This is a masterful work by Tony Horwitz, who brings a great combination of journalism, historical scholarship, and personal insights to his books. IfThis is a masterful work by Tony Horwitz, who brings a great combination of journalism, historical scholarship, and personal insights to his books. If you're drawn to this book because of a passion for Civil War history--which Horwitz admits he has had since childhood and is what drove him to write this book--you'll learn some things that go beyond Ken Burns. You'll even meet Shelby Foote, the scholar Burns made famous. But what you'll really get is a look at modern society and its divisions across race, region and culture. The focus is on the South, as that is where Horwitz travels. But so much of the different perspectives he shared on history and race among those he spoke with resonate today in a world of #BlackLivesMatter, and you see that because these beliefs are part of these individuals' own self-identity and are passed down (intentionally) from generation to generation, it's unlikely many minds will change any time soon. So it is a sobering work to read, but Horwitz' engaging style and humanity--along with touches of true humor--keep the reader going....more
What a fantastic read! I'll say it flat out: I love Tony Horwitz' writing style, and his approach to writing about history (traveling through the presWhat a fantastic read! I'll say it flat out: I love Tony Horwitz' writing style, and his approach to writing about history (traveling through the present as both a reporter and a personal engagement in activities, framing it through his reading of history and his interviews). I would love to write books like his, and to be a writer of his caliber. So be it. I can read him and be envious but also recognize I should just sit back and enjoy the experience without self-flagellation.
I was drawn to read this because of the topic--I wanted to know more about Captain Cook, having read a separate historical work in which he was a minor character--but became hooked by Horwitz's present-day experiences as much as Cook's historical ones. Cook is a fascinating character, but hard to truly get to know, because despite producing a tremendous amount of writing, he reveals little of himself in them, and seems aware he was writing to history. That said, his story is remarkable for the ground (or sea) covered in his journeys and the encounters he had with other cultures. And Horwitz looks at those honestly, interviewing natives of those regions and parsing out the "good" and "bad" of Cook on these cultures. He does so even-handedly (as you also see in his "Confederates in the Attic" book). And his (mis)adventures with his alcohol-fueled Australian travel companion are hilarious. This is a must-read for any lover of history and travel writing.
I read this book immediately after completing Tom Wolfe's The Electric Koop-Aid Acid Test. I highly recommend that pairing. Wolfe chronicles the end oI read this book immediately after completing Tom Wolfe's The Electric Koop-Aid Acid Test. I highly recommend that pairing. Wolfe chronicles the end of a period in which drug consumption was romanticized as some sort of higher experience. In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Thompson makes several references to the end of that era, and instead portrays his remarkable drug binge in far more honest terms, a simple extended exercise in self-indulgence. In that sense, it means the protagonist may be harder to like, but his honesty wins you over.
Thompson's prose sizzles, and moves you along as fast as the best fiction page-turner, which is particularly remarkable in that, well, nothing really happens. He has a series of misadventures, some caused primarily by his traveling companion, but he is hardly an innocent party and he makes no claims to be. But in between these moments of high humor, Thompson's narrator takes the opportunity to explore, personal-essay-style, broader questions about sociology, culture, law-and-order, politics, and the American Dream. Those were my favorite portions of the book, and a couple of them reference Ken Kesey, the protagonist of The Electric Koop-Aid Acid Test.
This book is categorized as "nonfiction/journalism." It is in fact a standard in the "gonzo journalism" style that Thompson pioneered. As a writer with a more traditional journalism background, I normally prefer narrative nonfiction that strives for authenticity and accuracy. But a reader is wise to not worry about how much of this story is real, and just sit back and enjoy the ride. ...more
Sarah Vowell is an engaging writer with a wry wit. I'm inclined to seek out more of her books. This book--a reflection of the history of Hawaii from hSarah Vowell is an engaging writer with a wry wit. I'm inclined to seek out more of her books. This book--a reflection of the history of Hawaii from her own personal perspective--fell a little short of what I believe was possible for her to craft.
For me the challenge was the structure, or the lack thereof. You could call this a short book, but I think a more accurate description is a very long essay. I am hardly one for arbitrary chapter breaks, but I would have welcomed an effort by Vowell to corral her material into cohesive chapters, by any standard she wished (chronologically, thematically, what have you). Occasionally there would be a line break, but just as often she switched from one topic to another without any real sense of why we were being presented with the material when we were.
I did find fascinating what I learned, however. What Vowell did most masterfully is demonstrate how there were few white hats and black hats in the transition of the Hawaiian Islands from a land ruled by natives to a United States territory. It's easy in today's modern world to bemoan the colonization of natives (think Native Americans on the mainland) and the loss of a better way of life. But Vowell demonstrates the flaws in native culture when the white man arrived; the native leadership's embrace of and complicity with the conversion of society once missionaries arrived; and the political failings of the native-led government that fell to a coup by pro-American locals looking to become a U.S. territory. The end result is one of loss, certainly, and Vowell sympathizes with the modern fate of true Hawaiians. But she spreads the blame all around, including a bit with modern champions of the lost Hawaiian way of life who do not fully admit the complicity of those lost Hawaiian leaders.
All told, the book was well-written and well-sourced; it would have been a more pleasurable read with some guideposts as to where the story was going.
Ghost Rider is essentially two books. The first book--Part One--is a highly promising story about the drummer for Rush who suffers unimaginable tragedGhost Rider is essentially two books. The first book--Part One--is a highly promising story about the drummer for Rush who suffers unimaginable tragedy, the loss of his only child (a teenage daughter) and his wife over the course of a few months. He gets on his BMW motorcycle from his lake house in eastern Canada and sets off west. That section of the book chronicles his journey across Canada, the western United States and Mexico, and puts the reader on the bike with him as he wrestles with his grief. After that? Well, the book loses its narrative structure. The solo road trip is complete. We now span years of time, with travel, friendships, romantic relationships, and the occasional motorcycle ride, told largely through letters he wrote at the time, many of them to a close friend who was incarcerated for drug dealing. This reader felt cheated by this part of the book. A letter is by definition a rough draft; Peart is a good writer, but it seems like cheating when he gives us page after page of unpolished prose that also lacks the wisdom of the writer as he is now, at the time of the completion of the book. There also isn't sufficient setup for the end of the book, which is a very high note that I won't give away here. The author holds back much detail of this pivotal development in his life, which is frustrating in a memoir about pain and loss....more
There's no question Bryson is a funny man filled with the observational eye of a stand-up comedian. This book is an enjoyable read. In a travel book, There's no question Bryson is a funny man filled with the observational eye of a stand-up comedian. This book is an enjoyable read. In a travel book, however, you're cooped up with the narrator for the length of the journey, so the question becomes, "Is this someone I'd like as a travel companion?" For me, the answer was "Yes" in short stretches. But a combination of self-importance and humor at the expense of others kept me from ranking this higher than three stars....more
I have not read 1491, but I'm inclined to at some point, because this was an amazing read. You'll learn a tremendous amount about how the world changeI have not read 1491, but I'm inclined to at some point, because this was an amazing read. You'll learn a tremendous amount about how the world changed after the discovery of the New World, but you'll also enjoy the way the author takes you around the world and introduces you to compelling people. The best chapter is the final one, where the author's own passion (and biases) come to the fore....more
Compelling stand-alone essays that paint the portrait of a writer who overcame a fear of caves to become a master spelunker and learn about herself anCompelling stand-alone essays that paint the portrait of a writer who overcame a fear of caves to become a master spelunker and learn about herself and confronting more fears and insecurities. Beautiful turns of phrase, and seamless transitions from scene to reflection...more
Is something wrong with me that I can only give John Steinbeck three stars? Well I adore his fiction, but this book is a bit flat. It has some amusingIs something wrong with me that I can only give John Steinbeck three stars? Well I adore his fiction, but this book is a bit flat. It has some amusing old-man rants about changing U.S. society, but the road trip part itself is a bit uninspiring, perhaps because the narrator himself seems uninspired. I've since learned that Steinbeck cheated on this book; much of it he made up, leaving out vacations on the trip with his wife in top-flight hotels. I think that lack of authenticity is part of the reason the book doesn't quite work....more
Can I give this book five-and-a-half stars? I know, I know, it changed my life, people always say that about this book. But I loved it at 20 years oldCan I give this book five-and-a-half stars? I know, I know, it changed my life, people always say that about this book. But I loved it at 20 years old, and loved it even more at 44 years old. Holy cow am I impressed with how skillfully he takes us on a harrowing trip, and I mean here the exploration of his psyche, not the motorcycle trip itself....more
Let me say up front that I was troubled throughout the book by how the author was able to put his young son out of hisSPOILERS will be in this review.
Let me say up front that I was troubled throughout the book by how the author was able to put his young son out of his mind while dealing with the grief of losing his wife. But part of a memoirist's job is to be completely honest, and he does this here. He fully engrosses you in his wild adventure in a place few of us will travel. He artfully weaves nature writing, character profiles of his travel companions, and his own back story and personal growth and recovery. He never actually sees the snow leopard, but what he does experience is so much more than that....more
Krakauer knows very little about the circumstances of his protagonist's actual journey that led to his death. Yet somehow he manages to produce a compKrakauer knows very little about the circumstances of his protagonist's actual journey that led to his death. Yet somehow he manages to produce a compelling book that gives insight into a troubled young mind and the allure of nature....more
This book has long inspired me. I read it a second time before I engaged in a cross-country road trip in 2010, and a third time in 2011 when working oThis book has long inspired me. I read it a second time before I engaged in a cross-country road trip in 2010, and a third time in 2011 when working on my own travel writing. It's fairly lengthy--although apparently a lot shorter than his earlier drafts--but he does a great job of weaving together encounters with interesting individuals; insights on the places he's traveling; and personal reveals. A classic travel memoir for a reason....more
Oh my do I love this book. Each chapter stands alone as its own adventure in solitude, reflection, and increasing connection with the world around himOh my do I love this book. Each chapter stands alone as its own adventure in solitude, reflection, and increasing connection with the world around him. We spend a tremendous amount of time alone with the narrator, but he is compelling and thought-provoking. When his season in the park is over I don't want him to leave, just as he doesn't, because it means my time with him is over....more
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