Walking With Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the St. Louis Area

Book Description

From the wildlife-filled grasslands of Colorado to Utah's caves and canyons, explore the Southern Rockies with the best guides to natural America.

The Rocky Mountain States: Smithsonian Guides (Smithsonian Guides to Historic America)

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The Rocky Mountain States: Smithsonian Guides (Smithsonian Guides to Historic America)
Jerry Camarillo Dunn
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1556706391

THE SMITHSONIAN GUIDE TO HISTORIC AMERICA : The Rocky Mountain States (THE SMITHSONIAN GUIDES TO HISTORIC AMERICA, Volume 8)

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THE SMITHSONIAN GUIDE TO HISTORIC AMERICA : The Rocky Mountain States (THE SMITHSONIAN GUIDES TO HISTORIC AMERICA, Volume 8)

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000CPLBNI

Product Description

"The 12 Volume set includes V 1 Virginia and the Capital Region (VA MD DE DC) + V 2 Southern New England (MA RI CT) + V 3 The Mid-Atlantic States (NY PA NJ) + V 4 Northern New England (ME NH VT) + V 5 The Deep South (GA FL AL MS LA) + V 6 The Great Lakes States (OH IN IL MI WI MN) + V 7 The Pacific States (CA OR WA + V 8 The Rocky Mountain States (MT ID WY CO) + V 9 The Carolinas and the Appalachian States (NC SC TN KY WV) + V 10 The Desert States (NM AZ UT NV) + V 11 Texas and the Arkansas River Valley (TX OK AK) + V 12 The Plains States (MO IA KS NE SD ND) with descriptive text and full color photographs of all significant historic sites"

The Smithsonian Guide to Historic America: The Rocky Mountain States (Smithsonian Guide to Historic America)

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The Smithsonian Guide to Historic America: The Rocky Mountain States (Smithsonian Guide to Historic America)
Jerry Camarillo Dunn
Manufacturer: Stewart Tabori & Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1556701071

The Smithsonian Guides to Natural America: The Northern Rockies: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming (Smithsonian Guides to Natural America)

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The Smithsonian Guides to Natural America: The Northern Rockies: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming (Smithsonian Guides to Natural America)
Tom Schmidt
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679763120
Release Date: 1995-09-11

Amazon.com

An expatriate American living in England, John Singer Sargent was an immensely gifted artist and the leading international portraitist of his day. He produced his magnificent oil paintings of the social elite after lengthy preparations that included numerous studies and sketches. American Drawings and Watercolors in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: John Singer Sargent presents the Met's collection of four sketchbooks and 337 single sheets by Sargent, from rough to highly finished designs. Many of the watercolors and a handful of the drawings are brilliant, but they are lesser works than the great paintings; this book is an important art-historical study rather than an art book.

Two introductory essays describe the formation of the collection and the artist's techniques. The material is divided into four sections covering Sargent's childhood, early career, professional activity, and travel, each introduced by details of the artist's life. The drawings provide useful contexts for his major paintings. For example, intimate sketches of Madame Gautreau, the sitter for his portrait Madame X, whose scandalously low shoulder strap led to the closing of Sargent's Paris studio, clarify the narrative that precedes the section "Student Years and Early Career, 1874-89." Watercolors from his visit to the frontlines during World War I include naked soldiers bathing; these and other material have led to speculation about Sargent's sexual orientation, which is beginning to attract critical analysis. The complex material is extensively and intelligently footnoted, and a chronology of Sargent's life, exhibitions, and a bibliography round out the book's encyclopedic scholarship. The first of a series documenting the Met's collections of master-drawings, this book is a treasure-trove and an art historian's delight. --John Stevenson

Book Description

American Drawings and Watercolors in The Metropolitan Museum of Art: John Singer SargentStephanie L. Herdrich and H. Barbara Weinberg, with an essay by Marjorie ShelleyThis lovely book celebrates the unparalleled collection of works by John Singer Sargent at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The volume describes The Metropolitan's acquisition of Sargent's works, including the particularly fine collection of his drawings and watercolors, and organizes his work into four sections: childhood and adolescence, student years in Paris and early career, professional accomplishments from 1890 to 1925, and studies made during extensive travels from 1890 to 1925.

Customer Reviews:

A Sargent Treasury.......2007-10-08

First... some disclosure. I am a "card-carrying" admirer of John Singer Sargent and of all of his work. I have more than fifty books on Sargent. And I am an obsessive amateur watercolorist; half of our home is filled with paintings, paintings in progress and painting supplies. But, a little rational mitigation... I am not monomaniacal. I also deeply appreciate the work of other greats such as John Whorf and Winslow Homer. And today's Trevor Chamberlain, John Yardley, David Curtis, etc. So, if you like this kind of work, then you'll love this book.

Love it even without any fancy academic theory, art history or the like. Like me, you can just look at a reproduction of an alpine brook in watercolor by Sargent and simply say, "Wow!" And pass your eyes over every millimeter. "Look how he suggests those rocks and ferns!" But then I also greatly enjoy reading the textual background. Where it was done. In what context. Sargent's visits and vacations. The work's provenance. This last can be facinating as in the case of Sargent's recently surfaced and obviously originally "mis-acquired" "Spanish Dancer". If my own work was any good and further if I did employ a maid then I'd... :)
Well, obviously I can speak only as a naive Sargent enthusiast, but I can't recommend this book more. I read it over and over. I'd have paid twice the price.

Finally, for some, the category "drawing" can be confusing, as is evident here it also includes watercolors. Go figure. But, I don't mind the nomenclature as long as the academics provide me with pretty decent reproductions and an interesting history.

American Drawings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Volume 3: John Singer Sargent

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American Drawings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Volume 3: John Singer Sargent
H. Barbara Weinberg, Marjorie Shelley Stephanie L. Herdrich
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Museum of Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OS1AES

Book Description

When Kosins first met Maya in a pet store, he didn't even want a dog. But 18 years later, when she died in his arms, Martin knew their relationship was and always would be the most significant of his life. This wonderfully moving chronicle of Martin's and Maya's ever-deepening bond touches a chord in anyone who has ever known grief at the loss of a treasured animal friend. Illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful, moving book !!.......2007-10-08

I bought this book and started reading it (and finished it!) in the same day. This was and is the most wonderful book I have ever read. It was so touching and sweet and sad all at the same time. I have always loved animals and have had a special connection and love for those that share my life. Many times I feel a bit "crazy" for loving my animals the way I do but reading this book made me realize that I am not alone. The connection we get from our pets is something that we just can't get anywhere else; it's completely special in its own way. The devotion this man showed toward his dog is an inspiration. That kind of unconditional love is amazing. I have read this book probably 5 times since I bought it a few years back and I cry every time I read it. If you LOVE animals, you'll LOVE this book!

A book to cherish for dog lovers.......2007-04-20

Just finished reading "May's First Rose" for the third time. I didn't cry quite as much this time but still found it profoundly moving. The first time I read it I had two aging dogs that I loved like good friends. The second time was when the female developed cancer and had to be put down. The third was just recently when our 17 year old "little boy" died suddenly at a friends house when we were on vacation. I have never read a book whose author understands the love a person can have for a dog better and more eloquently. Martin Kosins poem at the end is one of the most touching things I have ever read in my life. Bravo Mr. Kosins and thank you so much for sharing your words with all of us true pet lovers. They are our companions in life and the love we feel for them endures.

Someone Who Understands.......2007-04-15

I loved this book. It is one of my all-time favorites. He totally understands how much a part of you your pet can be. The people who wrote poor reviews are to be pitied, as they just don't understand the bond. Many people say they love their pets, but don't really understand when they're part of you. People who truly love their pets understand and will find this book helpful.

THANK YOU MARTIN KOSINS for a brilliant heartfelt book!.......2007-03-11

I wrote a blog about my beloved Manda. I needed help finding THIS BOOK - Maya's First Rose. I read it many years ago just because I worked at a vet hospital and wanted to understand more what folks losing their pets were going through. It helped me to understand even though I had never experienced such a thing.

Now, in my life, I have lost one dog to brain cancer. His quick illness lasted a total of five days before I had to make the excruciating decision to have him euthanized.

Now, I am watching my beloved 17 year old dog fail. She has kidney failure, heart failure, a collapsing trachea and is anemic. She still loves life, is happy and with medical help isn't suffering.

I'm so thankful to author MIRALEE FERRELL for helping me find this book:

Here's the blog I wrote which triggered this whole thing and helped me find this GREAT BOOK!!!

Has anyone read a book called: MAYA?
I can't remember the author and I'm not 100% that is the entire title. The book is a great story about a guy and his love and devotion to his dog. It takes the reader through his last days with Maya. I would love to get my hands on it again...to re-read it during this time.

As I am care-taking Manda, my 17 year old Pom who has had our hearts since she entered this world, I am reminded of this book. We have been through so much together over the last 17 years! As you've read in previous blogs about my dogs, they are a huge part of our lives and bring me much joy.

Manda shows so much love and dedication to me, how could I even consider turning my back on her now? While she is so ill, she is still bright and alert. She still runs to greet me with a wagging tail and kisses. She still spins in circles with excitement.

Is it a lot of work? Is it inconvenient? Is it worth it? Is it keeping her from suffering? Yes to all of the above. She will begin at home "sub-q" treatments next week.

Is she going to get better? Is it an investment that is going to offer financial returns? No to both. We have no idea how many days, weeks or even months she may be with us. We want each and everyday that she has left to be as good as possible.

Manda had bloodwork done this week. She has been receiving treatment for over 1 year for her heart and trachea. Now, she is in full blown kidney failure and she is anemic along with being in heart failure. The meds to treat either the heart or the kidneys work against each other and the other organ involved. We are simply doing the best we can for our dog who has given so much to us over the years.

It's not that I have tons of money and it is easy to just spend money on her. It is a sacrifice that we are willing to make because it needs done.

I feel God gave me this little creature and it is my responsibility to take care of her in the best way possible. That doesn't mean I ignore signs and symptoms allowing her to suffer, wishing the problem would go away and wait on her to die. That doesn't mean I go to all possible life saving and trial measures such as transplants.

The veterinarian cried with me at the clinic and over the phone with results. I'm a major animal lover. I'm one of those who doesn't even kill a fly or spider that gets in the house. I catch them and put them back outside. I cried when a opossum ran out in front of the car and my hubby couldn't miss it. I really wonder where I came from sometimes. I have no idea where or how I developed such a love for animals. I didn't grow up with animals lovers but at a young age I began rescuing animals! For some reason, God made me this way!

I hope I can have the courage necessary to continue taking care of her in the best way possible. I find myself trying to touch her more, look at her more and enjoy our last times together even more.

A special book.......2007-02-19

If you're looking for a book that is creepy and horrendously dull, this book is for you.

Book Description

From shade-lovers to sun-lovers and everything in between, Perennials is an exciting journey with America's gardener, Dr. Allan Armitage. Enjoy, as he shares with you a wealth of information on more than 160 varieties of perennial plants. Your garden will never be the same!

Customer Reviews:

A Talking Plant Encyclopedia!.......2004-03-02

There's lots of great information on this CD. I really like having access to Allan's plant knowledge at my fingertips. The CD includes information on hundreds of perennials...information such as hardiness zones, light tolerance, growth rate, height, spread, bloom season, and a concise description. Each plant has at least one still photograph, and some of them even have a short video clip of Allan in his garden talking about the plant.

I love his presentation style and find myself referring back to this CD often.

This would also make a great gift!

Learn About Perennials From An Expert.......2004-02-28

This CD includes a lot of information, photos and videos about many perennials from one of the great perennial experts. Videos of some of his favorite and not-so-favorite plants make using the CD interesting and fun to use. Seeing and hearing Armitage talk about plants is entertaining. This is a great tool for students as well as home gardeners.

Perfect for Plant Enthusiasts.......2002-06-01

This disc truly captures the wit and wisdom of one of America's premier perennial gardeners, Dr. Allan Armitage of the University of Georgia. Dr. Armitage has a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding the care and growing of a wide variety of perennial plants.

Stroll along with Dr. Armitage and learn firsthand information on the care and growing of 160 different perennials ranging from Acanthus to Yucca. Dr. Armitage's great stories, eye-catching videos, beautiful photos, and great tips and information make learning about these great plants easy and entertaining. This is the perfect reference piece for experts and novices alike.

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A Gardener's Guide to Perennials: Establish a Beautiful Border with This Fine Selection of Herbaceous Perennial Plants (Ideal for the Beginning Gardener)

Manufacturer: Salamander Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0191010898

Product Description

What is a perennial plant? All plants are perennials except annuals and biennuals. In this book the term perennial indicates herbaceous or hardy herbaceous perennials. This includes hardy plants and some half hardy ones whose foliage dies back each autumn or winter after flowering and returns to life in the spring, when new young shoots emerge from a clump of dead-looking material. However, perennials are not always deciduous. Some will have evergreen foliage, and they will provide interest during the winter months. This book is ideal for beginners. It includes over 100 color photographs and 150 line drawings.

Book Description

For the first time, a book that tells the truth about Hernando de Soto's legendary expedition across what would become the United States, where he squandered a fortune in gold won in the conquest of Peru, and drove himself slowly mad searching for a second Inca empire. Maps and line drawings.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent biography of a man consumed by ambition.......2006-01-22

David Duncan has written a full and detailed account of the life of Hernando De Soto, and although the Florida expedition that consumed the last few years of his life is what he is best (only?) remembered for, it's interesting to see the man during his earlier life and how it made him what he was. Born in Spain in 1500, little is known about his childhood. He went to Panama as a teenaged soldier and rose quickly through the ranks, becoming a leader in the conquest of Nicaragua. One chronicler has stated that De Soto (Duncan drops the De when giving his name, but it's so uncustomary that it looks and sounds unnatural) had great skill in "slaying Indians." He went with Pizarro to Peru to conquer the Incas and then returned to Spain a very wealthy man. From Charles V he was able to get the governorship of Cuba and the right to claim Florida. With 600 men he landed in Florida somewhere near Tampa Bay and began his conquest of what would later become the southeastern area of the US.

De Soto's methods were brutal (thus the word "Savage" in the book's title), though typical of the Spanish conquistadores. Natives were either a means to material riches or would be slaughtered; best would be first the one, then the other. Anyway, the expedition wandered north through Florida to the panhandle (Tallahassee is the only sure place anyone knows with certainty that De Soto actually visited, thanks to archeological finds made a few blocks from the state house) and then through the heart of Georgia and South Carolina, west through North Carolina, south through Alabama to near Montgomery, then west again through Mississippi, where on May 8, 1541, he "discovered" the Mississippi River, perhaps just west of present-day Walls or near Friars Point (the mouth of the river had actually been discovered and mapped by unnamed sailors decades earlier). For the next year the expedition roamed through Arkansas before turning back to the Mississippi, where De Soto died (perhaps poisoned, though Duncan admits the evidence is skimpy to non-existent) on May 21, 1542, and was entombed in the river. (In a half-page epilogue, Duncan brings the expedition, reduced by then to 300 men, safely to Mexico 18 months later.)

The tragedy of this expedition, as Duncan makes clear, is not that the "material riches" so long sought after were never found, but that so many "real riches" (the rich, fertile land in particular) went unappreciated. Duncan believes that De Soto wasn't interested in gold by then anyway (he was already fabulously wealthy); what really drove him was an insatiable ambition to be the greatest conquistador of them all. Duncan's biography is interesting and vibrant, and offers the reader a clear picture of the man and his times. The research is thorough and wide-ranging and includes official documents and first-hand accounts. Duncan sees De Soto as neither a hero nor a villain, only a man consumed by the need to succeed. And in that he certainly wasn't a unique individual in the annals of history. Highly recommended.

Fascinating but ends abruptly.......2005-07-10

An interesting book that firmly pushes the idea that Soto was a murderous butcher intent on destroying whatever and whomever was in his was as he sought gold in the New World.

David Ewing Duncan takes us from South America to Spain and finally North America with Soto leading the way at all times. We're with Soto and his men as the entrada into Florida starts well but ends, three years later, with the remaining men scurrying off to Mexico after a decidedly unpleasant time spent in the Southeastern USA.

A little more about what happened after Soto's death would have gone a long way. Not bad, though.

disturbing history.......2004-03-05

This book is a biography of the life of Hernando de Soto That is a point which sometimes is disappointing because we often have to leave some exciting events in history as de Soto departs to other places. This is exceptionally true at the end of the book. In between the beginning and end is some very disturbing truths about the conquistadores's savage treatment of the native Americans they encountered in the New World. Author Duncan deserves credit for telling it like it is while knowing that his subject becomes less and less of a heroic figure with every ghastly detail. It is still hard to fathom the incredible destruction of the Incan empire by the small force of Pizarro's men.

The author spends a fair amount of time evaluating the available evidence which is helpful. The second half of the book is an excellent view of SouthEast America that our own immigrant culture knows little about; partly because de Soto's men had so severely impacted it that it was essentially gone when our ancesters first encountered it.

The story of de Soto is essentially the tragedy of a dynamic life cut short, of a quest that fell short, and of a discovery of wealth that went overlooked. De Soto's focus on gold caused him to overlook a world that would surpass the importance of "wealthier" parts of the New World. Unfortunately, the book ends with the death of de Soto in present-day Arkansas. By giving us a single paragraph to tell what happened to his men after that, we come away feeling as stranded and lost as they were.

Young author produces a masterpiece.......2003-01-18

Although Hernando De Soto: A Savage Conquest in the Americas is a biography, it reveals as much about the hideous cruelty the Spanish inflicted upon indigenous peoples as it does about the great conquistadors. In doing so, author David Ewing Duncan allows the reader to balance the triumphs of Soto with the vast human destruction he left in his wake. Neither an apologia nor a polemic, this book stays close to the facts and represents the best in popular history.

Meticulously researched and beautifully written, De Soto unfolds like a riveting novel as it follows the explorer from his impoverished youth to his anti-climatic death near the Mississippi River. To anyone interested in the European conquest of the Americas (or in the decimation of the Indians and their cultures) this book is a must read.

In addition to Soto, the author chronicles the achievements and savageries of such other notables as Cortez, Pizarro, Balboa, and Coronado. The book cleverly references and analyzes the works of American and Spanish historians, including those who were present as the conquerors murdered, raped, pillaged, enslaved, proselytized and bravely explored in South, Central and North America. Where there is a disparity in the record Duncan examines the conflict and suggests the account he considers the more reliable. At times the contemporary American Soto enthusiasts and the Spanish historians who are referenced throughout the book prove almost as intriguing as their subject matter.

Given the tremendous undertaking this work represents, Duncan manages to produce a highly readable and lively book. Even if the author can't help but reveal his personal revulsion at Soto's blatant inhumanity, Duncan also is objective enough to acknowledge flashes of true heroism and bravery. The Soto that the author presents is a historic Indiana Jones figure who descends into a Conrad-like Heart of Darkness.

The book cleverly incorporates maps, charts, paintings, and other graphics into the text. Further, although it may be tempting to skip the footnotes due to the length of the text, the reader is well advised not to do so. Buried in these footnotes are clever thoughts, insights and explanations.

This book richly deserves five stars and a second look by anyone who skipped it when it was first released.

a very fine young writer.......2000-04-06

I came to this book because I enjoyed the author's other work: Calendar is a fascinating read, and From Cape to Cairo is really compelling. When I started this biography of Soto, I was surprised about the academicness of the work--lots of footnotes, for example. But as I read on, I found the same qualities which make reading Duncan's other works such a joyful experience present here. Though Soto may not be a "fun" topic, Duncan's prose is a great pleasure. And, as always, I learned a lot.

The Hernando de Soto Expedition: History, Historiography, and "Discovery" in the Southeast

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The Hernando de Soto Expedition: History, Historiography, and "Discovery" in the Southeast

Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0803271220

Book Description

From 1539 to 1542 Hernando de Soto and several hundred armed men cut a path of destruction and disease across the Southeast from Florida to the Mississippi River. The eighteen contributors to this volume—anthropologists, ethnohistorians, and literary critics—investigate broad cultural and literary aspects of the resulting social and demographic collapse or radical transformation of many Native societies and the gradual opening of the Southeast to European colonization.

A world explorer: Hernando De Soto (World explorer books)

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A world explorer: Hernando De Soto (World explorer books)
Elizabeth Rider Montgomery
Manufacturer: Garrard Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Hernando De Soto And His Expeditions Across the Americas (Explorers of New Lands)

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Hernando De Soto And His Expeditions Across the Americas (Explorers of New Lands)
Janet Hubbard-Brown
Manufacturer: Chelsea House Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0791086100

Hernando De Soto and the Exploration of Florida (Explorers of the New World)

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Hernando De Soto and the Exploration of Florida (Explorers of the New World)
Jim Gallagher
Manufacturer: Chelsea House Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0791055124

Hernando de Soto and the Spanish Search for Gold in World History

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Hernando de Soto and the Spanish Search for Gold in World History
Ann Gaines
Manufacturer: Enslow Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Exploration & Discovery | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0766018210

At the Moon's Inn (Library Alabama Classics)

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Lost in the Wilderness

At the Moon's Inn (Library Alabama Classics)
Andrew Lytle
Manufacturer: University Alabama Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0817305114

Customer Reviews:

Lost in the Wilderness .......2007-07-13

While Andrew Lytle is best known for his role with the Nashville Agrarians, he also was an excellent historical novelist. Some of his best works, such as the novel "At the Moon's Inn" and the novella "Alchemy", deal with Spain in the New World. While one would not think colonial Spain would be fertile ground for Lytle's Agrarian vision, his message comes through very clearly in this interesting, insightful and exciting novel.

Lylte examines the ill fated and unproductive De Soto expedition which, in three years, discovered the Mississippi, ravaged the natives of the Southeast and found nothin in terms of treasure, found no colonies and made no converts to Christianity. In an excellent first scene, Lytle has heroes of the Reconquista and the legendary survivor da Vaca warn Soto and his men about what waits for them in La Florida. Lytle then takes the reader through the New World where the Spanish turn their backs on all the glories of Western Civilization and the moral foundations of the Christian faith in search of gold. This is refinforced by memories of Columbus and descriptions of him as an alchemist and a confession from a ghost at the end of the novel. Dreams of fortune can destroy men as they cut the ties of the past and wander in an unfamiliar wilderness. That is certainly a key aspect of Lytle's vision.

The introduction is excellent on Soto and scholarship of that never conquered conquisidor. It is not as good on Lytle and M. E. Bradford's essay on "Alchemy" and "At the Moon's Inn" may be a better place to start. There is also one of the stangest blurbs I have ever seen on a book on the back cover of the Library of Alabama Classics paperback from, of all people, former Sen. Bob Graham of Florida praising Soto. It's fair to say ole Bob did not read the book. Lytle's book is devestating to Soto in this provactive and satisfying novel.

De Soto, Coronado, Cabrillo: Explorers of the Northern Mystery (National Park Service Handbook)

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Background of Historical Parks

De Soto, Coronado, Cabrillo: Explorers of the Northern Mystery (National Park Service Handbook)
David Lavender
Manufacturer: National Park Service
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0912627484

Book Description

This official government handbook describes the expeditions of the Spanish explorers, DeSoto, Coronado, and Cabrillo and their encounters with the new world of America and its native peoples. Also provides information about the national monuments named after the explorers.

Customer Reviews:

Background of Historical Parks.......2001-11-01

I didn't realize that this little book was published by the National Park Service until coming to the end, where there is a section of brief descriptions and photos of a few of our national parks named after early explorers. These include deSoto National Memorial in Florida, Coronado National Memorial in Arizona, Pecos National Historical Park in New Mexico, and Cabrillo National Monument in California.

The first part of the book is a synopsis of the explorations of these conquistadores, all from Spain, who searched the New World for riches, in particular, gold. What they encountered were Native Americans, some friendly, some ferocious. Although the Spaniards suffered physically through hardships of difficult terrain, shortage of food, and battles with natives, they also inflicted injustices on the native peoples.

This book offers a brief but important understanding of the history behind the names of places we often take for granted. It is the history of the U.S. before the English arrived and created the colonies. The Spanish were here first, and as maps show in this book, traversed much of the land. Unfortunately for the Spanish, they were disheartened about the lack of gold, and did not pursue its other natural resources. How different the U.S. might have been if they had not given up.

This little publication deserves a 5 for fulfilling its purpose of bringing awareness to the history that created these national parks. It can serve as a springboard for other research, as well as create interest in including these sites in one's vacation plans.

Average customer rating:
De Soto, explorer of the Southeast (His Gallery of great Americans series. Explorers of America)
Matthew G Grant
Manufacturer: Creative Education; distributed by Childrens Press, Chicago
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | United States | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 087191283X

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The Story of an Explorer

De Soto, Finder of the Mississippi
Ronald Syme
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Co Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Historical | Biographies | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0688312241

Customer Reviews:

The Story of an Explorer.......2001-11-03

I have discovered that author Ronald Syme has written many historical biographies in particular for children. I may even have read something of his when I was kid, since he seems to have published since the 1960s. His books are timeless, well written and easy to follow, presented in a story-type format, and including interesting details to personalize the history. I read his book about DeSoto as part of my own research about the Spanish explorers of North America. As an adult reader of this book, I was able to glean a good understanding of who deSoto was and what he did. The last I had ever heard anything about deSoto was in sixth grade, along with a brief mention of the names and discoveries of other early explorers, such as Ponce deLeon. DeSoto's story is really fascinating, and Syme's version is sure to interest today's children. It covers the difficulties met by deSoto's men in crossing difficult territory and confronting hostile natives. It does mention the injustices the Spaniards meted to the natives, but not in the horrific detail that will be found in biographies meant for older readers. I recommend this book as well as other works by Syme to interest young readers in the subject of history.

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