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In the Kitchen

Gran Cocina Latina, The Food of Latin America

Maricel E. Presilla

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Antarctica

Endurance, Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Alfred Lansing

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Our Favorites

Arctic Dreams

Barry Lopez

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Tuscany

Every Day in Tuscany, Seasons of an Italian Life

Frances Mayes

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SMITHSONIAN JOURNEYS

Celebrate Smithsonian

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

An Insider's Look at the Smithsonian's Greatest Treasures

Official Guide to the Smithsonian

Official Guide to the Smithsonian

by Sharon L. Barry | Robin A. Faitoute | Sarah Grusin | Elizabeth Jones

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 232 PAGES

A brief illustrated guide to the Smithsonian's many museums and the National Zoo. (USE129, $13.99)

Hope Diamond, The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem

Hope Diamond, The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem

by Richard Kurin

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 388 PAGES

Kurin's riveting book traces the centuries-long history of the legendary Hope Diamond from the diamond mines of India, through the violence of the French Revolution to Gilded Age America and beyond, looking at the true story behind one of the world's best-known gems. (IDA534, $15.99)

Eyewitness Guide Washington D.C.

Eyewitness Guide Washington D.C.

by Eyewitness Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

An on-the-ground guide to Washington D.C., featuring color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a district-by-district synopsis of the city's attractions. Handsome, comprehensive and superb. (WDC07, $23.00)

Washington, DC Map

Washington, DC Map

by Borch Maps

  • 2008
  • MAP

A laminated, folded map of the capital at a scale of 1:15,000. (WDC06, $8.95)

 

A Kid's Guide to Washington, D.C.


by Diane C. Clark

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8)

Puzzle, games, fast facts and contests enliven this family guide to exploring our nation's capital. (USE477, $14.00)

AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington D.C.

AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington D.C.


by Christopher Weeks | Francis Lethbridge

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 512 PAGES

A guide to the architectural landmarks of Washington D.C., originally commissioned by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). It contains descriptions of over 450 structures, organized into 17 walking tours of the city. (USE128, $50.00)

Awesome Adventures at the Smithsonian, The Official Kids Guide to the Smithsonian Institution


by Emily B. Korrell

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2013
  • PAPER
  • 176 PAGES

This kid-friendly guide showcases three highlights from the Smithsonian for the whole family: The National Air and Space Museum, The National Museum of Natural History (of course!), and the National Museum of American History. (WDC39, $14.95)

Flight, 100 Years of Aviation

Flight, 100 Years of Aviation


by R. G. Grant

  • REFERENCE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 452 PAGES

A sweeping compendium of a century worth of experiments in flight, this big book features engaging text, rigorous attention to detail, miniature biographies of key figures and a comprehensive history of humanity's quest to become airborne. Produced in association with the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. (GEN491, $29.95)

The Nation's Hangar, Aircraft Treasures of the Smithsonian


by F. Robert Van Der Linden

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 255 PAGES

Bob Van Der Linden, Smithsonian curator of aviation, explains the fascinating stories behind aviation's great technological advances and provides historic and social context that highlights the many ways in which these innovations have changed the course of human history in this visual survey. (WDC40, $29.95)

Africans in America, America's Journey through Slavery

Africans in America, America's Journey through Slavery


by Charles Johnson | Patricia Smith | WBGH Series Research Team

  • HISTORY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 512 PAGES

A powerful collaborative effort that paints a vivid picture of the history of slavery in America, and celebrates the brave Africans who managed to preserve their heritage as they endured so many hardships. (USS53, $38.95)

Best of the National Air and Space Museum


by F. Robert Van Der Linden

  • HISTORY
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 208 PAGES

Fom the Challenger space shuttle and the Wright flyer to the Spirit of St. Louis and the stealth bomber, Bob Van der Linden, curator of aeronautics, has selected the most historically important, popular, and just plain impressive aircraft and spacecraft. (WDC38, $29.99)

Black Men Built the Capitol, Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C.

Black Men Built the Capitol, Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C.


by Jesse J. Holland

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES

This book gives us the untold story of the African Americans who built many of the capitol's most important buildings and monuments. (WDC23, $14.95)

Captive Passage, The Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Making of the Americas

Captive Passage, The Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Making of the Americas


by The Mariners' Museum | Smithsonian Inst.

  • HISTORY
  • 2002
  • HARD COVER
  • 208 PAGES

A companion volume to the exhibition drawn largely from the collections of The Mariners' Museum. (ATL14, $21.95)

First Peoples of Alaska

First Peoples of Alaska


by Aron Crowell

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2010
  • HARD COVER
  • 312 PAGES

A richly illustrated volume featuring more than 400 Alaska Native masterworks from the Smithsonian's collections. (ALA322, $50.00)

Night at The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian


by Ben Stiller

  • HISTORY
  • 2012
  • DVD

Night has fallen upon the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The guides have gone home, the lights are out, the school kids are tucked in their beds... yet something incredible is stirring as former night guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) finds himself lured into his biggest, most imagination-boggling adventure yet in which history truly comes alive. (WDC41, $24.99)

America's Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum


by Theresa Slowick

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 322 PAGES

Commemorating the museum's re-opening in 2006, this magnificent volume puts the works of artists including Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Nam June Paik at reader's fingertips.With text that illuminates the nation's history through examples of its art--including many rarely displayed pieces from the collection--this is one art book that belongs on every American coffee table. (USA342, $75.00)

Madcap May, Mistress of Myth, Men, and Hope


by Richard Kurin

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2012
  • HARD COVER
  • 224 PAGES

Drawing on the resources of the Smithsonian, Kurin rescues extraordinary May Yohe, a popular entertainer once married to the English lord who owned the fabled Hope Diamond, from oblivion in this inspired tale. (USA473, $27.95)

Reflections of a Culture Broker, A View from the Smithsonian

Reflections of a Culture Broker, A View from the Smithsonian


by Richard Kurin

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

A stimulating examination of "culture brokering" by countries, communities or institutions, by Dr. Richard Kurin, Under Secretary for History, Art and Culture and director of Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. (USE142, $17.95)

The Lost World of James Smithson

The Lost World of James Smithson


by Heather Ewing

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 432 PAGES

The life of the remarkable Englishman behind the institution, an amateur scientist and fascinating figure, who never visited the United States. (GBR808, $29.95)

Native Universe, Voices of Indian America


by Clifford E. Trafzer

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

This sumptuously illustrated cultural history, written exclusively by Native Americans, is published in celebration of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. (USA95, $22.00)

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.


by Gore Vidal

  • LITERATURE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 422 PAGES

The sixth installation in Gore Vidal's "Narratives of Empire" historical novel series. This tale of corruption follows the lives of a conservative senator and a newspaper publisher in Washington D.C. (USE130, $18.00)

Smithsonian Natural History, The Ultimate Visual Guide to Everything on Earth

Smithsonian Natural History, The Ultimate Visual Guide to Everything on Earth


by Becky Alexander

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2010
  • HARD COVER
  • 648 PAGES

Jammed with eye-popping photographs and in-depth two-page spreads on species of particular interest, this bold visual encyclopedia squeezes as many of the plants, animals, rocks and minerals of a natural history museum as could fit between its commodious covers. (NAT235, $50.00)

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Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.