Arnold van Beverhoudt

My wife Helena and I live on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. I've been a life-long naval history and space exploration enthusiast and a member of the United States Naval Institute, the National Air and Space Society (Smithsonian Institution), the National Space Society, and the Planetary Society. I'm a first-generation Star Trek fan, having been hooked since the first episode aired in 1966. I'm also an avid reader and have a large collection of naval history, aerospace, and science fiction books.

Professionally, for 35 years I was an auditor with the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Interior. In that capacity, I performed and supervised audits of the revenues and expenditures of the U.S. territories of the Virgin Islands and (in the Pacific) Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Although I'm now retired, I continue to be a member of the Association of Government Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and the Virgin Islands Society of Certified Public Accountants.

My books (all self-published through Lulu.com) have a personal connection and reflect my life experiences and my personal interests. Each is in large format paperback (11" x 8.5") and filled with photos and illustrations throughout. They include:

- "These Are The Voyages: A History of the Ships, Aircraft, and Spacecraft Named Enterprise" was originally published in 2011 and updated to a 2nd edition in 2013. It presents the thrilling story of almost 70 vessels throughout history that have carried the name "Enterprise." This grand saga runs from the days of the Spanish Armada to the fictional starships of "Star Trek."

- "Island Boy: My Life on the Rock" was published in 2013 and is the narrative story of my life on St. Thomas. My father's Dutch ancestors originally came to St. Thomas in the late 1600s, while my mother's ancestors came from the French Mediterranean island of Corsica. I experienced many childhood adventures on St. Thomas during the 1950s/60s, eventually married Helena (who I met on the job), and pursued a rewarding career investigating and reporting on government mismanagement in the islands. Now retired, Helena and I treasure opportunities to visit our daughter and granddaughter in the USA.

- "Island Boy Photobooks" is a series of 6 books filled with hundreds of full color photos, taken by me or family members. Each book showcases a different topic, including the U.S. Virgin Islands from 1900 to 2014, some of the islands of the Pacific that I had the opportunity to visit as part of my job, changes at the Walt Disney World theme parks over a period of 40 years, and a visual look at my life and adventures growing up on St. Thomas (complimenting my narrative autobiography).

If you've read any of my books, I invite you to post your reviews both here on amazon.com and at lulu.com/spotlight/arnoldvb. I also invite you to visit my "Sandcastle V.I." web site, which can be found www.sandcastlevi.com and my companion Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sandcastlevi