Through a lifetime of biological and seabird research, Michael Brooke has been blessed with the opportunity to visit a huge array of islands dotted across all the oceans of the world. His is an island list fit to make the armchair traveller green with envy - and potentially seasick. Truly no island has been too far: from St Kilda to Spitsbergen, from Hawaii to the furthest reaches of the Southern Ocean, with all manner of destinations in between. In this deeply knowledgeable and at times humorous book, the author shares the experience of stupendous scenery, amazing wildlife and cutting-edge scientific investigation, all blended with idiosyncratic adventures. We discover a great deal about the peculiar ecology and unique species of islands, looking at everything from plants, mammals, reptiles and birds to human aspects, with a splash of history and anecdote. The engaging journey will appeal to anyone who wants to learn about islands that they will probably never visit in person. The reader will share the day-to-day grind and exhilaration of undertaking fieldwork in remote situations, and reflect on the curious mindset that enables equal pleasure to be extracted from, say, Sicilian architecture and the inexpressibly brown landscapes of Cabo Verde.
After completing an Oxford doctoral thesis on the burrow-nesting seabirds of the Welsh island of Skokholm, Michael Brooke has been linked to the University of Cambridge as a teacher, curator and researcher. He has scoured islands across the world, both near and immensely far, to discover more about the lives of seabirds, enduring discomfort and rejoicing in quirky adventures. As well as scientific papers, he has written widely for magazines and national newspapers and authored several books, including the acclaimed Far from Land.
Introduction: A Royal Connection FIRST ISLANDS 1. Fair Isle 2. Akeroya, Oslo Fjord, Norway 3. Bear Island 4. Spitsbergen OUTER HEBRIDES AND BEYOND: A HALF-CENTURY OF PUFFINS 5. Shiants, Minch, Outer Hebrides 6. St Kilda 7. Faeroes FIRST ISLAND POSTINGS 8. Skokholm, Pembrokeshire, Wales 9. Cousin Island, Seychelles 10. Skomer, Pembrokeshire, Wales 11. Iceland FAR SOUTH 12. Marion Island, Southern Ocean 13. Juan Fernandez archipelago (Islas Robinson Crusoe and Alejandro Selkirk) 14. Gough Island, Southern Ocean 15. Nightingale and Tristan da Cunha 16. Bouvet Island, Furious Fifties, Southern Ocean 17. South Sandwich Islands, Furious Fifties, Southern Ocean PITCAIRN ISLANDS, SOUTH PACIFIC 18. Pitcairn 19. Oeno 20. Ducie 21. Henderson 22. Tahiti 23. The Marquesas and Tuamotus IN PURSUIT OF PETRELS 24. Reunion, Indian Ocean 25. Round Island, Mauritius, Indian Ocean 26. Hawaii 27. Falklands, South Atlantic 28. Madeira THE CAPE VERDES, TROPICAL ATLANTIC, OVER TWENTY YEARS 29. Sao Nicolau 30. Raso 31. Fogo SINGING FOR MY SUPPER 32. Cocos Island, Eastern Pacific 33. Galapagos, Eastern Pacific 34. Ascension, Tropical Atlantic 35. Sri Lanka 36. Madagascar 37. Vancouver Island 38. Borneo 39. Isla Natividad, Baja California BECAUSE THEY ARE THERE 40. Easter Island, South Pacific 41. Lord Howe Island, Tasman Sea 42. Stewart Island, South of New Zealand 43. Sicily SCOTLAND IN MAY 44. North Rona to Jura 45. Orkney RETURN TO JUAN FERNANDEZ: THE COVID YEARS 46. Isla Alejandro Selkirk, Juan Fernandez Islands Afterword List of species mentioned in the text
There a great deal to enjoy, it's my biographical book of the year so far. -- Bo Beolens * Fatbirder * As an armchair read this takes some beating as vicarious adventuring. -- Mark Avery, environmentalist and wildlife campaigner This book is a must-read for Seabirders and/or world travelers. -- Ian Paulsen * The Birdbooker Report * No Island Too Far is a brilliant book - a beautifully written testament to a life well lived. -- Arjan Arenas * BNA Bulletin * This is a fascinating book... If you love travel, this is a great book to read. -- John Miles * Bird Watching * This book provides a highly entertaining account of the author's adventures amongst the world's most remote and precious seabird islands. -- Andy Stoddart * British Birds * ...a great addition to birdy books, and I'm glad to have read it! There are certainly a lot more places on my birding bucket list now. -- Erika Zambello * 10,000 Birds *
