Open-interest

If you are planning a trip to England and/or Wales and want to know which gardens are open on what days, plus which of those days selected gardens are open for charity, this is the book to buy. GARDENS OPEN FOR CHARITY (2003) is updated every year. The 2003 version is sponsored by "Carr Sheppards and Crosthaite" and contains every thing the avid gardener and/or garden lover and/or visitor will want to have on hand to plan a vacation, a weekend excursion, or a day out. I ordered the 2003 version of the "yellow book" from Amazon-UK and received it very quickly.

Gardens open almost every day through the year, or the growing season plus those only open for special events are included. You can obtain information about all kinds of gardens including the Botanic Gardens (Oxford University) and Hidcote Manor Garden in Chipping Camden (National Trust) that are accessible most of the time to privately owned gardens such as Lambeth Palace (Archbishop of Canterbury) that are only open to the public on special occasions.

England and Wales are divided into shires and maps are shown for each jurisdiction. The gardens discussed in the catalogue are noted on the map. This is one of the best if not the best guide you will find to gardens in the U.K.

Whether you are an armchair traveler who loves gardens or international traveler in search of the most beautiful gardens in England and Wales, this book both satisfies the craving for reading about this topic and whets the appetite for more. These private gardens, opened to visits to help raise funds for this charitable organizaton, are described in detail with dates and times they are open, admission fees, directions, parking and what is available to partake of, such as teas and music. There are several pages of beautiful color photographs. This is one book that will be packed in the suitcase or tucked by the garden lover's chair. It's a book I love and never tire of going through time and again.

"Civil War buffs will warmly welcome Gelbert's guide" - Rettig on Reference

"an ideal supplement to any personal, academic, or public library Civil War collection" - The Midwest Book Review

"indispensible for Civil War buffs; others will find this guide very useful" - Ozarks Bookshelf

"Handy...the real value of this book is the insight it offers into the industrial history of the United States" - Library Journal

"engaging...it's practicality and readability make it a sound investment...for all libraries" - Choice

"Purchase is recommended for travel, business, and general reference collections" - Booklist

Victor Smith was a young man with an adventurous spirit when he flew across uncharted areas of Africa in the early 1930's. Today he would be calles irresponsible but he helped pioneer todays airline routes.

Victor flew in an era when modern day aviators with the romance of flying in their blood would love to have flown. It is a forgotten era but with Victors book the memory of those wonderful days lives on. Those wishing to persue aviation as a carreer or a hobby need to read this book as a background to appreciate the great courage of the airmen of that day, and the incredible advances in technology that have made flying what it is today. The book is in its second print and is available at exclusive books or direct from Vivienne at vivbw1@mweb.co.za Captain Wally Waldeck SA

Great book for the serious investor. set ups are pretty consistant. Great tech.book

If your looking for a great technical book that shows you consistent set ups, this is the one for you. This book is way under rated.

This is actually a great book for people who like to take short road trips and visit gardens in their area. It's basically a listing of "open houses" in people's private gardens. I like the fact that so many garden owners/enthusiasts are sharing their talents in gardening with the public. The book offers a description of each of the gardens, plus drivng directions, and the dates/times that the "open house" will be going on. It also lists tips on how to be polite when visiting the gardens. One thing I did not know when I purchased this book is that it does not have any pictures! So one must make the trip out to see for oneself and only on the days that are listed in the guidebook. No, you can't go just any time!

major parts of the caribbean were left out, and hey!, some people prefer not to travel to the big resorts! stick with lonely planet or others that know their stuff!

I rather did not like this book - I think I did a better job researching online, through travel agents, brochures, and family travel forums. There were a number of Caribbean destinations not mentioned in the book. Moreover, the information that was there seemed like abstract info. after my research. I was definitely disappointed that Cancun, Cozumel, and the Riviera Maya of Mexico (all hot spots for family travel and on the Caribbean Sea) were not included - obviously, if you are trying to research all options of where to go in the Caribbean, no stones should be left unturned.
Bottom line - this book is maybe okay if you are not looking at Mexico at all, but if you're online and have a little time to look - invest some time. There is more complete info. out there.

I rather did not like this book - I felt that I did a much better job researching places online, through travel agents and brochures. Moreover, I was a bit disappointed that it didn't cover the east coast of Mexico - Cancun, Cozumel, and Mayan Riviera - all on Caribbean Sea and hot spots for family travel!!
What I did read was basically abstract info. that I had already gotten online - especially through family travel forums. I found that there were also some destinations missing from this book (that I had heard about elsewhere).
So, this book is maybe okay if you are not interested in Mexico and not a heavy price to pay (to lose?) but just not too complete.

Although I haven't read every travel book that has been published, I would be stunned if there was a worse one than this. Nelson tries (vainly) to pass off his tourist sight-seeing as "adventures" and himself as some kind of intrepid, trail blazing pioneer. He prides himself on his ability to "survive" and yet he is never in any real danger (he books all of his "adventures" through American travel agencies and always seems to have a pre-booked hotel room or lodge and drivers, interpreters & guides at his disposal on his arrival. He never caters for himself nor makes his own arrangements - that's not "living on the edge" by anyone's definition !!) His "insights" are neither witty nor particularly interesting and he relies far too heavily on exaggeration & superlatives("biggest", "best" etc.) rather than attempting to properly describe what he is seeing.
His attitudes to people and their cultures are also alarmingly one-sided; throughout the book, you are left with the impression that all Europeans are evil and exploitative and that all other non-Europeans are noble and spiritual, and to be admired. However, he reserves his own particular racism for the British - never missing an opportunity to "inform" his readers just how much everybody else in the world hates the Brits.
This book flatters to deceive even before you open the cover; the text on the jacket gives you the impression that you are about to meet Indiana Jones crossed with Bill Bryson, the result is neither. His exploits are neither original nor exciting and the writing is crass and unfunny.
Before you consider buying this book, please read the "Library Journal" & "Kirkus Reviews" in Amazon's "Editorial Reviews" section !!

This book is just God-Awful. I think a ten-year-old could have written a better travelouge than this yahoo. It is immature and ethnocentric and just plain all around boring. The author does a terrible of making his spoiled little touristy outings actually seem interesting and his sense of humor comes of as funny for about the first three pages and from then on sarcastic and trite for the rest. A huge waste of omey, avoid at all costs.

For those of you who have all condemned Craig's book, do any of you have senses of humor? Why would you want to read a travel book in which the writer simply says everything is nice, clean, interesting, pleasant and he loves every single person he encounters? I think this would make for an absolute bore. Craig writes as if he is an old friend telling you funny and beautiful tales of his travels and he lets you into his private thoughts that many would be to afraid to share because they may not be very PC. It you want a candy coated travel experience, go to a travel agent. If you want the truth, (at least as he sees it), go to a real traveler.