Customer Reviews

The Majic Bus: An American Odyssey

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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I picked up a copy last year and can honestly say it has changed the way I look at this country and our cultural heritage. It's honest, witty, quirky and impossible to put down.

I bought this book and decided to read it before I embarked on a vacation out west. I learned so much more by what I learned and it focused my attention to all the wonderful things I'd love to see and learn more about. A piece of America that is long forgotten to most, this book makes the open roads seem like home to everyone.

This could have been a wonderful book, in fact, parts of it are quite good. But overall, the book gets bogged down by the snotty, I'm-smarter-and-more-hip-than-you'll-ever-be tone of its author. Brinkley intersperses snippets of regional history with reminiscences about the adventures he and his students had while touring through those regions. I bought this book fully expecting to prefer the personal pieces to the history, but found the opposite to be true. Being a Canadian with little more than a very basic level of exposure to U.S. history, I can honestly say I learned a good deal from this book.

But in between those chunks of history, one has to bear Brinkley's endless name dropping (he knows Ken Kesey and knew William S. Burroughs, to name but two) and his oh-so-appropriately chosen tapes to play while rolling through each stop on the tour. (Elvis in Memphis, LL Cool J in LA.)

Brinkley should stick to writing pure history and leave the personal stuff out.

I read this book when it first came out in about 2 days. As a an impressionable college student, I found it extremely inspiring. Brinkley does a good job or combining both history and life lessons. So much can be learned by getting out on the road and experiencing different cultures (even within our own country) rather than just reading about them in a classroom. Brinkley's book inspired me to get out and do my own traveling and exploring. I just read the book for the second time and found it just as captivating.

Kudos to Dr. Brinkley for both his book and his concept of a traveling classroom. (Having been on art history tours in Europe--thank you Andy S.--I know how seeing art, architecture, meeting the people and tasting the food brings the lessons of art and history to life). This book stirs my interest in various parts of the United States. However, ours is a vast country, and more books are needed to cover areas neglected in the first trip.

"Majic Bus" is a thoroughly enjoyable book. In many way, it is a courageous work, because Brinkley speaks his mind on the way "history" and "literature" is "taught" today. Two weeks ago, I went on a 4,400 mile trip across USA. Even though I did not follow the route taken by Brinkley and his gang, and I last read the book 12 months ago, I was thinking about the book. I also enjoyed the preface to the paperback edition. One minor caveat: the choice of typeface was rather unfortunate.

This book will inspire you to plan and take a great American roadtrip of your own. Brinkley treats America's best road house eateries and greatest historic landmarks with equal reverence. What I loved most about this book is that he constantly reminds you that many of the simplest pleasures we take for granted in America are actually unique landmarks of both human and historic interest. A must read for teachers!

Brinkley is an extremely gifted young writer and historian. I recommend all of his books! Try to attend one of his lectures or signings - he's a great speaker too!

In this book, the author takes his students across the country, where they focus on any single aspect of American culture for 30 seconds, max. It is the literary equivilant of name dropping, where the author attempts to shoehorn in the names of as many historic sites, authors and rock stars as possible in between stops for television interviews. In painstaking detail, the author ensures that the reader is constantly aware of the music they play on the bus, and how it is the perfect background for the mood or location. In addition, the reader is "treated" to a laundry list of attractions the group chooses to bypass. Of course, there is the occasional shrine they arrive at too late to tour, like Jefferson's Monticello, and the author is only too happy to tell the reader about their adventure trespassing, instead. Pick up "On the Road" instead.

I was gifted this book by my Late mentor Tony Bralick, and it made me want to see the world. Its about a bunch of college kids who get credit for touring the USA-its like travels with charley only for credit.

Read this book if you are planning to take a road trip any time soon!