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Gadfly in Russia: A Story of Travel, History, People, and Places
Par Alan Sillitoe. 2007
This memoir and literary travelogue from one of the UK&’s most esteemed novelists offers rare insight into Cold War–era Russia.…
In 1967, seeking an escape from his writing life, bestselling British novelist Alan Sillitoe embarks on a road trip from England to Russia via Harwich and Finland in his sturdy Peugeot. During his teens, the author had a cartographic fascination with the Battle of Stalingrad, and decades later he is still armed with intricate maps of the country based on British military intelligence, including one of the road from Leningrad to Moscow to Kiev, which he drew himself. Also in tow are a prismatic compass, binoculars, and a shortwave radio receiver. However, despite being so well prepared, Sillitoe embarks with naiveté about the political precariousness of an Englishman in the eyes of the Soviet regime. After passing through the endless days of a Scandinavian summer and a prolonged stop at a border control checkpoint—with his maps hidden in a secret compartment of the car—Sillitoe arrives in Leningrad. There, he meets George Andjaparidze, a worldly and candid English student who has been assigned by the Writers&’ Union to serve as the author&’s guide and keep him out of trouble. Though Sillitoe would rather continue his journey solo, Andjaparidze grows on him, and they begin what will become a lasting friendship. As soon as the duo leaves Leningrad, adventures and misadventures ensue. En route to Moscow, Sillitoe and Andjaparidze end up racing a pack of middle-age men in German sports cars partaking in a Berlin-to-Moscow rally. Sillitoe and Andjaparidze&’s time in the capital is equally fast-paced, consisting of late nights fueled by vodka, impounded rubles, caviar breakfasts, erudite parties, and a pat on the back from a traffic cop for writing about the working class. A winding drive across western Russia and into Yugoslavia follows, replete with rebellious literature students, a speech on freedom, a visit to Tolstoy&’s estate, accusations of espionage, and a near-fatal run-in with a brigade of Red Army tanks. At last the writer and guide reach their destination: Kursk, that fateful place where a Soviet victory in 1943 turned back the Nazi tide. But the story continues long after the road trip ends. Back in England, Andjaparidze visits Sillitoe and the two are caught up in a controversy surrounding the defection of the Soviet writer Anatoly Kuznetsov. Written from the perspective of another trip to Russia forty years later (Sillitoe was invited in 2005 by the British Council to return to Moscow), this travelogue provides a rare and intimate look at the country&’s history, a compassionate understanding of its troubled ideology, and a frank portrayal of its undeniable lure.Currently Away
Par Bruce Tate. 2024
The walls were closing in on Bruce and Maggie Tate. Isolation forced on them by the pandemic, combined with America's…
growing political factionalism, threatened their bonds with community and family. Something had to change. Maggie's surprising answer: buy a boat, learn to pilot it, and embark on the Great Loop. For nine months Bruce and Maggie navigated rivers, coastal waters, lakes, locks, and loss. Against all odds, they conquered the Loop, and along the way found common cause across political divides with new friends while blowing the walls off their world. Bruce and Maggie Tate were spiraling downward. Normally outgoing and cheerful, Maggie was broken down by pandemic isolation. Bruce, facing asthma, heart disease and Covid-related professional issues, was sure that the virus and his comorbidities would kill him. And the plant-based diet he had just started made him wish it would hurry up. Meanwhile, their country seemed to be crumbling into warring factions. That was when Maggie made a life-changing decision. With no experience, knowing little about seafaring, inboard motors, or navigation, she and Bruce and the family dog decided to take on the Great Loop, a six-thousand-mile journey down inland rivers, around the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, and across the Great Lakes. They had to navigate canals and locks, were threatened by dangerous seas, and even had to deal with heartbreaking loss. But along the way, they made new lifelong friends and were forever changed. When, in a time of great divisiveness, two broken people took on the challenge of their lives, against all odds they found common cause across political divides and made themselves whole again.The Best American Travel Writing 2015 (Best American Ser.)
Par Andrew McCarthy. 2015
In his introduction, guest editor Andrew McCarthy says that the best travel writing is &“the anonymous and solitary traveler capturing…
a moment in time and place, giving meaning to his or her travels.&” The stories in The Best American Travel Writing 2015 demonstrate just that spirit, whether it is the story of a marine returning to Iraq a decade after his deployment, a writer retracing the footsteps of humanity as it spread from Africa throughout the world, or looking for love on a physics-themed cruise down the Rhone River. No matter what the subject, the writers featured in this volume boldly call out, &“Yes, this matters. Follow me!&” The Best American Travel Writing 2015 includes Iris Smyles, Paul Theroux, Christopher Solomon Patricia Marx, Kevin Baker, Benjamin Busch, Maud Newton Gary Shteyngart, Paul Salopek, and others ANDREW MCCARTHY, guest editor, is the author of the New York Times best-selling travel memoir The Longest Way Home. He has served as an editor at large at National Geographic Traveler and been named travel journalist of the year by the Society of American Travel Writers. He is also an actor and director. JASON WILSON, series editor, is the author of Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits and the digital wine series Planet of the Grapes. He has written for the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Daily News, and many other publications. He is the founding editor of The Smart Set and Table Matters.The Best American Sports Writing 2014 (Best American Ser.)
Par Christopher McDougall. 2014
“Excellent . . . A no-brainer pickup for the sports collection.” — Booklist“An affirmation of the strong state of American sportswriting.” — Kirkus…
ReviewsFrom more than 350 national, regional, and specialty publications and, increasingly, the top sports blogs, Christopher McDougall, best-selling author of Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, hand-selected the very best sports journalism of the past year.Dragon Sea: A True Tale of Treasure, Archeology, and Greed off the Coast of Vietnam
Par Frank Pope. 2005
Frank Pope pulls back the curtain on the intensely competitive underworld of shipwrecks in this thrilling story of treasure hunting…
gone wrong. When Oxford archeologist Mensun Bound—dubbed the "Indiana Jones of the Deep" by the Discovery Channel—teamed up with a financier to salvage a sunken trove of fifteenth-century porcelain, it seemed a dream enterprise. The stakes were high: The Hoi An wreck lay hundreds of feet down in a typhoon-prone stretch of water off the coast of Vietnam known as the Dragon Sea. Raising its contents required saturation diving, a crew of 160, and a fleet of boats. But the potential rewards were equally high: Bound would revolutionize thinking about Vietnamese ceramics, and his partner would make a fortune auctioning off the pieces. Or so they thought. In Dragon Sea, Pope delivers an engrossing tale of danger, adventure, and ambition—a fascinating lesson in what happens when scholarship and money join forces to recover lost treasure.The Book of Eating: Adventures in Professional Gluttony
Par Adam Platt. 2019
A wildly hilarious and irreverent memoir of a globe-trotting life lived meal-to-meal by one of our most influential and respected…
food criticsAs the son of a diplomat growing up in places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, Adam Platt didn’t have the chance to become a picky eater. Living, traveling, and eating in some of the most far-flung locations around the world, he developed an eclectic palate and a nuanced understanding of cultures and cuisines that led to some revelations which would prove important in his future career as a food critic. In Tokyo, for instance—“a kind of paradise for nose-to-tail cooking”—he learned that “if you’re interested in telling a story, a hair-raisingly bad meal is much better than a good one."From dim sum in Hong Kong to giant platters of Peking duck in Beijing, fresh-baked croissants in Paris and pierogi on the snowy streets of Moscow, Platt takes us around the world, re-tracing the steps of a unique, and lifelong, culinary education. Providing a glimpse into a life that has intertwined food and travel in exciting and unexpected ways, The Book of Eating is a delightful and sumptuous trip that is also the culinary coming-of-age of a voracious eater and his eventual ascension to become, as he puts it, “a professional glutton.”On the Trail of the Last Human Cannonball: And Other Small Journeys in Search of Great Men
Par Byron Rogers. 2004
From “a great journalist of the older school,” travel essays chronicling the author’s search for incredible stories about extraordinary people…
(The Guardian).Byron Rogers’ latest collection of travel pieces follows the winning formula of his previous book, An Audience with an Elephant, as he goes in search of a remarkable array of quirky, whimsical, and singular individuals. But in addition to meeting a pensioner on a holiday who decided to swim across the Amazon, this book sees Rogers meeting a number of undeniably famous people. But as one might expect, Rogers’ encounters with celebrity have their own unexpected outcomes. Burt Lancaster rants to him about transsexuality, Rita Hayworth is most worried about her neighbor’s TV aerial, and a retired star of the silent screen turns out to live in Henley-on-Thames.“It is with the delicacy and determination of an archaeologist—and the wit of a publican and far-sightedness of a dreamer—that Rogers excavates people and places.” —Daily Telegraph“A wonderful writer. Droll, poignant and dreamy.” —New StatesmanAs the Romans Do: The Delights, Dramas, And Daily Diversio
Par Alan Epstein. 2000
A celebration of the character and style of one of the world's most spectacular cities! This vibrant insider's view of…
the most mature city on earth is the perfect companion for anyone who loves anything Italian. In 1995, after a twenty-year love affair with Italy, Alan Epstein fulfilled his dream to live in Rome. In As the Romans Do, he celebrates the spirit of this stylish, dramatic, ancient city that formed the hub of a far-flung empire and introduced the Mediterranean culture to the rest of the world. He also reveals today's Roman men and women in all their appealing contradictions: their gregarious caffe culture; inborn artistic flair; passionate appreciation of good food; instinctive mistrust of technology; showy sex appeal; ingrained charm and expressiveness; surprisingly unusual attitudes toward marriage and religion; and much, much more.At forty, Mary South had a beautiful home, good friends, and a successful career in book publishing. But she couldn't…
help feeling that she was missing something intangible but essential. So she decided to go looking for it . . . at sea. Six months later she had quit her job, sold the house, and was living aboard a forty-foot, thirty-ton steel trawler she rechristened Bossanova. Despite her total lack of experience, South set out on her maiden voyage—a fifteen-hundred-mile odyssey from Florida to Maine—with her one-man, two-dog crew. But what began as the fulfillment of an idle wish became a crash course in navigating the complicated byways of the self.Exploring Cuba: Erasing Fears through Multicultural Education
Par Bette Tate-Beaver, Lewis Diuguid. 2024
Exploring Cuba: Erasing Fears Through Multicultural Education details the cultural and professional exchanges to Cuba organized by the National Association…
of Multicultural Education (NAME) between 2015 and 2019, with additional reflections on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Cuba—U.S. relations. Because of the long-imposed U.S. embargo, or blockade, access to information about life in Cuba can be limited in the U.S. This book chronicles first-hand account of NAME’s trips to Cuba over a 5-year period. Interspersed with insights from U.S.-based multicultural educators, authors and Cuban delegates, it documents what NAME members learned about Cuba’s people, history, health care system, culture, arts, and education systems. It also explores the effects of the coronavirus global pandemic on Cuba and its vital tourist industry, as well as the July 2021 protests and aftermath, including a new wave of immigration to the U.S. The book argues for the end of the U.S. embargo with Cuba and the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries, so that unrestricted tourism and trade can benefit both countries. Combining travelogue observations with statistics and scholarly accounts, this volume will be useful reading for scholars and students of Multicultural Education, International Education and Comparative Education. It will also be beneficial to educators and Cuba solidarity activists.The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness
Par Delia Owens, Mark Owens. 1993
An &“exciting&” true account of battling the elephant poachers of Zambia by the author of Where the Crawdads Sing and…
her fellow biologist (The Boston Globe). Intelligent, majestic, and loyal, with lifespans matching our own, elephants are among the greatest of the wonders gracing the African wilds. Yet, in the 1970s and 1980s, about a thousand of these captivating creatures were slaughtered in Zambia each year, killed for their valuable ivory tusks. When biologists Mark and Delia Owens, residing in Africa to study lions, found themselves in the middle of a poaching fray, they took the only side they morally could: that of the elephants. From the authors of Secrets of the Savanna, The Eye of the Elephant is &“part adventure story, part wildlife tale,&” recounting the Owens&’s struggle to save these innocent animals from decimation, a journey not only to supply the natives with ways of supporting their villages, but also to cultivate support around the globe for the protection of elephants (The Boston Globe). Filled with daring exploits among disgruntled hunters, arduous labor on the African plains, and vivid depictions of various wildlife, this remarkable tale is at once an adventure story, a travelogue, a preservationist call to action, and a fascinating examination of both human and animal nature.Recipes from the Spanish Kitchen
Par Nicholas Butcher. 2012
Learn to make the dishes of Spain, and get a taste of its unique culture and history. This blend…
of cookbook and travelogue focuses on the traditional cooking of Spain. It starts with a journey through the country, region by region—followed by chapters on tapas, salads, soups, vegetables, eggs, rice, sauces, fish and shellfish, meat, poultry, and game, and puddings. With vibrant flavors and uncomplicated ingredients, Spanish cuisine has its roots firmly in home cooking and has developed out of the ingenious use of local raw ingredients: olives, almonds, saffron, garlic, paprika—together with magnificent fish, shellfish, and charcuterie. The author&’s enthusiasm for Spanish cooking permeates every page as he explores his favorite dishes, the culture and history behind them, and how best to recreate them. Their origins lie in the authentic cuisine of the Spanish cities, towns and countryside. From the bustling capital Madrid and Basque seaside towns to rustic Andalucia, he highlights the pillars of Spanish cooking, and the culture in which the food is grown, prepared, and eaten.Weekends Away Without Leaving Home: The Ultimate World Party Theme Book
Par Lara Morris Starr. 2002
Set the scene for armchair adventures with food, drink, and entertainment suggestions—and enjoy virtual vacations to destinations around the world.With…
a tiny bit of ingenuity and effort, anyone can create a wonderful weekend at home that brings almost as much pleasure as an actual vacation away—without the hassle of flights, foreign currency exchange, or large credit card bills. This entertaining and instructive book features guides to experiencing all the excitement of Brazil, Mexico, Scotland, Ireland, Paris, Tuscany, Greece, Morocco, Africa, St. Petersburg, India, China, Thailand, Japan, and Australia—all without leaving the comfort of home. Each chapter offers:suggestions on setting the scenebooks, videos, and music for your weekenda complete meal suggestion, with recipesPart cookbook, part cultural guidebook, this unique volume is also ideal for planning themed dinner parties—and opens up new worlds even when you can’t hop on a plane.Where the Waves Turn Back: A Forty-Day Pilgrimage Along the California Coast
Par Tyson Motsenbocker. 2023
In this powerful memoir, following the death of his mother, Tyson Motsenbocker retraces the journey an 18th century priest took…
in this harrowing story of one man&’s pilgrimage of healing and finding beauty and hope in tragedy. After years on the road performing at sold-out venues, Tyson Motsenbocker returned home to the impending death of his 57-year-old hero and mother. He begged God to heal her, but she died anyway. When they buried her body, Tyson also buried the childhood version of his faith. Shortly before her death, however, Tyson became intrigued by the complicated legacy of Father Junipero Serra, the 18th-century Franciscan monk and canonized saint who dedicated his life to the idea that tragedy and suffering are portals to renewal. Father Serra built Missions up and down the California coast, spreading Christianity, as well as enabling and aiding in the oppression and colonization of the native Californians. Tyson discovered Serra&’s &“El Camino Real,&” a 600-mile pilgrimage route up the California coast that had been largely forgotten for more than 200 years. Two days after they buried his mother, Tyson set out on a pilgrimage of sorts, intending to walk from San Diego to San Francisco along the El Camino, following in the footsteps of the saint. Tyson&’s journey takes him down smog-choked highways, across fog-laden beaches, past multi-million-dollar coastal estates, and along the towering cliffs of Big Sur. And as he walks, Tyson also wrestles with his faith, questioning the pat answers and easy prayers he once readily accepted, trying to understand how hope and tragedy can all be wrapped up in the same God. The people he meets along the way challenge his understanding of the meaning of security, of what it means to live a meaningful life, and of the legacies we all leave behind. Where the Waves Turn Back is both part journal and part spiritual memoir, and ultimately, a thrilling and deeply satisfying read that asks questions that will resonate with readers seeking meaning in an utterly disorienting age.Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain
Par Andrew McCarthy. 2023
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A BARNES & NOBLE BEST BOOK OF 2023 A TOWN & COUNTRY BEST CELEBRITY MEMOIR OF…
2023 An intimate, funny, and poignant travel memoir following New York Times bestselling author and actor Andrew McCarthy as he walks the Camino de Santiago with his son Sam. When Andrew McCarthy's eldest son began to take his first steps into adulthood, McCarthy found himself wishing time would slow down. Looking to create a more meaningful connection with Sam before he fled the nest, as well as recreate his own life-altering journey decades before, McCarthy decided the two of them should set out on a trek like few others: 500 miles across Spain's Camino de Santiago. Over the course of the journey, the pair traversed an unforgiving landscape, having more honest conversations in five weeks than they'd had in the preceding two decades. Discussions of divorce, the trauma of school, McCarthy's difficult relationship with his own father, fame, and Flaming Hot Cheetos threatened to either derail their relationship or cement it. Walking With Sam captures this intimate, candid and hopeful expedition as the father son duo travel across the country and towards one another.A travel narrative following three ancient roads and looking at more than two thousand years of history of Ancient Rome…
through the modern eye.In 66 b.c., young, ambitious Julius Caesar, seeking recognition and authority, became the curator of the Via Appia, a road stretching from Rome to Brindisi. To gain popularity with Roman citizens along the way, he borrowed significant sums to restore the ancient highway. He eventually achieved greatness in Rome and the far reaches of Gaul, leading armies along the Via Appia and its sister road, the Via Egnatia, across the Balkans, to battle enemies in Roman civil wars.Other armies followed these two roads that eventually connected Rome to Constantinople, today’s Istanbul. Both Octavian and, later, his friend-turned enemy Mark Antony traveled portions of these roads to defeat Caesar’s murderers, Brutus and Cassius. The great Roman statesman Cicero, the Roman poet Homer, the historian Virgil, and many other notables also journeyed on them. In the early second century a.d., the emperor Trajan charted a new, faster, coastal route between Benevento and Brindisi, later called the Via Traiana.Today, the remains of these roads are preserved as archaeological wonders, and can be seen through the countryside near, and sometimes under, modern highways in the ruins of ancient Roman cities. Some of the earliest villages have disappeared, while others have grown into modern towns with the ancient roads hidden beneath latter-day pavements.In this sojourn across Roman history, John Keahey delves into encounters with diverse peoples in these towns in Italy, North Macedonia, Greece, and Turkey, who warmly embrace travelers following in the footsteps of their ancestors. They shared knowledge of historical sites, meals, and a wealth of local lore. Keahey’s unparalleled storytelling breathes life into the prominent figures, pivotal events, and ancient roads that paved the way for the rise and endurance of the Roman empire. It is a journey full of adventure, discovery, and friendship.The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000-mile Horseback Journey into the Old West
Par Will Grant. 2023
"Spellbinding" (Douglas Preston) and "completely fascinating" (Elizabeth Letts), cowboy and journalist Will Grant takes us on an epic and authentic…
horseback journey into the modern West on an adventure of a lifetime. The Last Ride of the Pony Express boldly illuminates both our mythic fascination with the Pony Express, and how its spirit continues to this day. The Pony Express was a fast-horse frontier mail service that spanned the American West— the high, dry, and undeniably lonesome part of North America. While in operation during the 1860s, it carried letter mail on a blistering ten-day schedule between Missouri and San Francisco, running through a vast and mostly uninhabited wilderness. It covered a massive distance—akin to running horses between Madrid and Moscow— and to this day, the Pony Express is irrefutably the greatest display of American horsemanship to ever color the pages of a history book. Though the Pony Express has enjoyed a lot of traction over the years, among the authors that have attempted to encapsulate it, none have ever ridden it themselves. While most scholars would look for answers inside a library, Will Grant looks for his between the ears of a horse. Inspired by the likes of Mark Twain, Sir Richard Burton, and Horace Greeley, all of whom traveled throughout the developing West, Will Grant returned to his roots: he would ride the trail himself with his two horses, Chicken Fry and Badger, from one end to the other. Will Grant captures the spirit of the west in a way that few writers have. Along with rich encounters with the ranchers, farmers, historians, and businessmen who populate the trail, his exploits on horseback offer an intimate portrait of how the West has evolved from the rough and tumble 19th century to the present, and it&’s written with such intimacy that you&’ll feel as though you&’re riding right alongside of him. Along the way, he fights off wild mustangs wanting to steal his horses in Utah, camps with Peruvian sheepherders in the mountains, and even spends three days riding under the Top Gun aviator school in Nevada, which are just a handful of extraordinary tales Will Grant unveils as he makes his way across the treacherous and, at times, thrilling landscape of the known and unknown American West. The Last Ride of the Pony Express is a uniquely tenacious tale of adventure by a native son of the West who defies most modern conveniences to compass some two thousand miles on horseback. The result is an unforgettable narrative that will forever change how you see the West, the Pony Express, and America as a whole.River of No Reprieve: Descending Siberia's Waterway of Exile, Death, and Destiny
Par Jeffrey Tayler. 2006
The author of In Putin’s Footsteps chronicles a deadly trek through the icy Russian region known for gulags and isolation.In…
a custom-built boat, Jeffrey Tayler travels some 2,400 miles down the Lena River from near Lake Baikal to high above the Arctic Circle, recreating a journey first made by Cossack forces more than three hundred years ago. He is searching for primeval beauty and a respite from the corruption, violence, and self-destructive urges that typify modern Russian culture, but instead he finds the roots of that culture—in Cossack villages unchanged for centuries, in Soviet outposts full of listless drunks, in stark ruins of the gulag, and in grand forests hundreds of miles from the nearest hamlet.That’s how far Tayler is from help when he realizes that his guide, Vadim, a burly Soviet army veteran embittered by his experiences in Afghanistan, detests all humanity, including Tayler. Yet he needs Vadim’s superb skills if he is to survive a voyage that quickly turns hellish. They must navigate roiling whitewater in howling storms, eschewing life jackets because, as Vadim explains, the frigid water would kill them before they could swim to shore. Though Tayler has trekked by camel through the Sahara and canoed down the Congo during the revolt against Mobutu, he has never felt so threatened as he does now.Praise for River of No Reprieve“This is a fiercely evocative account of an astonishing journey, wrenched out of near-disaster.” —Colin Thubron, author of In Siberia and The Lost Heart of Asia“Nonfiction adventure at its best. A page-turner from cover to cover.” —Adventure Journey“Reads like a Dantean tour of purgatory, providing a gloomily beautiful glimpse of nature—and humanity—at its bleakest edges.” —Men’s JournalDeath and the Sun: A Matador's Season in the Heart of Spain
Par Edward Lewine. 2005
Part sports writing, part travelogue, this is a portrait of Spain, its people, and their passion for a beautiful yet…
deadly spectacle. A brilliant observer in the tradition of Adam Gopnik and Paul Theroux, Edward Lewine reveals a Spain few outsiders have seen. There's nothing more Spanish than bullfighting, and nothing less like its stereotype. For matadors and aficionados, it is not a blood sport but an art, an ancient subculture steeped in ritual, machismo, and the feverish attentions of fans and the press. Lewine explains Spain and the art of the bulls by spending a bullfighting season traveling Spanish highways with the celebrated matador Francisco Rivera Ordónez, following Fran, as he&’s known, through every region and social stratum. Fran&’s great-grandfather was a famous bullfighter and the inspiration for Hemingway&’s matador in The Sun Also Rises. Fran&’s father was also a star matador, until a bull took his life shortly before Fran&’s eleventh birthday. Fran is blessed and haunted by his family history. Formerly a top performer himself, Fran&’s reputation has slipped, and as the season opens he feels intense pressure to live up to his legacy amid tabloid scrutiny in the wake of his separation from his wife, a duchess. But Fran perseveres through an eventful season of early triumph, serious injury, and an unlikely return to glory.A New York Times Editor&’s ChoicePraise for Death and the Sun&“May be the most in-depth, incisively written guide to bullfighting available in English. Every drunken sophomore riding the rails to Pamplona this summer ought to keep a volume in his backpack.&” —New York Times Book Review&“Lewine demonstrates knowledge of and respect for the matador&’s dangerous profession. E also explores the history of Spaine and the charms and contradictions evident within the country&’s exceptionally varied cultures and people.&” —Boston GlobeFord Model T Coast to Coast: A Slow Drive Across a Fast Country
Par Tom Cotter. 2018
A photo-filled account of traveling the Lincoln Highway in a century-old automobile, and contemplating a future of self-driving cars: "[An]…
epic road trip." —USA TodayDriverless cars are on the horizon, but before the world falls asleep at the wheel, let's look back down the road from whence we have come. Ford Model T Coast to Coast documents the cross-country adventure of two brave drivers as they pilot a hundred-year-old Model T on a 3,000-mile journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Coast.This book is as much a contemplation of early-twentieth-century American life as it is a fond farewell to the automotive age. Can the car still be the vehicle of freedom and discovery when we're no longer in command? Or will we finally be able to fully appreciate the scenery rushing past?Accompanied by Michael Alan Ross' evocative photography, Tom Cotter stops in small towns, meets local people, and hears their stories about cars, travel, and life. The two also explore back roads adjacent to his main route, the Lincoln Highway—the first transcontinental road.Significant cross-country runs, such as those by speed-record setter Cannonball Baker and literary adventurers Jack Kerourac, John Steinbeck, and Bill Bryson, are considered in light of the driverless future. Cotter also drives some of the same roads that a young Edsel Ford traveled in his father's Model T upon high school graduation in 1917. In addition to the central road trip, Cotter visits interesting automotive and transport museums as well as "keepers of the flame" such as Model T clubs, mechanics, junkyards, and collectors across the country. He also records the numerous trials and tribulations in keeping a very old car operating on a very long journey—something the driverless car of the future is unlikely to encounter.