Up Front by Martin B. Deutsch for 2016 WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MARTIN Martin B. Deutsch created Frequent Flyer magazine in 1980 and was editor-in-chief and publisher for 15 years. He also wrote a column called "Up Front" for Frequent Flyer during those years. In a career that has spanned seven decades, he has published and edited dozens of other magazines, including Travel Management Daily and Travel Age. For many years, he also wrote columns for Argosy and Travel Agent magazines. After Joe Brancatelli created JoeSentMe.com in 2001, he called on Deutsch, his former boss at Frequent Flyer to create its noncommercial format. He is based in New York. November 17: BOULUD AT HIS BEST With a winter Restaurant Week in New York coming soon, consider targeting Boulud Sud, one of Daniel Boulud's fine-dining stars. October 13: WHEN POLITICS WERE (A LITTLE) LESS FOUL Distressed with the tenor of this year's election? Me, too. So I go back to the 1960s for some relief. Politics were a little less foul then. July 21: SUMMER PAGE TURNERS Looking for some mindless summer reading? I've got thoughts on two novels from best-selling detective series. And I promise nothing heavy. June 30: YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH THE WRIGHT BROTHERS Two bicycle repairmen, Wilbur and Orville Wright, made air travel (and frequent flying) a reality. And no one writes about reality as well as Pulitzer Price-winning author David McCullough. In other words, you can't go wrong with his best-selling The Wright Brothers. June 2: MY DINNER (AND BREAKFAST AND LUNCH) WITH DANNY Dine at any Danny Meyer restaurant and you don't have to be a celebrity to feel special. Even better, he has a happy habit of opening compelling restaurants in hotels, which means visiting business travelers don't have to venture all that far to sample his creative food and superlative service. I did breakfast, lunch and dinner in different Meyer hotel restaurants and offer my impressions of his pancakes, pizzas and pleasant evening diversions. April 21: BATTLE CRIES FROM A WAR THAT NEVER SEEMS TO END You won't knock off James McPherson's 900-page masterpiece about the Civil War during a layover between flights. But the investment of time is certainly worth it. Battle Cry has come to be regarded as the definitive single-volume tome about the war, echoes of which resonate even in our polarizing 2016 election campaign. January 21: YESTERDAY'S HERO AND TODAY'S TROUBLED MIDDLE EAST Looking for the roots of the Middle East's current woes? Look to Lawrence of Arabia and the imperialist machinations in World War I. What happened then is what is causing today's disruptions. January 7: WANT TO EAT WELL IN NEW YORK? GO (UPPER) WEST Manhattan's Upper West Side is weak on chain hotels, but strong on dining experiences. Grab a cab from Midtown and check out these places that offer a unique Upper West Side residential vibe. These columns originally appeared at JoeSentMe.com. Copyright © 1962-2016 by Martin B. Deutsch. All rights reserved.