Book Description
Scott Baldridge presents a concise guide to the geology of the Southwestern U.S. Two billion years of Earth history are represented in the rocks and landscape of the Southwest U.S., creating natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and Death Valley. This region is considered a geologist's "dream", attracting a large number of undergraduate field classes and amateur geologists. The volume will prove invaluable to students and will also appeal to anyone interested in the geology and landscape of the region's National Parks.
Customer Reviews:
The big geologic picture on a land where geology dominates the view.......2007-04-03
The title of this book says it all. The story begins two billion years ago and follows the formation of the continental crust of what is now the southwestern US. It then follows that chunk of land to the present, as supercontinents form and disintegrate, island chains collide, and mountains rise and fall. Unlike so many books about the geology of the southwest, Baldridge focuses on the plate tectonics behind the processes. This approach allows the reader to understand the "why" behind advancing and retreating seas, uplifts, faults and volcanoes. The geographic area studied is the southwest, although the Colorado Plateau seems to gather the most attention. It is seen in a broad geological context that includes what happened in places like Death Valley, the Rio Grande Rift and Southern Rocky Mountains. Baldridge places his explanation in standard geologic time, but his chapter breaks are in locations driven by the regional geology, not the standard hierarchy. For a Grand Canyon example, the Chuar and Tonto groups are a single chapter, a fresh (and justifiable) perspective. The story that comes through is a "life story" of the southwest, in which a reader can see the region's geology evolve, illustrating how events in its past shape its response to new conditions.
The book's broad scope means that the history of individual rock layers are often not there - indeed, many layers are not even mentioned (although the fame of Grand Canyon's rock column is evident, most of ours are). The layers serve to illustrate a "story line" driven by the forces acting on the land, they do not break the story into pieces because of what is (or is not) preserved in today's exposures. In developing this evolutionary presentation, Baldridge has to sort through many, often conflicting, hypotheses. He does a good job of finding common threads. In many cases, he presents different mechanisms but concludes with the salient points that seem to be areas of agreement or with the conditions that a solution must explain.
This book is not for the geologically faint of heart. It assumes a pre-existing general understanding of plate tectonics and other geological principles. It is not the place to learn how plate tectonics works, but is the best place I have found to understand how plate tectonics worked on the Colorado Plateau. It will not tell you how the Grand Canyon was carved, how Monument Valley formed, what makes the Supai Group red, or other specific questions. But it does provide the vast historical panorama against which such questions can be asked. From a degree of technicality, it is less technical than Beus and Morales' Grand Canyon Geology, but certainly well beyond Price's Introduction to Grand Canyon Geology. In the preface, Baldridge says his target audience is "upper level undergraduates and graduates." I would expand this to include anyone with a real interest in the Colorado Plateau, and who wants the "big picture" only hinted at in most treatments of the region (like Baars' The Colorado Plateau: A Geologic History). For readers with a more casual familiarity with geology, it could be a difficult read, but the rewards are great for a comprehensive understanding of the area's history.
I liked it - a lot!
Geology of the American Southwest: A Journey Through Two Billion Years of Plate-Tectonic History.......2006-11-10
An excellent introduction to the geology of the American Southwest, including most of the Colorado Plateau in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, as well as parts of California (in particular Death Valley), Nevada, and Texas. All chapters devote considerable space to a discussion of the plate tectonic settings and paleogeography of the geologic period under consideration. The tectonic settings and processes are of central importance in understanding the amazing and extensive rock record being described. This book contains a host of useful maps, stratigraphic and correlative diagrams, and crisp images of many rock formations discussed in the text. For example, a figure on page 170 I found particularly useful displays a cross section of the famous Jurassic sedimentary rocks spanning the Arizona-Utah border (which is equally applicable to southwestern and far western Colorado), showing schematically but clearly the complex horizontal and vertical relationships, including unconformities, of the major Jurassic rock units present in what can be at times a confusing area of geological terrain. The geology of many of the National Parks and Monuments in the American Southwest, particularly Grand Canyon National Park, is interwoven very nicely with the overall theme and level of the book. All in all, a very useful reference covering 2 billion years of Earth history in this part of the United States, particularly appropriate for undergraduates and graduate students studying geology and the Earth sciences. An extensive bibliography, cited frequently in the text, provides many points of introduction to the supporting literature, and opportunities for further exploration. Undergraduates who plan on participating in a geology field camp in the American Southwest will no doubt benefit by reading this book before their departure.
Book Description
Hailed as one of the finest novels to come out of the Second World War, The Naked and the Dead received unprecedented critical acclaim upon its publication and has since enjoyed a long and well-deserved tenure in the American canon.This fiftieth anniversary edition features a new introduction created especially for the occasion by Norman Mailer.Written in fascinating detail, the story follows a platoon of foot soldiers who are fighting for the possession of the Japanese-held island of Anopopei.Composed in 1948 with the wisdom of a man twice Mailer's age and the raw courage of the young man he was, The Naked and the Dead is representative of the best in twentieth-century American writing.
Customer Reviews:
Solid, but not the classic I envisioned........2007-09-11
Maybe it's the movies.......Maybe it's the movies that have de-sensitized me to expect that the subtle, internal nature of literature could possibly match the over-the-top, external stimuli of cinema. I guess this is probably no more apparent than in "war stories", where I was expecting something along the lines of "Saving Private Ryan", or "Flags of Our Fathers".
Throughout most of this book, I found myself about as lost as the platoon that was sent out to "recon" the rear lines of the Japanese Army. I struggled in the first half of the book, admittedly. Where were the battles? Where was the karnage? I was rather disappointed that nothing was really happening; that all the U.S. company was doing was preparing to prepare for a battle that they knew was possibly months away.
However, As I was finishing this book, I realized that maybe war is more properly illustrated by stories like this. Maybe war is monotonous; boring; anti-climactic; as the nature of this book describes. Maybe war involves a battle of wills and personalities more so than the battle between armies.
Probably more so than any novel I've read, the author brings you deep into the lives and backgrounds of the major players. You're given an opportunity to actually know each character, to the point where you feel it when something happens to them.
This book is not for everyone, and it took me a while to really understand and accept what the author had intended. Nevertheless, if you have time and patience it is worth it.
Not Your Grandpa's War Story.......2007-08-09
Or maybe it is your grandpa's war story; I wouldn't know because my grandpa was in the navy. Anyway, those looking for a rollicking action adventure about WWII in the Pacific had better look elsewhere. It's not a John Wayne movie or even "Saving Private Ryan." This is a psychological study of men grappling with the elements and themselves in a hellish environment. (Substitute the jungle for sand dunes and tropical humidity for 130-degree heat and Japanese soldiers for Arab terrorists and it would fit perfectly into modern times.)
This is a fictional account of the taking of an island in the Pacific by American forces. The story focuses primarily on a recon platoon lead by the abusive tyrant Sergeant Croft. There are about a dozen men in the platoon at the beginning including the Mexican sergeant Martinez, the former hobo Red, the Jew trying to fit in Goldstein, the intellectual Jew/platoon runt Roth, a couple good ol' boys Wilson and Ridges, gangster wanna-be Polack, brownnoser corporal Stanley, and seemingly All-American boy Brown. There's also General Cummings and his surly Ivy League aide Hearn, who have a very conflicted and adversarial relationship.
This relationship ends with Hearn being assigned to the recon platoon for a quixotic mission to explore behind the Japanese lines. This patrol leads to three men dying, two quickly and one very slowly.
But again this isn't a book about the war. There's really only one real battle and a couple of skirmishes. The real war for the soldiers is with the jungle and themselves--physically and mentally. A lot of the book details the platoon's fatigue as they tramp through the jungle or work on constructing a road to resupply the front.
None of these guys come off as your stereotypical characters from a war movie and Mailer's greatest strength is delving beneath the tough guy surfaces to show the fragile individuals underneath. Several sections of the book are referred to as the "time machine" and detail the platoon members before they went to war. None of them are heroes, but just ordinary guys who don't care about causes and flags, only about getting back home to their families and friends.
There's no glory to be had anywhere in this very long, very detailed narrative. If you're looking for action and excitement, look elsewhere--maybe ask your grandpa to tell one of his stories. If you want a realistic portrait of war, then look no further.
That is all.
How else can you explain the impact of war on the participants except.......2007-08-01
by reflecting the tension everyone in it is under while they prepare and prepare and wait and wait for something to happen? The agony of anticipation and the unknown. Then the suddeness of what does happen. Norman Mailer does this very well and I especially liked that there were no answers to anything - just life in a brutal situation. And it goes on....
Don't misunderstand me, for me it was a page turner. I thought it was great.
Could've been better - Could've been worse.......2007-06-30
Yes this is a World War II book. It is not really packed full of action, it is more a psychological study of some of the American soldiers. It is a slow book, but it is really, really slow in the beginning. It is like meeting a group of people it takes a while to know and remember who is who. Some reviewers didn't like the semi-profanities. I can live with it, my mind can simply substitute the proper four letter word in each case. What I did not like is that the book is over written, even though you find signs of great writing. Many of the characters are questioning what causes some soldiers to be killed and others not killed, luck, fate, etc. What I did like is when one protagonist was shot their was little explanation. It was left out which leaves the reader as shocked as the other soldiers probably would've been. This leaves the reader to try and provide and explanation, which is what I believe the author is trying to achieve. The description of the humid jungle weather was beaten into the ground. The "Time Machine" was an interesting literary tool to provide background on many of the soldiers in the platoon. I also wonder if this book would be popular with readers who were not to familiar with this time period.
Overwritten Work of a Young Writer.......2007-06-01
It's the overwritten work of a young writer.
He feels he has something to say, and boy, does he say it. And say it. And say it.
Am I starting to annoy you?
The story lacks drama and wit, and portrays characters who are all uniformly narrow, prejudiced, cynical, and, it seems, clinically depressed. The writing confirms this picture of each character, over and over.
It seems as if Mailer tried to turn an ordinary adventure story into something more profound by padding it with "insights."
And yet we never really get inside the characters. What is intended as insight is rarely any deeper than what they themselves might say out loud. Mailer could have left out most of the narrative and just let us listen to them.
The device of interspersing the story with flashbacks was irritating. I suppose this is a backhanded compliment to the writer, since he made me want to know what was going to happen next in the present, without interruption.
James Jones's "The Thin Red Line" has everything this book is missing. Jones's book is a wry, sardonic masterpiece. And it's succinct.
The reason I give Mailer three stars is that he showed remarkable command of his craft for one so young, and so, despite hating something on almost every page, I was drawn in by the vividness of some of the writing, however self-indulgent.
And being first on the scene with this kind of story made Mailer something of an innovator. Enough to convince the Pulitzer judges.
Book Description
Southeast Asia and Oceania are global epicenters of economic growth, and Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines in particular have each enjoyed building booms that include modern houses designed by some of the world's most talented architects. And though these countries feature rich variations in culture, language, and in some cases climate, their contemporary residential architectures share many similar characteristics. Sometimes these are crisp residential designs rendered in the most modern forms, while in other cases architects draw on local cultural or vernacular building materials, such as stone or wood, to create houses that, while still undeniably modern, are very much of their place. But the most ambitious and innovative of these projects all maintain a strong design sensibility that transcends geographic borders. Pacific Modern is a spectacularly illustrated tour of the most exciting examples of residential architecture in these regions. Among the architects whose work is presented are Glenn Murcutt, Sean Godsell, Burley Katon Halliday, Engelen Moore, Kerry Hill, and Fearon Hay.
Customer Reviews:
Pacific Modern.......2007-03-09
It is a great collection of modern architecture, it is wonderful to see such examples throught the world. Since I know the author personally, I love to see how his second book is even better than the first.
Great Inspirations.......2007-02-07
We purchased this book as a reference for clients building new homes. We are based in Australia and have seen these photos before...our clients hadn't so it was still very useful. Clear and with floorplans shows how space and light work well.
Book Description
The founding document of economic anthropology! Bronislaw Malinowski, one of the all-time great anthropologists of the world, had a talent for bringing together in single comprehension the warm reality of human living with the cool abstractions of science. His pages have become an almost indispensable link between the knowing of exotic and remote people with theoretical knowledge about humankind. This volume--originally published in 1922--can be considered the founding document of economic anthropology, and remains the best one to read. It emphasizes the great significance of primitive economics by singling out the notable exchange system of the Trobriand Islands for special consideration. Although the main theme is economic, constant reference is made in this milestone of anthropological research and interpretation to social organization, life and meaning, the power of magic, and to mythology and folklore.
Customer Reviews:
A classic.......2002-01-07
This is a real classic in the history of anthropology, published in 1922, and unlike another classic from the same decade, Coming of Age in Samoa, it has worn well, too. This is where modern ethnography begins. Malinowski tells us how to do ethnography, in no uncertain terms, as he explains Trobriand kula expeditions. I found it to be a delightful read and I was continually amazed at the intellectual sophistication of his work, given its age. I believe I learned more about ethnography from this book than from any other I have ever read, and I have been a professional anthropologist for 30 years. It is, I must warn you, a long book, and I doubt that many will be willing to read it from stem to stern, but I think every anthropologist should study the introduction at least. It is perhaps the "sacred charter" for the ethnographic project, complete with felicitous phrases such as the "ethnographer's magic," "the imponderabilia of actual life," "the native's point of view," and "the hold life has." In addition, it is certainly essential reading for anyone interested in magic, because it is as much about magic as it is about kula exchange.
I assigned this book to a junior-level college class in ethnography, but they weren't as pleased with it as I was. Many of the students understood the importance of the book, but most also found it tedious, dull, repetitive, hard to follow, and definitely too long.
An essential work in this history of anthropology.......2000-01-28
Don't be misled by the occasional discouraged student, this is an important work that must be read by someone seeking to understand the nature and history of the social sciences.
Book Description
The works of contemporary Native artists from the Northwest Coast and desert Southwest regions of North America are enormously popular today, especially in the realm of jewelry. This handsome book-and the traveling exhibition it accompanies-explores how the cultures from each region continue to communicate beliefs and traditions through visual adornment, and examines the cross-cultural influences between the peoples of these very different areas.
The core of the book consists of personal statements by 39 artists, who discuss their lives, their beliefs, and their approach to art- and jewelry-making. Lavish illustrations, both historical images and new photographs by noted photographer Togashi, bring the subject to life, while supporting texts by general editor Kari Chalker, curators Lois Sherr Dubin and Peter M. Whiteley, Haida artist Jim Hart, and anthropologist Martine Reid provide background and insight. Totems to Turquoise will be an important resource for students, scholars, and designers, as well as anyone who loves beautiful and well-made objects. AUTHOR BIO: Kari Chalker is an anthropological writer, researcher, and editor. She was formerly assistant director of cultural explorations at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, Colorado. Lois Sherr Dubin is a noted authority on beads and jewelry and the author of Abrams' History of Beads and North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment. Peter M. Whiteley is curator of North American ethnology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Dubin and Whiteley are the curators of "Totems to Turquoise."
Customer Reviews:
A truly well-rounded treasury.......2005-02-08
Totems To Turquoise: Native North American Jewelry Arts Of The Northwest And Southwest is a lavish artbook filled cover-to-cover with full-color photographs not only of beautiful Native American jewelry, but also portraits of the individual artists crafters who create it. Brief descriptions of each piece and broader essays enlighten the reader as to how and why these visually stunning articles were created, and the symbolism underlying their design. Many pieces feature short commentaries by the creators themselves. A truly well-rounded treasury and a welcome addition to contemporary Native American art shelves.
Book Description
This revised edition of a comprehensive single-volume Australian history reference incorporates the most recent historical research and contemporary debate on relevant issues. In addition to frontier violence between European settlers and Aborigines and the Stolen Generations, the volume covers the Sydney Olympics, the refugee crisis and the "Pacific solution."
Customer Reviews:
concise history of australia.......2005-12-30
According to the author, Australian history is 200 years of racism, sexism, oppression, dominance, exploitation. The victims are aborginal people, women, the early convicts -- and the environment. The villains, of course, are white males. When the Australian economy dips, the fault lies with the U.S., world capitalism and neoliberalism. When the Australian economy thrives, it just means Aussies can waste more money on bourgeois geegaws. The tone is humorless, unrelenting, shrill, one-sided -- a prime example of what one Australian referred to as "black armband history".
How could concise seem so long?.......2004-08-25
The first thing that came to mind as I trudged through Macintyre's wordy book was how could something called "concise" seem so long? This book is informative but entirely humorless, like reading an ingredient list. Macintyre seems more concerned with showcasing his vocabularity then with enticing you with the facinating history of Australia's past. There is plenty of information in this book if you can make it through to the end while maintaining consciousness. If you are about to visit Australia and you are looking for an entertaining and informative book to stimulate your enthusiasm I strongly recommend Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country. If you are looking for a strong sedative then this is the book for you.
Informative and well-written.......2000-11-24
I have long wanted to read a general history of Austrailia, and when I read. on April 3, 1988, The Fatal Shore, by Robert Hughes, I said to myself, in my post-reading note: "I am glad I read this book, but maybe I'd've done better to read a plain history of Australia than this long account of this aspect of its beginning." I am shamed to say that it has taken over 12 years to do what I thought I should have done back then. This book goes up to 1999, and portrays very well the current dilemmas facing Australia. If you enjoy the articles in Current History, as I do, this book reminds me of those articles, except it is less bland and neutral. Ordinarily I avoid histories with designations such as "short" or "concise" figuring that I want a fuller treatment. But when one knows as little of a country as I do of Australia, I thought this a good introduction to its history.
Very good modernist view of Australian history.......2000-07-12
Stuart's work is an excellent overview of Australian history from the dreamtime to the present. He captures the major periods and events that shaped the progress of Australia towards federation and beyond, into the current malaise over national identity and the development of a unique and identifiable cultures.
Modern thought increasingly accepts the indigenous problems that were part of Australian colonisation, and Stuart probes these and other contemporary issues by drawing from both sides of the debate. He illustrates research that examines the language of overland explorers, to determine whether they were 'exploring' or 'conquering', and he comments on modern interpretations of the constitution by the high court. Readers not well versed in Australian issues may pass over these slights of hands without understanding their importance in the nature of forging an Australian history, culture and identity.
I would recommend this book as a necessary overview for any person interested in the history of the country, including potential tourists.
Product Description
I'M STAYING WITH MY BOYS... is a first-hand look inside the life of one of the greatest heroes of the greatest generation. Sgt. John Basilone was lauded by General Douglas MacArthur as ...A ONE MAN ARMY and awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic defense of a vital airfield early in World War 2. It was the turning point of the war and Basilones foxhole was the site of the turning point in that battle. Distinctive among military biographies, the story is narrated by Sgt. Basilone himself allowing readers to experience the development of Johnny Basilone, the aimless youth, into Gunnery Sergeant MANILA JOHN Basilone, the clear-eyed warrior, undefeated light-heavyweight boxer and nationally revered war hero. This publication is the only family-authorized biography. The story is woven with surprising personal details such as Sgt. Basilones uncanny premonitions. Three times he confided to his family unlikely visions of his future. All three times the visions came to pass - including the final one that foretold his death. In spite of his final revelation, and true to his unwavering dedication to his men, he returned to battle and was killed on the beach at Iwo Jima - an emotional true story
Customer Reviews:
A MUST READ ! ! !.......2005-09-15
My friend loaned me this book to read and I must say that it gave me a new found appreciation of what those men and women did for us in WWII. This book was very easy to read, and should be included in the curriculum of every Recent American History course taught in High School or College. I HIGHLY recommend picking up a copy of this book. I have already purchased a copy for myself after reading my friends copy.
It sounds so prophetic.......2005-01-26
He knew he was going to die, and he just kept on fighting. He never abandoned his marines and thats just what he should have done. Its how the writer makes this so real that is so inspiring, not that his deeds werent great, but there have probably been thousands who have done just what he did, they just werent famous. But overall this is a good book. I like how it takes us to a time when being "patriotic" didnt get us arrested or sued.
A must read.......2005-01-06
Wonderfully moving and well written insight into a true American hero. It is a must read for all patriotic Americans and almost a responsiblity for us all to be aware of one of the US Marine's best.
Excellent.......2004-10-25
If you are interested in a personal story of WWII, then this is an excellent book. Rather than getting into the details of the conflicts this book focuses on the personal story of John Basilone - one of the handful of true American Heroes from WWII.
Written in the first person with an ample dose of personal details from his family, this book truly brings Manilla John back to life for many. I've been studying WWII for only 10 years and have read my share of the technical assessments of the important battles in WWII. This book stands out in my mind because it puts the reader in touch with the qualities of America's best young men and women of the 1940's; selflessness, courage, a supreme sense of duty, and in Basilon's case, a supreme sense of destiny.
Highly recommended for anyone with a passing interest in WWII, or for anyone who wants to learn about what made America's young people "tick" 60 years ago.
An Extraordinary Biography and Full Frontal View of War.......2004-08-28
Author and Film Producer Jim Prosser has created a richly detailed, raptly written, devastatingly powerful book about the life of American War hero John Basilone. This book is especially pungent at this time in history because it revives a lost tradition of the country's view of maritime heroism. Since the atrocities of the Vietnam mistake to the present harrowing details of a similar (or worse) war in Iraq the concept of war is now very much in a negative light. Even the words 'war hero' seem an oxymoron, so strident are the feelings about America's latest aggressions. But to appreciate this fine book requires a return to the mindset of the US during World War II when not only was Europe under the vile threat of Hitler and Mussolini, but the Japanese warriors were annihilating China, Korea, and ultimately the Philippines in the mission to own the Pacific Ocean. And even in those early years the threat seemed frightening but distant until the Japanese successfully decimate the US Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941. That incident unified the country, creating a fighting force and support system at home that eventually resulted in the defeat of the massive evil outside the borders of the USA.
Given that atmosphere of over a half century ago, author Proser has created one of the most convincing portraits of a military hero in literature. And the intensively researched and detailed approach results in a biography that fully restores the ambience of WW II. John Basilone was a nice Italian boy form Raritan, New Jersey, a lad who quit school to follow his recurring visions. He caddied for Japanese businessmen at a country club, seeing in his prophetic mind that at some day he would be at war with Japan. After trying multiple jobs he finally enlists in the Army, makes the best of boot camp by gambling and boxing, and is shipped to the Philippines where he spent time waiting, boxing (becoming a champion nicknamed Manila John), running a little bar with his Island sweetheart, and finally returning home. Frustrated once again with the boredom of work and the embarrassment of not having finished his education, Basilone finally returns to the military by signing on with the USMC, trains hard at Quantico, Cuba, and other US training camp swamps, and finally is shipped to Guadalcanal where his brilliance and dedication to his commanding officer ("Chesty" Puller) through one of the most devastating battles in the Pacific arena earned him not only the respect of his men, but also the Medal of Honor - the highest commendation offered by his country. Returning home form this mission he ride the waves of adulation form the American people, hobnobs with movies stars, sells War Bonds, and falls in love, only to be shipped out once again to the Pacific where he is killed in action in the battle for Iwo Jima.
The amazing (that is, ONE of the amazing) aspect of this book is that Proser has elected to write it in the first person of John Basilone. Everything is told as Basilone perceives it, lives, feels, and survives it. Rarely has a story been written with such clarity and perception: we truly feel that Basilone has written his memoirs. The language of the period is exactly right, the descriptions of the various battles and conditions of being a soldier under tremendously adverse conditions are vivid, and the soldiers' mentality of being in the thick of war are written with such bulls-eye focus that no matter what the reader's opinion of War might be, this book makes it all understandable form the point of view of the soldiers who fought. Some of the battle passages are tough to read: "On October 23, a light tank and infantry attack across the mouth of the Matanikau ran right into the teeth of Vandegrift's defenses. It was chewed up in short order with over 600 Japs killed, many of them trapped in a jungle clearing where US tanks just drove over them instead of wasting ammunition. They ground the poor bastards up like sausage under the tank treads until the entire clearing was covered in gore and left to rot in the sun." And a soldier's impressions: "We all heard a lot about the bravery of the Japanese soldier before we got on the island. They were supposed to be the most fearless warriors ever to fight. But I kept thinking what kind of bravery it was that sent them, one after the other, right into the same guns that mowed down dozens before them. I don't know if that was bravery. I don't know what it was. Either they were crazy or they just didn't care. So I didn't care either. They weren't even men anymore. They were dumb animals who wanted me dead and had killed all my friends."
Proser very cleverly weaves snippets of Iwo Jima from the opening of the book to its finish, which in an act of brilliance makes the whole story more pungent in retrospect. There is little doubt the Sgt. John Basilone was an extraordinary soldier and military hero along with the thousands of others who lost their lives in the incomprehensibly vast WW II. I think this is a very important book that everyone should read, and I say that as a pacifist, as a Vietnam Veteran convinced that war on any level is simply not an option. This book is vastly important, well written, and contains a story and moment of history we all should face and incorporate. And perhaps then we can all better empathize with soldiers form throughout history to the very present. Recommended without reservation!
Amazon.com
An extraordinary volume--even a masterpiece--about the early history of Australia that reads like the finest of novels. Hughes captures everything in this complex tableau with narrative finesse that drives the reader ever-deeper into specific facts and greater understanding. He presents compassionate understanding of the plights of colonists--both freemen and convicts--and the Aboriginal peoples they displaced. One of the very best works of history I have ever read.
Book Description
The history of the birth of Australia which came out of the suffereing and brutality of England's infamous convict transportation system. With 16 pages of illustrations and 3 maps.
Customer Reviews:
Very strong research but with a dense and morbid writing cadance.......2007-07-14
Robert Hughes' The Fatal Shore is an assiduously and tirelessly researched work on the Western "founding" of Australia through essentially an experiment with a penal colony. Hughes obviously has written, to date, the finest and most exhaustive piece on the wonderfully interesting, albeit terrifying, beginnings of the country Down Under. All of this said, while the research is almost beyond the scope of critical analysis, the writing surely is not.
This book, not unlike Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago is dense, and not simply in an academic sense. Hughes drones on and on with anecdotal writings of many of the criminal on "transportation", their keepers and eventually, the settlers. While much of this is interesting the author greatly fails the reader with redundancy - his take seems to be where two would be good, ten would be better. As such, the book drags. It seems almost sacrilege to say anything derogatory about this work (or Solzhenitsyn's as well) as the topics are covered incredibly well. But it seems the reader is not considered, only the research.
The writing aside, readers will come away with a unique and strong base of information on the founding of Australia and the timing of it. Hughes also does a terrific job of showing how the American Revolution influenced London decision makers to embark on such a large task and traces the increase in crime in the late 18th century and early 19th century throughout England, but in London specifically. This is a book that, while good, is quite dense. It is a task to read and is not up to all the accolades critics seem to shower upon it.
What's This Book Got To Do With America ?.......2007-03-13
To the reviewer below.....this book is about the founding of Australia. It has nothing to with America. You should focus on reviewing the book rather than using this as a platform to express your political views. Anyway, this book shed much light on Australia's origins. This is history not too well-known. I didn't realize there was this much detailed fact in the convict beginnings of Australia. It's a fascinating read and colorful characters come to life on the page. A highly recommended book.
How Did we get where we are.......2007-03-08
After reading this book, I am amazed that Australia became within less than 200 years a prosperous, democratic and modern nation. Mr Hughes goes on about our hiding details of "the stain". What country was he born into?
History was taught at school when I was educated in the 1950's and 60's and our convict past was taught in detail. I can't remember my friends or family "whispering" about it!
I love and am proud of my country; of the millions who toiled to make it what it is today and I've never been ashamed of our convict past; it goes a long way to explain why Mr Hughes lives in the USA and makes a living denegrating his homeland.
We are not American; we don't want to be American and if transportation has shaped our character it's preferable to the Puritan ethos that cursed and still curses the US.
Australia's Convict Legacy.......2007-03-06
Even though this book was written over 20 years ago, it doesn't yet feel dated. It has that timeless quality, the sure sign of a classic. Former art critic of Time magazine and author of many excellent books, Robert Hughes is probably one of the finest prose stylists writing in English today. This history of Australia is unique in that Hughes digs deeply into the past by examining the testimony of the convicts that were "transported" to this land that was in still largely unknown.
In the 20 years prior to the first transportation of convicts from Britain to Botany Bay (1788), the population of London had doubled. This rapid urbanization created poverty and overcrowding, and it spawned an entire "criminal class." There were so many violations of capital statutes that the authorities were reluctant to hang all the criminals for fear of riots. They then decided to house criminals in old ships moored in the docks, but this too proved to be only a temporary measure.
It was at this juncture that transportation was seen as the answer. The British believed, as Hughes tells it, that they would purify the race by ridding themselves of this criminal class. Genetic determinism was a fashionable belief at this time. Ultimately, it was discredited, writes Hughes, "as causes of crime lie within society not the criminal." Transporting convicts had the additional benefit of providing the colonies with free labor. They were considered better workers than the aborigines, who were also subjected to very harsh conditions by the colonists.
Most of the convicts were guilty of crimes against property, a serious offense in those days; very few were "political" prisoners. About 15% were women, all designated prostitutes. The authorities tried to send over only younger women so that they would become wives of the soldiers guarding the convicts. Many of them ultimately married soldiers in order to secure their freedom.
Hughes has written some very moving accounts of the brutishness and inhumanity of this "System." For those convicts who committed a crime while in detention, further punishment was meted out by sending them to Norfolk Island. This was a secondary detention center about 1,000 miles off the coast. It was known as "the Botany Bay of Botany Bay." The only way to escape this hellhole was death, which many of them ultimately welcomed.
What finally ended the transportation system was that by mid-19th century Australia was becoming a thriving and wealthy colony. The newly established and respectable class no longer wanted convicts shipped to New South Wales. Many people were now paying to go to Australia. The local authorities began to question why convicts should be sent there for free. In 1868 the last boatload of convicts disembarked somewhere in Western Australia, marking the end of this ignoble practice.
Hughes has set the record straight for those who always felt that there were similarities between the settling of America and that of Australia. The latter started out not as a land of opportunity and freedom, but one of confinement and punishment.
Fatal Shore.......2006-03-18
It was very detailed about the early history of Australia's settlement colonies including in Norfolk Island, Van Dieman's Land(Tasmania) and New South Wales. It described famous stories of cannabalism, the relationship to the aborigines, the brutality of the penal settlements and the conditions in Ireland and Great Britain that caused the convicts to be shipped half way around the globe.
Book Description
Tiny Haines, Alaska, ninety miles north of Juneau, is accessible mainly by water or air—and only when the weather is good. There’s no traffic light and no mail delivery; people can vanish without a trace; and funerals are community affairs. As both obituary writer and social columnist for the local newspaper, Heather Lende knows better than anyone the goings-on in this breathtakingly beautiful place. Her offbeat chronicle brings us inside her busy life: we meet her husband, Chip, who owns the local hardware store; their five children; and a colorful assortment of friends and offbeat neighbors, including aging hippies, salty fishermen, native Tlingit Indians, Mormon spelunkers . . . as well as the moose, eagles, sea lions, and bears with whom they share this wild and perilous land.
Customer Reviews:
Memoir that shows beauty, danger, and community in small town Alaska.......2007-08-17
Heather Lende is a freelance writer, commentator for National Public Radio, and obituary writer for the Chilkat Valley News in Haines, Alaska. "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name" is a portrait of life in Haines--a small isolated Southeast Alaska town dominated by awe-inspiring wildlife, majestic mountains, and 1,800 people (give or take) who manage to tenaciously hold onto their rugged individuality yet know when to set their individuality aside for the sake of greater goods (e.g. families in need of assistance, strong relationships with neighbors).
Lende writes from a first person perspective and thus Haines life is told from her idiosyncratic point of view. Many anecdotes revolve around Lende's vocations of stay-at-home-mother, school board member, member of the local Episcopal church, environmentally-conscious citizen, and (especially) obituary writer. As she presents Haines life from these angles, she often juxtaposes the complex emotions surrounding Haines. She presents examples of the breathtaking beauty of her town, but then tells the story of how their son almost died of appendicitis as they raced through a blizzard to a Canadian hospital. She writes about her divisive attempt to institute a mandatory gay sensitivity workshop at the local high school, but then writes about the unity she experienced with one of her most bitter rivals as they cooked a benefit meal together to help defray the medical bills of another town resident. She effectively shows that life in Haines, Alaska, is as complex as life anywhere.
A major theme running through "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name" is death--or to be more accurate, the cycle of life. This should not be surprising since one of Lende's vocations is that of obituary writer (and every Haines death gets a full treatment). Writing about "good deaths" for people who lived life fully to a ripe, old age is easy; writing about a twenty-year-old who drowns when his fishing boat sank isn't nearly as easy; why? Each death is totally unique; each death fits the pattern of life-and-death that had been established since the world began; how is this reconciled? And then, how do the related issues of birth, ageing, growing, loving, and how one spends his life come into play? Lende manages to be poetically reflective even while she avoids the temptation of being simplistic about death. She allows it to be mysterious, fearsome, natural, and expectedly complex. Even still, her last chapter, "I Am Not Resigned" surprisingly ties up a lot of running themes and brings a feeling of completion without presenting "solutions."
In my reviews, I try to present both positive and negative aspects of any book. For this book, Lende's memoirs, it is difficult to condemn her life experience. I never get the sense that Lende is being less than totally truthful (even when she portrays herself in a bad light). This reader appreciates her honesty, even to the point of admitting that those on different sides of various "issues" have valid points. Being one on the other side of these various issues, I do have trouble identifying with Lende at times. Crying, she comforts herself by imagining a future in which a homosexual from Haines becomes President of the United States; when writing an obituary of a Tlingit, she is overcome by "white guilt" because of what all the "people who look like her" have done to American Indians; she indulges in religious pluralism as she is a leader of her Episcopal church, seems to believe Tlingit creation stories, writes laudably about a wedding in which the "eternal spirits of the universe" are invoked, writes equally highly about a totally secular wedding, and experiences the joy of praying the Rosary. With all of these, this reader and Lende are so far apart, that I simply can't put myself in her shoes and say, "I understand what you're feeling, even if I disagree."
However, as previously mentioned, this is Lende's life experience and it is well told. I was fascinated as she mused on life during the winter months (where the sun doesn't rise until 9:30 and sets by 3:00!) and summer months (where the sun stays out well past midnight!). Her relating tales on the process of smoking fish, picking wild berries, raising chickens, cooking meals for thirty from scratch, and the like are fascinating. She succeeds in getting this reader to envision what living in Haines would be like...and in fact envy the people of Haines (until I remember the lack of hospitals and winter sun). In all, this book is highly recommended as it provides a great balance of enjoyment and forces to the reader to contemplate things common to us all--life, death, family, vocation, and what's really important.
If You Died There, She'd Write About You.......2007-08-01
Though I enjoyed reading about Haines and parts of this author's life, the preoccupation with death throughout this book was overwhelming. Death of relatives, strangers, friends, animals. Accidental death. Death by falling, by weather, by cancer, by boats sinking, by airplanes crashing. Fear of death. Near death. Funerals. Researching and writing obituaries. Anniversaries of loved ones dying. Even when it seems a chapter is going to be about a different subject, within a few pages it seems like death always sneaks in there.
I'd like to see another book by this author, this time devoted to life and living, instead of death and dying.
Haines, here I come..... in 7 years.......2007-07-30
I have been wanting to move to Alaska for about 15 years but my family won't come with me, so after the kids are through college and I have put in 20 years on my job, (I have 7 years to go) Haines, AK, here I come. During the past 15 years I have been reading about different towns in Alaska and there is always something that turns me off. Not one thing about Lende's descriptions about life in Haines has turned me off. I am sure this is the place for me. I am going to take a road trip in the summer of 2008 to Alaska and will definately spend time in Haines. I can't wait. One thing for sure, I won't be getting on any planes there until I am ready to go meet my maker.
Subtitled "News from Small-Town Alaska".......2007-04-03
Heather Lende writes the social column and obituaries for the small town paper in Haines, Alaska. You get to feel you know all of the residents there through her eyes and the columns she tells about that she has written. A book well worth reading. It will show you the joys and sorrows of a small town in Alaska and help you appreciate that small town where you may have grown up any where else.
I live here, she knows my name........2006-10-02
I live here. Heather knows my name. I know hers. I'm even rated a quick mention in her book. But there are many people in town she doesn't know. Heather doesn't get to the trailer courts and the local convenience store all that often. And in all fairness, the publishers were the ones who slapped the title on this book. Heather's Haines is just that Heather's Haines. It is Haines as seen through 'A Prairie Home Companion' liberal vision of life. On the surface it is all embracingly fair, painting a picture of wonderful quirky resilient people all moving, even if unconsciously, towards a politically correct utopia. Yet the reality is of course quite different.
While the town does have the vestiges of real community, satellite cable television, the internet, cellphones are all making inroads. Back in the early 90s when music videos finally arrived the teen boys suddenly all turned their caps around. And they became as disaffected as teens everywhere. Black Metal is now the rage. Sex before the age of 13 is not uncommon. And the Christian or New Age parents often don't understand the kids at all. But of course it is not all of the kids. Athletics, Drama and other influences keep a fair number of students relatively sane. Nevertheless there are serious problems.
Alcoholism is one of them, particularly among adults and Native Americans. And it's pretty much a taboo subject in public discussion. The town is not that violent though, unless you spend a LOT of time at the bars only. The doors to the homes are still unlocked, though lower forty-eight styled teen alienation are making a few people wonder how long that will continue. And there are some seriously prickly and petty people lodged in places of power. Heather doesn't note the real dark side of Haines, because I don't think she thinks that there is much darkness in the world. One can live in a Haines that is somewhat like Heather's description of it. And just sort of close one's eyes to it. You can go to a festive event, and see the smiling faces and not the alcoholics also present. The chipper couples at today's parties will have often switched partners within a year or two. One can see the moment without seeing past or future.
Heather does often capture something of the joy of living in Haines, yet she glosses over many of the dark spots in the picture. And she ignores many of the really great aspects of living here. What are they? You'll have to visit for yourself in October or April to find out. Many of the people I've met who have read this book probably wouldn't appreciate Haines on the many gray days of rain. But that's the reality. Sunshine is more the exception than the rule. Heather's book is a bit too sunny. But yes the sunshine is here too.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent in every way
- A Travelers Bible!
- Comprehensive overview of the four corners region
- Travel with an history background
- Travel with an history background
|
Journey to the High Southwest, 7th: A Traveler's Guide to Santa Fe and the Four Corners of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah
Robert L. Casey
Manufacturer: Globe Pequot
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Guidebooks
| Reference & Tips
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| West
| Regions
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Mountain
| West
| Regions
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Santa Fe
| New Mexico
| States
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
North America
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Rough Guide to Southwest USA, 2nd Edition (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
-
Native Roads: The Complete Motoring Guide to the Navajo and Hopi Nations, Newly Revised Edition
-
Moon Handbooks Four Corners: Including Navajo and Hopi Country, Moab, and Lake Powell (Moon Handbooks)
-
Hidden Southwest: Including Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Utah, and Southwest Colorado (Hidden Travel)
-
Ancient Ruins of the Southwest: An Archaeological Guide (Arizona and the Southwest)
ASIN: 0762725338 |
Book Description
The quintessential guidebook to the Four Corners region of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, Journey to the High Southwest is both an inspiring armchair read and a practical take-along guide. It offers insight into the history, culture, and geography that define the region while delivering all of the detail readers need on driving directions, activities, and attractions. From the geology of the canyons of Southeastern Utah to the cultural history of Northeastern Arizona's Indian Country, this book provides fascinating background information for readers who are interested in the Southwest, as well as valuable information for those making travel plans.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent in every way.......2005-11-03
This is a serious guidebook for travellers who take their touring and sightseeing seriously. It covers the Four Corners region of the southwest (UT, CO, NM, AZ) and is divided into four geographic sections. It includes information on the history of each section (in detail), points of interest (fully described), and where to stay/eat (fully annotated). Chapters focus on the canyon country of Utah, the Indian country of Arizona, the Rocky Mountains, and the Rio Grande country. There are also a full index and a substantial bibliography. It's everything you could ask for in a guidebook and should be taken along by anyone travelling in this region. Highly recommended.
A Travelers Bible!.......2000-08-28
My wife and I plannned a trip to the Four Corners area and at the last moment received Journey to the High Southwest as a gift. We read it during the plane ride and made immediate adjustments to our travel schedule. The results were so good that we continued, chapter by chapter, to use Mr. Casey's guidance and suggestions. For those uninitiated in the region, or even experienced Four Corners visitors, we strongly suggest this guide. It will provide very accurate and useful information to anyone who uses it. Read the entire book - before you go!
Comprehensive overview of the four corners region.......1999-12-11
This is a great travel book, providing quick and easy to reference to the lay-of-the land in the four-corners region in the style of a virtual tour of the area. The author takes you along his journey, showing you what to see and do, how to get there, where to eat, sleep, shop--or simply soak up the sublime beauty.
Travel with an history background.......1999-06-22
This book give to the reader and future traveller an unique vision of the history of this country. the writer help us to understand the people that inhabited this country and the geological features of this land of enchantment. For an european like me is the first and essential step to the visit of a country.
Travel with an history background.......1999-06-22
This book give to the reader and future traveller an unique vision of the history of this country. the writer help us to understand the people that inhabited this country and the geological features of this land of enchantment. For an european like me is the first and essential step to the visit of a country.
Books:
- Grace Under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War
- Green Development
- Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)
- History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- Coin Collecting for Dummies
- World Bank Atlas 2001
- America Beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our wealth, Our Liberty and Our Democracy
- Complete Symphonies
- God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse
- Backroads of Michigan: Your Guide to Wild and Scenic Backroad Adventures in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ill
- Commercial Fire Underwriting
- Windows XP Quicksteps
- 1997 International Conference on Network Protocols: October 28-31, 1997 Atlanta, Georgia : Proceedin
Travelers Guide: To The Geology Of Colorado Plateau
Pages of Stone: Geology of Grand Canyon & Plateau Country National Parks & Monuments
Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth
Grand Canyon Geology
Roadside Geology of Utah (Roadside Geology Series) (Roadside Geology Series)
