Thanks for this. I've read his book "An Island to Oneself." About a thousand times. Pago Pago was pronounced by Americans as Paygo. The correct Samoan way is Pango Pango. Suwarrow Russian in origin. W was is pronounced as in water. I understand that's how Tom pronounced it. Not sure when V came to be.? I could be wrong. Google doesn't seem to know. Sadly Tom was accused of squatting by the Cook Islands government. But the atoll was governed by the Nz government in the early days. There are still a lot of Islands, uninhabited in the Pacific. However coming up to my 77th summer, it's unlikely this lad will ever get to stay on one. Thanks again for the upload.
@@epigwaitthistory not completely true… Albert Henry as Prime Minister and my father were friendly, and he approved the decision for my father to go back in 1967 for what was his third stay, but it was supposed to be only for three months to oversee the pearl shell diving - they wanted him to then be the caretaker in the island and postmaster and he resisted for two years because he didn’t want to be obliged to the schedule that they wanted which was too report on fishing vessels and other boats that came into the area and Suwarrow, but he did do the work anyway from the beginning , but didn’t want to be paid and finally caved in and agreed to $50/year.
I’m his daughter- I loved hearing this review of my father’s book and interpretation of his feelings and life. His book has been translated into German, French, Norwegian ( licenced editions - the German edition has an epilogue I wrote ), Italian ( unauthorised) and a new English reprint is in negotiation.
To just wander the islands as you see fit...ive seen several islands that Tom saw and i understand the attraction and temptation to attempt living a life like that. But it takes something i understood that i dont have People like Tom are extremely rare..Most of us cant live like he did,But his life was the life for our daydreams,a means to escape our lives and the doldrums that can come with it
I kinda felt sorry for him when he started getting all that attention. Seems like he had found his “happy place” until the US Navy ruined it by blabbing to everyone about finding him. --- I spent lots of time on tropical islands back in my Navy days. I can definitely see the appeal. It sure was nice. But for me I couldn’t live on one for the long haul.
I read the book in 1969. I kept a journal of stuff I could get skills I could learn to set out like him. I was totally naive and would have died in a week or less
I really wish to have a same life but in a little bigger island.. Specially if I lived 100 years ago.. just didn’t understand why Tom didn’t try to growing Tobacco’s? He like smoking and that island with that warm humidity weather he can grows different kinds quality tobacco’s..
@@epigwaitthistory 0140 in the morning, 614 miles from any ocean in the high desert plains of the USA...watchin' ocean-stories. WOO! Keep up the great channel, m8.
Have you read Papa's of the South Pacific? Why did he get cancer? He had a reasonably fresh food diet. Apart from his daily smoke at sunset? You haven't read the book thoroughly or your recall of places is poor unless there are different versions around. Was he a self learner to become such a good story writer. With so few years of education. He needed to live on the edge of survival. Who are you 2 speakers? I often wondered if he was a perfectionist, everything had to be his way. He had a survival routine. There is an internet version of the book but a friend too.
Crusoe series suggestion : en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fern%C3%A3o_Lopes_(soldier) d 1545) was the first known permanent inhabitant of the remote Island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, an island that later became famous as the site of Napoleon's exile and death. Fernão Lopes Born 15th century Died 1545 Saint Helena Nationality Portuguese Occupation Soldier Known for Being marooned on Saint Helena Criminal charges Lopes was a 16th-century Portuguese soldier in India. He was tortured and disfigured in punishment for defecting to the side of Rasul Khan when the Portuguese conquered Goa in 1510. On his way home to Portugal after these events, Lopes chose voluntary exile on Saint Helena, where he lived in almost complete solitude for more than 30 years
