Outposts (Abridged) Audiobook

" Not one of Winchester's best, in my opinion, though of passable interest to those with an interest in the British empire. The premise of the book struck me as something of a publishing "stunt" more than a real quest, which I suppose soured me from the get-go. Winchester's narratives tend to ramble and digress, and here, with no one overriding theme to tie things together, that trait seems more pronounced. All in all, I've read better travelogues and better musings on the twilight of the British empire, too, but the book had its moments. "

" Good idea, but done rather better by Harry Ritchie, I thought. "

" for a fuller (and very entertaining, IMHO) account of the "invasion" of Anguilla mentioned here, see Donald Westlake's one foray into nonfiction, Under an English Heaven. "

" I enjoyed reading about the small islands that are still a part of the British Empire. I also enjoyed reading about the difficulties that the author faced and overcame to get to the various spots. "

" Love how Simon Winchester captures the flavors of a vanishing world "

" Quite informative. "

" One of the best Caribbean haunts I've taken by book! "

" Most interesting book. So many places I wasn't aware that were still colonies of Britain. Simon Winchester does know how to tell a story. "

" "Outposts" is a fascinating book from one of the best non-fiction authors I know. It answers all those questions we didn't know we had. "

" Finally explained the English obsession with the bloody Falklands. "

" The last square miles of a once mighty empire. fascinating as we witness the American Empire in the 21st century. "

" The alternatively quaint and sad tale of what's left of the British empire. People poorly served and roughly treated on far flung islands managed by an uncaring bureaucracy thousands of miles away. "

" Totally a fun summer read; Winchester has great affection for the remnants of the British Empire without losing sight of the colonial and subjugationist nature of their histories. Well-researched and well-written. "

" Winchester comes off as a bit of a pompous ass but otherwise very interesting. "

" Simon Winchester is a much more interesting travel writer than Paul Theroux, although I've read more Simon's than Paul's. "

" Older book, describing last outposts of the British Empire, with some sailing. I don't remember all the names, but at the time I could compare notes with Australians who had traveled to some of these faraway places, just to see. "

" Good British empire nostalgia (with an appropriate sensitivity to post-colonial issues) with a streak of island/sailing adventure story. Good summer travel reading. "

" By and large this is an interesting concept and well executed. While he captures the essence of exotic places in an engaging manner I found the author's bitterness and bigotries distracting. "

" My favourite Winchester...so far! "

" A thoroughly enjoyable read from Simon Winchester as he visits what remained of the British Empire in the early/mid-1980s. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the British Empire, or looking for a travel book with a difference. "

" Really awesome idea but was really, really dry. Only a dedicated Anglophile would keep plowing through this one. "

" Love how Simon Winchester captures the flavors of a vanishing world "

" Winchester comes off as a bit of a pompous ass but otherwise very interesting. "

" Touching and interesting, though already pretty dated. "

" I love the concept for this book, but like many of his books, it's just deathly dull. I couldn't manage to finish it this time, maybe someday. "

" The last square miles of a once mighty empire. fascinating as we witness the American Empire in the 21st century. "

" Simon Winchester is a much more interesting travel writer than Paul Theroux, although I've read more Simon's than Paul's. "

" Really awesome idea but was really, really dry. Only a dedicated Anglophile would keep plowing through this one. "

" Simon Winchester is such a great writer. This is a must for all Anglophiles (which I am not). He goes to all the remaining colonies the British own. Many are very remote and little dots on the map. "

" I love Simon Winchester and he didn't let me down. An interesting journey to many out of the way places...several I didn't even know existed...that at one time held great importance to the british empire in one way or the other. "

" Older book, describing last outposts of the British Empire, with some sailing. I don't remember all the names, but at the time I could compare notes with Australians who had traveled to some of these faraway places, just to see. "