Alaska's Southeast

Rating:
Summary: Not for everyone
Review: I got this book since it focused on the Southeast region, thinking that meant it would have more information than other guides. It's not the case. Despite it's hefty size, the book is laid out in such a way that there is not much text on a page, and the book is shy on details.

The author appears to have had the cruise ship audience in mind when writing. The style throughout is narrative, and there are decent basic overviews of the region's history, plant life, crafts, and wildlife. There are also chatty anecdotal overviews of each locality. A few useful tips are scattered throughout, such as "Bring good raingear," "Bring binoculars," and "Now may be the time to invest in a zoom lens."

If you are planning on staying overnight, either in town or out of doors, the book is next to useless. There is very little information on camping, the maps are limited to town centers, the list of hotels and B&B's has no annotation whatsoever that allows you to pick and choose, the references to restaurants and outfitters is anecdotal at best. And the narrative style of the text lacks useful subheads and the ease of use of a reference book.

The book is black and white throughout, with no color photographs.