[.ca] An Island to Oneself: Six Years on a Desert Island (ISBN 0918024765)

My very favourite:
I first read An Island To Oneself in 1977. I have re read it at least 10 times since. When I am ill, or sad it is one of the books I reach for first. I've never been to the Islands, but grew up in New Zealand. Neale was a Kiwi like myself, and somehow his no nonsense approach to living his dream of solitute reflects a big part of the Kiwi psyche. This is undoubtedly my favourite book. Buy it and enjoy it. And maybe one day you too will live that dream.

The man who found paridise:
I finally bought this book. I checked it out of the library many times. Tom Neale is a man who lived the dream. Many of us talk about getting out of the rat race and moving to a tropical island. Tom acually had the courage to do it! I found his book inspiring,interesting,and most of all, emotionally moving! For those of you over ever fantasied about living on a tropical island, This book is for you!

How Can Words Describe This?:
After having visited the Cook Islands in 1999 and 2000, and seeing Tom Neale's grave on Rarotonga, I sought out this book, recently buying it from amazon.com and have now finally finished reading it. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone - but especially to those who deal with daily struggles, whatever they may be. This book, and Tom Neale as a person, mean so much to me personally. I am so encouraged by Tom Neale's determination, dedication, and motivation. I feel that if he, as a man in his late 50's and 60's, can go and live on a desert island, completely fending for himself - that I can do anything. This book really is that motivational. And if you don't find it so, you are missing something. My absolute favorite parts of the book are in which the chance coincidences arise in Tom's life - his being saved from illness and perhaps death, for instance, by one of the Rockefeller clan who just happened to be passing by. And his anecdotes about wanting a cigarette, or some rum, show him to be completely human and "just like the rest of us." _An Island To Oneself_ makes me long to return to the Cook Islands someday, if only they were not so far away. Tom Neale's dislike of civilization, and the way things are in daily life, make it no wonder that anyone would want to escape to such an idyll that was (and is) Suwarrow. As Tom Neale has said of the island, "Time passes here as it was meant to." If only we could all be so lucky. If I had a guardian angel, I would say it would be Tom Neale. He is inspiration at its utmost and I admire him so.

An intriguing true life adventure:
I loved reading An island to oneself and enjoy rereading it. I am a good friend of Tom Neale's daughter Stella Neale-Kenyon who will be revisiting Suwarrow in July 2003. She has written an epilogue to this book which gives you an inside look at Tom Neale as a father. It is very enjoyable to read. Stella lives in New Zealand and Tom's son Arthur lives on Manihiki island.

A Brilliant Read.:
After having visited the Cook Islands in 1999 and 2000, and seeing Tom Neale's grave on Rarotonga, I sought out this book, recently buying it from amazon.com and have now finally finished reading it. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone - but especially to those who deal with daily struggles, whatever they may be. This book, and Tom Neale as a person, mean so much to me personally. I am so encouraged by Tom Neale's determination, dedication, and motivation. I feel that if he, as a man in his late 50's and 60's, can go and live on a desert island, completely fending for himself - that I can do anything. This book really is that motivational. And if you don't find it so, you are missing something. My absolute favorite parts of the book are in which the chance coincidences arise in Tom's life - his being saved from illness and perhaps death, for instance, by one of the Rockefeller clan who just happened to be passing by. And his anecdotes about wanting a cigarette, or some rum, show him to be completely human and "just like the rest of us." _An Island To Oneself_ makes me long to return to the Cook Islands someday, if only they were not so far away. Tom Neale's dislike of civilization, and the way things are in daily life, make it no wonder that anyone would want to escape to such an idyll that was (and is) Suwarrow. As Tom Neale has said of the island, "Time passes here as it was meant to." If only we could all be so lucky. If I had a guardian angel, I would say it would be Tom Neale. He is inspiration at its utmost and I admire him so.