Oceania Books

The book had all the basic info. you need for hiking in New Zealand. It's easy to read with a couple of nice pictures. Enjoy!

By far the best guide available about tramping opportunities in NZ. The track guides are pretty accurate and provide a good overview of what to expect.

This edition is far better than the previous editions. It's new organization and additional information sections are a marked improvement. A new section on Flora and Fauna gives a highlight of any New Zealand tramp. This book acts as an excellent reference book while tramping. Of course, if the book contained every piece of required information, (i.e. highly detailed maps and every step of the way instructions) it would require 1000's of pages. The authors surmount that difficulty by including instructions on how to obtain additional necessary information. The book is perfect for those that are looking into or planning a backpacking trek to New Zealand.

This is a great book for planning a tramping trip to New Zealand, although it's a bit too much to carry while actually hiking. The book contains good references and maps to the most popular tracks, and some of the lesser known tracks. If your tight on cash, I recommend going to the visitor centers in New Zealand and picking up the DOC pamphlets they supply. D.O.C. has detailed pamphlets on pretty much every track in New Zealand and they only charge about 50 cents (US) for each one. But if you want to plan a trip from home, this is the book to get, it's far easier to understand than the other New Zealand tramping books, and gives good information on what you need to bring. It also gives good info on the New Zealand back country hut system. Buy a hut pass, they're only 35 bucks (US) for a year. It even supplies some decent fly fishing tips for the rivers that border some of the tracks. But be warned that almost every other tourist hiker in New Zealand also has this book, so if you really want to get away from people, you'll have to do some bushwacking.

The book is an excellent overview of the Voyager missions sent to explore the largest planets of our solar system: Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus. The book gives a complete account of the spacecrafts' respective journeys and their discoveries but most important the author also brings up-to-date information that has been gathered since the Voyagers executed their fly-bys of those distant moons (information gathered via ground-based telescopes, Hubble and other spacecraft like Galileo). Although the Cassini spacecraft now orbiting planet Saturn will certainly add more information about the planet and its moons than the book contains, this work will remain as a true reference for a long time.
The books is solid account of what we know of our solar system.

The Voyager 1 & 2 missions launched in 1977 revolutionised our knowledge of the outer solar system. This book summarises the missions, how they were planned and executed, what when wrong and what worked better than expected.

Most of all it explains what we learnt about the planets that we never knew before. Except for Galileo's recent sojourn at Jupiter, and Cassini's introduction to Saturn, the Voyagers have provided practically all our knowledge of the giant planets of the outer Solar System and their moons. What the Voyagers provided just cannot be measured from Earth based telescopes, even telescopes like the HST in Earth orbit. There is just no substitute for getting in close with an array of instruments.

The book starts with a bit of history about mankind's discovery of the nature of the solar system with a specially good section on the discovery of the new planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The historical encounters of John Adams (who was one of two who predicted the position of the as yet undiscovered Neptune) with George Airy, the Astronomer Royal, who couldn't be bothered looking, were particularly of interest.

The exploration program was initially planned as a 'Grand Tour' with two launches to Jupiter, Saturn then Pluto followed by two launches to Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune. However funding these missions was competing with the development of the Space Shuttle, and the inevitable happened, budget cuts. Even with the reduction in funds, the opportunity could still not be missed, as the optimal alignment of the planets for taking advantage of such a progressive gravitational slingshot would not reoccur until the twenty second century, the 'chance of three lifetimes' for sure. A reduced budget mission was eventually given approval.

Of surprise to this reader was that the final Voyager missions (the name was not chosen until shortly before launch) were initially planned as Jupiter plus Saturn missions only, due of course to funding restrictions. The final configuration of the space craft was very different from those of the earlier 'Grand Tour' plans which had included the drop off of a probe into the atmosphere of Jupiter, finally executed by Galileo decades later. The final Voyagers were closely related to the successful Mariner series.

While some interesting background detail is provided on the spacecraft themselves, their power, computer and instrumentation systems, and the intensity of the mission planning debates at the time of each encounter, the planets of course are the stars of the book. Evans & Harland spend over 50 pages discussing the discoveries at Jupiter, 40 pages on Saturn and its rings, and almost 30 pages each on Uranus and Neptune and their unusual collection of moons.

With Jupiter, both the Voyager's discoveries and the more recent additions to our knowledge from Galileo are covered. Cassini of course is in the process of re-writing the history of our knowledge of Saturn and its environs. But don't let that disturb you. Cassini will take at least four years to make its discoveries, and this book is such a thoroughly good read, you should read it now. Highly recommended.

This book, as was to be expected from a volume in the excellent Springer-Praxis series in astronomy and space sciences, is absolute quality. Although I haven't read its American `competitor' Voyager's Grand Tour by Henry C. Dethloff, I cannot believe that it could be done better than this. Especially if you're interested in the scientific aspects (planetary science, that is) of the Voyager missions, you won't be disappointed. It's all very well covered, extensively, with lots of interesting details and totally up-to-date (Galileo results are included in the discussions and there's a preview of the Cassini and JIMO (to Jupiter's moons) missions). The author may not be a planetary scientist himself, he is definitely an excellent science writer, offering an approach that's technical and detailed (and `problem-conscious') enough to satisfy even professional astronomers while he's writing in such a way so as to convey the sheer excitement of solar system exploration in every sentence. Very readable also, nowhere dry or dull.
The book is more heavily focused on the scientific results of the voyager missions than it is on the technical, engineering parts of it, but that is really not a problem. Most of the on-board instrumentation of the Voyager probes is explained well enough. The book has a lot of stunning black-and-white photographs and many illustrations and diagrams, and it even features a middle section with 13 colour plates. There's a bibliography and also a huge list of useful internet resources. All in all a great book. Very, very much recommended! Don't let yourself be scared off by its considerable price. It's worth every penny.

In the last decade Springer-Praxis has published a significant number of new titles on the history of space exploration. Some are better than others, of course, and unfortunately this is not one of the more notable entries in the series. Written for the non-specialist, "NASA's Voyager Missions" offers a general introduction to what turned out to be a stunning "grand tour" of the outer gas giants of the solar system in the latter 1970s and 1980s. The basics of the story are present including the mission's origins in the 1960s, its launch in 1977, encounters with the outer planets, and the scientific windfall that resulted from the mission. This work also discusses the individuals who devoted their entire working lives to them, from the planetary work of the 1970s and 1980s to the recent Voyager Interstellar Mission.

These missions, launched from Kennedy Space Center in 1977 were intended only to image Jupiter and Saturn as they flew by, essentially a windshield tour. As the mission progressed, with the successful achievement of all its early objectives, additional flybys of the two outermost giant planets, Uranus and Neptune, proved possible--and irresistible--to mission scientists. Eventually, between them, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 explored all the giant outer planets, 48 of their moons, and the unique systems of rings and magnetic fields those planets possess. The two Voyagers took well over 100,000 images of the outer planets, rings, and satellites, as well as millions of magnetic, chemical spectra, and radiation measurements. Without question, they returned information to Earth that revolutionized the science of planetary astronomy.

This work is suited for introductory history and science classes, but it is too unsophisticated for the serious student. It leaves unanswered a myriad of questions, and fails to explore issues of interest to historians. Unfortunately, the full history of this mission still awaits its historian. There are some other good works on the subject but those also fail to tell the story fully. Among those other books are Henry C. Dethloff and Ronald A. Schorn, "Voyager's Grand Tour: To the Outer Planets and Beyond" (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003); Robert S. Kraemer, "Beyond the Moon: Golden Age of Planetary Exploration 1971-1978" (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001); and David W. Swift, "Voyager Tales: Personal Views of the Grand Tour" (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1997). These other works should be read along with "NASA's Voyager Missions" to gain a more rounded portrait of the Voyagers missions and their accomplishments.

If only there could be more of these books, finally a book that you can read and that gives honest comments.

I found this guide to be a great introduction to palau and useful in my wanderings around the islands. Too bad the author is a redneck old guy without much of an interest in marine exploits, or he would have expanded much better on the best side of Palau, which is scuba diving. Also the maps are confusing as the keys to places are kind of mixed-up in the black and white reproductions. But I would nevertheless recommend the book to anyone going to Palau as a very good reference.

Very helpful in planning our trip. The book even gave details on the outer island besides the main island of Koror. Books on Palau do not exist if you want info buy this book

Having been to Palau,(and being fortunate enough to be married to a Palauan), I can say this little guidebook is excellent. The book is very accurate and I can tell the author took the time to visit all the inhabited islands in this beautiful archipelago; not many tourists will visit Anguar or Kayangel but those visits are worth the effort. The author aalso mingled with the locals which is also a very good thing to do if you want to see the really good stuff.
I plan to retire to Palau and this little book made me homesick, in a way. Palau is remote, difficult and expensive to get to. It is also a wild and unspoiled Eden and if you are into Botany, Zoology and the Natural Sciences in general, then Palau is a dream come true.

This book is so rad. The pictures are awesome. It's just a great book

Good pictures, solid review of breaks. An excellent complement to the Surf Report.

I spent 4 months driving from west Oz to northern New South Wales, and the coastline was pretty well covered. But not so much that you can't find your own spots not listed. A great guide for the first time visitor.

Being an Aussie and wanting to get out there amonst it all, this book says it all. Being one of five kids that all surf in different areas and using different modes of transport on the water this book has it all for all of us and this book is what they will all get for chrissy this year!!

so accurate so funny, looks at development in Tonga but could also be used to describe much of the pacific island region. Warm but critical.

A fabulous collection of short stories that more or less piece together to create a fully formed humorous novella. The author spares no-one with his cruel wit and sharp eye for the details of some of the more outrageous aspects of colonialism in the troubled paradise that is the Pacific. The finger of fun is pointed at locals and expatriates alike but what is especially refreshing is that this time it is a Pacific islander that is doing the pointing and not some foppish Englishman (Somerset Maughan) or frazzled American (Paul Theroux). For too long it has been the expats writing about the locals and this book is a great step forward and should be an inspiration for local writers wherever they may be. And best of all, you suspect that most of what he writes about isn't that far from reality.

so accurate so funny, looks at development in Tonga but could also be used to describe much of the pacific island region. Warm but critical.

As a former expatriate in Polynesia, I recognized much in and enjoyed all of this collection of short stories. Hau'ofa spares no one--he skews expats, aid workers and his fellow Polynesians with equal glee. If you live in or have ever lived in the islands, you'll love this. If you want to learn what Polynesia is really like, this book is for you as well.

Very nice little book. Tells the truth regarding the overthrow. Would be very easy for children to read and understand. Beautiful old pictures

I appreciate Martha H. Noyes efforts in retelling the story of what happened to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. She has depicted much of what happened to my ancestors and their people. Mahalo nui loa! I do, however, agree with Mr. Llora that there is indeed blame being held, and as usual it is all about "Europeans, Americans and Whites". The Hawaiian people, like many indigenous peoples around the world, especially many of the Pacific Islanders, were isolated from the diseases, illnesses and sickness that people of Europe and Asia had. Certainly because of the exploration primarily and firstly by Europeans, whether British, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian or French, the first contacts were with Europeans and therefore the first diseases, venereal (from Tahiti), smallpox and influenza, that decimated Pacific Islanders, like the Hawaiians, were of European origin. However, as time went by and the Hawaiian people established a constitutional monarchy, guiding their way into the modern world as an independent, soveriegn nation and Euro-Polynesian country, a few "White Americans" illegally stole the country of Hawai'i. These elite non-Hawaiians then imported massive waves of foreigners, unabated and without a care in the world to the impact upon the Hawaiian people, primarly from Asia, especially Japan and China, but also from Portugal, with a few from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria and Prussia, who also carried with them their illnesses, diseases and sicknesses of which the already decimated Hawaiian people had no immunity to. The Hawaiians were further killed off by tuberculosis, influenza, Hansens Disease (from China), colds, fevers, smallpox (from San Francisco's Chinatown) and measles. Today, the descendants of the imported foreigners have outpopulated and supplanted the Hawaiian people and their descendants. In this world of warped political correctness, the facts, truth and authenticity of history and people are in danger of disappearing. As a hapa (of mixed blood), a hapa Hawai'i (part Hawaiian), as well as Chinese, Native American, European, English and British ancestry, I am tired of the same "facts of blame" being leveled at only one type of people as if "skincolor" or "race" is synonymous with "disease carrier" as in reference to the Hawaiian people, my people, my ancestors, my kupuna in my 'aina hanau of the Hawaiian Islands. It doesn't matter where the foreigners to Hawai'i's shores were from, they were human beings who brought disease that impacted the Hawaiian people, regardless of "race", "skincolor", ethnicity, nationality or origins. The fact remains that the Hawaiian people were devastated and decimated, and never had the chance nor opportunity to bring their country into the modern world.

Martha Noyes' 'Then There Were None' is a tragic tale of genocide -- a narrative full of contradication. On the one hand she says 'There is no blame, no guilt' (vii). Yet, on the other hand, she identifies reasons for the genocide of the 'pure' Hawaiians from an estimated 1,000,000 in 1778 (11) to 24,000 Hawaiians in 1922 (79).

She begins with the Cook and Vancouver visits in 1778 and their legacy of disease (9). Then, Noyes' continues with a series of moves by white foreigners whose clear agenda is domination and takeover. My point is simply that Noyes places the blame squarely on foreign elements. As a post-colonial thinker, I would be inclined to, in most cases, agree with her. However, to claim that the book does not lay blame is, in my humble opinion, a contradication.

Lastly, despite all the wonderful references to the 'pure' Hawaiians as well as the dominant white incursion, the book is missing one key element -- the impact of immigration of East and Southeast Asians on the local population. My sense is that Noyes does not want to shift the 'blame' or water down the story by references to immigrants and settlers. Noyes is an unapologetic romantic and that is all good. In a world full of that almost unmeasureable 'thing' out there called 'power' one cannot help but be sucked in to the discourse of master/slave even if through the destabilizing force of subversion. However, in this same reality one needs to measure the efficacy of such attempts and weigh the possible beneficial results of such actions -- as did George Helm (95) and see where that got him (97).

Kudos to Noyes for keeping the faith of King Kamehameha and Queen Lili'uokalani. Moreover, thumbs way up for Noyes' de-ornamentalism of the Hawaiian construction by the West. If for these two reasons alone, the book is well worth the read.

Miguel Llora

*****
This small book is a beautiful gift book for those readers who have an interest in Hawaiian history and the Hawaiian people. On the left side of each page is a beautiful black-and-white photo, and on the right side a narrative, a quote, or poem that attempts to tell the story of the wounds of the people of Hawaii---a people who were robbed of their land and their culture---tragically.

The book does not attempt to be unbiased, but purports to put forth a point of view that has not typically been heard in the past---that of a people that were disenfranchised of so much, and the effect it had upon them.

This book is unofficially a companion to the DVD by Dr. Elizabeth Kapuuwailani Lindsey, by the same title, which tells a similar story via video rather than photographs and writing. Both the book and the DVD can stand alone, however, and each are different. The similarily is that both tell the story of the Hawaiians. The author of this book, Martha K. Noyes, was the producer and writer of the DVD as well.

The choice of photographs for this book is wonderful. I highly recommend it to all those who love Hawaii.
*****

A condensed, concise history from from earliest human occupation to the modern times. It was interesting to see the contrast of the development of the colonies in Victoria, SA and WA with the original settlement. I felt the book gives a much wider view of the Australian persona.

Good overview of Australian history from prehostory to 2001. I have been looking for something like this for a while. A lot of information, well worth the cost. I like the explanation of why boomerangs return. It includes a historical gazeteer in the back and a summary chronology of major dates in Austrailian history.

This book is an excellent, succinct history that is an easy read. I searched for books on Australia and this seemed to be the most objectively written. I wouldn't use it like a Fodor's guide to plan a trip with interesting places to eat or stay. It does give a nice history of the country to familiarize yourself with Australia and gives you an idea of places to see in this wonderful and diverse country. I'm going to check out books from this series on other countries.

If you're going to the Olympic Games in Sydney Australia in September, this book will provide the background you need. The author takes you from the aboriginal Dream-Time, 53,000 years ago, to the booming cities of 2000. If you want to know why boomerangs return, how in the early days of settlement many ex-convicts became millionaires (legally!), where is the world's largest flat surface, at which battle in the Vietnam War the Aussies killed the Vietcong 15 to 1, why Canberra and not Sydney is the capital city, when Australia experienced a military coup, or who is the cricket equivalent of Babe Ruth, this is your book. There is also a chronology of the main historical events and, useful for visitors, a historical gazeteer of the main cities and tourist spots.

I am a big fan of Sumerset Maugham. The problem with this particular book (and it does not happen in any other I have read/bought) is that it is full of typos!

There are repeated phrases; using form instead of from; too instead of to.. etc. The amount of errors is unprecedented and I wonder is this some sort of "off brand" reprint??

I would suggest looking for a different maker for these stories. It must be out there.

It's great news that they'll soon be issuing a new edition of this collection. The stories are timeless and beautifully rendered. Maugham explores everything from the evils of colonialism to the rigid social expectations of turn of the century Chicago aristocrats -- and in each case he transports us to the South Pacific. He's one of the great practitioners of the short story and this collection provides us with a concise glimpse at his handiwork.

Somerset Maugham was a veteran of British intelligence during World War I, an experience that was to influence his views of the world in subsequent years as well as his writing. The Trembling of a Leaf is a compilation of six short stories and two sketches by Maugham, including his famous story "Rain," an ironic look at the dark consequences and of being too fixated on the object of your affections, -- which is perhaps better known by its film and theater adaptation as "Sadie Thompson." Romance, the cruel forces of reality, and a keen attention to the unforeseen color this classic anthology showcasing Somerset Maugham's literary genius.

This book consists of 8 short stories, many of them playing in the South Sea Islands. After reading this book you will want to go there and enjoy the beauty of life. Beautifully written, a pure pleasure to read!

The book describes the events leading up to the mision, as well as the preparations and the mision itself, in great detail. The scientific results of the expedition are also presented in a clear way. What in my opinion would have made this a "great" book, rather than a just a "good" book would have been better writing and handling of the story. Some parts which should have carried a lot of suspense and emotion (such as, for example, the launch of the Voyager probes, and the fears of a rocket failure that would have made all the efforts wasted) are handled in such a mundane way that it's almost boring. I continually felt that sections that would have been gripping were just "one more paragraph".

There are also several editing mistakes, repeated words, mistaken sentences, and even repeated concepts and anecdotes. All in all, I got what I wanted (the story of Voyager and it's discoveries), but I'd have liked better writing.

"Voyager's Grand Tour: To the Outer Planets and Beyond," is an excellent book that tells the fascinating story of an overwhelmingly significant pair of probes that went to the outer planets of the Solar System, one of which is still providing scientific data as it reaches our heliopause.

The Voyager project was one of the most important in the history of NASA and the first to visit the outer planets of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. It originated during the early 1960s when astronomers realized that once every 176 years both the Earth and all the giant planets of the Solar System gather on one side of the Sun. This geometric line-up made possible close up observation of all the planets in the outer solar system (with the exception of Pluto) in a single flight, the "Grand Tour." The flyby of each planet would bend the spacecraft's flight path and increase its velocity enough to deliver it to the next destination. This would occur through a complicated process known as "gravity assist," something like a slingshot effect, whereby the flight time to Neptune could be reduced from 30 to 12 years. NASA launched these missions from Cape Canaveral, Florida: Voyager 2 lifting off on August 20, 1977, with Voyager 1 entered space on a faster, shorter trajectory on September 5, 1977. These spacecraft would take a spectacular windshield tour of the outer Solar System gas giant planets.

The scientific results of the Voyager mission were astounding, essentially rewriting the textbooks on the Solar System. Over a period of more than a decade the probes explored all the giant outer planets, 48 of their moons, and the unique systems of rings and magnetic fields that those planets possess. The two spacecraft returned to Earth information that revolutionized the science of planetary astronomy, helping to resolve some key questions while raising intriguing new ones about the origin and evolution of the planets in this Solar System. The two Voyagers took well over 100,000 images of the outer planets, rings, and satellites, as well as millions of magnetic, chemical spectra, and radiation measurements. They discovered rings around Jupiter, volcanoes on Io, ice on Europa, shepherding satellites in Saturn's rings, new moons around Uranus and Neptune, and geysers on Triton. The last imaging sequence was Voyager 1's portrait of most of the Solar System, showing Earth and six other planets as sparks in a dark sky lit by a single bright star, the Sun.

Perhaps a personal anecdote is in order here. When Voyager reached Jupiter in 1979 I was a starving graduate student working on a Ph.D. in the history of the American West. Like everyone, I saw the images that came back to Earth and was truly impressed. When I filed my income tax form the next year I included a little note, which I'm sure made the clerk at the IRS chuckle, that stated that I wanted all of my tax money paid that year to go to NASA because of what it had accomplished with Voyager. Perhaps it was silly gesture but it points up the impressive nature of the scientific return.

This book makes clear that Voyager was an early step in humanity's exploratory journey extending not only to the outer planets but also beyond the Solar System. It is a scintillating portrait of a critical program and a must read for all interested in the history of space exploration.

Highly recommended!

This is a superb history of the voyager project. Well written with plenty of illustrations. It's a must for anyone interested in the accomplishments of remote exploration of the outer planets. One note however. A previous reviewer faulted the authors for not being knowledgeable about planetary astronomy. Ronald Schorn, the co-author, was once head of planetary astronomy for NASA. He's treated this subject exhaustively in his previous book, "Planetary Astronomy: From Ancient Times to the Third Millenium." Obviously the author didn't wish to rehash what he had already published.

This book is a scientific history of the Voyager 1 and 2 missions, with in-depth coverage of the technological development of the spacecraft, the scientists and engineers involved, and budgetary and political concerns. This history stretches back for decades, culminating in the launch of the two vessels in 1977 and their exploration of the outer planets, and their current wanderings at the edges of interstellar space. Note that actual planetary science covering our new knowledge of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and their many moons is found in other books, even though that knowledge was provided by the Voyager vessels. Here the authors betray their weaknesses in planetary astronomy with very rushed coverage of those matters, which only appear in the final third of the book anyway. Meanwhile some of the technical and budgetary coverage gets quite tedious, although such scientific history is meant to be the focus of the book. But as a whole this volume does give a very in-depth history of mankind's most far-reaching scientific achievement, as we have realized the dream of extending human knowledge through and beyond our solar system. [~doomsdayer520~]

This is a great little book. Compact and with great tips of where to see wildlife. Wish I had written it!
Damon Ramsey, BSc. author of "Rainforest of tropical Australia"

This is a great book for someone touring Australia. I would have given five stars had the been more parks listed.

As a wildlife photographer I was very keen to find out where were the easiest places in Australia to see wildlife. This was the only book I have been able to find of this kind. The guide lists the best locations to see wildlife by state, often with very specific details. It also provides a brief description of some of Australia's most popular wildlife and what are the hotspots for viewing that particular species. This guide is not designed to give detailed information on wildlife behavior or physical makeup, it is designed to tell you where you can see wildlife and it does that brilliantly!!

This book is the only one available that describes Australia's national parks from a wildlife-watching point of view - other guides available in Australia concentrate on scenic spots and facilities for holidaymakers.
As such, I found it invaluable in pointing out which parks to visit to see a good cross-section of the continent's unique wildlife, and where to try and spot any particular species.
It describes both parks and selected species of Australian wildlife very attractively, with colour illustrations and inspiring text.

Now for the shortcomings:
The information given often turned out to be wishful thinking, making local park rangers laugh.
Just to give two examples: this book claims common wombats are "abundant" in Giraween National Park of Queensland while rangers there said they were so rare they have only seen one in 10 years; it also claims koalas are "common" in Royal NP near Sydney when in fact they are extinct there. And these are two very popular, frequently visited parks!
In general, the book tends to make seeing much of Australia's unique wildlife sound much easier than it actually is.
My other complaint would be that there is almost no practical information of the sort generally provided by other Lonely Planet guides in this book: no information on public transport [hasn't everyone got a car? ;-)], and none on the costs of accomodation or tours.

Then again, since as I said it is the only guide of its kind to watching wildlife in Australia, anyone interested in the topic is well advised to buy a copy. Just don't put too much trust into its accuracy - something that will hopefully improve in a next edition...