america fastest ill-fated unabridged

books:

Major: A Black Athlete, a White Era, and the Fight to Be the World's Fastest Human Being

8 reviews
Todd Balf

Crown, 2008

An excellent, entertaining read.
I read (and still own) the Andrew Ritchie book on Taylor and wondered what Todd Balf would have to add? I have to admit I've often not liked some of his magazine articles but whether I've changed since then or he's become a much better writer is open to question. I think he's become a better writer. I remember reading Ritchie's book like a textbook. I felt I needed to read it, but rarely was ...

The Darkest Jungle: The True Story of the Darien Expedition and America's Ill-fated Race to Connect the Seas

10 reviews
Todd Balf

audible.com

EXCELLENT...I live in Panamá and should know!!!
...I am an expat American/Panamanian, and this book is factual to a tee. Before it shut down in the 80's, I even got to ride on the Trans-Isthmian railroad trains back and forth from Colón(Aspinwall)to Panamá, and vice-versa. My father, a Korean War vet and decorated hero, was once stationed at the Army's JOTC(Jungle Operations Training Center)in Fort Sherman, Atlantic and would tell me and my ...

The Darkest Jungle: The True Story of the Darien Expedition (Unabridged)
Todd Balf

audible.com

The Story of Manny Being Manny

2 reviews
Todd Balf

Joga Press, 2006

A book about Manny being a book about Manny
As extremely devoted Red Sox (especially Manny) fans, our family HAD to have this book, even though we are ages 17-51. It's charming. What we like best about it is that it is as quirky as Manny himself. The meter is a mess, some of it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, the sequence is all mixed up, and -- our favorite -- right-handed Manny is depicted as a lefty (in both an illustration and ...

The Last River

39 reviews
Todd Balf, Dennis Boutsikaris, 2000

Not for the armchair adventurer
Like others, I wondered at the number of people who slammed this book, which I found to be gripping, enjoyable, and in places hard to read for all the right reasons. The answer is simple: this book is not written for the armchair adventurer, for someone who will watch the Discovery Channel but never actually go to any of those places they'll see on the screen. It tells some hard truths, and I ...