Oceania Books

The stories are so well told, I found it hard to put down the book. They are full of warmth and are rich with authentic detail. This book is hard to categorize because it works equally well as interesting stories of the islands and as a cultural insight into two cultures meeting. Would recommend it to anyone interested in Pacific life, cross-cultural themes, or just warm stories of human sensitivity in a foreign setting.

Noted military historian / writer Martin Middlebrook has excelled himself with this fastidiously researched & tightly written account of the short lived, but bloody, 1982 war between Britain & Argentina over the tiny Falklands Islands in the South Atlantic. The author has effectively covered both the British & Argentinian perspective's of the campaign, and gives a fairly unbiased approach to the subject matter at hand.

Middlebrook provides a comprehensive, historical background to the issue of how the crisis developed in the Falklands, and the political climate in Argentina prior to the ill fated invasion. Middlebrook additionally illustrates how the British Lion then roused from it's slumber, swung swiftly into action and assembled a formidable task force, and sailed them thousands of miles away into the South Atlantic to battle against a numerically superior force.

The book provides detailed and intriguing insights into the naval aspects of the campaign including the loss of the Argentinian cruiser, General Belgrano and several English ships such as Sheffield, Sir Galahad & Atlantic Conveyor. The author examines the constant threat & fear that the Excocet missile posed to British shipping & their crews, and a bold plan to land SAS troops at Rio Grande to destroy Argentinian Super Etendard jets, the only jets capable of air launching the deadly Exocet. In addition, Middlebrook paints a gripping picture of the air war between British Harriers & Argentinian Skyhawks & Daggers, and the fight for supremacy of the skies over the Falklands. Finally, he covers the land campaign and the hard fought battles by Britsh Paratroop & Commando units against a dug in opposition & bitterly cold weather for key points including Goose Green, Tumbledown Mountain, Darwin Hill & finally the capital of Stanley.

A key aspect of the book that maintains the readers interest is the many, enthralling first hand comments by participants in the war including serviceman & politicians from both sides, Falkland Islanders, and the relatives of those involved in the crisis. Middlebrook combines details on the military technology that are easy to follow for the layman, with a fluid and well paced writing style that make the book compelling reading. Middlebook has written numerous other titles on military history, and this is another fine addition to his line up. Highly recommended for those seeking a concise, intriguing & well written book on the Falklands War.

Full of useful information for tourists, including ratings and reviews of places to stay and sites to see. The authors have a very down-to-earth, honest approach to the reader and some of their comments had me laughing out loud. For example, in commenting on the kangaroo, the book reads:

"To give you an idea of what you're dealing with in a tame kangaroo, just watch them with children--even when...[they]...pull their ears and walk on their tails, they just get up and walk away. If they wanted, they could open the kids up like a tin of sardines--they have claws like a saber-tooth tiger's tooth."

Combined with the Frommer's Australia books (both the 4th edition and the 'for about $50 a day' edition) I've found tons of useful information and probably won't even need to resort to a travel agent next time we visit.

This is a great book I brought with me all over Australia and found invaluable. This book gives detailed info on more sites than you could ever hope to dive, and even if you don't dive the pictures are great. Top book!

If you're goint to Fiji, this is the book for you. This recently updated guidebook is very comprehensive and provides excellent information on Fiji. I strongly recommend also buying the Fiji map, too.

A new edition of Finding Fiji is available and can be located by searching for "Moon Fiji" on this site.

Finding Utopia is a children's picturebook about searching for wonder in the world - a quest that can lead to truly grand discoveries. An American family and their Aboriginal friend travel to Australia, looking for a glimpse of Utopia. While there, they travel on camels, see the outback, meet a wise Aboriginal couple, visit the sacred Uluru rock site, and learn about the native animals and creation myths of Australia. The jam-packed color illustrations and the extensive text are further supplemented with notes at the back of the book, about noble leaders and great ideas that promoted world harmony and peace. A glossary of Aboriginal words rounds out this amazing tour of Australia's wonders and human ingenuity in the quest to create and live in a perfect world.

In Flying Foxes, Fruit And Blossom Bats Of Australia, two acknowledged authorities on Australia's bats, Leslie Hall and Greg Richards, effective collaborate to produce an informative, illustrated guide to Australia's thirteen species of Megachiroptera -- the "mega" bats. While these bats are nocturnal, they live in forests rather than caves, they navigate by sight rather than radar-like sound reflection (echolocation), and their long snouts and large ears and eyes give them a canine-like appearance and the resultant appellation of "flying foxes". Flying Foxes discusses such controversial matters as these creatures being kept as pets, the management of flying fox populations, and recent incidents of viral diseases being transmitted from the bats to humans. The informative, authoritative, comprehensive text is enhanced with line drawings by Louise Saunders and twenty-nine superbly presented color photographs (including many by acclaimed wildlife photographer, Theo Allofs). A highly recommended addition to exotic wildlife reference collections, Flying Foxes, Fruit And Blossom Bats Of Australia is also available in a trade paperback format (1575241765, $21.50).

Fodor's 2000 Australia gave very clear and concise information about all areas in Australia. The book begins with beautiful color photos and brief information highlighting attractions in the different regions of Australia. Then it goes into great detail providing information about things to do, places to stay, where to eat, and available tours. There is a wide range of listings encompassing all price ranges. Sample itineraries are provided as well as a multitude of addresses and phone numbers for travel guides. There are local maps throughout, as well as a full size pull-out map. The book is organized nicely and perfect for someone who is interested in planning a trip to Australia.

This book is pretty thorough. I haven't gone on my trip yet, but I feel much more confident traveling with this book in hand. I'm very pleased and the information is all relevant to this year. Written clearly and concisely and something for every budget.