Holidays in Heck: A Former War Correspondent Experiences Frightening Vacation Fun

Holidays in Heck: A Former War Correspondent Experiences Frightening Vacation Fun

by P.J.O'Rourke (Author)

Synopsis

The long-awaited follow up to the classic Holidays in Hell , P.J. O'Rourke's Holidays in Heck is the middle-aged version of his classic travel pieces, featuring journeys to China, Venice, the UK and beyond. Holidays in Heck takes the reader on a globe-trotting journey to far-reaching places including China, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and the Galapagos Islands. The collection begins after the Iraq War, when P.J. retired from being a war correspondent because he was too old to keep being scared stiff and too stiff to keep sleeping on the ground . Instead he embarked on supposedly more comfortable and allegedly less dangerous travels-often with family in tow - which mostly left him wishing he were under artillery fire again. The result is a hilarious and oftentimes moving portrait of life in the fast lane - only this time as a husband and father of three. Adventures of this title include: the first stag hunt in Britain after hunting had been banned. If the British had been half as caring about Indians and American colonists as they are about animals, they'd still rule the world. There is a month-long tour of mainland China's economic hubs where P.J. learned that the entire Chinese concept of political freedom and individual liberty can be summed up in the words, 'New Buick'. This title includes a harrowing horseback ride across the mountains of Kyrgyzstan - no towns, no roads, and no people. If something happened to my horse it would be shot. For me, the medical treatment wouldn't be that sophisticated . This title is suitable for fans of Bill Bryson, Tony Hawks, Michael Palin and Dave Gorman.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 340
Publisher: Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press
Published: 01 Nov 2011

ISBN 10: 1611855969
ISBN 13: 9781611855968

Media Reviews
In this cheeky follow-up to Holidays in Hell, former war correspondent O'Rourke trades battle zones for more appealing travel destinations, often with his family in tow. . . . The exotic . . . rub shoulders with the more mundane . . . and all of them share O'Rourke's razor wit. . . . O'Rourke loses none of his sly humor, finding many opportunities to lampoon American politics under his new guise as a traveling family man. -- Publishers Weekly O'Rourke offers the fresh perspective of a neophyte civilian and family traveler along with his own acerbic wit about politics, recreation, economics, and family life. . . . The essays are as humorous and charmingly meandering as his travels. -- Booklist [O'Rourke] provides colorful, earthy descriptive passages regarding stag hunts in Britain, extreme horseback riding in the wild of Kyrgyzstan, a poignant look at his bout with cancer, and a brief jaunt to Kabul, Afghanistan. Red meat for his fans. -- Kirkus Reviews En
Author Bio
P.J. O'Rourke is the author of 13 books, including Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance, both of which were No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. His most recent book is Don't Vote!