Audio Books

Give me enough books-on-tape and I will rule the world!

At least, that's how I feel when I'm listening to them. Buoyed by the delightful narratorial voice of some guy reading a book on George Washington, I powered through yesterday's trip. I was unstoppable, and along with Anette Breeze (my loyal steed), I crushed the road before me. Reaching Rt. 64, my turnoff for Charlottesville, where I planned to stop the night, I drove on haughtily, laughing at the restful night's sleep that awaited me.

Nearly all the way down, I listened to tales of George Washington, complementing knowledge built upon a listening of McCollough's 1776 on my previous ride down here. I learnt of battles and politics and Washington's imposing physique (and bad teeth). I learnt of the families throughout the United States, black families, that claim to be related to Washington.

It would seem, unsuprisingly, that even Washington (The Almighty!) may have have told a lie. Not only did he chop down that cherry tree for sure, but he also may have been a rapist and was an avid (though often conflicted) slaveholder. Although, to give him some credit, he did release all of his slaves upon his death, a decision not supported by Martha or anyone else in his family.

Washington also deserves credit, in my mind, for the following:

1. Escaping from Brooklyn to Manhattan under cover of night in 1776. With the help of Glover's sailors, he was able to evacuate nearly his entire army while the British sat nearby, unaware anything was going on. Amazing.

2. Not becoming King when everyone seemed ready to place a crown upon his head.

3. His letter writing skills (evidenced by excerpts read in the book). They are amazing letters, although it would seem that all were able to write letters of extraordinary quality at the time, filled with things like "I am unsure that I am fit to receive such glorious panegyric but I dare say that I am honored and greatly content to receive your most recent correspondence." I made that sentence up, and the truth is that it pales in comparison to ole' GW's writing, but you get the point.

After finishing with old Georgie boy, I sucked down the rest of my sixth Mountain Dew soda (or whatever caffeinated beverage I was enjoying at the time) and continued on my way. I popped in another Audio-book, this time "Against All Enemies" by Richard Clarke.

Dick wrote the book, and reads it too, and he's got a great voice for the task--very natural and very real, and very suited to reading lines like "What the F#@K is going on here?". Through him, I'm learning all about Reagan, the Bushes, Bin Laden, and the variety of acronymic American agencies responsible for national security and safety in case of foreign attack.

It is all also quite interesting.

And so, with the help of Mr. Clark and Mr. Wiencek, the trip went well and went quickly. It of course, as usual, progressed as a series of stops and starts caused by my oft-seen inability to plan road trip stops.

(Oh...maybe I should have relieved my full bladder and filled my empty gas tank at the same time that I bought that Chex Mix?)

But, here I am. Tomorrow, back to work.