New Zealand Books

The title of this book is dishonest. There is little pretence to this being a comprehensive history of Australia. Instead, its focus is almost exclusively on the British colonists' policies and attitudes towards the indigenous inhabitants, and towards migrants of non-British background. On its own terms, it is very well written. The writing style is by far the most engaging that I've ever encountered in an historical text - and this very fact betrays what is really going on here: David Day has written a polemical argument, rather than a history.
*
The tone of the narrator borders on the humorous - it is angry, in a sneering and critical way, so much so that it reminded me of the work of the Austrian (not Australian) novelist, Thomas Bernhard. Like Bernhard, Day does not shy away from repetition. His argument is one of insistence. Facts are shaped to fit his purposes, and then deployed effectively. For those figures whose actions he dislikes, he feels entitled to make ad hominem attacks; thus Prime Minister Menzies is described as 'rotund' and 'stout', his bodily habitus being fair game for Day; relatedly, Day feels comfortable offering cursory psychological analyses of political figures - thus Menzies' and PM John Howards' attitudes are 'explained' by their childhood circumstances in country Victoria and suburban Sydney respectively - this is more the stuff of politcal satire than of history.
*
It is also not accurate to dub this a thoroughgoing revisionist history. Its scope is just too limited. For instance, there is a glaring neglect of women's roles - Day has perpetuated this neglect, rather than questioning it. He mentions various racial groups, but does nothing to tell their history - they are only important in their being the target of racist British colonial attitudes.
*
There is a frustrating lack of clarity in the presentation of basic chronology. Even on facts central to Day's argument, such as the size of the Australian population, both migrant and indigenous, he refrains from providing tables or summaries. Extracting the factual basis upon which to build an argument, be this his or one's own, is very difficult.
*
His biased perspective at times leaves him looking a little silly in the face of events. Thus, for several hundred pages he carps against the Colonialists' fears of the "Asian hordes", virtually laughing at them rather than seriously analysing the source of their fears - when the Japanese do begin their expansion in WWII, Day is embarassed; he is left to pull up his trousers with claims such as that Japan never intended to invade Australia, this claim being justified in cursory fashion. Worse still, changes in Australian attitudes and policies are left without an explanation. Day admits, and tacitly praises, the change in policy regarding the origins of migrants after WWII; but he is unable to enter a discussion as to why this change occurred. Having branded Australians as predominantly racist, Day simply recounts this change as an uncharacteristic, if welcome, deviation from the norm - it is left to PM John Howard to re-establish Day's argument. As a history, this is very weak - rather than exploring causes for events, Day gives up, implicitly saying, "Well, this just happened". For me, this is one of the most disappointing aspects of this text - the condemnation of racism, and the acknowledgemnt of atrocities, is stirring and vital, but Day gives little clue as to the forces which mollified such detestable inclinations.
*
Similarly, in regard the issue of how ownership/proprietorship is established over a territory is conceptually barren. Day circles around this issue, establishing its prominence in Australian history, problematizes it, but then fails to offer any conceptual machinery with which to clarify matters. He does not draw analogies with other countries. He does not invoke legal distinctions, nor their conceptual basis. In the end, he merely states the problem. The discussion remains at the level of - the indigenous people say that they were here first, and that they were using the land; the British colonialists say that for land to be claimed it need be worked and permanently settled - Colonial courts have upheld this argument up until the last few decades, when the Mabo and Wik judgements have called it into question. Of course, this is fine as far as it goes, but it does not go very far considering how central this issue is to the structure of Day's entire book.
*
I would certainly not recommend this book as an history, revisionist or otherwise. As an historian Day is not very insightful. However, I would encourage this work to be read as a polemic. Day adopts a position contrary to that implicit is some older historical texts, and he writes with verve and a cynical edge. The manipulative tone is a worthy counter to that spouted by current Australian politicians.

[This review is based on the original 1996 edition.] This is an excellent overview of Australian history. It covers the entire period from settlement to the modern day (which day depending on the edition you have). Day presents Australian culture as a colonial one, dispossessing a native population, dependent militarily and morally on a mother country, and believing its claim to proprietorship of the land, to use his term, is under constant scrutiny by other contenders. There is also information about the physical development of Australia. Personally though I found that to be a bit lacking. It could have done with a few more facts and dates about when different areas were settled and more about the specific political and social conditions.

Dispossession of the original inhabitants and owners of Australia is the first of Day's two main themes. As he shows later, this has largely been ignored until the last few decades, and is still a topic of hot political debate. Day presents the fact of dispossession and the killing of Aborigines through the records and statements of the people of the time. They knew what was happening, did not consider it something to be disguised or concealed, and used various justifications for it, depending on time period and the conscience of the individual. Day presents all the justifications as attempts to render the Aborigines inhuman, or at least lesser humans, and therefore expendable. He himself utterly rejects that and consistently refers to the killings as murder or massacre. He presents the colonists as having a deliberate though not systematic policy of massacre, occurring when new lands were to be used. Also, it may be worth noting that he contrasts this with the events in the other white Dominions of Britain and in America. In Australia, there were no official attempts to negotiate with the Aborigines. There was no attempt to portray it as other than a takeover, except through the denial of Aborigines being humans to begin with.

The second theme is the fear of dispossession, and not feeling at home in this country. He goes through the various stages of White Australia, from the obsession with "bleaching" Australia through deportation of non-whites and restricting immigration to the British Isles, to the gradual government recognition of the policy's abandonment by the people of Australia. He also goes through the various stages of industrial development of Australia, and shows through quotes how this was related to possession of this country. All throughout, the fear of dispossession is shown through quotes that talk about quite explicitly, and for an amazingly long period of time. The feeling of being far from the mother country is one that he has to show indirectly. Most of it is shown through the statistics of travel and immigration policies. However, as he shows, it was made quite explicit in World War II, which also began the shift of colonial allegiance from Britain to America.

Finally, this book is well written and enjoyable just to read. The author generally strives for balance, except on whether Aborigines are human, and that killing them was, and is, murder. In fact, there are a few times when Day is so dispassionate and detached it is a little creepy. So, this book achieves what it set out to do: present a broad overview of the history of Australia, with a focus on two areas of crucial importance to understanding Australians, our society and why our governments make the types of decision they do. I highly recommend it.

This book mostly looks at the racial aspects of the colonization and founding of Australia. Most chapter headings indicate the views of the colonists as being very anti Aboriginal. Although the account is biased and highly subjective it lends itself to a very interesting read, one that any scholar of Australia or the far east and especially anyone interested in Indian-white relations will enjoy. The book details the original encounters with the natives as well as contemporary native issues, such as the 1988 bicentennial of the founding in which a massive wave of Aboriginal protest swept the nation to draw attention to the plight. Of course parallels with American Indians are everywhere. A very interesting book, although `Fatal Shore' is probably a superior and less anti-European account.

Seth J. Frantzman

Since this book consists of occasional pieces collected under a common rubric, it's persuasive thrust will find its target in a readership that is already sympathetic to Dworkin's legal and political philosophy. The arguments are not finely made, as they are in, say, *Taking Rights Seriously*, or in *Life's Dominion*. Many of the illustrative parables he uses, he's used before. That being said, *Freedom's Law* is a good collection highlighting the contours of Dworkin's fundamental objections to legal positivism. I think it is possible to follow Dworkin's non-interpretivist method without arriving at the same(moral)conclusions. But if you aren't already familiar with Dworkin's intellectual base of operations, a better place to start would be *Taking Rights Seriously* (easy to find) or, even better, his early and very important essay, "Is Law a System of Rules?" reprinted in *The Philosophy of Law* ed. by Dworkin (harder to find). To his credit, in this latter collection, he gives ample space to views contrary to his own, such as Hart's positivism, and Finnis' moral arguments against abortion.

Ronald Dworkin is perhaps today's Bentham. His views on Constitutional Interpretation in this book are so vividly written and lucidly explained. His views on Judicial Activism equating it with natural interpretation are worth considering if not fully acceptable.

One of the country's leading legal philosophers collects a series of essays (most originally appearing in the New York Review of Books) which examine the ... basis for the United States Constitution, and attack the "original intent" interpretation, most famously spouted by Bork.

The book's strength is Dworkin's accessible writing style (which may stem from the popular press origins of most of these essays) and his tight analysis of several cutting edge issues--abortion, affirmative action, free speech, as well as some historically important battles--the Bork and Thomas nominations.

His bottom line is (although he does not say this explicitly) that the recent Supreme Court, abbeted by a series of Republican presidents, has begun a revolution in legal thinking which rejects the 200 year old liberal tradition of judicial interpretation, and in the process has substituted results based, conservative politics for any semblance of judicial reasoning.

The weakness of the book is that many examples and arguments are repeated between essays, covering the same ground in virtually the same words from different times.

A much easier read than "Taking Rights Seriously", although the latter clearly is a more complete exposition of Dworkin's philosophy.

For a counter argument, see any of Judge Posner's recent work, which explicitly takes on Dworkin's philosophy.

Well written readable history of the Chamorro people, the settlement, cultures and development of Guam. I do not know how to improve on this book.

Bob Rogers offers an insightful and gripping view into the history of the island where America's day begins. Rogers' thorough research shows as he takes the reader from the landing of Magellan, right up through the modern day issues and struggles of this tiny, yet action packed island. Roger's fluid style coupled with his amusing stories of such things as "the big, ugly dinnerboat" that sits in Tumon bay, make for a thoroughly enjoyable read. If you are looking for one book that will give you all you need to know about the history of Guam, look no further.

Destiny's Landfall is a book which I would love to like. A supposedly thorough, comprehensive history of my island of Guam, it seemed too good to be true when I purchased it as an undergraduate. It eventually was too good to be true.

I cannot fault Rogers in terms of his completeness or accuracy, he has taken nearly every text imaginable pretaining to Guam and somehow woven them all together into a narrative of some sort, which is occasionally exciting but ultimately demeaning, archaic and mediocre.

Rogers cannot sustain his own biases for more than a chapter in his text. Beginning with the always questionable "parable of the tribes," which is one of those wonderful little bed time stories that haole people tell themselves in practical and academic forms to soothe their aching consciences and souls. I found myself reiterating time and time again, where is the agency, where is the spirit? Where is the soul of the Chamorro people in this? "Where are they themselves?" I asked myself at times.

It was Victorian Anthropological deja'vu for me, reading a text written today through a mindset of a century ago. The title in itself alludes to the mettle of the text, "destiny's landfall." Sounds something white western and exciting. Of course this all comes at the espense of the indengous inhabitants as this history of Guam celebrates the actions, accomplishments of those luckly losers who made landfall on Guam and gives little attention to those unfortunate people, already on Guam, that they fell upon. The Chamorro people, save for the contemporary sections of the text are painted as little more than mannequins which are placed and posed at the whims of primary texts from European/Western explorers, priests government officials and other washouts. No attempt is made to mitigate the racist writings of the past centuries, the history of Guam is reported as it has always been, of a victimized people, with no power over anything (as destiny the Spanish, Japanese or Americans control them), who somehow have survived, but lost everything in the process.

A point could be made that this is because of the lack of any voice of defense for the Chamorros in the source documents since they were all written by outsiders, however this intimates to less of a hope for objectivity and search for truth by the author, but more for a racist laziness, which would report everything from old Spanish documents, near verbatim, except for where Magellan landed.

I rate this text with a three despite my loathing for it, because the comprehensive nature of it cannot be denied. The rating would be much higher if Rogers had attempted to create a balanced history, implying a new and different voice, one which centered around those that have lived on Guam for thousands of years, rather than its Europeans explorers, tyrannical tourists and lazy lay-overs, rather than retiterating the voice of every Spanish and American Govenror of Guam since time immemorial. But since it did not, the rating is only average, for in spirit it is an average text, anyone could of put this together.

The chief suspects in this murder mystery each describe their version of events, some eighteen months after the crime. This gives the story a most unusual and intriguing structure. The characters are well drawn, distinct without being overstated. There is also a fine sense of period and place, those being wartime New Zealand.

So why a grudging three stars? Well, the solution to the puzzle is rather plodding; a systematic analysis of details rather than a brilliant insight. Also there is a general dullness about the characters and their setting. I suppose that's not surprising, given they are on a remote farm in winter, suffering the deprivations of war and trying to come to terms with an unsolved murder. But it would have benefited from the occasional comic relief or lightness of touch that Dorothy L Sayers or Conan Doyle could have brought to it.

All in all, recommended for the unusual structure and setting (albeit the `local color' is mostly gray) and for the quality of the writing, which is very good, but don't expect a classic puzzle. The author even makes one error in the solution (don't worry, this is not a spoiler) when Alleyn says "Only (the guilty person) could have put...". Actually, one other person could have; namely the one who found said item. I will however concede that the build up to the climax is genuinely suspenseful.

Yet another enthralling mystery by Marsh... The characters are realistic even their flaws. Died In The Wool- is set in New Zealand during the onset of WWll. A zealous, outspoken,and very popular MP is found dead in a bail of her own wool. The question is the motive. Had she made enemies because of her shrewdness, or was she caught in the middle of international espionage? Inspector Alleyn is brought in. Thanks to emotional and often biased analysis of this formidable woman by her relatives and employees, Alleyn recreates the circumstances that forced her murder.

I should probably read a bio on Ngaio Marsh, because I'm interested in knowing if she lived on a sheep farm when growing up in New Zealand - she seems to know an awful lot about wool! At any rate, this is another classic Marsh novel, though I do still miss Fox and co., as is the case with all the Inspector Alleyn novels set in New Zealand. Alleyn is performing War duty for the Special Services branch, when he responds to a call from a house where a Member of Parliament has been found murdered by being encased in a bale of wool on her own sheep farm. While there are household jealousies and inheritances, there is also a question of secret machinery plans being stolen and given to the enemy. As usual, the characters are finely drawn, and the plot superb (not to mention a bit bizarre!).

this is my favourite book by margaret mahy (though of course i love all her other stories). i don't know about you but i think this book is WONDERFUL. the descriptions are amazing, and the way the stories are told make everything so... 'magical'. i would strongly recommend this book to anyone.

Any child in New Zealand has been brought up reading Margaret Mahys fantastic short story collections, such as the Chewing Gum Rescue and the Downhill Crocodile Whizz. The Door in the Air collection has all the elements that I've grown to love about Mahys work - the comic, the poignant, the everyday and the unusual, all with her unique touch of otherworldliness. What sets Door in the Air apart is that it is her first collection of short stories aimed at teenagers.

Magic and enchantment weave their way through themes that are intrinsic to being a teenager. These are stories of journey and discovery. Of stepping out to discover somewhere to belong. Or, simply realising the place you belong is where you are. Nearly all the stories deal with a metamorphosis. Each change has a different catalyst, and some take years while others take only moments. However long, each is a transition where the character discovers and unleashes their true nature.

Merlin from The Bridge Builder says "there is one word I know ... a word of release and remaking. It allows things to become their true selves". Of course teenagers don't have a single word to make those years of change any easier. Although Mahy celebrates change, she also recognises it is not always easy to embrace and when you do there is often a price to be paid, "cross my palm with silver" crys Aquilina. But that is a risk that must be taken in order to invite the new and extraordinary into your life.

There are nine stories telling about Fairies, Wizards, and all sorts of imaginative things. I like the story about the day and night girls very much.

Set in the 1930's in rural New Zealand, Drovers Road is the sheep and cattle station of the Allan family. Gabrielle "Gay" Allan lives in the homestead with her three cousins, after her parents separated and left her in the care of her Uncle Dunsany and Aunt Belle (who are themselves cousins). Told in first-person narration by Gay herself - after she has sprained her ankle in circumstances that only become clear at the end of the story - the young girl recounts her life in the isolated, but busy world of the farmland, in which the entire countryside is her playground.

The story (such as it is) is simply a variety of retellings of Gay's adventures as she grows from girl to young woman. Often accompanied by her closet companion Merry (her male cousin), Gay recounts stories concerning her neighbours, family members and various pets, as well as practical jokes played by herself and Merry, community events, oral folklore of the family and the land, and several amusing anecdotes. As Aunt Belle tells them: "All men are alike. Before they are married they like a girl with what they call spirit. Afterwards, they only want someone to say `yes dear.'"

Most of the stories are light-hearted and humorous (such as when Merry and Gay dress up as a ghost in order to scare away a potential suitor for their uncle), but there are a few that are unutterably sad, such as the circumstances of Belle's wedding day. Likewise, there is a heavy sense of poignancy and nostalgia to the stories, as the book is permeated with the sense of time passing, never to be reclaimed. Even in the opening sentence, we are told that Gay intends to tell her story so that: "when we are grown up we can read it and remember how happy we were." Likewise, Gay and Merry begin the book as close as any two people can be, but gradually grow apart as Merry begins to become more involved in the man's work of the farm that Gay is inexorably excluded from. Add to this reoccurring theme of the warblers' song: "never the same again," and there is definite sense of the loss of childhood and innocence that adds a bittersweet touch to Gay's memoirs.

The grownups of the story, Dunsany and Belle are portrayed sympathetically, with Dunsany bearing more than a passing resemblance to Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird, what with his unorthodox way of raising the children in his care, and Belle transcending the cliché of `the angel of the house' as a woman of exceptional strength and wisdom. Much of the overarching story concerns Dunsany's courtship with the children's schoolteacher, and each adult using their different methods to console the tomboyish Gay's unhappiness at growing up.

Joyce West (who also illustrates her own work with minimalist ink drawings) captures New Zealand culture perfectly - and I should know, as I've lived here my whole life! In "Drovers Road" you'll find the rugged, beautiful landscapes, the food, the language, the flora and fauna, and a portrait of New Zealanders in this particular place and time: hard-working, yet laid-back, friendly, yet reserved. I've read "Drovers Road" several times now, and it always gives me a sense of home - and the older I get, the more I enjoy returning to it.

This is an entertaining book that children will enjoy. I like it because it is innocent and funny and tells of a time when life was simpler and had no violence, no drugs, etc. It reminds me of books by Elizabeth Enright - the same sense of fun and adventure.

This is an excellent set of three books in one! We read them aloud as a family, and much of the time we were rolling on the floor laughing at the antics of the children! The book is set in the 1930's in New Zealand. They give the reader a flavor of a country not often visited by most. This book is well worth the investment. I have found our copy sitting on the bedside tables often. My children have already read it several times a piece.

Let me begin with a quibble. The book is filled acronyms. Ms. Juhn makes an attempt to identify these with a beginning listing but may acronyms are omitted. The same problem is repeated with the names of the persons involved. These problems result perhaps because the author is too familiar with her subject matter. It makes for opaque reading at times.

The book would also benefit from additional critical analysis or more exposition of the forces at work on people at an individual level. But, this information may not have been abundantly available.

My biggest problem is with the author's cavalier minimization of the social forces at work and the implications of not addressing these in the final peace accords. For example the author says "There are no villains and no heroes in this story. History is the procession of people fighting to preserve a way of life or to change it. This is no less true in El Salvador than it was in the United States during its own civil war."

I suppose the author would not be an admirer of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. There is a powerful vector in human history that is propelled by people's being marginalized and humiliated. Individually a person may be made to feel worthless or deficient. When many people experience this emotion together, as a result of the same causes, powerful social forces may be set in motion.

Too what extent is the current gang violence in El Salvador the result of the failure of the peace process to hold accountable those responsible for the death squads? What will be the long term consequences of the continued concentration of wealth in a few hands?

I appreciate the author's efforts but must express my reservations.

The peace process in El Salvador was very difficult to understand for outsiders, even Salvadorans like me. This book succeeds in claryfing not only the actual events, but also the underlying motives and incentives for each of the parties involved.

The book begins with a good historical analysis, which puts into perspective all the decisions taken during the actual peace negotiations. Once the historical motivation is clear, the actual strategies for the negotiation begin to make perfect sense.

All in all, this book really shines at explaining the underlying interests of the parties and the tactics they resorted to in achieving a truly remarkable agreement.

This book is an excellent study of the behind-the-scenes policy making during the Salvadoran peace process. The author obviously had access to many of the persons involved in the process. It is also lacks the left-wing bias found in much of the U.S. literature on El Salvador. I recommend this book for anyone interested in the Salvadoran Civil War as well as for those who study the topic of negotiated settlements to civil conflicts.

In the last few years I have been searching books offering a general overview of the past, and I have realized that many books entitled "History of ...whatever" only provide information about the West, the rest of the world being almost ignored.

Finer's on governmentis different, is truly global. This third volume is about government from the XVIth century to the middle of the XIXth century. Regretfully, the author died before completing this impressive work. Without any doubt this third volume is as a masterful achievement as the previous two ones, I was surprised that no one else had made a comment before, so I add mine.My rate is between 5 (content) and 4 (pleasure, sometimes falling to 3, sometimes raising to 5). I highly recommend the three volumes.

Other works whose scope is as amazingly global as Finer's and which I would suggest to read (hoping that will be of use for those looking for a broad framework to understand the past) are the following: 1. Agrarian cultures: "Pre-industrial societies" by Patricia Crone; 2. Economy: "The world economy. A millennial perspective" (2001) plus "The world economy: Historical Statistics" (2003) by Angus Maddison (a combined edition of these two volumes is to appear on December 2007); 3. Ideas: "Ideas, a History from Fire to Freud", by Peter Watson; 4. Religion: "The Phenomenon of Religion: A Thematic Approach" by Moojan Momen; and 5. War: "War in Human Civilization" by Azar Gat.

A word of warning: Samuel Finer died before he could finish this work. His history stops at the time of the Industrial Revolution, and he did not edit the final piece: there are typos galore in the books. In spite of it all, this is one of the finest works written about government since the Federalist Papers, and it is every bit its equal.

Finer starts with the earliest records of the Sumerian city-states and ends with the French Revolution to look for "inventions" -- something new that a particular government creates and it becomes used ever after. For instance, the Jewish kingdoms of the Old Testament invented the idea of limited government: these theocracies had to follow the rules of the Torah and even the king was subject to God's law. The Roman Republic invented checks and balances as a way of preventing accumulation of all political power into the hands of one man.

The American Revolution created no less than six inventions that have spread around the world:

1) the Constitutional Convention -- a body, outside of government, of citizens, who represent the people, formulate a constitution for them, hand their work to be ratified by the people, and dissolve the Convention once their work had been done;

2) the Written Constitution -- a standard by which citizens can judge their government and also the fundamental law which governs mere statutory laws;

3) the Bill of Rights -- a way of protecting the individual by denying government by power to interfere with certain activities like speech and religion;

4) Judicial Review -- a way of enforcing the Bill of Rights, it also serves to signal the community when government is about to intrude into the forbidden zone;

5) Separation of Powers -- while Britain's government has separate branches for the different sociological groups (e.g. aristocrats in the House of Lords, middle classes in the House of Commons, etc.), America's government was the first to separate the branches according to strict function (e.g. the legislature makes laws, the executive enforces laws, and the judiciary interprets laws) so that no one branch can swallow another and obviate the checks and balances;

6) Federalism -- the idea that different tiers of government have different spheres of activities and that one tier should not invade the other's turf (e.g. states can't sign treaties, and the feds can't issue parking tickets).

Finer also covers the governments of the Greek republics, the Italian republics, the various Chinese dynasties, the representative assemblies of Europe, the Egyptian pharaohs, the Spanish colonies, the shogunate of Japan, the absolutism of France, the despotism of Russia -- in short, just about everything under the sun. It is truly a remarkable work that is well worth its expense. I can recommend no other book more highly than this one.

Finer answers the question: compare and contrast all important, documented human governments. It is both well written and aproprately complex. A type of history written all too infrequently in any age.

An excellent detailed history of Easter Island and the Rapanui people confirmed by the decendents we were priveledged to show us the Island. It goes well beyond the facinating stone figures to the why and how of their constuction, destruction and restoration to the tradgedies of the natives existence up to the recent past.

This concise account of Easter Islan history presents some new scholarhsip and rehashes the same stories of the islands remarkable facts and people. Easter Island is known for its isolation and its statues, as well as its startling degree of population decline. Easter Island was discovered, forgotten and then rediscovered. Its people originally arrived on canoes as part of the Polynesian expansion and colonization of the Pacific. Originally the island was forested and may have sopported larger mammals and other beasts, however in short time the trees were cut down and only chickens, brought by the polynesians, remained. The population embarked on the construction of the great stone statues, and then proceeded to fight endless wars. The art of canoe building was forgotten. When Europeans arrived diseases decimated the population untill few remained. The few that did remain were interviewed about their naitonal myths but no information could be found on the giant stone structures, that the people then living seemed in no position to be able to create with the tools they had.

A good book.

Seth J. Frantzman

As the author of "The Complete Guide to Easter Island" and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Easter Island Foundation, I believe I can state, with all due modesty, that I am duly qualified to evaluate Steven Roger Fischer's "Island at the End of the World" -- and my general view is that this is a valuable resource anyone interested in Easter Island should have on her or her bookshelf. Until now, the history of Easter Island has been featured as chapters in larger works or in highly abbreviated form. Worse, the history of Easter Island histories has been rife with inaccuracies that are largely the product of scholars and writers regurgitating past errors without any attempt to verify facts or to take the latest information in account. Nor is there any shortage of misinformation about Easter Island (and a lot fewer mysteries than most people understand), so it's good to see such a comprehensive work devoted to the subject.

Having said this, I must nevertheless express some reservations about a few things Fischer included because they are factually inaccurate or represent poor judgment on his part and may reflect other, more serious errors. In other words, while I wouldn't go to far as to say one or two blunders are representative of the whole work, the fact that they exist (and the fact that the book covers such extensive territory, where more arcane and obscure information may be buried in the wealth of data), is cause for some concern.

1) The Chincha Islands / guano mines story (page 89). It just won't die. It's one of many myths about Easter Island -- that Peruvian slave raids in 1862 brought Easter Islanders to mine guano on the Chincha Islands off the coast of Peru. Yes, Peruvian slavers captured hundreds of islanders and took them to work as indentured servants for rich Peruvian land owners -- but this was on coastal Peru, not the Chincha Islands, and certainly not in the guano mines. It's a legend that appears countlessly in Easter Island literature and has been resoundingly debunked by island researcher Grant McCall, who conducted extensive genealogical research into the matter and has revealed repeatedly that there is no evidence whatsoever to substantiate the claim that islanders were ever on the Chincha Islands. Amidst the many horrific things Europeans did to the early Easter Islanders, this legend is far from incredible. But it's simply not true. Of course, legends deserve their space in history, but Fischer fails to adequately qualify his statements in this regard. It's surprising. Wrong and surprising.

2) Fischer repeatedly refers to the Easter Island palm as "Jubaea chilensis" (the Chilean Wine Palm) -- see, for example, page 8 -- when in fact the Easter Island palm has its own name and scientific classification: "Paschalococos disperta" (a/k/a the Feather Palm). John Dransfield of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England, designated the Easter Island palm thus to specifically distinguish it from the Chilean Wine Palm. While there is some evidence to suggest these two palms were similar in size and possibly appearance, they are nevertheless distinct species. (Surviving, empty endocarps or seeds have been found on Easter Island -- and they are clearly not the same species as the endocarps of the Chilean Wine Palm; this was part of the basis upon which Dransfield developed a separate classification for the Easter Island palm.) Oddly enough, Fischer even cites the scientific literature in which Dransfield's classification is made but nevertheless fails to refer to the Easter Island palm correctly. Again, surprising. Wrong and surprising.

While a more detailed follow-up would be undeniably meritorious, these are but two points worth making initially. They may sound like picayune points, yes -- but, when it comes to Easter Island, it is my firm belief that there's more than enough misinformation out there already -- between the ridiculous "ancient astronaut" nonsense to the now defunct diffusionist theories of Heyerdahl. Therefore, the closer we can get to an accurate understanding of Easter Island, the better.

I would like to be able to recommend Fischer's "Island at the End of the World" without reservation but I can't. I do recommend it, however -- but with the qualification that should accompany anything written about Easter Island (including my own book): Trust but verify.

P.S.--
Another reviewer has mentioned that "Originally the island was forested and may have sopported [sic] larger mammals and other beasts". While the former is undeniably true, the latter is not. No evidence whatsoever has emerged to substantiate the notion that any land mammals or "other beasts" were on Easter Island before the colonists from eastern Polynesia arrived (unless by "other beasts" one means migratory sea birds!). And though the colonists may have brought with them the dog and the pig when they left their homeland, neither of these evidently survived the long ocean voyage to Easter Island. The chicken did, however -- and, together with the Polynesian rat, these represented the only land animals on Easter Island until the early European explorers arrived in the 18th century.

This book is a good read. I have heard that there is a sequal coming (due for release Dec 1996????). Highly recomende

an enjoyable tale from begining to end. if you like the english style of humor and flying/aircraft, you'll love this book. I hope the sequel is in the works.

"A LIKELY STORY", by Guy Clapshaw Merlin Books, LTD, Braunton, Devon, England, 1995 ISBN 0 86303 692-9 Here's a great autumn read for the aeronautically inclined. Air New Zealand senior captain Guy Clapshaw relates in these hilarious 389 pages how his career progressed from 1940's British schoolboy aerodelling and obsession with night fighters in the Battle of Britain to RAF flight training (of a sort known then) and his long career in aviation spanning the globe and over thirty-five years. Captain Clapshaw is a storyteller among the very best in the field of aviation, without the darkness of some...more like an autobiographical "And there I was flat on my back..." only better than perhaps you can imagine. Full of living detail of life in early 1960s Britain, 1970s New Zealand and the culture of the times as well as the unforgettable aviators, businessmen and bureaucrats. And the planes. Earnest Gann, only without the tragedy...this is 'high' COMEDY. These are REALLY funny episodes, one after another..not always so "politically correct" (Noooobody expects a cultural revolution heh heh heh!) and you must keep your seatbelt fastened at all times when reading or even thinking about it...no wonder he wrote a book! I met Guy Clapshaw in 1996 when he layed over in Japan on an ANZ charter, and we flew my rubber powered Comet B-26 together in the Tsutzumigaoka airfield ruins near my home. (Before the new road went in.) It had some trim problem and after trying everything he sagely suggested launching downwind...worked like a charm! The old schoolboy aeromodeller, forever. I know as a fact that he has a Diels Dornier Pfiel, TA-152 and Lavochkin, among many other FF and other scale models. Try it, you'll like it.