What do you think?
Rate this book
A Long Desire
A Long Evan S. A Long Holt, Rinehart and FIRST First Edition Thus, First Printing. Not price-clipped. Published by Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1980. Octavo. Paperback. Book is very good with light shelf wear and slight bend to front cover. Seller 425941 Essays
- GenresHistoryNonfictionEssays
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
About the author
Evan S. Connell
61 books163 followersEvan Shelby Connell Jr. (August 17, 1924 – January 10, 2013) was a U.S. novelist, poet, and short-story writer. His writing covered a variety of genres, although he published most frequently in fiction.
In 2009, Connell was nominated for the Man Booker International Prize, for lifetime achievement. On April 23, 2010, he was awarded a Los Angeles Times Book Prize: the Robert Kirsch Award, for "a living author with a substantial connection to the American West, whose contribution to American letters deserves special recognition."
Connell was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the only son of Evan S. Connell, Sr. (1890–1974), a physician, and Ruth Elton Connell. He had a sister Barbara (Mrs. Matthew Zimmermann) to whom he dedicated his novel Mrs. Bridge (1959). He graduated from Southwest High School in Kansas City in 1941. He started undergraduate work at Dartmouth College but joined the Navy in 1943 and became a pilot. After the end of World War II, he graduated from the University of Kansas in 1947, with a B.A. in English. He studied creative writing at Columbia University in New York and Stanford University in California. He never married, and lived and worked in Sausalito, California for decades.
(Wikipedia)
In 2009, Connell was nominated for the Man Booker International Prize, for lifetime achievement. On April 23, 2010, he was awarded a Los Angeles Times Book Prize: the Robert Kirsch Award, for "a living author with a substantial connection to the American West, whose contribution to American letters deserves special recognition."
Connell was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the only son of Evan S. Connell, Sr. (1890–1974), a physician, and Ruth Elton Connell. He had a sister Barbara (Mrs. Matthew Zimmermann) to whom he dedicated his novel Mrs. Bridge (1959). He graduated from Southwest High School in Kansas City in 1941. He started undergraduate work at Dartmouth College but joined the Navy in 1943 and became a pilot. After the end of World War II, he graduated from the University of Kansas in 1947, with a B.A. in English. He studied creative writing at Columbia University in New York and Stanford University in California. He never married, and lived and worked in Sausalito, California for decades.
(Wikipedia)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 31, 2021
Evan Connell is one of my favorite authors, having read his novels Mrs. Bridge, then Mr. Bridge, followed by his history of Custer in Son of the Morning Star and how Custer wound up having his golden locks shorn at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
A Long Desire is a pleasant, easy read of the history of man's longing to explore, search, and quench his intellectual thirst through action.
In a series of essays, he begins by discussing Richard Halliburton, the explorer, and ends with the philosopher Paracelsus. In between, I found out whether or not "Prester John” existed—perhaps. Readers who study a lot of history have come across this legend and Connell comes closest to discovering who he really was, as he does with many such types.
"To the Indies", "The Sea Must Have an Endynge (sic)", "El Dorado", and "Seven Cities” deal with Europe’s discovery of the Western Hemisphere while searching for the Eastern Hemisphere,
The last essay deals with alchemy and Paracelsus and his complicated personality.
This is the kind of tangential, oblique, random, and to some, trivial information that is good to spout at cocktail parties or friendly bars at about the middle of the second round so’s you don’t get sucker punched because Floyd thinks you’re making fun of him. Or, if you’re the quieter type you can lead the conversation to the fact that while Coronado was looking for a city—or seven cities filled with gold, it was right there in Arkansas, but it was black gold about a mile or so underground in a place called El Dorado (pronounced el-dorayda by locals).
Connell has an easy-going approach in practically all his writing, and if you are interested in the arcane aspects dealing with the time periods that he treats, then I would recommend that you try reading A Long Desire.
A Long Desire is a pleasant, easy read of the history of man's longing to explore, search, and quench his intellectual thirst through action.
In a series of essays, he begins by discussing Richard Halliburton, the explorer, and ends with the philosopher Paracelsus. In between, I found out whether or not "Prester John” existed—perhaps. Readers who study a lot of history have come across this legend and Connell comes closest to discovering who he really was, as he does with many such types.
"To the Indies", "The Sea Must Have an Endynge (sic)", "El Dorado", and "Seven Cities” deal with Europe’s discovery of the Western Hemisphere while searching for the Eastern Hemisphere,
The last essay deals with alchemy and Paracelsus and his complicated personality.
This is the kind of tangential, oblique, random, and to some, trivial information that is good to spout at cocktail parties or friendly bars at about the middle of the second round so’s you don’t get sucker punched because Floyd thinks you’re making fun of him. Or, if you’re the quieter type you can lead the conversation to the fact that while Coronado was looking for a city—or seven cities filled with gold, it was right there in Arkansas, but it was black gold about a mile or so underground in a place called El Dorado (pronounced el-dorayda by locals).
Connell has an easy-going approach in practically all his writing, and if you are interested in the arcane aspects dealing with the time periods that he treats, then I would recommend that you try reading A Long Desire.
July 8, 2021
Connell was a fascinating writer. He was an accomplished novelist. His novels. "Mr. Bridge" and "Mrs Bridge", are classic stories of American 2oth C middle class marriage. His history, "Son of the Morning Star: Custer and the Little Bighorn", is still the best telling of that story.
This is a collection of historical essays. They show a third writing skill which Connell mastered. These are essays about exploration in the pre-modern age. He usually starts with a mysterious unknown place or thing and then he describes the history of people trying to find it.
He has a chapter on the search for Atlantis. He tells the story of the search for Prestor John, the lost Christian Bishop of Asia or Africa. He describes the search for El Dorado and the Aztec Treasure House.He tells the story of how for two hundred years, starting in 1447, empires sent expeditions to search for the fabulously rich Seven Cities on an island, or in Central America or North of Mexico City or in Texas or in Florida.
These are great stories. Wild, brave, evil, holy and mad men endure unbelievable hardships. They are driven by an absolute certainty that they will discover riches beyond belief. When the theories are proven wrong, the next expedition changes the theory and launches another search.
Connell also has a chapter on the Innocent's Crusade of 1212. At least five thousand children, no older than 16 and as young as toddlers, marched from France and Germany to the Mediterranean to invade the Holy Lands and recapture them for Christianity.
They were lead by Stephen, a 12 year old French boy who received a letter from Jesus telling him to lead a Crusade and Nicholas, an 11 year old German boy who saw a blazing cross in the sky and heard a voice telling him to lead a crusade.
Most of the Children died on the march. A few survivors died crossing the sea and the tiny amount who made it to the Holy Land were killed or enslaved. Connell does the best that could be done of trying to understand what kind of world would think this was a good idea.
He also has a section on Mary Kingsley. She was one of a group of intrepid Victorian woman explorers who went on extreme expeditions while maintaining all of the Victorian proprieties. She was a strong woman.
Connell did a huge amount of research for these essays, which he wears lightly. He enjoys scamps and rogues. There is a wonderful section on the trick used by alchemists to convince investors that they can make gold from base metals. He walks the line between being historically accurate and telling a good story.
His other book of historical essays, "The White Lantern", is just as enjoyable.
This is a collection of historical essays. They show a third writing skill which Connell mastered. These are essays about exploration in the pre-modern age. He usually starts with a mysterious unknown place or thing and then he describes the history of people trying to find it.
He has a chapter on the search for Atlantis. He tells the story of the search for Prestor John, the lost Christian Bishop of Asia or Africa. He describes the search for El Dorado and the Aztec Treasure House.He tells the story of how for two hundred years, starting in 1447, empires sent expeditions to search for the fabulously rich Seven Cities on an island, or in Central America or North of Mexico City or in Texas or in Florida.
These are great stories. Wild, brave, evil, holy and mad men endure unbelievable hardships. They are driven by an absolute certainty that they will discover riches beyond belief. When the theories are proven wrong, the next expedition changes the theory and launches another search.
Connell also has a chapter on the Innocent's Crusade of 1212. At least five thousand children, no older than 16 and as young as toddlers, marched from France and Germany to the Mediterranean to invade the Holy Lands and recapture them for Christianity.
They were lead by Stephen, a 12 year old French boy who received a letter from Jesus telling him to lead a Crusade and Nicholas, an 11 year old German boy who saw a blazing cross in the sky and heard a voice telling him to lead a crusade.
Most of the Children died on the march. A few survivors died crossing the sea and the tiny amount who made it to the Holy Land were killed or enslaved. Connell does the best that could be done of trying to understand what kind of world would think this was a good idea.
He also has a section on Mary Kingsley. She was one of a group of intrepid Victorian woman explorers who went on extreme expeditions while maintaining all of the Victorian proprieties. She was a strong woman.
Connell did a huge amount of research for these essays, which he wears lightly. He enjoys scamps and rogues. There is a wonderful section on the trick used by alchemists to convince investors that they can make gold from base metals. He walks the line between being historically accurate and telling a good story.
His other book of historical essays, "The White Lantern", is just as enjoyable.
Read
September 26, 2011A fantastic collection of eleven essays by a vastly under-appreciated writer, whose Son of the Morning Star, about the Battle of the Little Bighorn, remains one of my favorite books. All of the essays in A Long Desire concern rumors, legends, theories, and fantasies, often of treasure, and the way they led to discoveries by obsessed travelers and explorers who were typically blind to the true wealth, not of gold but of knowledge, they imparted to the world. A great many people and places are named in A Long Desire, which can occasionally make the book feel tedious, but keep going and you’re sure to be rewarded, unlike some of Connell’s tragically deluded subjects.
May 1, 2026
From "The Innocents' Crusade"
"Nor is the pilgrim's motive clear. According to one theory, a villager who had noticed the boy's excitement during Black Crosses decided to play a cruel joke. But most scholars believe it is more complex, perhaps related to the Albigensian heresy.
In the French town of Albi some Christians too wise for their own health had begun objecting to ecclesiastic corruption. They also spread the absurd idea that life is a struggle between the armies of Light and Darkness, and which force will prevail is altogether in doubt. Now, as we know, in the orthodox view Satan has no chance of defeating God. The Albigensian argument therefore was suicidal" (59).
From "Prester John"
"King Joao of Portugal, meditating upon Islamic power in Africa, ordered Affonso de Paiva and Pedro da Covilhao to find Prester John. Joao's command was not a death sentence, but it is probable that the emissaries told everybody good-bye with unusual affection.
Go and find Prester John, said the king, so that we may combine our forces. And I would like to know more about India--what sort of goods we might buy and sell there. Also find out whether the Indian Sea is surrounded by land, as Ptolemy thought, or whether it connects with the Ocean Sea. Let me know where Africa ends" (88).
From "To the Indies"
"According to authorities who have studied this trip, and his later trips, Columbus was a superb dead-reckoning navigator. He was also dishonest. Like many a businessman today, he kept duplicate books: one for the facts, one for the public. His men were uneasy about this adventure, so the public log registered fewer leagues than they actually sailed. But in spite of the deception there was much grumbling and muttering while September faded, and by early October the unmistakable smell of mutiny emanated from his fleet" (113).
"Columbus wrote in his journal on the sixth of November that his messengers had seen natives carrying 'some sort of cylinder in which sweetly smelling herbs were glowing. These they supposed were dried herb stalks covered by an equally dry but broader leaf. The people sucked the opposite end of the cylinder and, as it were, drank the smoke. Although this apparently intoxicated them it also seemed to protect them from fatigue. The natives called these cylinders tabacos" (116).
"On Christmas Eve while approaching Haiti the Santa Maria gently spiked herself on a coral reef and could not be saved" (116).
From "El Dorado"
"The first Europeans to go looking for it was a young German, Ambrosius Dalfinger--some say Ehinger--who had been appointed governor of Venezuela as the result of a little hanky-panky in the old World" (164).
"According to Walker Chapman there are certain men 'so shaped by birth and breeding that they dedicate themselves to a nihilistic demolition of all human institutions.' Now this may be argued; but if its true, Aguirre was such a man" (180).
"It is now impossible to follow Coronado's trail with much precision across eastern New Mexico and the Texas panhandle because of the flatness of the country. There are almost no landmarks. Even the Indians who lived there often got lost. Coronado later wrote that they could not see a stone, no rising ground, not a tree, not a shrub. Since there was nothing to guide them, each morning they looked at the rising sun, then an archer shot an arrow in the direction they wished to take, and before coming to it another arrow was shot to extend the line; and by this method they were able to avoid marching in a curve" (215).
From "GoldGoldGold"
"Every so often when I feel sleep approaching I remind myself of that dream because it was pleasant, to say the least, and I wouldn't mind dreaming it again. But of course the inner being who directs our lives pays no attention to what we want" (239).
"Nor is the pilgrim's motive clear. According to one theory, a villager who had noticed the boy's excitement during Black Crosses decided to play a cruel joke. But most scholars believe it is more complex, perhaps related to the Albigensian heresy.
In the French town of Albi some Christians too wise for their own health had begun objecting to ecclesiastic corruption. They also spread the absurd idea that life is a struggle between the armies of Light and Darkness, and which force will prevail is altogether in doubt. Now, as we know, in the orthodox view Satan has no chance of defeating God. The Albigensian argument therefore was suicidal" (59).
From "Prester John"
"King Joao of Portugal, meditating upon Islamic power in Africa, ordered Affonso de Paiva and Pedro da Covilhao to find Prester John. Joao's command was not a death sentence, but it is probable that the emissaries told everybody good-bye with unusual affection.
Go and find Prester John, said the king, so that we may combine our forces. And I would like to know more about India--what sort of goods we might buy and sell there. Also find out whether the Indian Sea is surrounded by land, as Ptolemy thought, or whether it connects with the Ocean Sea. Let me know where Africa ends" (88).
From "To the Indies"
"According to authorities who have studied this trip, and his later trips, Columbus was a superb dead-reckoning navigator. He was also dishonest. Like many a businessman today, he kept duplicate books: one for the facts, one for the public. His men were uneasy about this adventure, so the public log registered fewer leagues than they actually sailed. But in spite of the deception there was much grumbling and muttering while September faded, and by early October the unmistakable smell of mutiny emanated from his fleet" (113).
"Columbus wrote in his journal on the sixth of November that his messengers had seen natives carrying 'some sort of cylinder in which sweetly smelling herbs were glowing. These they supposed were dried herb stalks covered by an equally dry but broader leaf. The people sucked the opposite end of the cylinder and, as it were, drank the smoke. Although this apparently intoxicated them it also seemed to protect them from fatigue. The natives called these cylinders tabacos" (116).
"On Christmas Eve while approaching Haiti the Santa Maria gently spiked herself on a coral reef and could not be saved" (116).
From "El Dorado"
"The first Europeans to go looking for it was a young German, Ambrosius Dalfinger--some say Ehinger--who had been appointed governor of Venezuela as the result of a little hanky-panky in the old World" (164).
"According to Walker Chapman there are certain men 'so shaped by birth and breeding that they dedicate themselves to a nihilistic demolition of all human institutions.' Now this may be argued; but if its true, Aguirre was such a man" (180).
"It is now impossible to follow Coronado's trail with much precision across eastern New Mexico and the Texas panhandle because of the flatness of the country. There are almost no landmarks. Even the Indians who lived there often got lost. Coronado later wrote that they could not see a stone, no rising ground, not a tree, not a shrub. Since there was nothing to guide them, each morning they looked at the rising sun, then an archer shot an arrow in the direction they wished to take, and before coming to it another arrow was shot to extend the line; and by this method they were able to avoid marching in a curve" (215).
From "GoldGoldGold"
"Every so often when I feel sleep approaching I remind myself of that dream because it was pleasant, to say the least, and I wouldn't mind dreaming it again. But of course the inner being who directs our lives pays no attention to what we want" (239).
August 7, 2017
I read a review a while back that led me to believe I'd enjoy this book; I did not. It was vaguely interesting, but rather dry and a bit of a slog. I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't what I found. Perhaps my impressions of the book are coloured by my intense distaste for the sort of obsessions that drove many of the explorers whose accounts are included -- fanaticism over religion and gold (at least towards the end of the book). The research behind the accounts seems solid, and the writer includes vaguely humorous comments throughout, but I was not entertained.
May 19, 2026
Another stunning set of essays, this time on the pursuit of dreamlike and cruder things--knowledge, gold, opportunity, station in the world. Connell was one of a kind. Funny, erudite and perceptive, capable of peering into the past and transmuting it into something present, strange but encounterable.
August 9, 2015
Previously on Writer Working, we've seen Evan S. Connell tackle the life of James Armstrong Custer in Son of The Morning Star and his novel, Mr. Bridge. The Custer book was a winner, Mr. Bridge less so. Prompted by friend/relative Dan I took a peek at another of his non-fiction ventures, A Long Desire, a collection of articles connected by theme of people obsessed with discovery, or at least with searching. Connell's eclectic curiosity reminds me of one of my favorites, Bill Bryson, whose At Home I reviewed not too long ago. He used his house and its individual history to delve into the history of houses everywhere, into the language connected with various rooms and uses, and somehow out of one small English country dwelling, one gets a good look at the history of an entire culture and language.
Similarly, Connell starts us off with the story of a young man determined to sail a Chinese Junk from Hong Kong to America. He starts out, is forced to turn back and do some remodeling on his boat. Then he starts out again. Doesn't give up. Turns out he should have. From there, we're treated to the stories of a plethora of characters, historical and modern, but mostly historical, who travel by land and sea for purposes ranging from the search for gold or spices to the Northwest Passage, to the mythical Prester John (that search went lasted for several centuries, off and on.) to a way to turn lead (or something, anything) into gold. Thus, thanks to Connell, we have between two covers Richard Halliburton, Mary Kingsley, Marco Polo, Coronado, and various Popes and potentates all holding hands in the common yearning to reach beyond where they are toward another place. Some times with a specific goal in mind. Sometimes just because whatever's out there is out there and I'm here and I can't stand to sit still.
Quite a feat.
Similarly, Connell starts us off with the story of a young man determined to sail a Chinese Junk from Hong Kong to America. He starts out, is forced to turn back and do some remodeling on his boat. Then he starts out again. Doesn't give up. Turns out he should have. From there, we're treated to the stories of a plethora of characters, historical and modern, but mostly historical, who travel by land and sea for purposes ranging from the search for gold or spices to the Northwest Passage, to the mythical Prester John (that search went lasted for several centuries, off and on.) to a way to turn lead (or something, anything) into gold. Thus, thanks to Connell, we have between two covers Richard Halliburton, Mary Kingsley, Marco Polo, Coronado, and various Popes and potentates all holding hands in the common yearning to reach beyond where they are toward another place. Some times with a specific goal in mind. Sometimes just because whatever's out there is out there and I'm here and I can't stand to sit still.
Quite a feat.
April 27, 2024
Everyone who loves to read history should own this book and its companion THE WHITE LANTERN. Both are collections of historical essays dealing with a wide range of topics. They are written with a joy of learning that cannot be hidden. The author is a master of language who brings an ironic tone to these works. He explores both big stories, like Antarctic explorations, and the Spanish conquest of Central and South America. He also delves into the smaller stories, the ones often relegated to footnotes and asides, like the stories of the scholars who translated cuneiform and Minoan or the studies of the Alchemists .
Thirty five years ago I bought these books on a whim from the Quality Paperback Book Club and have reread them often as the decades passed. They have been a joy. Treat yourselves to these treasures.
Thirty five years ago I bought these books on a whim from the Quality Paperback Book Club and have reread them often as the decades passed. They have been a joy. Treat yourselves to these treasures.
December 13, 2016
A collection of essays on exploration and the mysteries the world has to offer. It introduced me to several historical figures I didn't hear about in school, and I still pick it up when I want to read about a folk figure like Prester John, or an explorer like Ibn Battuta. Extremely readable.
December 7, 2011
A most wonderful book visiting historic voyages of many who helped open up the world so many years ago. These are great and exciting tales of adventure and speak about fascinating historic expeditions around the world. I loved learning about several female adventurers and will be seeking even more information about May French Sheldon and Mary Kinglsey. Anyone who loves history and adventure should greatly enjoy this well crafted book.
March 20, 2011
This is a re-reading. A great book, but hard to explain. There are chapters on the Children's Crusade, Columbus, Atlantis, Prester John, ElDorado and more. Connell is a excellent stylist with an eye for the detail that ties the past to the present. He also wrote an excellent biography of Custer called 'Son of the Morning Star'
November 14, 2013
This is an excellent overview on some of the greatest obsessions that have possessed mankind over the centuries, which usually involved huge loss of life, genocide and the attempted attainment of vast personal wealth and celebrity, so sadly it can be said how little we have actually changed as a species.
October 2, 2015
An amazing book that changed my life. I feel as though in reading it I inherited part of our world I hadn't even known existed.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews