While some historians portray Bonneville as an arrogant, contemptuous, bumbling buffoon of the fur trade era, others also denounce the manner in which Irving attempts to place Bonneville on a pedestal. There are certainly subjects open to controversy, such as Irving's treatment (through Bonneville?) of Joseph Walker's "non-authorized" expedition to California, or the building of Fort Bonneville, known to the trappers as Fort Nonsense because of its location, etc. There are well documented accounts of Indian culture; how the trappers coexisted (and didn't) amongst the Native Americans; the never ending feuds between the American Fur Company, the Rocky Mountain Fur Company and the Hudson's Bay Fur Company; the annual mountain rendezvous; the shortages of food; elements of nature; descriptions of geography, geology, etc.; and simply put, survival in the wilderness in the 1830's. This is a classic of the fur trade period, and Irving's writing style is very realistic and expressive of the lifesyles back then.

Though the first few chapters took some time..the rest of the book was really AMAZING. I have read a lot of books by the same author but have found this one to be one of his best.While reading the book, i did wish that Mr Debbs would distance himself from Socialism - which he finally came to believe in- but then towards the end, it was clear that it was a different kind of socialism that he was interested in. Also, i wish he had married Gloria instead of Kate; that way, both Kate and Eugene would have had happier private lives. It was also heartening to see Gloria stand up for Eugene through his ordeals- when his wife refused to oblige.All this makes for an interesting read, especially since history is fused so well with his private life. I would strongly recommend this book to those interested in reading real good stuff; the other attraction being its reality.

This book is a classic. If you love art, or even if you love a personal struggle story, you'll love this book. It's inspiring and inspired.

Duane McRuer is known in the field as the grandfather of the field of aircraft flight control. His BuAer reports were among the key references used by flight control designers. This book summarizes much of what was in these reports and presents an integrated picture of flight control system design. His unique approach to classical control theory and multiloop control system design alone makes this an interesting book.

I don't always like to read classics, but when a friend of mine suggested that I read this book, I decided to try it, and I am very glad that I did. Irving's words, though written so many years before now, still paint eloquent pictures of the Spain of his time. I could almost see what he was seeing. The stories and legends are also wonderful and fascinating. An antique copy of this book is one of my most treasured gifts.

This is a comprehensive handbook on the methods and techniques of archaeology for amateurs of all ages. It presents a brief introduction to the cultures of early man
in North America and provides detailed information on the practical aspects of the fascinating and fast-growing hobby of archaeology. Photographs, maps, and
drawings complement and explain the text.

Step by step, in nontechnical language, this volume shows the reader how to locate and excavate an archaeological site. As an examplc of the mechanics of an
archaeological survey, it analyzes an area of successful excavation near New Bedford, Massachusetts. It explains how to make a preliminary survey and where to obtain
topographical maps, advises what equipment and precautions are required, and suggests how the techniques of prehistoric archaeology may be applied to the newer
fields of historic and underwater' archaeology.

For those who have already researched and selected their site, the book tells how to organize a "dig," how to lay out a "grid"; discusses the various methods of
excavation and when to employ each.
A separate chapter tells how and when to record information, as well as what cameras and lenses to use in archaeological photography. Other chapters explain how to
identify and classify artifacts; how to clean, preserve, and repair archaeological finds; how finds are dated; and how to write final reports on a site.

Valuable appendixes include a glossary of terms and an index; suggestions for further reading, films, and slides; information about study courses, sites, and museums to
visit; and laws governing the excavation of antiquities. The local, regional, and national societies listed are excellent sources of information on archaeological activity in
specific areas.

In 1945, teenagers were visible as individuals but not as a group. The subculture would come later, with rock and roll, Elvis, and portable radios. Meanwhile there was a depression to work through and a big war to win. Small wonder that kids of that era passed quickly from adolescence to adulthood with hardly time for a coke along the way. The Amboy Dukes is a milestone youth novel of that era. Though not as self-consciously literary as its middle-class competitor Catcher in the Rye, Dukes vividly dramatizes urban despair in a crowded working-class precinct of New York City, and its effect on the Jewish youth gangs spawned there. It was then and remains a classically gritty tale of modern America.

Because Shulman portrays the sexual escapades and pot smoking in candid fashion, it's easy for critics to stigmatize Dukes as a trashy novel. That however neglects the many dimensions to the book, including some very fine writing by the author. Instead, I take it as an honest depiction of what Shulman knew and chose to set out in unusually forceful and unpatronizing terms. Coveted by teenagers of the time for its daring assault on censorship, the language and events may seem tame compared with today's non-existent standards. Yet Shulman's characters and their dramatic narrative remain as fresh and timely as ever, the murder of the teacher standing, in retrospect, as an opening shot in the youth rebellion to come. Substitute Latino or Black for the Jewish Dukes, add a level of drug trafficking, and the story (including the awful conditions that spawned them) remains essentially unchanged from then to now.

Also, author Shulman goes into vivid detail describing the youth fashions and moral behavior of the day, or what kids then considered 'cool'. More important, however, is his sharply drawn slice of class realities, as experienced by pivotal characters Frank Goldberg and his 11-year old sister Alice. Their two wrenching tours through the tonier parts of the city are among the book's memorable highlights. In fact, it is the easily overlooked Alice, and not the more melodramatic gangbangers, who remains the book's most pivotal and sympathetic character. For it is she who's being propelled into a new post-war era with all the sadness and growing sense of entrapment that bedevils the working poor. It is through her youthful enthusiasm slowly succumbing to despair that the book touches a universal chord, as we experience with her the poignancy of a crushing loss of hope. It is here, far from the prurience and rawness of the rest of the book, that Shulman achieves his finest, most revealing moments. I like to think that in the coming years, low-interest loans, Levittowns, and other now much derided assisstance programs redeemed at least some of her innocent dreams. (There's also a glimpse in these passages of the rational basis of consumerism.)

Because of its questionable content, The Amboy Dukes continues to lead an underground existence, overshadowed by the more respectable and refined Catcher in the Rye. But the fact that it has survived the years and continues to be published is testament to a lasting value as social commentary.Though currently out of print, Shulman's book is far more than a teen novel. It is a permanent record of artistic achievement deserving of literary respect, cultural interest, and a continued readership. Pick it up.

Zeitlin could be a champion for a conservative approach to ancient Jewish studies. I actually came across this book in a college class I was in, and was immediately struck with the thoroughness of the book. He tends to rely heavily on a literary critical methodology, but he uses it in ways I have never seen before. His discussion of the conquest and Monarchical religion are particularly enlightening. I will say that he made me think about issues in ways I had never tried before. Additionally, he actually changed my opinion about the way Paganism and religious syncretism worked in Ancient Israel. I won't give his views away because have the fun will be reading them for the first time for yourself. Nevertheless, I will say that the discussion on the history of Documentary Hypostasis in the Appendix is worth the price of admission.

Chapelles Baltimore Clipper is a much needed work concerning a type of sailing vessel that is unfortunatly overlooked by most Naval Historians. Chapelle begins with several earlier types of vessels thal may have been the forerunner(s) of the Clippers and continues through the American Revaloution, the War of 1812, the slave trade, to the types decline in the mid 19th century. Included are hull plans, deck plans, and sail plans, all take offs of actual ships of this type. Also covered are weapons and weapons placement. This is a must have book for anyone wanting to build an authentic model of a vessel of this type or for anyone interested in American ships in the age of sail.

All modern students of bark and skin boats begin with this book. The intial work on the native watercraft of North America.

While the book does not cover the watercraft of all North American First Nations, it does provide a broad range of information on craft from many Nations across the continent.

This book is highy recommended to anyone interested in the history of canoes or kayaks as developed on the North American continent.