BOOK REVIEWS
IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE Michael V . Konshak 2020 ISBN 979-8-5654588-3-1
Deacon Telerover returns with his best mate Nick Kilmer for the follow up to their first adventure , Vietnam Reunion . In much the of same , Iraq And A Hard Place offers a motorcycle adventure of sorts as man and dog befriend the minorities and defeat the cliched bad guys .
Iraq And A Hard Place flicks between the protagonists as it sets the scene for what is to come when the characters come together . The descriptive first half tries hard to place the reader within a life and culture far removed from that of the United States and in doing so presumes that some cultures , some religions are lesser to others . It ’ s an opportunity lost .
The story ’ s second act sees Nick and Deacon meet with former close ties as well as Bobby , a veteran of the Afghan conflict , and this is where Iraq And A Hard Place increases the pace however , the detail diminishes and it becomes a regular good guy , bad guy story highlighting that the minorities are the bad guys and the others , well , they ’ re not . It ’ s a shame as this is a story worthy of much more and with double the pages could quite easily have been a detailed work of fiction .
Read with an open mind , putting aside the jingoistic Americanisms , Iraq And A Hard Place is an easy read that surprisingly does give a few details of rides within the United States .
The Wonder Trail Steve Hely 2016 ISBN 978-1-8639584-2-4
A writer on television shows like American Dad and The Office there ’ d be no surprise that Steve Hely ’ s The Wonder Trail would have a level of humour . It scrambles for a laugh , occasionally finding a chuckle .
Hely takes us from Los Angeles to Tierra del Fuego in a halfwitted attempt to complete the route without planning , the best form of adventure , right ? Hely ’ s no adventurer , he ’ s the first to admit it . He ’ s a tourist who is still willing to give everything a try , alcohol , drugs , and extreme acts of ludicrousness .
The Wonder Trail is written with a style that tries to be humorous yet , Hely is at his best when deep descriptive passages explore the landscapes and cultures , Hely in this regard is a competent travel writer , taking the reader along for a ride that will encourage anyone to visit Central and South America .
Hely isn ’ t a motorcyclist , however The Wonder Trail does include a scooter ride and an explanation of how the author got his license only to decide that riding a bike is too dangerous , let ’ s go snort coke or drink copious amounts of alcohol while sailing around the Darian Gap . There ’ s the ludicrousness again .
While The Wonder Trail explores the authors own adventures , encounters , and experiences it is also pockmarked with descriptions and passages of those who have been there before him . Hely offers his own views on the history of the America ’ s whilst examining the works of others . It ’ s an interesting approach and although could be considered lazy it works making The Wonder Trail worthy of a read .
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