Gypsy Camp Blog

The Wrecker is the second novel in a new Western series by “one of the greatest adventure novelists of our time” (imdb). It promises to become perhaps the most popular Clive Cussler series yet. Because, let’s face it, stories about the Wild West never lose their appeal to American (as well as International) audiences.

The main character of the of this new Clive Cussler series is a detective by the name of Isaac Bell, a fearless figure of physical prowess equaling James Bond who simultaneously possesses observational skills and powers of deduction rivaling Sherlock Holmes.

Conveniently, Isaac Bell is also independently wealthy, heir to a prominent Boston banking family. After disappointing his father by not following in his footsteps, Bell has pursued his detective work with a fervor that spells obsessive passion more than a way to make a living.

In The Wrecker, Isaac Bell gets hired to stop a saboteur targeting the Southern Pacific Railroad, threatening to financially “derail” the mega-corporation as they push to build a new and expensive cutoff track that will greatly decrease traveling time between the northern and southern portions of the American West Coast.

Unbeknownst to all until the very end of the book, The Wrecker is a regular member of the inner circles of Southern Pacific Railroad president Osgood Hennessy, even courting the railroad baron’s “unspeakably beautiful” daughter Lillian. He’s a formidable adversary, perhaps as brilliant as Isaac Bell himself.

The agenda of the Wrecker is to seize control of the Southern Pacific Railroad through various dummy corporations he has put in place, which will help him capture the fallout from Southern Pacific’s impending bankruptcy. Not only that but it appears he plans to eventually to control the entire United States railroad system, the greatest source of billionaire wealth in America at the turn of the last century.

As a story taking place in the early 1900’s, this book also offers a perfect opportunity for avid car enthusiast Clive Cussler to present some classic automobiles from the era when the experimental variety of styles was the greatest because few standards had yet been established.

The Wrecker features the 1907 Model 35 Thomas Flyer, winner of the 1908 New York to Paris race, as well as a Packard Grey Wolf, a Bugatti Type 41 Royale, and Isaac Bell’s own Locomobile.

Clive Cussler is a man of many passions, one of the best known and most obvious being his love of the ocean, as evidenced by his countless action novels revolving in and around water. But the fact that he has chosen to live in Colorado, far from the any great body of water, suggests that he also loves the rugged, arid and mountainous landscapes of the American West.

This “second” love of Clive Cussler shines through in his new Isaac Bell series in a way that will likely reinvigorate many old Wild West enthusiasts as well as give birth to a whole new generation of Western lovers. The book is a highly recommended read.

Mrs. Hellman lives in Western North Carolina with her spouse and three sons, where she works as a professional copywriter. She writes book review as a hobby. Visit her site to order The Wrecker by Clive Cussler, or the latest Dirk Pitt novel, Clive Cussler’s Arctic Drift.

categories: Novel,Literature,Book,Story,Review,Entertainment,Leisure,Recreation,Crime,Criminal,Law,Adventure,Train,History

These days, consumers are becoming more mindful about how their lifestyle affects the environment. For this reason, more people are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. One such area that is seeing an increase in \’green\’ consumers is the travel industry. More travelers are now becoming more mindful of the environment when they travel.

The following are a number of ways to be a mindful traveler:

1. Make sure that you book a flight on an airline that recycles the refuse left from serving beverages and food to their passengers. To help offset your carbon emissions, consider direct flights to your destination.

2. When you book your hotel, consider smaller accommodations. For instance, a homestay is much smaller and cozier than a large hotel. If you stay in a big hotel, check to see if there are any \’green\’ hotels in the area. Eco-friendly hotels will have implemented such \’green\’ measures as water conservation programs, energy efficient appliances, recycle and composting programs, and energy reducing programs. They will also incorporate \’green\’ practices in guest rooms such as recycling baskets and shampoo and soap dispensers. You can also do your part by using the same towels and linens during your stay and turn off the air conditioner and lights when you are away from the room. As well, consider a longer stay. If you stay in one spot instead of traveling from one hotel or resort to another, you will be reducing your carbon footprint instead of taking more flights.

3. Instead of using a rental car in your destination area, take advantage of public transportation such as a bus or hotel van. Whenever possible, try walking. It is good for your health, the environment, and you can get an up-close and personal look at the community.

4. When you are out in the community, be sensitive, and ask permission to take pictures of the locals. When possible, eat foods that have been grown locally rather than eating foreign foods that have to be imported. Make sure that you do your research before you go on your trip. It will help prevent any misunderstandings and will help show your respect for local customs and dress. It is important to be generous such as giving good tips. Make sure you do not engage in excessive haggling so you do not upset any vendors.

Before you leave home, you can begin your trip being \’green\’ by turning off your lights, turning down the thermostat, and adjusting the air conditioner. During your flight and while staying at your destination, there are many things you can do to be mindful of the environment and people. Not only will you be doing your part to conserve and protect the environment, it will make your trip even more enjoyable and memorable.

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Let\’s take a small ride back to the cable television past. We need not go too far, but let\’s go back about 15 or 20 years. Can you remember what cable TV channels were like then as compared to now?

Back then, most channels where part of a network that specialized on a particular niche subject. If you were interested in watching a particular topic of program then all you had to do as switch to that network and find the particular channel interesting to you.

I want to use the channels Bravo and A&E for examples, both of these channels focused on the niche of fine arts and you could easily flick to these channels to get a guaranteed niche viewing. However, I have noticed that this is sadly not the case anymore. These channels have introduced reality TV and regularly air shows that focus on other types of interest, as have many other once niche channels.

The best examples of this change in behavior are VH1 and MTV. Both were proud to announce that their channel would show nothing but music videos.

But sadly, this can no longer be said of either of them. They both have more things going on other than the music videos that they were once famous for.

They are now showing so many reality TV shows that you might not even recognize what channel you are tuned into if you had to guess. Shows such as Rock of Love and MTV\’s Jersey Shore dominate the program schedule.

There is a channel, Game Show Network, which tends to remain focused on its niche area as most of the viewing is of game shows. However, even the Game Show Network is showing signs of introducing new ideas such as the reality TV phenomenon with its new series of the Newlywed Game Host.

I hope that most of these channels that have digressed will eventually turn on their heels and head back to the strong roots that enabled them to grow so well to begin with.

Besides TV, this author also regularly contributes articles regarding heat pump programmable thermostats along with the White Rodgers digital thermostat.