Reginald Spittle's Blog: See my book blog, page 17
August 8, 2022
David McCullough: An Author and Historian Like No Other
Did you know that if not for the fog, George Washington and his troops may have been captured by the British in 1776? Where would that have put the future of 13 colonies? That is one of many anecdotes uncovered by David McCullough, one of America’s greatest historians and authors, in my favorite McCullough book, … Continue reading David McCullough: An Author and Historian Like No Other →
July 15, 2022
Carl Bernstein: An Improbable Beginning
You are a newsroom manager at the Washington Post, interviewing a man barely in his 20s who yearns to write news stories for your paper. The nervous youth fidgets as you review his background. College dropout, not just once, but several times. Started in the business as a paper boy when he was 12. Copy … Continue reading Carl Bernstein: An Improbable Beginning →
July 8, 2022
Too Old to Trek?
Sue and I take a break at the Muir Hut on the John Muir Trail in August 2021, one of six distance treks we have enjoyed, all during my 60s. For us, age has not been a major factor, except that we now have the time to do lengthier trips. Check out what these guys … Continue reading Too Old to Trek? →
June 16, 2022
My Book Was Plagiarized
At first, I thought the message was a fake. A reader of my first book wrote that she had discovered another version of Camino Sunrise: Walking With My Shadows on Amazon. “I started reading and realized I had already read it…with new and peculiar grammar,” her note said. I found the book on Amazon, with … Continue reading My Book Was Plagiarized →
June 15, 2022
Acadia: A Climb to the Top
On our first nice day in Maine’s Acadia National Park, Sue and I laced up our trail runners and headed up the South Ridge Trail to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the north Atlantic coast. All Trails rates the climb to 1,527 feet ”hard,” but it was a moderate uphill except … Continue reading Acadia: A Climb to the Top →
June 12, 2022
A Couple’s Secret for Living to 100
Whether we walk five or 20 kilometers and carry a backpack or just water, Sue and I walk nearly every day, quarrel or not. We may not live to be 100, but each day Is better when we find a trail. I found this gem on Facebook.
June 9, 2022
PCT Trekker Brings Home the People
I’ll admit that I am addicted to distance-trekking books, not because I have written a couple of them, but because good ones make me feel like I am back on the trail. Rick Rogers’ Walking Home brought the Pacific Crest Trail to life like no other account I have read. It is more about the … Continue reading PCT Trekker Brings Home the People →
June 1, 2022
The White Mountains: Nightmare or Dream?
New Hampshire’s White Mountains draw complaints from many Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, but attract legions of walkers seeking to enjoy the sights and challenges of day hikes. Known for its rugged, steep terrain, the area has been our home for six days as we climbed and descended five trails, leaving many more for next time. The … Continue reading The White Mountains: Nightmare or Dream? →
May 22, 2022
Adirondacks Climb to Formidable Peaks
The Ausable River, which drains more than 500 square miles of New York’s Adirondack Mountains, squeezes through a flume below hiking paths that form a mountainside web. We went for the view and climbed to Flume Knob, about 1,300 feet above the river. After some serious rock scrambling, Sue celebrated as black flies joined us … Continue reading Adirondacks Climb to Formidable Peaks →
May 13, 2022
13 Reasons Why: A Search for Answers
After a loved one takes their own life, family and friends are often left wondering. What did I miss? Could I have prevented it? They try to answer the big question: Why? Guilt and confusion sometimes accompany grief and even anger. Before 17-year-old Hannah Baker commits suicide, she narrates 13 cassette-tape recordings on seven double-sided … Continue reading 13 Reasons Why: A Search for Answers →
