Customer Reviews

Country Roads of Illinois: Third Edition

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Admittedly, I am basing this review on the section about Northfield, where I have lived for many years. But if this section is any indication, this book was not fact-checked in any way, nor did they use anything so basic as a map to check directions. For instance: "Turning east off the interstate onto State 19, you have only about a 30 minute drive to Northfield." Last time I checked, it was 7 miles, less than 10 minutes. "The city's other highly respected university, Carlton College..." Hello, it's a _College_, not a university, there are _no_ universities in town, and it's spelled Carleton. "A sign greets motorists: Northfield, a special space." Try _Place_. "Head north out of town on Division Street (State 3)" - if you do head out of town on Division, it becomes State 19. "Northfield was founded in 1855...by John North and blacksmith/farmer I. S. Field." There's no mention of this Mr. Field in any of my books about Northfield history - did the author make this up? The author complains that "revisionist history [is] the rage these days," but I'm afraid he's unintentionally contributing to the revision. There are a fair number of other errors and wierd interpretations of reality in this section, but I think I've made my point.

I think the idea of the book is great - traveling through on the smaller roads, getting to know a state in a way other than just hitting the major cities, which are only a small part of what makes up this state. Unfortunately, the casualness with which dubious "facts" and directions are tossed around keep this book from being useful to most people.