After reading Allan Eckert's books on the frontier, I was pleased to find he also wrote a book about the passenger pigeon, a subject that has always fascinated me as a history teacher and an environmentalist. I read The Silent Sky and was deeply moved. So moved in fact that I was almost ashamed to be human. The greed and outright murderous lust thousands of Americans had for such an easy prey as the passenger pigeon was shameful and hard to comprehend. Unfortunately, the passenger pigeons were so timid, easy to hunt and numerous that they were incredibly easy pickings for the pioneers of the 19th century who unbelievably decimated a species that at one time numbered in the tens of billions. Eckert is an awesome writer and really hits you in the gut with such a touching story that you feel fascination, anger, guilt (for being human) and sorrow at the same time. In what I have learned from this incredible book, it really is a silent sky out there today compared to just over a century ago. Anyone with an interest in American History and the environment just has to read this book. Eckert, as a writer and researcher is truly gifted.

What can i say about this book, it was beyond captivating it was the best story i have ever read. Anyone who cares about nature or wildlife or both need to read this book. The way Eckert puts the plight of the passenger pigeon into words is wonderfull. He makes you believe you are one of the now extinct birds flying among one billion soaring a thousand feet in the air looking for your next meal, feeling your strong wings glide through the air and most of all feel the pain of being alone. In an extremely short period of time man wiped the passenger pigeon off the face of the earth. It gave me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach to realize that man is capable of destroying such a beautiful bird....hundreds of millions of them...untill they were gone forever. GET THIS BOOK EVEN IF YOU DONT LIKE STORIES ABOUT NATURE..IT WILL TOUCH YOUR SOUL

The Silent Sky is a tale of the horrible and total slaughter of an entire species. I was captivated by the novel. In fact, I couldn't stop talking about it, and my friends all wondered what could be so interesting about a story about birds. Believe me, it is facinating... just read it.

I had to read this book as a school assignment (I'm in 7thgrade), and enjoyed it immensely! Mr. Eckert presented the nature ina clear, understandable way without twisting the facts. The story flows well from one animal to the next. Wild Season is definitely one of the best books I've read. I'd recommend it to anyone!

I read this book many years ago and have read it every Spring since. It never gets stagnant. It moves along with a flow that could be compared to Nature. I recommend that anyone with the least bit of interest in nature and wildlife, should read this book.It will remain in your memories for a long time to come.

I read this book as a youngster, and have reread it several times since. I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to explore a world that most don't take the time to notice. The author is most descriptive in explaining the how and why of all that happens in a very interesting ecosystem.

This is another of Allan W. Eckert's Winning of America series. This installment deals with the bloody Indian uprising in 1763 attributed to the Ottawa chief Pontiac in the days following the fall of New France to the British during the French and Indian War. In actuality, Pontiac was not so much the leader as the initial inspiration for a frontier-wide attempt by the Great Lakes Indians to rise up and overthrow their British conquerors and restore their French allies to control of the lands west of the Alleghenies.

The uprising was a result of agressive and arrogant British policies toward the Indians, whom the British commander-in-chief Jeffery Amherst viewed as a dangerous and barbaric race that deserved to be exterminated. Against the advice of his advisors and officers, Amherst had instituted a blatant anti-Indian policy forbidding the sale of arms and ammunition to the western tribes which had the effect of effectively starving them out as they could no longer hunt and provide for themselves, a direct result of the near-total dependence of the tribes on European trade goods. When the British assumed control of the former French forts and settlements in the Northwest, the stage was set for a terrible confrontation.

Pontiac's uprising was one of the largest and nearly successful Indian rebellions in North American history, with the Indians for a time controlling nearly all the forts in the Northwest territory and laying seige to Fort Detroit and Fort Pitt. It was only with Colonel Henry Bouquet's victory at Bushy Run and the subsequent march of Bouquet and Bradstreet's armies into the Ohio country that finally quelled the bloodshed. The failure of the rebellion ultimately showed that the British were there to stay and that not only was the power of the French in America smashed forever, but that the symbiotic relationship between the whites and the native tribes was coming to an end, and with it the Indians way of life.

Eckert brings the story alive with great historical characters like Pontiac, George Croghan, Alexander Henry, Robert Rogers, John Bradstreet, and Henry Bouquet and depicts the important events that helped shape the early western frontier that would one day become the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. Highly recommended.

Since a co-worker introduced me to Eckert's 'Narratives' series, I don't find time for much else. I finished Wilderness Empire, the Conquerer and am now into The Frontiersman. This has not only been a great learning experience, but an absolutely fascinating account of the American Indians, French, English, and early American colonists and the conflicts involved in the taking of America. Historic characters such as George Washington, Daniel Boone and Chiefs Pontiac and Tecumsah, come to life in a narrative that makes you feel that you are there. Eckert is a master of presenting an objective viewpoint of history - as opposed to presenting history in the viewpoint of the victors, usually the norm.

Thank you Mr. Eckert for taking the BOREDOM out of history. The graphic (and realistic) details of the struggle on the frontier captured my attention from start to finish. I can't wait to move on to the next in the series.

I first encountered this book about 15 years ago. After much searching in the past 5 I was overjoyed at it's re-release. The book is a wistful journey, fraught with the type of characters which abound in the Chronicles of Narnia, but without as many religious undertones. The creatures created by Eckert are reminiscent of the fantasy epics "Labyrinth" and "The Never Ending Story." The book is as fantastical now as it was waaaaaay back in grade school. My only regret is that it took so long to be re-published.

This book was wonderful! It is the story of the twins Lara and Barnaby and their cousin William (I think that's what his name was, I haven't read the book for a while) who go into the world of Mesmeria one day by following an owl through the Everglades, only to find that they're destined to save this land.This book is an incredible fantasy (take it from a fanatic bookworm) that I completely loved, and the sequel "The Wand: Return to Mesmeria" is just as good...

This is the greatest book I have ever read...in other words, my most favorite of all books! It has absolutely everything I dream of in a fantasy novel: an entrance to another world; fantastic and outer-worldly creatures, characters and obstacles; an imaginative and original plot combining the elements of fantasy, fiction, adventure, mystery and suspense; and an almost perfect combination of surrealistic lands and characters. Even though this is the only book of Allan's that I have read, I believe that this is the most different from his others. No other novel I have read let me enter such an incredible world as this one or make my own imagination stronger than it had ever been before! To summarize this enchanted adventure, the two main adventurers-Laura and Barnaby-set off to a secret spot (known by their cousin and the third adventurer, William) in the Florida Everglades. As their small motorboat ventures further in, William's secret owl reveals a hidden passage trhough the side of the walls of the cavernous secret spot, just large enough for the boat. As they make their way through the dark green tunnel, a whole other world is discovered through these three children and an incredible adventure is about to begin! There is only one problem...Laura and Barnaby are twin brother and sister...and in this new world, twins are forbidden

Herman W. Mudgett, better known as Harry H. Holmes, was a true American monster---swindler, thief, and serial killer. Nobody knows how many people he killed at his "Murder Mansion"---a house constructed specifically to make murder easier to get away with---in then-suburban Englewood, Illinois (now part of Chicago). He killed for pleasure, for insurance money, and to avoid paying people money he owed them.

Robert Bloch tried to do justice to Mudgett in _American Gothic,_ but this book is far closer to the known facts of the case, and I cannot understand why it isn't better-known. I'm delighted to see that it's finally back in print.

I read this book when it first was published in 1985. Though many years have passed, my memory of the story remains vivid. I still wonder why historians do not mention this man more often when discussing serial murderers. Herman Mudget obviously was clever, as the reader soon learns, and no matter the number of people killed, he always should be mentioned in the same breath as Jack the Ripper and other well known serial murderers. Mr. Eckert has done outstanding research into the life of Herman Mudget, and his diabolical schemes to commit murder. Though serial murders are not to be praised in history, their exploits are part of history, and any study of them should be closely reviewed as a lesson from which we can learn, and Mr. Eckert's effort is among the best. Athough I still have my original copy, I am pleased to learn that this book is back in print so readers who have not yet had the opportunity to read this story now will be able to do so.

There are some very sick people in the world and Mudgett was the worst. This man gave me the creeps. What is really hard to beleive is that this is a true story. Mudgett was the fist Serial Killer and to this day they do not know how many people he killed. The story is written almost as a mystery but you are aware of what is to be found.

This is the last book in Allan Eckert's Winning of America Series. "Twilight of Empire" chronicles the little-known but bloody Indian uprising in western Illinois in 1832 that became known as Black Hawk's War.

The war was named after the leader of the uprising, an old battle-hardened Sauk war chief named Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak...Black Hawk. In the years following the War of 1812, white settlers flooded into Sauk and Fox lands and the native tribes were forced into signing treaties that gave up their ancestral lands to the United States. In the spring of 1832, Black Hawk, in defiance of the United States and some of his own tribal leaders, led a large band of his starving people back across the Mississippi into northern Illinois to reclaim their stolen lands. This large movement of Indians was seen as hostile by the local white settlers and the militia was called out to subdue Black Hawk's band. The fatefull encounter at what would become the Battle of Stillman's Run would start off what would be the last major Indian war of the midwest. In the end, Black Hawk and his people would be decimated by pursuing American troops under General Atkinson at the Battle of Bad Axe, where hundreds of Indian women and children were shot or drowned while trying to escape back across the Mississippi River. This sad event marked the end of Indian wars east of the Mississippi and signaled the end of the way of life for the woodland Indians.

This story is deeply moving and involved and tells the history of a people and events not generally known today. Highly recommended.

Not only is Twilight of Empire a great book, but the whole winning of america series are, without a doubt, the best stories ever told. I would recommend them to anyone, even those not very interested in history. You have got to read these!

ALLAN ECKERT GOT ME FOREVER HOOKED ON THE FASINATING HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK AND THE BLACK HAWK WAR. HIS STORY TELLING STYLE AND ACCURATE ACCOUNTS OF THIS IMPORTANT PART OF THIS AREAS HISTORY MAKES IT A MUST READ.

One of a fantastic series of 4 chuck full of informational volumes dedicated to a particular geographic area. A must for any rock hound weather you travel or just live in the geographic area of the volume. If you can afford it, get all 4 regional volumes. Start with your area. The location information brake down of the minerals to be found in each state counties is so valuable you can't do with out it. Saves time, eliminate barren hunting grounds and it's so detailed as to where and how you find the minerals. This is just one of a fact full accurate guide series you'll want to have in your rock library. Don't settle for an older printing, this one is reprinted and has been updated.

This book looks like it's going to be a GREAT asset in my mineral hunting! I like the way it's set up, by state and then by county within the state. It lists the various sites, tells what has been found at each site and (by a code explained in the front of the book) where in each site the minerals were (in a field, in a mine, in the water, etc.). There are directions of varying degrees to each site. That's the one thing I'd quibble about -- some of the directions aren't that precise. But I understand that some of these sites are private lands, or not completely documented, and he can't come out and say, "Go fifty feet past the blue house, down a ravine, and to your left." In general, the directions seem good enough to get you close, and after that it's up to you.

He lists the rocks and minerals found at each site and gives some information about the quality at most places, including size of crystals found, color (and quality of color), and so on.

My only regret? I don't know if I'll have time to visit each site he has listed! So many rocks, so little time........

This book is truly a masterful work of adventure, terror, triumph, and travel. I have been reading this story to my classes of pre-teens for years and they all have begged me to continue when read aloud time is over. This story drops adolescence on it's wild behind smack dab in the middle of the savage and beautiful rainforest. I would highly suggest this read for any 5th to 8th grade student of yours.

This fascinating book is a great favorite with three generations of my family. The story takes you into the Amazon rainforest with Sarah, a young teen, as she navigates the huge rainforest alone after she is separated from her naturalist father and their group. It is easy to get lost in the rainforest, and she does, but she keeps her head and remembers her father's teachings and manages to survive, find shelter and food, and keep from getting injured. The reader shares her thoughts as she worries about all these important matters and shares in the wonder of her experiences in the rainforest. She meets a native boy named Juma who helps her learn even more while they slowly learn each other's language. This book is filled with real,dependable information from a great nature writer. As you enjoy the well-written story you learn much about the rainforest that you ordinarily could not learn unless you actually went there. This is a very rare experience in reading! I highly recommend it.

This is one of the best books I have ever read! I highly recommend it to everyone. This book kept me spellbound. If you had trouble getting interested in history before, you won't while you are reading this. Why can't they teach history like this in school?

Allan Eckert spent 7 years researching this book. It is a true story of history. He tells the truth about the frontier as it was for real people. I am so glad a friend recommended this book to me. I plan to re-read this book and check out some of Eckert's other books.

I love this book! Eckert's classic tale of Simon Kenton and settlement of the Ohio Valley is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the United States. This book was recommended to me after reading Eckert's "Dark and Bloody River". It is exciting, highly engaging, and historically detailed. The notes at the end of the book are a novel by themselves. The story of Kenton, Boone, and the Kentucky settlers is truly amazing. It has often been said that this should be required reading in high school and I can't help but agree. Eckert's books take place in a time and place nearly forgotten by modern Americans. Children raised on the old "Cowboys and Indians" westerns never learn that there was a whole other "West" on the Eastern frontier and the Northwest Territory. I grew up in Ohio, and I never learned about many of the events that happened in my own back yeard until I began reading Eckert! Many people are surprised to learn that there were a number of very bloody and significant battles during the Revolutionary War west of the Appalaichans, right here in Ohio in fact. A whole chapter of our history is being forgotten, but luckily, Eckert's books help to prevent that.

I last read this book two years ago and plan to read it again soon. I honestly could not put it down! It is a true story of Simon Kenton who as a teenager became one of the bravest and most skilled frontiersmen of the late 1700s. He became a friend of Daniel Boone and in fact saved his life in a daring rescue at Boonsboro. The book includes many detailed facts gathered from diaries, memoirs, historical records and many other sources and each is carefully footnoted. Many references are made to geographical locations of events so that you can actually drive up to the place where these historical events occurred. It is history turned into a novel and is very enjoyable reading.

One of the earlier reviewers made the statement that "Nobody who has read this book seems to be able to forget it." (or words to that effect). How true. I've been an avid reader for over 45 years and of the literally thousands of books I've read in my lifetime, this is one of the few that I have never shelved memory-wise. I remember it today as if it hasn't been over 20 years since I read it! One must read it and give little thought to the love interest plots within -- the main purpose of the book was to espouse theories regarding the earth and explains the unexplainable. Those who wonder about the many inconsistencies that modern man has discovered about our earth will know what I mean. Eckert produces enough pure thought provoking, tantalizing facts about earth's history (and possible future?) -- (facts that throughout time man seems desperate to sweep under the carpet) -- within this book that anyone with any sort of curiousity can't possibly forget what he/she reads. If you can get a copy, DO SO! Months ago, on my personal page at my website, I listed this book as one of my ALL TIME favorites (we're talking for the last 45 years here). It is gratifying to know that I'm not the only one who still remembers this work as being unforgettable due to its plethora of fascinating earth-linked mysteries, explanations and theories.

I first read The HAB Theory in 1977 at the age of 12. After about nine years of searching in vain, I finally found an out-of-print copy for sale on the Internet late in 2000 (this was prior to the novel's reprinting). My mission was to decide whether my favorite book could captivate me as an adult in the same way it did as a child. I was definitely not disappointed!

Not only are the characters depicted in fascinatingly vivid detail, the scientific theories presented still seem plausible to me a full 23 years after my first reading. Eckert slowly weaves the reader into a web of intriguing premises that are all eventually tied into a neat little apocalyptic bow. As key characters begin to accept the possibility of a cataclysmic earth event, so too does the reader. Most of the questions the skeptic in me privately asked throughout the novel were answered in great detail later on.

Some of the material is dated - cell phones or the Internet had not yet been invented at the time of the HAB Theory's writing - but what science fiction novel that takes place in the near future (15-20 years) can foresee every innovation? More to the point, the author's primary concern is with the past, not futuristic devices not central to the storyline.

While it is likely a scientist could refute most of Herbert Allen Boardman's postulates, one cannot help but wonder if there is perhaps a grain of truth to his overall theory. How would our current president handle a similar situation? I, for one, do not wish to find out.

Last winter my daughter phoned me and said,"Mom, you are a member of a cult, the HAB theory cult." She gave me a Web address, I went to the Internet,and read all the pages. I had purchased my first copy of The HAB Theory in 1977, in Singapore, (I lived there from 1975 to 1982). I read the book 3 times in the first month and the 3rd time through I listed all of the historic references (for further reading). I now own three copies of the book- the U.K. edition, pubished by Sphere, I lend to friends - a U.S. paperback is for my own use, and a "like-new" hardback is the only book in my bank vault. I have always been a science buff and this book answered so many "unexplainables". I recommend this book to everyone, it changed my thinking and it may change yours.