5 comments about Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling.

1. I just got finished reading this book literally about 10 minutes ago, and I just had to write a review for it here: it's just that good.
   
   I've been a wrestling fan for as long as I can remember: some of my earliest childhood memories are of the early-90's cartoon WWF, cheering for Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, and the other major stars of that era of wrestling. But after them rose a new breed of wrestling champion: Bret "The Hitman" Hart, who, unlike the larger-than-life personas of Hogan, Warrior, and the rest, was distinctive in that he actually came across as a believable, relatable human being. With his pink outfit, sunglasses, down-to-earth character, and, of course, his spectacular and dramatic in-ring work, he was a champion who a young fan could really feel connected to. His struggles and hard work in the ring, in a way, inspired his fans to follow a similar example, believing in themselves and working hard against the challenges of life.
   
   What I can't help but realize is just how much, in a way, I admire him to this day for similar reasons as I did when I was a kid.
   
   The book is an enormous 550-page autobiography taken from Bret's personal audio diary taken during the travels of his wrestling career, and as such, the detail is astounding. There are so many fascinating stories to tell, from his childhood, to his early career in Stampede Wrestling and later the WWF, his travels around the world, his meetings with his fans, hilarious backstage ribs and pranks that'll make you laugh out loud as you read about them, detailed recollections of his matches (from his most famous 5-star classics to his largely unknown house show matches across the globe) the political backstabbing that goes on backstage, and more. It's all incredibly engrossing, making it one of the most detailed wrestling books ever written. There's humor, fascinating info, and plenty of brutally honest criticisms of some of his fellow wrestlers who have done him wrong (we're looking at you in particular, Shawn Michaels and Triple H).
   
   But what really is staying with me is just how much this man has overcome in his life. The hardships of a wrestler's life, both physical and emotional, took his toll on him and his friends in the locker room, leading many of them to cope with drugs, booze, and sex (the latter being Bret's most frequent vice of choice, which, as he himself states, ironically saved him from the substance-related health problems that would claim the lives of far too many wrestlers over the years). He dealt with so much political B.S. once Shawn Michaels and his buddies got swelled heads and started to play Vince McMahon like a harp. And then, of course, there was the ultimate betrayel at Montreal, along with languishing in WCW, a wrestling company incompetent enough to pay him millions of dollars after receiving him in the midst of one of wrestling's most historic controversies...only to do absolutely nothing with him.
   
   But it's after this, in the later chapters, that it becomes clear just how strong he is for what he's overcome. I suspected that the Hart family wasn't all the happy-sunshiny family life that it had been depicted as on TV, but I honestly had no idea just how much Owen's death tore that family apart in a whirlwhind of grief, anger, greed, and bitterness. It was terribly sad to hear how Bret had to clash with his own siblings in the midst of the controversy surrounding his closest brother's tragic death. I can only imagine how painful it must have been for poor Stu and Helen Hart to watch their children tear each other apart when they'd already suffered so much loss already. And as if that wasn't enough, Bret would, in the span of only 3 years, also suffer a career-ending concussion that prematurely halted one of the greatest wrestling careers ever, the death of his beloved mother, a debilitating stroke most likely related to his concussion, and finally, the passing of his father. It was all so much for one man to take, one after another, and I think it's just such a testament to Bret's personal strength and will that he's here today, battling his demons and still carrying himself with the utmost courage and dignity.
   
   And that, really, is what stood with me. Like I alluded to before, in a way, it's fitting. The Hitman character came across as a human being just like you and me, who never gave up in the face of a challenge and carried himself with the utmost determination and belief in himself. Years later, I believe that those same virtues that inspired me as a child are still being carried through in Bret's real-life hardships. He's been through so much injustice and tragedy in his life and is as vulnerable as any one of us, yet has carried himself through it with his head held high and his honor intact. Just as he was a great wrestler, he's a champion in life, and to this day, anybody, young and old, can be inspired by that.
   
   I cannot recommend this book enough. Thankfully, it's due for a release in the United States this fall, but I'd still recommend that you buy a copy ASAP. Wrestling fans all over will appreciate his stories and reflections on the unique world of pro wrestling, while also enjoying the incredible story of a fascinating and inspiring human being. Thank you for everything you've done, Bret: you're still my hero after all these years.



2. This is a fantastic book. Reading this book was the only time I never wanted my train rides home from work to end. I didn't want this book to end, period!
   
   Yes Bret does have a very high opinion of himself, loves to pat himself on the back, is still bitter about a lot of things, and will surprise you by how much of a mark he is (he took his work so seriously you got the impression Bret would fool himself into thinking it was all real), but at the same time Bret is also an honest, prideful man with dignity and he pulls no punches in this book whether he is discussing his fellow wrestlers, his infidelities, his occasional drug use, and most importantly his family. I have a lot of respect for the man. The life he lived during his career certainly wasn't an easy one.
   
   Bret's accounts of travelling the world are also fascinating to read.
   
   The bottom line is if you are a fan of Bret Hart or a wrestling fan in general you owe it to yourself to read this book.
   
   Thanks Bret for an awesome read.



3. This book has been hyped as an encyclopedic tome; the best wrestling autobiography ever written, and there are not understatements. Simply put, this is one of the best books, not just autobiographies, that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.



4. I am a huge Bret "The Hitman" Hart fan and when I read his book I was amazed. It really gives you an insight as to who Bret is and how he became this world wide phenomenon and how it all came down. He mentions his early life as a professional wrestler, how he met his wife...etc. Overall I really enjoyed the book. And if you are a fan of his I really recommend it. I really liked the pictures of his family. The book contains a lot of happiness, sadness, it's funny,...etc. Must read.



5. Only a hero would expose the real and honest truth and that is what this is. I got it signed by Bret the same day I got it. Hes a great person and will always be my hero!

5 comments about A Treasury of Great American Scandals: Tantalizing True Tales of Historic Misbehavior by the Founding Fathers and Others Who Let Freedom Swing.

1. There seems to be a side of Americans that they do not want to believe the mud being slung at every election since it's birth. The message is not so much how horrible some of the icons of our history have been but how there really is nothing new under the sun. They were as human and as prone to use their power for selfish purposes as any modern day leader. Mr. Farquhar tastefully avoids recent history in an attempt to remain objective and not bring in the emotionally charged scandals of our own day. The stories he tells can garner a chuckle now because they are all relatively distanct memories to us at the most. If you would prefer to keep your heros on pedastals, you probably want to avoid this book. Some of the stories leave a lot to interpretation in determining if it was true or if Mr. Farquhar is telling only parts of the story that make it seem true - those you will have to judge on your own. For the most part though, Mr. Farquhar appears to offer dissenting opinion on matters and avoids pronouncing historic dogma. Most of the stories are rather petty familial disputes unrelated to matters of real corruption in government and such. Perhaps avoiding the more weightier matters of government is best in a light-hearted treatment of history like this one. The serious matters are perhaps better served in a serious history. Like it or not, this book is purely for a light-hearted escape at the expense of a few public families in our past.



2. Some of the scandals in the book aren't exactly scandals by today's standards or are so well known we regard them as hardly shocking. And indeed, some stories we already knew.
   But the lay out of the book is in such a way that it provides an ease with reading. A book with short stories on scandals is always a fun read. I'm often traveling on public transportation and find that it's nice to read when I have the chance, but find it frustrating to leave a good story in the middle of the tale because I've arrived at my destination or the break isn't long enough to finish the chapter. But this book, and the others this author has written, is set up so that leaving in the middle of a chapter doesn't happen that often. Plus, you can flip through and pick a topic at will.
   I really enjoyed this book, and have read his other two books and ejoyed them as well. I recommend it.



3. For everyone who's a history fan but doesn't necessarily like long and dry historical accounts, check this book out. It offers bits of history with lots of detail (and some wit) but not in a long format. And there's a large variety of people that are covered: politicians, explorers, presidents, lovers of politicians, and so on. I have all the books by Mr. Farquhar and enjoy reading them again and again. Something to read at the beach, on the subway, at any lull in one's day. It'll add to your knowledge of American history. Fun.



4. This book was hysterical. It exposed some of our most revered historical heros as the plain, living men they really were. Not perfect, but just like us. Only sometimes they liked to duel with each other to death. I don't think that would fly today.
   
   Now I want to read his book on Royal scandals!



5. This enjoyable book is a quick read, so here's my quick take on it:
   
   Reading the pithy, juicy anecdotes that Michael Fraquhar provides prompted me to read further about the characters and events portrayed herein.
   
   Yep, I learned MORE history than is contained between this book's covers! Nice work, Mr. Farquhar.

5 comments about Road Map to Holland: How I Found My Way Through My Son's First Two Years With Down Syndrome.

1. The book arrived and I read it in less than twenty-four hours and that was on a busy weekend of attending Paralympic events. I have been trying to decide what to write...other than "read this now if you are a mom". Sure, it is a book written by a mom of a special needs child, but her words resonate with all moms. Words of reality...words of frustration...words of love...read them.
   
   I keep thinking perhaps it is because of time spent in NICU with our oldest son...or the special needs diagnoses times three of our younger sons which my husband and I have faced that drew me into this book. No. It is Jennifer's honest words about the moments of fear and uncertainty of motherhood.
   
   If you are a mom, read "Road Map To Holland". If you are a mom of a special needs child...or perhaps like me, of several special needs children...read "Road Map To Holland". If there exists a writer able to more fluidly weave words...I've never read her work.
   
   Thank you, Jennifer, for sympathizing with and understanding me. You have indeed shared your spirit, and that is a beautiful gift.
   
   Note...For parents of children with Down Syndrome, the book's appendix offers a plethora of resources, additional reading titles and a glossary of terminology.



2. I couldn't put this book down.
   
   The author writes about her experience with premature delivery of twins, one of whom is diagnosed with Down syndrome, and the first two years of their life.
   
   This isn't just a story of a mom having to come to terms with that trip to Holland, but an honest mom's story--of balancing the arrival of twins with her preschooler, the affect that her situation had on friendships--both good and bad, her marriage, and her perception of herself as a woman.
   
   This is an excellent book--honest without being morose, uplifting without coming across as saccharine-sweet. A must read for all moms.



3. This book is wonderful! As a new mom with a son with DS, I cannot express how accurate this book depicts the wide range of emotions, confusion, feelings of being lost and guilt, and most of all love we all feel for our children. This book should be handed out in the hospital before you leave with your child. It would help to ease so much fear and help you understand, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I was in tears so many times through out this book and remember thinking, "YES, that is exactly how I feel/felt!"....HIGHLY recommend to anyone and everyone! If you don't understand DS, read this and educate yourself!! Great book!



4. In ROAD MAP TO HOLLAND Jennifer Graf Groneberg reveals a lifetime of lessons learned in a very short time-span. Her message of hope resonates with the joy of her ultimate discovery that one of the greatest gifts she can give her children is to simply teach them how to love. Read this book, read Jennifer's blog, and join in a celebration of a unique family with a mom-writer at the helm who's gracious and generous enough to invite us all along on her ongoing journey of discovery.



5. This book took my breath away with its factual, emotional, and honest capturing of the journey through the birth, diagnosis, and early growth of a child with Down syndrome. Groneberg clearly displays the confusion, guilt, exhaustion, fear, and (later) unparalleled joy that the news, 'Your baby has Down syndrome' brings. I hope that all new parents of babies with DS will read this book and find validation, encouragement, and most of all hope as they walk through the initial maze of doctors' offices, therapy appointments and stacks of insurance papers. Groneberg rightly emphasizes that the delights and treasures brought to their family by their son with DS makes it all worth it.
   
   I think this book should be the first thing a parent receives from the hospital, along with the diagnosis of Down syndrome. If it were, so many new parents would be spared some of the misconceptions, confusion, and fear that often accompanies the initial diagnosis. If you are a doctor, family member, or therapist in contact with new parents of babies with DS, please consider giving them this book. It will do them a world of good.

5 comments about Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (PMC) (Puffin Modern Classics).

1. This is one of the best stories for all ages to learn about and understand the tragedies and impact of war. It is a wonderful story and I recommend this book for anyone and everyone to read. The central message of the story is one that will be remembered by those who read it for a lifetime.



2. "Sadako and the thousand paper crane" is a good book to read. Its about a twelve year old girl name sadako who dreams in being the track team when she goes to middle school. Then one day, she collapsed when she was on her way to school. she was sent to the hospital the following day. When the testings were finished, sadako was diagnoised with leukemia. when sadako`s best friend came to visit her in the hospital she told her that if a sick person were to fold a thousand paper cranes they get a wish from the gods. Sadako began folding her paper cranes and with the help from her friends and family. Sadako died peacefully in her sleep. sadako`s classmates folded the rest of the cranes and buried them beside her grave. This book inspired me not to give up and keep on following my dreams. I recommend this book number one.



3. The 4th graders in my school read this book in their regular reading classes, and so they were ready to have some great discussions in art class about the book. We used this as a starter for an origami crane project, and we are going to donate the cranes to a woman who is struggling to fight cancer. This a a wonderful story and the kids were really interested in learning more about WWII after reading this book.



4. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
   By Eleanor Coerr
   Penguin Group
   1977 first published by G.P. Putnam's Sons
   1999 published by Penguin Group
   
   3.3 Flesh Kincaid reading level
   80 pages
   
   Historical Fiction
   
   Plot:
   Sadako is an eleven-year-old Japanese girl who lives with her older brother, younger sister, younger brother and parents in Hiroshima, Japan. The story takes place in 1955 after World War II. Like all young children, Sadako attends school, helps her family with chores, and has a best friend at school. Sadako loves to run and is chosen to participate in a race at school. While running one day she feels slightly dizzy. Sadako has heard stories about children being getting sick from the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. She is too scared to tell anybody about being dizzy, so she keeps it a big secret. One day while running Sadako collapses. She is taken to the hospital and the doctors tell her she has leukemia.
   While in the hospital, Sadako hears a legend from a friend that gives her hope of getting better. The legend says that if a person folds one thousand paper cranes out of paper they may be healed. Each day Sadako becomes sicker and sicker. However, she decides to fold one thousand origami cranes. Her brother helps her by hanging the cranes from the ceiling. Even though Sadako folds hundreds of cranes, she is unable to finish the project. She passes away having made only 648 cranes. Her friends from school hear her story and they fold the remaining cranes so that she is buried with one thousand paper cranes.
   
   Review:
   This book gave me lots of hope. I really loved to hear about Sadako and how she folded so many cranes. I wanted to believe that she would finish the paper cranes and she would get better. When she died in the ending it was very sad. Someone with so much hope and motivation doesn't deserve to die. The book also made me think a lot about why Sadako was sick in the first place. She was only two-years-old when the Americans dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, but she was still eventually killed from it. This book shows the long-lasting effects war has on a country and its people. It really makes you think twice about war.
   I really enjoyed reading this book. It was an easy read that I had a hard time putting down. Every chance I got I read this book! While it was sad in the end, it was great to hear about Sadako's life and how her friends finished her paper cranes for her. The plot was interesting and exciting. I really like the main character too. Sadako was a very brave, strong person that I wish I was more like. She woke up every day with the will to live and that gave me a lot of hope. I would recommend this book to anyone! It is a must read!!



5. This book was purchased for our 7 year old daughters first book club. It was an interesting book for them to read. They all enjoyed trying to make the paper cranes. It was a nice length of book for their first book club also.

5 comments about Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut.

1. This not the normal book about space adventure; it tells the real story with true humor. Enjoy!



2. This was an amazing book! Extremely entertaining from start to finish. An honest, in-depth account of the early space shuttle program is overdue and Mike created just that. With 3 flights under his belt, Mike is more than qualifed to tell this story. I highly recommend this book.



3. What an incredible book. A real page turner. An honest and personal account of the shuttle program.



4. This was a surprising read. I loved this book, but it has two very distinct sides. One is funny, self-confident, brash, accomplished. The other is grim, unsure, depressing, an expose of institutional politics and culture at it's soul (and life) destroying worst. It's not all photo ops and champange. This is why I like it and yet sometimes found it hard to read. From childhood to semi-retirement, this is about a person, the flaws he honestly admits to, and the not so 'Leave it to Beaver' world he lives in. The first part was very entertaining and anecdotal- very funny. The second was more interesting and down to the nitty gritty: an inside account of what NASA was like, and still may be like. It also exposes how the media, and having to deal with the media, changes how people respond and behave. The true stresses of this kind of life and career are huge. It wasn't the book I thought it would be, but I am very glad to have read it.



5. Surprisingly good book about the real NASA. I would recommend it to anyone with even a small interest in the space program.

5 comments about Oscar Wilde's Wit and Wisdom: A Book of Quotations (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. This collection of Wilde's greatest quotes is an easy read, and wonderful to keep around the house. Wilde's wisdom is displayed throughout this edition, and is a must have for any Wilde fan.



2. Everyone knows OW was a witty guy.

   If you want to find witty things he said in one small book such that you can try to emulate his wit, this book is for you.

   It's good for an hour's read where you will snicker, snort, and grin.

   It's exactly what i expected and exactly what I got. Whee!




3. "I can resist everything except temptation."
   "There is no sin except stupidity."
   "It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances."
   "It is always with the best intentions that the worst work is done."

   These laconic aphorisms are just the tip of the iceberg of Wilde's impressive, yet oftentimes eclectic and nihilistic, use of the English language. Dover gives us 60 pages of brilliant witticisms and axioms to use over and over again for a mere dollar. You can't go wrong. Also recommended - Dover's Shakespeare quotes book for a dollar. Enjoy.




4. This sweet little book is full of Oscar Wilde's great little quips. I absolutely love it! I keep it next to my desk and pick it up for those sweet little chuckle breaks that we all must take to break up the dreary work day! Great little read! Promise!



5. Oscar Wilde was one of the most brilliant men to ever live and his oeuvre definitely deserves a quote book of its own. I realize that he has several but I bought this one recently and on the cheap (I got mine used from a z shop). Here the great playwright's observations are subdivided into chapters concerning men, women, marriage, youth, sin, religion, journalism, wealth, England, America etc. It's a concise collection but contains nearly 60 pages of priceless insight. Wilde sums up a large amount of human nature almost effortlessly via the words of the characters found in his works. In fact, if you ever need a source regarding just about anything cultural he's a wonderful authority. It's too bad he did not live in our times as his irreverence would have been better appreciated and celebrated--at least by those of us who are not politically correct. Rest in Peace, hero.

1 comments about Lady Liberty: A Biography.

1. This is a wonderful book about the Statue of Liberty. It is very moving and I am very impressed with it. I teach ESOL students so immigration is a factor in all my students lives whether they are living here for the rest of their lives or just visiting here for a couple of years while their parents attend university here. I am also a big fan of Doreen Rappaport who wrote wonderful picture books about Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lennon. Lady Liberty tells her story by covering life stories of major figures involved in the creation of the statue. This is quite effective. I learned more about the making of the statue than I had before and I felt very in tune with the people who made the statue happen. The French governments and the US governments weren't all that interested in the project, they had other concerns on their minds and it was more of a bother than anything anyone wanted. It was the pushing of some people from both continents to make it happen and the rest liked it. The courage of the creators was enormous because at any time, people could have convinced them to call it quits. Human creatively and determination is always a good tale.

5 comments about Two Weeks of Life: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Politics.

1. 
   I wanted very much to like this book, and I did--but only somewhat.
   
   The Terri Schiavo material began to seem like filler to me and made me lose interest in the rest of the book. I followed the Schiavo case rather closely when it was in the news, and I didn't buy this book expecting more re-hash of it--but that's what I got.



2. Eleanor Clift has written a very thought-provoking book about her husband's death from cancer and its contrast with the very public controversy about Terri Schiavo's life and death at the same time. Questions about how we die and the right to choose that option in the face of terminal disease or being in a vegatative state are addressed. The courage shown by the terminally ill person and his or her spouse and loved ones is impressive. Eleanor Clift has always impressed me as a very caring and intelligent person and this book confirms that impression. A difficult subject treated very compassionately.



3. Eleanor Clift weaves personal revelations, interesting sidebars and her keen political insight from beginning to end in this engrossing memoir--it is a valuable tool for anyone dealing with the loss of a love.



4. I read excerpts of Eleanor Clift's "Two Weeks of Like" in Newsweek, where she's been a contributor for a number of years. Those selected well-written passages about a very sensitive event - the death from kidney cancer of her husband, Cleveland Plains Dealer Washington correspondent, Tom Brazaitis - made me seek out her book in hardcover. The work as a whole stands up to the strength of the Newsweek excerpts. The operative word in Clift's work is "juxtaposition" - the dignity with which Brazaitis spends his final days vs. how Terry Schiavo spends hers. Clift never comes out and editorializes about Schiavo's treatment, but by contrasting that experience vs. her huband's, she makes her point passively but no less passionately.
   
   At the very least, anyone reading this book will surely react by wanting to have living wills and medical powers of attorney in proper legal order.



5. The other reviewers will speak better to the great qualities of this book, so I'll echo the best of them - a wonderful read that personalizes a national story with such heartbreaking and informative reporting that truly illuminates the theme that we are a country founded on questions in search of answers. A must read for any student of our political system as well as an enlightening introduction into the culture of hospice care. One of the most important memoirs published this year.

5 comments about Arabian Sands (Penguin Classics).

1. Agreed, this is a top notch book if you want to know what "the "Bedu" life was like sixty years ago in what is now Saudi Arabia. In that respect, I'm in complete concurrence with the other glowing reviews. But, as another reviewer has brought up, there's something missing here: Thesiger. Having read this book, I feel I know much more about camels, Bedu culture and desert travel. I even feel I know and like Thesiger's Bedu companions very well. But Thesiger himself? A bit of a mystery.
   
   Yes, Thesiger mentions his dislike of machines and modern society. But, I don't really get a "feel" for what he's all about here. I suppose his perspective as presented here could best be denominated Stoic (although another reviewer speculates masochism may play a part). But, even then, Thesiger is no Marcus Aurelius, and any meditations or introspection are scant as the desert brush. -Can any reader imagine Thesiger meditating like M.A. on such questions as, "What is life but a warfare and a stranger's sojourn?" - Reflections, or at least the disclosing of them, are simply not his gulp of brackish well water.
   
   Others are obviously quite content with a narrator about whose inner life they know next to nothing. But I was left after reading this book with a listless, arid feeling, with any sense of "INNER cosmography" (to borrow from Thoreau) remaining unmapped.



2. An excellent travel adventure through the Arabian deserts in the early part of the 20th century. For anyone who wants to understand the Arab mind/viewpoint or who just loves tales of far away places and exotic locales this book will make an excellent read.



3. While waiting for my inter-library loan of Arabian Sands to show up I pulled THE LAST NOMAD (same author) off my librarys shelf. Turns out they are the same book! Same tho only in text. The Last Nomad is a big 20" x 20" book filled with BIG beautiful black and white photos Some full page and a few even two page spreads. Tho they do suffer from being black and white imho, Wilfred Thesiger is an excellent photographer. The "portraits" of the people are wonderful.
   
   So FORGET ARABIAN SANDS. Arabian Sands is a small 7.8 x 5.1 book with small dark pictures. And not all the pictures to boot.
   
   My favorite part was the Iraq Marshes (1950-'58). The stunning "buildings" the Marsh Arabs made solely from the TWENTY foot tall reeds that grew there. WOW.
   This is the area where the rivers Tigris and Euphrates join, and is thought by some to be the original site of the Garden of Eden.
   
   "The 5,000-year-old way of life of the Marsh Arabs, celebrated by Wilfred Thesiger among others, has long been under threat. Its final disappearance is documented in The Iraqi Marshlands edited by Emma Nicholson and Peter Clark. Saddam Hussein's aggressive drainage programme in the 1990s, in pursute of rebels hiding in the waterways, turned much of the marshland into desert, depopulating the area. Some 200,000 of the inhabitants fled, many of them to refugee camps in Iran. The damage is probably irretrievable."
   
   Dams in Turkey, Syria and Iran have further reduce the amount of water flowing down the Tigris and Euphrates. All the bird and wildlife is lost. Latest satellite images show that less than 7% of the Mesopotamian marshes now remain intact.
   
   What confuses me is the contrast between the various "modern" tribes and the stunningly huge, beautiful and complex brick buildings built thousands of years ago by their ancestors. I can't seem to connect the two. What happened to them? How is it possible to regress so?



4. I had heard this was the definitive work on the desert country but never had gotten around to reading it. I now have and it is terrific - every thing it's cracked up to be. I had read Michael Asher's biography; I had been in Ethiopia, Oman and Yemen; I traveled in the Hadhramaut -- all of this over fifty years later but still there is the flavor of Thesiger's days. His writing of crossing the Empty Quarter was a precursor of Asher's more recent writings about desert travels. He writes well and keeps the reader completely caught up with his trek. There is a sadness, on Thesiger's part (and mine), that as progress has affected the Bedu life, the stability of the old days is no more. But for a loving report on life as it used to be with the Bedu tribes, I whole heartedly recommend Arabian Sands. (I should not Rory Stewart's introduction was worth the price of the book)



5. The Rub Al Khali, the Empty Quarter, or as the Arabs called it, The Sands, is one of the most inhospitable places on earth, and one of the least populated as a result. Like Mt. Everest, or the South Pole, each of which became the obsession of some men, sometimes costing them their lives, the Empty Quarter became an obsession of Wilfred Thesiger. He was not the first Westerner to cross it, Bertrand Thomas was, in the `30's, and then Harry (Abdullah) St. John Philby after him, but Thesiger is deservedly the most famous, due to this wonderful account that is difficult to put down. His birth and childhood in Abyssinia, in 1910, the son of the first British Ambassador, seems to have marked him for the "path less traveled." To fully appreciate "Arabian Sands,' it helps to have read "The Life of My Choice," his autobiography.
   
   The first part of "Arabian Sands" covers his youth in Africa, and his initial desert trips in Dhaufar, and in the Danakil country. The end of the book involves his travels in then "forbidden" Oman. The heart of his story though, is his two epic crossing of The Sands. Unlike other Westerner explorers, he was unsupported in his efforts, by other Westerners, save for the financial support of the British Anti-Locust Board. He had to live by his wits, establishing firm and trusting relationships with his beloved Bedouin (Bedu) who were the essential element in his success. In so doing, he developed an understanding of the conditions of their very harsh life, and enthusiastically emulated them. In addition to coming to terms with the "ship of the desert," the camel, and adapting to the rhythms of desert travel with such transport, he also had to stay one step ahead of central authorities, and deal with the tribal politics, which invariably meant that some tribes would be hostile to both him, and his traveling companions solely for tribal reasons. Furthermore, since he was not a Muslim, he had to deal with those individuals and tribes who were hostile due solely to his non-adherence to their religion and beliefs, but Thesiger was wise enough to realize that much of the hostility resulted from the fact that all the other Westerners who were exploring were looking for oil, and the natives feared a loss of their land - it was hard for them, or even most Westerners to understand his motives of doing it solely "because it was there." After his second crossing he was arrested in the town of Sulaiyil by adherents of the Ikhwan, the fundamentalist brotherhood that very well may have made an "example" of him, "to encourage the others", and executed him. It was only the direct intervention of his friend, Philby, with the Saudi king, Abdul Aziz, which secured his release.
   
   The book contains numerous excellent maps, which outline his trips, as well as the tribal areas. It also includes some excellent black and white photographs, many of them of his traveling companions. On a personal note, he inspired a passion to visit Yabrin, on the northern edge of the Empty Quarter, and I was able to see it develop into a significant town, over a 23 year period, a far cry from the absolute absence of people at this oasis when he passed through in 1948.
   
   I couldn't give the book a 5-star however. As one other reviewer indicated, it would help if we looked a bit at the man himself, and his reference frame. The book was written around 12 years after the events, and he admits to not maintaining accurate notes, so how much was changed in his memory? Certainly he experienced "comradeship," like men do in war, but does that mean we should have wars for this experience? It seemed that he unduly romanticized the hardship, and bemoaned that the bedu would loose their remarkable way of life with the coming impact of the modern world. And there is no question that there are only a few real bedu left on the Arabian peninsula, as they have enthusiastically embraced the conveniences of the modern world in the subsequent 60 years. It should be noted that Thesiger carefully picked the timings of his travels, to do so only in the winter. If he had spent a couple of summers with the bedu, I strongly suspect that much of his romanticism would have evaporated, and the hum of an air-conditioner would be much appreciated. Also, there may have been more than an aversion to the modern material world behind his passion for the remote areas of yore - throughout his life, including his days in Kenya at the end, there was always a youthful companion with him.
   
   Setting aside these caveats, and realizing that the prism may be distorted, his achievements are remarkable, and we are fortunate to have an enthralling narrative of this vanished way of life.

5 comments about Honeymoon with My Brother: A Memoir.

1. If you like books written by self-absorbed whiners, then this is the book for you. I had heard an interview with the author on a local radio show and thought it might be an interesting book. He certainly has the gift of gab, but is definitely not a writer. After the first few chapters, I realized that the book was more about the author, his "career", and his distorted views of love and friendship than an interesting yarn about his travels. It's a shame that he would resort to writing an entire book to dump on someone who obviously made the right choice in not marrying him, and cash in on it as well.



2. I can't rave enough about this book! I was skeptical when I purchased it due to the few negative reviews that appeared on Amazon. I hadn't heard of it before...guess I am a little behind the times on my New York Times Best Sellers "to read list." Franz is a terrific and extremely entertaining writer. His brother Kurt adds so much to the story. Kurt's interactions with the locals could be a book in itself. I highly encourage you to BUY THIS BOOK. You won't be able to put it down. However, if you feel that most men just use women for sex or if you can't handle that fact that a broken-hearted person needs to occasionally vent about it, then look elsewhere. For the rest of us, you'll LOVE this book.



3. A very interesting and fun filled book about the travels of a groom jilted at the altar. He picked himself up, took
   his brother on the planned honeymoon and learned a lot about life in other parts of the world. It was the greatest experience for him and made him a far better person



4. A lot of us who reported on former Gov. Pete Wilson's early years in that office in Sacramento remember the author of this book with fondness. He brought a great sense of humor to his job as press secretary. That comes bubbling through here on most every page. The other thing I remember about Franz was how tough and unyielding he could be when he didn't want to answer your questions. You can sense that in this book. All in all, it's a good read. He makes himself sound a little more vulnerable than I suspect he is or ever was. But that is part of the nonfiction "romance" plot and is probably necessary to keep the reader involved. The author is effective in the way he spins out the incidental travel stories that come along as he moves from city to city. I know that's not easy. I hope the book that he hopes to do next sells as well as this one has. As someone who rarely enjoys travel books, and read this one mainly to learn what happened to Franz, I can only give it four stars. But from my "male" perspective, it's worth a lot more of your time than that big selling travel romance about eating in Italy and finding religion and true love in Asia.



5. . . .you might enjoy this.
   
   Same sort of premise--a big life change precipitates world travel. In Eat Pray Love--a divorce, in this case, a canceled wedding.
   
   Wisner does think a bit about his circumstances, but in general this book is more about the travel than the introspection, which I enjoyed. He does examine the rediscovery of a relationship with his brother, which added a level of personal examination to it.
   
   You could call this the man's Eat Pray Love.
   
   If you dream about the idea of taking a year off and seeing the world, hang out with Franz and his brother for a couple hundred pages.