The definitive book on Lake Superior's agates is here. If you're a casual rock collector, you will find Agates of Lake Superior fun, interesting and beautiful. If you're a more advanced hobbyist, you will appreciate this professional and scientific resource. The book provides a thorough examination of Lake Superior's strange and unique agate varieties, as well as a critical look at agate formation theories, tips on how to find and identify agates, where to look for them and how collectible your agates may be.

Celebrate North America's banded gemstones with this stunning coffee-table book about agates. Agates--few other natural formations exhibit the tremendous variety seen in these curiously banded gemstones. No two agates are exactly alike when it comes to color, pattern, or shape. Although they are found on every continent, many well-known and significant varieties are present in North America--fortification agates, fire agates, Lake Superior agates, and more. The Wonder of North American Agates was written and photographed by Dan R. Lynch and Bob Lynch, expert authors of the popular Rocks & Minerals series of field guides. This book features some of the most famous, most valuable, and rarest agates found in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Inside you'll find: More than 60 of the most beautiful varieties of agates from across North America Intriguing, informative text that explains the fascinating differences between agates and why each is significant Compelling, true-to-life photos that show each agate's special beauty Casual fans and experienced collectors alike will appreciate the facts and photographs presented in this incomparable book.

Historians have characterized it as "the military clash of the millennium." In the spring of 1777, an English army set off from Canada in a vast armada of boats to crush the colonial uprising. What followed that departure from Canada were months of bitter, bloody warfare culminating in the Battle of Saratoga -- the most crucial military confrontation of the American Revolution. In the aftermath of that momentous battle a great nation was born. The battle's outcome was determined, however, less by factors like tactics, weather and topography than by the complex passions and personalities of the unique men and women involved. The Battle of Saratoga's ending was shaped by a determined, compelling woman whose love affair with a dashing general altered the course of world history. Their dramatic, romantic story set in motion a bizarre sequence of events that created a nation. The Thunder of Captains is a story of courage, conviction, foolhardiness and doomed love set against a backdrop of personal and military conflict, dark intrigue and international politics. With a compelling cast of characters -- including Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne, Benedict Arnold and Benjamin Franklin -- The Thunder of Captains tells a captivating story known to far too few Americans.