The Wind Off the Island

By Ernle Bradford

What is it like to wake in a deserted cove and begin the day with a dive over the side of your boat into a warm sea?

Ernle Bradford tells us-and the four seasons of the year unfold as we follow him in his 10-ton boat Mother Goose round the coastline of Sicily. He brings alive the people, the lonely villages, the summer storms and calms, and the ancient charm of the Mediterranean. The squalors and the beauty of the old city of Palermo-where he spent the winter-are vividly described. So, too, are nights spent fishing in small boats, evenings in harbour taverns, and all the taste and smell of the south. The Wind off the Island is not only a portrait of Sicily, but of the sea and of a way of life.

Ernle Bradford (1922-1986) was a British historian noted for his specialisation in the Mediterranean World and naval subjects. His works include numerous biographies of military figures and books about the ancient and medieval worlds.