Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition

User Review: - Far from complete........
In a description of the Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary, it states that this volume lists "more than 48,000 alphabetically arranged entries of mountains, lakes, towns, and countries." I had to check whether mountains were indeed included, as my first searches of prominent places in the Andes were not successful using this volume.

This reference has received many accolades here so I was looking forward to getting the copy I ordered as part of my reference books. But after a cursory examination, I must say that my first impression is one of disappointment, rather than accolades.

I looked first for several places in South America where I have been in years past and am familiar with, as I am sure this is what most people do with this volume when they first receive it. When I looked up Alpamayo, a mountain in Peru, it was not in the book at all. This is not just any old mountain. Alpamayo was named the "most beautiful mountain the world" by a German Mountaineering Club in the 1920's or 1930's. In addition, Alpamayo was declared "the most beautiful mountain in the world" by UNESCO in 1966. So imagine my surprise when it was not listed in the book.

Also, Huascaran, the second highest mountain in South America, was not listed at all. I had to do a double check to believe this. Huaraz, the city that is an embarkation point into the Andes of Peru was listed, but Huascaran was not.

Again, these were only preliminary and cursory checks, but these are not just any mountains or places on a map. They are significant points of interest which were entirely omitted from a book devoted to geographical points of interest. And if these are not in the book, what else has been ommitted?

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User Review: - Like a Steady, Reliable Friend.
I have used this book as a reliable geographical reference for years and never found it wanting. Both historic and modern places and geographic features are included. I have found everything I needed, from Ash Flat to Pskov.

The appendix contains a thorough table of geographical terms in languages other than English, as well as a useful glossary.

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User Review: - Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary
The dictionary was delivered as promised and in excellent condition. I consider Amazon to be a great site and I will order from them again in the future.

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User Review: - Comparison between 1988 and 2001 Editions
I had been using the 1988 edition without the need to update my library with the Second Edition until last year. Owing to geopolitical changes since 1988, a more recent edition of Webster's New Geographical Dictionary seemed necessary and the Third Edition was the current version available. The Third Edition contains more current background information (e.g. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), expanded entries (e.g. Palghat), a subtle, easier-to-read font, sidebars, and cleaner maps (e.g. Palestine). That said, if you want more detailed maps or more concise country profiles, you might be better off checking other resource materials such as National Geographic (Magazine maps) and The CIA World Fact Book respectively. Where this boook retains its advantage is that it contains diacritical notation for the proper pronunciation of the place names.

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User Review: - Simply outstanding
This is an excellent reference book that covers a myriad of geographical locations. The maps are also excellent. I highly recommend this book. A previous reviewer claims that the editors made an egregious mistake by including Slovenia as part of the Balkan states. Maybe that person should do a little research because virtually every resource, including Microsoft Encarta, includes Slovenia in the Balkans. And yes, the Ottomans did conquer Slovenia. The Ottomans had to surrender Slovenia, Hungary, and Croatia to the Hapsburgs in 1699. The editors of this book got it right on the money. As for that reviewer -- a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

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