Are the parts lootable to all members of the party on the quest?

Before you can get the books to drop from the NPC, you have to obtain Soothsayers book from the dirt pile located on the abandoned (incomplete) Gnome Islands in southern Tanaris off Lands End Beach, and return it to him/complete Ransom and Decoy quests.

It's possible for a Holy Paladin to make the run back without dieing of Fatigue;

- Find the point furthest out from the island where you don't get the fatigue bar
- Start swimming
- When the first ticks of damage come in, Holy Shock
- If it crits, the next ticks should be healed with instant FoL
- Holy Shock as soon as it's off of cooldown and follow the next damage ticks with a FoL if Holy Shock critted
- Pop Divine Favor and the next damage ticks, heal with a Shock, followed by an instant FoL when the following damage ticks come in
- Bubble at this point while still moving, you're not far from land!
- Heal with Holy Shock/Instant FoL's while bubbled if you need it. If not, just keep swimming
- You're likely gonna need to use Lay on Hands next, due to HS being on cooldown
- As soon as HS is off CD, use it, as you'll be fairly low again. If it crits, follow up with an instant FoL.
- If you're still not back at land, you're unlucky.

AT NO POINT SHOULD YOU USE HEALS WITH A CAST TIME!

Being that i usually play Protection spec, it was lucky that i'd got Dual-spec and offspec holy gear.

Aspect of the cheetah (+30% speed), water walking and 1 running speed pot was enough for me to reach it.

Had no problem at all reaching the island, had about 30% left on the Fatique bar.

Just use your [Elixir of Water Walking] and bring a paladin with 20% aura!

Using the Sea Turtle will leave you dead right before the edge of the ""safe water"".

As a druid in https://vanillawowdb.com/?spell=1066 Aquatic Form with https://vanillawowdb.com/?item=43316 Glyph of Aquatic Form I was able to make it back to the main land from the northern most of the two islands (the one that the quest isn't actually located on) without being killed by fatigue. I took a few ticks of it right at the end, but nothing too terrible.

Just be sure you line yourself up as best you can so you're traveling in a straight line from the get go.

A Deathknight with Path of Frost can easy reach the island without fatigue, with a 100% Mount.

I was able to pull this off as a rogue with Glyph of Blurred Speed, the Engineering speed tinker, and a Sea Turtle mount. I took one tick of fatigue damage on my way there, and none on my way back. It helps if you spec into Preparation, too, for the additional sprint.

grab a couple of elixir of water walkjing and ride there. easy

As a priest if you get to the closest point to the island before the fatigue starts an you levitate and run using body and soul (from your bubble if you specced into it) each time it's up you can make it across with only about 3 ticks of damage (which you can heal through with renew ect.). Be careful when choosing your path, even if you can heal through fatigue without a problem, you have 0 regen while under the effects of fatigue.

water walking potion + Mount = Win :P

yes, waterwalk potion/shaman spell and epic mount let you pass the fatigue zone.
just dont let the built-in questhelper mislead you, the right path is to follow the silhoutte of the island.

Do hearthstone to Dalaran and port to CoT instead of swimming back, fastest way.

I've just tried to arrive there by using the turtle mount and I died just by a few meters .. I was almost on the beach, probably 2 ticks more and I would have done.

Don't think about using your https://vanillawowdb.com/?item=19979 Hook of the Master Angler... The speed buff is not enough and you will die. Learned it the hard way and cursed a lot.