Chesapeake (James Michener)

In Chesapeake, James Michener attempts the ambitious: trace the development of one geographic area (on Maryland's eastern shore) over a span of almost 400 years (1583 to 1978).  Starting with how Native Americans would have settled the area, he moves on to the coming of the British (and other Europeans), and so on from there.  He uses generations of families to tell the tale.  He stresses that this is a novel, and the primary families followed throughout the centuries are fictitious, as are some covered locations.  Still, there's an undeniable historical element, and Michener tries to be true to the periods discussed in terms of culture, religion, food, dress, lodging, etc. 

This book is 1001 pages; I finally gave up after 252.  It's not bad . . . but I didn't think it was great, either.  The primary problem: character/plot development is very rushed (which makes sense, as there's a lot of ground to cover), and in this case that leads to many unrealistic or improbable actions, thoughts, and situations.  At times, the dialogue is done in ways to convey historical information to the reader, but in so doing, the characters seem unrealistic.  In the end, I like the concept, but not the execution.  Michener is respected by many; he's just not for me.

Rating: C+

Liechtenstein

The country flag, painted on a cow

Welcome to a new series of posts- country-level reviews.  We're starting small today, literally, by covering Liechtenstein.

Sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein is small in both area (62 square miles) and population (35,000).  It's bounded by the Rhine river to the west (overlooking Switzerland), and an Alpine mountain range to the east (overlooking Austria).  Located entirely in the Alps, it's not overly accessible, but it is beautiful.  Most people, like us, go to Liechtenstein to enjoy the mountains and "say we've been to Liechtenstein."  The entire country can be seen in a day or two . . . which is what we devoted to it back in 2007.  We stayed in the east, in a village near the peaks of the Alps, and did day trips (walking or car) from there.

Vaduz and the West

The capital, Vaduz, lies in the west, near the Rhine.  There is a royal family there, in a small but imposingly-situated castle on a cliff.  The below photos show some highlights from this region.

Mountains and the East

Accessing the eastern part of the country means navigating a short but steep section of switchbacks heading up into the mountains.  Once you're up there, though, it is truly stunning.

Conclusion
The Alps, in general, are gorgeous, and you can see them more easily in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, and Italy, so skipping Liechtenstein won't hurt you.  But, if you can make it, swing on by for a day or two.

Let's end on a fun fact: During one conflict in the mid-1800s (sources differ; it was perhaps the Austro-Prussian War of 1866), the Lichtenstein Army departed with 80 soldiers and returned with 81 (a befriended Austrian), thus making it the only armed force in history to return with more soldiers than they left with.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Back in 2011, Marvel released the first Captain America movie (it grossed $175 million domestically, and is reviewed here).  Then, Cap appeared in 2012's The Avengers, a huge hit which grossed over $600 million domestically.  This year, the Captain was big in his second solo movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  Could he duplicate the success of The Avengers?

In short, no- it's hard to gross $600 million- in fact, only 4 movies have ever grossed over $500 million.  But, Cap 2 was extremely well-received by fans- so much so that some claimed it was better than The Avengers.  It fared better in theaters, too ($260 million).  Thus, it was with much anticipation that I sat down to view it last night.

In The Winter Soldier, we see Steve Rogers (Captain America) learning the ropes of living in the 21st century (remember, he was frozen for about 70 years).  He continues in the employ of SHIELD, the organization introduced in many prior Marvel movies, featuring Nick Fury at their head.  SHIELD sends him and Black Widow (also in prior movies) on a mission to save hostages on a hijacked ship.  There, they recover data that implies something is amiss- and it could have worldwide consequences.  As they look to uncover the true situation, they enlist the help of a new ally- Falcon- and encounter a deadly new foe: the Winter Soldier.

It's hard to say more about the movie without major plot spoilers, so I'll end the summary there.  Cap 2 has a more somber tone than Cap 1, and features plenty of plot twists and surprises, with implications that span back through several movies- a lot happens to the interconnected Marvel movie universe here.  On that front, I understand why people liked it.  The fighting sequences and effects were also amazing- much superior to Cap 1, and perhaps even The Avengers.  That said, I wasn't as enamored with this film as the general populace.  Some of the surprises seemed unnecessarily coincidental, which diminished them in my mind.  Some plot/character development seemed rushed, perhaps the consequence of telling such a big story in just over 2 hours.  In the end, I liked it- but I didn't love it.  Better than Cap 1?  Yes.  Better than The Avengers?  In some small ways, but not overall.  If you plan to watch other Marvel offerings in the future, I'd watch this due to its importance in the overall story arc, and you'll probably enjoy it.  Just prepare to look past a few flaws.

Rating: B+

NFL Logos

As I posted last year (here), sometimes writing about things I like helps quench my desire to own those things- especially in the arena of sports jerseys.  Jerseys can be expensive, and let's face it; I rarely wear them.  Thus, I shouldn't own many . . . but since I like them so much, I'll blog about them.  Today's post focuses on National Football League (NFL) teams- the only two worth supporting.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

The top spot here is easy: my favorite football team, the Philadelphia Eagles.  I like their older jerseys (worn 1987-95) the best (the last two rows below), but their current ones aren't bad, either.  RUMOR: they may return to their color scheme of old (article here) . . . here's hoping!

2. Baltimore Ravens

I like the Ravens for several reasons: they're local, they wear purple, and they're named for a poem (Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven).

On Audiobooks

With our move back home came a shift in how I get to work.  In the UK, I rode the bus, and was able to read on it.  I did almost half of my daily reading in that way, getting in 20-40 minutes of good reading time every day.  Now, back home, I get to work the way pretty much everybody does: I drive.  Reading while driving is ill-advised (not to mention difficult), but I didn't want my commute time to be wasted- so I turned to audiobooks.

I have an average commute time- about 30 minutes door-to-door.  It's not bad, but that's one hour every day that gets 'wasted.'  Not anymore- not for me.  In the last few months, I've listened to 6-7 audiobooks. It's turned a previously 'pointless' time into something useful, and I've really come to appreciate it.  As a side benefit, I also don't mind being stuck in traffic jams as much as I used to- at least I'm using the time well.  The local library has a good selection, which I suspect will keep me happily- and freely- listening for years to come. 

This is obvious, but listening to a book is quite different than reading it.  Here are some things I've learned- tips, if you will- for those who want to try:

1) Choose genre wisely.  
Yes, this is always true, but audiobooks bring enhanced limitations on what you can easily do.  Since you're operating a vehicle while listening, you have to choose a book that does not require your attention at all times.  That may sound odd, so I'll give some examples of what has not worked well for me:
- mysteries.  True immersion in mystery tales are difficult when your attention can be called away frequently.  You may lose important details or plot points that diminish your enjoyment.
- extremely detailed history.  Dates, names, locations . . . it can all get easily lost.
- anything requiring frequent reference to footnotes or graphics . . . for obvious reasons.

On the other hand, the following types of titles have worked well:
- narrative history/historical fiction/biographies.  Works that focus on just a few people, for example, told in narrative fashion can be easy to follow.
- business/leadership books.  Often short and easy to follow, these can be ideal for the car ride- not to mention valuable for imparting ideas for work. 
- young adult fiction.  Easy to follow and entertaining, works in this genre are well worth it.

2) Length of work matters.
I listen for about one hour per day.  I've listened to books as short as 2 hours and as long as 11.  I've found the ideal length is about 5 hours.  I like to get through books in about a week, so longer audiobooks- which could take weeks or even a month- can lose me in the details. 

3) Delivery matters.
When you listen to an audiobook, you're not just getting the content- you're getting a presentation of the content.  The reader's voice, inflections, and overall delivery can dramatically affect your enjoyment and understanding of the presentation.  Some readers even adopt different voices for different characters (which can be good or bad).  Your personal tastes will be discovered by trial and error, so borrow a few works from the library; you'll soon see what I mean.

4) Trip matters.
I recommend listening on a well-familiar route (like a daily commute).  In a strange or new place, you're more likely to be focusing on the road and surroundings (which is good), and thus more likely to zone out for large periods of time.  Traffic, construction, and other things can cause similar lapses in attention- which again is necessary, but something to consider.

Conclusion
Audiobooks have turned my commute from a 'necessary evil' to time well spent.  They're not perfect, but a great complement to traditional reading.  If, like me, you spend a bit of time on the road every day, this may be for you.

Destiny of the Republic (Candice Millard)

Candice Millard's Destiny of the Republic is (as the subtitle states) "a tale of madness, medicine, and the murder of a president."  Madness- of Charles Guiteau, the insane man responsible for the shooting.  Medicine- of Dr. Bliss and Alexander Graham Bell, who raced to save the President with both commonly-held medical techniques and cutting-edge technology.  Murder- of President James A. Garfield, the man who took the nation's highest office reluctantly- indeed, he didn't even want to be nominated for the Republican ticket.  Here, the tale of these men are woven together in a way that's both interesting and informative.  Guiteau, Bell, and Garfield are covered in the most depth, and each man is fascinating in his on right.  Taken together, the tale is wonderfully done, if horribly sad.

I really enjoyed this work.  Perhaps most telling is that the medicine of the time- or, at least, of Dr. Bliss- was probably more responsible for the President's death than the bullet.  Millard tells a good story, and weaves interesting bits of 'fringe' history in to make it even more enjoyable.  One final comment: Millard's portrait of Garfield is entirely favorable.  I don't know enough history of this era to validate her claims, but Garfield (according to her) certainly seemed like a great President.  His selflessness and integrity seems like the relic of a bygone era.  As was typical of the time, he didn't even campaign for himself.  Can you imagine?  It reminds me of a quote by Davy Crockett, who vowed never to seek, nor refuse, office.  We need leaders like that . . . always.

Rating: A

The Island of the Mighty

Britain- the island consisting of England, Scotland, and Wales- is a fascinating land.  Slightly larger than Kansas, it packs an awful lot of history, nature, and wonder in its borders.  As our time there progressed, I took to writing travel posts to recap our adventures in a given spot.  Today, I link all Britain-related travel posts that I've done here in one overview.  The picture at left below has numbers corresponding to a post linked at right.  Map locations are approximate (especially as some posts dealt with multiple geographic areas).  One day, I may come back and make the image itself 'clickable.'

England:
1. Cornwall, Warwick, and Glastonbury (here)
2. South Coast (here)
3. Bath, Lacock, Stonehenge, Salisbury, and Oxford (here)
4. London (here)
5. West Midlands (here)
6. Lincoln, Cambridge, and Ely (here)
7. Robin Hood Country (here)
8. Abbeys of the North (here)
9. Castles of the North (here)
10. Yorkshire Dales (here)
11. York (here)
12. North York Moors (here)
13. The Lake District (here)

Wales:
14. South Wales (here)
15. Hay-on-Wye and Arthur's Stone (here)
16. North Wales (here)

Scotland:
17. Edinburgh (here)
18. Highlands (here)
19. Scottish Miscellany (here)





If you desire greater granularity, I also tracked most visited locations in Google maps, an overview of which is shown below.  In general, looks like we 'done covered this island good.'  Perhaps that's why our transition home has been difficult; we've seen more of the Island of the Mighty (percentage-wise) than any other place on Earth.