As Barnett (Barney) Cline, MD, MPH, PhD, professor emeritus of tropical medicine at Tulane University, writes in his new travelogue and memoir, it is impossible to remain unchanged after spending a year at sea. When he joined the crew of the Verona, the young ship's surgeon could never have imagined just how thoroughly this trip would change his life.
Now, fifty years later, Cline recalls performing emergency surgery while on the Galapagos Islands, dodging the arrows of hostile natives in the Bay of Bengal, experiencing a mutiny mid-Pacific, and acquiring a cave house overlooking the Agean Sea on Santorini, Greece. Cline also shares medical moments that tested his education and gave him invaluable real-world experience in emergency and tropical medicine.
Along with hilarious anecdotes and poignant recollections, Cline also includes information from his original ship's log, a selection of photographs he took on the voyage, and excerpts from letters he wrote and received. His work contains a treasure trove of information about some of the most remote and beautiful places around the world. Cline hopes his work may inspire you to seek out these locales for yourself.
About the Author: Barnett (Barney) Cline, MD, MPH, PhD, professor emeritus of tropical medicine at Tulane University, was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. He received his bachelor's degree from Columbia College and his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. He later served with the US Public Health Service as a Peace Corps physician in Bolivia.
While working in South America, Cline met Christopher Sheldon, the captain of the Verona. Cline spent one year sailing the world as part of Sheldon's crew. Afterward, he earned a master's degree in public health from Johns Hopkins and a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of California, Berkeley. Cline spent his career working at the Centers for Disease Control and the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
Cline is now enjoying retirement with his wife, Nancy, at their ranch in rural Texas. They have two children and two grandchildren.
