Tropical, preferably Island settings

[WillAdams]

It's really a shame Tom Neale's autobiography, _An Island to Oneself_ isn't available as an ebook: http://www.amazon.com/An-Island-Ones.../dp/0918024765

[AlbertaCowboy]

Peter Benchly's "The Deep" is set in Bermuda.
(I had read it prior to visiting Bermuda, and it was fascinating to see the relics that the story was based on in the Underwater & Marine Museum there).

[BenG]

The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Martin Troost.
A humorous memoir of time spent in the South Pacific.

[Lynx-lynx]

Don't know if this Amazon freebie would interest you:
In Search of Robinson Crusoe
Tim Severin

Spoiler:

Vivid eighteenth century tales of sailors washed ashore from shipwrecks, buccaneers on the run, white slaves escaping from pirates, and mutineers fleeing tyrannical captains — these were the mix from which Defoe conjured his classic book 'The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe'.

But could any man have survived what Crusoe endured.

The explorer and writer Tim Severin was determined to find out.

Beginning on the coast of Chile, then traveling to Nicaragua, Pananama and the Caribbean islands of Venezuela, Severin travels to the sites of these amazing survival stories, camping on islands and visiting jungles to put to the test the adventures and survival strategies of Crusoe and his companion Man Friday.

In the process he debunks the widely-held belief that Alexander Selkirk, a castaway who piqued early eighteenth century popular interest, was Defoe’s model.

Insightful travel writing, riveting narrative history and clever scholarly discoveries make this a remarkably rich and varied book. Tim Severin has once again demonstrated his superb ability to bring together literature and adventure in an engrossing tale.

With his signature approach to literary sleuthing, Tim Severin goes ‘In Search of Robinson Crusoe’, as he retraces the footsteps of castaways and pirates to unearth the inspiration behind Daniel Defoe’s legendary creation.

“A fascinating read … Blending travel narrative, maritime history and a literary mystery.” — LOS ANGELES TIMES

“Its hard to say which is more interesting — the history he so capably writes or his own adventures in the odd, forlorn places his research takes him to. Either way, he knows how to blend his ingredients to generate the kind of heat a reader wants from a book.”
— NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ADVENTURE MAGAZINE

“The charm of Mr. Severin is that he, an accomplished sailor, a polished narrator, can transmit the air and the feel of the sun blasted islands, the strength of the trade winds, the taste of the salt to his island-hopping research and keep us guessing.”
— THE WASHINGTON TIMES

“Track[ing] the intrepid investigation by one of the best British travel writers, […] Tim Severin, who deserves to be better known in this country, is indefatigable researcher and observer with the sort of wry humor that makes Brit writers such enviable travelling companions on the page.”
— ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tim Severin is an explorer, film-maker and lecturer, who has made many expeditions, from crossing the Atlantic in a medieval leather boat to going out in search of Moby Dick and Robinson Crusoe. He has won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award, the Book of the Sea Award, a Christopher Prize, and the literary medal of the Academie de la Marine. He books include ‘Crusader’, ‘The Sindbad Voyage’, ‘The Brendan Voyage’, ‘The Jason Voyage’ and ‘The Ulysses Voyage’.

Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by WillAdams

It's really a shame Tom Neale's autobiography, _An Island to Oneself_ isn't available as an ebook: http://www.amazon.com/An-Island-Oneself-Tom-Neale/dp/0918024765

If not seen already, have a look at Taori's Blue Islands Lagoon website at http://www.bluelagoonislands.com/ . There is an extensive section on Tom Neale and the material in the etexts may be of interest. The claim is made that the copyright has been lost on the book and as the copy included for reference has been prepared with the assistance of Tom's daughter Stella one assumes that the claim is likely correct.

[crossi]

Don Quixote, USA. by Richard Powell. Set on a carribean Island.

[Pulpmeister]

Michener again: Tales of the South Pacific. Granted it's a war memoir of sorts, but it is also a series of short stories, set mostly in the Solomons, and was the source for the stage show and movie South Pacific.

And, on Gutenberg Australia, the books by E J Banfield, who lived on Dunk Island, off the Queensland coast, for many years. "Confessions of a Beachcomber" etc. Dunk is now a resort Island, but it wasn't back in Banfield's day.

[bfisher]

Don't know why I didn't think of this earlier - "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

[BookCat]

Thanks lots for all the suggestions. Looks like I have plenty of reading to do throughout the rest of the summer! Might keep me busy during a gloomy winter too. There are some fascinating titles among the suggestions which I can't wait to read.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by WillAdams

It's really a shame Tom Neale's autobiography, _An Island to Oneself_ isn't available as an ebook: http://www.amazon.com/An-Island-Oneself-Tom-Neale/dp/0918024765

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

If not seen already, have a look at Taori's Blue Islands Lagoon website at http://www.bluelagoonislands.com/ . There is an extensive section on Tom Neale and the material in the etexts may be of interest. The claim is made that the copyright has been lost on the book and as the copy included for reference has been prepared with the assistance of Tom's daughter Stella one assumes that the claim is likely correct.

Several people have followed up on the above. I had recalled that there was also an interesting radio program about Tom Neale here in NZ a while back, but I could not remember which station it was.

I have spent some time today hunting it out; I had some luck and in case of any interest the link to its audio is http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Outsiders...7/Default.aspx . It is 40 minutes long.

[MickeyC]

Check here http://www.leftcoastcrime.org/2009/hawaii_books.html for a list of Hawaii based mysteries.