Rating: 
Summary: Almost great.
Review: This a thoroughly researched and delightful book. Not only did Mr. Bengston find many of the locations, but his analysis of the films is first-rate. Add to this the trivia sprinkled throughout the book (e.g., Jean Arthur making an early screen appearance in Seven Chances.) and you have one of the best books ever on silent films. Unfortunately, the Santa Monica Press' production values let Mr. Bengston down. The major part of the book--the illustrations--are generally too small and lack contrast. As a result, they have poor definition and clarity suffers. Had the book been a bit larger, the paper a little better, and a finer screen used for the illustrations this would have been a five-star review.
Rating: 
Summary: A Detective's Eye
Review: This book is a revelation! Bengston has the eye of a master detective and that makes "Silent Echoes" nothing short of brilliant.Having absorbed this book, Keaton's films will never look the same way to me again! And, living in Los Angeles, it's fascinating to think of how often I've trapsed across Keatons old "sets" without knowing it! Wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars are too Few
Review: This phenomenal book is a must-have for anyone interested in film history. And for fans of Buster Keaton the question will soon become: how many copies to have? Because one copy will be with you on the road as you follow in the footsteps of the author (and, by extension, the footsteps of the great Keaton himself) to the actual locations all over Southern California where his movies were made. And you will want one copy to stay pristine on your bookshelf at home, because your road edition is guaranteed to become worn and dog-eared with use. To lovers of film, and to lovers of the genius of Buster Keaton in particular, this wonderful book is like a roadmap leading to a cinematic holy grail! It leaves you wishing that the same detective work would be done for other great film auteurs as well. This book is an unprecedented achievement, which is why it is deserving of more than five stars.
Rating:
Summary: A unique and engrossing pleasure
Review: Watching silent comedies, particularly those of Keaton, one can be lulled into a feeling that they take place in some parallel world, where it is always 1917-1928, people move faster, and the laws of physics are distorted so that men can jump through walls and cars can teleport. But as John Bengston reminds us in this invaluable book, Keaton's shorts and features were filmed in very real physical locations that still exist, and by searching them out provides not only a window on the past but a barometer of seven or eight decades of change. What Bengston has done here really requires a new name, as it combines the realms of photographer, 'urban archeologist,' archivist, geographer, and of course historian. His eye for architectural detail is acute, enabling him to pinpoint the location of a particular scene by triangulating (so to speak) between various photos and film shots, using one or two surviving details as reference points. The meticulous research that went into the book is daunting to contemplate, all to give the humble Keaton enthusiast a few hours of joy. Obviously, the book will fascinate fans of old Los Angeles as well, but I was particularly interested in the locations that went further afield. The General, for instance, was filmed all the way up in Cottage Grove, Oregon, in the greater Eugene area, while Steamboat Bill, Jr. was filmed in Sacramento, once a popular remote location during the silent era. Nabokov said that God is in the details and that is the reason for any and every Keaton fan to dive headlong into this unique, delightful, detail-obsessed book. Even the august Kevin Brownlow gives Bengston a tip of the hat, admitting in his forward that after scouting locations for his Keaton documentary---"despite all the resources of Thames Television and eager researchers, we did not find out nearly as much as Bengston did on his own." Could there be a better tribute?
Rating:
Summary: I LOVED THIS BOOK!
Review: What a masterpiece! Although I was not a Keaton buff prior to reading this book, I am now. Bengtson does a wonderful job in bringing the silent film nuances to life. His use of photographs and his explanations vividly illustrate not only the craft of Keaton, but also the changes that have occurred in time at each filming site. I was impressed by the detective work that went into this book. Definitely a BUY, you won't be disappointed.
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