And if you're going to read O'Brian, you need a copy of <em>A Sea of Words</em>, which is a dictionary created by rabid O'Brian fans.
"Marthambles", what a lovely name for a disease!
The World Atlas of Coffee: From Beans to Brewing By James Hoffmann, is walks through the different varietals of coffee, and impact of different processing methods and roast.
It doesn't hurt to be more knowledgeable about seafaring, because it will help to unpack some of the denser maneuvers and the like that are a big part of the battles and cutting-out expeditions, and suchlike. Luckily there are a number of companion volumes aimed at lubbers that will help. I picked up this one on my first run through, and it helped get a handle on things. It's still sometimes frustrating to have to look up a number of different terms all at once, but once you have a better sense of them the action flows a little smoother, imo.
But no, I wouldn't say the later books are overburdened with impenetrable naval terminology, or at least none that I remember as being particularly bad. There are some really terrific scenes that I remember vividly coming up for you, too.
My longtime friend bought me for my birthday the James Hoffman World Atlas of Coffee. It is as delightful as James Hoffman's videos are and I have gotten a lot of mileage out of reading right through it. It's not strictly a recipe book, but it is a start-to-finish, out of the ground to your cup description of every aspect of coffee cultivation and brewing that there is, right down to the water, beans, and recipes for various brewing methods, including a country-by-country inventory of what grows where.
Alternatively, Tristan Stephenson has a book which is smaller, but ironically less readable that gets a bit more into coffee cocktails and making coffee liqueurs, in addition to sober coffee brewing and history.
I don't know if this book will be exactly what you're looking for, but - The World Atlas of Coffee: From Beans to Brewing -- Coffees Explored, Explained and Enjoyed
I've seen it recommended often on r/coffee. I've had it on my amazon list forever but haven't gotten around to ordering it yet.
I'd start by learning the constellations. Knowing your way around the sky makes it much easier to find what you're looking for. A book like NightWatch and the free software Stellarium would be very useful too.
As for buying a telescope, start with the guide on /r/telescopes. Binoculars are a great way to start, but when you want something bigger an 8 inch Dobsonian (around $400) is usually recommended for visual observing.
Get this book first: Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe
It'll give you a comprehensive guide to buying a scope, based on what you intend to do with it, and what the pros and cons of each type of scope are. It's also a great reference once you have a scope. Truly one of the best backyard astronomer books out there.
A good general recommendation would be a newtonian reflector of the largest size your budget allows. Being able to transport it is also a factor. You'll probably want to get out of the city for a decent look through a scope.
For looking at deep sky objects (galaxies, nebula, basically anything not the moon or a planet) aperture is everything. The size of main mirror or lens. Light gathering is the rule, not magnification.
Avoid spherical mirrors (you want parabolic). Cheaper telescopes even by good manufacturers can have the cheaper spherical mirrors.
You can have good luck on the used market. Lots of folks sell their older scopes to upgrade. Most folks in the hobby are very helpful.
You can spend as much or as little as you want. A good pair of binoculars are great for looking at the night sky.
If you're really interested, get the book.
Unfortunately, my particular favorite bathroom atlases are out-of-print, but check out History of the World by Map from DK and National Geographic's Family Reference Atlas of the World. It's also really worth visiting your local used book store if you have a good one. It's nice to be able to check them out in person, and you can often find out-of-print atlases or the crazy-expensive-deluxe atlases that run for $100-$200 at a fraction of that price.
This book will help you decide what coffees you'd like to try: https://www.amazon.com/World-Atlas-Coffee-Explored-Explained/dp/0228100941/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2LW798ZCL3P1E&keywords=james+hoffman&qid=1661875333&sprefix=james+hoffma%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-2
Also as previously noted, watch James Hoffman's videos on Youtube, he explains how to brew a good cup. I bought my drip coffee maker based on his recommendations and I love it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0528023780/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
(it was about 25$ when I bought it in Janurary.) I had to go on abit of a road trip and didn't watch to listen to Kelly (The Valley girl GPS voice from my phone, "Like OMG, you need to turn right?)
I made it across half the country and back, with no location services, and my phone turned off for mos of it.
I just came back from a long weekend in the Adirondacks and I found this map to be really helpful. In particular, I liked that it also showed the shelters in addition to the trails and distances.
https://www.amazon.com/Lake-Placid-High-Peaks-Illustrated/dp/156695357X
Some of the trails there are a little bit sparse on trail markers relative to other places I've hiked making me extra appreciative to have the map.
Sometimes, your phone may be out of power or the GPS is acting up. That's when the OG navigation tool comes in handy. Never runs out of power. And sure, roads get built ...but there's only a 0.4% increase to US road capacity a year, and most of that is road-widening.
Welcome aboard, sir or ma'am. A glass of wine with you.
May I humbly recommend some additional resources that shall enrich your delight?
- "A Sea of Words" will greatly facilitate your understanding of the languages, terms, and jargon of the period and the Navy. It's not necessary to comprehend the novels, but it will aid in your pleasure of them.
- "Harbors and High Seas" may be of service in helping you track the maritime voyages and movements of Jack and Stephen, the creatures.
Mt. Colorado
And I believe the trail is called The Colorado Mountain Trail. Here's an Amazon link that gives you exact directions to the top of the run from your car:
What I liked to do when driving through new states is to get a map that contains "scenic drive" routes and plan to take them as much as I can. AAA driving club gives them for free -- your country may have an affiliate like Canada's CAA that can give it to you.
You can also order something like this: Rand McNally 2022 Large Scale Road Atlas https://www.amazon.com/dp/0528023780/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_SXE1E2KYHAZYWMEMKFS1
One of the best scenic drives on your route is the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. There is also the Natchez Trace from Tennessee down through Mississippi. These routes both have interesting historical sights. Then Interstate 10 will take you from the New Orleans area through the Atchafalaya Swamp to Houston. After a few years (it feels like) driving across Texas you can check out Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and start working your way north to Colorado.
The USA is so vast you will barely scratch the surface no matter what you do. Good luck and have a great trip.
CloudyNights is a great astronomy forum that has an excellent beginner’s section with very experienced and active members that will guide you through your questions. (CloudyNights Forums)
Learn the basics and how to "get around" the night sky. "NightWatch" is such a good book that guides you through all the basics from constallations, what equipment to buy, and how to use it. (NightWatch).
DO NOT buy a $100 telescope. I know greenshadows360 was trying to help but that cheap of a telescope is a toy and will lead to more frustration. It won't hold focus, position, and they're very hard to use. Completely not worth it and many people fall into this trap, get discouraged and sell them on offerup.
$75-$100 will get you an -excellent- pair of astronomy binoculars. I have 2 pairs of Orion Scenix 10x50 that I use constantly. They will let you see stars, planets, the moon, deeps space objects. I always have a pair in my car, they get pulled out constantly. In a 10x50, the first number is magnification – an object will appear 10 times larger, the second number is how big the objective lens is – the light bucket. You don’t want a whole lot of magnification, 10 to 25 is the sweet spot. You DO want a big objective lens, this is how much light the binoculars are collecting, 40-60 is a sweet spot here. Anything less and it you won’t see very much, anything more and they become too large and unwieldy.
Good luck, it’s an amazing and fulfilling hobby!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Words-Lexicon-Companion-Seafaring/dp/0805066152/
If you're a fan of the Aubrey-Maturin novels (and I have to assume you are if you know what a 74 is) then this is a great companion.
I would recommend reading through some history books that attempt to tell the whole human story from beginning to end. It’s important to read a few because it will give you a different perspective and it’s important for cause and effect because you can’t visualize those things without first having that large global context. I loved this book as it shows history using maps: History of the World Map by Map https://www.amazon.com/dp/1465475850?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share good luck!
I have this book 'transit maps of the world' with the subway systems of cities around the world. Its interesting to see how some smaller cities have relatively elaborate systems and some major cities have very little.
https://www.amazon.com/Transit-Maps-World-Worlds-Collection/dp/0143112651
The lexicon companion (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0805066152/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_i_KMDQ9B6YZ5TXJWB5B6HT) to Patrick Obrien's Aubrey-Maturin series has excellent detail on the jargon and setting of such ships.
National Geographic has an illustrated map that you could cut out.
$6 on Amazon. Lake Placid, High Peaks: Adirondack Park (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map) https://www.amazon.com/dp/156695357X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9UYqDb133XPDA
You may want two copies as some of them are on the backside.you might even need a second map.
This map links up with a guide for the high peaks by the Adirondak Mountain Club(?) or something like that.
There's also other maps by the AMC(?) but they are likely more technical.
Does nobody in this thread know about amazon? It's this new fancy thing, it's pretty cool for finding books. They have almost everything, no idea how they do it. Magic, I suppose.
Check this one History of the World Map by Map https://www.amazon.com/dp/1465475850/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_G4ihFbH8TCG7F
It’s beautifully done and it compresses all of the history into well done maps with just a little bit of accompanying narrative to know what was going and allow you to dive deeper if interested
I had no idea! I just looked it up on Amazon It pretty good.
The book NightWatch was and still is a wonderful guide to the night sky.
Do you know how to use one? It’s not as easy as point and look.
NightWatch is a great book to read prior to your first scope. Most people will recommend a good set of binoculars until you get familiar with the dark sky. Also, a “star wheel” is a cheap investment, assuming you know how to use one (if not, it takes 15 min to learn), to aid you with your binoculars/scope as you begin.
Food for though- a lot of astronomy is not done in the visible light range, so looking through the traditional telescope is not what today’s astronomers typically do. It occupies a small portion of their profession.
Hello /u/beckoning_cat,
You can follow /u/phpdevster advice eyes closed (open them to look through the telescope tough).
I also recommend you get the Pocket Sky Atlas to easily orient in the sky. It will certainly outlast your telescope ;)
Another try: "Maphead - Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks" - Ken Jennings "Here be monsters" is mentioned in book description on back cover. https://www.amazon.com/Maphead-Charting-Weird-World-Geography/dp/1439167184/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=