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 thought-provoking 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, mean-spirited totem poles, and a nineteenth-century 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
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
A good read, but flawed:
This was the first book by Sarah Vowell I've read, although I've been familiar with her work on NPR for many years. Since Sarah Vowell came to fame by writing personal stories and essays, it comes as no surprise that this book is more about Sarah's personal journey of discovery regarding these three assassinations than a straightforward history. In many ways, I found it refreshing. In the book, Ms. Vowell talks about the importance of pilgrimage and veneration of relics throughout history. The journeys in... more info
A little goes a long way:
The book made me laugh out loud, but the NPR-approved author is glib, always nervously searching for her next punchline, or attempting to insert a proud, treacly story about her nephew Owen. I love me some liberals and consider myself one, but Vowell is the type who is off the charts nuerotic and nerdy; every bit as grating as her pinched voice suggests. While learning many interesting details about assassination history, an image is assembed of the neurotic author as a nut who doesn't drive (a... more info
Fascinating trip through obscure historical byways:
The more things change, the more they remain the same. So what can we learn from an examination of three U.S. presidential assassinations -- those of Abraham Lincoln, and Presidents Garfield and McKinley? A lot if our guide is Sarah Vowell.
Written in a breezy, entertaining way, this book is nonetheless quite serious. Vowell takes us on a trip through history and also across present-day America, exploring the paths of the men who snuffed out the lives of these presidents, everywhere making incisive... more info
One of my favorites:
I received this book as a gift and when I read the inside cover, I knew I was going to love it. I enjoy reading about certain events in history, but a lot of the books written about them are slow reads and dry. This book kept my attention and made me laugh! I thoroughly enjoyed it and am now collecting Sarah Vowell's books. I can't wait to read more..
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