Although often compared to John D. MacDonald, Randy Wayne White is fully capable of standing on his own whether writing the incredible Doc Ford novels or his equally exciting non-fiction essays. Doc Ford, Tomlinson, indeed all the characters who inhabit Dinkin's Bay, are deftly drawn and always welcome on my bookshelf. Technically based on a true story, 10,000 Islands quickly takes readers on a journey of greed and retribution packed with adventure and glimpses into Doc's former shadowy life as a secret operative.
While he is not a Florida Native, White truly cares about this state and, I feel, harbors some righteous anger against those who have carved it up for the highest bidder. Doc Ford, in his current life as a marine biologist, studies his sea creatures and worries about their health and survival, when he isn't righting wrongs. I applaud Randy Wayne White for taking a stand in defense of Florida and nature in general.
White's writing is tight and can make a reader laugh on one page and cry on the next. His stories are just plain entertaining and I can't for the life of me understand why they are not always on the bestseller list.
Good Work Randy! Keep it up!

Mr. White has the ability to capture the atmosphere of Southwest Florida as well, if not better than Jimmy Buffet does through his many songs.He is a master story teller that takes the reader along for a ride, with you being next to Doc Ford from Page to page. This book, was impossible to put down. Mr. White's ability to make the reader understand the effect of uncontrolled civilization on the barrier islands; to the fury of an approaching hurricane, leaves one, with a great admiration for the man, his imagination and intellect. I encourage all to read Ten Thousand Islands, and then continue the adventure with the entire Doc Ford series. I can hardly wait for his next work, fiction or non-fiction. Randy Wayne White truly loves Southwest Florida and his work shows it.

Randy Wayne White does indeed deserve the crown of successor to John D. McDonald. You don't realize how much better White's fiction is until you read Tim Dorsey or one of the other South Florida wannabes.

Doc Ford is at it again with his nutty sidekick, Tomlinson. Unlike "North of Havana," where Tomlinson's eccentricity becomes a nuisance, "Ten Thousand Lakes" makes the loveable hippy a nice contrast to Doc's more subdued (and ultimately lethal) manner.

The plotline, about a Spanish medallion with a cursed and spotted history, moves along briskly with an action-packed finale. Doc Ford's penchant for violence stays within the realm of believability and his survival tactics are exciting.

A fast and satisfying read.

My sister got me hooked up on Randy White's Doc Ford novels this summer. I am from Sarasota so it was interesting to read about action and adventure occurring in an area that is close to home. This is the first Doc Ford novel and although I liked it it is not my favorite.

Doc is an ex-NSA officer that has returned home to SW Florida to start a new life. He is a marine biologist (his front while being an NSA operative) who is the owner of the one man operation Sanibel Biological Supply. He lives in an old stilt house on fictional Dinkins Bay that also serves as his lab. Close by, at Dinkins Bay Marina, are his neighbors and friends. His best friend, Tomlinson, who reminds me physically of the character Jeff Bridges played in The Big Lebowski, lives on a sailboat at the marina. The two are opposites that author White has said in an interview represent his own coming to terms with his logical (Ford) and spirital (Tomlinson) sides.

This novel has Ford rescuing a dead highschool friend's small boy from a group of radical terrorists in a Central American country. Ford's NSA past is revisited as he sets off to save the boy with the freespirit "hippy" Tomlinson by his side. This novel has a twist for an ending and like all White's Doc Ford novels gives you a history lesson to boot.

White was a saltwater guide and does a wonderful job of explaining different mysteries the Gulf in that part of Florida holds. He also knows the ins and outs of a marina's micro-community and does an excellent job of describing how it feels to live with a group of boaters on the water. Also, White has done a great deal of research on the Calusa Indians of Florida as well as the ancient peoples of Central and South America.

As I said, this is not my favorite Doc Ford Novel. My favorites were Captiva (dealing with the Net Ban issue) and Heat Islands.
But it doesn't matter which one you start off with, if you like one, you'll like them all.

This book did several things, all of which I loved. It introduced me to the author Randy Wayne White, the author of several novels set in Southwest Florida, and probably one of the best I've read since I first discovered Carl Hiaasen. It also helped me feel like I was actually living the slow life of the residents of Sanibel Island. Truthfully, Mr. White's ability to describe the lifestyle of the residents of Dinkins Bay makes me want to chuck it all and run away to join them.

But primarily, this book introduced me to Doc Ford, the protagonist of the novels written by Randy Wayne White. Doc Ford is an ex-government employee now trying to live out a quiet existence on the southwest coast of Florida (Sanibel Island). His dream and goal is to open a biological supply company and just slip quietly into retirement. But, as with all Doc Ford books, mystery and danger follow him wherever he goes.

In this book, the first Doc Ford story, the plot surrounds government cover-ups, unsavory militia in 3rd world countries, and a mystery surrounding stolen artifacts, a kidnapped child and the death of Doc Ford's childhood friend Rafe Hollins. All in all making for an excellent story that kept me up late at night reading 'just a few more pages' to find out what would happen next.

If you like Carl Hiaasen, or if you like books with that warm and slightly warped feel that comes with great Florida fiction, you'll love this book. In fact, if you like to read and can appreciate well-built characters and an engaging mystery, you'll also love it.

And if you're like me, you'll find yourself up late at night wondering what it would be like living life on the ocean and watching the moon rise in the Mangrove trees.

The best way to read this page turner is by actually being in Sanibel. Sanibel is indeed still Florida'a Florida. This is the last unspoiled place in Florida and Randy Wayne White captures it in all its glory. In addition, he brings forth yet another Doc Ford adventure with its many twists and turns. This is an intelligent person's mystery series and the perfect way to escape on a hot, lazy day.

This is the second book in the Doc Ford stories, and even though the first one was very good, I liked this one even better. The reason for this is that the story focuses on Doc's home in Sanibel Island and really gives us a feel for what it's like to live on the Gulf Shores of Florida. There is excellent character development to the point where these characters come alive and you feel like you're spending some quality time with good friends. The plot is also quite compelling. It takes off right at the first with the discovery of a dead body floating in the gulf (the body of Marvin Rios who everyone hates but who wields quite a bit of money and influence), and then is compounded by the arrest of Doc's friend Jeth (the gentle fishing guide with a stutter who we got to know in Sanibel Island). Doc sets out to prove Jeth's innocence along with his best friend Tomlinson (my personal favorite character in the series). All the while, you have a sub-plot involving Karl Sutter, con-man and brother-in-law of the deceased. His underhanded dealings are worthy of the best of Carl Hiaasen and John D. MacDonald. Add in a beautiful pro-tennis player and her friend, and you have a story that's not only an excellent mystery but a great deal of fun in the process.

This book is a very fast read. I took it with me on a business trip and finished it after only 2 days. As coincidence would have it, the trip was to the Florida coast, and this book set the perfect mood for me while I was there.

If you like mysteries, or Florida fiction in general, you really owe it to yourself to discover Randy Wayne White. I've read all of them. James W. Hall, John D. MacDonald, Carl Hiaasen, and Leonard Shames. Trust me. Randy Wayne White is one of the best.

Having never been involved in a Tarpon Tournament, I found the whole premise of the book a delightful surprise. The whole experience came alive for me when reading the pages of this novel. This is a gifted author who knows how to plot a story and bring the reader along on an adventure. Be careful though in reading any Randy Wayne White book: they are addictive.

The Heat Islands is a great book! I highly recommend it. I also recommend Sanibel Flats, the first Doc Ford novel. Growing up in South Florida, reading a Doc Ford novel is just like reading about old friends. Randy White is so accurate in his descriptions of the islands, fishing, the South Florida coastal towns, and the people that live and work there. Doc and his friends are so "real-life". I can't wait for the next one !

Just as Doc goes through the process of recovery from failures in the previous adventure (Twelve Mile Limit) so the author seems in the process of recovering his hero. As the novel progresses, Doc has a growing awareness of his physical limitations and the effects of depression. Gradually he works his way through these problems while solving a mystery in familiar surroundings. This novel is built around the use of a cult as a front for development in the everglades, including but not limited to casino gambling. Doc Ford gets back to his roots in the sea of grass with a childhood friend whose husband has disappeared, the offspring of Tucker Gatrell's sidekick, Joe Egret, and old pal Tomlinson, whose undergraduate musings on an acid influenced philosophy paper have been posted and become an internet phenomenon.

White too has trimmed down. He plays his strong characters and has eliminated much of the annoying "black helicopter" paranoia of his recent novels. While there is still a lot of violence, but perhaps not as abrasive as in Twelve Mile Limit. I do, however, hope that the coda of a Nicaragua trip might come to an end here. As usual White could probably cut some of the repetition, but sometimes his pictures are right on, as in his account of the disorientating effect of airboats or the case of a fine description of the buzzard trees along the old Tamiami Trail. All in all, it's a good three day read.

Trouble is afoot again for Doc Ford in this tenth adventure for the marine biologist from Dinkin's Bay on Florida's Gulf Coast. Doc's childhood pal and one-time lover Sally Carmel arrives at his stilt house with a tale of a missing husband, presumed dead after a nighttime fall off of a boat while on a fishing trip. But is he really dead, and who is the menacing guy shadowing Sally's every move? The trail leads to the husband's business partner, a crooked religious cult leader who is cooking up some devilish plans to replenish his personal coffers. Bhagwan Shiva has no intention of waiting for the afterlife to reap a heavenly reward, and if murder and mayhem-not to mention major environmental damage to the unique and fragile Everglades-is necessary, so be it. Doc is facing some personal demons of his own, as depressed and out of shape, he confronts the price he is paying for continually camouflaging his own essentially predatory nature. The Everglades, eloquently rendered by White's vivid descriptions, offer a parallel reflection of the negative consequences of trying to impose civilization upon the natural order. Through a maelstrom of impressively complex physical combat, a nighttime encounter with a deadly bull shark, death-defying air boat hijinks, earthquake tremors, high explosives and a volcano, White delivers an increasingly complex portrait of Doc Ford and his hippie pal Tomlinson. But long time fans have come to expect more than just great storytelling, and Everglades does not disappoint, as White peppers his narrative with impressively researched information about Florida's Indian history, the ecology of the Everglades, primitive human brain physiology and wrestling, among many other topics. Read this book and you will know some terrific bars and restaurants to visit on Florida's Gulf Coast; how to make a great rum drink and the special brand of Nicaraguan rum to use; which boat engine manufacturer is finding favor with fishing guides these days; the legend of the Swamp Ape; and what exactly the witch's soldiers are chanting in The Wizard of Oz. A brilliant and amazing ride right to the last page, Everglades will leave you eagerly awaiting your next encounter with Doc Ford.

For those of us lucky enough to live in the Boca Grande to Sanibel area, Randy's descriptions and characters always bring a smile or a fond memory. For those who aren't so familiar with the area, the author weaves a wonderful plot with colorful characters and his own brand of common sense philosophy that rings true with "islanders" near and far. Once you get to know Doc Ford and Tomlinson, you will want to read the other books in this unique series. True entertainment coupled with skilled prose...take it to the beach or the lake or Central Park!!!

This is usually not my sort of book, but after reading the first story, I was hooked. This story, "The Legend," about the author's hilarious Chesapeake Bay retriever, is worth the price of the book by itself, especially if you're a dog lover or animal lover, because it's the best story about a dog, or any animal, that I've ever read.

But there is plenty more where that came from in this entertaining collection of essays. Although not what I was looking for initially, this book was a delightful surprise, and after reading this, Mr. White has another fan. I now intend to buy and read all of his other books, and I'm recommending him to my other friends as well.

Batfishing in the Rainforest is a collection of Randy Wayne White's essays - some of them poignant ("the Legend", White's tale of his dog is fabulous), many of them gut-bustingly funny (his experiences at a health spa and advice on "How to be a Competent Southern Waterperson are priceless), a few had me shaking my head (how can a person be suprised they got mugged in Lima? and how come I never meet fun travel companions in third world countries?) All of them are a pleasure to read.

White never takes himself (or others) too seriously, and typically has a light and humorous take on things. The stories are brief - many originally written for Outdoor Magazine. I found the book thoroughly enjoyable and I strongly recommend it.

For those of you who are familiar with White's "Doc Ford" novels, you can see where many of his characters, plots and the "research" for his tales come from. For those readers who have not yet discovered this marvelous writer, I encourage you to begin here and then sample his hand at fiction.

Randy Wayne White has more hits than misses in this book of essays. He has an authentic American take on the world, with a Floridian's amusement and acceptance of foul weather, tough dogs, tougher kids, and bugs of all kinds. This book is a keeper, and we are lucky it has been reprinted. His mysteries are real good, too, but somehow I wish that he would take his gift more seriously. By that, I think he could be a major American literary force, if he didn't have to pay for braces, college tuition, and fishing gear. However, being sun dried, and wind weathered, he should last long enough to get back into that true and raw, and heart felt need to be a voice from the salt flats that reaches people in a Pulitzer kind of way.

Randy Wayne White played in the Senior Baseball League, writes a column for Outside magazine & some terrific fishing stories (Batfishing in the Rain Forest: Strange Tales of Travel & Fishing) and is the author of the outstanding Doc Ford novels. Not bad...

Doc Ford is a marine biologist who formerly held a somewhat shadowy position in US Intelligence. This installment of the series finds Doc & his burn-out hippie friend Tomlinson investigating the death of explosion victim Jimmy Darroux. This leads them to Jimmy's delectable widow Hannah and a feud between sport fisherman and net fishermen over a pending netting ban. As the violence escalates, noone is safe & Doc's moral compunctions are challenged and then shattered.

If you haven't discovered this great writer & wonderful series yet, I urge you to give them a read. The cover blurbs comparing him to John D. MacDonald, Carl Hiassen & Elmore Leonard are well deserved.

GRADE: A

I loved Sanibel Flats, but found Heat Islands and Man who Invented Florida, so-so. I had purchased Captiva with the other three or probably wouldn't have read it. What a come back for Doc Ford. I think this is the best of the first four books. Great characters, familiar places, wild action and inventive ending. Now I've ordered the next three in the series.

Longtime readers of Outside Magazine were familiar with Randy Wayne White's eccentric travels and more eccentric character. And although Sanibel Flats read as though it had been written on long airport layovers as a time killer,with Captiva, White moved into the big leagues of compelling storytellers.This is a great yarn of trouble encountered simply by being involved in a community, where the bad guy gets a very just comeupance, the hero struggles with his humanity, and the rest of the characters ring so true to life that you believe you may have met them. Although Mr. White no longer writes his column, and is missed by me every month, he has truly become an author of compelling novels. I eagerly await the next.

This latest Doc Ford novel is exceptional. It combines a lost at sea survival story with a action packed adventure in Columbia. The book is a lot like the earlier novels like Captiva, Sannibel Flats and North of Havana where Ford is relives his past occupation with the nsa. For those readers who where skeptical about the changes in Ford's character plus a new character named Ransom in the book Shark River, you will see in this latest novel the strength of White's writing ability. For example, Ford's image in Shark River changed from a tall baseball type player to a burly wrestler. In Twelve Mile Limit Ford throws some wrestling moves on a smart mouthed movie star and this was definately entertaining. Ransom also fits in well with the marina comunity so for all you Doc Ford readers out there I recommend this book.

Apparently Randy Wayne White is incapable of writing a bad book, richly demonstrated by the arrival of Twelve Mile Limit. White is a licensed boat captain with thirteen years experience as a fishing guide, and it shows; only someone with an intimate knowledge and love of the water could have penned this compelling story. Based on a true event, Twelve Mile Limit opens with the dramatic rescue by helicopter of Amelia Gardener, the only known survivor of a disastrous diving expedition. Her three companions from the ill-fated excursion to explore an offshore diving wreck disappear without a trace when their boat sinks, despite the fact that all of them were wearing inflated life vests over wet suits. Among the missing is Janet Mueller, Doc Ford's friend who assists him with his marine specimens business. The close-knit Dinkin's Bay Marina family joins the Coast Guard in an exhaustive, ultimately futile search. When dark rumors begin to circulate, Doc agrees to assist Amelia in her efforts to clear her missing friends' names. Using resources from his shadowy, clandestine past as a secret government operative, Ford uncovers a chilling trail which leads him into a harrowing rescue attempt in the dangerous jungles of Colombia.
White's trademark use of brilliant descriptions of the waters off south Florida, and the vivid picture he creates of Colombia reflect his personal passion for these places. This book stands alone as a powerful adventure, as the reader experiences the chilling isolation of being lost and adrift in a windswept sea on a black, moonless night, and a terror-ridden descent into the hellish Colombian jungles infested with unimaginable dangers. But readers who have followed Doc Ford's adventures (this is the ninth in this popular series) are rewarded with a deepening knowledge of the searing past which haunts Doc. A wonderful summer read-or any time of the year-this book should come attached with a warning notice of the powerfully addictive effects of White's writing. Read one, and you will begin frantically searching out all of his other titles. It's worth it.

I've just finished TWELVE MILE LIMIT and it is, without a doubt one of the best thrillers I've read this decade, probably in my life. I loved the characters, the action's nonstop, and Randy Wayne White describes the sea and South American rain forest as well or better than anyone ever has. He has pushed the envelope of genre fiction, elevating it, at times, to literature. (I could have used a little less info about weaponry, and a few less digressions, but I'm quibbling.)
The book is based on a true story. Mr. White has done his research, and it shows. On a moonless might in November, 1994, a 26-foot boat sank to the bottom of the
Gulf of Mexico, setting four SCUBA divers adrift, all wearing wetsuits and inflated vests. Only one survived; the fate of the other three remains a mystery.
White fictionalizes this story, yet the drama still holds, in the best Doc Ford novel yet. One of the missing is Doc's buddy, Janet Mueller, and his marina community mobilizes to search for the missing divers with the help of the lone survivor, Amelia Gardner. Doc discovers
that Amelia's companions might have lived through their nightmare at sea, and he and Amelia follow the trail to Colombia. The conclusion left me delighted, satisfied, teary-eyed and exhausted. It is the longest of the Ford novels, but I finished it in all-day stretch, and didn't get to bed until 4 a.m. Even then I couldn't sleep. Whew. What a read! More Ford, please. Terese H. South Florida

At one time, the classic Florida mystery novel came from John MacDonald and the Travis McGee series. Since MacDonald's passing around fifteen years ago, various authors have tried to fill the void left by McGee's absence. Randy Wayne White and Doc Ford is the one of the best at filling this niche.

Ford has some similarities to McGee, but he is also distinctly individual. An ex-government agent who is not trying to live a quiet life as a marine biologist, Ford occasionally is drawn into perilous situations as a result of either his own past, or as in this story, accident. In this case, Ford happens upon and averts a kidnaping attempt, which entangles him in the lives of both the victim and the kidnapers. In addition, Ford has to deal with a woman who claims to be his sister, who involves him in a legacy left by his shady uncle.

This is not the best Doc Ford novel. In particular, the story tends to meander at times, and there is no truly nasty villain (unlike previous books) to oppose Ford. Some incidents in the story, in particular an incident where Ford tries to reconcile two lovers, contribute nothing to the story and offer only minimal insight into Ford's character.

While there are flaws, this is still a good book and if you like mysteries, especially those set around Florida, this one will be worth your time.

This is a fun book. A great description of southwest Florida, and a thrilling plot line, this is the perfect summer read. This time, readers are treated with a little background about Doc Ford's mysterious past and his connections with the shady world of covert governent operations. Ford "accidentally" assists a beautiful damsel in distress, while simultaneously discovering lost relations on a wild goose chase to discover buried treasure. The story had me hooked.

However I can only give this book 4 stars. The story dragged a bit in the middle - White takes off on some tangents that are not immeadiatly related to the story line, which was a bit distracting. And while the writing was typically lucid, there were moments when it was a little flat. In spite of this, readers can expect the same thrilling action and unique characters one expects from White. You will not be disappointed by this one.

All the Doc Ford novels are superb: literary, funny but also full of action. They might be a tad sophisticated for some, but I await each new release with anticipation, then try to savor them slowly. With Shark River? Impossible. Once I started I couldn't top. I'd give this book nine stars if I could. (I give it ten, but I could have used a little more of sidekick Tomlimson's philosophizing, and a tad less action>) The action IS warp-speed, the characters vividly drawn and the plot is laced with intrigue and suspense leave no doubt that Randy Wayne White is one of the finest writers in America today. Doc Ford's marine studies on the island of Guava Key are interrupted when he finds himself in the middle of a deadly kidnapping plot involving Colombian drug traffickers and the daughter of a powerful US diplomat. Added to the mix is a beautiful Bahamian woman claiming to be Doc's sister ( A wonderful woman character!), a pair of Rastafarian thugs, and a real live sunken treasure. Once again, Mr. White creates a vivid sense of place with his descriptions of southwestern Florida, and includes what has become his trademark O'Henry encking. Also recommended: The entire Doc Ford series, begining with Sanibel Flats, which, I was pleased to discover, was selected by the Independent Myster Booksellers Association (edited by Jim Huang) as one of the 100 best mysteries of the 20th century...

I love Randy Wayne White's writing. And Last Flight Out is good - "Survival Spanish" had me in stitches and "Those Who Hide Behind the Caskets of Innocents" captures the sentiments of America better than anything I have read on 9/11. I also enjoyed his unraveling of the "Mossman" tale in Sun Valley (we've got folks like that in Oregon, too). Yet after finishing the collection of his essays, I was left wanting. To judge Last Flight Out fairly, there is much to like here, but it pales in comparison to his earlier work. The humor and matter-of-fact writing style that makes him so enjoyable is still present, but the articles are a bit testosterone leaden for my taste. For example, White's bantering about travel in rural Cuba (in "Cuba"), his bragging about "dangerous friends" in Central America in "Bike Cops" and his scoffing at those Americans who were too intimidated to fly after 9/11 in the introduction wore a bit thin on me.

If you are familiar with Randy Wayne White, you will find much to like and laugh at here. If you are browsing for adventure / travel books, I recommend starting with Batfishing in the Rainforest first.

This is a very nice entry by a writer better known for his
fiction, but this is a collection of "real adventure" stories,
and White does a first-class job of describing some of his
travels.
The series of short stories relates the writer's adventures as
he has traveled to remote, and some not so remote, places around
the world, wherein he has been seeking adventure beyond that
experienced by most of us in our everyday world. As such, his
stories will excite genuine interest and further curiosity on
the part of readers who wish to know more about experiences
in those areas denied to most of us.
Most of his adventures are funny to read, although we can also
understand some of them were definitely not funny at the time
of the experience. So we can vicariously enjoy travel to distant parts of the world, as well as the encounters with
"foreign" cultures. After all, even coon hunting in Ohio is
foreign to most of us in our modern civilized world.
Some readers will no doubt be unhappy at the "macho" aspect
of some stories, but most men wish, in their hearts, for such
adventures in far-away places, and those same men wish for
exciting, even dangerous, encounters without kids and womenfolk. Well, not all the time, of course, but a time or two
in their lives, and in this day and age, in the U.S., most
men are denied even the occasional dangerous adventure.
So, if we can't go to all those places, and encounter the wild
and dangerous, we should be able to enjoy reading about them.
And White provides some nice stories of such adventures he has
taken.
Most of his encounters have been short-term, frequently very
brief, because he wrote them for a magazine and was on assignment, but, nonetheless, they are real, and we should
enjoy whatever closeness these stories provide.
As a matter of fact, one possible criticism of this work is
that the stories are too short, really, and we wish White had
been able to flesh them out and expand his impressions. In several of the stories, we can feel the writer's rush, and compression of thoughts, as he has to comply with a magazine's
demands and deadlines.
But settle back for some visits to strange places, and odd characters, when you read White's stories.
They are a lot of fun.

Readers fortunate enough to have already discovered Randy Wayne White will relish this collection of adventures from this very talented writer. If this is the first of White's books you read, you will become a life-long fan by the end of the introduction. Some of these accounts have appeared in previously published columns, and will trigger smiles of recognition in those who have followed the author's prolific career. Hang on for a wild ride that includes ports of call in Borneo, Costa Rica, Panama, Baja California, Key West, Idaho, Cuba, and points beyond. At times riotously funny (Survival Spanish) and patently absurd (roaming the woods in a bedsheet, sporting headgear of moss in The Mossman), it also causes poignant reflection (The Lost Divers). The book is worth the purchase price just for the inclusion of White's powerful response to the tragic events of Sept. 11th, "An Open Letter to He Who Hides Behind the Casket of Innocents". The author's unique perspective on the human experience makes this book a worthy addition to your collection.