There is just something about history that pulls me in these days. Maybe it is that I am reading authors who make the journey to the past more personal (Assassination Vacation) or read more like a bad melodrama (Peace to End All Peace), but I have enjoyed the history books this year.
In Assassination Vacation, Vowell travels from Illinois to DC, with tromps around New York to look at the places and pieces of the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley. It is funny to think that there is a museum with a piece of Lincoln's skull or that there isn't even a plaque where Garfield was shot. Or to think that part of the defense for Garfield's murderer was something to the effect of "I just shot him, the doctors killed him."
It's also interesting to see that someone does stop and look at all of those plaque's around DC and that someone knows who the different statues are around NY. Since I am planning a trip to NY, there was a part of me that wanted to take notes so I could see what she was writing about. Then, I came to my senses.
And, I loved reading the stories of taking her 3 year old nephew to the sites; reading about his talking about skeletons and crypts. Amazing what these kids pick up these days.
A fun book. I would probably keep it in the library, but I should probably return it to the person who let me borrow it.
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