Puzzles, Mysteries, and Reviews

The National Park Service manages over fifty sites connected with the American Revolution or Colonial America, and they offer valuable glimpses into the birth of our nation. Whether you're a serious history buff or one whose memory on the subject is a bit rusty, odds are you've never read much on that subject from the British point of view. You can bridge that gap via an entertaining and enlightening book, The Long Fuse: How England Lost the American Colonies, 1760 – 1785.

National Geographic's kids guide to America's national parks is a good starting point, but by no means is it exhaustive, and it carries some curious items and omissions.

Cooking delicious camp food can be a challenge, but it's a requisite if you're going to be surrounded by happy campers at the end of the day. If you're up for the challenge, and determined to master a traditional art of cooking over an open fire, invest in a Dutch oven and a matching cookbook.

Nature's patterns can be stark and amusing, stunning, and noble. And when you look at them in black and white, devoid of color, they actually seem stronger, more pronounced. That's the effect of David Gulden's grand new book on African wildlife, a book that captures your eye and starts you dreaming about a photographic safari.

What better way to explore nature than through the eyes of one of its residents? That's what Amy Griffin Ouchley thought when she sat down to write Swamper, Letters From A Louisiana Swamp Rabbit.