Related Vacation Book Subjects: VacationBookReview south africa south asia
More Pages: south america Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
Books to read if you're planning a vacation in "south america", sorted by average review score:

The Wild Country of Mexico: LA Tierra Salvaje De Mexico
Published in Hardcover by Sierra Club Books (November, 1994)
Author: John Annerino
Average review score:

A gorgeous photography book of Mexico.
A gorgeous photography book of Mexico with bilingual text. In THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO/La tierra salvaje de Mexico, photojournalist John Annerino captures the beauty and spirit of both the native peoples and the wild land they inhabit through colorful breathtaking images and English/Spanish text. We travel through six distinct regions in Mexico: the remote jungles of Chiapas; Mayan ruins of Quintana Roo; the Sierra Volcanica Transversal, the third-highest inhabited plateau in the world; the Sierra Madre Occidental, home of the legendary Copper Canyon; the rich bioregion of Baja California; and the Sonoran Desert, one of the greatest deserts of the New World. Here is a brilliant evocation of people and place in areas of Mexico that are little known and seldom explored. -La Casa del Libro.

Una evococion brillante !
En THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO/La tierra salvaje de Mexico el fotoperiodista John Annerino captura a bellezo y el espiritu de la gente nativa y de la tierra salvaje que ellos habitan por medio de imagenes vivas e imponentes con texto en ingles y espanol. Viajamos a troves de seis regiones distintas de Mexico: las remotas selvas de Chiapas; las ruins maya de Quintana Roo; la Sierra Volcanica Transversal, una meseta hobitada que es la tercera mas alto del mundo; la Sierra Madre Occidental, el hogar legendario Canon de Cobre; la rica bioregion de Baja California, y el Desierto Sonorense, uno de los grandes desiertos del Nuevo Mundo. Aqui esta una evococion brillante de la gente y de los lugares en las areas de Mexico que son poco conocidos y rara vez visitodas. -La Casa del Libro

Delightful & powerful. -Morning Star-Telegram
I've taken a delighful ramble through Annerino's handiwork, THE WILD COUNTRY OF MEXICO/La tierra salvaje de Mexico. As a consequence, I have a powerful urge to see what the author wrote about and photographed. The book uses wonderful color photographs and Spanish/English essays and captions to take us from mountainous Chiapas, where the indigenous people speak pre-Hispanic languages, to Yucatan, where Mayan ruins poke out of beach-bound jungles...It's the Sierra Madre that produced my favorite photograph, the eerie, wind-eroded ruins of the ancient city of Paquime.


Through Gates of Splendor
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Tyndale House Publishers (October, 1986)
Author: Elisabeth Elliot
Average review score:

Superb! Books like this come along once in a generation.
One of the most noble and challenging biographies you will ever read. The compelling account of a young missionary couple in the 1950's who commit their lives to ministering to the tribal people of Ecuador. What was meant to be a lifetime commitment ended in tragedy when Jim Elliot was killed by the people for whom he was laboring to translate the New Testament. His widow and biographer, incredible as it seems, remained in Ecuador for ten years to carry on his vision of ministry and compassion to the tribes who killed him. For forty years, Mrs. Elliot's life has been a testament to the enobling impact of God's love. She has written extensively, but this is the book for which she will be remembered by generations to come. The Elliots are heroes in the finest sense. Their lives inspire and challenge in a deep and lasting way. Read this book.

A must-read for anyone considering the mission field.
This book by Elisabeth Elliot is one of the most moving, most challenging books I have ever read. Not only does it depict the great obedience of Jim Elliot and the other 4 missionaries, but it shows the unimaginable faith of their wives after their deaths. It makes any Christian evaluate themselves and ask themselves, "How much am I really willing to give up for the Lord?"

"He is no fool..."
The events in this book took place in the 1950's. A group of young men set out as missionaries to reach a previously un-reached savage tribe in South America. This books tells of the lives of the men and some of the events that lead up to their slaying. I did like the book "Shadow of The Almighty", (which is the life story of one of these men, Jim Elliot) better than this one, but only because it gave a more in depth look at what motivated a man to live up to what he said he believed. My favorite quote from that book sums up the whole of "Through Gates of Splendor" as well, and is as follows: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose". I also very strongly recommend the book "The Savage My Kinsman" (also by Elisabeth Elliot) which is a book that picks up where this one leaves off, of how Elisabeth went back to the same tribe of people who killed her husband to carry the message that her husband had set out to give. It's a must read!


Navidad latinoamericana / Latin American Christmas
Published in Hardcover by Latin American Creations Publishing (01 January, 1999)
Authors: Charito Calvachi Wakefield, Charito Calvachi Wakefield, and Charito Calvachi Wakefield
Average review score:

Truly a family heirloom - to be cherished for years to come.
What a fantastic idea to bring all the latin american countries together for Christmas. One learns what each country's customs and rituals are during this special time of the year. I mostly enjoyed the CD which comes with the book because the music warms you all over. I especially enjoyed the the colorful illustrations of Mr. Fernando Reinoso which gives the book a touch of spirituality. I definitely will be giving this book as a Christmas present to friends and relatives. Enjoy!

An excellent book to share with your family.
My family and I really enjoyed this Christmas book. It contained very good music and illustraions with a latin touch. I recommend this book for the die-hard Christmas fan.

Navidad Latinoamerica is a classic in its own right.
Navidad Latinoamerica is a classic in its own right. It is so comprehensive in its collection of Latin American cultural stories, that it will no doubt be used as a historical reference or source for its subject matter in the future. Navidad Latinoamerica is more valuable because it is written in its native tongue, Spanish, and conveniently has the English translation of the Christmas stories beside it. Most valuable of all is the artwork, each page of which can stand on its own, which makes the flow of the stories so real. The depiction of the Christmas story with a Latin American flavor is beautifully accomplished. I cannot express how valuable such a book is in today's world where cultures meld from border to border. Every home and public library should have such a valuable book on its shelf.


Bruchko
Published in Paperback by Creation House (April, 1989)
Author: Bruce Olson
Average review score:

Incredible what one man can do in the Will of God
Bruce Olson was a 19 year old when he followed God's will for him to bring the Gospel to South American natives. Not knowing a word of Spanish, or any Indian languages, not having a missionary board, or any other missionaries to welcome him, not having a friend in all of South America (except for Jesus Christ), he walked off an airplane in Venuzuela, and eventually found himself injured and left to die inside a hut of the Motilone tribe, a group of natives so fierce that even the neighboring tribes refused to approach their territory and guided Bruce only so far, disappearing at the first sign of a Motilone.

How Bruce survives, and reaches these people and how Jesus transforms them is an exciting and enthralling true story that is miraculous, humbling, and glorious. You won't be able to put this book down until you reach the end, and you'll wish for a sequel, as Bruce is alive and well today and still touching folks with the Gospel and transforming power of Jesus Christ.

An Incredible Lesson in Learning to Trust and Serve God
I couldn't put this book down; finished it in one night. The most amazing part is that it's TRUE! The man who this story is about is still alive and still an example to the rest of us of what a true, servant of God can accomplish when he takes his own wishes out of the picture and follows the voice of our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ. My faith is stronger having read this book, perhaps yours will be too. God bless you as you seek the God of the Universe who Bruce Olson serves; three in one, God the Father, Jesus Christ the son and the Holy Spirit the Comforter.

the most unbelievable part is it's true
I whole heartedly agree with the other reviews. As the one person said- WARNING ONCE YOU START READING THIS YOU WON'T STOP! It was absolutely the best adventure story I have read in a long, long time. . . . and it is true! You will learn how God called author Bruce Olson to fulfill the Great Commission and when God leads Bruce's path there are great rewards and when he tried to implement his own plan (against God's clear direction) there is trouble. This is a story of the most amazing miracle that happened over a 20 year period. PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND PURCHASE THIS BOOK AND READ IT - YOU WILL BE BLESSED!


The Rivers Ran East: Travelers' Tales Classics
Published in Paperback by Travelers' Tales Inc (09 April, 2001)
Authors: Leonard Clark, Larry Habegger, and Louis Gallardy
Average review score:

All about Leonard Clark..........
I've nothing to add to the others reviews, because you've said all. I can only add that I've read this book for the first time when I was fourteen and today, that I'm 46 years old, I've read it again experiencing the same emotions! Now I want publish all that I found on the web: all the books and articles and the links to buy them and have more informations too!
You can find informations on the author and his masterpiece "The rivers ran east" on... and here an abstract follows "Leonard Clark [1907(1905?) - 1957)] was perhaps one of the greatest of all twentieth-century explorers. He did not believe in big expeditions and elaborate paraphernalia - he was a man who carried his own belongings and charged ahead. This same trait enabled him to perform extraordinary feats of military intelligence and reconnaissance in difficult and dangerous areas during World War II. Clark attended the University of California, then joined the army, attaining the rank of colonel. During the war, he spent many months in China behind Japanese lines organizing guerrilla activity. His post-war expeditions began in Borneo, and over the years he made trips to Mexico, the Celebes, Sumatra, China, India, Japan, Central America, South America, and Burma." He passed away in 1957 at the age of 49, while on a diamond-mining expedition in Venezuela"
He wrote:
A wanderer till I die [1937] very rare
An article on National Geographic magazine - September 1938
Among the big knot lois of Hainan: wild tribesmen with topknots roam the little-known interior of this big and strategically important island in the china sea [1938]
The Rivers ran east [1953]... - translated in italian by Garzanti...
The marching wind [c1955]...
Yucatan adventure [1959]...
Alle sorgenti del fiume giallo [1996 ] italian edition...
I hope I've found something interesting for all!

The Rivers Ran East
Leonard Clark was my uncle, and the new edition having been released, I have recently re-read The Rivers Ran East.

I found this book to be most incredible, not simply for the storytelling, but more importantly for Len's foresight into the value and preciousness of the South American rainforest. While he was admittedly not an environmentalist, he was truly a man ahead of his times in that respect. His appreciation for and finely detailed descriptions of the flora and fauna of the Amazon River basin are extremely topical and perhaps even more pertinent today than when he wrote the book. Among all else, he identifies specific native tribal practices and forest herbs as remedies unknown by Western medicine; as with many other products of the rainforest, these hold great promise and yet remain unresearched. Furthermore, his anthropological descriptions of the Amazonian natives capture a culture that now, just 50 years later, has largely been transformed to modern society and lost.

Purely on a swash-buckling adventure-tale level, the book is priceless: this is a real-life Indiana Jones! Len's hair-raising stunts, death-defying experiences, and encounters with Amazonian headhunters hit the reader one after another with nearly a breath in between.

Altogether five of Leonard's books were published: A Wanderer Till I Die (1937), The Rivers Ran East (1953), The Marching Wind (1954), Explorer's Digest (1955), and Yucatan Adventure (posthumously in 1958). All five make for fascinating reading. Many of his books were translated into Italian, Japanese, and other languages. My mother was Len's younger half-sister and I inherited her collection, which includes first editions in English of all five, as well as several of the translated versions, for example, the Japanese edition of The Marching Wind. In addition to The Rivers Ran East, The Marching Wind has also recently been republished and is now also available on Amazon.com. Beyond his books, articles by Len were published in National Geographic, Life, Literary Digest, Field and Stream, Popular Science, and American Weekly. The family still receives inquiries from time to time about possibly make a film based on one of his adventures, but none has been produced to date.

All of Len's books except for A Wanderer Till I Die were written after World War II. However, it was during the war that he perhaps made his greatest - though unpublished - contributions. Leonard served as an officer in the OSS, spending a good portion of the war in the China-Burma-India corridor conducting intelligence work in the Yellow River valley. Near the end of the war, he was stationed on Formosa and accepted the first (unofficial) surrender of the Japanese there. He earned the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Order of the White Cloud with Ribbon, the highest honor given by the Chinese to the foreigners who served them.

All of Leonard's works are fact, not fiction, and he is very highly regarded in our family as a military hero and quintessential adventurer. After the war, he built a log cabin near Fresno, California that I visited as a child. I remember Len as a large, quiet, gentle man who liked to tease us children, smoke his pipe, and take long contemplative walks in the woods with my mother. Yet he also embodied a sophistication, powerfulness, and seriousness that I sensed even as a child.

Len was born on 1/6/1907. He died on 5/4/1957 under mysterious circumstances while exploring for gold and diamond mines on the Caroni River in Venezuela. You will find a fairly extensive biography in Current Biography, Volume 17, No. 1, January 1956, although this does not cover his last years. In addition, my father devoted 20 pages in our family history to Len. For more information, please feel free to contact me.

The true tale of a successful search for spain's gold!
Clark,an American who helped engineer the resistance to the Japanese occupation of China, goes looking to the source of gold flowing to Spain from the new world. He finds the key in the archives of Spain. He travels alone into the interior of the Amazon river basing seeking the gold source. His guide abandons him the first day into the trek, leaving Clark armed only with his wits and a .38cal revolver. The story takes you into the vicious lifes of the head hunting Juarvo indian natives,..even as friends, they are deadly. To say more would give away the story. The reader gets a stark education of the ways of the not so primitive South American jungle inhabitants. Add to the mix a young Italian lady on a shadowing river boat, who is all to eager to assist him. But , in his quest, or demise. The book should be labelled as addictive to anyone who likes to read fast moving, hair raising non-fiction. REVIEWER NOTE: "The Rivers Ran East." is such a fantastic story that when it was published, no one took it seriously. Finally, two expedientions were mounted to follow Clark's footsteps. The first found that the indian resistance was even more formidable than Clark had reported and turned back. The second team found the gold, it is the richest gold strike in history. Their claim is said to the to be the "most expensive real estate on earth."


The Last American Rainforest: Tongass
Published in Hardcover by Paws IV Pub (December, 1997)
Authors: Shelley Gill and Shannon Cartwright
Average review score:

Tyler at Ashley River EL.
When shelley gill came to our school she was cool and funny. I liked this book because I liked the colors and the fog woman

Brittany at Ashley River El.
I liked The Last Amercain Rainforest because,it has beautiful pictures and creative writing.I love your book because,it's amazing and,I want to buy it.I liked the Wind and the Raven in your story,because,the Raven and the Wind are beautiful. Shelley Gill came to Ashley River .

Robert at Ashley River EL.
I like it when you came to our shcool.I like dogs, too.The books you read were good.We are happy that you came here.The Last American Rainforest was a good book because I like that book.I like the rain and the forest.I like It a lot.I have to go now.Have a good day.Bye!


Democracy in America
Published in Hardcover by University of Chicago Press (Trd) (November, 2000)
Authors: Alexis de Tocqueville, Harvey C. Mansfield, and Delba Winthrop
Average review score:

Still the Greatest Foreigner's View of America
"Democracy in America", published in two parts (the first in 1835, the second in 1840), is the great work of Alexis de Tocqueville, a young, aristocratic Frenchman, who traveled through most of the Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern United States during a 9 month period in 1832. Tocqueville had originally set out to study the U.S. prison system but what he saw inspired him to write about much, much more.

The foresight he had for such a young man is really impressive to read 160 years later. What he saw in the morals, work ethic and government structure of the United States led him to accurately predict many of the ways in which the U.S. would lead and has led the world. At the same time Tocqueville was not oblivious to many of the ills in the America he saw. He very wisely writes of the cancer that the institution of slavery was to not only all black Americans, but to the white, Southern farmers and workers as well.

I hate having to give these books "stars" for ratings because in many cases it takes away from the ultimate importance and classic status of a book like this one. Tocqueville does tend to jump around and venture off into different topics that don't fit with the rest of their chapter, which could be attributed to his youth. Also, a few of his predictions, naturally, were way off. A native Texan, I had a good laugh at his view that "the province of Texas is still part of the Mexican dominions, but it will soon contain no Mexicans." But overall Tocqueville's view of America was honest, accurate, and the perfect explanation of why, on a daily basis, people continue to risk their lives to gain the freedom that only the United States of America offers.

Refreshingly open-minded study!!
De Tocqueville was an amazing man who posessed amazing insight into the workings (and not-workings) of American society. One only laments the fact that he was not a middle caste American politician arguing amongst great minds during the Constitutional conventions. Then again, we are equally lucky of the fact that he was a curious Frenchman of the leisure class who happened to be passing through. This is what gives de Tocqueville the ability to refrain from emotionalism and give us an outsiders view of what makes America good, bad and just plain different.

See, de tocqueville recognizes, as did our founders, that liberty and democracy are key ingredients to a healthy society. On the other hand, he points out that too much freedom or democracy lead to lazy, public-opinion driven conformity, over-emphasis on materialism and restlessness. Another contradiction de tocqueville points out is that although self-government is generally a good idea, there are times when an all powerful aristocracy is just more efficient. He can see all sides.
The best part then is that de Tocqueville doesn't come to any final conclusion. He just observes and reports on America's inner workings as seen by an aristocratic Frenchman.

A few reccomendations to the de tocqueville virgins. First, as this is the unabridged, it may be advised to read the first book, pause to read something else, then read the second book. I read it straight through and found that not only would I have benefited from reflection, but much of the second book is a rehash the first. Second, keep in mind during the second book that the word 'democracy' is also de tocqueville's word for 'capitalism'. The word 'capitalism' would be introduced only years later by one Karl Marx. So when de tocqueville says that democracy increases industriousness, what the reader should hear is that capitalism increases industriousness. This in itself is a brilliant observation by de tocqueville. Democracy and capitalism really are the same thing, different scale. The producer, like the political candidate, cater to the consumer or the voter. Both systems allow the individual to choose the goods and services he wants and reject those he doesn't. This is why one may also want to read 'Wealth of Nations' with this book.

The only other thing I can tell the reader before he or she embarks on a fascinating reading adventure is to keep in mind why de tocqueville wrote the book. He intended it to be read by the french who were not familiar with or had misconceptions about America. Of course, it provides contemporary America with an amazing historical survey. Like the introductory exclamation to MTV's 'Diary' show says, "You think you know, but you have no idea".

Every literate American should read this
The specific edition I am reviewing is the Heffner addition which is a 300 page abridgement. I also own an unabridged edition but I have only read Heffner cover to cover. What is amazing about de Toqueville is how uncanny many of his observations are over a century and a half later. He accurately predicted in 1844 that the world's two great powers would be the United States and Russia. He aptly pointed out that Americans are a people who join associations and he is so right 156 years later. Although there are both religious extremists on both ends, ie fundamentalists and atheists, he was dead on that, as a whole, we are a religious society but that our religious views are moderate. De Toqueville shows how American characteristics evolved from democracy as opposed to the highly class structered societies of Europe. From de Tocqueville, it could have been predicted that pop culture, such as rock music etc, would develop in America because the lack of an aristocracy causes a less cultured taste in the arts. In a thousand and one different ways, I found myself marveling at how dead on de Toqueville was. Most controversially, those who argue that we have lost our liberties to a welfare state might well find support in de Toqueville. Here, 100 years before the New Deal, he forsaw that a strong central government would take away our liberties but in a manner much more benign than in a totalitarian government. There are certain liberties that Americans would willingly sacrifice for the common good. Critics of 20th century liberalism in the US might well point to this as an uncanny observation. By reading "Democracy in America," the reader understands what makes Americans tick. De Toquville was an astute observer of who we are as a people and should be read by all educated Americans.

I want to note that there are several editions of this great work and in deciding which to buy, be aware that each has a different translator. I feel Heffner's translation is slightly stilted but, he did such a wonderful job in editing this abridgement that it, nontheless, deserves 5 stars.


Spirit of the Rainforest: A Yanomamo Shaman's Story
Published in Paperback by Island Lake Press (01 January, 2000)
Author: Mark Andrew Ritchie
Average review score:

A FASCINATING READ!!!
I PICKED THIS BOOK UP AFTER SEEING CHIEF SHOEFOOT, GARY DAWSON AND MARK RITCHIE SPEAK AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY. SHOEFOOT WAS OBVIOUSLY QUITE INTELLIGENT. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND AT THAT TIME WHY HE STRESSED OVER AND OVER THAT THE YANOMAMO ARE HUMAN, "JUST LIKE YOU." HE WAS INDIGNANT ABOUT THE WAY THEY HAVE BEEN PORTRAYED ON T.V. HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY ARE NOT 'THE MISSING LINK' AS SOME ANTHROS HAVE ASSERTED. SHOEFOOT WAS FASCINATING AND SO IS THIS BOOK. A REAL EYE-OPENER ABOUT THE SPIRIT WORLD. IT MAKES ME WORRY FOR THE NEW-AGERS WHO ARE SEEKING THEIR OWN "SPIRIT GUIDES." IT IS A SURE INVITATION TO THE SAME MISERY THAT JUNGLEMAN DESCRIBES.

Yanomamo: Noble Savages or Hobbesian Brutes?
The 16,000 Yanomamo people are depicted as the most primitive, most violent, and most famous tribal society in the Amazon. Popularized by the most widely read book in the history of anthropology (*Yanomamo: The Fierce People*, by Napoleon Chagnon), these people are today suffering excruciating problems from gold miners and newly introduced diseases. Major debates have raged among anthropologists, and between anthropologists and missionaries, for 20 years over the "truth" of the Yanomamo culture. Do they live a wonderful life in a beautiful rain-forest Eden, as Chagnon implies in his 1992 book, *The Last Days of Eden*, or do they live in fear and misery as some missionaries say?

Perhaps we should ask that question to the Yanomamo themselves, rather than to the anthropologists or the missionaries. Who does speak for the Yanomamo, anyway? Here, for the first time, author Mark Richie allows the Yanomamo to speak for themselves to us. This is truly "a Yanomamo shaman's story," as the book's subtitle says. It is the autobiography of a Yanomamo shaman-chief named Jungleman. He, at least, is weary of his violent society, and fed-up with the anthropologists, too.

Anyone who thinks the Yanomamo culture is idyllic must be a male: The women live in chronic danger of gang-rapes, savage beatings by their husbands, and kidnapping. And men suffer one of the highest homicide rates in the world from the frequent raiding between villages. If you think it's a romantic way of life, why don't you try it?

Non-specialists in Amazonian anthropology may be skeptical of Jungleman's descriptions of the sexual customs of a European anthropologist who the Yanomamo call "Ass Handler." A.H. has lived with the Yanomamo for many years and, says Jungleman, makes a regular practice of forcibly sodomizing Yanomamo boys. Disbelievers may want to ask the opinion of any anthropologist specializing on the Amazon.

This is a gripping book to read: hard to put down, violent (some would say pornographic), and gut-wrenching. Students who have read the other ethnographies on the Yanomamo will recognize that this book has, above all, a ring of truth. New Age seekers will be fascinated by Jungleman's descriptions of the spirit world that shamans have found. Anthropology students will be shocked by Jungleman's insider view of the political internecine intrigues among anthropologists and between anthropologists and missionaries.

A gripping tale of a people and their struggle.
This book does a terrific job of telling the REAL story of the Yanomamo people. The fact that it is told by a Yanomamo shaman lends to the credibility of the book, as does the author's documentation.It was awesome to be able to finally conceptualize what I've believed all along; that the spirit world is very real. Ritchie does a wonderful job in not interjecting his own thoughts and bias into Jungleman's story. It was a moving and gripping tale of a people struggling with the ways they've known for so long and the ways they now wish to live.


Gateway to Atlantis: The Search for the Source of a Lost Civilization
Published in Hardcover by Carroll & Graf (November, 1900)
Authors: Andrew Collins and David Rohl
Average review score:

At last, a down to earth Atlantean theory!
Its nice to finally read something about Atlantis which doesn't rely on ancient astronauts or mystical crystals! Andrew Collins believes that Atlantis was located in the West Indies and related islands, basing his theory not on shadowy ideas about ruins under the ocean but on realistic measurements of travel times, directions, and other clues found in Plato and other ancients who mentioned a lost civilization to the west. While this book won't do much for the von Daniken crowd, it will certainly please those who can distinguish fact from mysticism!

At last, a "No Nonsense" book about Atlantis.
There's no doubt to me that this is THE book about the many theories and explorations concerning Atlantis. If Atlantis did exist, the author's conclusion about its location sounds more reasonable than the other theories. If Atlantis did not exist, this book is more than worthwhile as a look into ancient history, a study about ancient trade routes, the fascinating premise that ancient Europe and Africa knew about the American continents, and the most complete coverage of the main Atlantis theories of any book I've seen. This book is extremely well researched and written. It should be part of the library of anyone interested in ancient history as well as anyone interested in Atlantis. It's a Landmark book on its subject.

A most enjoyable work on a fascinating subject
The ever elusive Atlantis has never failed to arrest the imagination of many throughout the ages. In this latest and impressively researched work, Andrew Collins traverses the evidence available in order to unravel the 3 prime mysteries - whether Atlantis indeed once existed, its probable location in the modern world, and how it all came to an end.

Starting with Plato's Timaeus and Critias, Collins ploughs through a formidable mass of ancient and not-too-ancient literature to garner evidence about the lost land and its probable topography. He then applies the result with meticulous care (and with much erudite discussion in the process) to all the prime contenders for the location of Atlantis to determine which in fact is the most likely candidate for the legendary realm. He then seeks to corroborate the findings with legends from both sides of the Atlantic (in particular those from central America) as well as other more scientifically verifiable facts, such as information gleaned from ancient relics, the presence of tabacco in Egyptian mummies and some distinctive method for dyeing cotton. Having established the location of the lost Atlantis, the author completes his theory by examining the sort of catastrophe that brought about the end of the advanced civilisation there as well as the possible fate of those who managed to escape from it.

What makes this highly readable book doubly commendable is that the author has at all times followed the available evidence instead of making wild guesses and unsubstantiated propositions in order to advance his theories. Such a scholarly approach has made the discourse much more convincing than many other books written about lost civilisations. And if Collins's conclusions are not absolutely compelling, they nevertheless are very well argued and presented and warrant serious consideration by ancient historians. Besides, all those materials amassed by Collins for the book are already by themselves of great value to those interested in the subject. David Rohl's Introduction is also very illuminating and provides enlightening remarks about the methodology used by many alternative historians. A most enjoyable work on a fascinating subject. Highly recommended!


Evita: An Intimate Portrait of Eva Peron
Published in Hardcover by Rizzoli (May, 1997)
Authors: Tomas De Elia, Juan Pablo Queiroz, and Tomas De Elia
Average review score:

Can pictures of the controversial Argentinian Madonna lie?
As a photographic biography of an individual who died before the days of mass television, this book is magnificent. The Argentinian publishers who painstakingly compiled nearly 200 pages of many elusive photos - all in black and white, and of surprisingly impeccable quality - of this controversial Argentinian icon, and the academic who provides much of the narrative, fill an important gap in the literature on Eva Peron. Their treatment shows a clear sympathetic bias which should be recognized by any unwitting reader who may be unaware of the deepky split views of Eva Peron in Argentina and the political movement that she and her husband created.

If, like myself, you have enjoyed the brilliant Lloyd and Weber musical about Evita's musical life one or more times, these photos will provide some complementary historical insight to the dramatic performance. Like the musical, this book captures photos from Eva's childhood in a remote provincial pueblo in the pampas through her meteoric rise to stardom in Buenos Aires and ultimately to Argentina's First Lady. Perhaps most remarkable are the photos of her final months where, despite her cancer-ridden state and growing frailty, she continues public appearances and political campaigns.

If you are interested in this book, I would recommend you avoid the expense of a new copy by looking for one of the many high-quality second-hand copies available. I found my copy by accident ...for five dollars!

Stunning. A Glossy tribute to the late, great Eva Peron!
Extraordinary and hauntingly beautiful! These words which can easily describe Eva Peron herself can also be used to describe this book. The full page photographs are stunning and show every aspect of Eva Peron's life. Her physical transformation and her larger than life story are cleary displayed within it's pages. The book offers a brief biography but who wants to read when you can look at excellent, never before seen photographs of the former Argentine First Lady in all the slendour of her beauty. It is a shame that books like this are hard to come by and I was unable to find a copy here in Canada. The handsome black and white photographs more than make up for the high cost of the book. Fascinating and visually stimulating!

A Latin Beauty with Brains & Power- The Perfect woman.
... The book is highly recommended to anyone who is interested in learning more about the life and times of Eva Peron (altough the book itself maybe a little TOO expensive for the casual curiosity seeker, in that case I recommend buying a good used copy which there are alot of). It's also one of the rare PRO EVITA books (in English) that offers such clear, good quality photos of the subject. It offers a brief intro and briography but the main attraction are the photographs. You will see Eva's life from the earliest childhood photos to the last Cancer Stricken photos. Her incredible matamorphesis, her incredible acheivements and her awesome gowns and jewels are all displayed within the pages of this interesting book. My only problem with it though is that despite the amazing amount of photographs, I was still left unsatisfied. The reason being is that there are HUNDREDS and HUNDRES of beautiful photo's from Eva's artistic career but the ones they chose to display are the ones we have already seen. The same goes with the photo's taken of her in Europe and of her candid moments. The book claims that many of the photographs have never been seen before but that is true only of her childhood photos, all of the other ones have been published before in several magazines and books. That said, it's still THE BEST photographic Book ever released in North America. The only other ones that come close are ALL visciously one-sided ANTI PERONIST accounts- Lloyd Weber's and Tim Rice's EVITA: THE LEGEND OF EVA PERON & W.A Harbinson's awful EVITA: A LEGEND FOR THE SEVENTIES- the latter remains the WORST biography ever Written on the subject and was re-released as EVITA SAINT OR SINNER in 1996 however only the original 70's version contains an amazing collection of photos which is the only reason it's recomended.

And for closing, I am quoting my Chilean Aunts mother (who lived in Argentina during the first Peronist Period): "I saw her from the distant and to this day I have never seen a woman more beautiful. She was and is a Goddess. Everything about her was larger than life. She looked my way and her dark eyes pierced my soul. I will never forget her look."

This book offers a glimpse of the awesome power this remarkable woman had in life and still holds 50 years after her tragic demise.


Related Vacation Book Subjects: VacationBookReview south africa south asia
More Pages: south america Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100