Their Horses Climbed Trees: A Chronicle of the California 100 and Battalion...
345595
Excellent condition and received within a few days.  This book will be donated to the South Daytona Historical Society as Darnley O. Balcom,  the "founder" of Blake now known as South Daytona, served with that unit.
1496623
This book is a treasure for horse lovers and particularly for those who prize  Morgan horses.  Thoroughly researched, lovingly and skillfully illustrated, this book sheds light on a breed of horses whose history starts with the cavalry and who continue discerning riders today.  Scanlon not only provides background and history of the breed, but she also brings to life breeders, trainers and owners, past and present, whose lives were made richer by their experiences with these beautiful horses.  I enjoyed this book and look forward to sharing it with my horse-crazy granddaughters.
2564127
Mr Albright is a long-term authority on Peruvian Paso horses and has done a great deal to promote the breed in the United States and to see that it receives the respect it deserves. The journey he made as a young man was a  mission with this purpose.  I'm not a horse expert, but I was truly gripped  by his story.  He writes in a highly readable style and describes the many  people he met, good and bad, with great gentleness and humour.  The quality  which is foremost in my mind after reading it is persistence.  Considering  the formidable obstacles he met with daily on his trek - harsh climate,  lack of suitable feed, bureaucrats and bandits, he overcomes all of these  by enormous dedication, strength of will and courage. This book deserves a  much wider audience.  I found it truly uplifting.
3809652
Good book there, enjoyed reading it there. Probably about near as close to things round that time as you can get. Felt like I was with them boys moving round that country. Appreciated the good horse sense the quieter one showed around those troublesome malcontents.  The eats on the trail were right on the beam too.  There's those I know who're up there further along the trough who might turn up their nose to such doings, but to them I say "y'all walk a mile with them boys for real before you decide what's what and wherefore, hear?"
3893393
Great book, full of history from WWI &WWII. How those who were entrusted with the care, training, breeding, etc., of some of the world's greatest horses, managed to survive the devastation. They trekked hundreds of miles in an effort to keep the horses safe, hiding some with farmers, and some broke away, running off to the forests, later to be recovered in part, but some were never recovered. If you appreciate the horse, like history, understand man's dedicated loyalty, then do not miss reading this book.
10148
This is not just a personal memoir of growing up obsessed by horses, it's also a history of women who ride - explorers, heroines and showjumpers - and of the many and varied roles horses have played in everyday lives, the world of riding schools and gymkhanas, children's literature (ah, Black Beauty...), My Little Pony, even erotic equine role playing.

It's also, incidentally, a beautifully written evocation of the English countryside, and a way of life that is fast vanishing.

Fascinating, informative and, at times, unexpectedly moving. Horse-heaven, and a must-read for any woman who ever hankered after a pony.
4049209
When two men raced each other from Mill Valley, California to Stinson Beach (then known as Willow Camp) in 1904, they probably never realized that their race would evolve into more than just a race; it would practically become a cult following. While only a little over 7 miles, the Dipsea Race is known for its steep slopes, long stairways, dangerous terrain, and gorgeous scenery, as well as its handicapping system which, in the past, has resulted in 69-year-old men and 9-year-old girls winning the race.
This book, by Barry Spitz, does a wonderful job of chronicling the amazing history of the second oldest race in the United States.  While much of the book focuses on the actual races, one of the things I liked the best about the book was the short paragraphs telling interesting, sometimes humorous, stories about each of the races.  The book also includes a fold-out, full-color topographical map of the course.
If I could make any improvement to the book, I'd include more photos and make at least some of them in color. While the photos inthe book now are nice, they don't come close to conveying the actual beauty of the race.
This is definitely a book for anyone who knows and loves the Dipsea Race(like me!) or anyone who is interested in the history of cross-country running in the United States.
4678120
This book has many, many great horses in it. Man O War, Secretariat, Bold Ruler, Personal Ensign, Kelso, etc. The greats that we all grew up watching are here. The book has pictures of the horses. It tells about their greatest wins, history & it has the pedigree of every horse listed. I am always grabbing this up to read all about the horses. This is an awesome book.
3205949
This book is so fun to read and look through old photographs of horses and competitors. I really enjoyed it.
Heather Reynolds
1553044
SOME HORSES is a new collection of essays by Thomas McGuane. They tell of a number of horses he's owned, of cutting, roping, trail rides, road trips, and other such things related to his relationships with horses and horse  people. Well written (no surprise there), insightful, and occasionally  inspiring. Certainly worth reading, especially if you're a horse lover.
2391444
Rough Riders by Mark Lee Gardner provides a look at the famed cowboy regiment assembled by Wood and Roosevelt to fight in the Spanish American War that liberated Cuba from Spain avenged the attack on the USS Maine.  While there have been dozens if not hundreds of books on Roosevelt many of them only deal with the charge of San Juan Hill in a cursory manner.  This book offers a deep dive into the ways that Wood and Roosevelt used their political connections to ensure that their militia regiment was included in the invasion and outfitted with supplies that sometimes even the regulars did not have.  The mounted division was made up of people from all over the country and not just western cowboys although this is the persona that would remain with the regiment over time.  This book is broken up into the following time periods.

1. Formation of the regiment and the gathering of supplies in Washington
2. Recruitment of the regiment and the training in San Antonio and Florida
3. Their role in the invasion at Cuba and the skirmish that became the legendary battle.
4. The charge of San Juan Hill and the fall of Santiago.
5. The aftermath of the battle in Cuba and voyage back to New York
6. The mustering out of the rough riders and what became of them after.

To channel Roosevelt it is a bully good read that is fast paced and goes into enough detail without getting bogged down.  It is well researched and for those looking for more information on one of the moments that defined Roosevelts life this I a great option.
2813833
Through the privilege of my job, I was one of a handful of rare and  fortunate people to have walked upon the ground of nearly every single place described in this book as well as had the honor to shake the hands of half a dozen of the people mentioned. This is hard-to-find, lively, and colorful history of what I will always remember as the most beautiful place in the country.

From the Foreword:

"...A Hundred Years of Horse Tracks tells the story of the long life of one of the most famous of the big outfits, the Diamond A, located mostly in Hidalgo and Grant Counties in the southwestern corner of New Mexico. From open range days in 1880, through the disasters of dry weather, overstocking, and low cattle prices, and on through the ups and downs of now nearly the entire twentieth century, Michael Gray's old ranch has survived the years as a very handsome piece of land. Rimmed by the Peloncillo and Guadalupe Mountains on the west, the Hatchet Mountains on the east, and by the Mexican Border to the south., the Diamond A - better known today simply as "Gray Ranch" - centers around the Animas Mountains of New Mexico's famous "Bootheel." Recently, the Nature Conservancy purchased the Ranch, then sold it to the Animas Foundation. The Animas Foundation operates the property today as a cattle ranch and as a magnificent natural area for biological studies.

Since few written records of the operations of the Diamond A have survived, George Hilliard has depended upon interviews for much of his information. He is to be thanked for preserving the best of the memories of many old-time men and women of the Bootheel and for collecting a gathering of cherished photographs. Himself a retired cattleman who knows these people instinctively, George is a listener to whom the cowpeople have talked freely about the ranching life as they might talk to a neighbor.

George's writing is like his talk. The phrasing and the lore of the range are the fiber of his prose. Having spent much of his working life managing ranches, he switches now in A Hundred Years of Horse Tracks to writing lively narrative remarkably well. Revealing the voice and the confidence of an old-time cattleman telling the story to a circle of his kind, he captures the character of range people and the nub of ranch life in the Bootheel as it was lived for well over one hundred years. It is a privilege to read his book, to be for an evening a member of the cowman's circle, and to hear first-hand the story of one of New Mexico's largest, oldest, and most forward-looking ranches.

David Remley
Silver City, New Mexico"
1704148
Horse Soldiers will take readers from the freezing interior of a high tech Chinook helicopter flying higher than it safely can through the mountains of Afghanistan delivering soldiers to desert gun fights fought on horse back harkening America's old west. It's a modern day Odessy written with a journalist's penchant for detail and Homer's gift for telling a warrior's story.

In the end it is also the harrowing tale of how a small group of American Special Forces and the CIA working with Afghan soldiers managed to defeat the Taliban in one of the world's remotest battlefields.

It's not a book about politics. Stanton sets out to tell what happened, how it happened and who it happened to. He does this with startling attention to detail and a an objective overview of U.S. Military actions.

At one point American bombers can't seem to hit a target whether the bombs are guided by Global Positioning System coordinates or LASERs. Near the end of the book they drop a bomb on some of their own men.

But it is Stanton's ability to weave a story that brings the book alive and takes readers to places they would rather not be to hear things they would rather not hear and to see things they would rather not see and to smell things they would rather not smell.

The story is told in a narrative fashion sometimes switching between Afghan battle and a spouse battling her emotions about whether her husband will come back home. And, although this switching back and forth fills in interesting background, it's a technique more akin to screen writing than book writing. It makes it harder for readers to keep track of what's happening to whom.

There are unusual moments as when Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld actually calls and asks why the soldiers aren't making enough progress and one of Special Forces officers writes a reply that Rumsfeld reads from during a press conference describing the miserable conditions and bravery of the Afghan fighters.

Stanton writes about the complexity of flying a helicopter under extreme conditions; cold, wind and extreme altitude like this: "You had essentially flown to the dead end of a physics equation."

Stanton relied on more than 100 books, articles and web sites and an equal number of interviews in writing this well documented book. He also traveled to Afghanistan to flesh out details and to see the fort where one of the major battles took place.

The book appeals to general readers seeking a good story well told as well as to those with an interest in history and the military. It also is a testament to the effectiveness of soldier-philiosphers who can outthink their enemies and think with their allies before they start shooting.
3712220
Now and then we are reminded how close we are to animals in our lives.  This story about a Marine, a combat proven Marine, is a reminder of our human connection, and our need to be connected to the world around us.
Horses have been in battle for centuries, and regrettable as this is, this will always be the case.
I love this story, I am indebted to the author for writing this book.
It is a good read, a true story about Marines.
3389352
I saw Making the Movie War Horse by Steven Spielberg on TV and was impressed how it was that he chose landscapes along with the history to bring to life the book, WAR HORSE.  Beautiful pictorial!
1874916
This book tells the story of the Hollywoodland housing tract development in the Hollywood Hills of California.  The Hollywood sign was built above this tract as an advertising gimmick.  Although this book is short, only 44 pages, I found it interesting and informative.  Through black and white photos it tells the story of the development and of the tract and its history up to 1992.  The book was made by members of the Williams family who worked and lived in the area for years.  It also includes reminiscences by other longtime residents.

This book not only tells the story of how the Hollywood Hills area became the area to many beautiful homes, but also illustrates how different the topography of the area would have been if the area had been developed in more modern times than in the 1920s.  It also demonstrates how different tract housing built in the 1920s and 1930s compares to the post-World War II tract housing.  Each home not only had to conform to a certain style and aesthetic, but was built by skilled craftsmen.  The last page contains four different sets of then and now photos.  I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history and development of the Los Angeles, California area.
3111484
Interesting glimpse into conditions during WWI for horses AND men.