Pacific Northwest Books - Page 5

Oregon's Greatest Natural Disasters

William L. Sullivan

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Editorial Review:

This informative, entertaining book tells the stories of floods, fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions that have affected people in Oregon. Then the book analyzes the natural cycles behind these events in order to help predict and prepare for future natural disasters. A final, fictional chapter describes what may happen when a major earthquake and tsunami next strike Oregon's coast.

And Die in the West: The Story of the O.K. Corral Gunfight

Paula Mitchell Marks

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Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> State & Local -> Arizona

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

How can one know so much and understand so little? 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 7 people found this review helpful.

When I began reading this book, I was quite favorably impressed. The author had obviously done her homework and wrote widely about all manner of happenings in the early west and about the Earps' early days. Gradually, however, I noted that she was cherry picking her facts and was choosing her words quite carefully so as to depict the Earps, in general, and Wyatt Earp, in particular, in the worst possible light. It occurred to me that she must be setting them up to be the villains of the piece when she finally got around to the subject of the book, "The Gunfight at the OK Corral." As I continued to read, I looked forward to seeing if this would prove to be the case. I was not disappointed.

It was hard for me to believe but, in spite of her apparently extensive research, the author had somehow concluded that the Earp brothers were the cause of the problems in Tombstone, and (if I understand what she wrote and I read) that they initiated the action at the corral. She even went so far as to hypothesize a number of scenarios, leading up to that event, all of which reflected badly on Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday. Strangely enough, however, although she had inadvertently set the stage for an even more likely scenario, she failed to mention it. I refer to the fact that, a number of pages earlier, she had quoted Ike Clanton as telling Wyatt Earp that if his associates ever became aware of the fact that he had conspired with Earp to capture three stage robbers, his life wouldn't be worth a plugged nickel.

What, then, would a cowardly Ike Clanton do when faced with the possibility that that information was, or was about to become, known? Of course: he would get drunk and go on the warpath against the Earps, which is exactly what he did. Add to this the fact that several of Ike's friends and associates, including his younger brother, just happened to arrive in town shortly after his widely known threats and the stage was set for a deadly confrontation largely based on a serious misunderstanding. In this scenario, Ike Clanton, by his threats and blustering tirade, would inadvertently have caused the gunfight at the OK Corral. This, to me, is a real possibility.

But with regard to the Earps and their reputation: does this author seriously believe that men who had been law officers in Wichita and Dodge City over a period of years, with minimal blood shed and with stellar reputations, would suddenly become outlaws? And does she seriously believe that a sickly dentist, who had made his living as a gambler, would all of a sudden decide to become a stage robber? A more likely scenario is that the "Democrats," as she termed them, i.e., those opposed to law and order in Tombstone, would use the same approach that Democrats use today. The best defense being a good offense, they would simply accuse the Earps of doing what they, themselves, were doing. Which is exactly what they did. Furthermore, if one considers the Earp brothers friends and associates, and their accomplishments over the years, as opposed Sheriff Behan's friends, associates, and posse members, Curly Bill Brocius, Ike Clanton, John Ringo, etc., one must conclude that the Earps, although flawed in many respects, acted in accordance with the law and that Sheriff Behan was either an outlaw; an associate of outlaws; or was somehow beholden to them, possibly for voting him into office.

So, although I found this book to be interesting in many respects, I find the author to be on the wrong side of the fence. And I can't help but wonder: How could someone seemingly know so much and understand so little. (For a better read, try "Murder in Tombstone: The Forgotten Trial of Wyatt Earp" by Steven Lubet, "Famous Gun Fighters of the Western Frontier" by Bat Masterson, "The O.K. Corral Inquest" by Alford E. Turner, "Wyatt Earp: The Life Behind the Legend" by Casey Tefertiller, "The Earps of Tombstone" by Douglas D. Martin, "The Tombstone Story" by John Myers Myers, or Tombstone's Epitaph" by Douglas D. Martin.")

The Four Immigrants Manga : A Japanese Experience in San Francisco, 1904-1924

Henry (Yoshitaka) Kiyama, Frederik L. Schodt

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Historically important 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

If you're not used to reading comics, this will seem rough and not particularly funny. Readers more familiar with the form will recognize that this book is more subtle and better crafted than your typical comic.

It's of special interest to Japanese Americans and others interested in the immigrant experience in the USA.

Historical Biography 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This was a very interesting read, although the jokes themselves were rarely funny due to the difficulty of translating puns. It stands out mostly as a sort of documentary about Japanese immigrants in San Fransisco, specifically worker-students. We watch them struggle to find jobs in strange American homes, a social commentary about gambling and the evils thereof, a six to eight page story of the San Fransisco Earthquake, and building their families.

I found it especially interesting to read the notes after each two-page "chapters" in the back of the book, which added depth to what was happening and provided historical content as well as further describing conditions in San Fransisco at that time.

Comments were made at the beginning of the book that the cartoonist had limited his market because he was writing strictly for fellow immigrants, who would best understand the mixture of Japanese and English that he used in his writing. This is denoted throughout the book with shaky letters for English, which immigrants had difficulty following and plain type-set for regular Japanese, their birth tongue.

As for the artwork, think more old-school Japanese and American comics than the manga that is popular today-- don't be expecting tick marks or sweatdrops for example!

For me especially this had a lot of fond memories. I am not Japanese, but my family moved to San Fransisco in the early 1905 from Italy, so a lot of this made me remember stories about my great grandfather and my great grandmother--my great-grandfather built a shoe-store that was destroyed by the San Fransisco earthquake. Even if you don't buy this book for the humor, at least consider the purchase to read about immigrants to America in the 1900's.

Editorial Review:

First published in Japanese in San Francisco in 1931, The Four Immigrants Manga is a documentary comic book and the author's chronicle of his immigrant experiences in the United States. Arriving in 1904, Henry and his three pals work as houseboys, labor in the fields, and are shaken by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. They also suffer considerable discrimination. Drawn in the comic-book style of George McManus's clasic "Bringing Up Father," this heartfelt tale is an accurate depiction of early Asian-American struggles and a document of great historical interest.

Arizona Then & Now

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Where's the Rest of the State? 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 7 people found this review helpful.

When I picked up "AZ Then & Now" I was really excited. As a lifelong resident, I was looking forward to a book that really showed where I was from. I had heard wonderful things about the pictures and the stories behind them. I am sorry to say that I was quite disappointed in the book.
While Dutton did have beautiful pictures of an extensive part of the state, he left out several key places that many people associate with Arizona. While he focused of all the 'major' places of the state, Dutton forgot places like Lake Havasu, Canyon de Chelly and the rest of the Navajo Nation as well as the Hopi nation and the AZ parts of Monument Valley - just to name a few. How can someone do a comprehensive book about something or some place without inclucing ALL the elements? I can understand that there may not be many pictures of certain places, but surely there are some that people could have offered.
While the book is severely lacking in this aspect, the pictures are absolutely breath-taking. Look at it, borrow it, maybe own it if it ever comes in paperback, but wait for something that includes the ENTIRE state.

Editorial Review:

When paired with the historic images of 19th and 20th century photographers, Arizona photographer Allen Dutton's modern-day images reveal the changes that have shaped the state's landscape during the past 100-plus years. To illustrate these sometimes drastic, sometimes subtle differences, Allen searched the state to locate the precise spots from which to rephotograph the scenes captured by his predecessors- endeavoring to achieve the same angles, perspectives, and lighting as in the early photographs. The result reveals the consequences of humankind's efforts to tame the stark deserts and rugged mountains of the American West as well as Mother Nature's ability to rebuild and reclaim her own.

The Land That Slept Late: The Olympic Mountains in Legend and History

Robert L. Wood

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellent History 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

An excellent, comprehensive and well written history of the first recreational explorations of the mountains. Nice photos. Will stimulate your own exploration of this area.

Music in Washington: Seattle and Beyond (Images of America: Washington)

Peter Blecha

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Music In Washington 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Author and observer of the Northwest Music Scene, shows his expertise and insight into the rich history of the
internationally recognized Northwest Music Scene. The book is a "must read" for anyone who wants a chronological account of the growth, successes and failures of literally hundreds of musicians, albeit brief, likely due to publisher's constraints. Many of the photos and other graphics are, and will be, new to many readers.

Wisely, Blecha pays homage to the various cultural differences that were evident, particularly in the Seattle area, which despite its "liberal" claims, indeed, had (and some say has) a DARK SIDE. Hopefully, in subsequent books,
Blecha will explore the imbedded racism that was all too apparent to those of us who were there, and will shed light on the phony politcal correctness that many self-styled liberals avoid discussing with respect to the music scene, and arts in general. Obviously, this book is not that forum, but many artists whom history has forgotten, are finally recognized for their contribution to this unique historical period in Northwest Culture.

This is highly recommended for anyone who wants to explore the roots of the Northwest Sound.

Editorial Review:

For more than 100 years, the Pacific Northwest has been making music history. In this new retrospective, rare photographs evoke the musical memories of days gone by, from the earliest 19th-century brass bands to Roaring Twenties jazz combos, 1940s hillbilly twangers, 1950s rhythm-and-blues singers, and generations of rock ’n’ rollers, including the original 1950s rockabillies, 1960s “Louie Louie”–era garage bands and psychedelic acid-rock acts, 1970s punks, and 1980s new-wave artistes and heavy metal headbangers. Readers will discover how a scrappy backwoods region struggled to build the necessary infrastructure to eventually create a viable music industry and an underground scene that would ultimately earn global recognition as the home base of the 1990s grunge movement.

Sedona: Treasure of the Southwest

Kathleen Bryant

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Spectacular Sedona 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderful snapshot of the Sedona area! Just leafing through it brings back many memeories of being in the area. Wonderful photos and great information. At an unbelievable price! A wonderful gift at not much more than the price of a card!

good pictures, not much information 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Someone else described this as a "coffee table" book. that is exactly right. the pictures are nice, but there is not much information in it. If you are looking for a book about sedona to help you know what to do there or how to get around or just good basic information - you won't find it here. and it's too big to take it with you on vacation.

Okay, but not what I was looking for 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is a large, thin paperback which would probably be a nice souvenir of Sedona (I haven't been yet!) but was not what I was hoping for. It's my own fault for not reading the reviews more closely. It's a little more useful than a (very) similar book called "Secret Sedona" which is also a large thin, paperback filled with nice photographs but not the practical information I am looking for as I plan our upcoming trip. I bought several books about Sedona from Amazon recently and none of them have been as useful as the information I can find on the web.

Editorial Review:

A visual tour of Sedona's many attractions

Great and Minor Moments in Oregon History

Dick Pintarich

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Editorial Review:

The history of Oregon is filled with a fascinating array of facts both expected and surprising. Great and Minor Moments in Oregon History highlights the significant and the unexpected, from the prehistoric to the present with in-depth, thought-provoking, and often humorous glimpses of the personalities and peculiarities that inhabit Oregon's past. Readers learn about the forces of nature that created Oregon over eons, the natural gifts that inspired the mythic world of its natives, and what it was like for Lewis and Clark to spend an Oregon winter on the north coast — without the modern tourist conveniences. The book also covers Portland's booming optimism at the start of the 20th century, its seamy underworld of 1950s, the city's illustrious sports and political heritage, and much more.

Emerald City: An Environmental History of Seattle (The Lamar Series in Western History)

Matthew Klingle

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

At the foot of the snow-capped Cascade Mountains on the forested shores of Puget Sound, Seattle is set in a location of spectacular natural beauty. Boosters of the city have long capitalized on this splendor, recently likening it to the fairytale capital of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, the Emerald City. But just as Dorothy, Toto, and their traveling companions discover a darker reality upon entering the green gates of the imaginary Emerald City, those who look more closely at Seattle’s landscape will find that it reveals a history marked by environmental degradation and urban inequality.

This book explores the role of nature in the development of the city of Seattle from the earliest days of its settlement to the present. Combining environmental history, urban history, and human geography, Matthew Klingle shows how attempts to reshape nature in and around Seattle have often ended not only in ecological disaster but also social inequality. The price of Seattle’s centuries of growth and progress has been paid by its wildlife, including the famous Pacific salmon, and its poorest residents. Klingle proposes a bold new way of understanding the interdependence between nature and culture, and he argues for what he calls an “ethic of place.” Using Seattle as a compelling case study, he offers important insights for every city seeking to live in harmony with its natural landscape.

Stevens Pass: The Story of Railroading and Recreation in the North Cascades

Joann Roe

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Entertaining and informative amalgam of history and travel information through Stevens Pass 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Stevens Pass has always had an aura of mystery about it. Even while Seattle boomed during the great gold rush of the 1800's, there remained no way to cross the formidable North Cascades. Inspired by the Orient trade, railroaders spent years looking for a suitable route over the mountain until surveyor John F. Stevens discovered a pass in 1890.
The Great northern Railroad lent romance to the crossing of Stevens Pass. But its real saga consisted of the nearly superhuman feats of construction crews, ghastly design mistakes, unpredictable acts of nature, and the determination of magnates, despite countless unforeseen obstacles, to connect communities by rail.
The other half of the saga consists of individuals who traversed the mountains, built crude homes, and schooled their children at home or in drafty log schoolhouses with few books. Nefarious pioneers took advantage of the isolation to work scams, fight, steal, and even murder.
More than a regional history, this story tells of the Wellington disaster, a killer avalanche; the period when ski jumping events grew crowds of thousands; the growing efforts of the United States Forest Service to serve recreational seekers; and the scoundrels and heroes of the new frontier.
I enjoyed this book immensely, and learned a lot about an area in history that at one time was sitting in my own backyard, so to speak.