T.L.
We potty trained 3 boys - two of them by age 2 and the third by 2 1/2, and one girl by age 2. I personally think potty training early was easier than waiting even until my 3rd son was 2 1/2. It seems like there is a magic window just before or at 2 yrs old where the kids are so eager to please yet haven't entered the strong-willed 2's yet. You have to work with them before they realize they can say no. :)
From 18 mos or so on, we were just very matter-of-fact about bathroom stuff. "This is a potty. This is where big boys/girls go potty. When you're big, you'll potty here to." At the first point that they showed interest, we started letting them sit on the potty. It seemed like it took forever (as in many, many, many sits) before they figured out how to actually go potty, but after that first time it was just a matter of making them sit at regular intervals as others have suggested.
We never used a book, kid potty, doll, etc., just a potty ring on the regular potty and a stool that they could climb up/rest their feet on. We also went straight to underwear vs. using pull-ups at all. We taught the boys sitting down rather than standing up. They easily made the transition when they were big enough to reach the potty standing
Two kind of off-the-wall tips for you...
When we were somewhere with no potty seat, it was much easier for us and they boys to have them turn around and sit on the potty backwards (i.e. face pointing toward the back of the potty, straddling the seat). They were more secure sitting that way and there was no wayward stream that seemed to spray everywhere but in the potty.
When they were big enough to stand to potty but we were somewhere where the potty was taller than they were able to reach, letting the boys stand on top of our feet generally raised them enough to be able to pee into the potty or urinal. I would stand facing the potty and he would stand facing the potty, only he would stand on my feet. I would brace him with my hands over his shoulders and/or on his chest. I hope that makes sense - I can't seem to word it quite right to get the point across. :)
Good luck!