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Pecked to Death by Ducks
In his latest tour of the earth's remote, exotic, and dismal places, the author of Road Fever and A Wolverine Is Eating My Leg sleeps with a grizzly bear, witnesses demonic possession in Bali, and survives a run-in with something called the Throne of Doom in Guatemala. Vivid and outrageously funny.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1993
40 people are currently reading
1742 people want to read
About the author
Tim Cahill
97 books170 followersTim Cahill (born 1944 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a travel writer who lives in Livingston, Montana, United States. He is a founding editor of Outside magazine and currently serves as an "Editor at Large" for the magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
September 18, 2019
This is the first of Tim Cahill's books I have read, and I have three others in my shelf.
This is a collection of short stories, and as I understand it some have been published in magazines or news papers previously.
They cover a variety of locations, although around half are set in the USA. They are loosely categorised into the following headings: The Unnatural World, Tooth and Claw, The Natural World, Other Peoples Lives, and Risk.
There are a real mixture of stories provided, from fire fighters in Kuwait, Bison in Yellowstone National Park, Kayaking in Baja to traveller's diarrhea, Australian slang and racing a 'chariot' constructed from a 44 gallon oil drum.
As might be expected there were good stories and stories that appealed less. There were some very good ones, where Cahill described events very well, and had interesting quirks or situations - generally the animal related stories and the actual travel stories appealed more to me than the more abstract. Also the Risk section quickly became tiresome - a middle aged man undertaking adventure sports - just not my wheelhouse. In some respects it is a shame this section was located at the end of the book, as my take away memory wasn't good.
I am not a big fan of Bill Bryson, but this book reminded me a little of him and his writing
For me this was an ok read - a chapter at a time - a 15-20 minute window at a time. I will probably carry on and read the other books I own.
3 stars.
This is a collection of short stories, and as I understand it some have been published in magazines or news papers previously.
They cover a variety of locations, although around half are set in the USA. They are loosely categorised into the following headings: The Unnatural World, Tooth and Claw, The Natural World, Other Peoples Lives, and Risk.
There are a real mixture of stories provided, from fire fighters in Kuwait, Bison in Yellowstone National Park, Kayaking in Baja to traveller's diarrhea, Australian slang and racing a 'chariot' constructed from a 44 gallon oil drum.
As might be expected there were good stories and stories that appealed less. There were some very good ones, where Cahill described events very well, and had interesting quirks or situations - generally the animal related stories and the actual travel stories appealed more to me than the more abstract. Also the Risk section quickly became tiresome - a middle aged man undertaking adventure sports - just not my wheelhouse. In some respects it is a shame this section was located at the end of the book, as my take away memory wasn't good.
I am not a big fan of Bill Bryson, but this book reminded me a little of him and his writing
For me this was an ok read - a chapter at a time - a 15-20 minute window at a time. I will probably carry on and read the other books I own.
3 stars.
March 16, 2020
What made me want to read this book? The title and cover, mostly. I then read the description and listened to the introduction on Audible. Since it made me laugh considerably, I went ahead and got it. I sadly have to say that this was more than a disappointment.
We were informed in the introduction that there would be next to no ducks in this. That's fine with me. What I would have wanted was some kind of red thread leading the reader through the book. And maybe a laugh or two since it was advertised as "vivid and outrageously funny".
Instead, we got the ramblings of a guy who travels a lot.
I honestly felt as if I was seated next to him at a party, desperately trying to escape while he keeps telling me of his many travels, boring me half to death, because I don't know WHY he's telling me this or that story and because his way of telling the various stories is almost putting me to sleep.
Don't get me wrong, travelling is fascinating and being able to travel so much and to so many exotic places even more so, but these tales were almost as bad as him reciting his grocery list.
This was supposedly about exotic places and strange encounters ... frankly, I didn't see it. Some stories were slightly interesting (like the reason why llamas spit if they do that at all), others were amusing (like the Throne of Doom), most were just boring and felt pointless.
The writing style was also ... mediocre? No cadence, no nothing. Like I said: as if I was trapped next to a guy at a party who thinks himself oh so interesting while having no actual skill for storytelling whatsoever.
If I wasn't allergic to DNFing a book ...
Why the 2 stars then? Because of the introduction and the story about Kuwait.
March 21, 2013
It took me forever to finish this book -- and I can't really figure out why. I like it, it's interesting, funny, and well-written. It just failed to... capture me. I suspect that I'm not terribly familar with personalities like TC's. When I read travel memoirs, they're usually more Bill Bryson-esque -- inept people falling over logs -- or Tony Horwitz-esque -- passionate intellectual dorks mixing humor and social commentary.
In contrast, I suspect TC has a beard. An unironic beard. I suspect everyone he hangs out with has unironic beards also. He probably goes to gritty bars in small towns in Mexcio where the bartender knows him by name. He drinks from shot glasses whatever Ernest Hemingway would have drunk. He was in Wherever, Third World just after the revolution. He was on the last steamboat out of Wherever just before the revolution started. He probably knows how to smoke, not because he's a smoker but because it's one of those things men like him just know how to do.
I think he's probably an old school conservationist -- the kind who know how to gut things and who want to save the natural world so they can continue to be rugged out on it. (As opposed to the sort I'm more familiar with -- 22 year old women with lower back tatoos who want to swim with the dolphins.) If TC has a tatoo, I suspect it's green.
In short, so much unironic manliness was a bit like taking a shot of testosterone straight to the head. Made me wonder if I should stop reading to scratch.
The irony is that sometimes TC thinks he is Bill Bryson. He knows guys much tougher than he is and so in comparison he feels like the one falling off logs. He's the writer who can climb a mountain rather than a mountain climber. So there's this weird self-aware / lack of self-awareness thing going on -- "Oh yes, I'm writing in this tough manly tradition. Oh but I'm subverting the tradition by not being tough and manly. Oh but see how tough and manly I am because I do it all anyway."
Which brings me back around to the fact that it is a good collection, just maybe from a world I don't know much about. The piece on the llamas alone is worth giving it shelf space. But I'm pretty sure Tim Cahill and I don't travel the same way, go the same places, or do any of the same things when we get there.
In contrast, I suspect TC has a beard. An unironic beard. I suspect everyone he hangs out with has unironic beards also. He probably goes to gritty bars in small towns in Mexcio where the bartender knows him by name. He drinks from shot glasses whatever Ernest Hemingway would have drunk. He was in Wherever, Third World just after the revolution. He was on the last steamboat out of Wherever just before the revolution started. He probably knows how to smoke, not because he's a smoker but because it's one of those things men like him just know how to do.
I think he's probably an old school conservationist -- the kind who know how to gut things and who want to save the natural world so they can continue to be rugged out on it. (As opposed to the sort I'm more familiar with -- 22 year old women with lower back tatoos who want to swim with the dolphins.) If TC has a tatoo, I suspect it's green.
In short, so much unironic manliness was a bit like taking a shot of testosterone straight to the head. Made me wonder if I should stop reading to scratch.
The irony is that sometimes TC thinks he is Bill Bryson. He knows guys much tougher than he is and so in comparison he feels like the one falling off logs. He's the writer who can climb a mountain rather than a mountain climber. So there's this weird self-aware / lack of self-awareness thing going on -- "Oh yes, I'm writing in this tough manly tradition. Oh but I'm subverting the tradition by not being tough and manly. Oh but see how tough and manly I am because I do it all anyway."
Which brings me back around to the fact that it is a good collection, just maybe from a world I don't know much about. The piece on the llamas alone is worth giving it shelf space. But I'm pretty sure Tim Cahill and I don't travel the same way, go the same places, or do any of the same things when we get there.
February 5, 2014
Halfway up the face of El Capitan, Yosemite, the climbing partner above him needs to relieve himself. Tempting the glacier to ice-bomb his kayak in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Finding his snowshoes ineffective going up the White Mountains, New Hampshire. Nightly dancing his version of the lambada–the “cowboy” lambada–to music from a radio hooked to a car battery with a shy teen girl high up in Peru’s Andes. Taking paragliding lessons “to float upon the wind, high above the mute and pitiless clay.” Caving among Lechuguilla’s impossible crystals. Learning the lowriding culture of tricked out cars in LA. Killing oil well fires in Kuwait where Iraqis had defecated in every room in the country. Sharing a campfire with fishermen in the Sea of Cortez, Baja California. Of these and many others, Cahill gives a true sense of the actual experience, straight from the gut, not taken too seriously. Great, great fun to read.
July 25, 2012
This book has a number of pros and a number of cons. My opinion flip flopped from good to bad as I read through the 300 or so pages. I eventually settled on a Do Not Read...although there were many parts I really enjoyed...so it's a very tentative Do Not Read. In other words, I might recommend it to a specific person but not to everyone I know.
The title is what initially drew me in. Pecked to Death by Ducks - that sounds funny. Then I noticed a comment on the cover comparing Cahill's writing to Anthony Bourdain and P.J. O'Rourke. I was in the mood for a snarky, wit filled, pithy travel log. The book's prologue is an explanation of the title where Cahill suggests he has a great sense of humour and that is why his books have such funny titles. Great, a humour book..or in this case, my first expectation shot down.
The first chapter is intense. Very well written, not in a funny way, but in a shocking way that pulls you right in. Cahill describes a trip to Kuwait post Iraq war. Dead bodies, eerily quiet abandoned beachside resorts, and the flaming hells of the oil fires. It's a scene out of the apocalypse. What a great start to the book. A five star rating...but, that chapter soon ended and the book never made it back to that level.
Many many more stories followed. From quick snippets of Cahill's trips to strange and exotic South Pacific islands to mundane accounts of his local travels through Montana. A handful of his travel accounts were interesting, but, the majority were mediocre and bland. Perhaps it was because I don't rock climb or take part in 'rope work' (there were more than a few chapters dealing with his mountain climbing or cave dropping) that I lost interest rather quickly.
The humour and wit that was advertised on the book's cover was non existent from what I could tell. The few attempts at sarcasm, witty references, or jokes fell flat (like my souffles or Flat Stanley). I was very disappointed because my expectations were for a funny travel journal
The title is what initially drew me in. Pecked to Death by Ducks - that sounds funny. Then I noticed a comment on the cover comparing Cahill's writing to Anthony Bourdain and P.J. O'Rourke. I was in the mood for a snarky, wit filled, pithy travel log. The book's prologue is an explanation of the title where Cahill suggests he has a great sense of humour and that is why his books have such funny titles. Great, a humour book..or in this case, my first expectation shot down.
The first chapter is intense. Very well written, not in a funny way, but in a shocking way that pulls you right in. Cahill describes a trip to Kuwait post Iraq war. Dead bodies, eerily quiet abandoned beachside resorts, and the flaming hells of the oil fires. It's a scene out of the apocalypse. What a great start to the book. A five star rating...but, that chapter soon ended and the book never made it back to that level.
Many many more stories followed. From quick snippets of Cahill's trips to strange and exotic South Pacific islands to mundane accounts of his local travels through Montana. A handful of his travel accounts were interesting, but, the majority were mediocre and bland. Perhaps it was because I don't rock climb or take part in 'rope work' (there were more than a few chapters dealing with his mountain climbing or cave dropping) that I lost interest rather quickly.
The humour and wit that was advertised on the book's cover was non existent from what I could tell. The few attempts at sarcasm, witty references, or jokes fell flat (like my souffles or Flat Stanley). I was very disappointed because my expectations were for a funny travel journal
May 29, 2012
Recalling this book from long ago, loved it as I seem to love most of Cahill's writing. He has a great knack for capturing the essence of being in the outdoors, often focusing on adventure in the outdoors, in a unique and insightful and fun(ny!) way. Here's an example:
---
What happens in the woods is this: The mind is forced to deal with certain niggling but elemental details. Those things we take for granted--shelter, food, basic conveniences, comfort, brute survival--require all our attention and must be attended to. When a storm is blowing in and the tent isn't set up, worrying about mortgages and outlines is a luxury. Later, such concerns seem an impostition. Primitive necessity, it seems, can snap the thread of linear thinking. It can send us skittering from deerflies directly into the cosmos.
---(pg 54)---
---
What happens in the woods is this: The mind is forced to deal with certain niggling but elemental details. Those things we take for granted--shelter, food, basic conveniences, comfort, brute survival--require all our attention and must be attended to. When a storm is blowing in and the tent isn't set up, worrying about mortgages and outlines is a luxury. Later, such concerns seem an impostition. Primitive necessity, it seems, can snap the thread of linear thinking. It can send us skittering from deerflies directly into the cosmos.
---(pg 54)---
October 30, 2014
The title is the most mildly amusing thing about this book. That it has no connection whatever to the content is close to deception in my view. Like others here I was expecting something at least mildly amusing; it's not. It's well written, yes, but not amusing.
The book is collection of travel-related tales which were written for various magazines. All through, even though I'd never heard of Tim Cahill, I kept on getting a "this is very familiar" feeling as I read. It is familiar. The stories are the sort of thing you might find in any airline's in-flight magazine; designed and written competently and very carefully so as not to offend or upset or annoy. That's understandable in an in-flight mag. but in a book it just makes for rather bland writing and somewhat ordinary reading.
The book is collection of travel-related tales which were written for various magazines. All through, even though I'd never heard of Tim Cahill, I kept on getting a "this is very familiar" feeling as I read. It is familiar. The stories are the sort of thing you might find in any airline's in-flight magazine; designed and written competently and very carefully so as not to offend or upset or annoy. That's understandable in an in-flight mag. but in a book it just makes for rather bland writing and somewhat ordinary reading.
July 29, 2013
This book has been on my “to be read” list for a long time. Too long, as it turns out, just like when you leave a bottle of wine in the closet for ages because you’re “saving it.” At a certain point, it’ll never be as good as it might have been had you’d opened it in good time. Not only do several of essays in this collection show their age, but there is a sameness to Cahill’s writing– to his observations, his commentary, his sense of humor – that wears more than a bit thin. Pecked to Death by Ducks strikes one as a product of the Sebastian Junger Testosterone-Based School of Reportage and, at the remove of 20 years, Cahill's vision seems very 1990s and very small in scope.
April 22, 2019
A mixed bag of his essays, mostly previously published and almost all pretty interesting. I have been reading Cahill for a while and have enjoyed most of his work. I liked most when he was visiting different people, especially his section in South America, and some of the high adventure things (or in some cases the lower-adventure one, for example, his caving stories). I was fascinated by the Lechuguilla Cave (I think an even bigger one has since been discovered). I love experiencing these places that I will never get to go, mostly cause I am a coward and not healthy enough to tackle them. And I often like his humor.
March 28, 2009
I read this book because I like Tim Cahill, and because of the crazy title. The author does a lot of writing for "outdoorsy" magazines. Knowing that about the author made this book that much more believable and added to my enjoyment of it. Personally, I don't think you can fully enjoy a travel novel if its overly embellished. If ya like mountain climbing, spelunking, para-sailing, falconry, kayaking, or anything really cool, you should read this.
January 30, 2010
I'm not sure why I didn't like this book more. It seemed great "on paper"...it's a collection of essays about traveling around the world, and I usually love that type of thing. It's funny at some parts and very serious at others, which I also like, and it really made me think. Cahill provides an interesting blend of facts/research with personal anecdotes. For some reason, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would (perhaps it was my mood?), but I still found it worthwhile.
February 2, 2008
My favorite title of all his books.
December 14, 2010
This book helped me realize my dream of one day owning a llama ranch.
February 1, 2009
This collection of worst trip ever essays, is inspirational in its theme, what not to do.
May 8, 2019
As this is the fifth book by the author I have read so far, I'm pretty familiar with his shtick. Unfortunately, this book falls towards the bottom of the author's body of work rather than towards the top. Cahill is best when he is writing so that you are neither offended by his political and religious thoughts or envious that this tool is able to travel on the dime of other companies and make a career writing about it, but instead writing so that you are able to laugh at what a clueless buffoon he is. At his best, Cahill manages to do enviable things without provoking envy, and to be an idiot without that idiocy being offensive, but that is not the case here. Instead, this book follows the same kind of trend of Cahill's early writings when he wrote a lot about politics and religion and made himself look less than charitable in the process. Indeed, in one essay here the author shows himself to be remarkably hostile to a premillennial religious group that had settled in Montana. I wonder what he would think about some of my coreligionists in the Eternal Church of God who settled in Montana? Probably nothing positive.
This particular book of almost 400 pages is divided into five sections with numerous essays within them. The author begins with a look at the unnatural world (I), with Kuwait burning at the end of the Gulf War, a complaint about a lack of mutilations in people who believe in paranormal phenomena, and a brag/complaint about the way that the Marquesas have failed to attract many tourists, except for the author who has now written about them at least twice. After that comes "Tooth And Claw," which contains some of the author's thoughts on bear, bison, and moose, as well as llama and the mountain gorilla (II). "The Natural World" allows the author to reflect on kayaking and traveling in Antarctic waters (III). In Other People's Lives, the author gets the chance to talk about pretending to be a duck (again) in Bali, dealing with the miner's paradox, visits to Chiloé off the coast of Chile, and the story of a missing hiker in Yellowstone (IV). Finally, in "Risk," the author tackles paragliding, a football player's hatred of caving, sorority sisters hiking on the ice, and a trek with the Dangerous Sports Club, apparently the inventors of bungee jumping.
It is a bit of a letdown that this book is not better than it is. In some ways, after several books of essays, the author shows himself running out of ideas and returning to subjects he had previously written about, in a sort of self-plagiarism. Likewise, after having written a few books where he made himself look incompetent in the interests of pleasing the reader, here he seems a bit more interested in writing with a political edge, and it doesn't suite him as well as his more comic writing. Given that the author has a worldview that makes him very harsh towards conservative religious sects and tediously progressive in much of his politics, anything that encourages the author to engage in that side of his writing is not playing to his strengths but rather alienating him from potential readers. Likewise, the whole book as a whole reeks with a sort of privilege that engages in tourism while simultaneously bragging that the places the author goes to are for him but not for everyone else, seeking to preserve what is unspoiled while simultaneously spoiling it through his own presence and his writing about it in ways that would likely inspire imitation.
This particular book of almost 400 pages is divided into five sections with numerous essays within them. The author begins with a look at the unnatural world (I), with Kuwait burning at the end of the Gulf War, a complaint about a lack of mutilations in people who believe in paranormal phenomena, and a brag/complaint about the way that the Marquesas have failed to attract many tourists, except for the author who has now written about them at least twice. After that comes "Tooth And Claw," which contains some of the author's thoughts on bear, bison, and moose, as well as llama and the mountain gorilla (II). "The Natural World" allows the author to reflect on kayaking and traveling in Antarctic waters (III). In Other People's Lives, the author gets the chance to talk about pretending to be a duck (again) in Bali, dealing with the miner's paradox, visits to Chiloé off the coast of Chile, and the story of a missing hiker in Yellowstone (IV). Finally, in "Risk," the author tackles paragliding, a football player's hatred of caving, sorority sisters hiking on the ice, and a trek with the Dangerous Sports Club, apparently the inventors of bungee jumping.
It is a bit of a letdown that this book is not better than it is. In some ways, after several books of essays, the author shows himself running out of ideas and returning to subjects he had previously written about, in a sort of self-plagiarism. Likewise, after having written a few books where he made himself look incompetent in the interests of pleasing the reader, here he seems a bit more interested in writing with a political edge, and it doesn't suite him as well as his more comic writing. Given that the author has a worldview that makes him very harsh towards conservative religious sects and tediously progressive in much of his politics, anything that encourages the author to engage in that side of his writing is not playing to his strengths but rather alienating him from potential readers. Likewise, the whole book as a whole reeks with a sort of privilege that engages in tourism while simultaneously bragging that the places the author goes to are for him but not for everyone else, seeking to preserve what is unspoiled while simultaneously spoiling it through his own presence and his writing about it in ways that would likely inspire imitation.
August 19, 2018
I've read a book or two by Tim Cahill before, and enjoyed it. I guess I'd forgotten how much.
I'm going to throw in a quick warning here: the first two pieces in this collection are pretty graphic and awful. After them, the book picks up considerably.
Mostly the book is loaded with short pieces where Tim goes around and reports on mostly outdoors activities that you and I most likely won't get a shot at...and sometimes wouldn't want if the opportunity came knocking.
He goes in Lechuguilla Cave (public not allowed for preservation's sake) and dives off cliffs to paraglide, sleeps in a snow cave etc. It's all adventurous and he tells an interesting stories as he adds his own observations.
I recommend this book and, non-spoiler alert, he is never pecked to death by ducks within these pages. One of his quirks is titling his books irrelevantly. Read it anyway!
I'm going to throw in a quick warning here: the first two pieces in this collection are pretty graphic and awful. After them, the book picks up considerably.
Mostly the book is loaded with short pieces where Tim goes around and reports on mostly outdoors activities that you and I most likely won't get a shot at...and sometimes wouldn't want if the opportunity came knocking.
He goes in Lechuguilla Cave (public not allowed for preservation's sake) and dives off cliffs to paraglide, sleeps in a snow cave etc. It's all adventurous and he tells an interesting stories as he adds his own observations.
I recommend this book and, non-spoiler alert, he is never pecked to death by ducks within these pages. One of his quirks is titling his books irrelevantly. Read it anyway!
May 11, 2017
First off, this is NOT a humor book, however, there are moments of inadvertent humor through the (mis)adventures of the author. Some stories elicited a involuntary chuckle, and I did smile through some of the stories. I don't think the author's goal was to be funny, but rather to shine a light on some of the silly things people do around the world.
And I liked it. It was interesting, it was fun to stomp around to various islands and mountains and caves, the writing is well done, it gives you a good vision of what you might see if you decided to go kayaking off California, or Antartica. What it might be like to hike through the desert. A fun read and a nice collection of stories.
And I liked it. It was interesting, it was fun to stomp around to various islands and mountains and caves, the writing is well done, it gives you a good vision of what you might see if you decided to go kayaking off California, or Antartica. What it might be like to hike through the desert. A fun read and a nice collection of stories.
January 25, 2023
Tim is a great adventurer and travel writer. I'd give this a solid 3.5 only for the fact that while he shows vulnerability in physical pursuits - admitting when he's gone too far - he never quite tweaks the emotional chord for me. His facility with language in describing his surroundings are excellent and the technical aspects of his journeys are what they need to be for the layperson to understand the risks and struggles he faces. His self-effacing humour is always fun and there were many times in this book that I was thankful he'd taken on some grand notion so I didn't have to. As with most books of essays, some are stronger than others, with a few that were real standouts.
May 10, 2018
Nobody had adventures like Tim Cahill! He travelled all over the globe and tried everything, although he describes himself as fat he must have been quite athletic to accomplish many of the tasks he set for himself. Very humorous but a bit dated. Published in 1993, most of the adventures of which he writes occurred in the 80s so the changes in political geography, absence of cell phones and much current technology and changes in social attitudes make some of the stories more period pieces.
December 31, 2020
Some intriguing insights into a variety of topics, lots of humour and entertaining tales, but also reports from war zones and other dangerous places and situations. A life filled with adventure, fun, and risk-taking on many levels. Some of the stories brought back fond memories of places I have visited, and I am more than slightly envious of experiences I will never emulate.
January 8, 2020
Wild and fun read different but great!
Love this authors tongue in cheek style and spin on his adventures through life. My love of travel spurred my enjoyment of the authors far flung travels. Daring feats against all odds and weather are just a few reasons to keep reading.
Love this authors tongue in cheek style and spin on his adventures through life. My love of travel spurred my enjoyment of the authors far flung travels. Daring feats against all odds and weather are just a few reasons to keep reading.
February 24, 2020
Great book for anyone who thought it would be fun to have a small farm or pets other than a cat or dog.
November 7, 2025
This book got me started on Tim Cahill.
September 5, 2007
Tim Cahill is a guy lucky enough to be sent out into various parts of the world, experience outdoorsy types of activities (usually with some level of danger) & get paid to write about it.
The book is divided into sections called "The Unnatural World", "Tooth & Claw", "The Natural World", "Other People's Lives" and "Risk" -- giving the reader a good overview of his travels & experiences.
Cahill is an adrenaline junkie - several of the essays revolve around rock climbing/rope work, but he also travels to Burma to observe religious rituals/demonic possession, and to Tonga to explore the conservation efforts for the giant clam. It was kind of eerie to be reading about the burning Kuwaiti oil fields on the day Saddam was executed. The dates range from 1978 to the early 1990's (publish date 1993).
Recommended to those interested in unusual travel/adventure activities told from a very personal point of view. He's not as funny as Bill Bryson, or as contemplative as Douglas Adams in Last Chance to See, but I was reminded of them both.
The book is divided into sections called "The Unnatural World", "Tooth & Claw", "The Natural World", "Other People's Lives" and "Risk" -- giving the reader a good overview of his travels & experiences.
Cahill is an adrenaline junkie - several of the essays revolve around rock climbing/rope work, but he also travels to Burma to observe religious rituals/demonic possession, and to Tonga to explore the conservation efforts for the giant clam. It was kind of eerie to be reading about the burning Kuwaiti oil fields on the day Saddam was executed. The dates range from 1978 to the early 1990's (publish date 1993).
Recommended to those interested in unusual travel/adventure activities told from a very personal point of view. He's not as funny as Bill Bryson, or as contemplative as Douglas Adams in Last Chance to See, but I was reminded of them both.
February 3, 2014
Pecked To Death By Ducks, Tim Cahill's third collection of travel essays, is an interesting, if uneven read. Cahill is well travelled - the book contains stories about places ranging from the South Pacific to Europe to Central America to Antarctica to the wilds of America. He is also an avid climbing and caver, and many of his stories provide a look at activities I know little about. However, like many collections of essays, especially collections by the same author, Pecked To Death By Ducks suffers from mediocrity. Cahill is a fine writer, and some of the essays - I'm thinking about the first essay "Kuwait Is Burning: A Postcard from the Apocalypse" in particular - are absolutely fantastic, but not everything a writer produces can be his best work, and many of the other essays are merely decent at best or are badly dated. Pecked To Death By Ducks is best read bit-by-bit, one or two essays a week, instead of reading straight through.
September 5, 2011
The magazine pieces in this collection, which are mostly too short to be satisfying in book form, deal less than I expected with travel and more with the outdoors and adventure sports. Unfortunately there are very few things less interesting to read about than someone else's hikes and camping trips. Even stories of rappelling, parasailing, or skydiving mostly all boil down to "I was in a situation in which I should've been falling, but some sort of equipment prevented that." But Cahill's a skilled writer, and with the right subject matter he can be fascinating: rolling with low riders in East San Jose, discovering an unexplored gypsum cave, and, most notably, driving through dripping tar skies to witness the Kuwaiti oil-well fires. Those pieces and others elevate a book that might otherwise be a back-of-the-toilet timekiller.
July 6, 2009
In fairness, I only read a few stories in this book. It's a collection of short stories from all over the world, the author present in all of them. The stories are fine but I can't seem to get into it. Perhaps I'm simply in novel mode right now. The stories are adventures, for the most part.
The broad categories in the book, per the contents page, are: The Unnatural World, Tooth and claw, The Natural World, Other People's Lives, Risk. I'm ready to move on to a novel and am passing this book along to a relative. I believe some of you would enjoy this more than I am at present, and that I might enjoy it more at another time.
The broad categories in the book, per the contents page, are: The Unnatural World, Tooth and claw, The Natural World, Other People's Lives, Risk. I'm ready to move on to a novel and am passing this book along to a relative. I believe some of you would enjoy this more than I am at present, and that I might enjoy it more at another time.
March 24, 2013
Highly enjoyable, both for the writing, which was excellent, and the general tone of the attitude toward the various adventury things that the author is doing: "yes, they're kind of crazy. Possibly very crazy. And you are allowed to think I'm insane. I think I'm a little insane too, it's okay."
Makes it much better than it could have been, had it gone with preachiness about how everyone needs to get out of their comfort zone and get the blood flowing.
Instead, I will sit in my comfort zone, and amuse myself quietly by reading about these far more exciting things that certain people choose to do with their lives, and everyone can be quietly and smugly content to themselves. Everyone wins!
Makes it much better than it could have been, had it gone with preachiness about how everyone needs to get out of their comfort zone and get the blood flowing.
Instead, I will sit in my comfort zone, and amuse myself quietly by reading about these far more exciting things that certain people choose to do with their lives, and everyone can be quietly and smugly content to themselves. Everyone wins!
July 31, 2007
I like it when Cahill is in a cave, inching his way forward in the dark or hanging from a rope on El Capitan, because the resulting prose has a bite in it. The more fearful the situation, the meatier his prose is for me. The Marquesas and Bali pieces seem too tame--too blissed-out--in comparison--but after all the dangerous situations he's placed himself in, I figure the tropical island pieces are his rewards--and I enjoy reading the man enjoy his rewards for a job well-done.
April 20, 2010
Seriously, how was I not going to pick this book up off the bargain shelf?
Turns out, it's an early 90's travel/adventure essay collection by a former editor of Outside Magazine, which is so totally up my alley that I occasionally found myself making plans to try some of his crazy stunts before remembering that I am an out of shape clutz who once broke her leg trying to flintstone-stop a snowmobile. Perhaps I'll just pick up another of Cahill's books...
Turns out, it's an early 90's travel/adventure essay collection by a former editor of Outside Magazine, which is so totally up my alley that I occasionally found myself making plans to try some of his crazy stunts before remembering that I am an out of shape clutz who once broke her leg trying to flintstone-stop a snowmobile. Perhaps I'll just pick up another of Cahill's books...
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