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The Cambridge Companion to American Travel Writing
By Judith Hamera, Alfred Bendixen. 2009
Travel writing has always been intimately linked with the construction of American identity. Occupying the space between fact and fiction,…
it exposes cultural fault lines and reveals the changing desires and anxieties of both the traveller and the reading public. These specially-commissioned essays trace the journeys taken by writers from the pre-revolutionary period right up to the present. They examine a wide range of responses to the problems posed by landscapes found both at home and abroad, from the Mississippi and the Southwest to Europe and the Holy Land. Throughout, the contributors focus on the role played by travel writing in the definition and formulation of national identity, and consider the experiences of minority writers as well as canonical authors. This Companion forms an invaluable guide for students approaching this new, important and exciting subject for the first time.Zero Days
By Barbara Egbert. 2008
In April 2004, Barbara Egbert and Gary Chambers and their precocious 10-year-old daughter Mary embarked on a 2,650-mile hike from…
Mexico to Canada along the famed Pacific Crest Trail. This the well-told tale of their epic adventure, which required love, perseverance, and the careful rationing of toilet paper. Six months later, Mary would become the youngest person ever to successfully walk the entire trail.The trio weathered the heat of the Mojave, the jagged peaks of the Sierra, the rain of Oregon, and the final cold stretch through the Northern Cascades. They discovered which family values, from love and equality to thrift and cleanliness, could withstand a long, narrow trail and 137 nights together in a 6-by-8-foot tent. Filled with tidbits of wisdom, practical advice, and humor, this story will both entertain and inspire readers to dream about and plan their own epic journey.A Rage for Glory
By James Tertius de Kay. 2004
Stephen Decatur was one of the most awe-inspiring officers of the entire Age of Fighting Sail. A real-life American naval…
hero in the early nineteenth century, he led an astonishing life, and his remarkable acts of courage in combat made him one of the most celebrated figures of his era. Decatur's dazzling exploits in the Barbary Wars propelled him to national prominence at the age of twenty-five. His dramatic capture of HMSMacedonianin the War of 1812, and his subsequent naval and diplomatic triumphs ...Empty Casing
By Fred Doucette. 2008
When Canadian soldier Fred Doucette went to Bosnia-Herzegovina as a peacekeeper in 1995, he had a premonition that this tour…
of duty would be different from anything he had previously experienced. And it was. Doucette's tour quickly became an impossible task that took a huge toll on both the residents and his fellow peacekeepers. Trapped in thier beloved city, thousands of Sarajevans, perished, and yet, Doucette found a home in the midst of this hell. Billeted with a Bosnian family, he was offered a window into a Sarajevo that few outsiders saw. When the war ended, Doucette returned to Canada to face another battle, this one characterized by nightmares and brutal flashbacks. Traumatized, he had to face himself, his family, and his army once again, but now there was no turning away, no diversion in another foreign posting. Empty Casing is the riveting story of the making and unmaking of a soldier, and the growth of a man.Stilwell and the American Experience in China: 1911-1945
By Barbara W. Tuchman. 2001
Barbara W. Tuchman won her second Pulitzer Prize for this nonfiction masterpiece—an authoritative work of history that recounts the birth…
of modern China through the eyes of one extraordinary American. General Joseph W. Stilwell was a man who loved China deeply and knew its people as few Americans ever have. Barbara W. Tuchman’s groundbreaking narrative follows Stilwell from the time he arrived in China during the Revolution of 1911, through his tours of duty in Peking and Tientsin in the 1920s and ’30s, to his return as theater commander in World War II, when the Nationalist government faced attack from both Japanese invaders and Communist insurgents. Peopled by warlords, ambassadors, and missionaries, this classic biography of the cantankerous but level-headed “Vinegar Joe” sparkles with Tuchman’s genius for animating the people who shaped history. Praise for Stilwell and the American Experience in China “Tuchman’s best book . . . so large in scope, so crammed with information, so clear in exposition, so assured in tone that one is tempted to say it is not a book but an education.”—The New Yorker “The most interesting and informative book on U.S.–China relations . . . a brilliant, lucid and authentic account.”—The Nation “A fantastic and complex story finely told.”—The New York Times Book ReviewFrom the Trade Paperback edition.Walking the Nile
By Levison Wood. 2015
Now a major Channel 4 series.His journey is 4,250 miles long.He is walking every step of the way, camping in…
the wild, foraging for food, fending for himself against multiple dangers.He is passing through rainforest, savannah, swamp, desert and lush delta oasis.He will cross seven, very different countries.No one has ever made this journey on foot.In this detailed, thoughtful, inspiring and dramatic book, recounting Levison Wood's walk the length of the Nile, he will uncover the history of the Nile, yet through the people he meets and who will help him with his journey, he will come face to face with the great story of a modern Africa emerging out of the past. Exploration and Africa are two of his great passions - they drive him on and motivate his inquisitiveness and resolution not to fail, yet the challenges of the terrain, the climate, the animals, the people and his own psychological resolution will throw at him are immense.The dangers are very real, but so is the motivation for this ex-army officer. If he can overcome the mental and physical challenges, he will be walking into history...Breakfast at the Exit Cafe
By Merilyn Simonds, Wayne Grady. 2010
What begins as a road trip through America soon becomes a journey of discovery into themselves and into the heart…
of the next-door neighbour they thought they knew. For Wayne Grady, the thrill of landscape and history is tempered by memories of racism and his own family roots. Merilyn Simonds, her ear tuned for the offbeat, finds curious echoes of the ex-pat promised land she grew up with. Together they travel against the tide of American history, following in the literary tire tracks of John Steinbeck, William Least Heat Moon, and Francis Trollope.Grady and Simonds experience the splendors of the Mojave Desert, the Grand Canyon, the Mississippi River, and the bayou's of Louisiana and the Outer Banks and contemplate the impact of geography on culture and of culture on landscape. They observe America from the outside, yet feel strangely at home.Part travelogue, part exploration, part mid-winter love story told with wit and acuity by one of Canada's most engaging literary couples, Breakfast at the Exit Cafe is a journey into the reality behind the cultural myth that is America.U.S. Leadership in Wartime: Volume 1
By Spencer Tucker. 2009
Now from one of the world's leading publishers of military history comes a breakthrough book on one of the most…
important and complex aspects of U.S. national defense. U.S. Leadership in Wartime: Clashes, Controversy, and Compromise offers a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics that constitute effective leadership in war and discusses the often contentious relationships between U.S. civilian and military leadership throughout American history.White Planet
By Leslie Anthony. 2010
Writer and adventurer Leslie Anthony has spent his life on two planks, racing down hills, searching for the next perfect…
ride. His real baptism, however, began in the early nineties when Alaska emerged as the ski world's Next Big Thing. Steep faces and vast tracks of powder snow, were captured on film and beamed to audiences around the world. The result was a freeskiing revolution.With insight and humor, White Planet, traces an arc through the new ski culture, in a rock 'n' roll adventure that follows a diaspora to far-flung corners of the globe. Along the way, Anthony introduces many of the daredevils, visionaries and entrepreneurs who are bringing the sport to such unexpected places as Mexico, China, Lebanon and India.House of Windows
By Adina Hoffman. 2000
A brilliant and moving evocation of the rhythms of life (and the darker shadows below it) in a working-class quarter…
of the world's most fascinating and divided city. In the tradition of the literature of place perfected by such expatriate writers as M. F. K. Fisher and Isak Dinesen, Adina Hoffman's House of Windows compellingly evokes Jerusalem through the prism of the neighborhood where she has lived for eight years since moving from the United States. In a series of interlocking sketches and intimate portraits of the inhabitants of Musrara, a neighborhood on the border of the western (Jewish) and eastern (Arab) sides of the city-a Sephardic grocer, an aging civil servant, a Palestinian gardener, a nosy mother of ten-Hoffman constructs an intimate view of Jerusalem life that will be a revelation to American readers bombarded with politics and headlines. By focusing on the day-to-day pace of existence in this close-knit community, she provides a rich, precise, and refreshingly honest portrait of a city often reduced to cliche-and takes in the larger question of identity and exile that haunts Jews and Palestinians alike.West Pac
By Scott Schmidt. 2009
When a carrier goes to sea, those who work on the dangerous flight deck are at an average age of…
twenty years old. To add to the danger, those who work with aircraft ordnance, the bombs and missiles of these planes, are at even more risk of injury on the pitching deck. This is a true story of one young man, an aviation ordnanceman, who went to sea on his second cruise in 1978 at age twenty. What he discovered in the hot Pacific and Indian Oceans would change his life forever and set him on a path to discovery. Follow the author on his personal and poignant journey as he explores the universal truths of those who must succeed under arduous conditions.Churchill
By Samantha Heywood. 2003
Churchill examines the influential career of Winston Churchill, British Prime Minster during the Second World War and from 1951–55. It…
discusses his early career as Secretary of State for War and Air and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Churchill as Warlord, and Churchill in opposition and the 1951 government. The book examines a wide variety of sources from contemporary newspaper accounts to Churchill's letters to his wife.The Best Travel Writing 2011
By Sean O'Reilly, James O'Reilly, Larry Habegger. 2004
The Best Travel Writing 2011 is the eighth volume in the annual Travelers' Tales series launched in 2004 to celebrate…
the world's best travel writing - from Nobel Prize winners to emerging new writers. The points of view and perspectives are global, and themes encompass high adventure, spiritual growth, romance, hilarity and misadventure, service to humanity, and encounters with exotic cuisine. Sweat, suffer, and fall in love in Guyana, meet a traveler who conducts his own detente in Russian baths, and encounter the light of a stranger in Burma. Further tales include methods on comprehending the nuances of bargaining in Senegal and an archaeologist who digs up her own past in Greece.Tibetan Rescue
By Pamela Logan. 2002
The culture and artifacts of Tibet,like those of other remote indigenoussocieties, are under siege by the relentless modern world. The…
fate of monasteries in Tibet has been a subject of concern to many in the West; butuntil Tibetan Rescue little specific information had been published. As president of a nongovernmental organization that brings foreign aid intoTibet, Pamela Logan brings a first-hand account of h er journey through Tibet,as she evolves from solo traveler to expedition leader. Her mission: to savethe precious ancient murals of Pewar Monastery. To reach her goal she travels a long and circuitous path raising funds, getting permission from the Chinese bureaucracy, assembling an international team, and leading fourexpeditions by bus, truck, and horse caravan to Pewar Monastery. Along theway she meets a memorable parade of characters, overcomes bureaucrats andblizzards, and survives a brutal attack by a pack of Tibetan dogs. Her book is an insider's look at a remote and little known part of Tibet, her story an inspiration to those who cherish challenge and adventure.Long Beach Wild
By Adrienne Mason. 2012
Each year, more than a million people visit the spectacular sweep of sand that stretches along Vancouver Island's west coast…
between Tofino and Ucluelet to watch waves crash ashore on a series of beaches-essentially one long beach separated by small rocky headlands, a shoreline steps away from howling wolves and towering red cedars.In Long Beach Wild: A Celebration of People and Place on Canada's Rugged Western Shore, local resident Adrienne Mason uses her intimate knowledge of the area and a selection of historic and contemporary photos to explore the region's rich natural and cultural history.Mason shows how Long Beach was shaped by many forces, including volcanoes, glaciers, and torrents of water. She describes how the deposits of gravel and silt that this tumult left behind allowed offshore kelp beds and sea otters to thrive and supported the growth of countless other organisms, from lichens and ferns to waterfowl and deer.She also describes how First Nations people found inspiration and sustenance in the area for thousands of years, hunting whales on the open ocean using harpoons with mussel-shell blades and great lengths of cedar bark rope.As well as describing the traditions of the area's First Nations, MasonItaly from a Backpack
By Mark Pearson, Martin Westerman. 2006
If you've ever wanted to backpack in Europe... If you want to relive your adventures... If you love good travel…
writing... Better than guidebooks, these first-person accounts paint vivid pictures of a traveler's experience in Europe. Like familiar music and favorite scents, they'll awaken a taste for adventure in those who have yet to travel, and bring back memories for those who have. Romance, surprise, discovery and wisdom all bubble through these authors' inviting pieces. At last, a collection of first-person eye-witness adventures that will keep you laughing, wondering, and walking with the well-traveled story tellers who take you inside Europe's must-see places. Sneak past Vatican guards to see Michaelangelo's Pietà. Break out of a locked hostel to catch the morning train to Rome. Find a surprise romance in the fresh sea air of Cinque Terre. Meet your cheek-pinching, food-loving Sicilian relatives in the old country.On Board
By Paul Ignatius. 2006
Insights into important events of the twentieth century are provided in this memoir by a former secretary of the Navy…
and participant in many of the events he describes. The Great Depression of the 1930s, World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, and Vietnam are recalled from the author's perspectives, first as a teenager in the 1930s, then as a naval officer in the 1940s, a defense department consultant in the 1950s, and a Pentagon official for eight years in the 1960s. There are new details on Robert McNamara's managerial innovations, the growth of the Army under President Kennedy, and the enormous effort to provide construction, supplies, and ammunition for the Vietnam War. The book includes vivid accounts of McNamara, Clark Clifford, Cyrus Vance, General Creighton Abrams, Admiral Thomas Moorer, and many others, There are high moments when Medals of Honor are awarded, low moments when the USS Pueblo is capture by the North Koreans, and perplexing moments over whether to praise or damn Admiral Hyman Rickover. Other significant events covered are the Pentagon Papers case, the illegal strike of the air traffic controllers, and controversial efforts to deregulate the airlines, the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s, and President Carter's attempt to lessen U.S. dependence on middle-eastern oil. Ignatius also offers intimate glimpses of his family life, including the period when his college-aged children were totally opposed to the Vietnam War, and his Armenian heritage, including memories of his grandfather's poems of freedom that forced him to leave his ancestral home. In the final chapter, Ignatius looks at the civil rights movement and efforts to gain equality for women as events of lasting importance to him.Polynesian Researches: Hawaii
By William Ellis. 1969
Polynesian Researches:Hawaii is the famous record of the author's visit to the Hawaiian Islands in the early nineteenth century. It…
includes an account of Hawaiian history, government, religion , warfare, and traditions- a general survey of Hawaiian life. More than this, it is the author's personal observations of Hawaiian manners and customs and is invaluable to anyone interested in old Hawaii.The author, Rev. William Ellis, lived in Polynesia as a missionary from 1817 to 1825. He spent much of his time in Tahiti and soon became fluent in the language. Before returning to England, he seized an opportunity to visit the Hawaiian Islands. He was soon able to talk with the natives in the Hawaiian language and made a tour of the island of Hawaii. On his tour he talked with chiefs, common people Hawaiian holy-men, and divinely possessed oracles. He climbed volcanoes, rode canoes, and visited the sight of Captain Cook's death. Besides the description of his tour, this book includes an account of Maui, Kahoolawe, Molokini, Lani, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Hiihau, and Kaula.The book is full of interesting descriptions of the author's encounters with Hawaiians. It is fast-moving and easy-reading. This book, an encyclopedic account of traditional Hawaii.Spain from a Backpack
By Mark Pearson, Martin Westerman. 2006
If you've ever wanted to backpack in Europe... If you want to relive your adventures... If you love good travel…
writing... Better than guidebooks, these first-person accounts paint vivid pictures of a traveler's experience in Europe. Like familiar music and favorite scents, they'll awaken a taste for adventure in those who have yet to travel, and bring back memories for those who have. Romance, surprise, discovery and wisdom all bubble through these authors' inviting pieces. At last, a collection of first-person eye-witness adventures that will keep you laughing, wondering, and walking with the well-traveled story tellers who take you inside Europe's must-see places. Run with the bulls in Pamplona, or stumble across romance there instead. Trek 600 miles on the Camino de Santiago and discover your inner strength. Throw your share of 90,000 pounds of tomatoes in Europe's biggest food fight at Buñol. Lose your wallet, your passport, your entire pack--or maybe just your old ways of thinking.Ladies of the Field: Early Women Archaeologists and Their Search for Adventure
By Amanda Adams. 2010
The first women archaeologists were Victorian era adventurers who felt most at home when farthest from it. Canvas tents were…
their domains, hot Middle Eastern deserts their gardens of inquiry and labor. Thanks to them, prevailing ideas about feminine nature - soft, nurturing, submissive - were upended. Ladies of the Field tells the story of seven remarkable women, each a pioneering archaeologist, each headstrong, smart, and courageous, who burst into what was then a very young science. Amanda Adams takes us with them as they hack away at underbrush under a blazing sun, battle swarms of biting bugs, travel on camelback for weeks on end, and feel the excitement of unearthing history at an archaeological site. Adams also reveals the dreams of these extraordinary women, their love of the field, their passion for holding the past in their hands, their fascination with human origins, and their utter disregard for convention.