Casey’S Island


Book Description

Eamon Casey is a young man from a cattle station in Northern Australia. He is conscripted and sent to Vietnam. Wounded and mentally scarred, he returns home to find that his mother has been murdered and his inheritance, the property Conemarra has been expropriated by a shady character who had married his mother in order to gain it for himself. Disillusioned, he seeks refuge on a small island in the Torres Strait. Here, he hopes to recover and begin his life anew, but there is something going on just above the horizon that will once more plunge him into conflict. The freedom fighters in West Papua accept Chinese arms to help them rid themselves of their Indonesian masters, but they dont know that China has an ulterior motive. They want to place nuclear armed rockets on the island in order to subjugate Australia and her neighbours in order to expropriate rich mineral and agricultural resources and cheap labour. Jessica Bradley is a photo-journalist who had gone to Papua to do a story on the rebellion. She, along with others, has to flee in a small boat and is rescued by Eamon. In the boat with her is Barry McLeod, the man who killed his mother and robbed him of his inheritance. Eamon falls back on his military training to thwart the Chinese and force them to abandon the island. But the story doesnt end there. McCloud escapes from the police and flees to Europe where he has secreted most of the money. Eamon and Jessica come upon him by accident, follow him to Switzerland, and extract both the money and a confession from him before handing him over to the police. Back in Australia, they pursue the people who had conspired with McLeod in his evil deeds, securing a substantial settlement and the return of the family property. Meanwhile, both work with Jessicas family in England to expand farming operations there, leading to a happy and successful family partnership.
















Moon San Juan Islands


Book Description

'Island time' isn't just for the tropics: Escape to evergreen forests, pebbled shorelines, and the glittering sea with Moon San Juan Islands. Inside you'll find: Flexible itineraries like a 4-day best of the islands and a weeklong family camping trip, with coverage of gateway towns such as Anacortes, Whidbey Island, and Bellingham, plus nearby Seattle and Victoria Unique experiences and can't-miss sights: Picnic on cliffs overlooking the ocean or paddleboard on a tranquil lake. Spot playful orcas and check out the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor. Visit local farms filled with fragrant lavender or fluffy alpaca and sip wine or cider at island vineyards. Savor the flavors of the Pacific Northwest at incredible farm-to-table restaurants, sample oysters fresh from the sea, or browse your way through quirky book stores and funky antique shops The best outdoor adventures: Go sea kayaking alongside whales or glide through glimmering nighttime waters during a bioluminescence tour. Set your sights on the islands' marine life, including killer whales, humpback whales, porpoises, and seals, during a whale-watching trip. Sail around the islands or fish for salmon, cod, and halibut. Take a forest hike, spot rare birds, or bike through rolling farm country and along the stunning shorelines Expert advice from former wilderness ranger Don Pitcher on when to go, how to get around, and where to stay, from romantic B&Bs to stunning campsites Full-color photos and detailed maps throughout Thorough information on the landscape, climate, wildlife, and history With Moon's practical tips and local insight, you can experience the San Juan Islands your way. Hitting the road? Try Moon Pacific Northwest Road Trip. Seeing more of The Evergreen State? Check out Moon Washington or Moon Seattle.










The Legendary Casey Brothers


Book Description

Nowhere in the annals of sport is there a family so gifted. In 1982 the seven Casey brothers were inducted into the Irish Sports Hall of Fame, the only family ever to receive that honour. The brothers, from Sneem in County Kerry, starred as Olympic-class oarsmen, Tug-O'-War champions, professional wrestlers and boxers and won fame throughout the sporting world. Steve, known as 'Crusher' Casey, became the supreme wrestler in the world and for a decade no one could match him. When he turned to boxing, the great Joe Louis refused to go into the ring with him. In 1983 at a family reunion in Sneem, five brothers, all in their seventies, climbed into the four-oar boat they used to win championships in the 1930s. Although they had not rowed together in fifty years, they still moved with natural unity and grace. Sports people from Kerry have achieved fame in many fields but the success of the Caseys surely outshines all.




Peter Taylor


Book Description

“Splendid. . . . McAlexander’s biography only makes it clearer than ever that Peter Taylor was our last great southern man of letters.”—Chicago Tribune “For those of us to whom Taylor’s writing is among the chief glories of 20th-century American literature, Peter Taylor: A Writer’s Life has much to tell us about how he emerged from what he called ‘the small old world we knew...in Tennessee’ and explored that world with such acuity, clarity, and unsentimental love.”—Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World “McAlexander has done a splendid job of tracing the progression of Taylor’s writing through the circumstances of a surprisingly frenetic life...Anyone interested in the evolution of fiction writing in the last century will be delighted to come upon this volume...fascinating, sometimes amusing, and often heartbreaking.”—New York Times Book Review Hubert H. McAlexander’s accomplished portrait of Peter Taylor (1917–1994) achieves a remarkable intimacy with this central figure in the history of the American short story and one of the greatest southern writers of his time. McAlexander knits together the facts of Taylor’s life in a compelling, seamless account: his deep and distinguished family roots in Tennessee; his close bonds with writers from three generations, including Allen Tate, Robert Lowell, and James Alan McPherson; his establishment of the dysfunctional family as a force in American literature; and his perseverance as a writer, finally rewarded with the Pulitzer Prize at age seventy. Exhaustively researched and engagingly written, Peter Taylor presents a vivid picture of the man, the artist, and his literary milieu.