Assassination Vacation

By: Sarah Vowell

Narrated by: Conan O'Brien, Stephen King, Dave Eggers, Jon Stewart

Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Sarah Vowell exposes the glorious conundrums of American history and culture with wit, probity, and an irreverent sense of humor. With Assassination Vacation, she takes us on a road trip like no other, a journey to the pit stops of American political murder and through the myriad ways they have been used for fun and profit, for political and cultural advantage.

From Buffalo to Alaska, Washington to the Dry Tortugas, Vowell visits locations immortalized and influenced by the spilling of politically important blood, reporting as she goes with her trademark blend of wisecracking humor, remarkable honesty, and thought-provoking criticism. We learn about the jinx that was Robert Todd Lincoln (present at the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley) and witness the politicking that went into the making of the Lincoln Memorial. The resulting narrative is much more than an entertaining and informative travelogue, it is the disturbing and fascinating story of how American death has been manipulated by popular culture, including literature, architecture, sculpture, and, the author's favorite, historical tourism.

Though the themes of loss and violence are explored and we make detours to see how the Republican Party became the Republican Party, there are lighter diversions into the lives of the three presidents and their assassins, including mummies, show tunes, mean-spirited totem poles, and a 19th-century biblical sex cult.

In Order of Appearance:
Conan O'Brien...Robert Todd Lincoln
Eric Bogosian...John Wilkes Booth
Stephen King...President Abraham Lincoln
Dave Eggers...Mike Ryan
Catherine Keener...Gretchen Worden
Jon Stewart...President James A. Garfield
Tony Kushner...John Humphrey Noyes
Brad Bird...Charles Guiteau & Emma Goldman
Daniel Handler...President William McKinley
Greg Giraldo...President Theodore Roosevelt
David Rakoff...Leon Czolgosz

©2005 Sarah Vowell (P)2005 Simon & Schuster Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

• 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Multi-Voiced Performance
• 2005 Publishers Weekly Listen Up Award, Humor

"Vowell has a perspective on American history that is definitely funny." (School Library Journal)
"Wacky, weirdly enthralling....This is history at its most morbid and most fascinating and, fortunately, one needn't share Vowell's interest in the macabre to thoroughly enjoy this unusual tour." (Publishers Weekly)
"An engaging tour....Audiobook listeners get serious bang for their buck, including guest appearances by Stephen King (as Lincoln), Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, and Eric Bogosian, among others." (AudioFile)

Don't expect this book......

to be like "The Partly Cloudy" Patriot or "This American Life". Make no mistake, this is a history book. While I admit that a few hours of her voice is grating, her narration does draw you into amazing true stories she lays out for us. REALLY amazing insight and a genuine appreciate for the subject matter. You get the feeling she's been waiting to write this for sometime. I really enjoyed it and plan on reading Manhunt and Team of Rivals soon just to learn a little more. I agree with the previous poster. History for people who don't like history.

History CAN be fun!

I was never a big fan of history... all those names and dates are mind boggling, especially when offered in the typical cold and unpassionate style of most biographical material. Ms. Vowell makes learning about these events fun (and funny) and most importanty - easy to relate to and memorable. Her voice is a bit grating (thus, not the full 5 stars)... but, much like comedian Steven Wright, it may not have worked any other way.

Assassination Fascination

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this to friends. In fact, a friend recommended it to me and several have already read it. I thought it was a compelling read and an interesting perspective.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Since this more of a historical bio rather than a novel I would have to say the author is my favorite character. She is the protagonist in this story and her quirky sense of humor is the star.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first time to listen to Sarah Vowel.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book, though it is about assassinations, made me laugh. Sarah took a serious subject and gave it humor and perspective. Though her humor is drole and often sardonic she is at the same time respectful and reverent.

Any additional comments?

I really liked this book. I find I often do learn best when humor is involved. I learned things I didn't know, remebered some others. I enjoyed being along on her Assassination Vacation.

delightful!

I've returned to this book repeatedly, and this audiobook specifically. this has started my love of historical detail. it is my favorite of all the Vowell audiobooks!

loved it!

I'm just geeky enough to think it would be really fun to drive Sarah Vowell to Grant's tomb or something. I learned a lot about the Presidential assassinations I never knew, and it came complete with the author's quirky voice and sense of humor.

fun and interesting

I enjoyed this trip with Sarah Vowell, and learned a bit about some presidents I had forgotten since high school.

Interesting Information.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yes, her voice sounds like a silly young girl.

Would you recommend Assassination Vacation to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes for the information but I would warn about the performance.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Her voice is whiney.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Will not be listening to any more of her books where she reads. Sorry Sarah.

Sarah Vowell never disappoints

A few hours of driveway moments motivating google searches. Focuses your attention on topics you left on your elementary school folder

Brilliant!

This is superb: funny, scholarly and fascinating. Ms. Vowell?s journey in the footsteps of presidential assassins is one of the best books I?ve downloaded from Audible.

80% Pleasure & 20% Misery

This is a really fun book for the most part, and though Sarah Vowell's unmistakable voice is a distraction for some, I find it mostly bearable. Great tidbits of obscure information here and a commendable obsession with dorky detail which is usually interesting and mostly amusing.

However, I find it a shame that Ms. Vowell couldn't resist stamping her predictable contemporary lefty political positions on past historical events. I happen to share a few of her political observations, but I think she damages the overall appeal of the book by infusing it with modern-day rants against all the predictable targets. I wish she would just stick with the history and the humor that makes her such a talented and interesting writer.