Celebrate National Book Month this October with Road Scholar
“To travel far, there is no better ship than a book.” —Emily Dickinson
Calling all bookworms! If you’re happiest with a book in your hands, we’ve gathered a few titles written by our Road Scholar educators. Experts in their fields, many of our online and in-person instructors are also published authors. Whether you are learning more about a destination to prepare for your upcoming adventure with us or you’d like to read more by one of our instructors after a program, we’ve selected seven of our favorites to share with you. You can find all of these books on Road Scholar’s Bookshop!
For Green Thumbs
If you love gardening, there's no doubt you've heard of the Philadelphia Flower Show, Longwood Gardens and Winterthur. Road Scholar instructor Jenny Rose Carey is an avid hands-on gardener, author and former senior director at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Not only does Jenny Rose lead two Road Scholar learning adventures through the Philadelphia Flower Show and nearby gardens for us, she just finished her second book about flower gardening. Check out her newest book, “The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Guide.” If you’d like to experience this beauty in person, consider enrolling in one of the programs that Jenny Rose leads.
Ethereal Elegance
Blooming in hues of white and pink, cherry tree blossoms are a much-anticipated perennial favorite. A sign of rebirth and renewal each spring, these blooms often last no more than two weeks. In 1912, Japan gave 3,020 cherry blossom trees — also known as the Sakura — to the United States as a gift. Today, you can see them in Sakura Park in Manhattan and Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. These trees inspire millions of people to flock to these cities yearly to catch them in bloom. Road Scholar instructor and author Ann McClellan writes about the ethereal beauty of these trees in “The Cherry Blossom Festival: Sakura Celebration.”
Dive into Dickens
If you’re a fan of Charles Dickens and the first half of his career, you’ll want to read “Other Dickens: Pickwick to Chuzzlewit” by one of our Road Scholar experts, John Bowen. In this book, John brings a fresh voice to Dicken’s early novels, including “The Pickwick Paper,” “Oliver Twist” and Martin Chuzzlewit.
American History — Past and Present
Road Scholar expert and author Louis P. Masur offers a sweeping yet compact history of America in “The Sum of Our Dreams.” In this single book, Louis distills and connects the significant events and figures in the country’s past. From the Colonial Era to the Revolutionary Period, the Early Republic and the Civil War, Louis explores the divisiveness that has characterized America civic life over the last forty years. If you’d like to enroll in one of his online lectures, watch our schedule for upcoming opportunities.
Reform of the British Army — 1902-1914
If you want to read a fresh interpretation of the Boer War and the opening months of World War I, award-winning historian and Road Scholar expert Dr. Spencer Jones offers just that. In his book, “From Boer War to World War: Tactical Reform of the British Army, 1902-1914, Spencer explores specific connections between these two wars. He also shows how new ideas were incorporated into training and used to overhaul the British Army.
The Reshaping of New Orleans During World War I
Road Scholar program leader, historian and author Brian Altobello examines how the city of New Orleans confronted the demands of World War I in his book, “Whiskey, Women, and War: How the Great War Shaped Jim Crow New Orleans.” Brian analyzes the mobilization of the local population regarding enlistments and war bond sales. He also addresses the anti-vice crusade meant to safeguard the American war effort. If New Orleans is on your wish list, check our upcoming collection of programs in New Orleans for a learning adventure he is leading.
Storied Pasts: Britain’s Kings and Queens
Discover the details you may have forgotten in “Britain’s Kings and Queens,” a book by Road Scholar study leader and author Kevin Flude. This essential guide features tales of murder, adultery, beheadings, civil war and madness as it retells Britain’s history chronologically in “bite-sized chunks.” In this paperback, you’ll learn many fascinating and amusing facts about one of the world’s longest-running monarchies.
In celebration of National Book Month, check out Road Scholar’s Bookshop for all of these titles plus many others. So, pull up a chair and get started with one, or more of these page-turners!