Ice Tea and Elvis: A Saunter Through the Southern States

by Nick Middleton

God and guns, heat and history have long characterized the American South. As, of course, has Elvis Presley. Nick Middleton (The Last Disco in Outer Mongolia) traveled there with the ostensible aim of discovering the wilder side of human nature. What he found surprised even him. From Graceland to Miami Beach, Dolly Parton to Martin Luther King, the Smoky Mountains to the Mississippi River, Middleton discovered that the American South is, more than anything, a state of mind. A savvy, deliciously irreverent travelogue. In praise of Nick Middleton¹s Travels as a Brussels Scout, Publishers Weekly ³His wisecracking journey is a lark, filled with witty, shrewd observations...despite his lighthearted tone, his serendipitous journal speaks volumes.²

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

290 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Nick Middleton is a British physical geographer and supernumerary fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. He specialises in desertification.

Nick Middleton was born in London, England. As a geographer, he has travelled to more than 50 countries. Going to Extremes is a television programme for Channel 4 about extreme lifestyles, in which Middleton experiences life in the hostile conditions other cultures must endure. He has appeared on BBC 2's Through the Keyhole.

Reviews

[Ane Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book by an English author filled with criticism of the United States.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first travel novel review! These usually do not have a plot, they are more like anecdotes about certain cities and the writers view of them. This one was no different. While the stories where good and I was interested in them, after doing my first trip south last December, I still felt like something was off. Maybe the whole south is off and I couldn't relate that much, but I am not sure. The book also felt a bit dated, but then again, the whole south is dated, according to the writer so that may have been part of it. There was no rhyme or reason for the path he took. Wrote about a lot race relations and "the war between the states" which I guess is still a big deal down there. My friend Nicole, who lives in TN says it's still a huge thing, but I can't relate to that at all. Wrote a lot about the transport, which oddly enough, I find interesting because part of what I enjoy most about traveling is how I get to each place, so I enjoyed that a lot.

Grade: C+ (would have been a B- if they had included a map of where the stories took place, as some travel books do. I like to picture it on a map and it was hard with no guide to lead by)

[Agatha Donkar Lund · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this would be an engaging read -- good title, interesting concept (foreigner traveling through the American South) -- but while Middleton managed a few good lines and a handful of actual insights, he mostly seemed to view the South as a giant freak show that existed solely for his own amusement and pointing and laughing. The American South is weird and strange and sad and vicious and ugly, but it's also beautiful in its weirdness and strangeness and sadness, and I think that Middleton missed that in his quest to make fun of everything unusual he encountered.

[Kirsty (alkalinekiwi) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cancelled library book that caught my eye at one of the regular book sales at the city library.

While I enjoyed this book and found it interesting enough there were a few things that prevented me enjoying it to the fullest though that could just be due to the laughing out loud in public travel books I normally read.
There were funny bits in the book though more of a slight chuckle or sarcastic smirk.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't figure out whether iddleton was naive - really surprised at all the things he commented upon in the south - or disingenuous, exaggerating (or worse) for effect. I'm assuming the latter as he's a British intellectual, so surely he can't have been that sheltered upon arrival!

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book about America by a Brit. It has its moments, but I wouldn't recommend it.