Tourist Destinations & Museums Books - Page 12

The Middleburg Mystique: A Peek Inside the Gates of Middleburg Virginia (Capital Hometown Guides)

Vicky Moon

Amazon Price: $13.22 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 10 to 12 days By: Capital Books Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $8.74

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

--Interesting read-- 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

MIDDLEBURG MYSTIQUE is a book that helps to continue the idea that Middleburg is the magic town for the rich, famous, and those who want to be seen with the rich and famous. I live about 20 miles away from Middleburg, and it is a great place to go for lunch or dinner. The town is charming and historic and it's always fun to browse the antique shops.

Vicky Moon did a good job in writing about Middleburg. Her style is pleasant and she provides a lot of detailed information. I'm sure that the long time residents of the town had a few laughs over some of the outrageous behavior that's mentioned in the book. I think that adding the section called, Hunting Terms was a good idea. For those of us who are not familiar with fox hunting or equestrian activity, it was nice to have those terms explained. The author tells lots of stories and antidotes and with the exception of some of the nationally known residents like the Kennedy's, I really didn't know much about the families or "old guard" who live in the Middleburg area. I found the book to be very enlightening.

Editorial Review:

Middleburg Mystique reveals the charms, gossip, and scandals of this small well-to-do village, and the surrounding swath of horse farms just 50 miles west of Washington, D.C. It tells of scandalous divorces (like actor Robert Duvall s wife running off with the poolman) and racy murders (like arms heiress Susan Cummings shooting her Argentinean polo-playing lover). Middleburg has captivated the Kennedys, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Wagner, and Oliver North. It has gossiped about misdeeds, then turned around and protected both rich and lowly as if they were all family. "Middleburg Mystique" also provides an insider s peek behind the grand stone entrances of massive estates with names such as 'The Meadows' or 'Heathfield' that belong to families such as the Firestones, Mellons, and Marriotts.

Mysterious World: Ireland

Ian Middleton, Douglas Elwell

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Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> Mythology -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> Mythology -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The highest rating!! 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 13 people found this review helpful.

When I opened the package from the mail and pulled out "Mysterious World: Ireland," my jaw literally dropped open! Wait, I could not have ordered a book such as this in paperback form. Then I remembered I had because it is a travel guide. What is the publisher thinking in making a lush coffee table book into a travel guide? You would have to see it to believe its incredible content and beauty. But I blather on.

Even the website (www.mysteriousworld.com) is dedicated to a lush presentation of things mysterious and beautiful about a country. I have never seen anything like this book or website. Publisher Doug Elwell explains in the book's introductory section that MW does not plan to add a print version of their website articles, as print sources end up in old files, old books, and in out-of-sight places. As a librarian, I can attest to the veracity of his statement. Then why do I hold a big, thick, heavy paperback travel guide in my hand? Take a logical guess: travel. Not everyone wants to carry a laptop on vacation. On trips before, I have known friends to leave their guides at the last stop before heading home. Nope, not so for this book. This guide is a souvenir, a memory book of places visited. "Mysterious Places: Ireland" then becomes a new kind a coffee table book. At home leave it out, dog-eared, worn and torn, and guess how many visitors will pick it up? I dare say virtually every one!

Travel writer Ian Middleton begins his tome with the history of the first people of Ireland, Scythians, who descended from Noah's son Japheth through his son Magog. But it was through the oldest son of Magog that the first Gaedelic Celts descended. It is these Gaels who followed the balance of life: between the light and the dark, the natural and the divine--to become the Irish.

The first 300 pages of this 776 page book are dedicated to the Mystery and History of Ireland: invasions, deities and demigods, sea serpents, monsters, beasts, druids, poets, fairies, fairy tales, folk tales, mythical tales, then the History: the coming of the Christians, ancient cultures, and Ireland today. For full enjoyment of the book and your trip, you might consider reading this half before you go.

The travel section kind of unfolds from the history. There is, however, a clear demarcation between the two. Pick up the book and look at the bottom. The mostly white section is the Mystery; the second half with the dark area is the travel section.

Middleton provides the necessary travel information (clothing, monetary exchanges, etc), but much much more. Remember that archway over the two pages? Alongside each each from top to bottom of the page in a dark green rectangle is listed pertinent local information: where to eat, where to stay, costs, pubs, ferry crossings, and more. Then the pages provide information about out-of-the-way places, mysterious sites, and touristy areas. Also, on each two-page spread is at least one photo, map, and/or illustration. The book really is quite astonishing.

"Mysterious World: Ireland" is unlike other travel guides: it is a mini encyclopedia of a country with a focus on its mysterious past. Publisher Elwell says this is the first of a series he and writer Middleton and staff will put together. There is no dearth of people interested in the mysteries of a place, its world and culture.

For more information and updates to the travel guide, please visit http://ireland.mysteriousworld.com and www.mysteriousworld.com.

Editorial Review:

Mysterious World: Ireland represents the next generation of travel guides. More than just a listing of names, numbers, and dates, Mysterious World takes readers behind the scenes to help them understand the history and the mystery of this sacred isle. The book delves deep into Ireland's legendary past, looking especially at the mysterious people who invaded Ireland time and time again in search of their destinies. The book also covers Ireland's known history up to the time of Cromwell, providing a thorough understanding of what it is to be Irish. In addition, the book presents one man's quest to rediscover mysterious Ireland as he travels throughout the four ancient provinces of Ireland.

Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues, Third Edition

Steve Cheseborough

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A review by a 2004 Blues Traveler 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I highly recommend this book for anybody considering a Blues trip into the Delta. It is the best available resource on the market. Looking at its competitors, they all miss the mark due to either outdated, incomplete, or just plain incorrect information.

I have just completed a Delta blues trip and read the book after I returned. Having actually done such a trip provides a very authoritative vantage point from which to judge any such work.

Our trip was preceded by 6 months of online research into every aspect of the Delta and surrounding areas. Over 100 pages of information were accumulated prior to departure. The trip itself covered nearly a 1400 mile loop by car that began and ended in New Orleans. So many of the stops we made along the way ~ Jackson, Ms.; Greenwood, Ms.; Clarksdale, Ms.; Helena, Ark.; Memphis, Tenn.; all the historic gravesites; the prisons and the plantations were all covered in Steve's book. He certainly did his homework. (For goodness sake, he moved there as part of the overall immersion process, LOL!)

We met Steve in Helena while he was lecturing and playing at the `Blues on Main Street' exhibit opening at the Delta Cultural Center on Cherry St. He is proficient at both. It was there we bought the book that got carried home and subsequently read after the fact.

If you don't have 6 months to do your own research, just buy his book and read it in a week. He covers everything. Then take it with you and use it as a guide on the road.

(p.s. Plan your trip so it somehow involves the WC Handy awards in Memphis in late April, as well as the Beale Street Music Festival that follows that weekend).

Editorial Review:

Expanded and updated, a new edition of the indispensable guidebook to the cradle of the blues

Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando 2008 (Frommer's Complete)

Laura Lea Miller

Amazon Price: $11.55 List Price: $16.99 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: Frommers Amazon Marketplace: 31 new & used starting at $0.01

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Subjects -> Travel -> Guidebook Series -> Frommer's

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Completely updated for 2008, Frommer's Walt Disney World & Orlando is the perfect trip-planner for America's #1 vacation destination—Disney World. A total of 50 million people visited Orlando in 2006, spending over $28 billion, according to the Orlando Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. Seven of the world’s top ten theme parks are in Orlando, and it’s the number one destination for families on the planet.

This book will cover all of the highlights of the city, including the opening of Disney's latest attraction, Finding Nemo–The Musical. It also features detailed itineraries for all of the Disney and Universal Orlando theme parks.

The guide also includes info on SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens, and the Kennedy Space Center. You'll also find individual park maps, up-to-date advice on finding the best package deals, and a free color fold-out map.

Return to the Scene of the Crime: A Guide to Infamous Places in Chicago

Richard Lindberg

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Second rate city, third rate writer 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Mr. Lindberg clearly was absent the day that they taught research development and writing classes. His latest book, not unlike all of the previous selections, is sloppy, inaccurate and poorly written. Don't waste your time with this book. It is tedious and disappointing reading.

Return to the Scene of the Crime 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

It was a very interesting book, explaining what happened at the sight and then what is there now. It would have been nice to have more pictures for people who would not be able to tour the city. One big disapointment was that the picture on the front cover was never identified anywhere in the book.

Cruising Chronicles of Chicagoland Criminolgy 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Hail! Hail! The gangsters are all here, along with other unsavory characters and scenes from the seamy sides of Chicago.

Home Boy Richard Lindberg has done a fine job of plotting tours with concise briefings, maps, and photos from Chicago's worst. Sure, there are some errors - but, as other reviews here attest, the True Crime buff knows what they are, for example: the perpetrators of the Brown's Chicken Massacre have been apprehended since the book's publication and this reviewer disagrees with Lindberg's speculation that, were it not for Nicole Brown Simpson's violent death, O.J "would have drifted into permanent obscurity remembered by a handful of autograph chasers at sports memorabilia shows and admirers from his football days." What is OJ doing in this book, you ask? Remember, he was flying out of LA that night? The Chauffeur came to get him at the house in Brentwood to take him to the airport to Chicago. The Hotel where he may or may not have cut his hand on a broken glass is on the Tour, just about a mile north of John Wayne Gacy's former residence.

In the Grand Scheme, the errors or disagreements are a minor nuisance and the tour just moves on. The book is arranged in geographical groupings, so that a reader could take the walking tour of the Loop and Near Neighborhoods and then continue on by car. The Tours are:
1. On the Waterfront: Downtown Chicago
2. The Gold Coast and the Slum: the Near North Side from the Chicago River to Division Street
3. North Side Pursuits: Lincoln Park to Rogers Park
4. The Land Approaching O'Hare: Chicago's Northwest Side
5. North by Northwest: Kenilworth to Barrington
6. West Side Stories
7. Residences of Organized Crime: the Western Suburbs
8. South Side Sinners

Tour takers will take in the sites of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929, John Dillinger's "bad date" at the Biograph, the office of Eliot Ness and "the Untouchables," Richard Speck's slaying of the Nurses, the "Police Riot" at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and many other "low Lights" in Chicagoland history. All this and Mrs. O'Leary's cow, too! Reviewed by TundraVision, former friend of Garfield Goose, Amazon Reviewer

Editorial Review:

"Return to the Scene of the Crime: a Guide to Infamous Places in Chicago", by Richard Lindberg, is an uncensored neighborhood-by-neighborhood map to the back alleys and boulevards of Chicago where some of the most infamous events of the city's criminal past occurred. Capone, Dillinger, and other organized crime figures have left an indelible imprint on the Windy City.

Bicycling the Natchez Trace: A Guide to the Natchez Trace Parkway and Nearby Scenic Routes

Glen Wanner

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Nice complement to Park Service literature 4 out of 5 stars.
19 of 20 people found this review helpful.

The author obviously has spent considerable time riding the Trace and in surrounding areas. As a result, the book serves as a useful complement to the literature available from the National Park Service on the Natchez Trace. However, the most important document that a Trace traveler needs is a Natchez Trace Parkway Map and Guide from the Park Service.

The author briefly describes the historical significance of many of the landmarks along the Trace. Of great interest to bicylists is the lay of the land (hills) which is well described. Most importantly, one can find the location of food and water and lodging just off of the Trace, that is, not managed by the Park service. The Trace itself has insufficient restroom and water stops for the bicyclist. A minor point is that the author does not indicate the hours of operation of the markets that he notes. The author notes the great amount of wildlife on the Trace; but keep a sharp eye for the snakes sunning themselves on the Trace in warm weather.

Most all of the practical advice in the book is related either to logistics or to various routes. Where and how to ship one's bike is useful. About 40 percent of the book is taken up with auxiliary routes that either start or cross the Trace and are not a part of traveling the Trace from end to end. Multi-day tours through Vicksburg and around the Tennessee River are two of those. Most of these may appeal to local residents.

Throughout the book the author mentions various rules and regulations of the Trace. Although there is a brief section, it would have been useful to see a section with a complete listing: for example, rules for speed limits, parking, picnicing, camping, hiking, etc.

What one will not find in this book is much in the way of practical and general information about bicycling or touring on a bike - what gearing to use, how to pack gear on a bike, how to ride with a fully loaded bike, what is the best way to deal with bicycle problems while on the Trace, etc. One point of interest is that the author provides an 1-800 number that can be called in the case of problems; interestingly the park service does a poor job of signage concerning this number.

The bottom line is that the book would help anyone comtemplating a tour of the Trace to get a better feel for what he or she can expect on the Trace.

The Battle of Gettysburg: A Guided Tour

Edward J. Stackpole, Wilbur Sturtevant Nye, Bradley M. Gottfried

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Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> Civil War -> Campaigns -> Gettysburg
Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> Civil War -> General

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

Editorial Review:

24 b/w photos 12 maps 5 x 8 A fully revised and updated classic Perfect for both tourists and armchair visitors Originally published in 1960, this guidebook combines the drama of the battle with complete information about each tour stop. Clear directions and knowledgeable commentary on the town of Gettysburg work in conjunction with the day-by-day narrative of the skirmishes and pitched fights that make up the Battle of Gettysburg. By including the order of battle, then and now photographs, concise battle maps, and a suggested reading list, this small but comprehensive introduction to Gettysburg will be invaluable to any Civil War buff, amateur and professional alike. General Edward J. Stackpole, the founder of Stackpole Books, wrote several classic texts on the Civil War. Colonel Wilbur S. Nye, graduate of West Point and noted cartographer, has produced numerous maps for Stackpole in years past. Bradley Gottfried is Dean of Academic Affairs at Montgomery County Community College and has had a life-long interest in the Civil War.

Maine's Most Scenic Roads (Traveler's Guides)

John Gibson

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

Driving Maine's Grandest Backroads 5 out of 5 stars.
38 of 39 people found this review helpful.

Unspoiled Maine is criss-crossed with pretty roads that traverse some of the handsomest scenery in the Northeast. This book directs the traveler to the best routes with full descriptions along the way. Nothing quite like it, and you'll never wind up on some congested superhighway! Recommended for those who like to explore off the beaten track.

Swimming Holes of California: Day Trips With a Splash

Pancho Doll

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

flawed 1 out of 5 stars.
11 of 15 people found this review helpful.

this book is riddled with flaws. the directions are misleading and dangerous. i have gotten lost on many of these excursions due to his poor trail descriptions. one will also be mislead by his money grubbing tactics. once you purchase the book you are lead to believe that you are allowed access to all of the holes in the book, but guess what? no. you have to join the serria club to get full access. lame, everyone knows the serria club is a cruel animal killing fratfest. i doubt this review will even stay up long enough to read because pancho is notorious for deleting these things the second they are written. i write this in the least slanderous way possible, but, he is in this for the money, not the love of swimmin. i recommend chris shaffer's book "the definitive guide to waterfalls of southern and central california" much better descriptions of waterfalls with swimmin holes with SAFE directions to and from.

Editorial Review:

A backcountry tip sheet on where to jump into more than 100 secluded waterfalls, remote two-person tubs, hidden pools throughout the Golden State. All of them are at least six feet deep. All are in creeks and rivers less than three hours from the trailhead. Each entry lists expectation of privacy along with a photo and topographic map with GPS waypoints. Icons indicate the best season to visit, the difficulty of approach, and the overall rating, whether fair, good, excellent or classic. Dog owners can tell at a glance if four-legged hikers are appropriate. Families with small children can easily determine if the journey is a good one for the little dippers.

Guide to the Natchez Trace Parkway

F. Lynne Bachleda

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Menasha Ridge Press Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $8.42

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

Editorial Review:

A unique journey through the heart of the Deep South, The Natchez Trace Parkway traverses 444 miles from Natchez, Mississippi, across the mighty Tennessee River in northwestern Alabama, to its northern terminus just shy of Nashville, Tennessee. For travelers planning a visit or already on the way, Guide to the Natchez Trace will help them discover all that the historic byway has to offer. From milepost to milepost, discover an ancient trail blazed hundreds of years ago by Native Americans that, in the early nineteenth century, became a trekking road for river boaters, who had sold their goods and vessels and were now headed back to central Tennessee and beyond.

Visitors can drive the entire length, sampling the hundreds of scenic areas, restaurants, inns, exhibits, recreation areas, and other sites along the way. Motorcyclists will want to cruise the entire length as well, but will especially savor the hundreds of miles of meandering road between Natchez and Tupelo. For an even more intimate experience, Guide to the Natchez Trace shows where to hike on over 60 miles of National Scenic Trail, where to camp, and gives tips on bicycling the parkway's scenic length.

Whether exploring a few miles or a few hundred miles, visitors will enjoy it most with the Guide to the Natchez Trace.