Longitude and Latitude, with Attitude: One Man's Quest to See the Entire World - Paperback

by Rufus McGaugh (Author)

Rufus McGaugh knew early on that he wanted to see the world-all of it. And, later on, he did just that.Longitude and Latitude, with Attitude chronicles Rufus's 49 years of travels around the globe to every country in the world. It relates his experiences, both harrowing and humorous, in entertaining and amusing (sometimes even instructive!) vignettes.Rufus, a Vietnam vet who was awarded the Purple Heart in 1970, became a Vietnam vet against the war, got a college degree, and taught social studies at Brownell Middle School in the affluent Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe for 39 years. During that time-and before and after-he spent his summers, vacations, and retirement fulfilling a life-long dream to travel to every corner of the Earth. He has visited countries near and far, well known and obscure (including the closed regimes of North Korea and Libya). He has met interesting people, seen fascinating sights, and observed unusual events.He has been hassled by the authorities in Russia (twice in one day). He was arrested-and later stalked by a leopard-in Zimbabwe. He met Miss America (well, Miss South Carolina) in Vietnam, outfoxed (or so he thought) a tailor in Hong Kong, and broke both arms bicycling in Cuba.Longitude and Latitude, with Attitude is the unpretentious, often comic, frequently informative chronicle of these and other adventures and misadventures he experienced on his journeys. Other wanderers like him-and armchair travelers everywhere-will be captivated by it. The lively writing is supplemented by more than 50 pictures that inveterate photographer Rufus has taken in the course of his trips.

Author Biography

Rufus McGaugh was born on January 30, 1949, in Detroit, but his family moved to the suburbs when he was five. After two years at Macomb County Community College, he gave up his college deferment and enlisted in the Marines, where he served for two years-one year in California and one year in Vietnam (1970-71)-with the 5th Marines as a grunt (infantry) machine gunner. Four months into his tour of duty, he was wounded in combat and received the Purple Heart. After hospitalization, he returned to his unit and served six more months before returning home as part of a "troop withdrawal." He became a registered student at Wayne State University within 24 hours of his return home. After earning a bachelors' degree in education, he worked a series of blue-collar jobs until he was hired as a teacher in the Grosse Pointe Public School System in Michigan in 1974. Later he went on to earn a Master's degree from Wayne State. He taught full time for 36 years, retiring in 2011, but continues to work part time and to volunteer in the school system-and other school systems-since then. His interests and hobbies include travel (surprise!), backpacking, mountain trekking and climbing, canoeing, hiking, camping, reading, photography, and his very favorite-teaching. The most important thing in his life is his family: wife Monica and sons Eric and J.T. (Jason). The two things he enjoy the most on Earth are nature and its solitude and kids (both his own and all the others that he teaches and has taught).