Outposts : Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire

Rating:
Summary: A Super Read!
Review: If you are interested in British colonies as they are today, now known as Overseas Territories or Dependencies, there is no better book than Outposts. I bought this while in Bermuda for beachreading, and blasted through it in 2 days. Winchester gives you a feel for the lives of the islanders, and just how much influence the British government has left over the way they govern and police themselves. Some of the "forgotten lands" he visited and discusses include St. Helena (of Napoleon fame), Tristan de Cunha (between Africa and South America), Diego Garcia (Indian Ocean), Gibraltar, Bermuda and all of the British West Indies. Humorous, insightful - just a great way to see and feel what remains of the Empire without actually going there if you can't afford it.

Rating:
Summary: travel literature at its best
Review: If you like history and travel literature, then this is the book for you.
Simon Winchester travels to some of the smallest and most obscure places on the earth, and gives fresh insight other more well known places such as Hong Kong.

And you will learn some really interesting stuff, like that there are some islands (well rocks in the pacific really), that are classified by the British government as Navel ships, and are named as such.

You will definately want to grab an atlas after reading this.

Rating:
Summary: Superbly written - yes; Funny - no
Review: The blurb on the cover from the New York Times Book Review says: "Funny, masterly, fine... Superbly written." Like all the other books by Winchester which I have read, this is superbly written, but funny it is not. I'm not sure what the reviewer defines as funny, but after reading travelogues by Bill Bryson and Peter Mayle (which have their share of funny moments) this is a much more scholarly tome. Some of these outposts are in the middle of nowhere and you wonder how people live.

I think the chapter I most enjoyed was Gibraltar - only because I know all about the roundabout trip British citizens have to make from getting from Spain to The Rock. (Okay - maybe that was the funny section.) My second favourite section was the Falklands (or should I say Malvinas?) -- I vaguely remember the war and it was nice to get a history lesson from this book. I'm sure my friends in the UK know more about this conflict that I do - but I don't remember a lot of news coverage here in the USA. (Granted, it's 20 years ago, but still - if it's not affecting the USA, the news kind of just skates over it quickly, if it's mentioned at all.)

It's fine writing, makes you think about places that you might never otherwise heard of, but at times it's dull and reads more like a history text than a travelogue.

Rating:
Summary: places you've never known to exist!!!!!
Review: well.... as usual.... winchester's style of writing is exciting and enthralling... outposts focuses on the remaining British outposts... remenants of the British Empire... the author brings us on a journey to these remote places and vividly describes geographic, cultural and a bit of history of these outposts.... it was an enjoyable and memorable read.... if you're interested in history, geography and remote islands then i believe you will find this book interesting!!!