<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Island Read
Review: Great book about the dreamers of the South Pacific. It is a collection of short stories of important and not so important dreamers who have wanted to make a name for themselves in the South Pacific. Stories range from brutal mutiny to the early history of the Hawaiian Islands.
Rating: 
Summary: Those dirty rascals!
Review: Michener and Day attempt to delight us with a collection of short stories of eccentric and sometimes deceptive real life characters who roamed the South Pacific throughout history. Any one of these characters would have made for the excellent basis of a full-length novel. Dear reader is entertained by the tales of some and bored by others. Take your pick. In short, this is a wonderful book to enjoy when one has either a short attention span or time to read only in short bursts. The most prolific portion of the book is the introduction, where Michener explains the general feeling of any United States citizen. It was written when the atomic age was in full-scale crisis. Nuclear arms were being amassed at a frightening pace and seemingly tempramental political world leaders had their fingers all too close to the launch button. Michener explains that some Americans dreamed of escaping to the safe, care-free life of the South Pacific during a most perilous time in world history, just as his eccentric and unsavory characters in history have done.
Rating:
Summary: Those dirty rascals!
Review: Michener and Day attempt to delight us with a collection of short stories of eccentric and sometimes deceptive real life characters who roamed the South Pacific throughout history. Any one of these characters would have made for the excellent basis of a full-length novel. Dear reader is entertained by the tales of some and bored by others. Take your pick. In short, this is a wonderful book to enjoy when one has either a short attention span or time to read only in short bursts. The most prolific portion of the book is the introduction, where Michener explains the general feeling of any United States citizen. It was written when the atomic age was in full-scale crisis. Nuclear arms were being amassed at a frightening pace and seemingly tempramental political world leaders had their fingers all too close to the launch button. Michener explains that some Americans dreamed of escaping to the safe, care-free life of the South Pacific during a most perilous time in world history, just as his eccentric and unsavory characters in history have done.
Rating:
Summary: Wild collection of amazing true stories
Review: Michener and his partner, South Pacific expert A. Grove Day, tell a wild variety of stories from the horror of the Globe Mutinity to the incredible adventures of Coxinga, pirate of the South Pacific. If you want to know the true story of Captain Bligh, the man of mutinies, you'll find there's much more to the story than in the movies.
The theme here is that for centuries civilized man has dreamed of island life with beautiful willing women and few rules or responsibilities. This book shows the folly and tragedy of many and the luck and fortune of some who made it work. I have read most of these stories multiple times and find this a book that remains interesting. As always, Michener is well researched and quite compelling.
<< 1 >>
| 
