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Summary: A combination of American literature, history, and travel
Review: By no means an exhaustive listing, this book highlights the birthplaces and residences of key 19th-century and early 20th-century American authors. The volume is arranged by geographic region, beginning in New England. The entry for each site includes photos and notes on architectural style, interior design, how long the author stayed there, who visited him/her, and what works were written there. A handful of authors are treated twice -- for example, Mark Twain is found in both Connecticut and Missouri, Edgar Allan Poe in both New York and Philadelphia, and Ernest Hemingway in both Florida and Illinois. True to the _Ideals_ layout style, the photos chosen are indeed lovely. One detraction is that the actual addresses, contact information, and driving directions are found in a separate section at the back of the book. A second possible problem is that the glued paperback binding might not stand up to repeated consultations during a long trip. Still, this title could be a useful tool when supplemented with a road atlas and a set of AAA guides.
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Summary: A Terrific Travel Book for Bibliophiles
Review: One of my favorite types of vacation is to travel to the homes of great authors. Not only do you get to know more about the authors themselves, but seeing where and how they lived often adds new insight into their works. That's why this aptly titled guide to literary places in the US is one of my all time favorite travel books. It covers destinations all over the country, giving background of the author and property, as well as works written within the house, and special points to look out for. It also provides driving directions, and information on hours of operation and how to contact the property. It's lavishly illustrated with full color photos of the exterior and interior of the houses as well as pictures of each author. I always like to read the 2-3 page overview of a property just before I visit it to refresh my memory. It's also a larger-sized paperback that looks good on a coffee table for visitors to flip through. I haven't yet been to all the properties listed, but I intend to. All sites are grouped by region, and there are additional pages of other literary places of interest in each area. The homes of Emily Dickenson, Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe, Washington Irving, Ernest Hemingway, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott are included, among many others.
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