2018-2019 Travel Preview (and Mini-Recap)

David J. KentUsually I do a Travel Preview post in early January. I skipped the preview in January 2018 because I suspected my “travel year” would shift…and it did. Thus, this travel preview covers 2018-2019, roughly mid-year to mid-year.

That’s not to say that I’ve been homebound. In January we flew down to Ft. Myers, FL for a long weekend touring Sanibel Island, checking out Thomas Edison’s winter retreat, and notching my 49th aquarium at the Mote Marine Lab in Sarasota (my 50th came last month in Copenhagen). February was spent doing local trips, mostly Abraham Lincoln oriented. March I drove down to Newport News for the annual “Battle of Hampton Roads” weekend. April I made an unplanned trip to Massachusetts when my Dad went into the hospital, as well as a quick drive to Fredericksburg for a CPRC conference. In May I did Part 1 of my “Chasing Abraham Lincoln” tour through Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan. And then there were scads of local Lincoln Group of DC-related events, including a Lincoln-Douglas-Douglass debate at the National Archives (check the link for this once-in-a-lifetime event).

But now the fun begins. In early July Ru took a year off from her job with the goal of exploring more of the world. We began by flying to Copenhagen in late June and spent two weeks cruising around the Baltic Sea on a relatively intimate yacht of only 200 passengers, many of whom we came to know quite well. Stops included the Danish island of Bornholm, the Polish city of Gdansk (where the end of communist USSR began), the Curonian peninsula of Lithuania, the gorgeous old Estonian city of Tallinn, and then spent two days (ironically, the 4th of July) in St. Petersburg, Russia. From there we stopped in Finland’s capital Helsinki (where I had been several times when I lived in Brussels) and the oddly confusing but beautiful Finnish/Swedish Mariehamn in the Aland Islands (technically they belong to Finland, but speak Swedish, and have an autonomous government; you figure it out). The end in Stockholm was bitter-sweet.

Two days back from that trip, Ru flew to Beijing for a month, with side trips to Shanghai and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, I did Part 2 of my Chasing Abraham Lincoln tour, this time a 2905+ mile drive to, from, and around Illinois. My three main goals were to see: 1) the seven Lincoln-Douglas debate sites (plus a live debate between Lincoln [George Buss] and Douglas [Tim Connors]); 2) Rock Island, where a famous Lincoln court case involving a steamboat and a railroad bridge took place; and 3) the Illinois and Michigan Canal area, a key internal improvement project promoted by Lincoln. All these are research for my forthcoming book. Along the way I stopped in tons of tiny towns boasting some connection to Lincoln, all with the requisite Lincoln statue.

Next up is a road trip to Massachusetts and Maine to visit family in August, a September road trip from Crater Lake in Oregon to Glacier National Park in Montana, a trip to Gettysburg for the annual Lincoln Forum meeting followed by another road trip to Massachusetts for Thanksgiving. We’ll likely squeeze in some shorter trips to New York City, Chicago, Charleston (SC), Richmond, and other locations that don’t take too much planning.

Immediately after Thanksgiving we’ll fly to Hong Kong to board the sister of our Baltic yacht, which will take us around several Philippine islands, then to the two parts of Malaysia on Borneo, a day in Brunei, then end in Singapore. Since we’ve now both been to Hong Kong (separately), we’ll focus a few days of extra time on Singapore and probably a trip up to Kuala Lumpur. Who knows, maybe we’ll get to Indonesia while we’re there.

Into 2019 the plans are still fuzzy, but in the works are possible trips to Antarctica, Galapagos Islands, Rio, Machu Picchu, Costa Rica, and more. One relatively sure thing is a month in Paris – the plan is to rent an apartment in the spring so I can do research on a yet another book in the works, with side trips to Brussels, Lyon, Lille, and perhaps other European locales. A friend just mentioned that her family is going to Iceland next month, and since Iceland is on my “must-see” list, it’s a good bet we’ll try to get there in 2019. We also had to pass on a September trip to Petra, so I’m hopeful we can squeeze that visit in within the next year or two along with Egypt, Israel, and environs. And then there is the long-awaited African safari we’ll try to coordinate with my brother and his wife.

I’ve been to over 50 countries (depending on how you count), but there are still so many places I want to see. So many cultures, so little time (and money).

Of course, I’m also working on several books and I’ve yet to figure out how to write productively while traveling. I did have a productive writing and editing day on the Baltic trip during our one day at sea (i.e., not in a port). The December trip is longer and includes four individual days at sea, so there is some hope. But I’m going to have to be more efficient with my writing time (including the time used to write this preview).

Which is what I’ll do right now, as soon as the washer repairman finishes diagnosing my temperamental machine. At least I got this post written while he worked.

Go to the main blog and scroll up and down to see posts on the Baltic, Chasing Abraham Lincoln, and other trips as they happen (or happened). Or keyword search at the top of the page for specific locations and evens. You should also go to Ru’s blog to see how she is documenting her year of discovery.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

 

 

Roskilde…The Other Copenhagen

Roskilde, DenmarkI’ve been to Copenhagen before (see my “Spiraling Upward in Copenhagen“), so on this short visit I decided to head out of town to Roskilde. Only thirty minutes by train, Roskilde could be considered a suburb – the other Copenhagen – but it’s like day and night in comparison.

Whereas Copenhagen is bustling (my earlier trip included getting trapped by the mass of runners in the annual 26-mile marathon), Roskilde is relaxed and touristy. And yet it has its share of excitement, hosting an annual rock festival on the outskirts of town. That’s rock as in music, not geology, by the way.

Roskilde, Denmark city hall

On this day we walked down the main pedestrian street, the kind you should expect in a town whose history goes back to the Viking era. I’m not a shopper, but if you are, you’ll find many stores of local wares and gifts. At the end of the short street is the main square featuring a small fountain and the large former city hall. On the other side of the square is the entrance to the Roskilde Palace, which was more of a weekend house for rest than a working palace.

Next to the palace is the impressive Roskilde cathedral. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Romanesque church (with its Gothic influence) was the first in all of Scandinavia built of brick. Today it attracts thousands of tourists (for a fee) and houses over three dozen royal tombs as the burial site for Danish monarchs. It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

These are the sort of structures you expect to see in European old towns, but don’t forget to take the pleasant hike downhill through the forested park to the waterfront. Here you’ll find the Viking Ship Museum and Museum Island sitting at the head of the Roskilde Fjord. Inside the museum itself you’ll find the remains of five 11th century Viking ships that were excavated from the fjord in the late 1960s. Apparently scuttled to block the navigation channel, the five ships have been pieced together like jigsaw puzzles with many pieces missing. The island, which you must cross over to reach the museum, includes exhibitions of Viking boat building. Here you can see artisans using hand tools to transform trees into ships. It’s fascinating to watch. Several full-scale ships are on display.

Our visit to Roskilde had a modern day highlight. Directly across the road from the main train station is a small square displaying three huge jars constructed by Danish sculptor Peter Brandes, presented on the cities 1,000th anniversary in 1998. As we walked through the square to start our tour of Roskilde we noticed a crew setting up what appeared to be a huge television screen. Interesting, we thought. I wonder what that is for? On our way back to the station we found out. The square was packed with many hundreds of football (aka, soccer) fans watching the World Cup match between Denmark and France. We arrived in time to see the last two minutes of the match, which ended in a 0-0 tie, enough for both teams to progress to the next stage. [As of this writing, France is into the Finals. They play Croatia for the Cup on July 15, 2018]

Ah, but this unexpected thrill was merely a prelude; another World Cup match (Sweden and Switzerland) would take place the day we were in St. Petersburg. So we got to directly experience World Cup fever twice.

Hopping the train back to Copenhagen, the plan is to see the new Copenhagen Aquarium tomorrow before meeting the yacht that will take us to many interesting ports around the Baltic Sea. More soon.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

Random First Photos from Copenhagen, Gdańsk, Klaipeda, and Tallinn

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

Baltic Boating

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad / Roughing It

Science Traveling the Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea map

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

Science Traveling the Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea mapAh, the Baltic Sea. I’ll soon be on it. And also in Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Finland, and Sweden. Windstar take me there.

I’ve been to some of these places before. When I lived in Europe (Brussels, Belgium) I went to Helsinki, Finland three times for work-related meetings. Later I traveled to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, and Bergen. This trip will bring me to many new places, including Russia, which seems appropriate given the current state of political affairs in the USA.

I’ll be aboard the Windstar yacht Star Breeze, a small ship with only 200 of my soon to be closest friends. I had sailed the Windstar’s Wind Surf in the Caribbean a few years ago and this ship is similar, but without the sails. Think of something a billionaire might own and that’s the Star Breeze. These small yachts are much better than the big hotel ships that hold 4000 or more people. Much more intimate.

We’ll leave from Copenhagen (see links above for some of my previous activities there), then head straight for the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. After touring the island we’ll head for Gdansk, Poland. Hopefully you’ve heard of Gdansk as it has played a critical role at least twice in European history. Gdansk was the site of the first shots fired in World War II. It was also where Lech Walesa, a shipyard electrician who later became President of Poland, started the Solidarity trade union movement that eventually led to the fall of communism in Poland. I’ll spend some time in the shipyards and the old city, and perhaps even sail on a 17th Century galleon.

Westerplatte monument

Westerplatte monument, Gdansk

But that’s only the beginning. We’ll head up to Klaipeda, Lithuania and tour the Curonian Peninsula, then hop over Latvia to Estonia where we’ll hike around the lower and upper old towns of Tallinn. And then it’s on to St. Petersburg, home of the Hermitage and the Imperial City. This will be my first foray into Russia. Following two days there it’s back to Helsinki, where my personal experience will let me guide tours around the main part of the city and then see (for the first time) the Church of the Rock. A leisurely biking tour of the Finnish island of Mariehamn will help get my land legs back before arriving in Stockholm and back to the US.

I haven’t spoken much about my travel schedule this year for a reason that will become clear later, but I’m scheduled to be seeing a good part of the world during the next 12 months. Locations already in the works are a road trip through the Pacific Northwest, another road trip through Abraham Lincoln’s Illinois, a Windstar cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore (with stops in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei), and maybe, just maybe, a visit to the seventh (or perhaps eighth, depending on how you count) continent. Then there is the month in Paris (for research, I swear) and a ton of other domestic and international travel in the plans. I’ll write more as they come to fruition, and will post tons of photos and stories as they happen.

Before then I have to step up my writing pace. Too many books in the works and too many other activities (not to mention the travel) have slowed my writing progress. But hey, as Benjamin Franklin may or may not have said: “Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing about.” At least I’m doing the latter.

Off to write, perchance to dream.

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

 

The Hampton Roads Defenses of Fort Monroe

Fort MonroeNamed after our nation’s fifth president, Fort Monroe is, or at least was, one of the premier defenses of the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads. Not far from here was the famous Battle of the Ironclads. On a recent visit I was able to tour the Fort Monroe National Monument, and in particular, the Casemate Museum, which contains an elaborate trail through time.

A casemate is a fortified, often armored, gun emplacement. From the exterior it looks like a wall or mound of dirt. Inside is where all the big cannons lived and fired upon attacking forces, whether land or sea. The Casemate Museum takes up a larger than expected section of the structure. Beginning with some history (fortifications on the location go back to the 1600s), the museum surprises you because it seems to go on forever as it winds within the casemate walls.

Displays range from informative signs and poster to full size cannons and wax figures. Here you’ll see the cell that Confederate President Jefferson Davis was held for two years after the end of the Civil War. [Outside you’ll find “Jefferson Davis Memorial Park,” which spans a section of the top of the fort.] There is also information on the history of slavery and its role in the Civil War. If you look closely, you might find a young Edgar Allan Poe writing “The Raven” during his tour of duty at the Fort. As you gaze offshore – beyond the moat that circumscribes the fort – you can picture the raging battle of the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (ex-USS Merrimack). Inside the casemate are models of the two vessels.

The displays are impressive and don’t stop with the Civil War. The fort was in use until it was decommissioned in 2011, so there are figures and displays through modern times.

I had stopped at Fort Monroe before heading to the Monitor Center at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, where I was to attend the “Battle of Hampton Roads Weekend” on the anniversary of the famous ironclad match up. I’ll have more on that shortly.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

Revisiting the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an

Terra Cotta warriorsA few years ago I visited the famed terra cotta warriors in their home –  Xi’an, China. Located a little more than half way between Beijing and Chengdu, Xi’an sits among the mountains of central China.

I wrote about the trip a while back and decided it was a good time to revisit it as I make a much shorter but more unexpected domestic excursion for family obligations.

In Part I of that earlier two-part post I delved into the history of the warriors, their reconstruction, and the unbelievable sense of awe you experience upon entering the first pit.

In Part II I dug into the restoration process itself.

Both parts have several photos to illustrate the wonder of the warriors. Click the links above to read the full stories in Parts I and II.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

 

The Fascinating Mangrove Salt Marsh Snakes of Sanibel

Among the many amazing animals I saw on a recent visit to the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island (Fort Myers, Florida) was a beautifully red mangrove salt marsh snake. When I came across it, this one had grabbed a bewildered fish in its mouth and was working on turning it around to swallow.

Mangrove Marsh Snake

After a few minutes the snake did just that, gulping it down live. The gathering crowd was both fascinated and a little grossed out, though there seemed to be an even split between those rooting for the fish and the snake.

What is even more fascinating about the mangrove salt marsh snake – its scientific name is Nerodia clarkii compressicauda – is that while it lives in the roots of red mangroves in an estuarine environment, it doesn’t have any particular adaptations to living in sea water. Most aquatic snakes live in freshwater. There are fully marine sea snakes, but they live entirely in the ocean and are adapted to the salt water; in particular they have large organs designed specifically to excrete salt, which allows sea snakes to drink seawater.

Mangrove salt marsh snakes have no such organ so cannot drink seawater. Instead they get most of their fresh water intake from their food (like the poor fish above) and by drinking freshwater from temporary puddles that form in the sand or pockets of roots after rainstorms. Calling them aquatic is a bit of a misnomer: perhaps semi-aquatic is more accurate. But they also can be considered semi-arboreal in the sense that they spend much of their time on the proproots of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle, which a particular favorite of mine because I had studied many years ago in Bermuda). Indeed, the one I saw was slithering around the shallows and over the prop roots with the fish in its mouth looking for a good place to eat. These snakes aren’t great swimmers so they hang out in shallow pools as the tide retreats and snap up trapped fish.

Another fascinating aspect of mangrove marsh snakes is their coloring. The one I saw was brilliant red but they can also appear as rather grayish with darker splotches and bands. Even odder, any given litter of mangrove marsh snakes could contain a mix of both colors; live-bearers, a litter could have up to 22 individuals. The gray phase allows them to hide in the leaf litter of mangrove trees while the red phase provides great camouflage for snakes resting on mangrove branches and prop roots.

The red phase I saw now rested after gorging down its meal, so I moved on to check out the rest of the mangrove trail. Along the way I saw another unique denison of the mangroves – a mangrove tree crab, most likely Aratus pisonii – clinging to a tree about 15 feet above the ground.

Mangrove Tree Crab

I saw a lot more both in the mangrove trail and the rest of the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, but this snake having lunch was one of the most fascinating, and quite a thrill to capture on video.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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Hitting all the careers!

It seems I’ve done a little of everything, and now I’m hitting all the careers at once (except the building bug zappers one).

In my marine biology days I had heard about Mote Marine Lab but had never been there. I also got to see my 49th aquarium. Here is an Australian jellyfish that I didn’t see in Australia.

A tarpon like the ones I saw in Bermuda.

One of many gorgeous reef fish.

At Mote Marine Lab Aquarium.

I also got to see the Addison-Ford Estates and several of Edison’s movie projectors in honor of my book on Thomas Edison.

His botanical Lab where he looked for a domestic source of rubber in his 80s.

Very cool place.

Meanwhile, my Tesla book is back in Barnes and Noble stores with its 8th printing.

And my Lincoln book is coming out soon with a 2nd printing.

Lincoln always watches over me.

More shortly.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page. Share with your friends using the buttons below.

No Monkeys in Australia

There are no monkeys in Australia. None. I came to this realization as I was hiking through the Great Otway National Park in Victoria, along the Great Ocean Road. There were dozens of varieties of huge eucalyptus trees and prehistoric-looking cycads, perfect for frolicking monkeys. But not a monkey to be seen.

Koala (Not a monkey)

Koala (Not a monkey)

The continent has more than its fair share of marsupials, those pouch-bearing mammals that are iconic of Australia. There were bandicoots, bilblies, wombats, dozens of varieties of possum (including gliders), enough wallabies to start a circus (not to be confused with the flying Wallendas), and even Tasmania devils and marsupial moles. And let’s not forget the kangaroos in types ranging from rat to red, East and West grey, and antilopine (antelope-like). There are even a handful of tree kangaroos and the somewhat related monotremes that lay eggs (platypus and echidna).

Add to that the emus, cassowary, parrots, lorikeets, kookaburra, and a hefty variety of other odd-looking (and sounding) birds. Then there are the introduced species like rabbits (tons and tons of rabbits), sheep, cattle, deer, and flies. Especially flies.

But no monkeys.

About 260 species of monkeys inhabit the world. New world monkeys live in Central and South America; their prehensile tails and lack of cheek pouches being their most distinguishing features. Old world monkeys live in Asia and Africa. These lack the prehensile tails but have cheek pouches to store food. If you must get intimate with any particular monkey, feel free to check for rump pads and nostril presentation. Personally I’m sticking with the whether they have a tail or not.

Most monkeys are tropical, so the temperate rain forests of southern Australia would seem a good option. There are even cold-climate monkeys in northern Japan and the Himalayas, so there really is no excuse for their absence in Australia. Back in 1862, while the United States was distracted by the American Civil War, then Victoria Governor and patron of the sciences Sir Henry Barkly called for the introduction of monkeys into the colony’s forests “for the amusement of wayfarers, whom their gambols would delight.” Notwithstanding the obvious attraction of gamboling monkeys, Barkly was replaced as Governor before the idea caught on no monkeys were introduced.

By why aren’t they there naturally?

PangeaThe answer is a combination of timing and plate tectonics. At one time most of the continents were clumped together in what was called Pangea. But around 175 million years or so ago Pangea started to move apart. Given Australia’s position and movement away from the other land masses, and given that primates like monkeys are a relatively new evolutionary grouping (25 to 40 million years ago), there was no feasible way for monkeys (or monkey ancestors) to travel to the secluded island of Australia.

Ah, but you say there were land bridges during the ice ages. So true. And this is how Australian Aborigines probably reached the continent about 60,000 years ago. But other primates didn’t make it that far. Orangutans, for example, can be found in Indonesia and Malaysia, but never quite made it as far as Papua New Guinea, and definitely not to Australia.

Wallace Lines

Scientists have identified a series of “Wallace Lines” (named for Alfred Russel Wallace, who wrote a paper suggesting much the same thing about evolution as Darwin was about to publish). Because of the positioning of the tectonic plates (Australia and Asia are on different plates), there were natural breaks that made transport difficult. That’s why there are no monkeys in Australia, and also why there are no kangaroos or other marsupials in Asia (the one exception to both rules could be the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, which sits in between the two continents).

My hike through the Great Otway National Park continued sans monkeys, but the majesty of the mountain ash (a kind of eucalyptus) made up for it. I didn’t see any monkeys, but I did get to admire the koalas and kangaroos. And that is what Australia is all about.

Fire of Genius

Coming in March 2026: Lincoln in New England: In Search of His Forgotten Tours

Also see – Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America.

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David J. Kent is Immediate Past President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.