My just released book

[headmount]

Headcount,

Just finished your book. Enjoyed it.

Many aspects of the story resonated and caused me to reflect on my childhood and the impact my military career has had on my family.

Congrats on a fine effort.

Paul

That is maybe the most impactful thing I've read about my book.  Thanks.

[WhatsSUP]

Bill:  My wife just finished your book as well.  Like me, in two days.  She couldn't put it down!  She too plans on submitting a review on Amazon. 

Your story has been the topic of of several of our conversations.  We both agreed that if there was ever a book made for movie this was it.....incredible scenary, adventure, danger, drama, love, anger, travel, etc...  My wife stated that if this ever becomes a reality (a movie) "we'd have to try to get tickets to the premier".  I've never heard to make such a comment and she reads A LOT!!!!

 

[ron.c]

Ol' slow-poke here, just strolled across the finish line last night.  It was a great way to finish the weekend.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Bill.

RC

ps -- I kinda like the original cover shot.

[PonoBill]

We shuttled back to the top after a southside downwind run the other day when Jimmy Lewis was getting ready to launch with a bunch of people. While Bill and I were putting my board back on my car Jimmy came over and buttonholed Bill, going on and on about how much he loved the book. Jimmy said he was around the same people then, and was aware of some of the stuff, but that he was just fascinated with the inside perspective on the surf camps, the drugs, the craziness.

Fun to see Jimmy so stoked about Bill's book. I haven't met anyone yet that didn't love the thing.

[stoneaxe]

I just got the paperback. Sue has it right now. She's heard me praising it so much and she experienced some of the PTSD issues with her Dad.

[surfsupindo]

Bill, I will have to download this book myself. Your brother was a legend mate, he discovered Grajagan and Cloud 9 and i'm sure many others.
I just recently finished Bali - Heaven and Hell and Phil Jarratt mentions Mike in it. They were the days man.
Well done on the book.

[socalgremmy]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SAEQZ7U

Some of you have expressed interest so here it is.  The process was slow as molasses for me but finally on the table.

Bill,
Just finished your book; nice story with many cool adventures.
We have traveled a similar life path.
Moved to Coronado about the time you left; left for many years, then moved back here for good 5 years ago...
I had many of the same highs and lows as you.
Bravo on telling your story!!!
Bob
Keep the faith!!

[Weasels wake]

WOW!!!!
Just finished it, what an incredible journey, and the journey never ends, scenes change, characters come and go, but the journey is the unknown destination.
So many parallels, too many to list, but generally life is even better when you have something else to reference it to.  You can become an expert at appreciation because of it.

If I may, a passage from your book, from back just before half way, that sums up the whole thing for me, on many levels, including the "ahem" inspiration.

[ The warm Pacific embraces us while we wait for the sets and soak in the sensation of colors.  I scoop up two hands full of amoeba soup and pour it over my face.
"Life."
Mike reaches over and grabs some of the droplets that drip from my chin.
"Rivers of life."
He opens his hand and we see that it is empty.  He's grinning.
"Water, time.  No possessions.  They just flow." ]

Thanks for writing that book, it served me, it will be read more than once.
I'm glad I waited for the print version.
Can't wait until my one and only brother reads it, but he has to promise to give it back, a risk I'm willing to take.

[headmount]

WOW!!!!
Just finished it, what an incredible journey, and the journey never ends, scenes change, characters come and go, but the journey is the unknown destination.
So many parallels, too many to list, but generally life is even better when you have something else to reference it to.  You can become an expert at appreciation because of it.

If I may, a passage from your book, from back just before half way, that sums up the whole thing for me, on many levels, including the "ahem" inspiration.

[ The warm Pacific embraces us while we wait for the sets and soak in the sensation of colors.  I scoop up two hands full of amoeba soup and pour it over my face.
"Life."
Mike reaches over and grabs some of the droplets that drip from my chin.
"Rivers of life."
He opens his hand and we see that it is empty.  He's grinning.
"Water, time.  No possessions.  They just flow." ]

Thanks for writing that book, it served me, it will be read more than once.
I'm glad I waited for the print version.
Can't wait until my one and only brother reads it, but he has to promise to give it back, a risk I'm willing to take.

So stoked you dug the read.  Some might see that passage you picked and see the dialogue as babble, trying to describe the indescribable.  But that was the time and the altered state so it was enjoyable to see that you 'got' it.  From your posts it definitely seems that our path as well as many others  have had many parallels. 

[Off-Shore]

HM. Your book is an awesome read, and well well written. So descriptive, not only of your surroundings but of your feelings, through all sorts of emotions both good and bad, and "enhanced" too. I've not read something this good in a long long while. It's an incredible story and a must read. Apart from the US mainland, I've been to most of the places in the book, when I spent 15 months on the road in the late 80s with a backpack and met and travelled with some characters along the way. It brought back memories both good and bad of those times in crazy places with little money, no place to stay and a lot of hope.

Any father should read this. As a father of 3 of young kids, your book made me realise I can be better. Thank you for that that, and for a taking the time to share your life story with us all. Respect.

[55NSup]

Great book, read it in 3-4 sessions back when you released it. Much of it resonated with me, how having an older brother is a blessing and introduces you to things good and bad. a blessing and curse at the same time.
Be good if some younger people read it too. Lots of lessons in there. 
Amazing we made it through 60s & 70s alive.
Thanks for writing it.

[SupPadre]

Has anyone read "Welcome to Paradise, Now go to Hell"? It is a very entertaining book, based on "true stories". Some of the facts seem a little iffy, but entertaining none the less. I hope Bill Boyum doesn't feel like this is hijacking his thread. The book mentions his brother a couple of times, and this thread needs to get bumped to the top every once in a while so newcomers to the forum might discover Journals from the Edge.

[spirit4earth]

No hard copy yet but that will be next step.  And thanks for the response.

My Dad is a pivotal character in the book and to really get a little better understanding about who he was, check out this video of life on a carrier during combat ops in the Pacific.
In another twenty years WWII will have the same distance from the present as the Civil War was when I grew up.  That blows my mind because kids my age (and many on this forum) grew up with WWII history all around us.  Many of our fathers were vets in that war, Korea or both. 

Landing on a deck of a carrier has about as much chance of completion as a drop on a critical wave.  And my Dad did it at night.  You'll see some pretty wild landings where the pilot still ended up walking away. But mostly you'll see our fathers.  Real footage.

That film was amazing.  Thank you for sharing it.  My father was a Marine in WWII----he was at Guadalcanal, and he never talked about it.

[maxsonic]

WOW!!!!
Just finished it, what an incredible journey, and the journey never ends, scenes change, characters come and go, but the journey is the unknown destination.
So many parallels, too many to list, but generally life is even better when you have something else to reference it to.  You can become an expert at appreciation because of it."

Bump for "Journals from the Edge."  Great read, I couldn't put it down. Thanks to Bill for sharing his life adventure with us Zoners and fellow Military Brats...with a Father who was a combat-tested Naval Aviator during the Vietnam War, I also found many parallels in my childhood and early adult life, but they were nowhere near as extreme or adventurous.

MAX

[surfcowboy]

Indo, I wanna point out that Grajagan was discovered by headmount himself, not his brother. Credit where credit is due. Mini bikes and Jungle hikes made for new waves back then.