Sarah Vowell

Sarah Vowell always manages to take what should be dry, boring sections of history and enliven therm far beyond what I could reasonably expect.

This time the subject is the history of Hawaii, and I can confidently asset that prior to starting this book the extent of my knowledge in that area amounted to "it didn't used to be a state and now it is." I know much more about how all this came to be, and the only emotion I can muster is sadness.

It's a tight narrative arc, the American interaction show more with the islands. It took less than a century to get from religious do-gooders genuinely concerned about the Hawaiians to a cabal of businessmen deciding their profits outweighed all other concerns and forcibly overthrew the elected government. I'm sure

The more history I learn, the more I suspect that I don't (and, in many cases, can't) know about any given topic. There are so many layers, characters and narratives swirling around any event that to discover one only inevitably leads you to several more. This is not a reason to discourage such pursuits, merely a reminder about their ultimate lack of finality. Still, the best we can get is closer, and the only way to do that is to keep trying. show less

I like how Vowell discusses the uglier sides of America (slavery and its ilk)—not in a preachy way nor in a "my editor said I have to include this" way, but in a matter-of-fact, unforced and unflinching tone.
Also: *Hard to believe that the candidate who lost the popular vote could actually become the president of the United States. Luckily, that kind of travesty never happened again." Reading this 20 years on is something else. I almost feel guilty for finding that as funny as I did.

Part of what I like about Vowell's amateur historian take on American history is the way she is able to relate Bruce Springsteen to a 19-year old vainglorious Frenchman who defied his family and sailed to the colonies to volunteer in their fight for American Independence. This can also be distracting. Since I've always been fascinated about how we're all connected in the most surprising ways, these little detours are more interesting than irritating.

Granted, it's been years since I've show more studied or even though of the American Revolution, but I don't remember hearing much about Lafayette at al and he was an integral part of the war. In fact, if asked before listening to this book, I would have assumed Lafayette was historically tied to New Orleans instead of the American Revolution. Nor would I have said that the French were most responsible for winning the war than our underfunded, underfed, and almost naked Army and militia. But, that's just like America: we think of our past only as it gives us pleasure, and we only ever take pleasure in our role as the Hero. And, that is what I like the best about Vowell's work, and recommend it to anyone: she highlights forgotten parts of our history in such a unique and interesting way, her lessons stay with you forever, and she isn't afraid to point out our excessive pride and our faulty historical memory. If you're looking for jingoism, Vowell isn't the amateur historian for you.

As far as the narration goes, I thought I would enjoy Vowell's take on her own work more than I did. I'd probably steer anyone interested in her work to pick up the book instead. show less

This is the rarest of all things: a work of non-fiction that I just could not put down. Vowell makes obscure historical figures and the places related to them fascinatingly relevant to the modern reader. Snarky, irreverant, peppered with personal anecdotes that actually add to the narrative instead of detract from it, Assassination Vacation should be required reading for every high school history class.