Bøger af Bill Belleville

First explored by naturalist William Bartram in the 1760s, the St. Johns River stretches 310 miles along Florida's east coast, making it the longest river in the state. In the first contemporary book about the river, Bill Belleville describes his journey down its length, kayaking, boating, hiking, diving, and exploring its underwater caves.

Deep Cuba recounts Bill Belleville's month-long journey around the island in the company of American and Cuban marine biologists and a Discovery Channel film crew. From coral reefs to mangrove swamps to a submerged volcanic mountain, the voyagers encountered wild places unseen before by anyone from the United States, or even by many Cubans.

The Earth's surface is mostly oceans, the human body is approximately 60% water, and the human imagination has been captivated by this life-giving, life-sustaining liquid from time immemorial.According to Carl Hiaasen, Bill Belleville "e;writes gorgeously and straight from the heart. In The Peace of Blue, the documentarian and nature writer guides you on a lyrical journey to the natural places in Florida and the Caribbean that have been forged and shaped by water. He poetically underscores the vitality of this most essential substance in our lives by showing the many ways in which water-driven landscapes nurture plants, wildlife-and the human spirit.Experience the thrill of traveling to the remote islands of Cuba and to sacred cenotes in the Dominican Republic. Contemplate the shores of Florida's rivers and lakes and marvel at swamps and seepage slopes. Immerse yourself in the underwater world of clear, fresh springs, and dive into the deep karst caves that are worlds unto themselves.Through adventure and contemplative excursions, Belleville shares his contagious respect-and awe-for the singularity and transcendence of the natural world. We are companions in his search for a distinct sense of place, fellow journeymen in his quest to discover within the watery depths a greater awareness that informs and shapes our common identity.

The Wekiva River makes up some of the best protected waters in the state with laws designed for its preservation, as it is recognized as a regional "jewel" and a resource worth saving in public trust as parks, preserves, and forests. Today visitors who paddle, boat, and hike here discover a sanctuary that seems unchanged since its earliest history, when ancient tribes piled fresh water shells, sand, bone, and pot shards to create midden mounds, and when Clay Springs and other early settlements helped draw river traffic and railroads hauled out its forest products. Its cooling springs have provided recreation for generation after generation.--back cover

Nature and travel writer Bill Belleville has inspired and informed countless readers through his books and magazine articles. In these eighteen essays and articles Belleville takes us through Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America in quest of the distinctive, the wondrous, the threatened, and the undiscovered.