Pacific by Simon Winchester

First Line: United Airlines Flight 154 leaves Honolulu International Airport just after dawn three times a week, bound ultimately for the city of Hagåtña, the capital of the island republic of Guam.

In his inimitable way, Simon Winchester sets out to prove the vast importance of the Pacific Ocean, not only in the past and present, but in our future. For the most part, he succeeds.

The size of the Pacific Ocean is immense and almost beyond our reckoning. It is the source of the world's weather and has survived atomic bombs, transistors, and the abysmal treatment of its native peoples. Winchester takes us on a mesmerizing journey from one end of the Pacific to the other, from east to west and north to south, with lots of stops on tiny islands and archipelagos along the way.

Winchester has been one of my favorite non-fiction writers since his unforgettable The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary. He's opened my eyes to many things and encouraged me to read deeper into many of the subjects he brings to light. However, I have to admit that I am concerned about an error I found while reading this particular book. In it, Winchester talks about traveling up the Mississippi River past the city of Des Moines. I did some research in an attempt to discover if my memory had blown a fuse, but it hadn't. Des Moines is certainly not on the banks of the Mississippi River between Hannibal and St. Louis, Missouri, as stated in his book, and that's what has me concerned. If a simple yet glaring mistake like that can make its way to the final edition of the published book, how many other errors made it through, too? And if there are errors in this book, what about his others?  One city in the wrong place can cause so much harm.

Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers 
by Simon Winchester

eISBN: 9780062315434

HarperCollins © 2015

eBook, 444 pages

Non-Fiction

Rating: B-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

The Men Who United the States by Simon Winchester

First Line: Thomas Jefferson was a man with a lifelong fascination with trees.

In his latest book, Simon Winchester attempts to show us how the United States became "E pluribus unum"-- out of many, one. He does it-- as usual-- with wit, and heart, and style. 

I loved this author's The Professor and the Madman, and I became a true fan with the publication of Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded. I looked forward to seeing what he could do with a subject this massive.

Winchester chose as his framework the five classical elements: wood, earth, water, fire, and metal. Like all the earliest explorers, Lewis and Clark had to confront endless, ancient forests. Wood was a dominant feature of every expedition across the country. Once the basic geography was established, it was time to learn what riches were concealed in the earth, and with that knowledge, the expansion exploded. With the building of canals and the use of natural waterways to the invention and use of engines that relied on heat-- steam, gasoline, aviation fuel-- the time it took to cross the country became shorter and shorter. Finally, metal was the key to the final stage of uniting this country: copper telegraph cables, steel telephone wires, iron radio and television masts, all the way to the underpinnings of the Internet. With that swift communications capability, this large land mass was truly united. The author's chosen framework does its job well.

This book is not comprehensive, but is a fascinating overview, shining Winchester's spotlight on many little known people responsible for making the United States what it is today. It also is not a hymn to American superiority; when we chose the wrong road, Winchester says so. As the author added brush strokes to his canvas, he made me remember childhood cross-country trips and put the many things I'd seen in a much wider (and eye-opening) perspective.

As much as there is to like in this book-- and there is a lot-- I felt that it wasn't quite up to the standards of his other books (like Professor and Krakatoa). I believe there is one reason for this: the aforementioned books have a much narrower focus that can delve deeply into the facts in such a way that lend themselves to a smoothly flowing and fascinating narrative. The focus of this book is so big that it's a bit unwieldy, and from time to time I found my attention straying. Be that as it may, Winchester reminded me of the many wonderful things that have occurred to transform this country. He's also sparked my interest to research several subjects more deeply, and isn't that one of the best things a book can do-- entice us to learn more?

The Men Who United the States: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics, and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible

by Simon Winchester

ISBN: 9780062079602

Harper © 2013

Hardcover, 512 pages

Non-Fiction, History

Rating: A

Source: Amazon Vine