Sarah Vowell exposes the glorious conundrums of American history and culture with wit, probity, and an irreverent sense of humor. With Assassination Vacation, she takes us on a road trip like no other, a journey to the pit stops of American political murder and through the myriad ways they have been used for fun and profit, for political and cultural advantage.
From Buffalo to Alaska, Washington to the Dry Tortugas, Vowell visits locations immortalized and influenced by the spilling of politically important blood, reporting as she goes with her trademark blend of wisecracking humor, remarkable honesty, and thoughtprovoking criticism. We learn about the jinx that was Robert Todd Lincoln (present at the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley) and witness the politicking that went into the making of the Lincoln Memorial. The resulting narrative is much more than an entertaining and informative travelogue, it is the disturbing and fascinating story of how American death has been manipulated by popular culture, including literature, architecture, sculpture, and, the author's favorite, historical tourism.
Though the themes of loss and violence are explored and we make detours to see how the Republican Party became the Republican Party, there are lighter diversions into the lives of the three presidents and their assassins, including mummies, show tunes, meanspirited totem poles, and a 19thcentury biblical sex cult.
In Order of Appearance: Conan O'Brien...Robert Todd Lincoln Eric Bogosian...John Wilkes Booth Stephen King...President Abraham Lincoln Dave Eggers...Mike Ryan Catherine Keener...Gretchen Worden Jon Stewart...President James A. Garfield Tony Kushner...John Humphrey Noyes Brad Bird...Charles Guiteau & Emma Goldman Daniel Handler...President William McKinley Greg Giraldo...President Theodore Roosevelt David Rakoff...Leon Czolgosz
Florencewalks Audio Guide proves to listeners that much of Florence's art is found not only in her world famous museums but on her streets....
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Frommer's Neighborhood Walking Tours take you step by step to the most intriguing spots, full of history and juicy anecdotes, as well as the hidden treasures travelers seldom see....
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Based on a series of letters Mark Twain wrote from Europe to newspapers in San Francisco and New York as a roving correspondent....
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Written in 1831, Irving's dreamlike description of the Alhambra, the beautiful Moorish castle that defined the height of Moorish civilization, and the surrounding territory of Granada....
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Following his expedition to Indonesia, as told in Zoo Quest For A Dragon, David Attenborough's next animal collecting and filming trip was to New Guinea, home of the exotic Birds of Paradise....
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Once upon a time an Indian writer name Amitav Ghosh set out to find an Indian slave, name unknown, who some 700 years before had traveled to the Middle East....
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This collection of humorous, thoughtprovoking essays is filled with the sincere, unexpected, and sometimes poetic observations of a rocket scientist....
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In this exuberant, characterfilled saunter though a place he has loved almost his entire life, Roy Blount Jr. writes of a city like no other place in America....
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On this walk through Barcelona, you'll experience the visual architectural party of the city's streets; wander the Boqueria Market, Europe's largest, where produce is art....
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Whether you're planning your trip or already there, Frommer's Best of Rome will take you through the top 20 sites, from the Vatican to the Coloseum....
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Jeff Shaara, America's premier Civil War novelist, gives a remarkable guided tour of one of the Civil War battlefields every American should visit. He captures the true meaning and magnitude of the conflict....
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In this audio tour through Vienna, hear why the Waltz was considered naughty in Strauss' time, wander delightful hidden courtyards, and walk through the fanciest shops of Salzburg....
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This overview of the southern side of Rio takes you through Catacomb Park, over to Botafogo to discover the infamous Yoruba restaurant, and then back down to Copacabana....
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Like many of his generation, Bill Bryson backpacked across Europe in the early '70s in search of enlightenment, beer, and women...
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Why I Recommend
Audible by Alan Twigg
Audible (an Amazon.com company) is the world's leading online
audio-book provider. Audible is responsible for supplying audio
content to Apple's ITunes service. I have been listening,
enjoying and creating audio books for many years. With
the arrival of the internet and portable digital devices,
audio-books began to become availalbe for download.
Having tried most of
the other download services myself, I finally came to
the conclusion that Audible offers the best and most
reliable service. Whether you are using an IPod, IPhone,
mobile phone, Dune or one of the many other MP3 players
availalbe, Audilbe makes downloading great quality audio
content easy and umcomplicated.
In addition to this, Audible also boasts the most comprehensive collection
of audio books anywhere. Depending on the promotion currently on
offer, you can download any audiobook of your
choice for free (including almost
certainly the title on this
page, too).
This link will take you to Audible...
All about Audiobooks and how they can make your life more
enjoyable.
Books in audio format are a fantastic alternative to reading.
Indeed, now that the digital age is upon, listening to your
favourite novel, biography or factual book has become
incredibly easy. Digital audiobooks weigh nothing and can be
easily downloaded in mp3, wma or other format to an almost
limitless number of mobile devices, including ipods, iphone,
zune, android, laptops, PCs and mobile phones.
Just imagine listening to a bestselling classic while
driving. Good audiobooks really do take the boredom out of
travel and long car journeys. Thanks to Ipod and co. you
don’t even need a CD player anymore! And there are many
thousands of great audiobooks to choose in an incredibly
diverse range of categories. From comedy to business and
from children’s to Adult, you are guaranteed to find your
downloadable favourite.
Here at Playtime Books we offer lots unabridged talking
books that can be downloaded from audible. At audible
audiobooks you get your own online library, which makes
downloading a piece of cake. You can then easily move them
over to your Ipod or mp3 player. You can also sign up for
the trial and get a
free audiobook.
