Oceania Books

One can say that this work is a small man's grudge against hsi former employer.

But one cannot really sunstantiate such a point. Even if he did write it as a kick to the boss's shin it still is a major work.
Apart from the message which was and sadly still is and perhaps increasing issue in this world, it is magnificently told.
Perspective in perspective tell you in often as much as four layers and thus four filters the point the writer is stating.
As stated above by a more undoubtedly more learned reader, his technigues of argument are simply brilliant and any scholar should read this book just to brush up his essay writing.
Finally, his way with words is just dragging you through this novel in a way I've only seen Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde come close to.

p.s. Note to the guy above, did you happen to know that Multatuli indeed lived many years in poverty because of his believes, that when he became a succesful writer he dropped the pen after realising people only read his work and didn't act on it.
Living his last years as a recluse in Germany, bittered, and hopeless, instead of cashing on his succes.

Max Havelaar is the best story of the 1000 years and the Uncle Tom's Cabin of the Dutch East Indies, according to the Indonesian novelist Pramodeya Ananta Toer. The billing piqued my search for the novel.
Max Havelaar, of the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company was written in 1860 by Eduward Douwes Dekker under the pen name Multatuli. The intrigue unfolds from the points of view of Droogstoppel, a stuffy Dutch coffee broker; Scarfman, an aspiring writer; Havelaar, an idealist and newly appointed Resident of Labak, Java; Blatherer, a preacher; Saijah, a young servant yearning for his love; and others, all affected by coffee markets. Interspersed are direct writings from author to reader. These asides are at times lengthy, quaint, or preachy. Not an easy read, yet intriquing enough to drive me to keep turning the pages. Indeed, the author himself describes his work as "chaotic, disjointed, striving for effect, bad in style, lacking skill.....but the substance is irrefutable." Most appealing are descriptions applicable today. Anyone who has ever been expected to report only the positive to corporate superiors, is bothered by products made by "millions who are maltreated or exploited in your name," or notices empires go to war more easily than mills are moved is bound to welcome this book. The novel hastened abolition of the Dutch Cultural System requiring compulsory growing of particular crops. Toer's characterization, if over the top, afforded me the opportunity of a brilliant read.

This book is one of the most important books of Dutch literature. The writer combines humour, emotion and facts. The book has a complex structure, without making it difficult to read, an outspoken view, but also more subtle jokes (at least in the Dutch language, and for people aware of Dutch culture), a perceptive view on the way the institutions in the Dutch East Indies worked to promote the corruption and the exploitation of the people. All these things make the book an enjoyment to read.

The writer, however, isn't trying to make an objective unemotional description of the events in the East Indies, but he is arguing - making a treatise - for a different/better treatment of the people in the Indonesia, basing his treatise on facts and emotions (he stresses the parts which are undisputed facts in a very natural way). For this he uses al his (well developed) rhetorical abilities.

To give some examples of his rhetorical abilities and the working of the structure:
- at some point in the book he argues against painters which try to show the multitude of misery caused by a certain event, by painting the quantity involved. He argues that this makes people numb for the suffering shown on the painting. Why the writer tells this is unclear, until later when he starts telling a dramatic story about the injustice and suffering endured by an Indonesian boy. Then it becomes clear that this suffering is endured by many Indonesians, but instead of making you dazzle with numbers he tries (and succeeds) to make you feel compassionate with one individual. Only to make you realise afterwards that there are/were many individuals which are enduring the same suffering!
- and instead of stating with certain facts: `this is a fact', he makes himself angry about how shocking/outrages something is, only to afterwards state: `it is true: you can look it up here, or there'.
These are just two examples, but the entire book is a rhetoric masterwork!

However, readers expecting a balanced book will be disappointed. The writer didn't strive for consensus, he strove to make an as great as possible contrast between his ideals (good) and the Dutch merchantmen spirit (evil). The treatise worked much in the same way as the books/movies of Micheal Moore do today. Mixing emotion, fact and rhetorical ability (although Multatuli has greater literary abilities) to create a document that polarises society about great contemporary political issues.

This book is first and foremost an attempt to establish an alternative version about the author's tenure as an official of the Dutch East Indian Civil Service. In short, he was removed from office for disagreeing with his supervisors' policies, and chose to vent through this book. The disgusting narrative continually portrays the author as something near a Christ-like personality battling a completely inept and corrupt civil service (the latter is almost a redundant description). The author does nothing to contain his raging ego, thus producing a nauseating description of self. The resulting cast of characters are as deep as cardboard cutouts. The cost of this immodest picture is a shallow representation of the plight of the colonized. The reader is forced to sift through page after page of self-serving drivel to extract meager details of the corruption in the Dutch East Indies.

The book has not aged well. Contemporary cynicism--resulting from, in part, Watergate, Vietnam, a stream of revelations of various colonial regimes and a plethora of political scandals--makes the cursory information about the Dutch East Indian Civil Service under whelming. One has to repeatedly remind themselves that the original readers were idealistic about their government's intentions.

One can glean interesting social and cultural glimpses of the period from the bloated pages. This indirect benefit is one of the few reasons to read the book.

If the author had spent more time providing information about the colonies instead of rambling on and on with his self-aggrandizement, this book could have been an invaluable piece of history. As it stands, it is a testimony to the hubris of a flawed man.

Most people turn to this book in order to learn about 19 century colonialism. However the book is stunningly contemporary as a picture of universal human types, and of a particular type, which is especially well refined and developed in the Netherlands. I suppose because of the Netherlands history of Calvinism, wealth, "apartheid", provincialism - people living in separate sub communities defined by religion, who only care for those in their own group. Moreover the book is a multimedia self-referring extravaganza avant-la-letter, masterfully written. Approached in the right frame of mind it is at the same time desparately funny and funnily desparate.

I recently asked 8 Dutch university students if they had read it - the most famous book in Dutch literature. 7 had not. One had started but had thrown it away half finished because it was all so depressingly familiar. (Familiar as a picture of present day attitudes in the Netherlands).

This is the story of one of the most remarkable journeys ever undertaken. In 1821, two pious Englishmen, George Tyerman and Daniel Bennet, departed England to visit the far flung missionary stations of the London Missionary Society. They were both in their 40s and neither had any previous foreign experience. Given the slowness of communication some of the LMS missionaries had literally been out of touch with their headquarters for years.

It wasn't a pleasure trip. It took them four and one half months by sail to reach their first port of call: Tahiti. Over the next eight years they journeyed on to visit missionaries on other Pacific islands, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Java, Singapore, China, India, Mauritius, Madagascar -- where Tyerman died -- and South Africa. Moreover, in addition to ship travel, they did some heavy-duty inland trekking, especially in India where they stayed for 18 months. They weren't explorers, or especially adventurous, and probably neither of them would have taken the job had they realized it would take them eight years.

This is a snapshot of their travels compiled from their joint diary and supplemented by background material on the people they ran into and the places they visited. Its quite a story and I developed of bit of admiration for the intrepid travelers and the missionaries they met.

The non-religious can enjoy this book. There is little theology here, beyond the judgements of Tyerman and Bennett about "pagan" religions and exotic customs. On the whole they seem level-hearded, ordinary men who undertook an extraordinary task.

Smallchief

While the born again crowd will no doubt love this book, those who respect cultural and religious diversity will be appalled.

A story full of anecdotes and tales of the 'great figures' of British legend, like Raffles and Clive of India (not such a great guy after all), the book is full of interest; not for its religious content (though there's obviously a lot of that), but for the way that our two heroes view the cultures that they are trying to enlighten.
At one point we feel that they are almost ready to embrace Buddhism, they are so impressed with the simplicity of their creed and freedom from internal squabbling - unlike their Christian church.
We get insights into the way cultures are developed or destroyed, either by religion, commercial greed or both and how countries bend the rules in order to get a political or commercial advantage - here the British are at their worst in promoting the opium trade, precipitating the war with China.

The book is a nice marriage of the narrative of the two Envangelists and Mr Hiney's well-researched commentary, the two parts blending seamlessly into a very enjoyable read.

Slave trading, Captain Cook, pirate ships, David Livingstone, cannibalism and human sacrifice, Captain Bligh and mutiny on the high seas -- it's all in here. Tom Hiney's book puts the pioneering missionary experience in historical perspective with this account of a two-man deputation sent out by the London Missionary Society in the early 1800s. Here is a factual record that refutes the popular perception of missionaries as namby-pamby, white-bread spoilsports. Instead, the reader meets hardy and fearless Christians who leap into unknown worlds propelled by a rock-solid faith that we comfy Christians today can only envy. I wouldn't call it an easy read -- the writing style is a little formal -- but the settings, the action and the writer's views on the broad social changes brought about by early missionary efforts make this a compelling book.

Picked up this book fairly randomly and found myself glued to it! A story in magnitude to Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage" - where Lewis & Clark explored the newly discovered US, these two explorers mapped the new evangelical movement of Christianity. Their journey spanned the entire globe, making the travel log incredible and interesting, even for those not keen on religious history. The book includes fascinating descriptions of foreign lands; intriguing accounts of cannibalism, infanticide, drug addiction; and a portrayal of amazing spiritual courage in the attempt to complete this journey. I was also surprised by the honest portrayal of the inescapably political setting. I detected no agenda on the part of the author (either for against missionaries). In the end, some of the missionaries embodied the values of charity and giving, while others committed horrible acts. Both are portrayed in very human terms, so you can almost imagine being there. A great read and an incredible, if not important part of our history.

Mr. Harding's creativity provided fresh storytelling through chapter 62 or so. Here his politically commentary seemed shoe horned in. I don't mind his views as a lot of people share them, but the puzzling part was how his adept storytelling was so quickly transformed into such banal political droning. Given the freshness of his characters and storyline, I would have expected more thought provoking commentary on real world matters. Instead, the attempt comes off as someone trying to establish a legacy of opposition in hopes that the future will consider him astute.

Overall an enjoyable read and should Mr. Harding put forth another work, I'll be happy to give it a go as well, though I hope either his political insights (whatever their flavor) match his storytelling skills or he abandons attempts at working them in.

My first experience with John Harding. One Big Damn Puzzler was a great read. This book is really 3 different stories driven into 1 gripping finale. Harding does a good job of examining the West's materialistc culture interspered with a desire to help those who don't ask to be helped. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and did not mind the diversions of other topics Harding poses to the reader. A good light-hearted read that has some touching and emotional moments.

We all imagine a being on a tropical island, in the sun, the roaring ocean, with innocent and beautiful natives giving us everything we need. John Harding gives this to us with plenty of add-ons: Shakespeare, OCD, innocence and its loss, and the Western materialistic mentality.

An American lawyer comes to this untouched island, meets the natives, and tries to obtain compensation for them from injuries as the result of left over land mines. The book turns into an allegory of American values running amok and attempts to give a world vision on today's events.

Harding uses humor, literary license, and great imagination to accomplish this task. I thank him for great and thoughtful entertainment.

Cute story. A lightweight tale for uncritical thinkers but not for serious pondering. Although it is full of humor, unfortunately, it is based on a very false premise; that America is responsible for planting land mines and leaving them there. The US policy on land mines is that the position of each one is mapped and they are removed at the end of any particular conflict. In fact, legal land mines used have a requirement that they become inactive after a short period of time, sometimes just hours, to prevent exactly what this book is based on. Other countries, especially third world countries don't follow these guidelines, and many injuries and deaths have occurred. So, it's too bad the author tries to make America a guilty party in this book. The story could have been told using some facts, and then the impact of it would be truly food for thought. Instead, it is pretty much a joke. But then, there are those who will believe anything as long as America gets the blame.

John Harding has forgotten his civics lesson when it comes to understanding the US constitution and how elections are decided. Any OTHER outcome would have been illegal, but not the one that actually occurred.

I found this book an engaging, funny read. The characters on the island and the island culture are great. A few of the characters are very developed, while others--including all the women--have little to know depth. Harding's conceited attitude comes through clearly in this book. He blames America for everything. He has done no research on the U.S. legal or compensation systems. His characters are supposed to be from New York, yet all sound like they are from rural small town England (Harding's own background). Only men are lawyers in the book. The island culture is supposedly strongly matrilineal, but there are no women on the island who seem to have any power. He only describes women in terms of their physical attributes. So all in all - a funny read, but aggravating, too.

This factual account of the first recorded south-north crossing of Australia, in Victorian times, is more amazing than any fictional adventure would dare be. A film of this book several years ago did surprising little raise awareness of the undertaking. The story recounts the key attempts and the elaborate expeditions involved. The crux of the story really revolves around a series of unfortunate & serious mishaps and incredible near misses. Tragedy was almost avoided numerous times but ultimately...well read the book; the story ultimately has a sad and a happy ending! The fact that the story is known and accurately recorded is in itself an incredible sub-plot. It is hard to believe sometimes that this is a true story -- yet this is a case of real life being more amazing than one would dare write as fiction! The story is quite detailed but hang in there, the threads all come together in an incredible finale.

When I was about 11 my uncle who had spent 40 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, handed me slender volume called Cooper's Creek. Since I had no idea where Cooper's Creek was at that age I left in on my shelf where it gathered dust for the next 25 years, and was lost in one of my many house moves.

Over the course of the years I kept coming across some of Alan Moorhead's books, on bookshelves in Canada, the UK, India, Hong Kong and Egypt and even the United States. I happened to read another book of his "Gallipoli." He is a superb writer.

Cooper's Creek is exactly the same. After reading more of Moorehead's work (including a history of the North Africa Campaign) I resolved to find this book and read it. But even in Australia it had been out of print. I found it in London, England and hand carried it to Canada. The tale of imperial adventure warmed me over a few long, cold Canadian nights.

In the 50s and 60s narrative history was at its pre-postmodern highpoint. Moorehead's narrative flows like a novel, there is plenty to get your teeth into and also interesting tidbits. Also, unlike a lot of 60s historians Moorehead is not afraid to pass judgment on anyone.

The folley and bravery of the Burke-Wills expedition is recouted for all those unfamiliar with Australian history. Attempting to map the interior of Australia was a dauting proceedure, and was the equivalent of travelling twice the distance Lewis and Clark covered overland in their American Odyssey.

Those unfamiliar with 60s narrative may find the contemporary account of the aborigines to be paternal and patronising, but that is projecting our values backward.

It is one of the greatest true tales of adventure written, and ranks alongside the Scott, Shackelton explorations in Antarctica and the first land traverse of the North American Continent by Alexander Mackenzie.

A ripping good read and well worth the effort to track it down.

Moorehead by the way was a very popular narrative historian of the 50s and 60s (a bit like a contemporary John Keegan). He was also one of the foremost war correspondents in WWII and worked for Newspapers in Australia, the UK and Canada. An autobiography of his life has just been re-published but I forget the title.

As a patient and understanding reader, this was a good story. However, I don't feel that the book was easy to read and was slightly boring. By saying this, I'm not saying I did not enjoy learning about the expedition of brave men traversing the Australian continent. In many ways, this is a devastating story. It's sad and true. Unless you are an avid Australian history researcher, it will be very difficult to utilize any of the information from this story. Keep that in mind before attempting to purchase this book.

In 1860 the Victorian Exploration Expedition, under the command of Robert O'Hara Burke, set out from Melbourne to cross Australia to the Gulf of Carpenteria and to explore the unknown centre of the continent. Burke, and his second-in-command William J. Wills, achieved their goal of crossing the continent, opening up a vast new area of Australia. But the expedition ended in disaster, with the death from starvation of both Burke and Wills at Cooper's Creek. This book tells the story of the expedition from the historical context and initial planning, to the events of the expedition itself, to the proceedings of the Royal Commission that investigated the expedition's disasterous end. A moving story well written.

The Burke-Wills expedition, which set out from Melbourne in 1860 to explore the still-unmapped interior of Australia, ended in catastrophe. Bad luck, bad planning, and bad decisions along the way led to terrible suffering for every man on the expedition, and death for many of them. As a piece of exploration, the Burke-Wills venture was an outright fiasco. As an example of bravery and endurance under horrific conditions, it's matched only by Robert Scott's fatal 1912 attempt to reach the South Pole.

Moorehead, Australian by birth, knows both the story and the setting well, and his writing does justice to both. His descriptions of the land are rich and detailed, while his descriptions of the explorers are spare and journalistic. The combination evokes, perfectly, the sense of ragged men trudging endlessly through an alien landscape, oblivious to everything but the need to go on.

Moorehead wrote _Cooper's Creek_ in 1963, and the book shows its age in two ways. It judges Burke's dubious decisions fairly mildly, where a later historian might have been more critical. More significantly, it treats the Aborigenes with an air of condecension that carries with it the distinctive stink of racism.

These are small flaws in an otherwise superb book, however. If true stories of impossible journeys appeal to you, take the trouble to seek it out.

We were there some years ago on our sailboat - husband, wife and 2 teens (15 & 17). There were only 90 people on the Hermit Islands group - and I can't imagine anything unfriendly happening there. Contrary to most South Pacific islands - the chief gave us presents when we were there - the opposite to the normal situation. We stayed 1 month - the chief offered to build us a house and rent it to us for $1. a month if we stayed. "Escape" seems a gross exaggeration for this remote paradise.

This book fell into my hands as a gift not too long ago and I was totally engrossed after the first few pages. We don't often have the perspective of two women traveling alone, in a desolated part of the world, stuck and having to pull upon resources few of us have had to test. I was touched by their determination and zeal for continuing a lifestyle some might not understand. This is a story of grace under hostile fire and my admiration for the writers is large and appreciative. Bravo! I hope there is a serial!!

This is an absolutely amazing story. A must read for anyone who loves adventure, has sailed to remote places or dreamed of sailing to remote places.

This a a great story about courage, independence and adventure! Although Leslie is my sister, I still came away from reading it thinking that these are two amazing women. We at home only knew small amounts of what was going on via email reports. Their experiences make for a compelling read...enjoy!!

I read "Escape" and completely enjoyed it. I've read dozens of sailing books and rank this one up there with the best, it's nonstop adventure from the first page to the last. The story is really more than a just an amazing survival story of two woman and a sunken sailboat--it's about following your dreams and continuing to pursue them even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Because the story is so incredible, some people are claiming the story is either very exaggerated or totally fabricated. I know Joy and went to her seminar on the book at the Oakland boat show and I am confident the book is a completely true and accurate account of what happened. Enjoy it!

Very informative book. Appears to have been well-researched. Lots of specific information.

Looking forward to following this guide to New Zealand.

Full of great information! The one thing it lacks is detailed maps of areas covered in the chapters. Considering that, it is still a great buy!

I am already planning my trip based at the book and it is does a pretty good on job at describing the places and best sites to see..

I'm used to the Fodor's Guides, so this should be another great trip I am planning and will revert back with the comments after the trip. But like I mentioned, I used it before and that is the main reason of why I keep going with Fodor's again...

You will be please with the level of information needed to plan your trip and help you out during the journey..

Way to go...

i used this book on a recent trip to new zealand, and for the most part it was great. my one complaint was with a restaurant recommended by the book in auckland that turned out to cater to large tour groups and served expensive sub-standard food. but on the otherhand, another restaurant recommended (joe's garage in queenstown) turned out to be a highlight of the trip. so, as with all guidebooks, i think the information has to be taken with a grain of salt and it's better to get a second local opinion. the maps and general local information were very helpful for navigation and for deciding what to do each day. worth it overall.

Better than most, but less informative and readable than the Eyewitness Guides. (The one on New Zealand is being updated now for an August release.) I think more guidebooks should start incorporating that format into their titles---sacrifice a few details for more showcasing of locations worth noting. Still, this is a sound source for information and it's one to keep with you when you travel. In one or two instances, I found information in Fodor's that was ONLY in Fodor's and nowhere else, so the research is obviously extensive.

Herman Melville based his gigantic masterpiece _Moby Dick_ on fact. This is one of the most fascinating parts of that magnificent book. As mystical and symbolic as the parts and the whole may be, they are all firmly grounded in fact, in the world of nineteenth century whaling as it was. Facts crowd into the chapters, even the most novelistic ones. Tim Severin has made a career of replicating historic vessels, using them to trace the supposed routes of their historic sailors, and then writing about the results. In _In Search of Moby Dick: The Quest for the White Whale_ (Basic Books), he does not plunder Melville's great work, but actually expands it. Using _Moby Dick_ and other Melville texts, he has gone on an adventure to find the white sperm whale, and although he never brings home the fabulous creature, he does indeed find it in ways that demonstrate that even a century and a half after the white whale entered literature, he still exists as fact as well as fable.

Severin's curious quest takes him first to the island Melville described in his bestseller _Typee_, and then to islands where Melville never visited, but where there are still whalemen who still harpoon whales. The descriptions of the dangers of the hunts on which Severin accompanied the islanders are vivid and memorable. He finds, intriguingly, that the island legends of the white whale are in many ways the same as those of Melville's whalemen. He conveys vividly the excitement of the hunt, both of physical prey by contemporary whalemen and his own search for Moby Dick. The islanders know there is a white whale out there. Ahab was not able to destroy him, and the islanders revere and respect him. Severin's vibrant book shows that the whale hunters will surely pass away before Moby Dick, secure in legend and literature, is ever finally caught, or finally known.

I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it. It has been well reviewed by others here on this page.

I was disappointed to find that the still pictures the author took and the drawings by Patturson mentioned in the credits were not found in the paperback De Capo Press book. I guess one has to buy the hardback. I found it a bit odd that the author often referred to Melville's copying (plagurizing) passages of other texts in the production of his book Moby Dick, but did not mention that in the times of its publication it was not uncommon to plagurize other books. Maybe he just didn't know.

Tim Severin has a gift for creating wonderfully colorful reasons for writing a book -- he sailed in a skin-covered coracle to establish the background to the fable of St. Brendan, and navigated a dhow to recreate the voyages of Sindbad the Sailor, in just two of his odysseys. In this one, he searches for the mythic roots of the great white whale that provided the theme and tumultuous climax of Melville's classic, Moby-Dick. In a journey that spans the vast reaches of the Pacific, he first of all explores the island in the Marquesas where Melville deserted the whaleship Acushnet, travels to Tonga in search of the tattooed harpooner, Queequeg, and then moves on to the Timor Straits and the Flores Sea,in particularly haunting passages that describe his encounters with primitive whale-shark and sperm whale hunters, where harvesting great animals from the teeming tropical waters can mean the difference, for clans and families living on the edge of want, between survival and death.

This book is a page-turner. I sat down after breakfast on a lazy weekend morning, and could not put it down until supper time, when every page had been read. His quest rings with a sense of sincerity. Nothing here is contrived. Tim Severin shares with us the difficulties -- and great blessings -- of discerning the links between truth and myth.

Before I describe what this book is, I should describe what it is NOT, because I feel that it is definitely (and perhaps deliberately) mistitled, and if I had known was it was, I probably would never have chosen to read it.

I bought this book without bothering to riffle through it, being under the impression that it was an investigation into whatever facts lay behind the Moby Dick legend upon which Melville based his well-known novel. Although Severin partially covers this angle in the last (and definitely most engrossing) chapter, this is certainly NOT what this book is about on the whole.

Severin himself touches on this [p. 52]: "The animal Melville had in mind was probably inspired by reading a short story in an American magazine, The Knickerbocker, in 1839. The piece was called `Mocha Dick or the White Whale of the Pacific' and it was a yarn about a big bull sperm whale regularly encountered off the coat of Chile. The animal was said to be `as white as wool', though whether because it was an albino or from old age was not known."

But this is virtually the only mention Severin makes of this mysterious beast.

So what is it about? For a period of about a year and a half the author roamed through Oceania staying and talking with various whale-hunting communities, for the most part learning about their lifestyles but occasionally exploring the subject of a white sperm whale, which, as Severin is eager to demonstrate, is not limited to Western literature, but makes an appearance in the myths and legends of societies far different from our own.

Unfortunately, the lifestyles of these primitive whaling communities, for the most part, do not make for interesting reading (the section on Lamalera is especially yawn-inducing), and several times during my reading I wondered why I was even bothering to finish it.

Other sections leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, such as when Severin digs up and exposes Melville's many exaggerations. Every author's worst nightmare! Here's a sample:

"[In Typee], Melville describes how the natives of Taipivai were very keen to tattoo their sailor visitor. They point out that his white skin would make such a perfect canvas for their art. Mehevi also wants him to be tattooed, and suggests suitable patterns. The tattooer-in-chief pursues Melville about the village waving his instruments, the sharp-toothed combs and tapping mallet. Yet somehow Melville avoids the operation, and he does not explicitly state how. It is another example of Melville building up suitably colourful ordeals while `living among the cannibals', but then sidling away from any clear explanation of how he emerged intact. Certainly Melville had no tattoos to display when he returned to new England and told an intrigued audience about his `four months' on the Marquesas, though tattoos were already common enough among Western sailors of his day."

Just what every writer needs. A good deal of the book consists of ill-spirited detective work of this kind, most of which is not even germane to Severin's stated purposes.

Conclusion: if you are looking for extra information on the facts behind white whale legends of the mid 1800's, don't look here. The closest book I know of that addresses the question of whether a white whale actually existed (an actual white whale, not just an ordinary black, though perhaps unusually aggressive, sperm whale-like the one that famously smashed up the Essex) would be Norton's "Moby Dick as Doubloon," and even that book only touches on the matter.

Having said that, the book is far from awful. The writing style is brisk and deft, and what Severin has learned on his travels/studies can on occasion be absorbing. It's just that you should know what you're getting into.

Moreover, the soft cover edition is handsomely printed, though it could really have used some maps.

I should also note that this book can boast a top-notch first paragraph. Don't let that fool you, though.

Severin's varied accounts of South Pacific whaling compliment Melville's novel wonderfully. His book provides excellent supplemental reading to support Melville's classic AND add to the lore of the sea. Like the novel, Severin concludes his searching by recording a whale hunt that has incredible action and danger.
What fascinated me in this short book was his description of the whiteness of the whale. Nature allows white for only a few examples of whiteness and they are esteemed highly; their significance has spiritual and metaphysical associations. Severin states that whiteness and the sea are common, but in the whale, the shark, the manta ray and in other species, the contrast in seeing a white member "contradicts" our assumptions. I endorse this book for several reasons: Severin's anthropological recording is astute; he carefully respects Melville's accounts; and he is an excellent writer in his own right.

I loved this book because, along with Guadalcanal Diary, it is one of the only contemporaneous narratives of life on Guadalcanal. I only wish it were 1000 pages. Most war memoirs are seemingly written 30 years on whereas this book has a great sense of immediacy...read it if you love WW2!

That's the bottom-line message of this short, artfully written book by a distinguished writer who served as a war correspondent in the Pacific early in his career.
America had no choice but to fight World War II, and the Marines profiled in this book had to be where they were. But Hersey shows you the war from close up, not from the lofty vantage point of the generals, with their maps, strategic theories and neatly prepared statistical tables.
These are real people being blown to bits. Human lives and humanity itself are expendable in the quest for a few yards of territory.
You will come away from this book hating war, however necessary it may be under certain circumstances.
The same author capped off his message some years later with his classic account of the Hiroshima bombing and its aftermath. If you haven't read that one, your education isn't complete.

This book will disappoint any who are not antiwar liberals. I didn't think this type was around in WW2, but Hersey was. He says he updated it; maybe that was to give it more of that slant.
What you are going to get with this very brief (80 pages!) account is a failure by a Marine company to capture a valley, with emphasis on the wounded and disappointed sied of the conflict, and agnosticism on the moral right of either side. It reads like the liberal press of the Vietnam era or during the present Iraq conflict.
I don't think an author has to sell America the greatest and certainly not the glory of war, but to not recognize the scrifice and the sense of what we were fighting for I think is pretty lousy. Hersey seems to suggest a sense of defending the country at one point ("they fought for home") but then passes over that to say "they were mostly there to avoid the draft" - huh?
For a sharp contrast with just as much emphasis on the frustration and debilitation of combat, get E.B.Sledge's "With The Old Breed at Pelilieu and Okinawa." I read them back to back and the contrast is startling. Wholly different, and in my opinion, much more authentic perspective in Sledge.

I was pretty surprised by how short this book was -- not counting illustrations, there are maybe 45-50 pages of content here. That said, it gives a really good perspective on being in battle and how the every-day must have been. It feels a little "cleaned up" and therefore slightly propagandistic (e.g., no one swears, no one is lazy, everyone is helpful to the writer, etc.), but for me at least, that's also helpful in understanding the time and place. The other issue is that you never for a moment forget that this is being written by a journalist (and not by an infantryman) -- the book never pretends to be anything else, though, and the reporter's POV is still useful and in some ways perhaps better for its "objective" third-partyness.

All-in-all, worthwhile for anyone interested in the subject matter.

bkd

Please do not be put off by fours stars: this is a superb book about early WWII written by someone who 'was there'. The lack of a fifth star merely reflects my desire to have seen a longer, even more in-depth, book. I was born in 1950, so my knowledge of those days is gained mostly by people like John Hersey. Also, my uncle (and namesake) was a member of Edson's Raiders--and he was there, too. I have had the great good fortune to have met many of the Raiders and others on Guadalcanal and I find "Into the Valley" to be most accurate of the descriptions told to me by these veterans. All human, the Marines had to draw on their training and leadership to get themselves through the bitter fighting and to prevail against unsettling odds on Guadalcanal. Hersey allows us to see the Marines as human--young boys and men, for the most part. He paints success and he paints failure with an honest brush. This is a "must read" for anyone interested in WWII and the South Pacific.

This is a spectacularly interesting journal. Cook was an odd sort, that's for sure. But a genius? I'd certainly say so after reading his often-daily account of his activities. Really neat book.

This re-issue of the Beaglehole edition of the Cook journals attests to the enduring importance of Cook as the exemplar navigator and Beaglehole as his nautical Boswell.

The writing is elegant and subtle and the fascination of the recital enduring.

Best there is no other!

I wanted to like this book. I really did. When I saw it online, I thought that it looked interesting. The few reviews were favorable. I enjoy maritime tales, stories and life. I thought that pirates and life aboard ships were interesting decades ago.

This was a slow, monotonous account. At least all that I could read for three days. Then I lost interest. I have read period pieces before. However the abbreviations and some of the words I just could not decipher.

If you want to attempt to figure out this book, I wish you luck. If you do, maybe you could explain it to me. :)

This well prepared abridged edition of Captain James Cook's journals is a specialized book of interest to people studying the exploration of the Pacific and/or the British Navy of that time period. Other people might find sections of it dry reading. The book is recommended for oceanography students as the 17th century voyages of exploration formed the basis for later oceanographic cruises.

Cook's voyages carried scientific personnel of that time period, many of whom died from the harsh conditions along with members of the crews. In addition to bad weather, there were diseases and hostile natives (including cannibals). Extensive charting was carried out and, on the second voyage, the Board of Longitude supplied Cook with Larcum Kendall's copy of John Harrison's H4 watch for determining longitude. Observations were made of prevailing winds, currents, temperature, and other things of scientific interest.

Natives throughout the Pacific would go to great lengths to obtain iron, expecially axes, even prostituting their wives and daughters (willing or not). Natives would attempt to steal items, if they could, leading to numerous confrontations including one in which a boat crew of the Adventure (the consort ship of the second voyage) were killed and eaten by the Maori natives of New Zealand.

Cook's journal ended several weeks before his death. The editor fills in details from journals of other people who were on the voyage, and speculates on the reason he was killed by the natives in Hawaii.

The book includes maps of Cook's routes on his voyages. It also has an index listing the names of the various individuals mentioned, with an indication of their positions on the voyages or their other positions if they were not active participants.

I wish I had read the reviews before paying for this. The key word for this edition is ABRIDGED. According to the editor Philip Edward's introduction, only about a third of Cook's/Beaglehole's text is included.

Although not required for understanding New Zealanders, this dictionary is great for getting acquainted the local slang. It is written in a way that talks to you. I found some of the definitions to be very funny!!

Even if you don't plan a trip to New Zealand in the near future, you can read this book and spice up your vocabulary. I've rated it four stars instead of five merely because it's now eleven years old.

NZ slang evolves quite quickly, partly due to the prevalence of what's known as the Big OE--the big overseas experience, where young Kiwis take off for England and the Continent for a period of years, some never to return. This foreign immersion results in the inclusion of English slang expressions into the NZ idiom.

As a 30-year expatriate Kiwi, I found myself enjoying again the colorful language I heard and used in my youth. A new edition would be greatly appreciated, and a must for every traveler planning on spending more than a couple of weeks in NZ.

This is too much fun. To be able to learn a language for travelthat is only a slang slant to your own. Already the little guide hashelped to acclimate me to telephone and chat line conversation for the lands down under. The book is fun and informative and easy. To be informed makes the trip so much more fun for me from start to finish. And as usual I have found this guide nowhere else in the major local bookstores. But on line its here at my door to have read before I leave on my vacation. This book is quite entertaining just to read if you just want to be familiar with the culture of a very unique and friendly land. If I had not seen it for sale at Amazon . Com I would never have imagined such a special guide was available for purchase.

By defining English words and phrases unique to New Zealand, author Leland effectively describes at least a bit about New Zealanders and New Zealand culture also--and his affection for them, and for language, comes across well. Provides a look at the country and people through examination of their use of language. Humorous, good-natured, informative, and very enjoyable, I was given this book by a friend and just wish it were longer and updated to include any recent additions.

This book is dated (c.1975) sexist, racist and vulgar. Be warned if you are a woman, a person of color or have anything approaching a 21st century sensibility.
Sample quote: "bum - is what you sit on. Les femmes in New Zealand appear to have an unusually high proportion of broad ones and sturdy legs to match. Pioneer heritage?"
Not my idea of amusing.
If you want to find out about New Zealand, there are many websites that will give you a clearer idea of the place and the people than this book.