Assassination Vacation

Returned--couldn't finish it--couldn't get past her voice. It may be a good book--I liked the subject but would rather hear a drill at the dentist office. Someone should have told her how bad her voice was before she made the reading.

Witty, very well researched, with some fine story telling. The only bad point is the reader sounds like the daughter of Gomez Adams. If you can get past this you will have a very fine listening experience.

I have been a presidential hobbyist for 40 years and I never had so much fun reading a history book. Sarah's wit comes though loud and clear, I never knew facts about dull Jimmy Garfield could make me laugh.

Sarah Vowell makes history fun. I knew virtually nothing about Garfield and McKinley much less their nut case assassins. She reads her own work and her unique voice brings her personality out and shows her passion for her topic. HOWEVER, she almost ruins the entire adventure by randomly inserting extreme hatred for George W. Bush at every oportunity and showing no respect for God or Christians in general. If she could have stuck with her subject matter this book would be a true gem.

What a delightful 'read'. Too much detail to do much else besides listen, but what a wonderful book. Author is ascerbic and definitely is definite about her politics. She also reads the book, so emphasis and style are in line with the book. I like it, and cannot wait for her other book to come out in Audio.

Although in the begining I was kind of loss as to what the book was about. It became quite clear that she has same love of history that I have. Enjoyed the off beat stories and the little known facts about the people that she worte about. Being a student of history myself I do not always agree with the parallels that she draws with current day events, and would love to have a discussion on those points. I never the less would very much like to take some of trips that she talked about and visit some of the out of the places that she visited. Going see these places where history happens always makes it come alive and real instead of just reading dates and names in a dry history book. She made these places and people come alive and fleshed them out. They are not just dead people and places in far off lands unaccessable.

The author's voice is unique... well we all have unique voices! Hers tends to grating to start as she reads her own work, however perseverance gives you a witty take on all she is discussing, filled with wonderful trivia, lots of context for the facts and some out loud laughing. I shall go in search of more to read or listen to by this author.

I cannot speak of the book itself because I could not listen to the reader. I'll give it another chance but in print form.

Her voice is annoying. The book is less historical than I wanted. I felt sorry for RT Lincoln. But yet I read this book to the bitter end. I don't know why, but I couldn't send it back unread. I'll just give it three stars and move on!

Good listen, opening dialog is very funny. The narrator has a valley girl type voice which can be irritating at times but one gets used to it. All of the stories characters have guest voices (Connon O'Brien, Stephen King does Lincon, etc) and this makes it much more interesting. The writer definately did her research to make this possible (she relates toward the end that she has a masters degree in art history). Just finding some of the actual places proved a challenge. For renters like me you have to rent this title in two parts (comes as 6 CD's). Would recommend the first CD to anyone as the part about the authors dialogue in the bed and breakfast is universely funny. The rest is mostly interesting to those who really are into history (and I count myself in this class).