Tim Ecott

In the Faroe Islands, nothing is certain. The unpredictability of the weather, and the harsh landscape make this beautiful corner of the world the Land of Maybe. Tim Ecott has prepared a wuthering journey in the North, in a country that still remains a mystery, creating all sorts of haunting images in our minds.

He goes back to their Celtic roots, their Viking heritage, the complex History of the 20th century. He highlights the ancient tradition and ancestral ways that link the Islands with Ireland and the Outer Hebrides and explores the sagas that chart the course of the Faroese people who have learned to fight against all odds to survive a majestic yet inhospitable landscape. From snippets like the haunting painting Home from the Funeral by Samal Joensen-Mikines to stories about cunning souls like Annika Isaksdottir, legends about the huldufolk and Raven - Floki, we are taken into the heart and soul of the Faroe Islands.

However, I could not and WILL NOT appreciate the writer’s emphasis on the numerous accounts of animal slaughter and his fervent and constant attempts to support the islanders’ justification of barbarity under the vague and thin veil of ‘’tradition’’ and ‘’survival’’. And I am not interested in weak excuses such as ‘’respecting one’s customs’’...

So, read it at your own risk.… (mere)

This book is a bit scattershot, full of episodes focused mostly on the development of scuba diving but with excursions to cover other aspects of diving as well. For example, it goes into some detail on sponge diving. Ecott tells his own stories as he visits different interesting places, and arranges interviews with a few diving personalities. It is an enjoyable read, but the author's breathless credulity and tendency to draw out some bland episodes spoiled it for me. I prefer Shadow Divers and The Terrible Hours for nonfiction featuring divers and diving history.… (mere)