Travel Books

I knew nothing about this memoire but the title before i picked it up so you can imagine my suprise as the plot became clear.

I enjoyed this book more than i expected because the characters pulled me in and the pace seemed to be more like a mystery than a memoire. Knowing that the story was not dreampt up made the characters feelings weigh a bit more heavily.

I really enjoyed the journey the author goes through...knowing he's venturing down the wrong path but going anyway, for the immediate satisfaction that lays there.

Benderson, Bruce, "The Romanian: Story of an Obsession", Tarcher/ Penguin, 2006.

An Intellectual Triumph

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride


If you are in the mood for a serous book that will indeed make you think, pick up a copy of Bruce Benderson's "The Romanian: Story of an Obsession" and I can promise you that you will not be disappointed. I knew nothing about it and the more I read the more surprised I became and the more I loved this book. Written as a memoir, it is really more of a mystery. It s one thing to go down the wrong road but it is something else when you knowingly do so. The book is honest (sometimes too much so) and realistic (because it really happened).
Anyone who has ever loved a person or a place with pain and obsessed, fantasized, felt not at home, or thought about the concepts of history and fate will have a pleasurable read. Benderson takes Romanian history and enmeshes it with the love story of a forbidden hustler. Benderson's obsession with a Romanian rent boy parallels the scandal of a royal family and in doing so takes us with beautiful insight into the modern perspective. Benderson has created a whole new form of travel memoir with this book. He transforms his obsessions to matters for the intellect and we get a psycho-sexual soap opera where danger and truth hide in run down hotels, dim cul-de-sacs and unknown foreign landscapes. The titillation he could have provided his readers by writing this as a soft-core porn novel is instead relates as depraved, masochistic luminous and comical story. There is no hint of redemption and no patented wisdom. The style of the author is depressing and decadent and seems to be infused with mind altering drugs but this is what makes this book so great.
Benderson is at times self-indulgent but we never lose interest. It seemed to me that the author was trying to exorcise some of his guilt feelings about exploiting a young hustler but this is not really of importance as we see when the book draws to a close. Everything is just dirty and the man brought about his own fate.
Benderson felt that his mother had suffocated him emotionally and it is through this knowledge and his relationship with a young man that he begins to realize that everyone of us carries some kind of flaw and that above all, we are human. In learning this, the book shocks us into the reality of the way we live and we start to search within ourselves. Benderson shocks us out of any preconceived notions we may have about the nature of sexuality and we learn that we are mainly responsible for our undoing.
The layers of the book are plentiful as past and present intertwine and the passion of Benderson becomes the passion of the person reading his book. The language is beautiful and the way three different themes are bound together is nothing short of amazing. The descriptions are lush and I bet that Romania has never looked so good before. Benderson uses his beautiful narrative to tell us of things that should ordinarily shock us but his way of relating what he has to say is absolutely gorgeous.

I loved this book. It was honest, although at times it did teeter on the pretentious. I'm not sure if there really was a valid point to his parallel tale of Romania's last king and mistress and Benderson's affair with the his Romanian hustler. Perhaps Benderson was just trying to displace some of his guilty feelings over exploiting a poor and desperate young man. By the end it really doesn't matter - his rose tinted glasses are off and it's all just grime, grit as dirty as uncut diamonds. I came to realize that everyone is an accomplice in their own undoing.

I am straight and was wonderfully surprised how "The Romanian" depicted facets of my own love life and how Benderson's relationship with his mother was similar --the same suffocating control and tenderness. Benderson jolts us right out of our outdated heterosexual and homosexual bourgeois notions. Whether it is his mother or a shameful street hustler, Benderson is only too aware that we are all flawed; that we are only all too human. A shocker for sure but almost right from the beginning, we stop judging and start to search, along with Benderson, deep into our own souls.

"The Romanians," multi- layered intertwines the past with and present in such a brilliant way that we not only learn something about ourselves but also about several cultures. A smart director like Paul VERHOEVEN or TARANTINO would be smart to snatch up the rights.

While I may like this book partly because I know its main locale, anyone who has ever loved a person or a place with pain, obsessed, fantasized, felt exiled, or contemplated history and fate, will find this a fascinating read.

While this guide does have loads of information, I did not find the description of the accomodations to be particularly accurate. And after a day of driving and/or sightseeing, I do appreciate comfort and expect it if it's been foretold.

I took 3 books to Scotland -- Rough Guide, Frommer's, Fodor's (all 2004) and this was clearly the best. It was bigger and had more detail than the other's which was very useful when travelling 2200 miles around the country and wondering what there was to do or where to eat while in transit between planned stops. Rough Guide had lots of interesting things to do and places to visit in areas where the other two books had nothing. Fodor's and Frommer's tended to be more opinionated which was sometimes useful and I did find a good accommodation from Fodor's one night, but if I was only to take one book, it was clearly Rough Guide.

In travelling through Scotland this summer, I found this book invaluable in pointing out important places to visit. Particularly impressive was the way it would imply avoiding certain sections and areas of the country, but never denigrating anything. It is a thorough guide for the whole country, and I found it's analysis interesting and thought provoking. It also makes a good read when you are not even travelling. This is an outstanding book, without question.

This was my fourth Rough Guide, and was perhaps the best of them all. It contains an incredible amount of detail on all sorts of historical monuments, large and small. This guide helped make my trip to Scotland perhaps the best of my vacations. Highly recommended.

Circumstances permitted us only a one-week visit to Scotland, and this book helped us make every day full and enjoyable. It led us to out-of-the-way places we never would have found on our own. Its straightforward descriptions made it easy to choose among several options in any area that we traveled through.

Thus we found Innerperfray Library with its librarian, Mr. Powell, and his entertaining personal tour, walks in the woods of Glen Coe and Loch Leven, the slate quarry at Ballachulish, the island of Inchmahome and the ruins of Inchmahome Abbey, a cruise in a small boat along unspoiled Loch Shiel, Doune Castle (where an anxious crew was shooting a TV commercial), and dinner with excellent food in pleasant surroundings - and way off the beaten track - at An Crann, in Balavie, near Fort William.

The book's listings of accommodations, however, seem more for the hardy. We found reasonably priced and comfortable hotels through local tourist offices, for which the book also provides contact information.

Every year I tell my friends that *this* is the year I'm going to Hawaii - and every year they give me another travel book on the 50th state. This year I received Rum & Reggae's Hawaii and I've finally booked my trip. Thanks to Mr. Runge's thorough (and thoroughly entertaining) descriptions, I know exactly where to go, where to stay, and what to avoid. I've been waiting for a travel book to really tell me what's what for years. I can see I'm not the only one who appreciates an opinionated travel book - there are far too many dull ones out there. This book pushed me over the edge to finally go to Hawaii - quite an accomplishment. Buy it for a friend of yours!

Just returned from the Islands of Hawaii (Oahu, Maui, Lanai, and big island) - can't wait to go back and explore the other parts of such a wonderful part of the world. I will say that without my copy of Rum&Reggae's Hawaii travel guide - I would have been lost and probably would have had a much lessor experience. I bought the book well ahead of my departure and used it as the foundation for my trip - setting up an appropriate itinerary, logistics, great places to stay, authentic restaurants, and unique places to see not covered in any other guide books I looked at - The tourist scale rating system was really helpful and accurate - without a doubt this guide book is right on the mark. Not only was the book my best reference while I was traveling, but it also was fun to read about the history and cultural stuff I did not know along the way. As with the Rum&Reggae's Carribean guide book (which I used and would also highly recommend if headed there), I found this book very readable, no-bull, and colorfully different from other stuffy, flat guide books I have tried to use many times in the past. Thank you Rum&Reggae for this book - I will go back with your book in hand! My next trip is to South America - when is your travel Guide on Brazil coming out?

This is not my first encounter with Mr. Runge's work nor, I hope, will it be my last. I started with Rum & Reggae 2000, the definitive "inside scoop" on the caribbean, and I've been hooked on Runge ever since.

This is not your ordinary travel guide. It reads more like a converstation with a friend over cocktails. And what better way to plan your next trip than to chat with a friend who has 'been there and done that'?

Be it solitude or 'sauce' that you seek; deserted beaches or a little cha-cha-cha, you'll find it here.

This is not my first encounter with Mr. Runge's work nor, I hope, will it be my last. I started with Rum & Reggae 2000, the definitive "inside scoop" on the caribbean, and I've been hooked on Runge ever since.

This is not your ordinary travel guide. It reads more like a converstation with a friend over cocktails. And what better way to plan your next trip than to chat with a friend who has 'been there and done that'?

Be it solitude or 'sauce' that you seek; deserted beaches or a little cha-cha-cha, you'll find it here.

I wanted to let anyone looking for what to do/where to stay/what are the best deals in Hawaii -- that you need look no further than this terrific new guide book from Jonathan Runge.

Just as he did in 'Hot on Hawaii', he makes you want to go to places on various islands that you'd not thought of - or even known of before! The research and detail that has gone into this 2nd effort, is first rate and I applaud the time he put into it.

If you have only one guide book on Hawaii that you want to keep on hand, I suggest that you make it this one!

Tom & Tina Finnigan
San Francisco, CA

Excellent book steeped in history and written with great style. One can almost feel Africa and how Safaris changed people as well as a country.

This book, Safari, is one of the best books I have ever read. The
chapters can be read individually yet read perfectly as a whole.
I bought a number of the books as gifts. They were VERY well received.
Thank you for this excellent product.

Safari: A Chronicle Of Adventure details the history of the African safari from its first expedition of 1836 to modern times. Bull is an environmentalist, so his survey Safari isn't your typical gun-hunter's celebration of good old days, but a survey of conflicts between hunting and conservation, weapons and transport, game control and more. From economics and financers of the safari to mishaps, adventures, and famous personalities involved in safaris, vintage black and white photos pair with wide-ranging personal and political stories for maximum effect.

A wonderful book covering the beginnings of the African Safari to the present. Many current authors use this book as reference for their own books such as Peter Beard, Bibi Jordan, Kuki Gallman, and Mirella Ricciardi. If all of these authors use this book as a reference and quote it throughout their own books it has just got be good. I recommend it highly for any African Safari book collection!

This well written book documents the evolution of Safaris from the early Boer settlers through the modern camera hunters.

I found this book fascinating and it actually brought back fond memories of life when life was not so hurried. While Howard Mansfield's thoughts seem to flash from one event to another, it gives the reader time to pause and reflect on their own historical experiences in perhaps a small town they once lived or at least wished they had lived. This book reminds us how sweet life was before the words tract (home), fast (food) and drive-thru (service) became a prefix of our vocabulary. Don't think for a moment it's a dull book--its far from! Appropriately, Mansfield manages to interject his humor which at times had this reader in stitches! He also reminds us how much we ache for that simple, easy existence and that deep sense of community. A great book from a genius author.

*A powerful book with a unique perspective on the following:

--What we can learn from the past

--The fragile finite nature of physical objects and the material world

--How to breathe life into a restoration and learn from it, as opposed
to shellaking it over with a polished artificial veneer

--That the work of restoration is as much about the action of
restoring as about the finished product

--That the work of restoration is never done

*Personal essays and interviews rather than a how-to-manual

*Poetic and thoughtful

*SPECIAL NOTE FOR PEOPLE WITH SEVERE CLUTTER/HOARDING problems*
Please note that for people with a hoarding/severe clutter problem, this will be a hard book to read, because it definitely hammers home the fact of "dust to dust".

You will find a new name for yourself however: a "Noah"! In fact one of the chapters is called "An Arkload of Noahs."

And you might even find for yourself a paradigm 180 degree shift in the way you view the objects you are trying to save. The lesson here may be to save less, so that you conserve your energy to try to protect the objects you love the most. Also to realize that the act of preserving should be one of life-giving affirmation for YOURSELF in the
process. It's what you learn and pass on that matters, more than the actual objects.

*Most interesting fact from the book:
(p. 5) "We have our own shrine,...the U.S.S. Constitution, Old Ironsides, the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world.....The ship has survived some close calls with oblivion....Saving a wooden ship is a job that's never finished. The Constitution has been rebuilt and repaired in 1833, 1858, 1871077, 1906, 1927-30, 1953, 1963-65, 1973-75, and the most recent and most extensive...1992-96. ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 20 PERCENT OF OLD IRONSIDES IS ORIGINAL." (The rest has been replaced over the years through restoration.)

*Here are some favorite quotes from the book:
(pp. 270-271) "Noah gathered two of all that lived, following some of the most specific instructions in the bible. We aren't always so carefully guided. Voices, visions, burning bushes are given only to a few....All Noahs are like Sadie Huntoon. They pull from the wreck we have made of the world what they can, and time will judge its value."

(p.274) "We must let go of some things--some beloved things--to allow the birth of the new, which at times will be shocking and awkward."

(p. 58) "An earthquake in 1997 destroyed important frescoes in the 13th-century Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the ceiling came down in thousands of pieces....One Franciscan nun said: Sometimes things
need to be destroyed so they can be renewed."

(p. 58) "All materials are fugitive. Things fade, dry out, crizzle and craze. Glass is a liquid. Mountains are borne to the sea. Life is fugitive."

(p. 275) "Nothing is ever (permanently) saved. ...Restoration is a legacy. The job isn't finished; it is handed off to the next generation of caretakers."

(p. 53) "To the keeper of a historic house, the earth is a science-fiction horror film. Life-giving water rots roofs and dissolves stone; benign sunshine reduces silk curtains to rags, bleaches wood, and cracks leather.....The curators are condemned to live on a planet where the fingertips of earthlings leave behind acid that tarnishes silver, where bronze and pewter are prone to 'diseases,' and dust can defeat a suit of medieval armor.
Life is a fire. Sunlight, air, and water sustain us and destroy us. Life consumes all we wish to save."

(pp. 55-57) "The curators' task is impossible: preserve all this stuff FOREVER. They are in a pitched battle with the elements.....Says Pam Hatchfield, an objects conservator at the museum. At best, you can extend the life with low humidity. 'You have to assume that objects you're using are disposable,' she says. 'No matter how much you love them.'"

(pp. 57-58 )"The philosophers call it EVANESCENCE, the passing from one state to the next. Under the right conditions, ice evanescences to vapor....Evanescence is a wonderful phrase, but when I pry back a board on our old house and reach in, and the beam comes out in moist handfuls like devil's food cake, it's not evanescence, it's rot....Everything
created will rot eventually: the Mona Lisa, the Brooklyn Bridge....The world works to recycle itself.....Without rot, life itself is impossible. Rot probably deserves a better name....Most of life is....maintenance."

(p. 276) "Ours in an age of broken connections...Restoration is renewal--and effort to mend the world--or it is not worth doing. Good restoration is a prayer, an offering. It's praise, attention paid; it revels in the glory and spirit of this life."

I just want to pass on this review from the Spring 2002 issue of ArchitectureBoston:

THE SAME AX, TWICE is one of those quiet books that foments revolution. Although identified as merely "journalist and author" (and by implication, non-scholar?), Howard Mansfield has just the right combination of erudition and humor to challenge conventionally held ideas about historic preservation. Like IN THE MEMORY HOUSE , his wise 1993 exploration of the New Englander's defining relationship with the past, THE SAME AX, TWICE ought to be on your bookshelf along with Wendell Berry and Noel Perrin."
-- William Morgan, Professor of Art, Wheaton College
--

Howard Mansfield has written an immensely insightful book about the ways we see our own past. If you were to say something to fault this book it would be that it has crammed twice too many ideas into half too little space, but for those of us who are tired of books with next to nothing to say, Mansfield delivers a powerhouse of ideas about where we are and where we are going.

From the Wright Brothers to the Gillette razor, Mansfield explores American culture and the complex interplay between who we are and who we think we would like to become. Solid pleasure.

This is not the kind of book I usually read. It's probably not the kind of book that **anyone** usually reads. I bought it because of a favorable review in the New York Times. The review made the book sound good and, what do you know, the book really is good.

Now, I'll never renovate a house. I'll never live in a log cabin or an old stone house. I don't want to live in New England or visit Walden Pond or petition city hall to save an old building. But when I read this book, I found out I was a "Noah." (A "Noah" is someone, according to Mansfield, who tries to preserve things that are beautiful or useful from extinction.)

I encourage you to read this book as an allegory for renewal in your own life. What important things in your own world are threatened by what's new? What can you do to preserve those things you find useful as they're encroached upon by change?

My norm is to buy books on Amazon.com and then sell them on half.com to support my habit. But not this book! This book is staying on my shelf. I'll read it again whenever I'm in need of inspiration or creative insight.

As a San Francisco resident of nearly 20 years, I loved this book. It is not a typical, boring guidebook, but rather a very well written, witty book that reads more like a novel. There are many places that Wach writes about that I have never heard of and I am so glad that I recently purchased this book. A must read for San Franciscans!

This book is a great way to get to know SF. As a local, you can do all the things you're "supposed to do" that you haven't done, even though you've lived here for years. Visitors to the city will get a great mix of must-do tourist attractions, and an inside peek into the many things that make San Francisco great that don't begin with "Fish" or "Golden" - a real local flavor.

The author is a regular contributor to the SF Chronicle Newspaper, and her articles are always a treat. She has a great writing style and is extremely witty - this book is actually an entertaining read straight up even if you're not looking for a guide book. She "gets" San Francisco and passes it on to you.

Especially invaluable if you have friends/family coming to SF and you need to show off our little city by the bay, but can't for the life of you remember anything to show them, except for things starting with "Fish" and "Golden". Many chapters that customize a visit to SF for each visitor type - from that "interesting older aunt" to the "wornout by the kids couple". It's a lifesaver when you're expected to give someone the "SF Experience".

Over twenty tailor-made tours of San Francisco are outlined for specialty tourists, from food fans to shopaholics. This isn't your normal tourist's view of the city. At the heart of San Francisco As You Like It: 23 Tailor-Made Tours for Culture Vultures, Shopaholics, Neo-Bohemians, Famished Foodies, Savvy Natives & Everyone Else lies its small neighborhoods and long-lasting shops and restaurants which often are hidden from casual visitors. Add a healthy dose of humor and you'll find a tour to suit all kinds of visitor - and even the San Francisco native.

It doesn't matter if you never go to San Francisco -- buy this book just for the sheer joy of reading it. Bonnie Wach has real opinions and does not dish out the usual everything-is-great travel-guide drivel. Her writing sparkles with personality, wit and humor. All the particulars for the places she writes about are listed in the margins, making the information easy to find when you're looking for it. If you have any interest in San Francisco or travel books in general, buy this book.

This is one of my favorite guidebooks to one of my favorite cities. Witty and funny writing style. Filled with interesting detail and juicy tidbits, yet at the same time simple to navigate. The approach is clever too - tailor made tours for a wide variety of perspectives and preferences. Even though I used to live in SF and know it fairly well, I've gotten so that I don't visit The City without this book.

It was a great conclusion to the series! Susan Grant never disappoints me!

The 2176 series comes to an exciting close with a story both complex and emotionally satisfying. Cam 'Scarlet' Tucker has been found and removed from her cryogenic container. But the efforts to keep her hidden from those that want her for political reasons fail. Cam is captured by a disguised Prince Kyber, who is still hurting from Banzai Maguire's escape and subsequent capture by the UCE. As Kyber and Cam form an emotional bond Banzai attempts to survive the brutal tortures of the UCE regime. The revolution begins, the Voice of Freedom is revealed, and Cam comes to the patriotic rescue. Recommended.

For those of you who like sci-fi action and romance you should read "The Legend of Banzai Maguire" first. The action rips right through the book and you'll finish reading it in no time, hence that leads to "The Scarlet Empress." In this book you'll find the deeper emotions revealed between Ty and Bree and their struggles with the U.C.E., and in my humble opinion the best parts in this book (which there are many) is the interaction between Cam and Kyber, the delicate movements between the two, like Swans drawing closer each dancing around but not quite sure...yet! I love the witty dialog exchange between these two, you'll laugh because you'll swear you've had a similar conversation or you'll say to yourself "oh, good come back! I have to use that next time." I found myself feeling closer to Kyber this time around (you'll have to read the book as to why), and that's a good thing! A good writer will have enough details of each character that you as a reader will find yourself relating not so much as the experiences (maybe for some of you), but to the personal struggles one goes through. Now that's real! Take the risk and read the book, you won't be disappointed.

This is an action-filled romance novel with loads of
suspense that you have to just keep reading and not put
the book down.Great characters that you will learn to love and
see how they go through some exciting times to accomplish their
goals.A greatlove story!

This is the final story in the 2176 Series. In this story, we have the pleasure of once again being with Banzai "Bree" Maguire and the love of her life, Tyler "Ty" Armstrong. They have been constantly on the move ever since Bree managed to rescue Ty from the acting Emperor of Asia's prison. Finally deciding to call in an old favor, the two of them decide to hide out with pirates for a while. Of course, Bree can sense that something just isn't right...

We also get to discover that Southern Belle and Bree's wingman, Cameron "Scarlett" Tucker is alive and living in Mongolia. Once again, the acting Emperor strikes and manages to take Scarlett back to his home. This time, Prince Kyber has no intentions of becoming emotionally involved with his "guest", despite Scarlett's best attempts.

THE SCARLETT EMPRESS is one of the best stories I have read in 2004! Susan Grant started the 2176 series with a bang and left me crying at the end of this story. The series wraps up beautifully with all the women fighting for freedom coming together. Of course, their men are no slouches either. The biggest shock of the entire series is discovering just who the "Voice of Freedom" is. If you enjoy a good futuristic action story, don't miss THE SCARLETT EMPRESS. If you enjoy reading about strong women and equally strong men, don't miss THE SCARLETT EMPRESS. If you enjoy a story with a wonderful ending bringing on the tears, don't miss THE SCARLETT EMPRESS. In other words, this book has to be on your to be read list!

Shelby and the Shifting Rings is the first book in the Defenders of Time Series. In this introductory book, the reader is introduced to Shelby Shodworth, a curious girl with a talent for mischief. Since her mother's death two years earlier, twelve year old Shelby has been living with her uncle, Leviticus Pottsmore (the Colonel). Now, as per her mother's explicit orders before she died, Shelby is now going to attend Ms. Peabonnet's Academy. Shelby is conflicted. She is glad to be away from her strict, uncaring uncle but knows she will miss her best friend. Shelby need not worry, she is going to find quite a number of new and interesting friends at Ms. Peabonnet's Academy. She will also find a good deal of mischief and maybe even a few answers to her some of her most difficult and mysterious questions.

Shelby and the Shifting Rings is a fun adventure filled story. Shelby is a normal twelve year old girl who in seeking answers to her questions finds a little more trouble and adventure than even she could have imagined. Readers will fall in love with Shelby, wish they had a friend like Newton, and long for the next adventure of Shelby and her friends.

A good mystery keeps your mind active with questions, surprises, and takes you on an adventure throughout the book. Mysteries are good for children -- just perfect for their growing, creative minds :).

The book, "Shelby and the Shifting Rings," by A. M. Veillon, is one such mystery. This compelling story follows the adventures of 12-year-old Shelby, whose life is filled with mysterious situations when she is sent to live with her uncle after her mother dies. After attending boarding school, Shelby takes off on a mysterious journey. Throughout her adventure, she discovers missing pieces to her own life's puzzle, and learns her true identity. Shelby didn't consider herself to be anyone special, but after unlocking many secrets she learned that she was destined to save the world. The book ends with a lead in for the next book in the series.

MyParenTime.com highly recommends this book -- the story is so enjoyable and captivating...be warned: you may not be able to put the book down :). Shelby is very courageous and very likeable, and is a true heroine. Because of these traits, Shelby is destined to become a children's favorite. Readers will also get a chuckle from some of the names in the story (ie: Mr. Primprop, Mr. Lobnob, and Chef Porkpoke). We highly recommend this wonderful book and are sure it will be enjoyed by all who read it.

This was a refreshing story that shows girls being smart and adventurous without trying to hide it. Taking place in a girls school eliminates the problems of competition between the sexes and lets us focus on the story. Shelby goes through many of the same things all girls do and how she handles it should be an example to them.
Thanks A.M. Veillon and when is the next book coming out?

A quick and easy read full of page turning excitement. It is so easy to get involved in Shelby's life and feel the mounting questions she seeks answers for.
A great book to engulf young growing readers.

Not since the days of Nancy Drew have I seen such a strong role model for young women portrayed in literature. My daughter and I read each page together and could hardly wait for the fun and excitement each chapter would bring. Shelby's courage and positive attitude, despite the hardships she faced, were inspiring. We can't wait for Shelby's next adventure. Thank you A.M. Veillon for showing our girls they can be kind, yet strong and independent.

SOUTH: THE LAST ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION

Here is a list of equipment that Sir Ernest Shackleton did NOT have for his memorable Endurance expedition: GPS location finders; radio ; RADAR, SONAR; computerized navigation; professional medical care; thermal clothes; MRE'S (Meals Ready To Eat), double steel hull; air and logistical support, public relations agents; marketing proposals; lawyers.
Shacketon's crew navigated with a sextant; traversed the icecap with dog sleds instead of ski-doos, and ate canned herring, tinned meat, pemmican, biscuits and occasional seals.

What he did have was an old ship, a strong crew, an incredible work ethic, classic British stoicism and unerring sense of the right thing to do.

His book reads like a Robert Louis Stevenson or H.G. Welles story, but it is the unvarnished truth. His matter -of -fact account is brilliantly illustrated by Frank Hurley's dramatic black & white photos of The Endurance encapsulated in ice, its masts and spars dripping frozen water like the maritime apparition in Melville's "Benito Cereno."
I seriously doubt whether a modern expedition equipped with all the bells and whistles and sponsored with corporate money could duplicate what Shackleton's Endurance accomplished under the most adverse circumstances imaginable.
Because the Endurance expedition occurred in 1914-15 at the start of World World War I
Shackleton's accomplishment was largely overshadowed, and the Antarctic was all but forgotten until the `fifties and `sixties when its scientific and strategic value was rediscovered.
Now, as the Antarctic ice cap melts from global warming, one wonders at Shackleton's accomplishment.

When the Antarctic explorer ship Endurance became trapped by ice in the opening days of World War I, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his companions found themselves stranded for the winter. Months later, when the ice floe that had been their "home" became unstable as spring breakup began, the party - with their ship long since broken apart - took to their three open boats, and made their way to Elephant Island. There they set up a precarious camp, where most of the group waited while Sir Ernest and a few carefully chosen companions struck out for South Georgia. That South Atlantic island, 800 miles away, was known to have year-round British inhabitants.

Those are the bare facts of one of the great true adventures, a story told here by Sir Ernest himself. His dry writing style may take some slogging, at first, for contemporary (especially American) readers; but his wit is equally dry, and his descriptions vivid. I was especially interested to note the differences between the Shackleton party's attitudes and those of today. Not only is this a magnificent survival tale (NOT ONE of Shackleton's men died!); it's also a snapshot of how those quintessential English explorers of another era thought about the world they were discovering. For better or for worse, how times and attitudes have changed!

After more than a year of seeing pretty much nothing but ice and snow, and living in, at times, sub-zero temperatures, Sir Ernest Shackleton writes about his camp's current conditions; "Drifts four feet deep covered everything, and we had to be continually digging up our scanty stock of meat to prevent its being lost altogether... On this day, and for the next two or three also, it was impossible to do anything but get right inside one's frozen sleeping bag to try and get warm. Too cold to read or sew, we had to keep our hands well inside, and pass the time in conversation with each other." He's so matter-of-fact... no fluff here. He just tells it like it is. I love that about this book. The conditions worsen by leaps and bounds as the story continues, but I'll leave that for you to explore on your own. Anyway, the first few chapters are very informative regarding how the expedition was planned, where they were headed, how they got there, etc... for me, it started a little slow, but I understand why the writer wanted to include this information. So, then you get into the "meaty" survival stuff... and is it ever so fascinating. And for me, it's especially fascinating because it doesn't seem to be sugar-coated, as so many writers are proned to do when telling their story. In fiction, I don't mind so much the way a writer gives you every detail, written ever so eloquently, but when it comes to true stories... especially survival stories, I personally just want to hear the straight talk. A GREAT SURVIVAL STORY AND PERFECTLY WRITTEN for this reader.

What an expedition! There is a lot to be learned about leadership and survival by the adventurers on this journey. If you like men against the elements, who survive by their wits and never ever give up, this is the tale for you. A great winter read.

Shackleton was an amazing man full of true grit and true leadership. Among the many things that stand out in his story of survival is the importance of keeping a journal. Even after many supplies and equipment were left on the ice, the men were instructed to continue to carry their journals. And what if they had not? Where would be the true story that outshines most fictional adventure stories in the minds and imaginations of many, including myself?

If you want to read more about Antarctica, I suggest T.H. Baughman's "Before the Heroes Came."

Gumbel has run over the history of American electoral fraud, starting as early as 1788 and running through extensive discussions of the 2000 and 2004 elections.

On the way we learn about a number of fascinating scandals of the past, now largely forgotten, along with some that haven't been, such as the famous Tammany Hall gang that dominated New York City for a decade. Gumbel shows that, while big-city corruption got the publicity, elections in many rural areas were equally dirty. He also show how periodic concerns over ballot box stuffing have resulted in a numbr of reforms that, by making voting harder, have effectively lowered participation, which was once at around 80% of eligible voters, and now is sometimes below 50%. For instance, the secret ballot, by replacing earlier party-distributed ballots that had shown, by color and logos, which party they represented, had the quite intentional effect of disenfranchising many illiterate immigrants and former slaves. The practice of denying the vote to convicted felons even after completion of their sentence was invented entirely to prevent former slaves from voting, and is used to disenfranchise blacks to this day, as notably happened in Florida 2000.

Gumbel's discussion of the Florida crisis is useful, although I thought a little too hard on Gore. His discussion of Ohio 2004, which he feels was clearly a legitimate victory, although he does show the strong evidence of illegitimate means used to suppress the Kerry vote, is obviously unconvincing for many of his readers here. (It's interesting to note that, although the book really works not to be a partisan tract, the reviewers on Amazon seem to be overwhelmingly Democrats.)

The extensive discussion in this book of touch screen voting shows clearly how flawed the technology is in current form. He also adds a fascinating historical perspective by showing how past changes, earlier voting machines and punch card ballots, were promoted in their time as technological wonders which would eliminate corruption and make voting easier.

One thing that is very convincing indeed in this section is the discussion of how professional election administrators have repeatedly ignored, downplayed, or just flat lied about the flaws in technology they have committed taxpayer money to, both with e-voting and with previous technologies. I used to think that the professionals who explained how my fears of touch screen voting were groundless probably knew what they were talking about, since they worked with the systems so closely. I won't ever trust those quotes again after reading this book.

Gumbel's discussion of touch screen voting in other countries is also interesting, both for how he shows that such advanced nations as Venezuela do far better than the US at holding clean and reliable elections, as well as some anecdotes showing that American voting equipment companies have just as doubtful a record overseas as they do at home. This section will give you the mild relief of knowing that the way they're screwing up our elections is (probably) more a matter of corporate greed and incompetence than a deep conspiracy to install permanent right-wing government by fixing elections.

Steal This Vote is a fascinating book whose interesting premise is unfortunately marred by a boring and choppy writing style. Gumbel's accusations, arguments and images are stirring and rather frightening; the fact that elections have been stolen for the last two hundred years isn't exactly encouraging to those supporting election reform. He paints a very clear picture of each point in election-stealing history, from the early days of the Republic to Chicago's Daley machine to the 2000 and 2004 debacles. Each shocking detail comes out fast and harsh, which is alarming (as it should be) for the first few chapters, but then soon becomes repetitive and tiring. That doesn't keep the whole story from enlightening the reader, however. Even if I struggled to get through this book, I learned the history of elections in this country and how they are taken for granted and are almost never clean. And though I am constantly distressed by the American population's election habits, Gumbel's suggestions for reform are reasonable goals for which I will fight to the end. With some more editing, perhaps a new edition of this book could be more easily read, and I think it should be read. This population is too ignorant of its system's workings; if the people knew that their perfect democracy is not so perfect, there would be hell to pay, and then there may at last be change.

One would have thought that of all the boring topics that an author could select, the mechanics and history of the secret ballot in the world's pre-eminent democracy should have been close to the top. But far from it, Mr Gumbel has documented and told a quite extraordinary and at times amazing tale. Whether he is right in every detail I have no idea but either way it ought to have every US citizen asking some very tough questions. Politics can be a venal game but surely the actual electoral process itself ought to be above question. Sadly it seems in the USA it's not.

I was really impressed with this book. This is an incredibly important topic, and the author is so immensely knowledgeable, and his handling of the material is so comprehensive and fair, that by the end, I felt closer to grasping what's been going on with American politics than ever before. It turned my perception of the whole voting process in America completely around (I really never suspected it was THIS bad). If you have any interest at all in politics (and if you don't, well, you might be past saving), you should read this, and pass it along, and talk about it. It's an eye-opener. And so entertaining! I laughed out loud several times, and throughout, I felt that the author was presenting really substantial, weighty information in an appealing, witty style. (It's a fun book to cart around, too -- about 15 people stopped me and asked me about the book after glimpsing the title.)

The election travesties of 2000 and 2004 left me angry and disgusted. I'm still angry and disgusted about those events and their conduct, but after reading Gumbel's book, I've softened my impressions a bit and redirected the focus of my ire and disgust. It's clear to me now that no American political party has ever seriously objected to election theft as long as the result was victory. Since achieving honest elections has never been an honest goal (except temporarily for the losers), a party in power has never had genuine interest in realizing honest results! So, here we are.
I shouldn't be surprised at all that, but Gumbel's detail, clarity and focus make me wonder why I'm so late coming to the full realization table.
Gumbel provides clear insight. Nevertheless, the reader is left to judge for himself what all this says about the alleged state of democracy in the U.S.A., past and present.