An impressive piece of historical detective work and a deeply poignant work of piety and charity toward a man who could easily—and for a long time wasAn impressive piece of historical detective work and a deeply poignant work of piety and charity toward a man who could easily—and for a long time was—just one of the thousands of disappeared and forgotten. Full review at the blog....more
I remembered this book from “Reading Rainbow” as a kid so I got a copy for my kids. Simply and clearly explained and handsomely illustrated, this bookI remembered this book from “Reading Rainbow” as a kid so I got a copy for my kids. Simply and clearly explained and handsomely illustrated, this book walks the reader through the process of mummification from death to entombment. Incorporates lots of good detail about the process itself as well as side topics like Egyptian religion and conceptions of the afterlife. All in all, a good introduction to ancient Egypt for kids. Pairs well with David Macaulay’s Pyramid....more
A delightful and often hilarious account of Waugh’s tour of the Mediterranean in the winter and spring of 1929. Waugh’s sharp eye for silliness and abA delightful and often hilarious account of Waugh’s tour of the Mediterranean in the winter and spring of 1929. Waugh’s sharp eye for silliness and absurdity and his acid wit are on full display, as are his historical and artistic interests. Some parts had me laughing out loud, and the ending proved a surprisingly moving meditation on homecoming and patriotism.
Waugh, starting from London, flies to Paris (his description of air travel when it was still a novelty is hysterical), takes a train to Monaco and the Riviera, and sails aboard a Norwegian cruise liner to Naples, Messina and other points in Sicily, Haifa, and Port Said on the Suez Canal, where he disembarks for a while to keep a few fellow Englishmen company and to better explore Egypt. His account of visiting Cairo, the pyramids, and various sites of Egyptian antiquities are quite interesting, as Howard Carter’s finds in King Tut’s tomb were still new and exciting in 1929, and Waugh’s assessment of the hype surrounding Tut—and his supposed curse—are suitably acerbic.
From Egypt Waugh travels to Crete and Istanbul, and back again to Athens and through the Gulf of Corinth for a tour up the shores of the Adriatic. He remarks often on the consequences of the Paris Peace Conference’s settlement for the various cities along the way, especially those historically independent cities that, without regard to their origins, traditions, or ethnic makeup, were folded into the new state of Yugoslavia. (Waugh would return to Yugoslavia with Randolph Churchill during World War II, and his disillusionment with the way the Allies handed over Eastern Europe to the Soviets during that conflict provides one of the richest and most somber storylines in Sword of Honour.)
From Venice and the Adriatic Waugh’s voyage more or less retraces its earlier course, and Waugh doesn’t dwell on this part except for an amusing account of visiting the ruins of Pompeii. But faced with the prospect of rail and air travel across France to return to England, he chooses to spend another two weeks aboard his Norwegian cruise liner and visits Spain, where he proves quite taken with the architecture of Gaudi. His remarks on the church of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona are quite interesting, as only a few walls and towers were complete by that point (illustrated by one of Waugh’s own photographs), and Waugh grimly predicts that if more funding is not forthcoming the church will never be completed. Indeed, Sagrada Familia is still unfinished, but while there have been interruptions to its construction (such as the Spanish Civil War) it is now, almost a hundred years after Waugh’s trip, nearing completion. I think Waugh would be pleased. At any rate, his opinion—always sharply expressed—would be worth reading.
This is the second account of an Englishman’s travels during this period that I’ve read lately, the other being Patrick Leigh Fermor’s A Time of Gifts, recounting a walk across Germany, Austria, and Hungary in 1933. I’ve really enjoyed them, not only because they are beautifully written but because they capture a lost world in vivid detail.
Waugh’s is doubly poignant in that regard, as by the time he published Labels the Great Depression had driven the worldwide economy to ruin. I found myself not only marveling at his stories and his shining prose and laughing at his escapades and embarrassments, but wondering with genuine regret how many of the restaurants, hotels, casinos, and other points of interest had disappeared within a few years.
A very good window into another time and place. I look forward to reading more of Waugh’s travel writing. Next up—Remote People, an account of his travels through Africa following the coronation of Haile Selassie as Emperor of Ethiopia.
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