No comments about Berlitz Pocket Guide Barbados (Berlitz Pocket Guides).

1 comments about Fodor's Bahamas, 19th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. I can only assume that the people who rated this book positively did so before they travelled to the Bahamas. Here is the short and skinny version of my comments: 50% of the information I tried in the book was incorrect. The restaurants had changed, key tourist spots were closed, and hotels they said were amazing were absolute crap. Some of the places that were no longer open, like the Bird Watching Nature Reserve, had been closed for two years. SOme of the people at the hotel laughed when I showed them parts of the book.
   The Bahamas have been hit by major tropical storms and hurricanes and have suffered due to this. Things close every month and if you want the latest and greatest information, call a hotel that you are considering staying at and get them to tell you what you can do if you stay there. This book was a waste of money.
   I will post the same rating for the Frommer's book, so do not think this is simply a negative for Fodors. I will say that Frommer's was the worse of the two, but Fodor's only get's 2 stars to Frommer's 1.

No comments about St Kitts: Cradle of the Caribbean.

5 comments about Pirates: Terror on the High Seas-From the Caribbean to the South China Sea.

1. fairly good book about pirates, though it would have been nice to hear something about like a secret island, something about the secret life of pirates. a good book anyways, though



2. "Pirates" is a very well documented book on the history of pirates throughout the ages, from Ancient Greece to the present. Each chapter is written by a specialist in each theme, which makes the reading amusing because of some different points of view of the authors about the same aspects of piracy. No other book on piracy unites so many highly qualified historians on this theme. The reader will be amazed with the pictures, drawings and maps, a remarkable aspect of the book, which makes this full - color edition unique. I have not found such a good and complete pictography on pirates elsewhere. The book includes innovating chapters with new information, such as the last one, entitled "Piracy Today". Since this theme has not been covered by many authors, the chapter constitutes an excellent reference for people interested in doing further investigation. Even though, "Pirates" does not constitute a complete work on piracy, it can best be defined as a glance at sea banditry in different places and times. All the chapters captured me but left me with a sense of "wanting more", which has encouraged me to search for more books on every aspect of Pirate History. Pirates is an excellent book as an introduction to the study of piracy.



3. The 1996 issue of this book is the first edition. The 1998 book is a second edition. This book contains many color pictures and is very detailed. It is a 8 1/2 by 11 inch book and about 1 inch thick. David Cordingly is an excellent writer. One of the well known authors of pirate books.



4. This large and attractive book gives the history of pirates from the 1600s to today. Organized primarily chronologically, but also by region, the book traces the history of piracy from pirates sailing the Spanish Main, through the Barbary Corsairs, French and American pirates, Chinese pirates of the nineteenth century, and pirates around the world at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
   
   Overall, I found this to be a fascinating book. Plus, what makes the book even nicer is that it is chock-full of large and interesting pictures. Is this a coffee-table book? I suppose so, but it is an excellent history book, sure to please anyone interested in learning more about pirates and piracy. I give this book my highest recommendations!



5. Titled as an Illustrated History, this book is a step up from the usual history of piracy in that it is lavishly illustrated throughout with a variety of maps, painting reproductions and pictures of artifacts.
   
   David Cordingly is the editor of this collection of essays that cover the prominent periods of piracy from the Spanish settlement of the western hemisphere to the present. The topics span the early raids on the Spanish by the various representatives of other European powers, buccaneers, Mediterranean corsairs, Golden Age, pirate round, privateers, Chinese and eastern pirates as well as modern day piracy. Each topic is covered by a different author (although at three topics, Jenifer Marx may be a little over represented).
   
   Overall, this is an excellent introduction/overview of piracy. I found no glaring omissions, nor extreme theories in what amounts to a very solid collection of prose; I particularly liked the topic on French and American privateers, a topic not often found so well detailed. While I still prefer Angus Konstam's The History of Piracy as an illustrated introduction to the overall topic, this book runs a firm second.
   P-)

No comments about Barbados (Footprint Barbados Pocket Guides).

2 comments about Diving and Snorkeling Guide to the British Virgin Islands (Picses Diving and Snorkeling Guides).

1. Our group used this guide in doing dives from our yacht in the BVI. I found it to be comprehensive enough to help us to find the dive sites fairly well without asking too many questions of the locals. There were only one or two sites which we wanted to dive which we didn't find.

   I liked the ratings of the dives from beginner to expert but I think adding a 'star' rating would help people to determine what particular dive to choose when there are many choices. Also helpful would be to include a map of the dive site (some other dive books do this) which would help in planning the dive. These are the only reasons I didn't give this book a 5 star rating.

   This book was also valuable in explaining potential problems with dives such as currents or choppy seas. It also provided the maximum and minimum depths and these were pretty much on target. The book was definitely a valuable asset on our trip.




2. This book picks out the twenty-one best diving sites in the British Virgin Islands and gives a page or two of descriptive text about each. Each dive site has one or more pictures to show the reader what to expect. Each dive site also has some general descriptions such as the typical depth, the current condidtions, how to access the site, and what expertise is required. There is a map on which all of the sites are located. There is a rating system the book uses to inform the diver whether a place is suitable for a beginner or an expert. The book also serves as a general guide to the BVI, including history, food, culture, lodging, and tourist information. The book includes some helpful tips on diving in the BVI and warns about the dangers underwater.

No comments about Hidden Guatemala (Hidden Series).

1 comments about Dive Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao (Interlink Dive Guide).

1. Very disappointed! Practically identical guidebook (from Contemporary Books) published in 2000. I was generally happy with the initial release, as it was informative (though dated @ time of review). However, the Author has not updated any of the dive site information since his initial review, as some sites are no longer available. By switching to Interlink Books, one thinks this is an updated guidebook (2008), it is not... Consider a different book that is current, rather than one that is 8 years old with a new jacket! The only changes denoted were in the Directories for each Island, and the information provided appears essentially to have been copied from a phone book.

3 comments about Frommer's Bahamas 2007 (Frommer's Complete).

1. The Bahamas are generally mistreated by guide book companies. The Open Road Guidebook is almost four times shorter then that on Tahiti, while the Rough guide is much shorter then that on Jamaica. Guidebooks tend to treat the Bahamas as a place where you rest, drink & dive. Very little background info and almost nothing about the Out Islands. Lonely Planet had by far the best book, but then with the new format in 2005 came a very poor and short edition, so LP has definitely lost that title. Now IMHO Frommer's is the best. Closely followed by Fodor's. They have the normal info for package tour guys, but they also have some interesting background reading. And all of it is in good proportions, unlike the Insight Guide which has a stunning amount of background reading but very little practical info.



2. Very very good resource of information, made me feel a lot more comfortable with my hotel choice and what part of the island I am staying on. Very excited to go on my trip and see if they were right.



3. We used this guide for planning and it turned out to be fairly accurate. Emerald on Andros, Cape Santa Maria on Long Island, and the Green Turtle Club on Turtle Cay were described accurately for our 2008 trip.

4 comments about The Dive Sites of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao : Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and Snorkeling.

1. I ordered this book because I was planning a professional assignment to the ABC islands and had many questions to ask. Having previously reviewed other titles in this series with somewhat mixed results I had some idea of what to expect.
   
   In addition to learning about the various Dive Sites, the information I require is; Something about the people - a potted history of the country and an insight into their language and customs etc, plus a few lines about shopping, how to get there, airlines, excess baggage, airport tax, tourist boards, hotels, time difference, local transport, currency, electricity, language, photography, diving facilities, safari boats, available equipment, what to bring, what to wear - and so forth. Thankfully, most of these questions (though not all) are answered with additional information on diving for the disabled and Nitrox. Furthermore, this is a destination with no direct flights from the UK - so the detailed variables of how I might get there were particularly valuable.
   
   "The Dive Sites of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao" is paperback measuring 9½in x 6½in containing over 170 pages. Commencing with a two-page explanation of the legends and symbols used throughout the book, we then have chapters on; An overall Introduction to the country, Travel, Diving and Snorkelling in general, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, the Marine Environment, Underwater Photography & Video and Health & Safety for Divers.
   
   The first map is across pages 10 and 11 and shows the islands (there are actually 5 altogether), in relation to each other and the Caribbean. That and the first 3 chapters are a very good start. Now we get down to the diving found off each of the 3 main (and two smaller) islands and this is where the book could so easily be improved. Altogether, there are brief details on 180 dive sites but each chapter commences with "Site No 1" whereas it would be far more useful had they been numbered consecutively from beginning to end.
   
   For each of the islands/island groups, only one map is required in order to demonstrate the approximate position of all the dive sites. Whilst this is used to good effect as far as Aruba is concerned, Bonaire and Curaçao are separated into 3 and 4 artificial divisions respectively. When studying the diving detail, it is always the little things which reveal the amount of research undertaken by any author. For many years Aruba has claimed that their shipwreck "Antilla" is "The largest shipwreck in the Caribbean." Whilst I can't fault any Tourist Board or local Diving Facility for making such a claim, the Author really should have done his homework. I know of at least 2 Cruise Liners found elsewhere in the Caribbean (Grenada and Mustique) that are easily 200 feet longer than this particular shipwreck and, for me, the diving detail in this book is, therefore, suspect.
   
   My final criticism is reserved for the blatant advertising for "Captain Don's Habitat." This amounts to several photographic captions where no name even needed to be mentioned and a double-page eulogy about this particular diver. I fully appreciate how the Author's diving had to be sponsored by somebody, but subsequent reference to that sponsor should be limited to the acknowledgements page and, perhaps, the occasional plug in one or two (and no more) photographs. If the Author wishes to write a testimonial to Captain Don Stewart (I am well aware of his contribution to the local Diving scene.) - fine by me, but it's inclusion here gives the impression of this book being limited to the Diving provided by this particular facility - and nobody else. And that is the wrong impression to give.
   
   Having said all that, almost all the information you are likely to want is here. That - coupled with a good cross-section of high-calibre photographs throughout, make this the best diving guide to the ABC Islands I have yet to see. With a few improvements here and a few deletions there, this book could so easily have obtained a 5 star rating.
   
   NM



2. This book contains a nice overview of the islands. There are many quality photos of the dive sites.



3. The Dive Sites of the ABC Islands was an informative guide that provided a useful map with some interesting history regarding Bonaire, and the information regarding the diveability of the sites was most appreciated by our newest member who received his Open Water Certification while we were there. However, some entries appeared dated, whereas various dive locations were no longer accessible, the water clarity ratings appeared overstated (at least for 03 - 11 February 2007 and the Restaurant listings provided little useful information, whereby we relied more heavily on input from the locals. However, as there were no other more current guides available, I'd say this one was worth the money spent. I would recommend a separate identification guide for the fish, coral, anemones, and sponges you'll find, as you'll likely be left wondering what some of strange and unusual sights were that you encountered!



4. The book has lots of information on the islands themselves and explains all reef and some wreck dives. However 95% of the dive sites are rated as 4 stars and the remaining 5% are rated 3 stars, so you can't tell which ones are the best dives.