The Virgin Islands Illustrated: A Sailing Odyssey

Rating:
Summary: Not a very useful or entertaining book
Review: I was quite disappointed with this book for several reasons. First, it is not a travel or cruising guide. There is virtually no specific information on restaurants, shops, anchorages, dive sites, etc. Second, it is not a nature guide. The authors offer brief and vague descriptions of the flora and fauna they encounter, but readily admit that they are not sure what several species are. Finally, this book is not very entertaining or well written...Reading this book is akin to going over to someone's house to look at pictures of their latest vacation and have them offer a terse (but redundant) narrative of their activities. How many times do they have to tell us they had a sandwich and a beer for lunch and then split another beer between them? The book is written with short, choppy sentences that give it a "Dick-and-Jane" feel that I found quite annoying. There are several maps and pictures in the text, but no nautical charts. Also, the pictures are often grainy and the colors are dull. I just don't see the point of this book.

Rating:
Summary: Not a very useful or entertaining book
Review: I was quite disappointed with this book for several reasons. First, it is not a travel or cruising guide. There is virtually no specific information on restaurants, shops, anchorages, dive sites, etc. Second, it is not a nature guide. The authors offer brief and vague descriptions of the flora and fauna they encounter, but readily admit that they are not sure what several species are. Finally, this book is not very entertaining or well written...Reading this book is akin to going over to someone's house to look at pictures of their latest vacation and have them offer a terse (but redundant) narrative of their activities. How many times do they have to tell us they had a sandwich and a beer for lunch and then split another beer between them? The book is written with short, choppy sentences that give it a "Dick-and-Jane" feel that I found quite annoying. There are several maps and pictures in the text, but no nautical charts. Also, the pictures are often grainy and the colors are dull. I just don't see the point of this book.