The Confessions of a Beachcomber, by Edmund James Banfield
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The Confessions of a Beachcomber, by Edmund James Banfield
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"The Confessions of a Beachcomber" from Edmund James Banfield. Author and naturalist (1852-1923).
The Confessions of a Beachcomber, by Edmund James Banfield- Published on: 2015-03-31
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x .57" w x 6.00" l, .75 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 252 pages
Review "No better, more human, more finely descriptive, or more enticing books have ever been written by an Australian of Australia..." -- The Sydney Mail"This is a wholly exceptional book . . . which has been lived, and there are not over many books like that." -- The Daily Chronicle
From the Author Does the fact that a weak mortal sought an unprofaned sanctuary--an island removed from the haunts of men--and there dwelt in tranquility, happiness and security, represent any just occasion for the relation of his experiences-experiences necessarily out of the common? To this proposition it will be for these pages to find answer. In these pages there will be an endeavor to refrain from egotism, and yet how may one who lives a lonesome life on an island and who presumes to write its history evade that duty? My chief desire is to set down in plain language the sobrieties of everyday occurrences--the unpretentious homilies of an unpretentious man--one whose mental bent enabled him to take but a superficial view of most of the large, heavy and important aspects of life, but who has found light in things and subjects homely, slight and casual; who perhaps has queer views on the pursuit of happiness, and who above all has an inordinate passion for freedom and fresh air. Moreover, these chronicles really have to do with the lives of two people-not youthful enthusiasts, but beings who had arrived at an age when many of the minor romances are of the past Whosoever looks for the relation of sensational adventures, exciting situations, or even humorous predicaments, will assuredly be disappointed. Possibly there may be something to interest those who wish to learn a few of the details of the foundation of a home in tropical Australia; and to understand the conditions of life here, not as they affect the man of independence who seeks to enlarge his fortune, nor the settler who in the sweat of his face has to eat bread, but as they affect one to whom has been given neither poverty nor riches, and who has proved (to his own satisfaction at least) the wisdom of the sage who wrote--"If you wish to increase a man's happiness seek not to increase his possessions, but to decrease his desires."
From the Back Cover America had Henry David Thoreau, James Audubon, John Burroughs, and John Muir. Australia had E.J. Banfield, the beloved Beachcomber of Dunk Island.
Join Banfield as he describes his escape from hectic civilization to the simpler pleasures of a tropical paradise. A physical wreck, Banfield literally crawled onto the beach in Brammo Bay from the ship's launch that brought him to the island where he would spend the remainder of his life and would find renewed health and interest in life.
A disciple of Thoreau, Banfield became a champion of species preservation, and using his pen as his sword, he eventually persuaded the Australian government to set aside Dunk Island as a protected area for wild birds of all species.
During his life on the island, Banfield became a keen observer of the nature around him, and while he argues his amateur approach to the study of nature, his catalog of the island's life provides an intriguing and comprehensive look at what it means to live free on a tropical island.
For modern readers, Banfield's observations remind us of an intriguing, complex, interesting, and intensely enjoyable world beyond the television screen and computer monitor.
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Most helpful customer reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful. A man who left a high-stress, dead-end career By Midwest Book Review The Confessions Of A Beachcomber is the fascinating autobiography of a man who left a high-stress, dead-end career to live the simple live of a beachcomber on Dunk Island off the northern coast of Queensland, Australia. An avowed disciple of Thoreau, Banfield sough as simple a life as possible and maintained that life on his tropical island for twenty-five years. He involved himself in observing the flora, fauna, and aborigines of the island, and through the publication of The Confessions Of A Beachcomber became one of Australia's highly regarded literary figures. Now available to an American readership through this Dixon-Price edition, The Confessions Of A Beachcomber is especially recommended reading for any one who has ever felt like chucking so-called "modern life" and return to a simpler, more basic existence in harmony with the environment and all that nature has to offer the contemplative life.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. for island lovers with a keen eye for detail By motuman Under inauspicious circumstances -- failing health -- Banfield arrives on Dunk island off of Australia's northeast coast. But as island lovers everywhere know, more often than not islands have a way of reintroducing vitality to the soul and regenerating failing health. Consider Robert Louis Stevenson! Such was the situation of Banfield when he arrived on Dunk Island.Banfield's greatest skill within this book is his journalistic training and keen powers of observation. His descriptions of island birdlife, in particular, present detailed glimpses of behavior and how individual birds interact with the rest of the island. "With the aid of a good telescope and a compact pair of field glasses, birds may be studied and known far more pleasurably than as stark cabinet specimens," he writes. It's no surprise to find out later that Banfield eventually persuaded -- similar to Thoreau and Muir in America -- the Australian government to set aside Dunk Island as a protected wildlife area.Banfield also turns his attentions to other island life, such as the coral reef and fishes surrounding the island, and including Aboriginals living on Dunk Island. While sounding condescending now, nearly a century later, his observations offer interesting insights into times past.Banfield's book reminded me of a non-political, "Desert Solitaire"-esque Edward Abbey turning his attention to a tropical island, in that the location is both a background and a source of detailed information. I enjoyed reading about the behavior of all island life and appreciated Banfield's obvious patience and skills as an observor. Being an island aficionado myself, I felt like I was enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of some of my favorite places revisited.Overall, an excellent book to add to your library, whether travel, island, bird, or environmentally related.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. for island lovers with a keen eye for detail By motuman Under inauspicious circumstances -- failing health -- Banfield arrives on Dunk island off of Australia's northeast coast. But as island lovers everywhere know, more often than not islands have a way of reintroducing vitality to the soul and regenerating failing health. Consider Robert Louis Stevenson! Such was the situation of Banfield when he arrived on Dunk Island.Banfield's greatest skill within this book is his journalistic training and keen powers of observation. His descriptions of island birdlife, in particular, present detailed glimpses of behavior and how individual birds interact with the rest of the island. "With the aid of a good telescope and a compact pair of field glasses, birds may be studied and known far more pleasurably than as stark cabinet specimens," he writes. It's no surprise to find out later that Banfield eventually persuaded -- similar to Thoreau and Muir in America -- the Australian government to set aside Dunk Island as a protected wildlife area.Banfield also turns his attentions to other island life, such as the coral reef and fishes surrounding the island, and including Aboriginals living on Dunk Island. While sounding condescending now, nearly a century later, his observations offer interesting insights into times past.Banfield's book reminded me of a non-political, "Desert Solitaire"-esque Edward Abbey turning his attention to a tropical island, in that the location is both a background and a source of detailed information. I enjoyed reading about the behavior of all island life and appreciated Banfield's obvious patience and skills as an observor. Being an island aficionado myself, I felt like I was enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of some of my favorite places revisited.Overall, an excellent book to add to your library, whether travel, island, bird, or environmentally related.
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