Post #363026 by leisure master on Sat, Feb 23, 2008 10:55 AM

Just finished the new Don the Beachcomber book. Figured his birthday weekend was a good time to read it.

The book is a pretty easy read (147 pages), comprised of many chapters that are all about 5 pages or less. Most of these short stories are fun to read, but the book is pretty one-sided in painting the man as a "lovable scoundrel" who was adored by all and incapable of hate or anger.

It was entertaining to read about Donn's experience with a topless Marlene Dietrich, and how later in life he thought he found a magic "viagra" fruit in Indonesia. However, some of the WWII stories smacked of a bit of exaggeration, including Donn's time with Churchill and his command over a fleet of C-47's in WWII Italy that were authorized to fly anywhere in the world except the US to procure fine booze and fine food for the troops.

Other tales seemed a bit of stretch too, including how Donn was the first person to have mint plants in Hawaii (by smuggling seeds) and how Donn's ideas and directions changed the distilling process of several rhum producers in Jamaica and Cuba.

It was interesting to learn that Donn was opposed to statehood for Hawaii, as he feared it would become another Miami. And you really can't have a book about Donn without mentioning the mai tai. I enjoyed this short chapter, as well as the recipe provided (Meyer's Plantation and Cuban rhums, lime and grapefruit juice, falernum, cointreau, pernod and angostura bitters over cracked ice) but I agree that no new arguments are presented.

The book is not a complete biography, as Donn's childhood is glossed over in 8 pages and there is no discussion at all of Donn's first wife Sunny (other than one mention that she was not happy to see him return from WWII), or his second wife and widow. Also referenced but not explored is what happened with respect to the US rights to the Don the Beachcomber name and why Donn only controlled the name in Hawaii, Asia and the South Pacific.

I was a bit put off by the stories of animals made to suffer, particularly because of the "boys will be boys" tone of the writing. Capturing a buzzard, tying its feet with a kerosene rag and setting it ablaze with his cousin was described as an example of behavior that was "mischievous and full of skulduggery". Also distasteful to me were the stories of Donn keeping minah birds in his restaurants and feeding them alcohol-soaked apples for the amusement of his customers until the birds fell over and passed out. Again presented as "all in good fun".

The positive tone and selective content of the book becomes understandable once you know the relationship of the author to his subject. It is not stated plainly anywhere, but the author is the current husband of Donn's widow and second wife. The back cover mentions that this story was first written by the author for his wife Phoebe Beach, and the last page of the book mentions that Donn was survived only by his wife Phoebe, but it is up to the reader to make the connection, since Phoebe is not mentioned anywhere else in the book or specifically acknowledged as formerly being Donn's wife in the Acknowledgments.

Although it was generally an entertaining read, I was a disappointed by the book, as by all accounts Donn led an extraordinary life that I think would lend itself to a fascinating story if it were subject to a more thorough and balanced treatment.

I'm not an alcoholic, I'm an enthusiast.

[ Edited by: leisure master 2008-02-23 14:35 ]