Tim Ecott

In the Faroe Islands, nothing is certain. The unpredictability of the weather, and the harsh landscape make this beautiful corner of the world the Land of Maybe. Tim Ecott has prepared a wuthering journey in the North, in a country that still remains a mystery, creating all sorts of haunting images in our minds.

He goes back to their Celtic roots, their Viking heritage, the complex History of the 20th century. He highlights the ancient tradition and ancestral ways that link the Islands with show more Ireland and the Outer Hebrides and explores the sagas that chart the course of the Faroese people who have learned to fight against all odds to survive a majestic yet inhospitable landscape. From snippets like the haunting painting Home from the Funeral by Samal Joensen-Mikines to stories about cunning souls like Annika Isaksdottir, legends about the huldufolk and Raven - Floki, we are taken into the heart and soul of the Faroe Islands.

However, I could not and WILL NOT appreciate the writer’s emphasis on the numerous accounts of animal slaughter and his fervent and constant attempts to support the islanders’ justification of barbarity under the vague and thin veil of ‘’tradition’’ and ‘’survival’’. And I am not interested in weak excuses such as ‘’respecting one’s customs’’...

So, read it at your own risk. show less

Ecott covers the history and development of the vanilla industry in the leading producer countries: Mexico, Reunion (island in Indian Ocean), Tahiti, and Madagascar. He also goes to a processing plant in Illinois for a tour and visits a self-proclaimed Vanilla Queen in California. Each has their own legends and secrets; many secrets. The lack of maps was annoying. And I find that in the final assessment it was interesting but not riveting.

A whirlwind of vanilla orchid cultivation/production, travelogue, tropical islands, intrigue, sketchy characters, culinary secrets, and American ice cream production. I’ll never again think of vanilla planifolia as just a pleasant taste in my ice cream.

This book is a bit scattershot, full of episodes focused mostly on the development of scuba diving but with excursions to cover other aspects of diving as well. For example, it goes into some detail on sponge diving. Ecott tells his own stories as he visits different interesting places, and arranges interviews with a few diving personalities. It is an enjoyable read, but the author's breathless credulity and tendency to draw out some bland episodes spoiled it for me. I prefer Shadow Divers show more and The Terrible Hours for nonfiction featuring divers and diving history. show less