Off the Deep End: Travels in Forgotten Frontiers

by Tony Perrottet

In search of literary history and adventure, Tony Perrottet leaves behind the chaotic crowds of Manhattan for the far reaches of Europeon settlements where he explores the secret histories and strange connections of forgotten corners of the world.

The entertaining tales of his obsessive travels to Tierra del Fuego, Thursday Island, St.Petersburg, and other places are peppered with anecdotes about Ernest Hemingway's fishing guide (who was the model for "The Old Man and the Sea"), Robinson Crusoe's bawdy lifestyle, and other little known facts.

For every exotic adventure in a remote landscape Perrottet shows the reader the other side of his wild life: on the densely populated isle of Manhattan. 

Genres: Travel

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1997

Reviews

[Deb Omnivorous Reader]

Excellent travel book that is a lot of fun to read:

This is a very enjoyable, very readable, very entertaining collection of personal experiences. In a way it is a little like a short story collection in that each chapter is a single travel experience. They alternate between stories of remote places the author has traveled to and equally bizarre stories of the life he and his partner live in New York as Australians abroad.

Firstly, I have to say that the tiny tales of Manhattan are vivid and amusing, they are also one of the first things I have ever read that sparked in me any interest in visiting New York. So, first rate intrigue penmanship!

Even more enjoyable however, were the stories of other places: Tony has been to a large number of fascinating remote places and had a compendium of weird experiences there, this, coupled with the ability to see the unusual in a situation and write about it with light humour, makes for a charming book.

Some of the places he has been I am deeply envious and would love to go to, no matter the peculiarities; Thursday Island, Iceland, remote parts of Hawaii and Caribbean islands are all places I would love to go. Cuba before it opened up.... the boat has sailed on that one, but I still hope to get there one day. Other places I had never even thought of like Leninsky, Tierra del Fugo and Juan Fernandez islands.

[Tammy]

I liked Perrottet's layout...each chapter was an anecdote or experience from his life in New York and then he would write about some far-off location he had visited. He has a easy-to-read writing style. He can be harsh in his description of people he meets so I hope none of them ever picks up the book and recognizes him- or herself. Another good read by this talented author.

[Pop]

Epic and beautiful and New York and magic and true

[Alden]

Iceland and Australia sound great, NYC not so much.

Perrottet says, in the saga of getting his green card, that he doesn't have much luck, but frankly I think he used up his luck surviving many of these episodes.

[Amy Mulcahy]

My absolute favourite travel book. I've read & re-read it over the years. It inspired me to travel to a lot of the places he writes about.