As others have noted, a well researched and well organized guide. There's now a competing publication endorsed by Stephen Ambrose, whose book "Undaunted Courage" sparked renewed national interest in Lewis and Clark. After browsing that one, published by Montana Magazine in a magazine format, I can report that 1) it has advertising, and 2) it omits details found in Julie Fanselow's book. Stick with Julie.

I do hope she has an updated edition in the works for the upcoming Lewis and Clark bicentennial. A few points of information need to be added or changed to keep pace with developments. For instance: starting in 2003, access to the Lolo Motorway, the L&C route from Montana to Idaho, will be by permit only.

A friend and I did the L&C trail last summer. We took this guide and some others. This was *by far* the best guide. We literally would not have been able to find some sites without it. We came to trust its advice so much that we consistently asked each other what "Julie" had to say about various parks, campsites, etc. I can't imagine doing the trail without this book.

After reading the reviews I went ahead and ordered the book, I look forward to its arrival because I am planning my honeymoon and would like to go visit some Lewis and Clark sites. I am hoping that this will help me plan.

I bought this for our father and wife to help them on their safari to Tanzania. They loved it! I recommend it highly!

My wife and I went on our first safari to Northern Tanzania National Parks with a very experienced leader (over 100 safaries). He recommended this book and that we keep a journal--something I have not done in 35 years. HE WAS RIGHT! We carried this book with us on every game drive and refered to it often. At camp we entered journal entries. These proved very valuable after our return to organize and present video and photos. This book has almost everything you want to look up. In addition the packing checklists were 100% right on for our experience.

If you take only one book on safari, I strongly recommend this one. If yhou can take more, I recommend Estes's Safari Companion and a good field guide with color pictures like the Audubon.

I just got back from Africa where I climbed Kilamanjaro and went on a safari. This book is an awesome way to organize ahead of time. On my trip I used the journal to organize my thoughts on the trip and to keep track of my film and what I had on each roll. If you are going on a safari in Africa this is a must. Take my word for it. I took 24 rolls of film on my trip and was able to keep track of all my info with this book. Enough said.

Now in a completely updated edition for 2001, Dave Hunter's Along Interstate-75 continues to be the most user friendly collection available for traveling up and down Interstate 75 from Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky, to Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. Of special value for the business traveler, the day-tripper, or the extended vacationer are Hunter's "Insider Tips", features, stories, and wealth of local information. Along Interstate-75 will save the traveler money, aggravation, and time, all while enhancing the fun and comfort of the their trip. Highly recommended!

Whether you're a regular traveler along Interstate-75 or use it once each year, Along I-75 is a must. We bought our first copy last year and were amazed. Each exit lists the fast-food places, gas, and local attactions. In Resaca, Georgia, we found out we were driving on top of a Civil War battlefield. In Atlanta, the easy-to-follow map made a difficult trip easy. And in Berea, Kentucky my wife found some great buys at a local craft shop.

The maps are laid out on a straight line making it easy to read even if you aren't good at reading maps. I loved the little stories Dave Hunter tells. For example, did you know that Dwight D. Eisenhower was responsible for the Interstate Highway System and concieved the idea in 1919?

The book is updated yearly, so I bought one as soon as the new edition came out. When we were traveling through Georgia last year the AAA book did not have the new exit numbers and we found it nearly impossible to cross-reference the old numbers to the new ones. Dave's book was invaluable--he had the new numbers. Well worth the purchase.

Also of interest in the book: local speed traps, elevation, county names, geologic features visible from the road, emergency information (you can find the nearest hospital quickly), much, much more.

A unique and accurate compilation of Highway services, Local history, Insider tips and "secret" escapes off the interstate make for an enjoyable and learning experience for travelling the I-75 to Florida. In it's 7th edition (I myself have all 7) of print the I-75 author Dave Hunter, has incorporated comments and suggestions from readers making it a completely unique drivers guide companion. This book has really found it's market niche!

Sun. July 11, SF Examiner-Chronicle, Linda Watanabe McFerrin,(travel editor)wrote: "This is the inaugural book in an ambitious new series covering the world's contemporary art and architecture. Innovative, intriguing and refreshingly intellectual, it provides well-researched, well-informed guidance to the museums, art and film centers, galleries, bookstores, public art and notable buildings in France. Details about recent exhibitions and artists further familiarize readers with the often mystifying world of the avant-garde. Serious students of contemporary art will find it a satisfyingly comprehensive guidebook."

Review published in Library Journal, April 15, 1999. "This new series, focusing on France is a 'unique travel guide and handbook on contemporary art and architecture.' Stich, an art historian and curator, has brought together under one cover a complete, user-friendly guide to the French art world. She provides detailed descriptions of galleries, museums, film and video centers, public artworks, art bookstores, sculpture parks, and even a parking garage, sites that are not mentioned in other guidebooks. The main focus of the book is Paris, but there are chapters on day trips and excursions to other French provinces. Each chapter is organized by neighorhood and region and contains a map with numbers and site icons that are easy to distinguish. Stich's knowledge of and joy in the art world is evident throughout the book; a great addition to any travel collection."

Review published by NY art critic Walter Robinson in ArtNet "News", April 9, 1999: "Art lovers en route to France this summer will want to pick up a copy of Art-SITES FRANCE by curator and avid art traveler Sidra Stich. The $19.95 paperback blurbs all the important museums, art centers, galleries and public art works, famous and little known."

Artful Italy is a wonderful book. I checked out Florence and Venice first because those are the cities that I really know. I was daring Artful Italy to come up with something I didn't know. And it did.. The Stibbert Museum which sounds like a delight I missed entirely. But the thing I really regret is not knowing about the Bomarzo Gardens, a bit of a trip from Florence; as a teen I was always after the odd, hidden statuary that you turned a corner and came suddenly upon.. Both sound like winners and make me eager to return to a place I thought I knew well.
Artful Italy's prose hits just the right tone, conversational without being condescending, funny without that guidebook jokiness that can be so off-putting. And it sometimes can take your breath away. When the 17th century architect , Borromini is compared to an origami master, suddenly we see again how Mannerist architects have turned stone into paper - to give just one example. And you have a nice discursive air that proves always to have a real point to it. The book is unique and a pleasure. It will make those who know Italy start looking for cheap air fares, and even those making a first trip to Italy will find the book valuable.

Even if one never travels to Italy, there'd be no harm in reading this book. It is well-written, entertaining, and loaded with fun and interesting facts. I disagree with the notion that this is a tour or travel guide; what it is in fact is a semi-scholarly appreciation of Italy off the beaten path. (It is meticulously researched and documented, to boot.)

Ann Brandon must be a kick at a cocktail party. Historical examples trip off her tongue and add just the right humor, import, and context for each bit of art appreciation. Reading this book is not a necessity for travel planning; the volume is a standalone orchestration of Ms. Brandon's love affair with Italy.

I have a few qualms with the book, but they are merely intellectual disagreements with some of its premises. First, I would not focus so much on art, but on the whole invisible lifestyle of the Italians, the life that "turisti" probably never see. I would also go beyond visual arts, and talk about music, as well as the culinary and design arts. Even in the visual arts there is so much architecture that one could find off the main trails. But Brandon promises more books in this vein, and will no doubt address these topics.

Second, I do not feel that the Parco dei Mostri qualifies as a hidden treasure. I consider it an excellent yet run-of-the-mill tourist attraction. A lot of people go there.

Finally, I disagree with the glowing assessment that Vasari's "Lives of the Artists." I have always considered this book at best uneven. It apparently draws its inspiration from Diogenes Laertius' "Lives of the Philosophers," which suffers from a similar spottiness in insight and accuracy. If I had to recommend a book that does what Brandon purports Vasari's does, it would be Burkhardt's "Civilization of the Renaissance."

All these quibbles aside, anyone who wants to learn about Italy should buy and read this book. It does not disappoint. I learned so much from this book, and it was if Ann Brandon was telling me what I learned in a personal conversation. So warm is her style of writing that it just makes for a quick and delightful read!

This book is for all visitors to Italy-even the jaded few who feel they have seen it all. Ann Brandon has covered
so much art that most of us have neither seen nor heard of. I was totally captivated by just reading the book, Ms. Brandon has great writing style and wonderful detail covering all of the pieces. What I found most exciting was visiting sites that I hadnt been to before-expanding upon the content. This book isnt just about museums!!-

This book is an excellent tribute to tiki history and lore--written by an man who is obviously passionate about his subject--all the while being amusing and charming. You may not be able to visit the bars, but his vivid and detailed descriptions make it almost as good.

My only real gripe is the small, black and white photos inside--no colour used to depict the vibrant and lush world that is tiki--faux or otherwise. also, I hoped that I would be able to use this book as a guide for some inspired tropical travels--but, alas! there aren't very many good bars in the heartlands.

one amusing plus--
James Teitelbaum leaves few stones unturned.
in a bleak winter, while driving through Iowa, I observed a fabulous sign for the "Tiki-Truck Stop". we were too tired to be tempted to stop, but my heart is now at peace knowing there is a full report in this book.

if you're already into tiki-lore, this book's glossaries and recipes will probably not be anything new. I advise looking at a copy first and seeing if there are any tiki locals near your area before making a purchase. unless you are happy to know there are fabulous tiki bars in california and scant ones in michigan.

I got a chance to meet the author, and he is awesome. The book is fantastic, and details every, good and bad, tiki location around the country. You gotta get this book.

Jump on your Vespa and click on the 'buy' button, daddy-o! This one's a must-have for the chronically chic!

I bought the book as a gift for a cycling fan who has followed the Tour since the 1930s and while he was thrilled with the beautiful images and details, some critical years have been over looked. There is absolutely no coverage for the years 1935-1939 and the Maes brothers. Other riders and stories are missing as well. The book is good but maybe there are too many large pictures and too little text. If you're new to the Tour de France, it's a good starting point, but if you know the history of la Grande Boucle -- you'll find more meat elsewhere.

This book has wonderful old pictures of the tour plus a year by year history of the event. A "must have" for bicycle fans.

Every saga has a Beginning...Like the Tour de France. I think that only this book need more details about the other champions like Pedro Delgado, Laurent Fignon, Stephen Roche, Felice Gimondi,Marco Pantani, Jan Ullrich, Denmark Riss, same as the others super champions with more tour victories, because any rider that won the tour...All of they..are monsters and then, they have the honor that the world know the name of them. Congratulations to James Startt for this excelent book of the Tour de France History. Zomar.

For anybody who wants to know more about the history of places they want to see in England, this is the guide book for them. I learned alot of interesting things and had alot of fun reading this book. I like the authors' style very much. They make the history easy to read and understand.

I've never known a lot about medieval and Tudor history, but a friend gave this book to me to help me plan a trip to England. Now I can't wait to see the places described in the book. These authors have a fan in me.

Anyone who has ever been to London knows all the basics--The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace--but this book takes you off the beaten path to some of the lesser known but still exciting places to vivist in London. The quirky stories behind the places are great, and I really appreciated all of the useful information, like hours of operation and admission costs. I can't wait for my next trip to London so I can use this fantastic guide some more!

Golf novels usually fall into two categories, either sharp-tongued humor fests featuring wacky characters and wackier situations, or smalzy, mystical quests seeking to provide salvation through golf. Fortunately, The Big Tour is something different - the first gol noir novel, a cocaine fueled lightening jag into the heart of one man's darkness. By never letting his characters take the easy way out, and by forcing them to experience the consequences of their actions, author Upton's writing drags us over a crude eighteen hole course in a foursome with Jim Thompson, David Geddis, and James M. Cain. Don't expect sportsmanship and Rockyesque endings here, but hold on for a wild ride through the rough where you bet with you life and and every club shaft in your bag is a serpent in disguise

Unlike so many books with golf themes, this one doesn't get bogged down in mystical bunk about finding the golfer within or caddies with supernatural powers. It's a gripping (sorry, no golf pun intended), straight-ahead story about a kid from Long Island who makes it to the big time, with a lot of serious obstacles thrown in his way. Funny, full of drama, and -- I'll bet -- very close to the way things really operate on Tour. If you need a gift for the "real" golfer on your list, this is the one!

Unlike so many books with golf themes, this one doesn't get bogged down in mystical bunk about finding the golfer within or caddies with supernatural powers. It's a gripping (sorry, no golf pun intended), straight-ahead story about a kid from Long Island who makes it to the big time, with a lot of serious obstacles thrown in his way. Funny, full of drama, and -- I'll bet -- very close to the way things really operate on Tour. If you need a gift for the "real" golfer on your list, this is the one!

When I look back at the multitude of menial jobs I've worked in my life, I see that I could easily write a book about them, but Ms. Shear has beaten me to the punch! If I didn't know better, I would think I had written this book!She, like me, has worked a variety of jobs that run the gamut. If you've just up and quit your job, read this book. If you're shlepping away at a menial ball-and-chain, read this book. If you're floating from one occupation to another in the hope of finding the perfect career, read this book. If you've been working at the same company for 20 years and have no intention of ever leaving, read this book. If you're a CEO pulling in a six-digit salary, read this book. If you're independently wealthy and don't have to work, read this book.Regardless of which of the above statements applies to you, you will come away a more enriched person for having read BSTL.

As Ms. Shear says, "Everyone has a story that would stop... your... heart." I caught her show late late one evening on NPR as I was getting ready to do another speech to hopefully inspire some young people to leave Job Corps and do good with their life - I was burnt out and uninspired myself and just listening to what she had to say - nevermind watching her magnificent presence on the small screen - brought me back up. It took me years to find this book in a library; and I'm glad to be able to buy another copy - maybe another 10 copies to give to people I know need it. Anyone who has ever felt beat down by their work and their lives melded into an amazing wash of effort to keep one nostril above the waves; anyone who has ever felt walked on by the world will be inspired by this wonderful woman's story.

Blown Sideways Through chronicles Claudia Shear's search for the true job, and the 64 jobs she had to enjoy/endure so far) before she she found the job (or career) that was right for her. Brunch chef at Fire Island, nude model,proofreader, receptionist at an brothel; Shear always spins a good story, and amuses us with life's wierdness. This is also a truthful look at the life many of us live. We have jobs, not careers, working where we can to make the money we need to live our lives. Shear makes no apology for the meandering work path she has chosen. There is dignity and humor in her retelling of seemingly menial jobs (some of them were pretty horrid). I think her rant of the observed rudeness of a donut store patron, and the pevelent attitude of "looking down" on service industry people is a must read for every person. Funny, insightful and honest, this is a book that deserves a reprint.