The layout of this "First Biographies" series is suitable for children in first to third grade, or for people just learning to read. The information presented on Franklin (and the other famous historical Americans) is fairly slim, but that's to be expected in book for first-timers. The information is simple and accurate, and easy to understand for those new students.

Finally, a complete, comphrensive FIELD guide to the birds of India! Gone are the days of hauling 2 or 3 hardcover bird books to the subcontinent just to be able to identify relatively common species. The drawings in this book are excellent, the descriptions very detailed, and the range maps very helpful. My two criticisms are that birders familiar with the common names in Salim Ali's "The Book of Indian Birds" will be confused with the revised nomenclature in this guide (based on the Inskipp's Indian Checklist); some changes are relatively minor, while others are so dramatically different (and frankly puzzling) that cross-referencing is a chore. The second involves the seperation of many of the range maps from the plates and descriptions, sometimes by many pages. This was due to the large number of species featured on some plates- there just wasn't enough room for the maps also. A better strategy might have been to put them all in the back of the book. But the benefits of this book far outweigh the shortcomings- my next trip to India promises to be more rewarding and productive bird-wise (as well as easier on my back)due to this excellent and overdue field guide.

Knowing only of the name "Marcus Garvey," I set about reading this book to get a better understanding of Garvey's beliefs and perceptions on race relations in the 1920's and 1930's. This book fit the billing, with an honest account of the victories, defeats, embarassments, and lasting effects of Marcus Garvey's legacy. Unforunately, Marcus Garvey was never spoken of in my high school or college history courses. This book provides a great starting point for understanding the conditions in 1920's America, which allowed Marcus Garvey to gather such a large and faithful following.

This is a great reference for anyone studying the New Testament. It contains various "charts" organized by 18 different subjects such as, Chronology, Jewish Cultural and Literary Background, Roman Administration, The Four Gospels, The Teachings of Jesus, Word Counts, Doctrine and Practice, The Apostolic Era, and many others. The charts come in many styles, ranging from bar graphs, to maps, to lists of scriptures. My only complaint is that some of the charts containing a lesser amount of information are stretched to one page, often by using an unusually large font. This detracts from the ascetics of the book, but the content is still excellent, nonetheless.

In this work, Griffin provides an excellent and brief summary of the major issues debated by historians surrounding antebellum reform. The first third of the book is spent in an insightful discussion surrounding the nature and definition of reform. He explores some of the problems encountered when historians portray reformers as the reformers portrayed themselves. Ultimately he suggests that reform be analyzed as a part of human nature and not be limited to the study of particular groups. The middle third of this work discusses the varieties of reform. Griffin examines the methods and goals of the reformers. While finding some common ground in their ultimate goals, Griffin concludes that no single theme emerges from the study of antebellum reform. Variety and diversity are its nature. Griffin concludes his work by exploring the successes and failures of reform. Accusing historians of finding in antebellum reform what they wanted to find, Griffin declares that true understanding of the reformers will be gained only if we do not care how well the reformers served their subjects and the nation. While this work is now outdated, Griffin's insights remain valuable. His calls for more synthesis in this field have, for the most part, gone unheeded. In a field of with little historiography, I recommend this book as an excellent introduction to the historical scholarship (through 1967) of antebellum reform.

Hine Sight is a collection of Darlene Clark Hine's essays on black women's history. She is one of the most prominent historians in the field and has helped to define it, which makes the reading of this book all the more interesting. The essays printed here have already been printed numerous times in other journals and anthologies, a testimony to their (and her) importance to the field. It is a wonderful introduction to black women's history, with both theoretical and historical articles included. Because it is a collection of articles, it becomes slightly repetitious - so for an advanced student of black women's history, I would recommend a look at one of Hine's monographs.

This book was really well done. It really helped me with a report I was doing on James Weldon Johnson. I learned a lot that I didn't know before, I'm really glad I read it, I'm just sorry it is unavailable. Lanky

A fascinating account of the two years spent at and around Pt. Barrow, Alaska by the Royal Navy captain and crew of the HMS Plover. Tasked to mount a search from the west for the survivors of the ill-fated Franklin expedition, the Plover overwintered at Pt. Barrow for two consecutive years. In so doing, Maguire and his crew became the first Europeans to reside among the approximately 900 Inupiat Eskimos who then inhabited three villages along an eight-mile stretch of the coastline in this remote northwest corner of Alaska. Maguire's journal seems to be an honest account of his relationships with the Eskimos, which vacillated between strained distance and close friendships. It seems that the relationship at any given moment largely depended on the Eskimos' practice of stealing valuable items from the Plover. For instance, while frozen in the ice for the winter the Plover's sails went missing from the vessel's nearby storage shack. Maguire had to threaten force (using the ship's cannon) to secure the return of the canvas, which was in the process of being cut up in the village. On the other hand, Maguire represented the enlightened and educated leadership found in the British navy, and his fair treatment of the Inupiats was remembered among them as long as 35 years after his departure.

This book was a very interesting true story of several British naval officers and their guides who travelled from Hudson Bay into the interior of Canada and up the Coppermine River to the northern coast of the North America. This expedition took several years. As their journey progressed so did the sufferings they endured. Several members of the group died of starvation and other causes. One was murdered and his killer was shot. It was incredible that anyone survived.

Anyone interested in the Arctic exploration and early Native Americans will enjoy this book. The author, Sir John Franklin, was a fearless explorer who died on a subsequent Arctic mission. He descibes his meetings with the traders and local inhabitants in great detail. He relied in large part on local Native Americans as guides and hunters. It was his intention to meet with the Eskimo people, who avoided all contact with his group. The Native Americans refused to accompany the group all the way north due to their fear of the Eskimos. I highly recommend this book.

Being a lover of all things Roosevelt, I was thrilled to discover that not only is FDR's Top Cottage in Hyde Park open to the public, but that there is now even a book on this fascinating structure. FDR built Top Cottage as an answer to Eleanor's Val-Kill cottage, as a hideaway from the craziness of his mother's "big house" and as a place to retire. Sara Roosevelt was very opposed to this project and is rumored to have made FDR promise he would never spend the night there as long as she was alive. He apparently honored this commitment and never slept there overnight, even though she predeceased him by three years.

This house is fascinating for several reasons. First, it was designed by Roosevelt himself, with some help from architect Henry Toombs. This is perhaps the first house designed by a president since Jefferson's Poplar Forrest. It also has a barrier-free design for a wheelchair bound inividual--something unheard of in the 1930's. And with the exception of the Little White House is Warm Springs, Georgia, it was entirely his to decorate as he saw fit. Mother and wife had no influence here. FDR was able to use Top Cottage to escape, to entertain friends, and to even host royal dignitaries and important guests. Unfortunately, we know that he never lived out his dream to retire there.

When I ordered this book, based on the price and the description, I expected something of a coffee table-type book. In this regard, it is less than I expected. When the house was purchased in 1997 and before restoration took place, a "historic structure report" was completed. This report is the basis for the book. There are many photographs and drawings, although many are just variations on floor plans. All the photos are black and white. There are several interior pictures from the FDR years, but not nearly enough. One chapter details every room--walls, ceilings, baseboards, appliances, etc. Another lists everything that needed to be done to each and every room. This doesn't exactly make for riveting reading. The few interior pictures after the restoration show only empty rooms, and the reader is left wondering whether the cottage has been furnished or not.

Still, there is much information to be gleamed from this book for readers who are fascinated by the Roosevelt's. The story of the planning and construction of this dwelling is very informative, as well as how the cottage was used once constructed. This book also details the history of the cottage from the time of FDR's death until it was purchased for historic purposes in 1997. The author also goes into great depth about all the work that had to be done to restore the cottage to vintage FDR. While any Roosevelt fan will enjoy this book, it is a little rough going for a novice. Also, I thought the ... price tag a little steep. So while I did enjoy the book for what it was, it ended up being not quite what I expected.