No idea why this hipster reads Dr. Seuss in a room full of flowers, but thought it was funny.
As part of my job, I'm able to travel quite easily and I like to take advantage of that. However, spending long hours every weekend on a plane presents my with a lot of down time and very few opportunities for photography. What I've come to discover is that there's no single better way to kill time on a long plane ride than with a good book or sleeping. There's also no single better way to put yourself to sleep than with a book.
Thus, I thought I'd share my reviews and recommendations of books I've read while I travel. As a rather avid reader with often strange taste in book selection I've read everything from fictional accounts of the First World War to nonfictional accounts of surfers in '60s. Some books work better on plane rides than others for three important reasons: (1) Content, (2) Ease of reading, and (3) size of book.
Firstly, the most important factor in determining a good travel book is the actual content— the plot, character development, and use of language. Obviously, a poorly-written book lacking a plot and devoid of character development will not suffice to keep me entertained on the plane. Such a book might put me to sleep, but if I'm trying to pass time I want a book that is highly engaging.
Secondly, critical to travel book selection is the ease with which I can jump into the book, or the book's "ease-of-reading". What I'm trying to qualify is how easy I can pick up the book, read a few pages, put it away, and then an hour or so later, start reading again. When I travel my reading frequently has interruptions, ranging from: the fact that I start reading by the gate and then later have to board the plane to flight attendants handing out drinks and stale pretzels, and even, to the convicted felon who wants to tell you his life story to see if you think that it's worthy of a movie on a 7 am flight from Maine. Thus, books with lots of characters (Lord of the Rings) or books that have characters with confusing names (Lord of the Rings) or books that have a complicated plot often interrupted by tangents (Lord of the Rings) don't necessary make them great for travel. Good luck trying to figure out if it's Saruman or Sauron who's stealing everybody's rings when Solomon explains that he used to have a lot of bling (before he got arrested).
Finally, size matters. I absolutely refuse to use a kindle or any sort of tablet, partially because reading on a screen can be tricky and also because there's something special about the feeling of paper. Therefore, books that are thousands of pages long or strangely shaped don't work well. This means that Ansel Adams' autobiography, however interesting and easy it may be to read (I mean there are pictures after all), doesn't fly.
Based on these three criteria, I intend to rate (with no intention of objectivity whatsoever) the books I read on planes. I intend for this list to be ongoing, adding books and reviews as I read them.
Non-fiction
The Guns of August, by Barbara Tuchman - 3.5/5
Content: 3.5/5
Ease of Reading: 2.5/5
Size: 5/5
Tuchman's seminal novel about the opening stages of the First World War kept me quite entertained for a number of flights. The Guns of August's selling point is the level of detail it provides about the few months leading up to and after the opening of WWI. Bouncing between personal accounts and higher level troops movements, Tuchman excels at weaving together complex familial relationships, massive battles, and international politics. Unfortunately, due to all of the names, strange inter-familial mingling between monarchs and ever-changing cast of minor politicians, picking up The Guns of August can be a little daunting— it's best read straight though. Fortunately, Tuchman produced quite a page turner, so for anyone who can't sleep on that 17-hour flight to Singapore, perhaps The Guns of August would be just the book to take with you. However, for the purposes of a travel book, I'd recommend it due to its small size and superior story-telling, with the caveat that close attention to names and places is required.
The First World War, by John Keegan - 2.5/5
Content: 3/5
Ease of Reading: 1.5/5
Size: 3/5
For anyone looking for a high-level, relatively unbiased, overview of the First World War, I couldn't say enough good things about Keegan's book. Covering the entire course of the war with an introduction tying WWI to WWII, Keegan produced arguably my favorite version of The Great War. The First World War remains my favorite "all-in-one" history of the war for three reasons. One, Keegan does a great job of portraying the climate and decision making of all the leaders involved in WWI, without the typical English bias. Two, Keegan provides fantastic maps. Considering his work covers multiple continents and a span of nearly twenty years, Keegan's maps are paramount to understanding the novel. Three, Keegan goes to great lengths to allow the reader to track the various armies and their movements throughout the length of the war. Unfortunately, as Keegan's novel maintains a relatively high-level approach to WWI, it can be incredibly easy to lose track of all the names and roles of the major players in the book. Likewise, the book is by no means small— it weighs nearly a pound. Thus, it's not the easiest to travel with. However, for anyone looking to get a better understanding of The Great War, it would be my first recommendation. For all the travelers out there, read The First World War before your trip and take All Quiet on the Western Front with you instead.
The Black Swan, by Nassim N. Taleb - 4/5
Content: 4/5
Ease of reading: 4/5
Size: 3/5
Not to be confused with the movie starring Natalie Portman (as I initially suspected), The Black Swan comprises the fascinating world view of Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Beginning with his childhood in Lebanon, Nassim describes how his theory of life, that the most improbable events are the only events have any real impact, led him to financial success on Wall Street and later during the 2008 recession. Nassim goes through a number of rhetorical examples (this book is by no means a scientific study) in which he seeks to disavow readers from their "platonified" world and introduce them to the way the world really works. I found The Black Swan to be both incredibly easy to read (Taleb is a fantastic storyteller) while at the same time quite informative: each chapter provides a different level of granularity of his grand theory. As each chapter is relatively self-contained, and because Taleb, discussing the relatively dry topic of economic cycles, probability, and statistics (although he'd probably hate that I boiled his novel down to those three), does a marvelous job of making The Black Swan incredibly interesting, The Black Swan is very easy to read. The only draw back to the book is that it's average in size, so it doesn't win any awards in that category.
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, by Mary Beard - 3/5
Content: 4/5
Ease of reading: 2.5/5
Size: 3/5
Mary Beard's writing style could make even the most complex and arcane history interesting. Writing from the beginning of the Roman Republic through 212 AD, during the reign of Caracalla. What I enjoyed the most about Beard's history of Rome was that she openly poked holes in her own history, explaining the sources of her information, what the majority of historians think, and highlighting how no single history will ever amount to the truth. In this way she not only spins an enthralling story of ancient Rome, but also provides an ongoing self-reflexive commentary of her own profession. Similarly, I don't think I've ever read a historical non-fiction novel that tells such a gripping story as Beard does in SPQR. Working with a cast of characters up in the hundreds, Beard succeeds in keeping the reader entertained throughout the complex history of ancient Rome. However, for a travel book, it's about average. The size is pretty average (maybe a bit heavy), the content of the book is great, but due to the complicated way in which the Romans named themselves and given the fact that the book takes places over a span of nearly 1000 years, it's quite easy to get confused as to who is who. It doesn't help that Beard often jumps between centuries. Thus, it can be slightly challenging to follow when read intermittently during travel.
The Apache Wars, by Paul Andrew Hutton - 2/5
Content: 2/5
Ease of Reading: 2.5/5
Size: 2.5/5
With characters from Geronimo to the Apache Kid to Micky Free and the Earp Brothers, Hutton tackles an impressive span of American history, seeking to capture the full picture of the 19th Century Apache Wars. From the earliest settlers coming into conflict with the Apaches through their relocation to reservations across the United States, Hutton does a great job at painting a broad picture of the history of the Apache tribes and the settlers who eventually conquered their land. However, despite so many fascinating characters, fantastic stories, and gripping battles, Hutton fails to make any of them interesting. Jumping through time in a nonsensical manner and brushing past the details that make these stories so great, Hutton can't quite develop an engaging novel. Similarly, in focusing on such a broad topic (the book covers nearly 100 years) it's quite hard to follow many of the characters' story lines, if you can remember the characters at all. My biggest issue with this book is that it lacks flow through the story, making it feel disjointed. In particular, in the first two-thirds of the novel there were a number of times I almost stopped reading entirely; it was just boring. By the end of the book Hutton, to his credit, did manage to pear down his cast of characters (mainly because most had died) and this allowed the story to flow better and narrow in on the details. All in all, this book is hard to travel with, but not a terrible book. For a better book about the West and the Indian tribes, I'd recommend Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne instead. It focuses on the Comanches, rather than the Apaches, but it's a far superior novel.
John James Audubon, by Richard Rhodes - 4/5
Content: 4.5/5
Ease of Reading: 4.5/5
Size: 3.5/5
You really couldn’t ask for a more quintessentially American story than that written by Richard Rhodes of John James Audubon. The bastard son of a middle-class French merchant, forced to flee France to escape fighting for Napoleon, comes to America to document the fauna and explore the frontier. Along the way, he befriends Indians, goes bankrupt, and eventually has patrons ranging from princes and kings to the President of the United States. Although the first 40 or so pages of the novel are rather boring, the biography of Mr. Audubon becomes something of a page turner by the end. Partially because the manner of speaking takes a bit of getting used to, I almost gave up on reading the book; too much “thee” and “thou” for my taste. Overall, Rhodes excels in crafting a story rich in descriptions of both America’s frontier as well as ornithology. Perhaps more important, Rhodes spins a touching tale of family and the hardships faced by relatively normal 19th Century Americans. Despite the many characters and the somewhat niche subject matter— painting and studying the Birds of America— Rhodes did a terrific job in being detailed enough to satiate a more informed reader but also easily understood by someone with little knowledge of art or birds. As much as I enjoyed this book, there are two drawbacks which hinder its feasibility as a travel novel. First, John James Audubon is by no means a small book. It comes in at around 400 pages and thus takes up a decent amount a precious space. Second, Rhodes’ descriptions of the frontier and the life lived by Audubon are so entertaining that you’ll find yourself wanting to dawn a fur cap and wield a muzzle-loader, which will not go over well with airport security.
Fiction
All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Remarque - 5/5
Content: 5/5
Ease of reading: 5/5
Size: 5/5
Arguably the best novel to come from WWI, if you've never read All Quiet on the Western Front before, doing so while traveling is highly recommended. Firstly, Remarque's story, although at times incredibly gruesome, is always gripping and hard to put down. You won't appreciate the flight attendant telling you that "we're beginning our descent into Sioux Falls..." Secondly, because All Quiet on the Western Front follows the story of Paul Baeumer and his fellow classmates during their time in the trenches and builds a tremendous story around this small group, the book is incredibly easy to follow. Finally, it's the smallest book with which I've ever traveled. In short, it's a must-read for all and highly recommended for any travelers.
For Whom The Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway - 4.5/5
Content: 5/5
Ease of reading: 4.5/5
Size: 4/5
Spanning just the course of a few days, Hemingway describes a torrid love affair within the backdrop of the guerilla warfare in the Spanish Civil War. Covering topics from love to loss, from the optimism of revolution to the horrors of war, Hemingway wrote one of the most emotionally touching novels I've ever read. Written in his characteristic writing style, For Whom The Bell Tolls, develops at an ever increasing pace, with Hemingway creatively encouraging the reader to read faster and faster as the novel comes to a climax. I've never read a novel that achieved such a diverse range of feelings: sorrow, lust, suspense and disgust. Yet, for me the biggest takeaway from For Whom The Bell Tolls was the way in which Hemingway successful described humanity at a particular time and place. He achieved a masterpiece in his ability to portray people as they are and as they become when faced with extreme circumstances and emotions. Thus, For Whom The Bell Tolls, scores 5/5 for content. Once you get used to Hemingway's way of writing, the book is quite easy to pick up for a few hours on a flight. Finally, the book isn't too big, which is a bonus. For Whom The Bell Tolls is a wonderful choice for anyone looking to keep entertained while on the road.
Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad - 2.5/5
Content: 2.5/5
Ease of reading: 2/5
Size: 5/5
Allow me to preface this extremely unbiased review with the assertion that I really wanted to like this book. As a big fan of Apocalypse Now, I eagerly began reading Joseph Conrad’s “masterpiece,” hoping that— as the saying goes— “the book is always better than the movie!” This rule of thumb could not be further from the truth. In terms of actual content of the book, I knew I couldn’t expect much from the plot; a guy is going to take a boat upstream to meet a rogue agent with some action along the way. I had hoped, however, that the story would maintain my interest in the description of the river, or the jungle, or the people, or anything really. Instead, what you end up with is a psychological drama that really doesn’t delve into the psychology of any of the characters. Thus, the book gets a mediocre rating in terms of content: the story was extremely straightforward but it at least had some sort of a conclusion. Much like the unorganized mess of a jungle floor— ferns spilling over roots, themselves tangled with dead tree branches riddled with termites— Joseph Conrad’s style of writing is so circuitous and meandering that it is very difficult to follow. Paying no heed to the random— and in terms of the diegesis, completely unnecessary— interludes in London, Conrad’s story dwells on the moments I wanted to skip over and skips over the moments that warranted more attention. For me, the biggest pitfall in Heart of Darkness was the lack of attention paid to the conditions of the native Congo peoples. Conrad, seeking to highlight the cruelty of the Belgians against the Congo, did a terrible job of clarifying to the reader just how terrible was the ivory trade. I will give Conrad two points of commendation, however. Firstly, he kept his book short. Secondly, although Conrad doesn’t do a great job describing the horrendous conditions of the Belgian Congo, he does create a tremendous sense of mental slavery for anyone set on reading the novel to completion. The reader must tire and endure the pain of having to read his novel to be free from ever having to read Heart of Darkness again.