Wander off the beaten path with artist Earl Thollander and discover some of the most picturesque areas of the state. In handwritten text and vivid illustrations, Back Roads of Washington guides readers through 6,000 miles of scenic beauty. This regional classic captures the memorable details of back roads that can be enjoyed on the way to a destination, on a Sunday drive, or sitting in a comfortable armchair.

Henri prays a human's prayer. He says what we all say in times of change, fear, anger, yet he says more! What a wonderful book to read when life/stability/comfort are turned upside down and pain, loss, homesickness, fear etc. are flooding over you and sweeping you away into darkness and chaos. This is a man's (Henri's) cry from his heart, soul, and mind. An incredible spiritual expression of the human condition.

This book offers a very detailed account of the history of the Napa Valley. Thoroughly researched and well presented.

Terrific book by Washington-born Willard Espy of the Espy family who founded Oysterville. A wonderful, moving account of the Espy ancestors homesteading in the Columbia River Valley. Lush with detail. Not to be missed!

as a collection of recipes this book is among the best there are. As an overview of American coocking however it has some serious drawbacks.the book very much reflects Beards personal taste and omits quite a few American classics (chicken/corn-soup among others). On the other hand many recipes are not strictly American but simply European recipes that became popular in America. They are good - no argument there-but i would hesitate to call them American. Most seriously, Beard completely Ignores the Native American influence on American coocking.He gives plenty of Native American recipes, but it is clear he really doesn't know their background and tends to view them as Mexican.His introduction, short as it is, also ignores the Native American contribution. This being said, there is very much to enjoy in this book.

While reading this James Beard classic, I was amazed at how many recipes truly have become our favorite foods in America. I have been making some recipes for years without even considering that all along, James Beard could have in fact brought them to our awareness. It is equally amazing how many of these recipes made their way over to Africa.

My grandmother purchased one of the first copies and I now have the pleasure of owning it. This truly is a cookbook you will want to read over time. Reading the entire cookbook could be quite daunting were the recipes and notes not so delightful to read!

Each chapter begins with a note from James Beard and continues in a sort of cook's diary style with many recipes on one page. You will find recipes for cocktail food, salads, soups, eggs, cheese, fish, shellfish, poultry, game, beef, veal, lamb, pork, ham, bacon, sauces, vegetables, grains, pasta, beans, lentils, pies, pastries, cakes, cookies, puddings, ice cream, dessert sauces, fruit, bread, sandwiches, pickles, preserves and candy.

If you didn't grow up in America, you will find this cookbook all the more fascinating. You can literally read this cookbook like a novel. I found it fun to sit outside and just start reading it from the beginning, skipping over recipes I didn't find interesting and being amazed at how many recipes I was familiar with and had actually made at some point in my life.

A recipe will often start just so casually, you forget you are reading a cookbook, then suddenly you are reading the instructions and the recipe ingredients are listed on the right or left. This is written in a very personal style and you can truly hear the voice of James Beard in his writing.

If you read a few pages of this book a day, you will find that within a year, you will know so much more about cooking. I also think it is handy to have to look up various aspects of cooking. I can hardly do this book justice by reviewing it, you just have to see it to believe it! I did especially enjoy reading about the 1-2-3-4 cake and finding a recipe for Crullers. I had lost my recipe quite a while back and didn't know where to find another one. You will also enjoy finding many recipes using saffron.

I can almost bet my cooking teacher in high school had this book on her shelf, it does look a bit familiar now that I look at it closely. It is also incredible how much cooking has changed in 20 years, and how much it has stayed the same.

I purchased my first copy of this book when it was first published in 1980. After 20 years, and much use, it has fallen apart and I'm ordering a new one. It is one of the most useful cookbooks in my library of over 100 books on cookery and I turn to it every week for a "new" idea - 20 years later, Mr. Beard's cuisine is ageless.

This was originally published in the early 70's, when I bought my first copy.As other reviewers have mentioned, my copy is stained from frequent use. I also purchased a copy for my parents, even though they prepared Chinese meals without recipes, they were reminded of other dishes and were impressed with the entire contents...the authenticity of methods and ingredients. I have given this wonderful book to many Chinese food enthusiasts and they also regard it as a sort of 'bible'. These recipes are what we eat at home! I give this collection my very highest recommendation.

Our family has used this book for Chinese cooking extensively since 1965. This is the most useful book on the market because it includes descriptions of all of the basic methods of Chinese cookery as well as complete information on buying and storing special ethnic ingredients. The recipes are simple to use and each method may be mastered in turn. If I had to choose one Chinese cookbook this would be it. In 1965, before everyone was cooking Chinese food, I went to a hardware store in New York's Chinatown to buy my basic equipment. I was carrying this book. The Chinese proprietor stopped me to say that he had just bought this book for his Americanized daughter so that she should not forget her heritage. He thought the book was that good. I do too.

This is one of the most complete books about any cooking sytle I own. She not only has presented a wonderful book containing recipes. She has given you everything you need to learn chinese cooking, without the Americanized recipes. You find the best recipes here. A great foundation to learn and explorer the world of chinese cooking. A must have. Even my friends parents who grew up in asia love what I learned let me cook some of thier most loved dishes at family functions. Nothing is more enjoyable. Get this book and learn about the Art of Chinese cooking.

This book had some great insights and reflections on some good trips, this guy talked me into going on one of these drives. I stopped rading after that. Mine is in pristine condition.

An off-highway travel guide divided into four regional parts. Each part, and each of the 74 trips, has a sketch map. The best part is, the author used his own illustrations instead of photos. Very enjoyable to read even if you don't venture off the interstate--and more enjoyable if you visit these Backroads of Washington.

I used this book for a report on southern cooking and cultures, and it helped me a lot. The recipes were good, but I really liked the information he provided about his family and lifestyle before each chapter. My only disappointment was that they weren't long enough!!

"Back Roads of Texas" is a charming book consisting mainly of sketches drawn by the author as he traveled rural areas in the state. The book can be used as a self-guided tour as it contains maps of sections of the state along with a sprinkling of interesting facts about the people and places of the area. The drawings help travelers as well as arm-chair travelers appreciate the beauty and specialness of Texas's back roads. I'm a native Texan who drives throughout the state on business so I was delighted to find some of my favorite areas such as the view of Twin Peaks on the road to Lampasas. However, I was disappointed that the author largely bypassed West Texas except for the Big Bend area in the far west portion of the state. Another criticism I have of the book is that it is lacking an index, a feature that would have made it more useful. All in all, this is a unique book that shouldn't be missed if one has a Texana collection or for anyone who would like to increase their appreciation of the state and its special charm.