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B-V-I Bookstore |
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B-V-I Bookstore |
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| Please support the BVI National Parks Trust, dedicated to the preservation of the natural and marine heritage of the islands. | Cruising Guides,
Culture, Dining, Diving and Snorkeling, Families,
History, Literature, National Parks Trust Memrobilia, Maps, Nature, Travel Guides Literature. New! Sunfon Calypso (1999 Paperback, 350 p. $12.95) by local author Julian Putley, a yacht charter captain, will "put a smile on your face" with its island characters, "moods and dramas" and authentic description of "all the sun, beauty and laughter" of the Caribbean.  Don't Stop the Carnival by
Herman Wouk, 1992, Paperback from Little Brown & Co. Click here to
order (only $11.96 with 20% off the list price). Said to be a favorite of Caribbean
innkeepers, this fabulous novel will draw you in and knock you out--warning, a work of
great literature! I like to imagine the setting is Marina Cay.
A Pirate Looks at Fifty by Jimmy Buffett, 1998 Hardcover. Click here to order (only $17.47 with 30% off the list price). Other Books by Jimmy Buffett: Tales from Margaritaville ($4.79--save 20%) and Where Is Joe Merchant? ($13.97--save 30%). Two on the Isle, by Robb White, a classic about life with his bride on Marina Cay in the 1940s (out-of-print edition may be sought through Amazon Books from used bookstores). Ron, on Travel Talk, informs us: "Mrs. Annie White, Rob's wife, has a new printing ordered but also has only a few copies of the original printing that are signed by Rob White. For those of you who have tried over and over to buy the book while in the BVI's, you are in luck. You can email Mrs. White at [email protected] or write her at 1780 Glen Oaks Dr., Santa Barbara, California 93108-2112. Her telephone number is 805-969-1862. She is an absolute joy to talk to." |
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 Treaure Island is believed to have been inspired by the BVI's own Norman Island. |
Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson (his life), 1883. "Synopsis: Perhaps the greatest of all adventure stories for boys and girls, Treasure Island began, a brave boy who finds himself among pirates, and of the sinister pirate-cook Long John Silver holds children as entranced today as it did a century ago. For plain and pure imaginative delight, Treasure Island is unsurpassed in its evocation of unforgetable scenes and characters that have heartened readers young and old since its original publication in 1883." Click here to order: Illustrated Junior Library 1994 edition ($11.16 with 30% off the list price), Bullseye Step Into Classics 1993 edition ($3.19 with 20% off), 1996 Audio cassette, with narrator Michael York ($4.86 with 30% off) and School & Library Binding 1981 edition illustrated by N.C.Wyeth ($18.20 with 30% off). Here is an online version with a map. Also see Pirates & Privateers. | ||||
| Cruising Guides (& Charts) |
Cruising Guides. Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands by Nancy & Simon Scott, 2005-2006, 12th edition, from Cruising Guide Publications, is a most excellent book, with detailed chart-like drawings and a wealth of information, including GPS waypoints. A work of art! Always get the latest edition. Virgin Anchorages, by Simon & Nancy Scott, June 2000, Cruising Guide Publications, a companion book to the Cruising Guide above, is a collection of magnificent aerial views of the most popular anchorages of the Virgin Islands, with a duplicate page of chart-like sketched overlays to decipher the anchorage for navigating sailors. This is a worthy coffeetable conversation starter for any BVI traveler. Click here to order (only $19.96 with 20% off the list price). The 2000 release has 5 new anchorages added as well as new photography and updated graphics. Yachtsman's Guide to the Virgin Islands , edited by Meredith H. Fields, spiral bound 13th edition (July 1997), $15.95.Waterproof Navigation Chart - British Virgin Islands, by Waterproof Charts Inc., 37x25, $18.95, Cruising Guide Publications (email, 800-330-9542). NOAA/DMA color chart, waterproof and foldable with GPS waypoints. See excerpt of chart. |
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| Diving & Snorkeling | Diving & Snorkeling.
 Diving British Virgin Islands
by Jim and Ooile Scheiner, 1997, from AcquaQuest Books is a fabulous book--very
comprehensive with brilliant photos, and even site diagrams. Jim Scheiner is a
photojournalist whose pictures capture the best of the BVIs. Click here to
order (only $15.16 with 20% off the list price).
All Stings Considered, by Craig Thomas, M.D. and Susan Scott, 1997 paperback, covers first aid related to marine dangers. See treatments online here. Snorkeling Guide to Marine Life : Florida Caribbean Bahamas by Paul Humann, 1995 80 page Paperback, only $10.36 with 20% off). A great little book covering so much--fish, coral, creatures, plants--with exquisite small photos of each! Reef Fish Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas by Paul Humann, 1994 Spiral Paperback 2nd Edition (only $31.96 with 20% off the list price). Dive Training Magazine, July 1995: If you are a diver, fish hobbyist or reef enthusiast, the second edition of REEF FISH ID belongs on your bookshelf. Rodale's Scuba Diving, December 1994: The most complete photographic guide to warm water Atlantic and Caribbean species ever published. Skin Diver Magazine, May 1996: The Bible of Fishwatching. Also by the same author: Reef Coral Identification, Reef Creature Identification, and Reef Set (boxed set of all three). DIVE SITE MAP produced by the BVI Dive Operators Association. |
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| Dining | Dining. The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook: Casual and
Elegant Recipes Inspired by the Islands by Jinx and Jefferson Morgan,
1996, from Harvard Common Press. Click here to order 272
page paperback or hardcover. A
truly remarkable book! Some years ago, Bon Appetit food and wine writers, Jinx
and Jefferson Morgan bought a small resort in an historic sugar mill which now houses the
Sugar Mill Restaurant--considered by many to be the finest in the Caribbean. Although on
the surface a collection of recipes, this is truly Caribbean cuisine
"illustrated" with the rare combination of a food writer's' breadth of knowledge
and restaurant owner's practical experience. This cooking odyssey ranges through all the
Caribbean from basic Jerked Ribs to exquisite tropical fruit salsas on seafood, such as
Pan-Seared Scallops with Tomato-Mango Salsa. These island fruits, roots, and a wide range
of ingredients from around the world may provide the basis for a new "classical"
cuisine, as the heavy, undecipherable, fattening sauces of old are replaced by light,
flavorful, healthy combinations that only an international cultural crossroads like the
Caribbean may engender. Warning: despite some discipline, readers may find themselves
drooling--take a taste of the Caribbean home today!
But this book, published in 1977 and reprinted, is more. The hand-lettered text and many drawings were all done by the author herself. It is, Dee says, a record of the "very good years" she spent as the chef, and wife, on a small charter windjammar, the Maverick, sailing the Caribbean. Indeed, it is a work of art with the calligraphy all intertwined with wonderful drawings. A classic little book offering valuable insight into food and life in the islands. Reachable by email here, Dee sells this and her other 3 books directly from Penn & Ink Press. See a Maverick Sea Fare drawing of a breadfruit.
The Virgin Islands Restaurant Guide & Recipe Book, part of series, $14.95, Cruising Guide Publications (email, 800-330-9542). "These unique guides feature fine Caribbean restaurants and favorite recipes with photos." Sea to Shore by Jan Robinson, 1994, paperback, $14.95, Cruising Guide Publications (email, 800-330-9542). This cookbook has a collection of fish, sellfish and lobster recipes from over 80 international charter chefs. Also, by the same author, Slim to Shore, Sweet to Shore, and Sip to Shore ($10.95) and Ship to Shore I.
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Search Amazon Books. Enter subject, title or author or other keyword and get discounts on books and music CDs. |
| Travel Guides | Travel Guides. The Best of the British Virgin
Islands (The Best of Series),
3nd Edition, by Pamela Acheson, May 2003. This is the latest version of
Pamela's guide--a great book for a fun vacation! Text and drawings only, with a lot of
down-to-earth advice. Especially excellent on DRIVING (yes, like in motor vehicle) to all
the special places on the islands.
Frommer's Virgin Islands (5th Ed) by Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince, September 1999. Click here to order (only $11.96 with 20% off the list price). Frommer's likewise is a well known publisher of travel guides. The Best of St Thomas : An Insider's Guide to the Most Popular U.S. Virgin Island by Pamela Acheson, April 1996. Click here to order (only $11.16 with 20% off the list price). "As a resident, Acheson provides an insider's view of St. Thomas, describing shopping opportunities, cafes and unusual restaurants, and attractions which might otherwise be missed." You can count on Pamela to have the real scoop if you're have layover time or are considering a ferry trip to St. Thomas. |
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| Families | Families. Visiting the Virgin Islands With Kids : A Complete Guide to Enjoyable Travel With Children in the British and U.S. Virgin Islands by Richard B. Myers, 1996, from Two Thousand Three Assocs. Click here to order (only $11.16 after 20% off the list price). This book, with text and drawings only, covers the same material as is available elsewhere but provides a much needed focus on families so it is a worthwhile purchase from that perspective.
Also, see Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson under Literature above. |
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| History | History. Early History of the British Virgin Islands by Vernon M. Pickering, BVI native son and editor of The Island Sun newpaper, from Falcon Publications International. This unique scholarly work includes "new details on Columbus's discovery, life at Mt. Healthy Sugar Mill, Peter Island and the Brandenburgers, St. Philip's Church, slave rebellions, place names, Emancipation Proclamation, Arthur Hodge, William Thornton, coins and stamps." A special 248 page hard-bound, deluxe revised edition is available for the BVI market at $39.95 at major outlets in the islands and by mail order (click here for information). Coals of Fire, by Penn Moll (order by email)(94 pg., illustrated by local painter Joseph Hodge), author of numberous books on the BVI, examines the history of the fireplace and cooking facilities, "from Bedouin Earth Ovens, African Ant-hill Ovens, to the more familiar Coal-pot Stove and Modern Cookers," including chapters on "baking cassava bread, cooking utensils, calabash, cooking apparatus, mortar and pestle, charcoal, lime burning, grinding stones, and shells used to serve or cook food," as reviewed in Island Sun's "COALS OF FIRE": New Book Focuses on Development of the Fireplace in the Virgin Islands. |
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| Nature | Nature. The
Nature of the Islands: Plants & Animals of the Eastern Caribbean,
Virginia Barlow and Chris Doyle, 6 x 9, 148 pp. (September 1997), $14.95, color
illustrations by Katie Shears. "A visually pleasing and knowledgeable description of
island flora and fauna."Conch Book; All You Ever Wanted to Know about the Queen Conch from Gestation to Gastronomy by Dee Carstarphen, 6 x 9, 76 pp., $7.95. Filled with illustrations and facts about conch.
A Guide to the Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands by Herbert A. Raffaele, Cindy J. House, John Wiessinger, 254 page paperback, 1990 rev. ed., $23.96 with 20% off. This revision of the "widely praised" original has "detailed accounts of all 284 well-documented species known to occur in the region, 273 being illustrated," including the 47% that are winter visitors. Lists "places to bird" as well. Understanding the Eastern Caribbean and the Antilles, by Nelson Marshall, 368 page paperback (March 1992). A discussion of the natural world of the Eastern Caribbean by a biological oceanographer in lay terms, such as reefs, mangroves, weather and the islands' future. Soap Operas of the Sky, by Jeannie Kuich, paperback (January 1995). A guide to stargazing with stories and charts, especially the awesome view from the tropical latitudes near the equator. |
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| Culture | Culture. Foxy and Jost Van Dyke by Peter Farrell, 6 x 8, 120 pp., $10.00, Cruising Guide Publications (email, 800-330-9542). A book on Foxy Callwood and the island of Jost Van Dyke "explores the entertaining and humorous side to one of the Virgin Island's most colorful and infamous characters." Pirates of the Virgin Islands/Mavericks in Paradise by Fritz Seyfarth, 6 x 9, 80 pp., $9.95, Cruising Guide Publications (email, 800-330-9542).Two books in one unique back-to-back binding. Pirates explores the golden age of piracy; Mavericks is a collection of 16 intriguing short stories. Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage, Amazon review: Caribbean English is an exceptionally rich dialect, evocative and vivid. Take "bagabu," for instance, a fine word American and British English lack, referring to dried nose mucus. "Day-clean" is a lovely word for dawn. To be in "goat-heaven" is to be in a state of bliss, but to have "goat-mouth" is a nasty business, similar to giving the evil eye. A "pissintail" is a disrespectful young thing, while "piss-a-bed" merely refers to wild coffee. Calendars: |
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| Maps | Maps. Road Map by AT&T/American Express can be ordered online here. The map is free except for shipping and handling. This is double sided 20x16 map that conveniently folds down to 3.5 x 5 for stuffing in your pocket. The map covers all the islands and Tortola on one side and Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada and a detail map of Road Town on the other. See Tortola map online here. Unlike its online counterpart, which requires switching screens to find the "code" for the hotel numbers, etc., on the map, the paper map is easy to use, and we recommend you order one for yourself. |
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| BVI National Parks Trust | BVI National Parks Trust. Memorabilia! Welcome to Paradise. An award-winning video from the BVI National Parks Trust--$19.50. Send order and cheque to P.O. Box 860, Road Town, Tortola. Guide to the BVI National Parks. A colorful tour from the BVI National Parks Trust--$5.00. Send order and cheque to P.O. Box 860, Road Town, Tortola. Tricolored Polo Shirts. Attractive new shirt with beautiful NTP Turtle logo from the BVI National Parks Trust--$35.00. Send order and cheque to P.O. Box 860, Road Town, Tortola. Flamingo Design Shirt. Exciting new shirt with design on front or back from the BVI National Parks Trust--$15.00. Send order and cheque to P.O. Box 860, Road Town, Tortola |
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Guide | BVI Map | Island Central | News |
Honeymoons | Transport |
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Diving
And Snorkeling Guide to the Virgin Islands
Sky
Juice and Flying Fish
Fodor's 2002 the U.S. & British
Virgin Islands
The
Best Virgin Island Beaches
