Travel Books

This story of survival of members of a shipwrecked crew in the mid-1800s is truly astounding, sold into slavery they are forced to survive in the incredibly harsh environment of the western Sahara. An interesting account of the daily lives of the people who scratch a living out of this barren landscape

I read "Skeletons On the Zahara" last year and thought it was by far, the best book I read all year. Once I started it, I could not wait to get through each day so I could curl up with this amazing adventure as a treat after dinner. The only problem I had with this book was putting it down.

There were moments of wonder, great excitement, sadness and tears too. I had to keep reminding myself that as thrilling as it was, it was true and so very remarkable. How strong we human beings are! What great writing this is! I have enjoyed giving copies of the book to friends as gifts. They've all been fascinated by it.

I might add that I haven't given away my own copy because I plan to read it again - for the 3rd time! Other than Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth", there are few books I have reread.

The author, Dean King, has done a remarkable job of piecing together the story of the Commerce, from the previous works of both James Riley, the Captain of the merchant ship the Commerce and Archibald Robbins, a seaman on the same ship. Not only is this a remarkable story of survival under the worst conditions imaginable, I was also captivated by the strong bond that developed between Captain Riley and his "owner" Hamet, who bought Riley and his crew to utilize as his slaves, to ransom the men for a larger profit.

This is a fast paced, heart wrenching story. I highly recommend it!

Skeletons on the Zahara was one of the most amazing survival stories I have ever read. What an awesome account of living as a slave amongst the Arab nomads in the early 1800's. Camel spiders, sand storms, dehydration, starvation, abuse, incredible heat...how could anyone live through all that? Yikes! If you are looking for a great read, this is it!

Hollywood couldn't create a movie with as much intensity as this true tale of suffering. Follow a group of shipwrecked sailors as they trek across the Zahara, mere chattel of their cruel captors. If you enjoy a tale of overcoming adversity tenfold, then this book will fit the bill nicely. Keep a tall, cold drink handy.

The Longest Ride: My Ten-Year 500,000 Mile Motorcycle Journey
this has been the most entertaining read in a long time. what determination and love of the sport, people, travel and just plain adventure!!!

This book started off really well with lots of interesting narrative and great pictures. Although it was obviously written in spanish and translated to English, the strange wordings add to the fun of the book.

But as time goes on, he writes less and less and relies on pictures to tell the story - whole countries pass with barely more than "then I went to...". By the time he gets married, there is almost no narrative at all, so it seems that he lost interest in the book and had a publisher's deadline to meet.

The first half of the book is 5 star, the last half 1-2 star, so I give it a 3 star rating overall.

The book starts off in tremedous detail and gives an insight into how someone unprepared for the journey ahead can meet and conquer unforeseen obstacles both figuratively and physically. As with other road trip books, as it nears the end, large chunks of the trip are missing as the book races towards completion. I felt very dissappointed at the end of the book to have missed so much of the journey compared to the start.

This book is an absolute must read for any serious motorcycle adventure rider. It is a testament to one man's courage and determination to follow your dream whatever it may be.

Words can not give this book justice. I bought it to read about a ride and I was given an in-depth geography and political lesson. This is a fun book but with tremendous insight and humor. One of the few books about motorcycle travel I could not put down. It is real and revealing not only about the man but the peoples and human nature of the world. If you can't take a trip like this, this is one book you can read and almost experience the ride yourself. I plan to buy two more, one for friends to read and one for my college Library. This book will always be on my personal bookshelf, Thank you Emilio Scotto.

We have found this particular map to be extremely helpful on trips. Our last one was several years old but wanted an updated version. You can't go wrong with this map put out by American over others published by different companies. This is the best!

This book is incredibly adorable. I love reading it, and my 21-month old son loves hearing it. Well, not so much anymore...he made me read it over and over again, probably a hundred times in 3 weeks, and now he has it memorized and no longer wants to read it. But he can talk about the Statue of Liberty, can pick out the Washington Monument and U.S. Captiol, and can tell you who lives in the White House. All these are important things for him to know, and my friends think it's amazing that he knows them at his age. The pictures are cute. It's a great, quick read at bedtime.

This gorgeous introduction to the USA and all its wonders is beautifully illustrated. Other books in this series have boring, more work-book-stiff-looking art. This one shines. The stars in the sky, the twinkle in children's eyes, the feathers on the bald eagle... all have depth and a softness that renders this book a wonderful gift. We have given it to foreign guests several times! And our toddler loves the bedtime ritual of putting the whole country to sleep :)

Beautifully designed by author/publisher Adam Gamble and illustrator/toy designer Suwin Chan, "Good Night America" is charmingly entertaining board book which is highly recommended for preschoolers and depicts some of America's most icon settings with respect to the nation's vast natural and cultural wonders. A multicultural group of children visit various attractions ranging from Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty, the Everglades, the Grand Canyon, and more. The rhythmic language of the simple but engaging text provides young children with the passage of both a single day and the four seasons while representing the beauty of each selected site. The debut title of the new "Good Night" series from Our World of Books, "Good Night America" will make a thoroughly entertaining addition to family, preschool, day care center, and community library board book collections.

I have enjoyed this entire "Good Night Our World Series" with our son for almost 2 years now. Any child 1 1/2 years or older will love these books. I would go as old as 7 years for the reader, depending on your child. I highly recommend this particular book, Good Night America, for anyone who wants to introduce our land to their children. The quality of their books are wonderful; thick sturdy pages with colorful illustrations. The writing is simple and perfect for bedtime; lots of "hello's" and eventual "good nights" to special places around America that the book discusses. We also enjoy the other "Good Night" series of books that highlight San Francisco, Provincetown, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket specifically.

Since our child has a tough time going to sleep and likes to travel, this is a perfect series for him. He goes off into dream land with quiet appreciation about adventures in a particular place he loves or wants to visit.

Also wonderful if your child has a friend who has moved to a particular town that these books cover-it will peak their interest in where their friend is living now and it'll make it an interesting experience to explore instead of a sad one. And, if sadness comes up, it is a good way to discover that your child may have deeper feelings you were unaware of around a friend moving.

The only reason I gave this one particular book in the series one less star, is because of a sentence in the book that states: "America stands for what is right". We always replace that with" "America stands for diversity." Seems an appropriate change because these words appear next to the Statue of Liberty, and we recognize the beauty of this as we are only second generation Americans. All in all, these are great books!

A very remarkable book written in the 13th century. Many secrets were reviled when Marco returned. And may interesting explanations of things like the origin of cinnamon.

Marco writes well enough of his travels and you feel that you are there. You can actually follow the trail if you have a map. He describes the flora and fauna of each region and describes the economics and industry of the region.

Example: "The women of the superior class are in like manner free from superfluous hairs; their skins are fare, and they are well formed."

It is interesting to see how little has changed from Marco Polo's 13th century and now.

Marco Polo purportedly spent 17 years travelling to the courts of Kublai Khan and, as an emissary for Kublai Khan, then throughout the Far East. Whether it actually happened or not is up for debate. I went into this text with an open mindset and have accepted that Marco Polo did indeed go on this trip with his father and uncle, but not to the extent as surmised. Instead he travelled and added stories he collected from traders and others to fill in gaps or points of interest to him. The book is broken into four sections now. Part One is his trip to the Great Khan's courts in Cathay (China). Part Two is his travels throughout the provinces of Cathay. Part Three concerns going to Japan, Southern India, and the Islands of the Indian Sea (Java, etc). Part Four is travelling into the 'northern countries' (Russia, etc).

In general, Polo gives very brief descriptions of most regions, accounting for their religious beliefs, money used, fealty to the Great Khan Kublai. There's some intriguing customs (visitors will be taken into a home and the man of the house leaves until they are gone but the visitor has full access to the household including the wives, daughters, sisters, nieces), talks of cannibalism, dress, unfamiliar animals they encountered, and contributes to the whole messy history of Prestor John. It does get repetitive and dry after a while. Polo's talk of Kublai Khan is almost obsessive and he was obviously completely enamoured of this new culture. Overall, it was fascinating to read although I had to push myself through some parts due to repetitive descriptions. Any history buff should read this story about one of the purported most well-travelled explorers ever, not to mention he was possibly the biggest best-selling authors before the printing press was invented.

Imagine a very boring person went through something fascinating. This person came up to you, started to talk about this incredible journey of theirs, but talking in this monotonous voice without changing pitch or showing excitement at any moment.

That's essentially what "Travels of Marco Polo" is. It's an INCREDIBLY interesting book and a fascinating tale, but can it possible be said in a more dry and flat way? There is no energetic spark that makes this adventure jump off the page. Perhaps this is due to the times, but I suspect the translation is a bit literal and bland as well. The writing never changes tone, even in parts that are clearly exciting and amazing. All the facts are there, but the reader is forced to put too much energy just to make it interesting.

Marco Polo had a most fascinating journey. Any history buff should snatch this book off the shelves (unless they decide to read the even longer, more annoying records that I'm sure can be found floating around), and anyone interesting in Marco Polo should as well. It may be dull at times, but it's still incredible, fascinating, and a riveting tale.

Recommended to heavier, more able readers.

I believe I got what I paid for. There were much better books of great detail, but they cost much more. I would suggest saving your money until you can buy a much more comprehensive book. The reading and information provided in the book was light and was gone over very fast. I question some of the facts contained there in.

It has been a pleasure to revisit the travels of Marco Polo. I was transfixed by these stories of travel and adventure when I was a child, and never questioned the veracity of the narrative. I know today that the narrative has been corrupted over the centuries, that "The Travels" can scarcely be used as an historical reference, and that a more tantalizing and complete manuscript has probably been lost to the ages. Still, there are glimpses and insights within the narrative that could only have come from first-hand experience, and these describe an enormous, exotic world that titillates even today, while readers in the 13th and 14th centuries must have been enthralled.

I was most keen this time around to Polo's descriptions of the cultures and wildlife he encountered, of the whales and lions and leopards and bears--he even describes a white bear, and the people who hunted it were surely of the group often called Eskimos. He describes dog-sledding in the far north and the cannibalistic practices of the people of Java far to the south, both of which are extant in our current era. There are also the fascinating observations of the Mongol Empire, of that group of nomadic people who somehow rose up, like an event in an Isaac Asimov novel, to conquer much of the known world.

Somewhat depressingly, though, are Polo's observations of the tensions that existed between the Islamic and Christian worlds, tensions rooted in the competition for hegemony over trade in the Far East. Seven hundred years later, these tensions are still acting themselves out.

This translation by Ronald Latham from 1958 includes an introduction that puts Marco Polo's life in context with events and includes footnotes to help the reader make sense of the myriad manuscripts that make up the travels of Marco Polo. This is a somewhat dry read; even Latham comments on the paucity of skill employed by Polo's chronicler. Once I put my mind in context with the narrative, however, I was able to roll with the repetition and sycophancy and enjoy the text.

This cookbook is wonderful, I went onto Amazon looking for an Italian cookbook and found this one. It has everything I was looking for, every Italian recipe that I needed and more. Photographs are great and put you right in the old Italian setting. Love this item.

I have tried numerous recipes since buying this book and every one of them was well received. I am my worse critic but I too know a good dish when I taste one. Olga's fishcakes were delicious.

perfect, easy, real Italian. Recipes are no fail. When I lived in the North end in the 90's (pre nouveau) everything tasted this good. But be careful, the Pignoli cookie recipe calls for 1 pound of pine nuts, (thats like $25!) You only really need 5 oz or so. Must be a misprint.

I love this cookbook. The recipes are excellent--the book is worth the value for the gnocchi recipe alone--just like mama's.

I know that Italian American cooking is out of style, but it still puts a smile on my families face. My brothers, our wives and children rave when I cook Ma's food. But I have a secret, I don't cook Ma's food. She was unfortunately, gone before I got her recipes. I cook Marguerite's food. I bought this book in the late 80's and it fell apart from love. This book will bring back memories or make them, five stars.

We just finished a three-week trip to Italy, and found this guide totally reliable. Even if you don't speak Italian, you can puzzle out the essence of the reviews, and you can't go wrong with restaurants listed.

If you are going to select you own lodgings or restaurants, the Red Guide is a must. You can trust it completely.

Excellent advice with up to date information and easily red map directions. Find the ratings and prices advised accurate. Ideal for the European who probably speaks several languages. For those only English speaking from the southern hemisphere an extra effort is required to fully comprehend some advice in a foreign language. Why can you not purchase the guide translated into English? However it does encourage a better knowledge of the chosen language.There is no better information on accomodation and resturants in a concise publication so I will stick with Michelin to maintain a Bon voyage.

Once you figure out the various symbols, the Michelin Red Guide has the most relevant information in the least space of any guide...an excellent guide.

A sturdy, rugged, and highly portable travel guide, Hawai'i: The Big Island is co-authored by Hawaiian travel experts Luci Yamamoto & Alan Tarbell to provide visitors with everything they need to know about Hawaii, the single biggest island of the Hawaiian chain. More than fifty detailed black-and-white maps and a handful of full- color illustrations reveal the best places to catch a traditional luau and kalua feasts, hiking hotspots, outdoor activity recommendations, flora and fauna information, the best places to stay, and much more. Hawaiian-born specialists guide the reader through the Hawaii that Big Islanders themselves know best, in this conveniently sized and information-packed "must-have" travel guide.

A sturdy, rugged, and highly portable travel guide, Hawai'i: The Big Island is co-authored by Hawaiian travel experts Luci Yamamoto & Alan Tarbell to provide visitors with everything they need to know about Hawaii, the single biggest island of the Hawaiian chain. More than fifty detailed black-and-white maps and a handful of full- color illustrations reveal the best places to catch a traditional luau and kalua feasts, hiking hotspots, outdoor activity recommendations, flora and fauna information, the best places to stay, and much more. Hawaiian-born specialists guide the reader through the Hawaii that Big Islanders themselves know best, in this conveniently sized and information-packed "must-have" travel guide.

whatever you do, don't substitute the Hawaii Revealed guide for this book. Lonely Planet Hawaii has everything in it. It contains no fluffy puff stuff or downer opinions. Our copy is worn from four weeks on the road and although pretty beat up, we deem it gospel. Traditionally the Lonely Planets are written by real travelers who are objective and write really well. They have no bones to pick. This is no exception.

The book is great, has a lot of information about the Big Island, but that is it's shortcoming. Knowing that most trips to Hawaii are those to more than one island, the Lonely Planet book about the whole state would probably be more appropriate.

I've been a frequent visitor to the Big Island and plan on moving there soon. The 'Lonely Planet Big Island' and 'Hawaii the Big Island Revealed' are your two must have guides to the Big Island.

I love this book.... Lots of places to visit and excellent tips. Can't wait to actually use this book in Europe.

A lot of insight and tips on how to move around on a budget. I have yet to use it in the field though.

Overall, I greatly appreciated the helpful cultural hints, the maps of major cities, and the recommendations on where to eat. The one thing I think this book is lacking is a more comprehensive listing of possible hotels/hostels. The large portion of their recommended housing requires a reservation at least two months in advance, which limited my options and forced me to use internet sites to locate peer-reviewed housing.

There's a lot of details on the important things you need to know when traveling. Examples include: what documents you will need in each country, transportation options and their costs, important phone #'s and some detailed maps of the larger cities. It's a good book for people who already know where they are going to but just want more information about it. There are no pictures, just black and white maps.

Luxenberg's AT Guide delves into many aspects of hiking the trail. It examines the art of trail names, named notables, life on the trail, as well as its history. It serves as a decent historical guide to the AT.

However, it was published in 1994. Luxenberg spends a great deal of time outlining the best of/fastest/slowest/etc, and much of this has changed in the past 14 years. It understandably spends a great deal of time on named notables on the trail in the 70s and 80s, which was applicable when written in the early 1990s.

If you want a current review of life on the AT, this guide isn't it. If you want a decent history of the AT, then go for it. :)

This was a book that was hard to put down once I got started reading, because I waned to know more about the trail and how to get started

I totally related to the author and why he was out there on the trail. Well written and although the historical commentary sometimes bored me which I admit I skipped sometimes, I could not put this book down. The author's recollection and re cantering of being on the trail, it's hardships, on and off again friendships, losing 75 pounds, why he was out there in the first place, trying to find himself... well, again, I totally related to how he felt. I also give his wife a lot of kudos for sticking it out and letting the author do what he needed to do at that time of his life. I really liked how the book ended or should I say the author's quest ended? Those last few pages when he went to Trail Days in Damascus..said it all. I recommend this book to anyone considering the hike, thru, section, or day hiking does not matter. It's all still hiking isn't it?

As someone who grew up within a stone's throw of the AT in East Tennessee, I've had a lifelong passion for the trail and have spent a lot of time hiking it. Along those lines I've also read a lot about the trail, exhausting my library's scant collection of books on the AT.

I was eager to crack open Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" when it came out because so many people recommended it to me. Boy am I sorry I did! What I was hoping would be a thoughtful, enlightening, and entertaining story of a man's journey turned out to be a big disappointment. Bryson was exceedingly whiny and had an ugly, close-minded perspective on the trail, especially concerning people in the South. He even skipped one of the best sections of the trail: that along the TN-NC border north of the Smokies and south of Damascus! If you want to hear a city-raised yankee whining about the outdoors, then be my guest to that overhyped travesty of a book.

If you want to learn something about the AT, its people, and its culture, then read this book. As much time as I've spent on the AT, even I learned something! It's easy to read and you can pick it up, thumb to any chapter, and entertain yourself with fantastic stories and learn what it's really like to be a thruhiker. This a nonfictional masterpiece, and people from all walks of life, from urbanite yankee to downhome hillbilly, have something to learn from this book.

i would read it again. you can tell that the author gets a little emotional about the trail. i was hoping for a more practical guide to hiking the A.T. this is difinitely not a book about equipment and doesn't include any maps.