Columbia Reviews

For anyone going to the Bugaboos to climb, this book is a necessity: it is the only source of information on routes in the area, with detailed topos.

Cons: some topos are incorrect (ex: Tiger's Trail). Also, new routes have gone up since 1990.

This guide to the entire 184 mile C&O canal is wonderful, with nice cutaway illustrations of locks, boats, the gatekeeper's house; well-written accounts and vintage photos of life on barge boats, current information on the park's amenities. It's small enough to be portable. Very useful and enjoyable guide. I would have liked more information on the possibility of canoeing the entire length of the river, thus my 4 star rating. A great little book, and quite affordable.

This is a readable and interesting book not only for westerner but also for us Japanese. However I would like to read much more on Greek and Latin literatures. And next time more comprehensive volume including Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Persian and Arabic anthologies I hope to read.

In addition, the editor didn't understand the Greek language well, since he erroneously thought that " Amores " of Lucianos(p.23-24) is different work from " Affairs of the Heart " of (Pseudo)Lucianos(p.49-).

Considering the price, this book offers a simple yet concise explanation on English usage. Recommended for non-native speakers.

David Thompson was an explorer and cartographer of great magnitude. These personal journals document his explorations in the Canadian Rockies and northwestern U.S. from 1800-1811. His responsibilities were to discover and map new trade routes for the North West Company across the mountains and eventually to the Columbia River Basin. The journals depict the many hardships he and his men endured while on several exploratory trips: the impenetrable mountain snows; surviving severe winters of -30 F; the trials and tribulations of building trading posts, canoes, sleds; the demeanor of local Indian tribes; lack of food; etc. As Dr. Belyea says in her introduction, "David Thompson's Columbia journals require of the reader a perseverence that is well rewarded..the journals are dry and difficult..and the reader must work hard to create his or her own pattern of understanding". It is a worthy book from an exceptional man. The seven reproductions of maps by Arrowsmith, Thompson, etc. are quite poor in quality and I would therefore suggest an atlas for those unfamiliar with the geography of the area so as to follow his whereabouts.

If you're interested in this sort of thing as I am this book could be of great value however the price is unreal. I have a CD that does much the same for the entire country at a third the price of one state however this book is MUCH more accurate and shows county boundaries that only occured for as little as three days. The CD is also easier to use. That said I'll likely ask for the book as one of those Christmas presents I wouldn't buy for myself.

I have found this book very useful on 3 cruises through the San Juans and Vancouver Island. Information on each marina includes: area map, harbor layout, address, phone #, VHF channel, Marina services, photographs and a general discussion of the marina and surrounding area.

I am new to sailing on the Columbia River and this book has helped me expand my horizons. I sail out of Portland and the atlas helps me to easily identify destinations and routes. The feature that makes this atlas so helpful is the high definition and low scale charts that are pieced together all the way up the Greater Columbia drainage. Its a good guide for keeping you afloat and active on the rivers.

This book had me engrossed from the beginning. The photos and maps tell a story that is a must see for the local historian.

This book gives the reader a nice glimpse of what life is like in this remote coastal area, and also of the sense of community that is difficult to grasp if you're only passing through. And, seaplanes are just fun to read about - this book talks about many different ones for a real learning experience.