Maine Books

Boyle's career as a journalist is evident in his novels. The Jack McMorrow tales are as gripping as any crime thrillers out there and Boyle's work on the streets ensures that his books are authentic and gritty. Read one, you'll want to read them all.
-- Mark LaFlamme, author of "The Pink Room."

Disaffected journalist Jack McMorrow, formerly of The New York Times, takes a job as court reporter for the Maine Kennebec Observer. But, unwilling to report the docket as supplied by the local district attorney, McMorrow runs a story about Donna Marchant, an abused woman, and the boyfriend the system seems unwilling to protect her from.

Threatened by the drunken boyfriend and the angry D.A. and warned off by the paper's staid editor, McMorrow finds himself getting more personally involved with Donna Marchant than his longtime girlfriend Roxanne appreciates. When Marchant is murdered, her thuggish boyfriend is the natural suspect but McMorrow isn't satisfied. And soon, he too is a suspect - and the focus of some dangerous thugs.

Boyle supplies plenty of action and a view of the seamy as well as the serene side of rural Maine life.

Once again I was drawn into the world of Jack McMorrow, journalist-turned-detective. And once again, I was struck by how I could so much come to care about a character enmired in a plot for which I cared so little. In this latest whodunnit, McMorrow again has us trudging around Maine in search of justice in a sea of lowlifes at times so two-dimensional as to be almost laughable. One cannot help but like the McMorrow character, though, whose love for nature, plain truth, good beer, dependable friends, and the written word is exceeded only, perhaps, by his taste for confrontation. The plot, however, is like a joke with a long-winded set-up and a punchline that does not pay off. It was a page-turner and I was going nuts in my attempt to solve the mystery as I read. But all of the chapters that precede the last are but a distraction and in no way drive the story. It was like searching all over the house for your keys and then realizing you had them in your hand. It doesn't all come together the way, I think, mysteries of more calibur do. Our author sets us up in the beginning and releases us in the end but uses all the intervening pages to follow his stream of thought on the subject of birds, romantic relationships, and rednecks. Maybe he thinks we won't mind because he's thrown in a house-fire and a kidnapping here and there. And by the way, I'm pretty sure this is the 3rd time our hero is abducted in as many novels. It's enough already with the abductions. Plus, the end had me, at least, a little disappointed with McMorrow's zeal for the truth because he basically winds up perpetuating a lie at the expense of another man's freedom. And even though this was done with the intention to protect another, I found it morally questionable and disagree that it was necessary. Lastly, as our author ages, too, the McMorrow character seems increasingly conservative and dull. At the end of the first book we were left expecting an end to his relationship with the redoubtable Roxanne. I was hoping for a new woman per story a la Mike Hammer. Would I read another McMorrow mystery? Will my girlfriend once again mock me for my loyalty to the series that so often disappoints me? 'Maybe' to the former question and an undeniably 'yes' to the latter.

I think that this is a great book. I am from a big city and am used to sarcasm. McMorrow takes sarcasm to its limit. Sometimes I can't stop laughing at the things he says. The action in this books just does not stop, either. I couldn't put the book down. I had to know what was going t happen next.

Boyle's evocative writing style draws the reader into the desperate lives of the denizens of small town Maine. In this, his third Jack McMorrow mystery, the dispirited former NY Times reporter, becomes intrigued by a domestic abuse victim after she shocks the district court by baring her scars before the judge. McMorrow's search for the woman behind the news story brings him in conflict with a powerful and manipulative district attorney. The intriguing young victim is found dead and McMorrow is tormented by the fear that his attention led to her death. As in his earlier novels, Jack McMorrow tangles with local thugs, who torch his house and beat him mercilessly. His faithful girlfriend, Roxanne, returns but is shaken by McMorrow's apparent attraction to the hapless people of the Maine the tourists never see. Gerry Boyle's masterful prose and insightful depiction of his characters make this Jack McMorrow series a must read for mystery fans

Am very disturbed not to have received this book as yet. Please, I don't understand what the delay iis. This author was on television in June describing her life. Can you hurry so I can have it soon? Thanks

If you live on an island, the coast or anywhere near a lighthouse you can really appreciate this book. Connie writes with a charm that warms our soul, enlightens our spirit and gives us inspiration
in a day and age where we need to slow down...HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!

Although I have had this book since 1986 when it was first published, I recently read it for the first time. I met Connie Small when she was living in Foxwell Senior Citizens complex in Kittery, Maine. She was a neighbor to my grandmother and I enjoyed meeting her. I enjoyed reading about her first hand accounts of her many experiences in lighthouse keeping. I would very much like to know if she is still alive. It would seem unlikely since she would be 100, but I do know she was still living in 1998. If anyone has information about her, please email me, I would love to write her a note.

An autobiographical account of life keeping lights on the Maine coast, the author born in 1901 grew up in Lubec, Maine, married a man who went into the Lighthouse service, together they served at several light stations for decades: At Channel Light in Lubec Channel, at Avery Rock in Machias Bay, at Sequin Island at the mouth of the Kennebec River, at Dochet Island in the St. Croix River, and at the light in New Castle, N.H. Retired and later widowed, she wrote her experiences and is now known as an authority on lightkeeping on the Maine Coast. She currently lives in Portsmouth, N.H.

This is a thoroughly delightful book about a way of life that has almost become extinct, but which the memories and lessons are preserved to our great edification. -DMM

This book is loaded with charm. Highly recommend it.

"Limerock" is a very good collection of short stories. Most of the stories are set in Maine. One ("Ride") is set in Philadelphia.

The stories show the conflict between locals and "summer people"; between wealthy people and poor; between black people and white; between old and young; between gay and straight. Some show the difficulties of aging or illness.

I agree with the previous reviewer that praised "Detour". It's a great story about a sterile man (?) who tries to protect a little girl from her unstable family members.

"Uncle Cub at Paradise Fair" is very funny at times. The behavior of some of the characters is so appalling that it's also darkly funny.

"The Tip" is an effecting story showing the same event from two points of view. It probably should seem corny or preachy, but the author manages to avoid those pitfalls.

You might be surprised how much tension there can be in a story set in Maine (particulary since they lack supernatural elements). "The Best in the World", "Detour", "A Clock in San Diego", and "Holly Point" stand out in my mind as tense stories.

I enjoyed the book. Hopefully it will be followed by an anthology of fantasy and suspense stories. I'd also like to read another of the author's suspense novels.

"Limerock" is a very good collection of short stories. Most of the stories are set in Maine. One ("Ride") is set in Philadelphia.

The stories show the conflict between locals and "summer people"; between wealthy people and poor; between black people and white; between old and young; between gay and straight. Some stories show the difficulties of aging or illness.

I agree with the previous reviewer who praised "Detour". It's a great story about a childless man who tries to protect a little girl from her unstable family members.

"Uncle Cub at Paradise Fair" is very funny at times. The behavior of some of the characters is so appalling that it's also darkly funny.

"The Tip" is an affecting story showing the same event from two different points of view. It probably should seem corny or preachy, but the author manages to avoid those pitfalls.

You might be surprised how much tension there can be in a story set in Maine (particulary since they lack supernatural elements). "The Best in the World", "Detour", "A Clock in San Diego", and "Holly Point" stand out in my mind as tense stories.

The book is a nicely-designed trade paperback. My first copy was missing four pages. My next copy was fine, though.

I enjoyed the book. Hopefully it will be followed by an anthology of fantasy and suspense stories. I'd also like to read another of the author's suspense novels.

Rarely does a collection of short stories come along in which each one of them is a gem! Fahy has captured the essence of ordinary life in Maine with extraordinarily brilliant glimpses into places and personalities. "Detour" is a masterpiece. "Limerock" should be in the collection of everyone who appreciates great literature.

A welcome departure from Fahy's usual scary tales, Limerock explores a Maine many don't know exists. Carefully and clearly drawn, the characters, (and I do mean "characters") portray the struggle, tension and distrust between the Maine natives and the "out-a-staters". An eye opening and enjoyable read.

Reading Limerock is like taking a vacation to Maine, but instead of eating lobster dinners and walking on the beaches, this time you get invited into people's home. No, more like this: You marry into the family and move in. You start spending Friday nights at the Grange Hall dance, Saturday at BEANO. You drink coffee sombraroes with the cousins, drink tea with a good aunt, put up with the Connecticut people next door, watch the old barn on the hill slowly collapsing . . . and can't seem to get enough of it. Want to know what Maine is like? Read this wonderful book.

The photography exhibited here is quite good - several vibrant images of the landscape of coastal Maine in each of its seasons. What I didn't like is, as another reviewer pointed out, it is limited in that it only explores a few areas of Maine (namely Stonington, Acadia National Park, and Deer Isle). What about Western Maine and Portland area? Not covered. Overall not a bad concept (the writing is average) but could have been a lot better.

On the recommendation of a friend, my wife and I stumbled into a photo gallery in Deer Isle, Maine, last week during our vacation (we are from New York) to see the work of Terrell Lester, not even aware Knopf had recently published this book. We were, in short, completely blown away by his photos, all of which, and more, are collected in this remarkable book, along with four essays of varying interest. Lester's photos are like fine art, to be specific, like the best of the Hudson River School of painters back in the 1800s who created such vivid landscapes, saturated with reds and blues and yellow (and that's just in the sky). His photos of islands, mountains, rocks, lakes, surf, trees and spectacular blueberry fields blazing red in autumn are rich with emotion. They deserve to be, and in fact are, on museum walls. For the most part, they are reproduced well in "Maine: The Seasons," but in this case, you can't tell a book by its cover-- a wonderful (but rather too typical for a Maine book) photo of a father and a son heading off to work in their lobster boat. You won't be disappointed.

I recently purchased this book as I am about to move to New England and I am a working photographer. I must say, Mr. Lester's photographs are wonderful and the writing accompanies the images very well, making this a very nice book indeed. I am continually amazed at the quality (and variety) of light in Mr. Lester's photographs - I think I'm going to like this place. I like this book and would recommend it to others who are interested in travel/photo books related to the Pine Tree State. If I had any criticism at all regarding this book, it might be with the title itself. There seems to be a heavy emphasis on images from Deer Island and Stonington and surrounding environs. The title of the book , "Maine: The Seasons" might suggest a broader area of coverage. Maine is a big state - and it's great to see a photographer working in his own backyard, so to speak, but a more specific title reference may have been appropriate as many areas of Maine do not make appearances here. But this point is minor, and I digress.... overall I found this to be a fine book and a solid purchase. Cheers!

Stunning photographs and poetic/romantic writing. Makes me wish I had gone to Maine (during the summer of course!) while I was in college in New Jersey. This is a special book and it left me wanting more.

While the photography is great, it was limited to only a couple areas of Maine. I was hoping for more small town, quaint images. The only town featured was one that's not even on the map.

Pass it on is a book about a guy named Jonathan and his friends. He and his friends Mickey, Arno and Patch into partying and hanging out late. Each of them has a bunch of problems with their family life and has relationship problems with the opposite sex. Eventually secrets are kept and its like none of the four friends can count on each other anymore.

I think that this book was very well written. The author really captured the spirit of a teenage boy while writing this book. The author really had lots of vivid details to describe the scenes that took place in this book.
It actually felt like I was there my self living Jonathans life with him. I really enjoyed this book and had a lot of fun with it. At times though, the content of the book would make me feel a little uncomfortable. That's about the only thing that would bump my five down to a four. Other than that, I thought that this book was great.

I would recommend this book to all teens. I think any teen would enjoy reading this book. I know that I did. I had a lot of fun with it. It was a really "real" book. It was very down to earth and seemed like something that could and would really happen in reality. i liked it.

rummaging thru the teen section at the local barnes and noble.. i stumbled onto this book... i like to call these books.. THESE include gossip girl and any other book depicting teenage life at its best.. i.e. drinking, having sex, and having an abnormal sum of money to spend.. so. i like to call these books brain dead books.. why? dont ask.. so i bought this brain dead book with hopes of entertainment and a few dreamy moments, and i can proudly say that is exactly what i received.. entertainment and a few dreamy moments!

The second Insider's book was funny, enjoyable, and definitely better than the first. I thought The Insiders was ...meh- nothing special. But when I read the Insiders 2, I felt a lot better about the series. The second book is much more addictive and exciting than the first, and I suggest you read it even if you didn't think much of the first Insiders.

More of the same great banter, brawls, and boasting from Jonathan Minter. Theres more story on the fifth Insider, Patch which is amusing; He actually seems quite sane, unlike the unravelling social-glue Jonathan. The guys show off their athleticism, or lack thereof which is hilarious. Plus a new girl with a new accent is a no brainer. 200 pages I'd read again.

I have to say, as a fourteen year old who is going through an enormous amount of relationship trouble, it is finally a relief to actually see a teen book series that is from a guys point of view. I was a little iffy on starting to read the series, but after the first book I got hooked. In some ways, I think this one is even better. You find out a lot more about the guys and especially about Jonathan's family. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop, and I guarantee that you won't be able to either. 'Pass It On' is one of the best teenage coming-of-age books I have ever read and I completely reccomend it to anybody who wants a guys point of view instead of a girls for once.

Book has loads of information and beautiful pictures. I plan on using the suggestions during my trip to Maine.

My wife and I are planning our vacation to Maine for late Summer '06. We enjoyed the book, pictures, and suggestions for "great pictures."
We'll see how it goes!

David Middleton and Bruce Morrison have created a very insightful guide to coastal Maine photographic "hot spots". I am a professional photographer based in Maine, and while I am quite familiar with most of the places mentioned in this book I was pleasantly surprised to find out about others I had overlooked or was not aware of. (I also have a few secret spots of my own that did not crop up in the book..thankfully... but that's what makes this fun - a guidebook is best put to use as a springboard for further exploration.)

Photographers who live in Maine or are planning to visit coastal Maine will find much to enjoy here. You couldn't ask for a better resource. Even non-photographer types would do well to mine the gems of this book for general sightseeing and hiking tips.
Middleton and Morrison put you smack dab in the middle of great photo opportunities. A bit of a warning here: after you get a copy of this book you will feel a sudden and intense urge to be out on the Maine coast with your camera.

PS - Middleton's guide to Vermont photo sites is excellent as well.

We followed his book to the letter and a great book with valuable infomation. Would recommend this book for anyone traveling to Maine and who likes Lighthouses. Wonderful and helpful tips.

This is a good guidebook. It has enough detail/description to allow one to rationally select "likely sites" without being overpowering. However, there are an number of annoying editing errors present. (For example, every time the text reads "this place is 0.05 mile beyond that place", what's really meant is "0.5 mile". This is wrong in every place it's mentioned!)

This is the fourth entry featuring Jacobia Tiptree, former Wall Street financial advisor, recently retired to the small Maine town of Eastport. There she has purchased a fixer-upper, which at times, seems to be haunted, but certainly has a history. After an unknown person has plunged to his almost-certain death off the cliffs,she has to deal with a visitor from the City whom she may or may not have invited to stay with her and whom may or may not be who and what he says he is and seems to be interested in the age-old story of an unknown Stradivarius said to have been secreted away by her house's original owner.

While Jake battles the house to keep it standing,she has to deal with this stranger, her 18-year-old son's infatuation with a girl Jake considers to be inappropriate, and,certainly not least, the ladies reading club is meeting at her house this month and her mysterious guest has knocked a hole in her dining room wall.

Graves gives us a multi-faceted plot with several story lines, new as well as familiar characters, and, of course Maine. She is a talented writer who is able to keep all the story lines moving right along, keep the mystery moving toward a satisfactory end, and continue to grow her characters.

If you haven't read anything in this series, start with DEAD CAT BOUNCE, the first in the series, and you'll read the three other entries. Then, you'll join the ranks of her other fans eagerly awaiting the next entry in this excellent, if not eccentric, series. And, much to your surprise, hHer writing about Eastport will make you want to move there tomorrow - snow or no snow because you'll smell the ocean as it wafts in on the sea breeze.

In the fun and humorous manner we have come to expect from this author, Jacobia finds herself the unwilling recipient of a houseguest who shows up five days before Jake is due to host an afternoon tea with the local Garden Club (or some such commitee). Ironically enough, Jacobia's houseguest disappears without a trace, but then his mournful girlfriend and her uncle show up. The main theme is whether or not there really is a vast treaure hidden somewhere by the original owner of Jacobia's house. As always, Jacobia's life becomes a whirlwind of suspicions and mishaps, all done with a touch of humor that this author is so good at putting into her books.

Repair to Her Grave is the fourth tight, enticing paperback mystery, set in Eastport, Maine, and starring home-restorer, Manhattan-escapee, and general busybody Jacopia Tiptree. Her colonial-era house is falling apart, and possibly haunted, her ex-husband has moved to Eastport just to annoy her, her teenage son has taken up scuba-diving and emulating his father's philadering ways, and now various New York friends want to show up for the summer, including one who may or may not be looking for the legendary treasure hidden years ago by the very man whose unresting spirit may be haunting Jake's house...

These are great reads, constantly deceptive, and I appreciate the way in which Graves doesn't sentimentalize the Down East socio-economic environment and the people of Eastport, but presents it as a modern place with modern problems, even if its history (and its residents' collective memory) does go back and back and back...She also manages some very funny moments (the ladies' literary society is meeting at her house, and the plaster is falling off the walls, and a friend thinks he's solved the problem by hanging an oversize velvet painting of Elvis over the damage) as well as making her characters vivid and memorable.

Just right for a day-on-the-beach read.

Jacobie Tiptree has a great deal on her plate just now. Her old house is still in the process of restoration, her exhusband still lives in Eastport, her son is seeing a girl she doesn't like, her ghost is unpredictable, and worst of all, a summer guest she doesn't remember inviting has invaded her home for the summer to finish his dissertation. At least, that is what he said he was there for. Jake believes that he is there to search for a Stradivarius allegedly hidden in the house by a former owner. Jake believes that this is merely a local legend and is incensed when her guest disappears, allegedly drowned, leaving a huge hole in her dining room wall just days before the local reading circle is due to meet in her home.

The visitor's exgirlfriend Charmian arrives to bring home the body(there is none given the currents surrounding Eastport) and dives into the mystery herself. Jon Raines wasn't a graduate student, he was an adventurer who looked for lost treasures. Charmian's uncle wouldn't let them get married(sounds a little like a gothic romance doesn't it?), so he went off to find a real treasure to make his reputation. The uncle also makes a trip to Eastport, but thankfully, doesn't stay with Jake.

This was a very good addition to the series, Jake and Ellie solve the mystery with the usual help of the local characters and their families. This was a very fast read, great to take on vacation.

Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree used to be a high flyer living in a posh townhouse in Manhattan with her physician husband and their son. Everything turned to ashes when she learned her husband was cheating on her and her son was smoking weed. Deciding they had to get out of their environment, she divorced her husband and took her son to Eastport, Maine population about 2000.

Her new home is delightful except when the poltergeists act up but on the bright side, her son is off all drugs and doesn't drink. The only fly in the ointment is that her ex husband followed her up here to be near them. This year Jonathan Raines, a student doing his thesis, wants to be the summer guest since Jake gave him permission almost a year ago. When Jonathan disappears Jake thinks foul play occurred. When Jonathan's fiancee and her uncle suddenly appear he believes they're all looking for the Stradivarius that is supposedly hidden in her house.

Sarah Graves writes an interesting cozy that is dark and foreboding instead of lighthearted and non-threatening. It makes for fascinating reading and the touch of the paranoia adds some spice to this tasty brew. REPAIR TO HER GRAVE is a straightforward story with complex characters that have many different facets making Ms. Graves' star seem imminent in the mystery galaxy.

Harriet Klausner

I first read Supership in the late 1970's and did not reread it until this year (2001). The second time around made a much deeper impression on me, and I found it to be - for the most part - as riveting and terrifying as a horror novel. I only wish Mostert's tale was fiction.

The book describes the pros and cons of supertankers, which I'm sure have only grown since the behemoths described from 30 years ago. Mostert is no muckraker, and he does humanize the crew in good and appropriate detail (they are individuals; not monsters, not corporate automatons), but the overriding feeling I got in reading the book was dismay and helpless frustration. The impact that these ships, and the oil-consuming culture that we take for granted, has resulted in more ecological devastation than we can know. The mysteries of ocean currents are one thing that make the range of oil spills and leaks impossible to know, but the way the earth depends on the numerous lifeforms in the sea are another. Like Rachel Carson a decade earlier, Mostert is a thinking and balanced environmental reporter, and he knows the sea. I found him to be an excellent writer, using the structure of the Ardshiel's basic Europe-Gulf-Europe round trip to order the book but spinning numerous side stories related to each stage of the trip to cast light on various historical and environmental issues. It held my interest and terrified me at the same time.

The fact that 27 years have passed since its writing seemed like a mixed blessing. On one hand, the earth has survived continued oil spills of huge proportions (the book makes you feel that mankind would not survive the 20th century). On the other hand, the spills and tanker volume have only increased since the early 1970's and who knows how much worse things have gotten.

Supership is a great read and I would hope that a 2nd edition is in the works!

Originally serialized in the New Yorker in the wake of the early 1970's energy crisis, this book is an in-depth history and analysis of the biggest moving objects ever built: oil supertankers.

A quarter mile long, half a football field wide, and with several cavernous tanks each the size of a cathedral, these behemoths carry enough crude oil to meet the energy needs of a small city for a year. Their small crews and giant payloads maximize shipping company profits, but their sheer size is no guarantee against the elements and mismanagement, two factors which, when coupled with fundamental structural instability, have caused scores of sinkings and spills since the first supertankers were built in response to the temporary closing of the Suez Canal in 1956.

Written over a decade before the Exxon Valdez catastrophe, the author already had plenty of disasters to cite as examples of these ships' inherent unreliabilty and inevitable environmental impacts. But worse than the headline-grabbing collisions, explosions, and slicks is the day-to-day trickle of deadly pollution these monster ships leave in their wakes-over a million tons annually casually released into oceans during routine cleaning, bilge pumping, and emergency dumping in stormy seas. Leaking, cracking, colliding, exploding, sinking, these VLCCs (Very Large Crude Carriers) are apt symbols for the wasteful societies whose heedless practices first made supertankers a "necessity."

Mostert takes as his frame of reference a voyage he took aboard the 220,000 ton Ardshiel in 1973 and his appraisal of his ship and the supertanker fleet is objective and even-handed, delivered in a gripping style that avoids sensationalism. The maritime history is fascinating, the statistics startling, and the litany of mishap appalling. But more than an eyewitness account of these outsized ships and the overworked and underqualified crews that run them, Supership is a stunning expose of the oil business and the naked greed which drives it without moral compass.

This book is due an updated edition.

Mr. Newland pointed out that the book was published in 1975 and that Ultra Large Crude Carriers or ULCCs which is the official industry term for a supertanker, have probably gotten bigger. Indeed he is correct in his assumption. The world's largest ship right now (which also makes it the largest man-made moving object on the planet) is the Jahre Viking weighs a monumental 564,763 deadweight tons; has a length of 458.45 meters (approximately one third of a mile); and is driven by a 37,300 Kilowatt turbine.
Information can be found at ....

As Mr. Newland anticipated, the Jahre Viking was launched in 1976, one year after the book Supership was published. The Jahre Viking was built by Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd of Japan and is currently operated by Jahre-Wallem of Norway, one of the largest ship management companies in the world.

It goes without saying that if an accident were to happen to a ship of this size, the environmental consequences would be catastrophic. Of course, since 9-11-2001, the terrorist threat has added another dimension to the dilemma. One would hope that security measures have been re-evaluated, however I am not hopeful. As of this writing today, we here in the USA just saw a 15-year old boy take a small private Cessna aircraft, fly it past one of our most secure military bases -- McDill Air Force Base in Florida -- and crash it into a high-rise building owned by Bank of America. If that is how lax our security is on our own home turf and only three months after 9-11, I shudder to think what the security is like in international waters on the open seas.

I must agree with Mr. Newland that a 2nd edition of this book is needed and perhaps, now more than ever.

I eagerly looked forward to reading this book, but found it to be not so much about the functioning of a supertanker (VLCC or ULCC) but about the environmental impact of oil in the oceans. Don't misunderstand me, I am all in favor of strict safety and anti-pollution measures, which are generally better today than when this book was written thirty years ago; I just was expecting that this book would discuss technical matters and life onboard to a greater extent than it did, and be more balanced in its appraisal of the shipping industry.

The book is shrill and alarmist. It dwells on the negative impact of oil in the ocean, decries the evils of Japan, Western Europe, and especially the United States, and their appetite for oil, and notes anecdotal information like that Africa and Asia use less oil per capita than the industrialized west. Of course what he never mentions is that those same Western societies at the time of publication produced an overwhelming majority of the world's goods. This is a book that wants to be "Silent Spring", while trying to appeal to those with a technical interest in shipping.

I am interested in literature on the environmental impact of tankers, and particularly recommend "Black Tide" about the 'Torrey Canyon' as an excellent example of tanker related, balanced environmental reporting. What I don't like is a book that is ostensibly fair and balanced trying to sell me a shrill alarmist position that is anything other than balanced. In the book, for instance, Mostert goes on at length about studies that show that the oceans will be completely lifeless due to oil pollution in 25-30 years. That time has now past, and where marine species have decreased, the cause has overwhelmingly been over-fishing, not oil, with exceptions around refineries and spill areas. My point here isn't that oil is good for the oceans, but that his personal disdain for supertankers won't decrease the need for them: the solutions are in the disciplines of systems safety and crew training, with legislative assistance from governments and insurers, not in ridding the world of the tankers. Long term, of course, alternatives to oil will be found that will relegate these ships to the scrapper's torch, which is the good news; on that I am sure that Mostert would agree with me. I am for increased regulation and monitoring of tankers and agree totally with Mostert that the bulk of the problem is with ships flying flags of convenience (especially Liberia.) There is no question that these mammoth ships are capable of untold destruction, and for that reason I believe that the oil companies and the insurers (especially Lloyd's) need to carefully monitor not only the ships themselves, but the adequacy and training of the crews and the regulations and enforcement actions of the flags they sail under. If insurers make it less economically viable to use flags of convenience due to higher accident rates, safety can only then be improved.

There is good information in this book, particularly details of tanker losses and casualties, and also in the history of tankers and oil importation/exportation, but there is a grim hysteria about the horrible fate supertankers hold for the world, virtually none of which has actually come to pass.

I would very much like a new and revised edition to examine the current situation today, and to accurately summarize the strengths and fallacies of the original. If you are looking for a book on the functioning of tankers, look elsewhere. If you want a balanced book on the environmental impact of tankers, try "Black Tide". If you want a look at modern (cargo) shipping as it exists today, try "Colombo Bay." If you want a shrill, alarmist tome that accepts sources uncritically that further its cause, but is quick to dismiss evidence contrary to the opinion of the author, this is your book.

I loved this book. It deals with many things, such as how these ships were built, and why. It also gives these massive vessels a human face, because the author actually trvelled aboard a supertanker, and he gives an exellent account of the voyage, as seen through his eyes, and those of the crew. A person reading this book will find themselves wondering how some shipowners are even allowed to operate at all, or how things have gotten the way they have. He raises many hard questions concerning flags of convenience, the environment, and ship safety. If you are into ships, the sea, or just want a good read, this is well worth getting hold of.

Nice photos. Navigation info is duplicated in most cruising guides. Still, pictures are worth ... words.

Will be a great nav aid... look forward to publications covering other areas...

I recall chartering in the British Virgin Islands over 20 years ago and being handed a spiral-bound book that showed all the anchorages viewed from a couple hundred feet above the water, looking in. Wouldn't it be great if there were something like that for the far-trickier Maine coast? Well, now there is, and it's extremely well done.

Most two-page spreads in the book comprise an excellent harbor photo, the related section from the current NOAA chart, and a description of the harbor area. Superimposed on the chart is an arrow indicating the location from and direction in which the photo was shot. Some charts also include additional arrows that are overlayed on the photo as well so that you can see, for example, how the safest route for entry as seen on the chart actually looks on the water. That is really nice.

By my rough count, there are 110 harbors covered, from Isles of Shoals (OK, they're not quite in Maine) to Buck's Harbor on the west shore of Machias Bay. Unfortunately, anchorages around Eastport have been omitted. Maybe Mr. Bildner can get to them in a future edition.

Everyone cruising the Maine coast will want to have this supurb visual guide aboard to supplement the three standard guides. I only hope that the availability of this fine work won't bring TOO many folks and boats "from away" up to crowd our beautiful coast.

An excellent publication and valuable reference manual for any 'cruiser' transiting the waters of Maine. The photos taken by Jim Bildner provide a very welcome aspect of unfamilar destinations.

This outstanding book provides substantial assistance for trip planning and cruising the coast of Maine.
Having cruised Maine's beautiful coast for several decades, planning for my next cruise this summer has already been made easier by having this fine book. Of course, one must do the usual "paper chart navigation" planning before hand, but the additional help of this book is invaluable.
This book has a permanent place both shoreside and onboard while cruising.
It also makes a fabulous gift for my like-minded cruising friends.
Captain Ken Wright
[...]

I'm not quite finished with Fiddler's Green, but I've read enough to know that I like it. I've found the whole Moosepath League series to be charming. The other day I was watching a Monty Python clip--Upperclass Twit of the Year--and I couldn't help wondering if this sketch may have provided a tiny bit of inspiration for the characters of Ephram, Eagleton & Thump. Not that they would ever "kick the beggar" or "insult the waiter" but the haplessness of these three men never fails to entertain. Fiddler's Green is a departure from the other books in the series because much of it focuses on Sundry Moss and an adventure he has on his own. It's a bit of a creepy adventure, too, although each of the books in the Moosepath League series flirts with the dark side just a bit. As with the other books, Van Reid inserts tantalizing bits of old New England folklore that make me want to do my own research.

nobody has written a review of this book yet! Here it is, Halloween, and still no personal review. If you are reading this it means you have some interest in possibly owning this book. Let me put your doubts to rest... buy it, you won't regret it. This is a kind, compassionate, humorous, and literate story that could be read by your saintly aunt. I've enjoyed the adventures of the Moosepath league since their debut and they just keep getting better. Thank you Mr. Reid!
P.S. I'm not saintly and I'm an uncle so don't be put off by comparisons.

I was recently enlightening by finding the series involving the Moosepath League, and enjoyed Fiddlers green as a wonderful summer read. The characters and story developed by Mr. Reid are rare in most of the books I have read recently, and I sincerely hope he plans to continue the series with its charming characters and stories that I would describe as good, clean, fun!

While this book is just as good as any of the others in Van Reid's clever series, it seems as though the bottom has fallen out of the series and that people just aren't clamoring for these books any more. Some bookstores aren't even carrying this latest volume, and that's a shame. Maybe it's time for a boxed set. If Van Reid had any thought of continuing for a sixth volume, the lack of attention to FIDDLERS GREEN might be giving him second or third thoughts. One the public has had enough of a series, there's a law of diminishing returns. Even the best series (like Maxo De La Roche's JALNA or the Charlie Chan movies) peter off in the face of public indifference.

It's s shame too, because this story is one of Reid's better ones. Even if Chairman Toby and Sundry Moss were not in it at all, and indeed they contribute to the hilarity in big ways, such as Toby's long-awaited wedding, it would still be a page turner due to the mystery of Robin Oig, the sailor who dreams of finding an earthly paradise at Fiddlers Green.

Robin should have a series of his own, for he is a thoughtful, dreamy romantic figure who would fit in nicely with the famous Aubrey and Maturin novels of the late Patrick O'Brian. If you liked Cornelia Underwood or Mollie Peer (by Reid) or THE PICKWICK PAPERS or MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT (by Dickens), you might like FIDDLERS GREEN.