Oceania Books

Richard Bondurant arranged a great trip to Moorea and Tahaa for my wife and I for our 10 year anniversary. This spectacular book is a great memory of our trip to Tahiti, and does an outstanding job of detailing all the exotic recipes that we jotted down on bar cocktail napkins while sipping fabulous drinks and sitting in the sun. I need to stock up on a few obscure ingredients before I can make all these wonderful drinks, but while it's snowing here for the winter, it's nice to just sit back, look at the amazing photos, read some of the trivia about Tahiti, and dream of going back someday soon. Thanks again Richard, for another great time!

The format of the book is very well done. Makes you want to go to Tahiti.

Wow! What a great book! We received it as a gift, which was perfect since my husband and I spent our honeymoon in Tahiti. Several things make this book great. First, the information about Tahiti is factual and entertaining to read. Second, the photos are amazing. Third, not only are the drinks easy to make, they are awesome! Kudos to Richard Bondurant.

Not only does this book have a wealth of information on a destination we long to travel to, but it offers a wide variety of fun and DELICIOUS drinks.
We love to entertain and it has been great having 'Cocktails in Tahiti' out at our parties...quite a conversation piece! Everyone loves the stunning photos of Tahiti, the scrumptious drinks, and the intriguing facts of the islands. Thank you!

Always looking for new and exciting cocktails to try, I purchased this book. Each page became more interesting, not only for the drinks presented but for the knowledge that Mr. Bondurant shares about Tahiti, it's culture, local accomodations, etc.

The photos are exceptional and each drink I have mixed has been better than the last. I have bought several as gifts for coworkers and friends. You won't be disappointed!

A wonderful book from a man that knows, that has been there, and is still there watching the people of Bikini cope and recover from the terrible atomic/nuclear bomb blasts. He has the facts of history, the insight into how it affected the island people, all combined with personal stories and the local culture and legends. I've lived in Micronesia for about twelve years and learned so much new about the Republic of the Marshall Islands. If one has an interest about how our country deals with other peoples, this book will give an idea about how sometimes we play the international game. Very nice work, with facts and figures. I liked it. Buy it!

The book is fine but you sent it to my cousin in Los Angeles and I haven't received it from him yet! I had previously sent him a book ordered through Amazon. I am sure you will think this is my fault, but I do not agree. I said to send it to the same address as the card holder who is me. I give Amazon an F for this one. Jack Derby

It is generally accepted that the dropping of two Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought WW2 to and end. Had the Japanese not surrendered, however, there was no third bomb to be dropped. Whilst the explosions happened just as they were supposed to happen, this new dreadful science was very new and, in a post war-torn world had to be tested and refined. No western power, however, was prepared to have such weaponry tested anywhere near their own country - not even within range of distant fall-out.

For this reason, one of the world's remotest islands in the southern Pacific was eventually chosen. In the summer of 1946 the United States detonated two 21 kiloton bombs code-named Able and Baker. These were the fourth and fifth such bombs ever exploded. Another bomb was also set to be detonated but this was cancelled after the fallout from Baker created far more radiological contamination than had been expected.

In order to conduct such tests, the United States had, in the first instance, to forcibly remove the indigenous population of the Bikini Islands. How powerful is one nation that it is able (apparently quite legally) to remove another nation from it's land so that it can practise with it's big bombs.

This book is the story of those Bikini Islanders and their life-long struggle to regain their homeland. Yes, many have now come home, but it will be a long time before they can even hope to resume a traditional existence. It is more likely that that will never happen.

The Bikini islanders were removed from their homes "for the good of mankind," personally, I think this book should be read for the same reason.

NM

This book was an eye opener. It makes you wonder why this event that happened so many years ago in the middle of the Pacific has been buried for so long. This is not a cut and dry history, this book is a very readable journey through a culture that is unique. The author lets us know who he is, so it enables the reader to understand the person who is doing the interviews. That was a nice and unexpected touch. I found the book to be thought provoking and would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in studying the history of the Pacific.

I found my teenaged daughter reading this book one day, so when she was finished I picked it up...

This is a story so worth reading. The author's life at first seemed hopelessly entangled with his subject's to a point that I thought the book would eventually read like a one-sided diatribe. I was very, very pleased with how he presented the Bikinian's story, however, and would highly recommend this small but important piece of Pacific history to anyone who wants to know how an indigenous people can be so horribly abused by a super power.

Astounding material.

Lonely Vigil is an absolute page turner from beginning to end. Walter Lord did a fine job putting together the story of the many coastwatchers in the Solomon Islands. There are many first person accounts of incidences on all the major islands. I especially liked the chapter on Donald Kennedy and his native guerilla army and their incredible exploits against the Japanese. Why a movie hasn't been made about this guy I don't know. The book covers a number of different coastwatchers and holds the readers attention very well. The photos and maps are a big plus as well. It's to bad that most people in the US don't know more about these brave and resourceful men. During this period of WW2 the issue was still in doubt and the coastwatchers played a tremendous role in turning this around. It would have been a priviledge to serve with and know these men and the brave Solomon Islanders who risked everything by standing by them. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book

A few hundred coastwatchers of the Solomon Islands, mostly Australians, played a crucial role in winning World War II in the Pacific. These men -- including one family and one woman missionary -- were mostly planters, officials, and missionaries who had been living in the Solomon islands before World War II and who remained in place in 1942 and 1943, often behind Japanese lines. They set up their cumbersome radios on mountain tops and reported the movements of Japanese aircraft and ships to the embattled Americans on Guadalcanal.

In the early days of the Guadalcanal campaign it was the laconic radio reports -- "forty bombers heading yours" is an example -- of the coastwatchers who gave the American marines almost two hours notice of Japanese bombers heading their way. This enabled the ragtag "Cactus Air Force" to get into the air and swoop down on the Japanese planes when they arrived. Without the coastwatchers the vital battle for Guadalcanal might have been lost. Later the coastwatchers also became rescuers of downed US pilots and sailers, notably of a young naval lieutenant named John F. Kennedy whose PT Boat was sunk. Perhaps the most remarkable story in the book is that of Jacob Vouza, an island native who was shot, bayoneted, and left for dead by the Japanese but survived to report the advance of a Japanese batallion readying an attack on the Americans.

Author Walter Lord tells in "Lonely Vigil" what had been the untold story of the coastwatchers. Much of the book is compiled from interviews with about 100 participants. It's a fascinating and exotic tale of unconventional warriors, heroes, and colorful characters that should be on the reading list of essential World War II books.

Smallchief

This book documents the history of the Coastwatchers, a little-known intelligence corps operating in the South Pacific during World War II. As war loomed on the horizon early in the 1940s, it became apparent to Australian Naval Intelligence that it would be useful to post observers on key strategic islands off the coast of Australia and New Guinea who could report movements of enemy ships and other military activities. The Coastwatchers, as this team came to be called, were commanded by an Australian officer named Eric Feldt. The men who filled these positions were of varied backgrounds, from military officers to missionaries and British colonial officials, and even an American who managed to get transferred from his regular unit. On each of the key islands in the Solomons, the Coastwatchers established lookout points high in the mountain jungles, from where they could radio in to headquarters their counts of ships and incoming planes. By Lord's account, these reports were vital in the air battles in the Solomons, since they gave warnings to the Allies of incipient attacks, enabling them to prepare and stage effective counter-maneuvers. The Coastwatchers also assisted in the evacuation of Western refugees, both colonists and missionaries. One of their other important tasks was to locate Allied personnel whose planes or ships had been downed and help them make their way back to friendly territory. Indeed, it was a Coastwatcher who found the men of PT 109 and assisted Kennedy and his men in their odyssey back to their units. The book is illustrated with several sections of black-and-white vintage photographs. At the end of the book are a list of contributors and interviewees and an index.

A few hundred coastwatchers of the Solomon Islands, mostly Australians, played a crucial role in winning World War II in the Pacific. These men -- including one family and one woman missionary -- were mostly planters, officials, and missionaries who had been living in the Solomon islands before World War II and who remained in place in 1942 and 1943, often behind Japanese lines. They set up their cumbersome radios on mountain tops and reported the movements of Japanese aircraft and ships to the embattled Americans on Guadalcanal.

In the early days of the Guadalcanal campaign it was the laconic radio reports -- "forty bombers heading yours" is an example -- of the coastwatchers who gave the American marines almost two hours notice of Japanese bombers heading their way. This enabled the ragtag "Cactus Air Force" to get into the air and swoop down on the Japanese planes when they arrived. Without the coastwatchers the vital battle for Guadalcanal might have been lost. Later the coastwatchers also became rescuers of downed US pilots and sailers, notably of a young naval lieutenant named John F. Kennedy whose PT Boat was sunk. Perhaps the most remarkable story in the book is that of Jacob Vouza, an island native who was shot, bayoneted, and left for dead by the Japanese but survived to report the advance of a Japanese batallion readying an attack on the Americans.

Author Walter Lord tells in "Lonely Vigil" what had been the untold story of the coastwatchers. Much of the book is compiled from interviews with about 100 participants. It's a fascinating and exotic tale of unconventional warriors, heroes, and colorful characters that should be on the reading list of essential World War II books.

Smallchief

This book documents the history of the Coastwatchers, a little-known intelligence corps operating in the South Pacific during World War II. As war loomed on the horizon early in the 1940s, it became apparent to Australian Naval Intelligence that it would be useful to post observers on key strategic islands off the coast of Australia and New Guinea who could report movements of enemy ships and other military activities. The Coastwatchers, as this team came to be called, were commanded by an Australian officer named Eric Feldt. The men who filled these positions were of varied backgrounds, from military officers to missionaries and British colonial officials, and even an American who managed to get transferred from his regular unit. On each of the key islands in the Solomons, the Coastwatchers established lookout points high in the mountain jungles, from where they could radio in to headquarters their counts of ships and incoming planes. By Lord's account, these reports were vital in the air battles in the Solomons, since they gave warnings to the Allies of incipient attacks, enabling them to prepare and stage effective counter-maneuvers. The Coastwatchers also assisted in the evacuation of Western refugees, both colonists and missionaries. One of their other important tasks was to locate Allied personnel whose planes or ships had been downed and help them make their way back to friendly territory. Indeed, it was a Coastwatcher who found the men of PT 109 and assisted Kennedy and his men in their odyssey back to their units. The book is illustrated with several sections of black-and-white vintage photographs. At the end of the book are a list of contributors and interviewees and an index.

Lord collected this material some 20 years after the war by traveling through the islands and conducting extensive interviews with the Coastwatchers, Solomon Island residents, veterans, and missionaries who had worked with or been rescued by the Coastwatchers. Instead of presenting the material in one long continuous saga, Lord's approach is to describe the events island by island and station by station. For the sake of completeness, he tries to weave in the names of every person who played a role in each incident. As a result, there is not a lot of cohesion to tie the story together. As a reader, I frequently found myself taking note of a person's name and story since Lord made it seem important for the big picture, only to find that the person was never mentioned again. The book is very much the story of individual people, whose contributions to the war effort might have gone untold if it weren't for the painstaking research that Lord undertook. While I am in no position to judge the accuracy of Lord's account, I note that in my copy of the book, which came from the collection of a public library, there are several marginal notes correcting names and ranks, and units of people mentioned in the text.

Herb Kawainui Kane (pronounced KAH-ney) is a master artist, voyaging canoe designer, and Hokule`a captain. He is also author of Ancient Hawaii, a visual extravaganza of his vision, based on research and his artistic interpretation, of the life and times of pre- and post-contact Hawaiians.

Kane writes: "Without writing, kahuna were the living libraries of the old culture, preserving knowledge in trained memories. Some feats of memory seem incredible today. The story of Kamapua1a required sixteen hours of word-perfect recitation. Some temple invocations, we are told, in which any mistake would break the power of the words, required two days to deliver. Early Christian missionaries were astonished to find among their converts some who could recite entire books from the Bible soon after learning to read. Knowledge kept in living memories and shared only among a select few is extremely fragile, which helps explain why so much has been lost. One epidemic of an introduced disease could wipe out the masters of a guild, and with them knowledge accumulated over millennia. Disenfranchised in 1819 and subsequently condemned by Christian missionaries as sorcerers and witch doctors, their veil of secrecy became their shroud" (p. 40).

Given the reduction of the Hawaiian population from a high of over 800,000 to only 40,000 in a hundred years, Kane's hypothesis explains a great deal.

"Much that we would like to know about them has been lost by the impact of Western ways as well as their own customs of secrecy. Much of what remains is tantalizingly indistinct, blurred through the lens of our modern vision, distorted by the fantasies and embellishments all peoples invent about their pasts" (p. 7). I think Kane would admit that his personal fantasies affect him as well, with his depictions of ancient life in his paintings, noble and proud. Regardless, his paintings are magnificent, and they are well integrated into his text.

Ancient Hawaii is a nice addition to the secondary literature on Hawaii's history. For the price, it is probably the best bargain around.

Liked the story. LOVED the artwork. If you're only going to have one book on Hawaii's history, then make it this one.

This compendium of beauty and history will be enjoyed and cherished by all ages. Children will revel in the wonderfully intricate paintings of Kane. He is able to express the baeauty and unique culture of his people. His descriptions and historical information truly shows his love for the islands and of all things kanaka. I reccomemend this to anyone interested in a loving people.

I bought this book to be able to describe ancient Polynesian life. The photos are treasure troves of information. The text is almost secondary, even if it is right on track. Well worth the cost if only for the beauty of the prints. Did I say the pictures were pretty?

Before the grand hotels and resorts, before crowded beaches, before paved roads and cars... there was sacred Hawai'i of old.

Herb Kawainui Kane allows you through his words and mostly through his artwork to revisited old Hawai'i in its truest and purist form. It's a visual journey that details even the smallest things. Herb Kane does an excellent job at retelling a story almost forgotten... a spiritual and emotional journey experienced by all but so often unexplained until now.

Hawai'i was and is still a magical place and Herb Kane's work shows that better than most any other artist I've seen in Hawai'i. Herb's work allows you to take a differant kind of trip to paradise... the one that existed and flourished for a thousand years before discovery by Captain Cook.

This is a great romantic adventure story in an exotic setting. The hero is genuinely heroic, the heroine refreshingly and endearingly capable. A highly entertaining read!

Candice Proctor has meticulously crafted an exciting action and adventure romance on the high seas and islands of the South Pacific. I especially liked the principal characters who are bigger than life. Even the secondary characters are interesting and realistic. One-fourth through the book, the heroine had been shot at, captured by island cannibals, chased by the British navy over "a thundering gorge and through a cave full of moldy skeletons of generations of man-eaters," and had almost drowned in the flooding Cave of Songs. And that's only the beginning. What I enjoyed most about the book is that about two-thirds through the book, the plot reveals new facts that breathe new life into an already exciting adventure.

Candice Proctor is skillful and knowledgeable enough to vividly describe two ships being tossed about on the high seas as one chased the other as it escaped through God's Pathway, a belt of reefs with atolls stretching some twenty five miles or more. Only a skillful helmsman, a trait the hero definitely has, can maneuver through God's Pathway and failure meant that everyone on board would become shark food. This scene was so realistically and vividly told that I wonder if Candice Proctor is actually a skillful helmswoman herself.

Every page is filled with suspense and intrigue while the sexual tension between the hero and the heroine slowly escalates until they can no longer resist their long suppressed urges and desires.

Beyond Sunrise held me captive from the first page to the last page. This is the first book I've read by Candice Proctor and it was so exciting that I have bought her other books and plan to read them all. Beyond Sunrise is a great book and I recommend it highly.

I absolutely adored this book. It transports you completely to a magical place where inhibitions and fears melt away. All character were fully developed, specially the main ones, India and Jack. Their change and development through the novel was real and explained. I devoured every single page of this book. It contained suspense, adventure, tasteful but exciting romance and awesome writing. I fully recommend this book, please read it!

India McKnight is a 19th century travel writer. She has travelled the World and recounted her tales in her renowned books. She finds herself in the South Pacific trying to find a way to get to Takaku a cannibal infested island, where she wants to do research for her next book. The only person willing to risk taking her to the island is Jack Ryder, a rough hard drinking loner who has deserted the civilised World to live his life amongst the natives of the South Pacific.

Together Jack and India embark on an adventure on the island of Takaku. Jack is being chased by her majesty's navy and when they catch up with him they will bring him back to the United Kingdom where he will be tried for killing his fellow sailors and eventually hung. When his majesty's officers catch up with Kack on the island of Takaku, Jack takes India hostage and they journey from the north of the island through the rough jungles of Takaku to the safe haven of La Rochelle on the south of the island. As Jack and India encounter trouble throught the jungles they also find each other attracted to each other.

This was an adventure filled with beautiful descriptions of the South Pacific. You can really envisage the beautiful flora of the islands and smell their fagrant scents. Jack was a real tough hunk but also kind and caring, taking care of India as they crossed the rough terrain. India was a strong lady but a wee bit stubborn at times. Candice Proctor always has a way of drawing her readers into the story and you can really feel the pain that Jack hides and the love that India feels for him. A highly recommended read.

Lea Ling Tsang

There are so few romances that I truly adore.
I decided to try Candice when I discovered she was Penelope Williamson's sister, a magically gifted writer who unfortunately moved to the mystery genre.

While Candice's style is her own, the one thing she does have in common with PW is the maturity of her stories, both in character development and rich scene description. Also, like her sister, she has lovely variety in her story placement. Let's see, we have Australia & Tasmania & Colorado & New Orleans & even a medieval story. So many writers stay stuck in one genre, eg medieval or regency which eventually bores me, no matter how great the writer. This is my 3rd CP book and I have not been disappointed other than the knowledge that I am going to run out of her books too quickly.

Whoever compared this story to the African Queen was dead on. The interactions between Jack and India often make me laugh out loud. I just love his ascerbic wit and India does a pretty good job of holding her own...and then, of course, there is the love.

I would not only recommend this story but would strongly recommend everything Candice has written.

Travelling with Michael is to say the least exhilarating, fun, adventurous and a journey of discovery. While many can only dream of actually making the trip, Michael Palins' books are the next best thing. It's not just where he goes, but how he does it and perhaps most importantly: seeing it through his mind's eye, which needless to say can make humor out of nothingness. All you need is to relax and have the urge to increase your imagination. A wild but educative ride!

Michael Palin does it again with Full Circle. Starting in Alaska Michael travels anti-clockwise around the rim of the Pacific Ocean visiting countries as diverse as Russia, Korea, Viet Nam, New Zealand, Colombia and the west coast of North American. He tells of his adventures getting to and exploring some fantastic natural wonders, visiting a Russian gulag with a former inmate, the relief of Japan, the Vietnamese reactions to a westerner, the biggness of Australia and the hardworking people of South America. The section on the United States is short and not always sweet. Palin is taken aback by the physical bigness of Americans, and rush, and loudness. By the time he reaches Canada and attends a "lumberjack" fair (no singing Mounties included!) he really "wants to go home". We also learn a bit about how the series and book were produced, his wife Helen and their children, and that being on a job for the BBC doesn't always mean smooth sailing! Michael's friend Basil Pao took the photographs - he also joined Michael on "Around the World in Eighty Days". I can highly recommend this book and not only to fans of Monty Python - it doesn't end how you might expect!

As always Palin has produced a great travel book and series... this I found better than his "80 Days". The other thing people might find interesting about this travel book is that it takes us to some places which are hard to reach even in this day and age, so this is the only way we can know them.

Also suggested- "Hemingway Adventure"

Full Circle is just as good, if not better then his othertravel/comedy books. It is simply magnificent.

I've seen the 10-part Full Circle tv series, and I had a serious addiction from the start. When it ended, I went through a withdrawl period. I silently rocked myself in a chair in my room repeating "I must get the book,... must find book...must read book." I've got it now and I'm back on a Full Circle high. The book goes into details that they never had time for on the series. It tells you everything that you would have noticed had you been in Japan or Australia or Chile.

Ahh... I can imagine myself right now on the streets of China getting a massage from a blind man.

The work of Dr Robert D. Ballard knows no bounds and is truly inspirational to those of us who read of his exploits and seek to emulate his standards with much lesser shipwrecks.

Once again, just as soon as I took delivery of "The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal" I knew I had a 5 Star Book in my hands and, once again, I found nothing within it's 220 pages to make me take away any of those stars.

This book will stand the test of time as a literary work and outstanding account of one of the major naval battle zones of the Pacific in WW2. There are modern photographs including a number taken from the air, historic photographs (American, Australian, Japanese and local) of the places, the personalities, the ships, aircraft and soldiers, some incredible paintings of the night actions that took place, pictures of Ballard's crew as they go about their work and his advanced equipment being deployed and used. There is also a picture of a very young John F. Kennedy in his PT-109.

The first underwater pictures are enough to make the heart stop for just a moment as you realise this man Ballard has done it again - not once, but in this case several times. Commencing with the 9,850 ton Heavy Cruiser HMAS Canberra (the "A" stands for Australian) we no sooner see the first underwater photographs of this once magnificent ship - which went down fight in the opening minutes of the Battle of Savo Island, then we turn the page to find a 3-page open-out spread of Ken Marschall's painting of the entire wreck.

On the opposite side of that 3 page spread is another equally outstanding painting of USS Quincy followed by her own set of underwater photographs. As the story of Guadalcanal continues, so we find more details of US and Japanese successes and losses and the trials and tribulations endured by the forces of both sides as the author carefully draws us towards that part in the overall series of battles that will bring us to his next discovery and Ken Marschall's next incredible painting - the USS Monssen.

With more underwater photographs of yet more of the "Lost Ships of Guadalcanal," and yet more paintings by Ken Marschall, the author skilfully brings the reader both to the end of the series of battles and to the end of his own journey of discovery. Whilst not one of the greatest works of art within the book, one of my favourite paintings is found on p.200. This is an aerial picture of the entire area called "Iron Bottom Sound" - painted as though the water had been removed and showing the location of no fewer than 13 warships, one aircraft and two beached freighters. As part of the caption states ".... that makes this one of the greatest submarine battlefields." Yes it is, and in this book it was all brought back to life by Dr Robert D. Ballard.

An excellent book by any standards.

NM

I will say that like most of Ballard's books this is nicely laid out; good sized and with excellent photographs & drawings.

Most of the book is taken up by short histories of the various battles that make up the 'Guadalcanal Campaign.' This didn't leave much room for the exploration of the wrecks themselves which gives you a rather rushed feeling despite the good background history.

Perhaps this would have been even better as an expanded two volume set.

The title above is what my great-uncle inscribed on the inside cover of this book. He is the Tommy Morris whose story is told in the pages of this book. Like many more famous sailors and soldiers, Uncle Tommy (who died only two weeks ago after a long decline, for those readers who might be interested)used to tell me and my grandfather (Tommy's brother) that it was impossible for him to think of people as "civilized" having seen how we turn our new discoveries and technology so easily to the unhappy task of killing each other. He also said to me once that his role in the Quincy sinking was that of a "damsel in distress".. which description was follwed by that sort of masculing deep-seated chuckle which only come forth from heroic men who have seen hell on earth.

I am biased, but I wer I not, I would still think this an excellent book!

Gary Morris

Dr. Bob Ballard discovered the Titanic in the mid 1980's using cutting-edge underwater technology. For this book, he turned that skill and knowledge to lead an expedition to examine the wrecks of one of the bloodiest naval battles of World War II, one so full of death and destruction that veterans of the battle gave the waters of Gualdalcanal the nickname of "Iron Bottom Sound" because of the number of ships and aircraft that lay underwater. Guadalcanal was the linchpin of American and Japanese military strategy for control of the south Pacific islands. The Americans controlled the airfield, but the Japanese controlled the island and the waters around it. The Japanese couldn't resupply its army because of attacks to its freighters by Allied aircraft and the Americans couldn't resupply its airfield because of attacks to its fleet of ships. In one single battle in the pitch-black darkness of night, the mighty Japanese fleet engaged a weaker American destroyer group where American guns were aimed by radar and Japanese guns were aimed by looking for the flashes from the American weapons. The American fleet was destroyed but it was a Pyhric victory because the Japanese supply ships failed to reach the starving Japanese troops on the island. Dr. Ballard does a remarkable job of capturing both the essence of the battle and the essence of underwater archeology to create a wonderful book filled with full-color pictures of the wrecks and period black-and-white pictures of the war. He also includes the fantastic paintings and maps in the style that has adorned his other books to show how the wrecks would look if there was absolute clarity underwater and with a "God's Eye". This book is one of the better ones I've found that deal with the ships of Guadalcanal and underwater archeology. I've noticed copies adorning the workbenches of many model-ship builders (including mine). Its a great gift idea and sure to please anyone interested in great battles, maritime history, WW2, underwater exploration, or tales of bravery (by those who fought and those who study the ocean).

Between August 1942 and February 1943, a land-sea and air battle was waged for an island in the south pacific called Guadalcanal. The six-month long battle for the island would be one of the definitive battles of the war. It was also one of the costliest. Thousands of Allied and Japanese soldiers died. And a channel north of the island had so many ships go down there that it was renamed Iron Bottom Sound.

It is possible that more men died in the waters off Guadalcanal then on the island itself. But for many years, most of the ships were out of reach to divers and eventually were all but forgotten. Then, in 1992, Oceanographer Robert Ballard, who had found the Titanic and the Bismarck, decided to explore the area using the latest in technology. It is quite an experience to see a past battlefield on land like Normandy, Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg or Guadalcanal itself. But the battlefields were obviously cleaned up afterward and don't look the way they did when the battle concluded. But time knows no boundaries in Iron Bottom Sound. The paintings by Ken Marshall and the photographs show many of the ships still upright on the ocean floor; Their guns and torpedo tubes still trained outward as if firing at a long gone enemy. But some of the ships are not so beautifully preserved. The Battleship Krishima, for example, lies upside down in two pieces on the ocean floor. And the Destroyer Barton is broken in half and lying on its side from two torpedoes. Nevertheless, most of the ships appear ready to rise up and continue fighting.

Lavishly illustrated and with a detailed text, The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal will make a welcome addition to the collection of any War, Naval or Shipwreck enthusiast (If you can find a copy that is).

This book is well-written, displels a lot of strange myths about native Pacific navigation, and provides a lot of interesting details useful to modern navigators when they run out of batteries in the middle of the ocean.

For most of us, sailing across 2000+ miles of open ocean from Hawaii to Tahiti (or vice versa) would be daunting enough even with using every modern navigation device such as a GPS. Consider that in 1927 with compasses, sextants, radio, etc, in the Dole Air Race from Oakland to Honolulu (the same distance as Tahiti to Hawaii) 3 out of the 5 planes that started out were lost at sea. Then consider that a thousand years ago the Polynesians in 50-foot twin-hulled canoes were regularly making such voyages without any kind of instruments, and that crossing 50 or 100 miles of ocean was thought almost trivially easy.

That a primitive (by European or American standards) people were skilled at ocean navigation was thought absurd. Kon-Tiki was an attempt to show that Oceania could be populated from South America by drifting on rafts and sheer luck of landfall. But it is now established that there was skilled and purposeful exploration and colonization--including Rapa Nui (Easter Island) which is 1000 miles from the nearest other habitable island. We, the Navigators is a fascinating look at "primitive" navigation techniques, and the author himself sailed from Hawaii to Tahiti using only these ancient techniques.

So you'll see how the Polynesians used the sun, moon, and stars to achieve accurate navigation. They also used the ocean swells (as distinct from waves): islands reflect and deflect swells, so by careful observation, you can get a sense of direction to landfall. Land also changes cloud patterns. Birds were watched intently. New Zealand was one of the last places found and peopled--from 1600 miles away from the northeast, perhaps by watching birds migrate in that direction. Different kinds of birds travel different distances from land--some travel 40-50 miles, others 20-25 miles: by observing at dawn where the birds came from, and observing which direction they went towards sunset, and seeing what kind of bird it was, you could tell that there was land, and what direction it was, and how far away it was as well. On leaving land, backsights would be taken to help establish currents and drift. The book has lots of drawings and illustrations--it's a real treat!

This book is written by an academic. I don't necessarily mean this in a negative sense. The author has done a very thorough research on the topic and presented his findings. The effect is a book that can be called a comprehensive treatment as far as it can be done given that the practictioners are disappearing fast.
The downside is that it can send you to sleep as the author systematically compares how the navigational techniques are practiced in the various island groups.

The strength of the book is not only its thoroughness but also the fact that the author is a skilled sailor who has gone on trips using these techniques. This makes the material so much more authentic, because the reader can relate how effective these skills are and yet how much practice they require.

The author provides commentary on many practices and relates them to our modern day knowledge. An example was their ability to recognize the impact of sub surface currents, something that is today a rather specialist piece of knowledge not available to the everyday sailor.

The most complete study of early navigation I have come across. The author does a fantastic job of comparing the different styles of landfinding as used by the Pacific islanders. Lewis brings the knowledge and experience of an accomplished western sailor and navigator to his studies, and in doing so is able compare and contrast ancient and modern techniques. A scholarly study of primitive navigation, the book is not always an easy read, however for the reader looking for a complete comparison this is the volume to have.

David Lewis has zig-zaged the Pacific in modern yachts and traditional canoes. His broad experience and long resarch, using his own and many schoolars data, has made this a good analysis and documentation of the extremly impressing and interesting phenomenon of ancient and present voyaging in the Pacific. Others, specially anthropologists fieldworking in the Central Carolines of Micronesia, had written about the presently used Micronesian voyaging system, others less throughly about the forgotten polynesian,but Lewis mangage to give a synthesis of the technologies and some of the social aspects of traditional voyaging in the Pacific

If you are planning on doing any driving in New Zealand this is the atlas for you. It is rather large but it makes it easy to follow the roads. I have a friend that lives there; she begged me to leave it for her.

The AA Zealand map/guide is an excellent source for all your driving & touring needs in New Zealand. Highly recommended.

This is an excellent detailed resource for travel in New Zealand.

This is the equivalent of the Rand McNally Road Atlas for New Zealand. I highly recommend it if you are planning a road trip through New Zealand. It helped tremendously with our trip planning. It also includes a table of distances between major cities and towns and estimated drive times.

If you're planning on renting a car in another country to do some sightseeing, I highly recommend this series of Road Atlas. I have several of them from different countries and all of them are extremely helpful when you want to make your own route for a driving excursion. It is large scale, with excellent detail on roads and routes. A must have for driving in other countries.

I first saw a picture or two on some program to download desktop photos. I followed some info cuz I was captivated by the Alice pictures. I discovered Robyn's journey, story and this story book. I considered buying a used one, but decided to get a new one. I just love the whole of it and so appreciate the author not only taking the journey but sharing it with the rest of us. Even if some of the sharing was against her original plans. Thanks Robyn. Your journey touches deeply in inexplicable ways.

Although large in size, and filled with breathtaking photographs, this book includes so much more than the regular "picture book". Robyn's thoughtful words make you feel as if you are traveling right along with her and her famous camels. The story is engaging and heart-wrenching; and the reader runs through the same emotions that Robyn feels at each leg of the journey, from the tragedy of loss to the jubilation of completion.

Beautiful and introspective - and very highly recommended.

This book breaks all the boundaries - combining Photography, digital media and narrative to capture the wild spirit in us all. Makes me want to buy and camel and set off!

The combination is a winner because of:
* the stunning page and a half photo spreads of Australian desert and scenes showing Robyn's trek with the camels
* engaging narration by Robyn that shows you the beauty, fear, boredom, and other feelings that accompany her on the months of solitude crossing 1700 miles of outback Australia
The photographer represented National Geographic, and the photos have that look the magazine readers expect. Interesting panoramas, the light playing on the spinifex, the wrinkled face of an Aboriginal tracker, the otherworldly red dirt, the camels silhouetted against the skyline.
Robyn represented only herself and undertook the trek for reasons even she did not understand. Seeing her develop and expand her thinking during the days and weeks and months on the track makes this a fascinating book.

I bought this book while on a visit to Australia in 1990 and read it on the flight home! I was completely entranced by this woman's tenacity and determination to complete her often difficult but life expanding trek ALL ALONE! I had lost this book in a fire in 1993 and felt like I had lost a friend - I am soooo happy to see it is back in print! The incredible photos that accompany the journey are worth every penny!