Oceania Books

The book was a gift. The recipient was very happy with it. Well written book. Just enough information for the age of the person wanting it.

Easter Island is one of the most interesting places in the world, but you would never know it from this text that is so much like geography textbooks of old that you don't want to even turn the page. What does keep you turning the pages are the pictures which are quite beautiful and, in themselves, illuminating... A worthy effort, with solid information...

An excellent informational book about Easter Island and its mysterious past. Schort chapters break the book into easily managable sections. The vocabulary is appropriate for the intended age group. Factual information is clearly separated from theories. When applicable, multiple theories are presented. Crisp, clear photographs throughout the book serve to clarify the narration. A glossary, complete with pronounciation guide, is included along with an index.

There was a brief history of the French Polynesian Islands with slightly more detailed information on the individual islands. The best thing was the wonderful underwater dive site maps. I love it!

This book was useful when we visited the South Seas as to what was "under" the water. It is very well presented with drawings of fish in the area as well as routes to take when scuba diving. It is limited as to the islands it covers so one should check to see if the book covers where you will be.

It was an okay guide. I was looking more for fish species and other dive information.

Purchased this to replace the one we lost from the public library. Kids liked it and it helped them learn the reef life. Mom went a little crazy with all the repetition.

Not only does my niece love this book, I'm quite fond of the series, too! The illustrations are detailed and painstakingly accurate, but the real treasure is Dunphy's language. The motif may seem simple, but it actively tunes in a child's curiosity, making her or him eager to turn the page and see what's next.

I really enjoy Madeleine Dunphy's "Here is the Coral Reef," as I do all of her other "Here is..." books (rainforest, arctic winter, southwestern desert, and wetlands). "Here is the Coral Reef" provides parents a fun, colorful medium for teaching children about the coral reef ecosystem. The cumulative verse format is an elegant way to teach about the interconnections between all life. The illustrations are gloriously bright, with just enough action to keep the kids going, but nothing gory. The story grows incrementally with each page, tracing the unseen threads of biological systems, and culminating in a montage of its reef-dwelling characters. Kids seem to like the repetition...but any parent knows how much children enjoy repeating their favorite stories, songs or videos over and over and over! I would highly recommend this subtle yet effective book for parents and educators (*****).

Commins has taken on the heroic task of writing a one-man reference work, and it's proven a bit much for him. Many entries merely scratch the surface, retelling well-known information without providing insight or new information. Others are severely out of date. The bibliography cites no travel book after 1980, thereby missing, among others, the estimable Syria by Coleman South in the Cultural Shock! series (London: Kuperard, 1995). The story of Mustafa Tlas, Syria's current defense minister, ends with his taking this position in 1972. The biography of Ma`ruf ad-Dawalibi closes in 1962, ignoring his many active years since. The entry on `Alawis fizzles out in 1960, just on the eve of their taking control of Syria and, for the first time ever, their becoming power brokers. Information on the Greater Syria ideology ends in the 1950s, missing entirely the successes of Hafiz al-Asad in this domain. Likewise, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party also terminates in the 1950s. The history of Alexandretta ends way back in 1939, just as Syrian irredentism began.

Another problem concerns Commins' tendency to shade information to fit his views and biases. In some cases, this means presenting supposition as fact, for example, asserting that in October 1990, "In a gesture of gratitude, the United States gave Syria the green light" to bring its Lebanese opponents to heel. In others, this means questioning well-established facts, such as his dismissal of Syrian support for the PKK organization as "allegations."

Middle East Quarterly, December 1996

You will not find a better cure for insomnia anywhere else in the Middle East History section if you're not a scholar. If you are a scholar, then this book will make you an insomniac! An extraordinary piece of literature, the best Historical Dictionary in the series. The depth of research and coverage of the many facets of the Syrian identity in terms of geography, culture, and politics are adeptly covered in this gorgeous book. Brilliant authorship.

Don't be fooled by the title -- this book was a real page-turner. A more complete, concise history of Syria has yet to be written. And when it is, I'm sure it will be Commins' own revised edition. It's a hard subject deftly handled with precision. Should be required reading in all history courses.

After securing Guadalcanal in February of 1943, the Joint Chiefs began to decide where to stike at the Japanese next. It was decided that a thrust into the Central Pacific island groups of the Marshalls and Gilberts would be the objective, with the island of Tarawa in the Gilberts to be taken first. What happened on that tiny island in the Central Pacific can only be described as some of the bloodiest fighting of the war and a near disaster for the Americans.

Tarawa is surrounded by a coral reef which reaches as much as a half mile out into the ocean. Preliminary reports stated that the tide should have been high enough for the invasion fleet to successfully navigate over the reef, but the reports proved to be wrong. Much of the reef was exposed, so men were forced to wade in chest-deep water up to a half mile to the beach while facing murderous Japanese fire.

The pre-invasion bombardment of the island destroyed much of the above-ground buildings and outposts, but the Japanese had spend considerable time and labor constructing bunkers and pillboxes made from coral, logs, and concrete so strong that only a direct hit from a heavy bomb or shell could successuflly knock them out. These positions proved to be deadly for the Americans, as many were constructed to provide covering fire for other positions.

Once ashore, the Americans faced a fanatical enemy who refused to surrender. Many Japanese were literally burned alive by flamethrowers or blown to bits by grenades.

The losses of the battle were horrific for both sides. The Japanese lost virtually every man, while the casualties the Americans suffered were unlike any ever seen, and only matched by Iwo Jima and Okinawa. A battle that was supposed to last but a few hours turned into a week-long struggle for survival.

I felt this book did a good job of describing the decision to attack the Gilberts and Marshalls, and the description of the battle for both sides was well done. The quotes from veterans were essential to understanding the true essence of the battle, and the author supplies many quotes throughout the book. I recommend this book. It gives a good basic description of one of the bloodiest battles the Americans fought against the Japanese and the lessons learned from it.

After seeing "Saving Private Ryan," the most moving and authentic WWII movie thus far, I was moved to better understand the war my father fought in. He has never shared his experiences and now I know why. He was 2nd Marines 3rd wave at Tarawa. What a battle. I always knew that my dad and those Marines were heroes and now this book has helped me to understand why. I hope that a "realistic" movie is made about Tarawa because that battle must stand as one of the quintessential Marine Corps battles of all times. This book is a good read.

Author isn't a gripping storyteller. He pails in comparison to Alistair Horne (VERDUN), Max Hastings (THE KOREAN WAR) or Cornelius Ryan (THE LONGEST DAY). He slips in uninformative quotes like a college History major with a desk full of notes he refuses to pare down (ie. Nimitz to Spruance:"Spru, you are lucky.") for a term paper. Uses too much military jargon and too many abreviations for your non-expert. Details the landing quite well; the reader gets a good feel of the terror and carnage. In comparison, the marines drive inland from the beaches should have been told in greater detail. Author paints a good picture of several of the marines, especially the legendary William "Hawk" Hawkins who died in the fighting. Mr. Graham does a decent job with his material; the heroes of Tarawa deserve a greater writer to tell their courageous story.

Being the only guidebook to West Papua/Irian Jaya alone is a major merit of it. It also has well-researched background information and decent practical details on the major tourist attractions of this area.
However, ONLY the major tourist attractions (Jayapura/Baliem/Biak/Manokwari/Asmat) are covered in any detail, and even many of those descriptions are simply accounts of the author's own travels there, which seem to have taken place many, many years ago.
There is no description of plenty of other, relatively accessible and increasingly popular parts of Papua, some of which are actually covered in the Rough Guide to Indonesia.
But with coverage of this region in general guidebooks to Indonesia invariably limited in length, this book is certainly still worth buying by anyone who wants to spend more than just a week there.

I found the book helpful, informative and the pictures to be breathtaking. It is a great combination of practical and aesthetic.

This book has all the practical and background information -- and more -- that any backpacker or ecotourist would need to visit this mindblowing destination, truly one of the wildest, most exciting, and most remote places left on the planet (recently renamed Papua or West Papua). This place has it all -- some of the most pristine and richest rainforests anywhere, amazing and vibrant tribal cultures (some, like the Asmat and Dani are retain many of their traditional customs), loads of interesting, colorful, and strange critters (ex. Birds of Paradise), and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. (Irian/Papua has the tallest mountains between the Himalayas and the Andes). Muller gives ample and well researched descriptions of the natural history, political background, and cultural context of Irian/Papua, as well as what any traveller will naturally want: practical tips on where to stay, what to do and see and how specifically to do it. There is also other essential stuff on recommended travel items, medical info, and other key stuff you'll want to have handy. There simply is no other book that gives so much background material as this one. For that matter, Muller's other guidebooks on Indonesia are similarly excellent. The Lonely Planet and Moon guidebooks to Indonesia are OK for other parts of the country, but very inadequate when it comes to Irian, so if you're headed there or thinking of going, this book is definitely the one you want. The pictures are also great, and will get you rearin' to go. I would have given it 5 stars, except for the fact that it doesn't have much info on several interesting parts of Irian -- but that's not Muller's fault, there are just some places that are just about impossible to get to. That said, there is more than enough data here on the obvious places (Baliem Valley, Jayapura, Biak, Asmat, Birds Head) that a first, second, or third time traveller to Irian/Papua will want or need.

This map will only be useful to you if you don't have any other basic resources, like a general world atlas or travel guides, at home.
The main map itself shows the entire South Pacific region, with country boundaries clearly marked, but individual islands reduced to the size of dots.
Major islands are shown on inset maps, however even these are still tiny - you will find bigger, more detailed, and more accurate maps of the same islands (and many more) in travel guidebooks to this region by Lonely Planet or Moon.
In short, unless you just want a general map to hang on your wall, don't waste your money on this one!

This map covers an area of the world that is not well represented in most world atlases. Excellent index. Fifty-one detailed inset maps.

I've been looking for a map for a long time of Oceania because after college I'm settling on an island by myself in search for waves. I could'nt believe all the islands I've never known about. If I was to purchase one map in conjunction with nautical charts, it would be this one.

For anyone interested a critical look into Hawaii's colorful history this book offers a wealth of information about people and places which shape the Hawaii of today. A must read for the visitor and resident alike.If you want to know Hawaii, read this book.

I originally chose to read this book because I wanted to learn more about the Hawaiian sovereignty movement. I selected this book because of the title, imagining it would be a passionate work. I imagine it was a work of passion but the information didn't reflect it. I don't regret reading it and treasure the information gained by doing so. However, I would not recommend this book to someone who is new to the Hawaiian sovereignty issues.

This book was more concerned with relaying historical detail which did create a strong argument that Hawaii was attained immorally. The author did little of sharing his own opinion but rather reported more research of the quotes of others. This definitely serves a purpose and is valuable, but don't read it unless you are prepared for that.

The author's model was to base chapters on certain individuals who played a prominent role in the history of Hawaii and its annexation to the United States. This is often confusing because you read about someone way back at the beginning and then they are mentioned at the end of the text and you can't remember who they are. If anything this book has served to spark my interest further on the topic and I will look for another book to get a better grasp.

I bought this book as research for a project that I am doing concerning the life of Liliuokalani. Though the book doesn't add much to her story, it contains a wealth of information on the Hawaiian monarchy and the conspiracies that led to it's downfall. This is not an unslanted book. I think that the authors viewpoint is pretty clear throughout. But it is passionately argued and I think hard to refute.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about one of the great injustices of the American 19th century.

Recently I took a trip from Perth to Cairns by rail and this book was my primary source of information that helped me prepare my itinerary. I spent a few days in all major aussie cities on my way to Cairns. This guide helped me in two ways, first it helped me to quickly gather general information about particular place where I took a break and it's surroundings. Second, it helped me to narrow down day trips, sightseeings and walks (which are *plenty* to choose from local tourist kiosks in hotels, YHA...).
One thing that I didn't find in this book was enough tips for budget accomodation - if I didn't by an accident find the official YHA Australia web site I would never know how good this organization is in this country (at least compared with YHA in most part of Europe). So, if you need budget accomodation then certainly checkout YHA web site before booking any 'budget' places mentioned in this book.
Otherwise I can't say anything bad about the book, it does a good job covering all aussie states and I beleieve that the content will satisfy the adventurers as well as tourists.

I saw the book in the hands of one of your US tourists and at the quick look I had, I liked what I could see HOWEVER!!! the information on the area south of Hobart in Tasmania was sadly not only not good, it was in fact not there. As a tourist operator at Cygnet in S Tas I was disappointed - for me and the fact that some of your people would be possibly missing out on one of the nicest corners of our state.

"Adventuring in the Pacific" is the only book I've found, to date, that covers information about the South Pacific and Oceanic Islands from as far east as Tahiti in Polynesia, to as far north-west as the Northern Mariana's in Micronesia, covering many of the more remote or unfamiliar islands in between. The book contains a wealth of information that is vital to the traveler such as travel tips, length of stay considered adequate for each island, flora & fauna, native foods, and even important information about crime and health issues that may be encountered. Additionally, it includes an in depth look at the culture and history of each island. I would have preferred seeing more detailed maps, more weather information and pictures of the islands, but for anyone planning to visit or sail throughout the South Seas, or if you're just an island "buff" it is well worth the purchase.

No doubt interesting reading. Whether it's relevant... Well, yes, this could be great advice for those adventuring in the Pacific, but only with huge amounts of money which few of us have. Unless you have your own yacht(s) etc, you may be better off with one of the more 'conventional' travel guides.