Turtle Island : a journey to Britain's oddest colony /

In this historical travelogue of the isolated Ascension Island, Ghione goes to the ends of the earth but finds little save for giant green turtles. Ascension, a British colony in the middle of the Atlantic, lies 1,000 miles off the coast of Africa, near the equator. Ghione, a research scientist with the National Research Foundation in Pisa, Italy, went to Ascension to learn how green turtles find their way to the island each year to nest. At the time, his research was inconclusive-scientists have since shown they probably sniff the air-but Ghione has other purposes. He's seeking a secluded place for reflection and observation, a "geographical-metaphorical entity." He writes of his time on Ascension in plain, simple prose, but occasionally, the island's sparsely populated landscape moves Ghione to expand: "In the distance a desolate, ghostly mountain stands out against the pearl-colored sky, wrapped in wisps of cloud like smoke trailing from its entrails." He spends his days playing chess, drinking and tagging turtles with radio transmitters. Although there are occasional visitors and a few conversations with locals, most of Ghione's efforts involve chronicling the island's history. In the end, readers will note that in remote places, there's not much trace of the past. Despite an appendix and lists of Web sources, much of the book feels dated. When Ghione finished writing it in 1999, he needed permission from the British military to visit Ascension. Since then, a small tourist industry has burgeoned there. This is good news to visitors, but it also means the island Ghione visited isn't there anymore. (Dec. 8) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

This book paints a picture of an odd place: Ascension Island is, quite possibly, the most remote island in the world. Still a British colony, it is situated in the middle of the Atlantic, 1000 miles off the coast of Africa. Ghione, a scientist at the National Research Foundation in Pisa, Italy, journeyed to the island as part of a research effort to track how the marine turtles that give the island its name nest there. In this interesting mix of science, history, and cultural exploration, Ghione tells the tales of the island's inhabitants: from the 15th-century Portuguese explorers who discovered the island to the modern-day scientists. Whether he is educating us about the island's geographic beginnings, its historical and military significance, or its scientific value, Ghione has taken us to a place we will never get to see otherwise. While the island is remote, interest will run high with history and nature buffs. The book's list of web sites and bibliography are useful resources for students and lay readers alike. And while we may not understand why speed bumps were installed on an island with only 1000 inhabitants, we are nonetheless thankful to Ghione for the information. Appropriate for public libraries and travel collections.-Mari Flynn, Glendale Community Coll., AZ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.