
And judging from the ones I've seen
They seem to be succeeding

A tree house filled with many books
That's like a time machine
To travel to another place
Just wish, and choose a scene

This third book's set upon the Nile
Inside a royal tomb
Two children help a Queen to find
Her book with spells of doom

Hieroglyphs and secret doors
A mummy's face up close
If you hate rotting bandages
You might think this one's gross

Through the eyes of these young kids
The reader will discover
Learning can be lots of fun
Once you open that cover




Amanda Richards, April 7, 2007

I can't believe that no one has commented on the subject matter of this book being highly inappropriate for young children, and entirely unsuitable for young Christian readers. I am not one to shun children's fantasy books, and we've enjoyed the other Tree House books, but this one is not for a five year old. Jack and Annie help a ghost queen find the "Book of the Dead," containing magic spells that will help her pass through the underworld (a place of horrors with lakes of fire, monsters and demons). The ghost queen has been roaming around for a thousand years trying to find this book. This nonsense, along with detailed descriptions of rotting mummies, make this book one to skip in the series.

Memoir of a Canadian Teacher in Bhutan

Jamie Zeppa, an English teacher from Canada, in 1999 wrote of her life experience in Bhutan from 1989 to 1992. With the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) financed overseas education program in Bhutan, the slightly over 20 year old teacher changed her whole life to take a chance at living in a completely different part of the world. Practically without knowledge of the culture she was going to impact and loads of useless baggage she transferred to this tiny Himalayan kingdom convinced of reaching the Shangrila. The cultural shock of the small village posting, the solitude, the breathtaking but initially frightening environment, the incapacity of connecting to such a different population almost drove her crazy at the beginning. But due to her strong ego and a particularly ironic and self-mocking attitude she slowly learns to cope and understands the life philosophy of these simple but practical people. "Anyone can live anywhere" she wisely concludes. The beauty of the landscape and the joy de vivre of her students conquers her heart and starts a transformation that not only converts her to Buddhism but leads her to accept a new challenge in a superior school in a bigger city.
The college students and colleagues contribute to her re-evaluation of her Western cultural heritage and the deeper comprehension of the Eastern way of life and open her vision of the true nature of Bhutanese culture and difficult political situation. With magisterial delicate tones Zeppa describes the political and ethnological undertones of the Bhutanese youth and the gender discrimination of women.
Unexpectedly she also falls in love with one of her students and bravely decides to make a life commitment to her new found values.

This diary/novel is well written, funny, full of quaint and memorable episodes and a pleasure to read. It conveys all the puzzlement of cultural shocks in the pre-globalization era and shows how the concept of "sustainable economy" was already evident at the beginning of the 1990's. The book contains a plethora of useful information to understand modern Bhutan.
The "spirit of place" is conveyed with grace, the personal experiences gain an universal value and it is possible to identify with the Author.

If you like these types of memoirs I suggest reading Louisa Waugh's "Hearing Birds Fly", a similar experience of a British teacher in Mongolia.

Many here in America and maybe elsewhere (I never lived anywhere else so can't say) are taught to be believe or come to believe that material comfort, good education and a high-paying job are of great importance. People spend their lives striving for these things without considering the importance of family, friends, love and the personal satisfaction that comes with having a job you enjoy. I think that Ms. Zeppa found these things in her journey to Bhutan. I wouldn't go to say that Bhutanese culture promotes those things but certainly being away from her native surroundings gave Ms. Zeppa the chance to experience this. Maybe that's the great thing about places like America and Canada, we all have the freedom to find for ourselves how we want to live. If it takes a journey to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, so be it.

this book was absolutely amazing from start to finish. i was so fascinated and excited by what she would write next... i looked forward to every page and slowed down towards the end because i never wanted it to end! anyone who didnt like this book is insane!!!

This is a travel memoir, but it reads as much more of a personal journey. She goes from the western world into an isolated eastern world that is also very poor. She learns and learns, sometimes is very naive, sometimes very wise. Where she ends up was a surprise to me.

In Beyond the Sky and the Earth, Jamie Zeppa presents an overall intriguing and insightful account of her experience as a schoolteacher and college lecturer in the remote kingdom of Bhutan. Published more than ten years after the author originally left for Bhutan, the book succeeds in presenting a fascinating view of the author's early experiences in the country. In the first two-thirds of the book, Zeppa's vivid images and careful attention to detail are possible only as she writes sincerely from her heart. One believes that her only motivation is to share her love of the Bhutanese and her gratitude for the privilege of living there and being loved by the children and villagers of Pema Gatshel. The reader feels a part of Zeppa's lovely world.

The reliability of Zeppa's account is bolstered by her consistent address her own imperialist mind. Most of us White people living in the Western world have inherited a perception clouded by a pervasive sense of superiority to other races and cultures. Zeppa is mindful of this fact, and sincere in her efforts to unlearn racism and imperialism. Zeppa wrestles with her desire to perceive the Bhutanese in romantic sentiments, and to impose her values upon them. Zeppa provides an interesting account of her personal despair over the social and political unrest she witnessed in Bhutan, some of which played out among students at her university.

In the final third of the book, however, Zeppa's sincerity begins to waver as the details give way to rushed summaries of particular events. Suddenly a year and a half has passed, and the reader is no longer invited into Zeppa's world. Although one doesn't doubt the veracity of the events reported, the tone of the events and the words spoken savor of emotional editing. The brief paragraphs of conclusion Zeppa offers to tie up her story indicate a difficult relationship with her Bhutanese husband and a host of regrets. One gets the impression that the story of the love affair, which hurriedly takes over the last part of the book, is presented for the benefit of Zeppa's spouse, meant to send some message about "the way it used to be." In any case, the reader is left behind. In the second edition of this book, it is hoped that Zeppa will rewrite the last 80 pages or so, and even (gasp!) go over the 300-page limit to present more fully, and more honestly, the story of the second half of her tour as a lecturer in Bhutan.

This is the most interesting guide book as is all of Rick Steve's books. A friend planned their trip to Switzerland using this book and their trip was everything they hoped for. I have used the same book to plan my upcoming trip to Switzerland.

Rick Steves continues to provide great travel books. The Switzerland 2007 book, like all his other books, tell you everything you need to know to help you plan a trip to Switzerland. He tells you all about the typical tourist sites but he goes farther than that. Rick tells you how to find the "backdoor" locations. These are usually small towns or lesser known attractions that the average tourist would probably not be aware of if it wasn't for Rick's books. One backdoor that he mentions in this book is the small quaint town of Gimmelwald which is close to Interlaken. Visiting towns like Gimmelwald gets you out of the big cities and shows you what life in Switzerland is really like. He also recommends hotels and restaurants that are affordable and full of charm. I travel as often as I can and always read Rick Steves books before I go. You can trust what he says and what he recommends. He has not lead me wrong yet! Buy this book and you will not regret it.

I like Rick Steves's approach to travel, and much of this book is helpful. BUT: He purposely, and dismissively, leaves out the entire city of Geneva, calling it "boring." Well, when you're basing your trip in Geneva, that's not really news you can use. I think Steves's success has gone to his head -- this level of opinionated advice is useless at best, irresponsible at worst. If you want a comprehensive guide to Switzerland, try Fodor's.

I bought this book because I am planning a trip to Geneva--but Geneva is completely omitted from the book! It is not even listed in the index. Buying this book was a waste of time and money for me.

I'm a Rick Steves fan. In our yearly vacations to Europe, his books were always the most accurate, detailed and useful.
But this one is really different, as if there is some (political? commercial?) agenda behind it - for example -
- Gimmelwald as the center of the Bernese Oberland alps? Are you insane? A vilage with two BB and no restaurants... Is someone reviewing these books?
- And Grindelwald (there) is only mentioned as a side comment while it is the largest resort in that area.
Not even mentioning that Geneva is poorly covered (not interesting...). And these are only the items I've seen until now.
If you are going to Switzerland, specially if focusing on the Bernese Oberland, do yourself a favor and don't buy this book. Don't even read it because you will only get confused, specially if you used to believe Rick Steves.

The only thing that could be better if it were updated a little more. Things are constantly changing, so prices are probably changed, and some roads are no longer the same. I love the map of the cities, I just wish there were more cities! It is a great book to have if you are just doing a daytrip to that specific city though!

I purchased three books prior to our trip to Germany. This was by far the best for what we wanted to do. We were in Heidelberg for work, and had to stay fairly close, so the ability to plan day trips to other cities was perfect for us. The directions were clear and almost always completely accurate.

Useful but boring, the same format over and over. The 2002 edition I just received is really out of date. Maps are less useful since part of the print becomes part of the binding. Rick Steve's book, Germany and Austria 2007, is so much more enjoyable to read.

We, my wife and I, found the daytrips very informative.How else would we have found the famous "Rauchbier" in Bamberg? It alone was worth the price of the book. We went to several of the trips explained in the book during our three week stay in Bavaria. I will definitely take it again if we can make another trip to Germany.

We took 3 travel guides with us on our tour of Germany and this is the one we used the most. It has everything that you need to know. What trains to use, what to see, how to get there, where to eat, where to stay. As a first time traveler to Germany we found the info in this book useful and easy to use. I highly recommend it!

The book contained a great amount of side trips along Route 66 that made the journey even more fun and adventurous. Follows the westbound route.

I used it as a companion to the Route 66 EZ Guide by Jerry McClanahan.

I have been planning a motorcycle trip on Route 66 for some time. Having collected several reference books, maps and DVDs, I was intrigued by this offering. I was surprised at the amount of points-of-interest information the author provided, however, this is certainly not a one-book-does-it-all piece. This is a great reference to have with you while traveling Route 66, or simply in deciding what you would like to see on your journey of the Mother Road. I will certainly take it with me on Route 66.

This book was a disappointment to me, rather than being a step by step guide as you travel was more of a read through type book. Obviously good for reference but wouldn't be the only book I used for a trip. Good point of the book is the pictures, bad point is the lack of detailed maps.

I have read this book along with reading Route 66: EZ66 Guide for Travelers simultaneously. I find reading them together you get a little more information out of them. We are leaving for our trip in May and will bring both books with us. This book has a wealth of information and very easy to follow. I am very excited to take our trip because of all of the exciting information I have read about. The author has great experience and has driven this route many times. I feel confident we will have a wonderful trip.

The book was great for pointing out things to see along Route 66. I highly recommend it; however, I really, really wish that it included more directions and approximate mileage to find the items listed in the book. The Giant Ketchup bottle was about 20 miles off the beaten path. The Cherokee Indians Trail of Tears was close by route 66, but there were no directions on how to get there, so it took several hours and wrong turns to find something that was only 5 minutes away. An icon to indicate directly on route 66 or not would have been terrific and saved a lot of eye-strain trying to find things. We did somehow manage to find most of the items listed in this book in conjunction with route 66 specific maps.