reid mitenbuleR
Reid Mitenbuler is the author of Wild Minds: The Artists and Rivalries That Inspired the Golden Age of Animation (Grove Atlantic, 2020) and Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whiskey (Viking, 2015) and the forthcoming Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age (Mariner, Winter 2023) His writing has appeared in Air Mail, The Atlantic, Slate, Saveur, and The Daily Beast, and Whisky Advocate, among other publications. He lives with his family in Los Angeles.
Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age (Mariner, February 2023)
Meticulously researched and grippingly written, Wanderlust is an unforgettable tale of daring and discovery. The most famous explorer of his day, Peter Freuchen’s life seemed ripped from the pages of an adventure novel—and provided fodder for many books of his own. A six-foot-five, wildly eccentric Dane with an out-of-nowhere sense of humor, Freuchen had an insatiable thirst for thrills and a curiosity that drove him from the twilight years of Arctic exploration to the Golden Age of Hollywood, and from the burgeoning field of climate research to the Danish underground during World War II. He conducted jaw-dropping expeditions, survived the Spanish influenza, escaped survived from a Nazi prison camp, and overcame a devastating injury that robbed him of his leg foot and very nearly his life. Through it all, he was guided not only by restlessness adventurism but also by remarkably open-minded progressive ideals, arguing against the exploitation of Indigenous communities, and for environmental stewardship, and starting conversations that still continue today. Wanderlust is an inspiring portrait of restlessness and grit, and a powerful meditation on our relationship to the planet and our fellow human beings.
"This adventure story is impossible to resist.” — Publisher’s Weekly
“Peter Freuchen, a restless giant who lived a life of gigantic adventures, has been called the real Most Interesting Man in the World, and with good reason. Reid Mitenbuler captures Freuchen's wild—and wildly eclectic—career with insight, resourceful reporting, and literary verve. Page after page, chapter after chapter, you’ll find it hard to believe that such a bold character actually roamed this earth.” —Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder and In the Kingdom of Ice
Reid Mitenbuler’s incisive and rollicking tale wrests Danish Arctic adventurer, writer, anti-fascist, and polymath Peter Freuchen from obscurity and elevates him to his rightful place among the pantheon polar adventurers. Impressively researched and stirringly told, Wanderlust answers the $64,000 Question: “Who was Peter Freuchen?” The answer entertains, surprises, and delights on every page. A spectacular chronicle of a remarkable life and times.” — Buddy Levy, bestselling and award-winning author of Labyrinth of Ice and Empire of Ice and Stone
"They don't make 'em like Peter Freuchen anymore. Something of a cross between Zelig and Dos Equis' "Most Interesting Man in the World," he seemed a man out of myth, a peg-legged giant wandering from the frozen ends of the planet to Hollywood to Nazi-occupied Europe — showing unfathomable physical and moral courage in equal measure. The pleasure of reading Wanderlust is second only to hearing these tales by the fireside from Freuchen himself. Actually, probably better, because you can actually trust Reid Mitenbuler, whose assiduous research enriches his delectable prose. This is a book to get lost in.” — Julian Sancton, author of Madhouse at the End of the Earth.
Wild Minds: The Artists and rivalries that inspired the golden age of animation (Atlantic Monthly press, 2020)
“Wild Minds is a thoroughly captivating behind-the-scenes history of classic American animation, full of breezy stories of the great artists who went crazy making the brilliant cartoons we all know and love. A must-read for all fans of the medium!”–Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama
“If the twentieth century had its court painters, they were the cartoonists and animators employed by Walt Disney and other creative wizards of pop culture. In his engrossing, entertaining, and deeply researched Wild Minds, Reid Mitenbuler recreates the world of these classic animators―the largely unsung Holbeins and Van Dycks of the Magic Kingdom and at Warner Bros., Paramount, and smaller studios. There’s a direct evolutionary path, we come to realize, from the genius of Winsor McCay, a century ago, to the subversive tropes of South Park. The legacy of the animators is one we can’t escape―and don’t want to.”―Cullen Murphy, author of Cartoon County: My Father and His Friends in the Golden Age of Make-Believe
“In this absorbing history of animation, Reid Mitenbuler illuminates lives both deservedly familiar (Walt Disney, Max Fleischer, Chuck Jones) and tragically forgotten (Winsor McCay, Émile Cohl). The prose is terrific, the insights frequent, and the information fascinating. Mitenbuler deepens one’s understanding not only of his subject, but the world itself. It’s everything you want a nonfiction book to be.”―Tom Bissell, author of Creative Types and coauthor of The Disaster Artist
“An absolutely vital compendium covering all high points, low points and pen points of the personalities who hijacked our pop culture – pioneering a now-dominant American industry, ultimately creating characters and films that have stood the text of time. A delightful read – like the cartoons themselves: buoyant, bouncy and wonderfully entertaining.”–Jerry Beck, animation historian and author
“In snappy prose, Mitenbuler writes a history rich with personalities. This Technicolor tour de force is impossible to put down.” Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review)
“A finely drawn history of a critical period in the history of animation.”–Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
bourbon empire: The past and future of america’s whiskey (viking, 2015)
“Bourbon Empire is a lively, rowdy tale of swindlers and smugglers, connoisseurs and craftsmen. Reid Mitenbuler is a talented storyteller whose wide-ranging curiosity takes us to Civil War battlefields and prison cells as well as cornfields and world-famous distilleries. Truly fascinating, and a must-read for whiskey lovers!”—Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist
“Bourbon Empire is more than just whiskey history. Mitenbuler demonstrates, with clear, witty and incisive prose, how the drink shaped, and was shaped by, the history of American capitalism society. It is a book that whiskey fans, historians and students of American business will enjoy, and learn much from.”—Clay Risen, staff editor, The New York Times and author of American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye
“A must have for every bourbon enthusiast from beginner to expert. A book that finally tells the true story of our beloved bourbon, putting in perspective its important role in American history. Bourbon Empire has it all, demystifying the good, the bad and the ugly.”—Sean Brock, Chef/Partner of McCrady’s and Husk
“In finding the facts behind some of bourbon’s most cherished fables, Mitenbuler has unearthed true tales that are even better than the tall tales. A fresh look at stories we thought we knew.”—Lew Bryson, managing editor, Whisky Advocate and author of Tasting Whiskey
“Reid manages to juggle his skepticism and enthusiasm in this carefully researched and lovingly written history of America’s spirit. He peels back layer after layer of filigree, searching for the real story, which is as much the story of American business, politics, advertising, and immigration as it is the story of bourbon.”—Max Watman, author of Harvest and Chasing the White Dog
“An illuminating, well-paced narrative that will interest students and imbibers of the wee drap, American-style.”—Kirkus
“Mitenbuler’s prose is relaxed and mellow with a shot of wry; his entertaining, loose-limbed narrative revels in the colorful characters and droll hypocrisies of capitalism at its booziest.”—Publishers Weekly
"Abundant and even surprising detail is bundled with sharp writing that doesn’t hesitate to criticize.... This terrific account of the rich heritage behind a classic American beverage is recommended for those who enjoy reading histories of foodstuffs of all sorts."—Library Journal