– Henry Miller
Thank goodness for recorded books. Perhaps, one day, time will allow me to curl up in a cozy chair and enjoy the scent and feel of real paper as I turn pages. For now, I read while cooking, housekeeping and have learned to hear stories while driving. True, I’m multi-tasking, as usual. But how wonderful that so many characters can be met, situations encountered and information gained. This letter shares two non-fiction books I really enjoyed and hope you’ll try.
The search for the Golden Fleece
Pirate Hunters
by Robert Kurson
“It isn’t just a good story – it’s a true one.” – Brad Meltzer
Captain Joseph Bannister captained the large, merchant ship Golden Fleece between London and Jamaica. The ship carried 30 to 40 guns and over a hundred crew when Bannister stole Golden Fleece during the Golden Age of piracy. Until Bannister, no pirate had succeeded against a British warship. Bannister defeated the two that had cornered him then escaped.
To find Golden Fleece, shipwreck hunters John Chatterton and John Martera had to think like the daring and wily Bannister. While historic records claim the buccaneer was captured and hanged on Central America’s Mosquito Coast, author Kurson makes the case that such an end for a man as strategic as Bannister is as unlikely as Santa Claus.
A fascinating, fun read.
A Crack in the Edge of the World
by Simon Winchester
– Publisher’s Weekly
Using the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as a starting point [and lens], A Crack in The Edge of the World explores one of my favorite topics, which you may be surprised to learn is: Plate Tectonics!
Imagine my shock and amazement when learning that – once upon a time – Earth only had one continent, Pangaea. In time, it broke apart and, ever since, pieces have been floating around the oceans something like rafts. Sometimes continents split, which open new gorges and seas. Sometimes they crash, pushing up mountains like the Rockies [which were once beneath an ocean] and the Himalayas [once as flat as Kansas].
A Crack in The Edge of the World makes plate tectonics both delightful and enlightening.
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