Batfishing in the Rainforest: Strange Tales of Travel and Fishing (Paperback)

by Randy Wayne White (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The '60s new journalism is now producing a second generation of "gonzo" travel writers, postmodern reporters and skewed naturalists: White is all three in this collection of 23 short pieces, some of which have appeared in Playboy , Southern Living et al. Reports of adventures in Central America, Asia and Floria are frothy with peculiar insights on politics, flora and fauna and local character. This travel writing freestyle event offers an antidote to prepackaged armchair adventures and New Age "sacred tours." Even in the company of the Navy SEALS or the Seward (Alaska) Polar Bear Jump crew, White's viewpoint oscillates between quirky subjectivity and transcendence. No tourist board should let him into its country, but fans of P. J. O'Rourke and David Quaamen will find a kindred spirit.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
White, a Florida fishing guide turned writer, takes us from Singapore to Alaska in 24 essays, some of which have appeared in Playboy , Outside Magazine , and Southern Living . Although a fishing pole is usually within reach, many of White's excursions could be more accurately described as those of a naturalist-observer. An adventurous and somewhat macho sort of a fellow who does not foreswear occasional crudity, White nonetheless has a nice comic sense when the spirit moves him. His book is better described as general outdoor literature than fishing literature, and is not indispensable to either area. However, White should find an audience in Florida libraries, since much of the U.S. action is set there.
- David Panciera, Westerly P.L., R.I.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (January 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558216790
• ISBN-13: 978-1558216792
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #427,598 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolutely Wonderful Travel Book, September 22, 1998

By A Customer

Batfishing in the Rainforest is one of the funniest, most insightful and heart touching collections of essays I've ever read. After reading Mr. White's newest novel (The Mangrove Coast) I have now gone on a search for every book he's written, and Batfishing in the Rainforest is unlike anything he -- or anyone else -- has done. Mr. White wrote most of these essays while he was a fishing guide, he says, at a lovely old marina on Sanibel Island, the famous vacation spot in Florida. From that little marina, he ranged far afield, traveling around the world to write quirky stories for Outside Magazine. The first story in the collection, a tale about his hilarious dog, Gator, is absolutely unforgetable and well worth the price of admission. The stories which follow, although occasionally uneven, are always uniquely written, often funny and always intelligent. Mr. White is one of those writer we all love to "discover'. DAH

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars truth is stranger than fiction, February 12, 2002

By	doc peterson (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Batfishing in the Rainforest is a collection of Randy Wayne White's essays - some of them poignant ("the Legend", White's tale of his dog is fabulous), many of them gut-bustingly funny (his experiences at a health spa and advice on "How to be a Competent Southern Waterperson are priceless), a few had me shaking my head (how can a person be suprised they got mugged in Lima? and how come I never meet fun travel companions in third world countries?) All of them are a pleasure to read.

White never takes himself (or others) too seriously, and typically has a light and humorous take on things. The stories are brief - many originally written for Outdoor Magazine. I found the book thoroughly enjoyable and I strongly recommend it.

For those of you who are familiar with White's "Doc Ford" novels, you can see where many of his characters, plots and the "research" for his tales come from. For those readers who have not yet discovered this marvelous writer, I encourage you to begin here and then sample his hand at fiction.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Awsome adventures for macho men (Wink wink, nudge nudge), August 21, 1998

By A Customer

When Tim Cahill took a sabatical at Outside Magazine R.W.W. filled in for him, or at least he tried to. This book is a collection of his writing for Outside, and it's a rather mixed bag. I'd categorize the articles into 3 classes - the slightly Reagan-esque, where Jane Fonda is still Hanoi Jane, where Navy SEALs are the most precious fruit of the human race, and where he is incredulous to the fact that Peruvians tried to mugg him in some dark corner of Lima. Rather annoying all in all to my liberal sensitivities. Then there is a second group of essays, the redneck-out-of-the-water pieces. White goes to a beauty farm or takes a yuppie cruise. Well, it's kind of funny, but it's been done before. Last then there are the pieces he has written about his life on the Florida Gulf Coast, and those are really, really great. White lists Steinbeck as one of his influences, and the way he writes about the people at his marina, the friends who use his kids for fly-fishing practice and his truely weird dog Gator are just plain wonderful, They indeed do remind me of "Cannery Row" and the other books about Monterey and Salinas. I have re-read these pieces again and again. It is kind of interesting to see how similar the mood of his real-life writing is to the Doc Ford mysteries. If you like everything about those, you'll love this book. If you dislike some aspects of the mysteries, well, you will still find bits and pieces in here that you'll like. But have a look at Tim Cahill's writing, too.