The John Day River is one of the hidden gems of the northwest. Located in the desert canyonlands of Oregon, northeast of Bend, it offers boaters multiple trip options, including an 85 mile stretch uninterrupted by roads or bridges, which makes an exquisite 4-6 day canoe, kayak, raft or driftboat trip.

Art Campbell's drift and historical guide is the comprehensive John Day guide. It provides detailed maps and descriptions of every section of the river - but also a fascinating account of the history of the region, along with historical anecdotes for each stretch of the river. The region was briefly populated by ranching communities 100 years ago, but has returned to primarily a state of wilderness, with a small amount of ranching remaining. As you drift past side-canyons, it's fascinating to read that rustlers were captured at this spot, that this is where a ranchhand accidentally drowned a child while playing with her in the river, or that here is where a man lost everything gambling, including his clothes, and had to ride home wearing only his long-johns.

The only drawback to the book is that it hasn't been updated recently. A few landmarks have changed, and, as rivers do, some rapids have changed slightly. Still, the changes are minor enough that the boater who trusts the guide will not go wrong (as of 1999 anyway).

The John Day is seasonal, depending on snowmelt from Oregon's Ochoco and Blue Mountains. The prime boating season is June. Later in the season the water level may be too low. The ideal flow level for canoes is between 800 and 2000 cfs. The river is uncontrolled by dams, and flow level may fluctuate significantly, revealing or obscuring some obstacles. Don't go without Art Campbell's guide! It's worth far more than it costs.

When I was a child, the luster had not quite left the Kennedy administration as a historical era and this book was believed to be the definative history on the subject. While Camelot continues to maintain some of its swankness as soap opera (as indicated by the success of the Jackie Kennedy dress collection museum exhibit), no one with a brain can read this book without laughing.

Schlesinger was Kennedy's historian in residence and his job was to one day produce the official record of the administration. This he did with all the flair of the Vice President of a local Elk's chapter delivering the annual financial report. It is pretty amazing that anyone would or could read this book in which nearly every act is conceived from some sort of high minded purpose. This may be a staple on the television show "The West Wing," but that is not the way things work in real life. Does every aspect of the New Frontier really require the level of attention that Schlesinger provides. Do we really need lengthy chapters on "The Alliance for Progess," a failed initiative? I do not think so.

Schlesinger clearly is too close to his subject to render an unbiased historical account of these events. I cannot understand why this book is still in print. Perhaps photogenic pictures of JFK will continue to push sales forward. However charismatic Kennedy may have been it is never a good idea to judge a book by its cover.

Before I type anything else, I will dispense with the obvious: this book is so pro- Kennedy that it makes people angry. The author hero worshipped the Kennedys, a fact that is not well hidden in any of his books. He also does quite a bit of name dropping, and he overplays his own importance in key events. No one denies this. In some of the reviews of this book, one can almost feel the flecks of spit coming from the mouths of the reviewer. I mean no offense with that remark, but I find it humorous that people can get so worked up about the Camelot myth.
Despite the bias, A Thousand Days is a valuable insight into the Kennedy administration. As one critic said: "the president walks through the pages, from first to last, alert, alive, amused and amusing." The way the members of the administration come alive in this book has been unequaled in any other book on the Kennedys. On top of that, it is incredibly well written, and very detailed. It is not the only book one should read on the Kennedys, but it should not be overlooked either.

This book has won a Pullitzer and National Book Award for good reason. Unlike most political biographers, Schlesinger provides a detailed and interesting analysis of his subject's policy decisions. We don't get a detailed accounting of what Kennedy has for breakfast, but we do get an understanding of Kennedy's decision making process and how it related to the numerous issues with which he was confronted.

Many of the customer reviewers criticized Schlesinger for his bias in Thousand Days. It is true that nothing that Kennedy does in Thousand Days is wrong, and nothing that Eisenhower did was right. In the 1030 pages of Thousand Days, the reader is hardpressed to find a single critical comment about Kennedy. There are certainly plenty of excuses, as well as repetitive references to the "seeds" of legislative programs sown by Kennedy that would inevitably (as implied by Schlesinger) revolutionized the US. However, Schlesinger did not attempt to hide this bias -- he was obviously star struck by the Kennedys and did not purport to give the Republican perspective on the Kennedy administration. In essence, the "bias" is so obvious it is easy to single it out and focus on what Schlesinger has to offer -- a studied and very inspiring first hand account of a presidential term from one of this country's leading historians.

I have read several dozen presidential biographies and can say that none have provided so much insight into presidential decision making. In a word, this book is "dense", full of ideas, theories and speculation about the workings of the executive branch when confronted with some of the greatest challenges of our time -- including the cold war, the Cuban missile crises, Bay of Pigs, civil rights and Vietnam. What's more, it was an absorbing and thought provoking read. A little more critical analysis of Kennedy may have been more illuminating, but this type of analysis may well have robbed Thousand Days of the passion that makes it so interesting and inspiring. Kennedy, after all, was an interesting and inspiring president. Perhaps the most effective way to portray the man, therefore, is with a biography that is interesting and inspiring.