Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Here is Where Book Review




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About the Book

Here Is Where chronicles Andrew Carroll’s eye-opening – and at times hilarious -- journey across America to find and explore unmarked historic sites where extraordinary moments occurred and remarkable individuals once lived. Sparking the idea for this book was Carroll’s visit to the spot where Abraham Lincoln’s son was saved by the brother of Lincoln’s assassin. Carroll wondered, How many other unmarked places are there where intriguing events have unfolded and that we walk past every day, not realizing their significance? To answer that question, Carroll ultimately trekked to every region of the country -- by car, train, plane, helicopter, bus, bike, and kayak and on foot. Among the things he learned:

*Where in North America the oldest sample of human DNA was discovered

* Where America’s deadliest maritime disaster took place, a calamity worse than the fate of the Titanic

*Which virtually unknown American scientist saved hundreds of millions of lives

*Which famous Prohibition agent was the brother of a notorious gangster

*How a 14-year-old farm boy’s brainstorm led to the creation of television

Featured prominently in Here Is Where are an abundance of firsts (from the first use of modern anesthesia to the first cremation to the first murder conviction based on forensic evidence); outrages (from riots to massacres to forced sterilizations); and breakthroughs (from the invention, inside a prison, of a revolutionary weapon; to the recovery, deep in the Alaskan tundra, of a super-virus; to the building of the rocket that made possible space travel). Here Is Where is thoroughly entertaining, but it’s also a profound reminder that the places we pass by often harbor amazing secrets and that there are countless other astonishing stories still out there, waiting to be found. (Goodreads)



My Review

I am a history lover. I saw this book and got excited. Most of the people I know on the other hand wouldn't take a second glance at this book. If you really enjoy history you will enjoy this book. It is a lot longer than I thought it would be and it's told in two parts. The author writes about what is going on while searching historical sites, then he continues on with what happened in the past. I liked this idea because it tells the reader what the current location is like and puts a better spin on reality.
The book is divided up and each story has it's own chapter. I enjoyed all of the stories 
Here is a quote that was in one of the stories that rings true, "There are some aspects of our history, I think, we'd just rather ignore." 
I enjoyed this unique peek into little known events and people that didn't make it into the history books. 


If you like historical facts, pick up this book.


"I received this book from Blogging for Books for free in exchange for an honest review."







2 comments:

Kelly Blackwell @ Heres My Take On It said...

Great review! My son eats history. I am definitely going to look this one up. Thanks!

Michelle said...

Hi Kelly, Thanks for commenting! I really enjoyed this one. : ) Thanks for the follow as well!