Oceania Books

Hardback, 11.75 x 9.25 " , 152 Pages, 110 Objects which were at one time in the collection of Pablo Picasso. Of great historical influence in modern art, these tribal art pieces are generally well illustrated in full-page color photographs. Well-researched and informative text, with every object individually descibed.

This book covers the three Pidgin languages of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu - three of the most diverse, fascinating and unspoilt countries in the South Pacific. While English is spoken by many people in all the three, the Pidgins described here are the lingua franca in each, and I found that locals were very happy to hear me speak them. Each of the three languages is introduced by a good description of its grammar (don't worry, easy and similar in all three) and pronunciation, followed by useful phrases arranged thematically.

And here comes my only complaint - I would have preferred more phrases, and perhaps short dictionary listings for all the three languages. Space for that could have been found by omitting what seems a waste here to me - descriptions of two obscure pidgin languages of Australia, which are also included in LP's Australian Phrasebook (where they logicaly belong) anyway.

Still, within the confines of its limited space, this little book is excellent.
If you are lucky enough to travel to these charming archipelagos, don't leave home without it!

Interesting book but a little out dated (the Challenger disaster being the big news of the book). The book is divided into themes for chapters. There are chapters on what it's like to be in space, how much better the human eye is than the camera, how basic human needs are taken care of in space (and what is done with the waste), etc. The writing is a little choppy, cutting between eras as needed for the thread of the theme, rather than smoothly segueing through eras or different missions to space. I found that style of writing the most difficult piece of the book. By about chapter four, I was finally in synch with the book and able to read more quickly.

This is simply a map of Australia and a good one. With all of the interest in Australia due to the Olympics, it is helpful to be able to locate the places frequently refered to in the media. Easy to read with some city center maps. Good legend. Thanks!

Robert Menzies was a conservative Australian politician who served as Prime Minister from 1939 to 1941 when he surpringly resigned. At this time the Australian Labour party won office and dominated politics for the next eight years. Menzies built up a new party to regain power which he called the Liberal Party. He also developed an ideology to appeal to the forgoten people. That is he positioned his conservative party to appeal to the middle class rather than having it to closely aligned with big business.

Volume one of this biography concerns his early years and his career up to 1941. He was born in a country town and came from a poor family. He was able to get a university eduction and became a succesful lawyer and state politician before moving to the federal sphere. He did not serve in the first world war although his brothers did.

The book is actually by an author who has more sympathy with the labour side of politics rather than the conservative. Never the less it is a reasonable portrait of the man and also the period. One of the better Australian political biographies.

Romancing the Islands is a thoroughly delightful read. Kim Gravelle has a great deal of regard for the people and the islands of the South Pacific, and it shows in this book. For those who have travelled the Pacific, his stories of island encounters will bring back wonderful memories. His tales, of warm and hospitable people, beautiful but sometimes harsh, landscapes and incidences and lifestyles quite unlike any encountered at home, are told with humour and affection. It makes one want to head out right away to experience the adventure of a lifetime. I thoroughly recommend this book to traveler and armchair traveler alike.

This book was very handy when we went to Melbourne last month. We bought this and a city guide, and found this book to be much more our style. If all the Rough Guides are this handy, then it's a great series. I am certainly going to try one the next time I am going on a trip. (Usually I buy "for Dummies" books, but since we were strictly relegated to Melbourne on this past trip, I didn't want to buy an all-Australia-oriented book!)

Could have used a bit more data on the seedier aspects of the city (because all cities have their dark side, and it's nice to know the etiquette), but overall, it was very useful.

New South Wales colony was the original British colony in Australia, and several books have already been written about its beginnings. But this text offers a fresh and different perspective. The author explains how Sydney started as a colony where often the permanent residents were convicts who had served their sentences but were forbidden to return to Mother Britain. Under such circumstances, the prospects for a normal society seemed dim indeed.

Yet in those early decades, through the local courts and local case law, the backbone of such a society emerged. Probably helped by the fact that most of the convicts were not homicidal maniacs. Those would have been already hung in Britain, instead of being transported to Sydney. Most convicts had committed fairly minor infractions, that were severely punished by British law, which was mostly to protect the upper classes.

Went throught the whole book in one take. The photographs are so amazing, they instantly transport you to New Zealand and the words just reiterate the beauty of that luscious land. Great for anyone who is just merely curious or planning a trip to NZ. You feel the love the author has for his homeland - he is not only talented, he is gifted. His pictures are 'the stuff' dreams are made of. Great buy. PS: the pictures on his website will also take your breath away.

Sent Forth a Dove provides an insight into the first European ship recorded in history to visit Australia and the work by a team of people in Fremantle, Australia to build a replica of the ship. This book brings together little known parts of the Duyfken story, including background history of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). A good read for students of maritime history, shipbuilding and the Aboriginal history of Australia.