Rufus McGaugh knew early on that he wanted to see the world—all of it. And, later on, he did just that. McGaugh’s book Longitude and Latitude, with Attitude chronicles Rufus's 49 years of travel 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 peoples, 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.

Bio: Born in Detroit in 1949. Spent virtually all my childhood and young manhood in Warren. Went to Macomb Community College,then the Marines and Vietnam and a Purple Heart, and then Wayne State where I graduated. I have taught (now part time) in the Grosse Pointe Public School System for 45 years at middle school level. I got married late (44) and have two boys both adopted, the oldest Eric (now 21) from Russia. My youngest son J.T. (Jason) (14) is a freshman at Grosse Pointe South. My wife Monica and 2 boys supported me through this quest to see the entire world of 252 countries and lands. My family travels a lot with me but only to the safe and nice countries. My hobbies are working out, reading, backpacking, canoeing, hiking, mountain trekking and mountain climbing, and of course traveling. Three interesting or unusual facts about me are: I was the machine gunner on the very last Marine combat patrol in the Vietnam War in 1971. I was one the very first people to get in to visit China after recognition by the U.S. in 1979. And lastly I was the first American to get into and visit Libya after the overthrow of Gaddafi in Libya in 2011.