Sunfun Calypso (ISBN 0966792300)

Fun in the sun:
Putley does a wonderful job crafting words and twisting phrases. He is a generous spirit whose clarity for observation is right on the mark. After you read his descriptions of the meals, sea and sun in this book, you'll be ready to hire him in a minute to charter your cruise. Wonderful development of plot and characters. This book is a true depiction of a fairy tale vacation.

Essential BVI reading....:
So I'm sailing along the leeshore of Cooper Island with our Skipper from a Tradewinds charter and begin discussing the business opportunities available in the BVI's. He tells me that he's written a fictional book touching on the experiences of foreigners who have attempted to do just that. His name was Julian Putney and he just so happened to have a copy on hand. I read it almost non-stop and was immediately asking about the sequel. I'm told it's coming. If you're looking for a hilarious and insightful story about the modern day BVI's, read this book. He has also written the definitive "Drinking Man's Guide to the BVI", and a wonderfully rich historical short story, "The Virgin's Treasure Isle".

Sun, fun and adventure in the Islands!:
Julian Putley has done a remarkable job of capturing the essence of a trip to the Islands in this great book while keeping the reader entertained with twists and turns on every page. If you have never been to the BVI or just spend your days dreaming of such a trip, this book should be required reading. For those of you lucky enough to have spent time in the Islands, you will recognize so many of the people, places and customs that you'll find yourself with a huge smile on your face and you'll start itching to go back. All in all, this is a great little adventure written by someone who knows and loves his Islands.

Sunfun Calypso:
I purchased this book in the BVI at North Sound. My friend and I were sailing for a week to get our bareboat rating. Our instructor was Julian Putley, the books author. He had mentioned his book and when I saw it in the store, I had to have a copy. I can tell you that it may be fiction but there is a lot of truth about the BVI, it's history and people, told in a story format. I enjoyed reading the book and recommend it to future visitors and those that have already visited the BVI.

Review from All At Sea - by Nancy Terrell:
Look no further for the perfect gift is here - a great find for fellow sailors, family, friends and tourist/cruisers who have just finished their Caribbean vacation and are returning to their homeland. Julian Putley's Sunfun Calypso immediately transported me into the realistic humor of life in Paradise. I don't know who will enjoy this book more - vacationers who have just returned from a fantastic cruise or those of us actually living here. Putley has set his story on a small Caribbean island flying the British flag. Four visitors enjoy a fantastic sailing vacation on a charter yacht - so much so that two of them decide to relocate to the Caribbean, buy a rather run down resort and marina, fix it up and..........far be it from me to let you know the plot! However, there is a marvelous subplot about a ship's figurehead -a beautifully carved mermaid. It is discovered, restored and placed above the front door of the resort's bar, aptly naming it the `Mermaid Bar'. This leads to some very unlucky mishaps (voodoo??) for some that are finally resolved during the ending. A few weeks ago I was cruising with some friends. We anchored and were having sundowners when Sunfun Calypso came up as the topic of conversation. Oh, to be a fly on the wall. Everyone had read it and each had a different opinion as to who these fictional characters are patterned after. Putley has a knack for bringing to the reader the reality of living in the Caribbean - reggae music, poor infrastructure, great sailing, bad roads, callaloo soup, libel in the local paper, gorgeous sunsets, hurricanes, calypso, dishonest attorneys, govt. corruption and turquoise, gin-clear water. What those of us who live here just chalk up to everyday life. My friends each had a different name for the taxi driver, the dishonest attorney and the Chief Minister. As the sundowners progressed so did the arguments. One couple knew the book took place in Antigua, another Tortola and yet another the USVI only under the disguise of a British Colony. This is just what Putley intended. Remember Sunfun Calypso is purely fiction and any resemblance to persons living or dead is all in your mind. Just another reason to read it. Putley's love of the Caribbean started in 1972 when he first arrived in the British Virgin Islands. It was the love of the sea and the adventuresome sailing life that led to his research and documenting of many pirate stories included in his first booklet `The Virgins' Treasure Isle' - the true story of the Norman Island treasure and The Caves. In 1983 Putley began a world voyage on his Tayana 37, Starry Night. It was during this circumnavigation that his stories were written. Many were published in Pacific Islands Monthly, Sailing, Cruising Helmsman and Cruising World and certainly helped Putley finance his trip. This love of adventure, combined with the incongruity of life, especially in Paradise, is what makes Sunfun Calypso so much fun to read. Every page is `a happening' and that's why this little book is a great gift.