John S. (Seajack) reviewed Tales from the Torrid Zone: Travels in the Deep Tropics (Vintage Departures) on + 347 more book reviews
When the book arrived in the mail months ago, I skimmed through it, thinking "hmmm ... looks like it might be kinda dull" and put it aside. I was wrong. There was potential for a real dragged out story, had Frater confined himself to Vanuatu (the South Seas nation where he was born and raised - his father and grandfather were missionaries there). However, he does fully succeed in tying-in his experiences in other Torrid locations (Africa, Burma, etc.) along the way such that the parts make the intended whole. When this book is good it's fascinating, and when it's not quite up there, it's at least interesting. Highly recommended.