I live in Atlanta where the traffic is worse than our on-going drought. I spend 90 minutes a day in the car commuting to and from work. Ms. Vowell's enlightening, witty, and at times bust-a-gut-funny audio CD made me never want to leave my car. Her socio/historical/political satire was a pleasure to listen to. Her observations are still lingering in my mind, long after finishing all 6 CD's. This led me to also order her latest book, The Wordy Shipmates, on audio CD.

Venture into the hilarious world of assassinations. Yes, hilarious. Sarah Vowell, a humorist/columnist/voice of public radio has a morbid interest in Presidential assassinations. She set out to visit various sites across the U.S. that are linked to the assassinations and recorded her adventures in this hilarious travelogue.

Vowell brings readers to the homes of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley as well as to more obscure places such as the Mutter Museum which has specimens of John Wilkes Booth's thorax and Charles Guiteau's (Garfield's assassin) brain.

By speaking with the historians, curators, and tour guides, Vowell brings readers very close to the assassins by revealing their lives, motives, and deaths. For example, she points out that many people hated Lincoln, and Booth thought that he would be a hero. Also revealed is the poor and lonely childhood of McKinley's assassin, Czolgosz. Looking to find a place to fit in, he began attending anarchist meetings and thus began his plan.

Though death is the "theme" of the book, Vowell looks at the assassinations as as story and examines each character objectively and with humor. Those interested in history will be pleased to learn a great deal about the assassinations- much more than is ever taught in any school. Travelers will be inspired to visit the many museums and historical sites mentioned. Recommended for fans of Lincoln books and travelogues.

I just finished Sarah Vowell's Assasination Vacation and found it to be more interesting and cohesive than Partly Cloudy Patriot. Vowell wit and inquisitiveness are endearing and the book is a page turner more to find out her next reaction to something rather than to find out what she is actually doing.
That said, her leftist, wackily liberal politics get in the way EVERY time she inserts them. And also, despite standing up and shouting her atheism, I don't buy it. I see some inner conflict being worked out on the written page, especially the last chapter.
Those criticisms aside, I think it would be fun to take a trip with Vowell, staring at unread plaques or looking at a statue and being the only person within a mile in any direction who knew who it was of.
Vowell does a good job at threading the interconnectedness of history's charachters and events and drawing on this skill her last few sentences are sublime.

The book made me laugh out loud, but the NPR-approved author is glib, always nervously searching for her next punchline, or attempting to insert a proud, treacly story about her nephew Owen.

I love me some liberals and consider myself one, but Vowell is the type who is off the charts nuerotic and nerdy; every bit as grating as her pinched voice suggests. While learning many interesting details about assassination history, an image is assembed of the neurotic author as a nut who doesn't drive (a phobia), has allergies, and is some sort of assassination coompletist. Though the book is at no loss for wit, a reader is always aware how insufferable it must be to be in the presence of Sarah Vowell.

This was the first book by Sarah Vowell I've read, although I've been familiar with her work on NPR for many years. Since Sarah Vowell came to fame by writing personal stories and essays, it comes as no surprise that this book is more about Sarah's personal journey of discovery regarding these three assassinations than a straightforward history. In many ways, I found it refreshing. In the book, Ms. Vowell talks about the importance of pilgrimage and veneration of relics throughout history. The journeys in the book, then, become her own personal historical pilgrimage. Experiencing history from this unique approach certainly warrants a book.

That being said, the book contains a lot of really great information on American history, but includes no references or citations. Since this is work for a popular audience, its not surprising that it's not meticulously documented, but at least a list of sources used in constructing the history would have been nice. History is an easily twisted thing, and I felt that some of the facts presented warranted a citation, even in this popular context.

A quick and highly entertaining read, to be sure, but not without its faults. I found an awful lot of poorly-written or confusing sentences, having to re-read sections to make sure I knew what was being referred to. Seems to me that there's a very forgiving editor out there.

I'd recommend it for anyone who wants a fun take on history... but if you're used to reading scholarly work you might find some things a bit irritating.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. So what can we learn from an examination of three U.S. presidential assassinations -- those of Abraham Lincoln, and Presidents Garfield and McKinley? A lot if our guide is Sarah Vowell.
Written in a breezy, entertaining way, this book is nonetheless quite serious. Vowell takes us on a trip through history and also across present-day America, exploring the paths of the men who snuffed out the lives of these presidents, everywhere making incisive and insightful connections. Tying these three presidential victims together is the frustrated and unheroic figure of Robert Todd Lincoln, the dead president's son, who lived into the 1920s, was president of the Pullman Company and Secretary of War and who seemed to show up on the scene whenever a president was about to be assassinated.
I learned so much from this book, that the state song of my home state of Maryland is in fact a subtle hymn supporting the Confederacy and slavery, that prior to the introduction of income tax in 1913, the New York Customs House collected an astounding two thirds of the Federal Government's revenue -- and of course it was rife with corruption, that McKinley changed the way the Civil War was viewed, making it a narrative of "valor on both sides" instead of a struggle to abolish the evil of slavery which is still the way many remember it today. It's surprising how much physically remains from these murders -- body parts of the slain presidents preserved in museums, dusty markers by country roadsides, letters, diaries and much more. I learned that Charles Guiteau who killed Garfield, belonged to a weird sect called the Oneida community that practiced free love without male ejaculation. At his trial, he came up with the great defense that he had not killed Garfield, he had merely shot him. It was the doctors who killed him. It had the virtue of being true. They still hanged him.
Vowell draws interesting parallels between the Spanish-American war and our current Iraq War. And of course, we know that Karl Rove modeled himself on McKinley's political strategist, Mark Hanna.
This was a great read, an intellectual feast and a wonderful trip in the company of an expert guide.
For more on me and my bookThe Nazi Hunter: A Novel go to www.alanelsner.com

I received this book as a gift and when I read the inside cover, I knew I was going to love it. I enjoy reading about certain events in history, but a lot of the books written about them are slow reads and dry. This book kept my attention and made me laugh! I thoroughly enjoyed it and am now collecting Sarah Vowell's books. I can't wait to read more..

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell is a trippy field trip to both the exciting and the mundane locations along the way to three presidential assassinations--Abraham Lincoln's, James Garfield's, and William McKinley's. Vowell, the NPR commentator, is forthright in her disdain for our current president, analyzing her feelings against the backdrop of those just crazy enough to commit murder for their ideology. Vowell is humorous and her opinions are clear without being overwrought, but more than anything she is informative. She's fascinated by presidential history, and reveals details both obscure and eye-popping. Even after reading Manhunt, the excellent analysis of Lincoln's murder by James Swanson, I still picked up new insights from Vowell, particularly the preponderance of evidence against Dr. Samuel Mudd, the doctor who assisted the fleeing John Wilkes Booth. The life of Garfield's killer, Charles Guiteau, is explored and the reader is acquainted with the odd Oneida Community cult of the 19th century. Guiteau was a frustrated failure at this free-sex community where he was often referred to as "Get Out" by the non consenting ladies. Finally, McKinley's murder in Buffalo (by Leon Czolgosz) is explored, a story which features the assassin's punch-out by a waiter and the dramatic ride of Theodore Roosevelt from the crest of the Adirondacks to take command of the country. A great read through-and-through, Assassination Vacation scores an A-.

I usually don't write reviews, but when i saw that this book didn't have 5 of 5 stars i was shocked! I loved it. Not only do I own the book, I own the author narrated audio version!

America needs more Sarah Vowell. Perhaps more importantly, I need more Sarah Vowell. I know this review won't exactly make me one of Amazon's Top Reviewers. Nevertheless, I'm just saying. Sarah Vowell, here's five stars -- for you.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It focused on Abraham Lincoln and took the author to some interesting places. I found it educational and entertaining, even though it isn't something that I would normally read about.

I am not that into recent American history, and that may be why I didn't enjoy the second half of the book as much. Presidents Garfield and McKinley aren't that interesting to me. I didn't think that it was any fault of the author, for she seems to really get into geeking out at historical sites, and likes things that make my eyes melt from the boredom.

I think the book is worth reading, just for the first half, and if you are interested in the other two men, you will enjoy it even more.

This book makes me want to throw my kids in the car and drive them as quickly as possible to the nearest historical memorial/museum/old graveyard/bronze plaque and giggle, tell stories, do ANYTHING other than fret over their brains turning to mush on a Webkinz/Sims diet. Assassination Vacation is not just history for a witty leftie reader. Can you imagine how someone in the future will write the history of OUR time? Do you want just the mentioning of a war in Iraq and details about the number of people who died, or do you want someone to read the part about missing weapons of mass destruction? If you're the kind of person who thinks details like missing WMD's makes the story of our time come alive, you'll really 'get' Assassination Vacation. And you might also learn to love James Garfield and his special, comfy reading chair, which is worth the price of purchase by itself. Great writing.

Sarah Vowell's very chatty and informal overview of the first three successful presidential assassinations manages to chart, in its off-kilter way, a compelling if highly selective version of American history from the Civil War to the Spanish-American War through a series of anecdotes concerning the assassinations, the presidents who were the victims, the assassins themselves, and most of all the U.S. historical events associated with these events which Vowell manages to visit with the help of her friends and family, and where she meets a charming assortment of local volunteers who become the unofficial heroes of her narrative. Even if you're well versed in Stephen Sondheim's ASSASSINS, which explores much of the same territory in a completely different manner (and which Vowell enthuses over at the very beginning of her narrative), there's still much to find new and interesting here, and Vowell's candidness about her political affiliations and enthusiasms are very refreshing.

Vowell does identify herself on the bookjacket as "a McSweeney's person," and for better or worse that is a fairly accurate self-assessment. On the plus side, the book is charming, hip, ironic, and clever. On the other, it can be a bit self-consciously twee (favoring anachronistic terms in her writing like "looky-loos" and "mosey"), it's in strong need of an editor, and Vowell seems to need to tell us constantly how many supportive and brilliant friends and relations she has. It's almost impossible to nitpick, though, about someone who can be fervent and honest about her nerdy love for American history. This is a fun book to read.

Sarah Vowell's very chatty and informal overview of the first three successful presidential assassinations manages to chart, in its off-kilter way, a compelling if highly selective version of American history from the Civil War to the Spanish-American War through a series of anecdotes concerning the assassinations, the presidents who were the victims, the assassins themselves, and most of all the U.S. historical events associated with these events which Vowell manages to visit with the help of her friends and family, and where she meets a charming assortment of local volunteers who become the unofficial heroes of her narrative. Even if you're well versed in Stephen Sondheim's ASSASSINS, which explores much of the same territory in a completely different manner (and which Vowell enthuses over at the very beginning of her narrative), there's still much to find new and interesting here, and Vowell's candidness about her political affiliations and enthusiasms are very refreshing.

Vowell does identify herself on the bookjacket as "a McSweeney's person," and for better or worse that is a fairly accurate self-assessment. On the plus side, the book is charming, hip, ironic, and clever. On the other, it can be a bit self-consciously twee (favoring anachronistic terms in her writing like "looky-loos" and "mosey"), it's in strong need of an editor, and Vowell seems to need to tell us constantly how many supportive and brilliant friends and relations she has. (Even considering that she famously does not drive, does she ever do anything substantial all by herself? Would she be brave enough to tell us if she did?) It's almost impossible to nitpick, though, about someone who can be fervent and honest about her nerdy love for American history. This is a fun book to read.

Sarah Vowell's very chatty and informal overview of the first three successful presidential assassinations manages to chart, in its off-kilter way, a compelling if highly selective version of American history from the Civil War to the Spanish-American War through a series of anecdotes concerning the assassinations, the presidents who were the victims, the assassins themselves, and most of all the U.S. historical events associated with these events which Vowell manages to visit with the help of her friends and family, and where she meets a charming assortment of local volunteers who become the unofficial heroes of her narrative. Even if you're well versed in Stephen Sondheim's ASSASSINS, which explores much of the same territory in a completely different manner (and which Vowell enthuses over at the very beginning of her narrative), there's still much to find new and interesting here, and Vowell's candidness about her political affiliations and enthusiasms are very refreshing.

Vowell does identify herself on the bookjacket as "a McSweeney's person," and for better or worse that is a fairly accurate self-assessment. On the plus side, the book is charming, hip, ironic, and clever. On the other, it can be a bit self-consciously twee (favoring anachronistic terms in her writing like "looky-loos" and "mosey"), it's in strong need of an editor, and Vowell seems to need to tell us constantly how many supportive and brilliant friends and relations she has. It's almost impossible to nitpick, though, about someone who can be fervent and honest about her nerdy love for American history. This is a fun book to read.

What a great and interesting read. This book reads like the best sort of history book, or the best sort of travel log. There is no such thing as a dry statement of facts in Vowell's world, and her particularly droll delivery leaves waffly, wishy-washy, romantic travel tales in the dust. It's particularly amazing how she can weave in the fine details of the assassins, presidents, and ephemera and make them not only interesting but pertinent. I've never read Vowell's work before but will read more now.

On p. 118 of the 2005 hardcover edition of this excellent book, there is a rare typo (perhaps the only typo). Lincoln did not say "If slavery is wrong, nothing is wrong." He said, "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong."
Thank you, Ms. Vowell, for one of the best history books I've run across (we're reading it in my book group). I assume there will be further editions; perhaps you have already spotted this error.

So, I started this book while working at a youth arts camp for bratty children and fell into it very quickly, having it act as a getaway more than anything, at first.



Vowell has a very great tone in her writing that, apparently, not everyone finds as endearing as I do. Having visited many of the sites she's writing about (hooray, family road trips!), it's refreshing to read her accounts of the places.



Certainly, the section of the book concerning Lincoln is the best. I haven't done a lot of presidential reading, though I have caught the occasional special on PBS about various presidents, but I felt that the section of the book concerning Lincoln's assassination showed a side to everything that I'd never known about--i.e. Wilkes-Booth's thespian family roots, Robert Lincoln aka the Angel of Presidential death, etc.



The other two sections seemed, to me at least, rushed, although, as Vowell points out, it's hard to compare other presidents, even in death, to Lincoln.



All in all, I felt it was a great quick read that leaves you with some conversation fodder for your next shindig. Everyone enjoys some presidential trivia, right?

So, I started this book while working at a youth arts camp for bratty children and fell into it very quickly, having it act as a getaway more than anything, at first.

Vowell has a very great tone in her writing that, apparently, not everyone finds as endearing as I do. Having visited many of the sites she's writing about (hooray, family road trips!), it's refreshing to read her accounts of the places.

Certainly, the section of the book concerning Lincoln is the best. I haven't done a lot of presidential reading, though I have caught the occasional special on PBS about various presidents, but I felt that the section of the book concerning Lincoln's assassination showed a side to everything that I'd never known about--i.e. Wilkes-Booth's thespian family roots, Robert Lincoln aka the Angel of Presidential death, etc.

The other two sections seemed, to me at least, rushed, although, as Vowell points out, it's hard to compare other presidents, even in death, to Lincoln.

All in all, I felt it was a great quick read that leaves you with some conversation fodder for your next shindig. Everyone enjoys some presidential trivia, right?

If you know Sarah Vowell from NPR, you'll hear her idiosyncratic voice on every page. And I guess if you don't know her from NPR, then it will just be a fantastic, funny, historic read in your own voice. Vowell is droll, sarcastic, and a Mistress of Irony. It's facinating to see how her mind works, making connection after connection that would probably never occur to mortal humans like the rest of us.

This was a library pick, as I wasn't entirely sure if it would be a keeper. While not exactly something I'd read over and over, it was definitely a good read, honestly, a perfect little book for your summer reading list, as it's light enough to be read in bits, but chock full of fun things that will prepare you to compete on Jeopardy.

The book is part history, part travelogue, part memoir, covering Vowell's various trips to locations around the United States that have links to three presidential assassinations. The book is witty, sarky, and full of dark humor. Honestly, I think she wanted an excuse to write about a trip to the Mütter Museum. In the book she covers the assassination of Lincoln, McKinley and Garfield. She does so by interspersing random bits of trivia (did you know that Robert Todd Lincoln was present or nearby all three assassinations?) She also manages to tie together such disparate things as a Victorian-era sex commune and America's newest national park.

She does it all in a quick-paced, rapid fire, seemingly random association of events. Sometimes they do click, sometimes they don't, but either way, you'll walk away from the particular topic going "Hrmm... I didn't know that."

This book should be particularly entertaining to people who live in DC or New York City, as a lot of her accounts involve locales in this area. I found the DC stuff particularly charming, as nearly everything she pointed out is familiar to me on some level. I half expected her to start blathering about the Roxy Owls, to be honest.

The low point for me, though, has to do with the fact that the book starts off with a sort of smug cosmopolitan egotism that really turned me off. The whole "I know what bubble tea is, and these backwater farmers I'm visiting don't." I was particularly annoyed with her commentary about Richmond, as she seemed to paint the entire place as full of racist hatemongers. She made this assumption based purely on the fact that the Confederacy based its capital here, and John Wilkes Booth spent a good deal of time here. Heck, she even goes so far as to conjecture that Booth and Poe are so messed up because they lived here at some point.

I'm kinda offended by this, as I live here, and Richmond, honestly isn't that bad, especially in the racist hatemonger side of things. Sure, we don't have a decent place to get bubble tea anymore, but Richmond is not really fitting of the whole aura she gives it.

But honestly, that was my only sore point with the book.

I will also add, as a bonus she is one of us. You know what I mean. She drops the secret handshakes all over the book. From her giddiness at visiting the Müter Museum, to her amusement when a docent patted her gently to warn her that it might be a little "scary," to her pride in the fact that her three year old nephew has the word "crypt" in his limited vocabulary. I can assure you, that you are reading a book written by someone who has listened to "Floodland" a few times.

Finally, if you consider yourself conservative, support the Iraq war, and think George Bush is the awesome (which is honestly what she should have picked on in regards to Richmond), then this book will annoy you. Avoid it. Otherwise, it's worth the few days to read it!

It's a darned good book. Everyone should go and read it. It's a great page-turner, and Vowell's fascination with American history is infectious. (If this were a book about the history of typhoid, that would be a joke, and it would be *money*.) She's a funny writer, has a number of ingenious turns of phrase, and draws connections between events in a way that would make James Burke (of Scientific American) proud. Highly recommended.

I want to hang out with Sarah Vowell. More to the point I want to take in some museums and historical landmarks with her and listen in on her conversations with curators, docents and misinformed teens (is there any other kind?). The great thing about Vowell is that in reading one of her books you feel as though you ARE hanging out with her and the assorted lucky friends and relatives who accompany her around America's historical sites. These sites include the arcane, the morbid and the iconic an whatever else is in between.

The pretext for this meandering is to gain insight into the first three assassinations of American presidents That fourth one has, and doubtless will continue to be, beaten quite to death by writers, journalists, researchers and curmudgeons like me resulting in way more questions than answers. The deaths of Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley are a lot tidier in a whodunit and why sense. The latter two especially have received scant attention from the general American public. (There was some president named Garfield McKinley killed by an anarchist office seeker in 1873, I think.)

Anyway Vowell and readers have a lot of fun tracing the events and participants of these assassinations. From Key West, Florida to Springfield, Illinois to New York, New york. From statues, museums, plaques and monuments soak in some American history and enjoy the unique and humorous voice of Sarah Vowell.

While I enjoyed most every page I particularly like the chapter on Garfield who's surprising rise to and brief time as president is so emblematic of an era and who's assassin was such a bizarre character so emblematic of a particular kind of psychosis.

Readers will also appreciate that Vowell is always true to her voice and never hides her biases and predilections but never betrays her true intent of telling a charming and insightful story.

A good time will be had by all.

I had just finished reading (listening to) Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer (P.S.) and this was a good follow-up (recommend that one too).

Pros: Abridged by the author herself. Read by the author, so perfect emphasis of how she wanted you to hear it (cf. Stephen King's intro to Dark Towers that he narrates - you get advantages and disadvantages with the author reading their own work). Interesting facts sprinkled throughout. Good other voice talent - King was a great Lincoln.

Cons: Read by the author, who sounds like she's twelve. We get it, she doesn't like the current president, or any Republican or the GOP itself. I didn't think I was listening to current political commentary. The fifth time or so she brought it up made it go from 5 to 4 stars and was one of the very few occasions I fast forwarded an audiobook, EVER. Usually love Jon Stewart, but he was over-hamming it.

Overall, I liked it a lot.

Sarah Vowell is something of a poster child/voice of Generation X but her book, ASSASSINATION VACATION speaks easily to younger and older alike. About her Gen X cool credentials: contributor to "This American Life" on NPR, hangs out with the McSweeney's gang (Dave Eggers and Nick Hornby), was the voice of Violet in the animated feature film "The Incredibles." Then there's her jacket photo on this book: the bobbed haircut and the gaze into the camera that shouts wary, smart, articulate, gamine. This is a person you'd typecast as reporting on politics for MTV or investigating companies producing greenhouse fumes. This is not a person you'd attribute a deep abiding passion for American history and finding out how we became the country we are today, but that's Vowell.

It is not everyone who would satisfy historical curiosity through the lens of presidential assassinations, in particular those of Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield and William McKinley. It's Vowell's thing. She calls herself a pilgrim going after relics as she rummages around museums and historical sites (the "vacation" part of the title) and in biographies and collections of letters. She ferrets out motives and causes and effects on national and personal levels and pulls out some major connective tissue between the three assassinations as America grows into a world power. She spares no one her appraising eye, even her hero, Lincoln. She is by turns indignant, bemused, amused, and, more often than not, awash with an endearing sense of wonder. She nails the benchmark events that turned the party of Abraham Lincoln into the party of Dubya. By the end of the book, her interest no longer seems oddball at all. You are ready to head off to monuments, read plaques and tramp through graveyards yourself. You might even buy a copy of that paperback of Lincoln's speeches and letters that Vowell clutches. You wish there was a way to naturally bring up the Compromise of 1877 in conversation.

Academics may sneer that this is "history lite" and decry the lack of footnotes. Stalwart fans of George W. Bush may be dismayed that she does not share their enthusiasm. Everyone else can stand ready to be charmed.

I really enjoyed reading this book, actually it was even one of the better books I've read for a class in school. It was humorous and educational at the same time. Basically, the book is a first hand account of Sarah Vowell's journey to President Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley's gravesites. As Vowell describes each life and ultimately each assassination, it is as though you are standing right next to her at these historic landmarks. I would recommend this book to anyone who has no problem laughing at our country's past and present presidents - I'm not by any means suggesting that Vowell does not love her country, she just as a knack for finding irony in our nation's past and present.

You do not need to love history to love traveling down this history trail with Sarah Vowell. Interesting tidbits shared and to be savored like the last bite of fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookie. Fun and funny, I learned more from this than from 16 plus years of school.
Don't listen to comments that the melodic tone of Sarah's voice is, can you believe this?, annoying. It is part of the charm..Montana style.
Commuting into work..gotta improve your trip with this audio CD version.

You're about to read a book about 3 U.S. presidential assassinations. (1) The book will include some information on the assassins, the culture of the US at the time they were killed, and what remains to honor the fallen presidents today. (2) you're about to have a kick-in-the-pants good time.
Those two concepts sound incongruous, but the really fun part is experiencing the author, Sarah Vowell, pull them together chapter by chapter. The author is opinionated, and open about it. She doesn't like the Bush administration and says so. If that is enough to keep you from enjoying this book, give it a pass. If you're on the more rational side, you ought to have a ball. I did not know that Abraham Lincoln's son Robert was actually present at 3 assassinations. I howled with laughter when Vowell describes him as a sort of Zelig of presidential doom. I did not know that the original Oneida Commune embraced free love. I loved it when Vowell sums up their religious theology as "Let's move upstate and sleep around". Vowell is smart, sassy, and neurotic, luckily for us, she is also obsessed with history. Seeing presidential assassinations through her eyes is just about as much fun as assassinations can get. You may think that a severe understatement, but if you read this book, you'll know what I mean. Begin sceptical, finish laughing (and slightly more informed).

You're about to read a book about 3 U.S. presidential assassinations. (1) The book will include some information on the assassins, the culture of the US at the time they were killed, and what remains to honor the fallen presidents today. (2) you're about to have a kick-in-the-pants good time.
Those two concepts sound incongruous, but the really fun part is experiencing the author, Sarah Vowell, pull them together chapter by chapter. The author is opinionated, and open about it. She doesn't like the Bush administration and says so. If that is enough to keep you from enjoying this book, give it a pass. If you're on the more rational side, you ought to have a ball. I did not know that Abraham Lincoln's son Robert was actually present at 3 assassinations. I howled with laughter when Vowell describes him as a sort of Zelig of presidential doom. I did not know that the original Oneida Commune embraced free love. I loved it when Vowell sums up their religious theology as "Let's move upstate and sleep around". Vowell is smart, sassy, and neurotic, luckily for us, she is also obsessed with history. Seeing presidential assassinations through her eyes is just about as much fun as assassinations can get. You may think that a severe understatement, but if you read this book, you'll know what I mean. Begin sceptical, finish laughing (and slightly more informed).

Let's see...someone with such a case of BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome) that she has trouble actually writing his name..."the current president, titter, titter", who takes a vaction to revisit the assassinations of 3 Republican presidents. Hmmm...I know there's a connection here somewhere.

This is what passes for a commentator on NPR these days? The opening bit, where she's sitting in a B&B and nattering on and on as her fellow guests edge toward the door (more or less) sort of wraps it up quite nicely.

AV reads like an extended episode of This American Life on NPR. Not surprising. Very satisfying. Vowell's quirky, sometimes dark, humor cuts to the quick. And her serious observations (about contemporary society, politics, and history) are astute. AV is, uniquely enough, a fun and sobering book. Well worth a few hours' read.

Her audio publisher should have advised her to have someone else narrate. She sounds like a thick-tongued, high-pitched school girl. What she has to say is great, I love the writing, but I could hardly endure the voice reading to me. It just wasn't worth it....and it didn't have to be done that way. I will still look for her books--but only the paper paged versions.

Containing wit, an appetite for history and a love of adventure, Sarah Vowell's assassination travelogue is one of the best books I have read recently. Throughout its reading as I exclaimed to others that "I am reading this really great book....about....Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley's assassinations....." if the listener didn't look away with fallen eyes, I knew they would be hooked on this storytelling adventure as Sarah Vowell and several of her co-erced relatives as they traveled the presidential assassination sites of our Land.

The book is organized into three basic sections, logically around each of three assassinated U.S. Presidents, Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley. It is not however, an historical romp through dates and surrounding circumstances. Ms. Vowell interjects humor and opinion, as well as noting historical coincidences when apt (i.e. President Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln's "cameo" appearance at all three assassinations). There is also profound wisdom in her comparisons of our current political state to an America of one hundred years ago. Both periods have questionable traits and the author reminds readers of this in a clever and well written manner.

One might be inclined to see this only as a book about three U.S. Presidents and the sudden loss of their lives, but Sarah Vowell mixes their fascinating stories with the men and women who influenced their Administrations and were centeral figures at the times of their death. This is not a morbid book, nor by its subject, does it promote a negative view of history. Rather, it pulls together people and their circumstances in a thoughtful and intelligent manner. You want to know the people she encountered through her research. Living or dead, she animates the history she has brought to life in Assassination Vacations.

Newbury, NH

I liked this offbeat book. Both the subject matter and author were interesting. The book is about a kooky history buff that visits sites surrounding the Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley assassinations. I listened to the book on tape read by Sarah Vowell the author. Sarah's voice seems to match her personality to a "T", a little odd but interesting.

Sarah is a bit eccentric, she doesn't drive, is afraid of heights, is fascinated by the historical macabre, and she sounds a lot like Yeardley Smith. If you don't know who Yeardley Smith is then buy a TV. Yeardley has been in a few movies and television shows but is probably most noted for her voice of Lisa Simpson. I digress.

In any case, I found Sarah's idiosyncrasies and ties to current political situations an asset to the book. But I love horror movies and historical fiction so it may just be me even though Steven King has a short speaking role in her audio book version. Her description of John Wilkes Booth as "smoldering" seemed odd at first but gave me a better mental description of the man then if she had just described his facial features alone. It was also honest. You know someone is giving you there honest opinion if they are willing to admit that they think the man who shot Lincoln was a little hot.

In summary, read the book, or better yet listen to the book, if you are at all interested in Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley and the places and events that culminated in and surrounded there assassinations and assassins or if you like offbeat storytellers who are a bit morbid. I know I do.

A look at the history of U.S. presidential assassinations. Part history, part comic commentary, Ms. Vowell extensively documents her visits to sites (official or not) associated with these events. The history of the assassinations alone is interesting and details are often overlooked (or not looked at at all - e.g., Garfield, McKinley) when these events are presented / captured in popular forums. It is a quick read that will shed light on and insight into these assassinations that you never considered before.

I read this book aloud to 5 pre- and teenagers on a grueling road trip down south over Easter. Not only did it hold their attention the entire time it was an incredible coincidence to pass an important site in the book at the EXACT time we were reading about the capture of John Wilkes Boothe. Because of the author's exacting description we were able to arrive at the exact site she describes in such detail and VOILA, nearly living history. (Of course, being uncouth Northerners we allowed our dog to pee on the shrine in question and one child left eggs from his Easter basket on the marker).This book compelled me to read three or four more books about Lincoln, Booth and assorted others Vowell writes about. She captures history in such a remarkably approachable manner, I've since bought copies for every history teacher in our school district. Every American should read this book and even if you think you know about our first assassinations, you will learn something, and laugh while learning it. Spectacular.

Assassination Vacation is one of the best books I've read this Summer. Ms Vowell should take up teaching American history. Her brilliant and expert knowledge of her subjects (normally written about in stententious and serious tones given the subject matter) is quite impressive. But, it is the wit and humor and unusual angle of expression and personal observations that is the most captivating. I was amazed to learn so much more about the Lincoln assassination and conspirators (despite more than 35 years of reading and research on the subject) and view it from a different and less reverent angle. But even more, I was entranced by the Garfield and McKinley coverage - which added huge amounts of information to my very limited knowledge of either of these presidents or their assassins and the events surrounding them. Garfield came off so much better than I ever knew - which was very little. And his hilarious "disappointed office seeker" far more ambitious (Ambassador to France?) and political (Stalwart for Grant) than I ever knew. Don't know how one can make an account of assassinations hilariously funny? Read this book - and don't assume that it isn't historically accurate, because it is. This one is a real keeper and I am thinking of buying it on tape - just so I can listen to it while stuck in traffic, so that fellow travellers can see someone who is having fun while in the midst of DC rush hours.Have fun with this book and share it with everyone you know who loves history and has a good sense of humor.

The author is funny, and along the way you'll learn some of the most esoteric historical facts about Presidential assinations. She definitely brings her NPR sense of humor along for the ride. Honestly I am becoming a great fan of Sarah Vowell thanks to this book. I have already gone out and purchased Patriot.

The only reason I haven't given this 5 stars is because of the way she injects her politics. Don't get me wrong, I share her views almost completely, but they really feel inserted and abrupt in the text. It's almost as if she added them after editing they are that abrupt. Still, there are only two or three moments where she does this, and they don't stop this from being a great read.

Enjoy!

Sarah Vowell tours sites related to the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley; her morbid fascination leading to some good comedic scenes, historical trivia, and the occasionally riff on her unhappiness with George W. Bush's leadership (Her comparisons of Bush and McKinley, while not new, are telling as to where she stands on that subject). Lincoln gets the lion's share of the coverage, as is to be expected, where the obvious sites like Ford's Theater and the off the beaten path scenes like Dr. Mudd's house get equal treatment. Vowell is not a historian, but she does show an aptitude for clearly explaining these events, while keeping her tongue firmly planted in her cheek. Garfield and McKinley are covered but Vowell's focus tends to drift a bit more in these sections and the book loses steam. Maybe it's too much of the same thing. Using Robert Lincoln as the connecting point for her journeys, as he was present or near each of these assassinations, is a clever way to keep these events linked, but it also allows an escape for Vowell ; she doesn't have to treat Kennedy's assassination with the same lighthearted approach she uses on the rest. I found that to be a bit of a cop out , but other than that this is a quick and often very funny view of how these events are perceived today.

This is an excellent book. I started reading it and I could not put it down. Sarah Vowell is a gifted writer that makes history and current events interesting. I am now reading some of her other books and they are also superb. Keep up the good work Ms. Vowell!

Generally, the words "quirky" and "witty" are the kiss of death when applied to books, but Sarah Vowell's has written a book that is both-- and it's a great read. It may be difficult to understand how someone could write a book about the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley that is respectful of the history (and, generally, of the men) but is laugh-out-loud funny in many places, but Vowell pulls it off.

The book is a combination of travelogue, memoir, and history that came out of her travels to numerous sites that are associated with the first three presidential assassinations. On the face of it, that sounds like a bad idea for a book, but what might be deadly dull is not, mostly because of Vowell's witty style. In addition, the book is thoughtful and even moving.

A bonus is the vast store of presidential assassination trivia that Vowell packs in. My favorite: Robert Todd Lincoln was present in the Peterson House when his father died. No surprise there; however, he witnessed the fatal wounding of Garfield in a Washington, DC, train station, and he walked into the building at the Pan American Exhibition where McKinley was shot just minutes after the event. Weird enough, but when he was a student at Harvard, he fell off of a train station platform in Boston and was rescued by a notable actor who happened to be on the scene: Edwin Booth, brother of John Wilkes Booth.

This is a wonderful book that richly rewards the effort of reading it.

Most books detailing historical events are heavy on facts and figures and light on side commentary. Sarah Vowell's approach to her book "Assassination Vacation" is a bit different. Her tale is as much about her and her twisted, sarcastic sense of humor as it is about Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley and their killers.

I have wondered lately why it is that a few people I know have suggested this book repeatedly. I regret now that I did not listen to them earlier. I am familiar with her from NPR and "This American Life". The author's voice is distinctive and I have caught snippets of her here and there flipping channels. After reading the book I now understand that the reason I was pointed to "Assassination Vacation" is that my sarcastic sense of humor and ability to link esoteric bits of trivia together into a string of seemingly random connections have met their better in the figure of Sarah Vowell.

Worse yet, after reading about hard to find plaques and assorted adventures on the road researching the sites and historical figures behind these political assassinations, I have a deeper desire to read a bit more. I actually want to find out a bit more about Emma Goldman and the anarchist movement in America. Somewhere, someone has written a bit more about the utopian Oneida community. Also, it seems that Vowell has some more books I have not read yet as well. I think "Radio On" will be next on my list.

There are several reasons why I dig Sarah Vowell and this book, Assassination Vacation. For one, Vowell is an unapologetic history geek. She is willing to go the extra mile to see the place where an assassin experimented with hippie style free love in the 1800's. She's willing, no enchanted, with the idea of visiting some obscure site where Robert Todd Lincoln once fell on the railroad tracks. She goes the extra mile so we don't have to, see?

But for me, that's just it. I do want to go that extra mile. I am also a history geek, and Vowell's book brings out the Nerd Nerdy McNerdington in me, wanting to visit all of these out of the way, unheard of trivial places just like she does.

Secondly, she does a really good job of telling a story, as I believe all good teachers must do, and she does it in a witty, eloquent, sometimes verbose, definitely tangential way that I find endearing. Most history students in the world would rather do anything else than read about some 1800's dead people, but Vowell has the talent to make those stories come to life.

Finally, there's the history she reveals, most of which the average Joe would never have known. I won't include the spoilers here, but I have taught for 15 years, have a college degree in history, and was unaware of many of the details of Presidential and assassination history to be found in her book.

Toss in a somewhat macabre sense of humor and a striking resemblance to Wednesday Addams of Addams Family fame, and you have the makings of an entertaining weekend.

Sarah Vowell's previous books included a year in her life listening to radio (Radio On) and two collections of essays (Take the Cannoli and The Partly Cloudy Patriot), both of which included a lot of her work for This American Life. In a sense Assassination Vacation is a different direction for Sarah, but it includes much of what has made her previous efforts so enjoyable. Assassination Vacation is a full-length, non-fiction work of the historical tourist genre. Sarah Vowell is a history buff and in Assassination Vacation she takes us through the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley as a tourist might experience them. Except that Sarah sounds like the true power tourist; she has done her research, so she knows where she is going and what she is looking for. Perhaps I am an easy sell as I have always enjoyed history myself, but I think Sarah could make history palatable for most anyone. She makes you laugh while giving you lots of information, and she uses her tourist approach to connect the past with the present. Sarah also shares of her life, and her opinions (of which there are plenty to go around) in a way you will never get from a traditional approach to history. I look forward to reading more of Sarah Vowell.

Sarah Vowell recreates American historical landmarks into something the country has rarely seen them as, funny. Even if you don't agree with her occasional partisan remarks, anyone could get a laugh out of her sarcastic sense of humor. Those who have heard her speak on NPR's "This American Life" know that her actual voice cannot escape her literary voice while reading this book because a dry and witty humor lies in both. Vowell takes us on a journey through some of America's strangest and most important sights we'll ever know about. From the community sex cult to Ford's theater, Vowell makes the action come alive. Her satirical, in-depth look at how entertainment, over factual history, makes these landmarks landmarks, make even her own vacation seem ironic. But you'll surely want to join her after a few pages.

Who would have thought there could be a connection between Liza Minelli's wedding reception, Herman Melville, Oneida dinnerware and President Garfields assassination? Or that Lincoln's eldest son, Robert Todd Lincoln had such an ominous presence at three assassinations? With writer Sarah Vowell, we are taken back and forth in time, gaining insight into the often overlooked or disregarded details of the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield and McKinlay. Vowell leads us through for instance the Museum of Funeral Customs, The Mutter Museum in Philadelphia and various National Park Service locations to visit the statues and odd exhibits memorializing the events and people involved. This is not a scholarly, dry text of dates and events but rather a journey of discovery that invites connection to present-day America. It is also at times entertaining as Miss Vowell has a finely developed dry wit. I found myself laughing out loud a few times. This was a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend it, notwithstanding the comment she made on Page 144 of the hardback edition. :)

The assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, and William McKinley provide the author a chance to take a vacation and share her philosophy with readers. She certainly has an off-beat sense of humor, a quality of the book that might be off-putting to those who think that the murders of United States Presidents should be treated in a more serious way. It is interesting that she did not give her flippant treatment to John F. Kennedy, whose death is recent enough that there are still people alive who might take offense. The other poor fellows have been dead a long time. If you are looking for some light reading about a heavy subject, this is an option. If you really want to know the facts surrounding the events, go elsewhere.

Vowell is a great writer- that's absolutely the case. What we get here is a great history of presidents and assassins, written by someone who is an admitted history geek, but not some ancient, boring history professor with no personality.

Vowell's got personality in spades. Quick to make a joke or admit her unabashed nerdiness, she's a charmer. Unfortunately, Vowell's nerdiness can sometimes give way to a judgement that seems to hold no changes in sway. Inspirational speeches about people like Grant give way to ugly jabs at Jefferson Davis- painting him and everyone who fought in the confederacy a horrible, racist joke. Nevermind the thousands of details and plethora of reasons the Civil War was fought outside of slavery. Those on her side are treated unquestionably as saints- those against her are unthinking sinners.

Perhaps this is what made the book so enjoyable for me- despite the fact that I sometimes disagreed with Ms. Vowell, I found that I liked the writing so much that I couldn't put it down. Good on her for that. Overall, a nice, light history book about some very interesting times.

It is very clear that Sarah has been greatly inspired by the Stephen Sondheim musical Assassins. When you read the book you will learn the how, when, where, and why of this inspiration. Which I think is unimportant to the story. She should have stuck closer to the concept of relics and how people draw on them to get closer to historic greatness. After all, as she writes, this is a tour of relics.

It is clear that she is a liberal democrat, nuff said. Unfortunately, she can't say enough and continually peppers the book with comments that make it unnecessarily clear to the reader. While my views mirror hers, the novel would become more timeless if she left them out.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read with some humor along an educational journey. Any reader that has an interest in true history, but not to the depth of The Metaphysical Club, or Master of the Senate, will enjoy this book.

The final chapter (19 pages) is a non sequitur in my opinion. It has nothing to do with dead presidents, assassins or anything the reader would miss if it were never to exist.

I think Sarah Vowell is an up and coming author. Her style right now is light, but captivating. Keep an eye on her works, eventually she will hit her stride and pen a classic.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I was chatting with someone about history rather than studying it in a book. Sarah Vowell has a way of telling a story that is conversational and very enjoyable. She mixes personal anecdotes with american history and while I'm laughing about her nephew or something I sit back and think "I know a lot about New York politics in the late 1800s". I love learning new stuff or seeing old stuff in a new way. This book delivers that effortlessly. This book is probably not for the conservatives, though. Vowell tosses in enough liberal perspective that I was nodding in agreement several times. That alone tells me that my uber-conservative chums will not appreciate me recommending this book to them. But someone who likes history more than politics will like this book regardless of their personal views. Vowell makes all three presidents real people and describes the events around their assassanations vividly. She does the same for the assassins and the many other personalities that surround the events, like Robert Todd Lincoln. If I became president back then the first thing I would have done would be to send R.T. Linclon to the other side of the planet.

This book takes a very close look at the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. Everyone knows about the Lincoln assassination and Vowell gives it a human perspective, giving time to how it affected the nation. No one knows anything about the Garfield assassination so Vowell describes it in a way that made me want to know much more. That section of the book made me want to read more about him and appreciate him much more. Thanks a lot. She gives the same treatment to McKinley's assassination and talks about how his presidency and the events around it match what is going on today with our president. This is where the conservatives might get squidgy but, if they dig history and move on, this shouldn't trouble them too much.

This was a very enjoyable book and I am now a big fan of Sarah Vowell. If she needs a driver for any Colorado or Virginia stuff, I'm free.