Oceania Books

Culturegrams is a "must have" for anyone in the travel industry, avid travelers, culture buffs and amateur anthropologist. Culturegrams introduces the reader, in four pages, to the daily customs and lifestyles of 174 societies. The background, the people, custom courtesies, lifestyle, society and "for the traveler" sections are found in each four page breakdown. The two volumes set (The America's & Europe and Africa, Asia & Oceania) cover the world by and large.

High speed travel has shrunk our world and made every other culture our neighbor. Culturgrams is a needed tool for all those in the travel industry and a wonderful reference guide for all who seek to understand their neighbors better. Highly recommended.

I have this book and it is a great to introduce children of all ages to different cultures without going into too much information that may confuse them. I've used mine with my 4 and 5 year olds to study/introduce different culturesand concepts to them. It's great! I recommend it to teachers and parents.

This is a really good piece of work. I'm a maritime history buff and I enjoyed it a lot. If you're at all interested in the early history of the New England states or especially interested in Nantucket and the way people there made their fortunes, I'd give this book a try. It's a good history that reads like a good novel in places. Highly recommended.

Mawer's splendid "Ahab's Trade" tells the incredible story of South Seas (i.e. Pacific) whaling during the 19th and 20th centuries. The principal character in this book does not have a particular name; the names themselves shift from voyage to voyage - but the constant heroic icon that keeps appearing is the longboat's crewman; the sailor who ventures out onto the high seas in little but a glorified rowboat, harpoon in hand, ready to do battle with a beast that could easily smash the boat to bits. Whatever you think of whaling, you can't deny the bravery of these men.

Mawer does not stop with a strict rendition of whaling, however: he takes the opportunity to share with the reader many a story about the Pacific in general during this fateful period, from the discovery of the Bounty mutineers on Pitcairn island, to the "ExEx" expedition of the 1830s (recently given its own entire history), to the exploits of Confederate raiders during the 1860s. The narrative ends with the (comparatively recent) international ban on whaling - a ban that Mawer does not entirely embrace. Immaculately researched and superbly written.

This book is beautifully illustrated with photographs, illustrations, and the most detailed distribution maps I have ever seen. The design of the book makes it a perfect coffee top book and it's content makes it both a perfect introduction to the world of salmon while at the same time a valuable scientific reference.

This book is very accessible to non-scientists, if you are looking for a book about how salmon, man, and the enviroment interact this is a great book. The title sounds a little academic but it can be appreciated by anyone with interest in salmon. And anyone who flips through the book will be taken in by the beauty of this book.

The Atlas of Pacific Salmon is what all universities and government agencies needed 20 years ago. I dare say, it was almost worth the wait. This is a splensid compilation of data and images. The map work in this volume deserves much praise. The content covers biogeography, biology, genetics, threats, status etc....
Should sell for over $150

If you are planning a trip to Australia or wish you could, this book should top your reading list. It's not a travel guide, it collects 39 articles or book excerpts from diverse sources that get to the heart of Australia.
You hear first-hand accounts of back packers, travel writers (Paul Theroux, Bruce Chatwin), Australians, adventurers, vacationers, and just ordinary people. Such a wide selection lets you see Australia from many angles from the food to the people to the animals and the landscape. This is so much more in-depth than a guidebook could possibly be.
Read the harrowing account of a woman canoer who survived a crocodile attack, experience learning to surf at Bondi, ride after brumbies in the Snowy Mountains, etc. Not all stories are heroic, as these are real people writing their impressions of a country and its amazing animals and hardy people. Each gives their own viewpoint which makes for fascinating reading.
The selections vary from 5 to 20 pages, making it a great book to dip into when you don't have extended reading time.
I highly recommend this book. After living in Australia 3 1/2 years, it brought back many memories of a wonderful country and showed me why I need to travel there again.

This collection of travel writer's accounts of their experiences in the land of kangaroos is amusing and informative. From an explanation of why Aussies call Americans "seppos" (a legacy of the rhyming slang of convicts, seppo means septic tank and tank matches Yank)to adventures in the Outback and quite a lot else, this is just a fun book to read.

If you've ever had a desire to see kookaburras, koalas and kangaroos in their natural habitat, you will relish the book Australia Calling: The RV Travel Handbook by Lionel Mussell. Lavishly illustrated with color photos, the book covers everything from choosing an RV type, planning your trip, what to pack, emergency preparation, the best communication devices to have when you're in the outback, to (best of all) descriptions of the various travel routes to and from major points of interest in all regions of Australia, including the island of Tasmania.

It was surprising to see photos of Australian RVs as well as vehicles made by manufacturers familiar to Americans, such as Winnebago, and to note the contrast in body styling. Australian RVs as well as those made for Australian distribution appear to be on the small side in comparison with American models. If looks are an indication, we'd say it's a safe bet that Aussies value utility and durability over glitz and glamour when choosing an RV.

You'll enjoy Mussell's easygoing, informal writing style, peppered here and there with Australian vernacular such as "caravans" for trailers and "cuppa" for "cup of coffee."

Aside from useful advice about trip planning and budgeting, the real meat of Australia Calling consists of Mr. Mussell's detailed, generously illustrated travel routes that cover the entire continent. Mussell possesses an intimate knowledge of Australia off the beaten tourist path and offers expert advice on where to go, what to see, where the campgrounds are, and where to eat.

We've all heard of Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne, but who knew that towns with names like Caloundra, Mooloolabah, Maroochydore, and Yandina also have attractions worth exploring -- like the Ginger Factory at Yandina or the Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran in the foothills of the Warrumbungle mountains? From wine country in the temperate valleys of southeast Australia and its great cities of Melbourne, Victoria, and Sydney, you'll follow the Pacific coast to the Great Barrier Reef and the beaches of tropical Queensland, then drive across the desert wastes of the central outback to Ayers Rock and Alice Springs. Or follow the less traveled north coast, washed by the Coral Sea, home to ancient aboriginal culture and more akin to Asia than to the rest of Australia. Find yourself in the metropolitan port of Perth in western Australia on the Indian Ocean, and return to southeast Australia via the South Coast Highway where you can gaze out over the Southern Ocean from majestic cliffs, knowing the nearest landfall is at the bottom of the world.

As if that weren't enough, scattered throughout the book are many practical tips to make your journey safer and easier. If I have a criticism, it would be the lack of detailed maps of each region. However, Mr. Mussell stated early on that he omitted them on the assumption that most readers would have their own maps (less likely, though, for American readers). All in all, Australia Calling offers an entertaining and comprehensive look at the facts and possibilities of Australian RVing.

While in the process of planning a one month RV/motorhome trip through Australia, I was having great difficulty finding appropriate planning information for such a trip. Most of the guide books provide lists of things to see of course - but not in a manner suitable for planning an RV/Motorhome trip e.g. where is each must see location in relation to major roads, where are the good RV/caravan parks to stay the night. Then I came across the author's web-site (http://www.caravanning-oz.com/) and immediately ordered his book. While waiting for the book to arrive I sent the author some more immediate questions - which were answered very quickly. The book arrived and it had all the detail I had been looking for contained within the route notes e.g. Melbourne to Sydney via Hwy 1. The author has continued to answer my questions as they arise and even offered to review and provide further input to the full day-by-day itinerary once it is complete. I could not be happier with this purchase and the help provided by the author.

Originally in the late 1890s, By Reef And Palm is Australian author Louis Becke's thoroughly amusing collection of short-story "yarns" about daily life in the Pacific Islands that has been brought out in a new addition by Dixon-Price Publishing and will aptly serve to introduce a whole new generation of readers to the work of a man reputed in his lifetime to be the "Kipling of the Pacific". Reflecting a lawless era in candid, nothing-is-sacred prose, By Reef And Palm is a unique, captivating, enthusiastically recommended compendium of short stories showcasing the trials and travails a century gone "Paradise".

Originally in the late 1890s, By Reef And Palm is Australian author Louis Becke's thoroughly amusing collection of short-story "yarns" about daily life in the Pacific Islands that has been brought out in a new addition by Dixon-Price Publishing and will aptly serve to introduce a whole new generation of readers to the work of a man reputed in his lifetime to be the "Kipling of the Pacific". Reflecting a lawless era in candid, nothing-is-sacred prose, By Reef And Palm is a unique, captivating, enthusiastically recommended compendium of short stories showcasing the trials and travails a century gone "Paradise".

This map is the best in the market for a clear, concise overview of both New Zealand islands.

Very good product. Durable and has the ability to be written on with laminate pens.

Conrad's account of his return to Tasmania is a delightful journey in time, place and language. Tasmania's special place in history and geography is depicted in the special style that can only be invoked by the self-exile. His prose is rich with metaphor in dealing with his own life, Tasmania's physical features and the society English society imposed on it. Raised in a suburb north of the State Capital, Hobart [the world's most southern such], Conrad's childhood environment was overshadowed by the looming, capriciously moody Mount Wellington. Everything else about Tasmania was "Behind the Mountain."

Conrad is expressive about what it was like to be raised in a place that even the rest of Australia seemed to have forgotten - it was left off school maps of the Last Continent. As the site of imprisonment for the most incorrigible of Britain's transported felons, its white inhabitants later tried to erase their own history. Isolated, then, in place both globally and socially, its people clung to the only culture they could derive - the "home" that was England. Even when the rest of Australia sought ties with the Americans, Tasmania remained locked into their version of the "old country."

Conrad breaks the mould of that image. He's frank about the white's treatment of Tasmania's Aborigine population and culture. He contrasts the outlook that named and respected every mountain, stream or other physical feature of the island. The Parlemar people were rounded up in a series of paramilitary exercises, the most notorious that of the Black Line. The surviving Aborigines [some suicided from seaside cliffs] were exiled to Flinders Island and other off-shore sites to rot and die. Even their corpses were desecrated by amateur "anthropologists" keen to depict them as sub-humans, well deserving extinction. The eradication was absolute - Tasmania remains the only Australian State with no surviving indigenous population.

Conrad journeys over the island by bus and aircraft [he is unable to drive]. The jaunts confront us with bizarre naming practices the island was subjected to by white settlers. No Aborigine names were applied until the State's Hydro Commission attempted some restitution while building dams in the mountains. The attempt is simply a final instance of the paucity of knowledge of Aborigine culture. His tours take us to Port Davey, a week's walk from the nearest road end, and the distant, disreputable Macquarie Harbour. His map shows the anomaly of this extensive estuary with its entrance but 60 metres wide. It was truly the end of the world for many convicts who laboured their lives away under assault by winds originating off the South African coast.

His candor in descriptions of his life and his family is refreshing. He aspired to the exile he entered with unwarranted enthusiasm. The book opens with the conflagration of his childhood artifacts. He is later as disturbed by this sacrifice as we are while reading it. His evocative metaphors evoke the remorse to follow him as he recovers or recreates those childhood losses. The memories he solicits show a level of confusion about his own identity - at one point unable to discern whether the image in a photograph is himself or his father. Life on the Apple Isle could lead to such vague self-persona given the paucity of information about his roots. An alcoholic grandfather had simply been made to disappear by the rest of his family.

It's trite to state that any examination of one's roots can lead to disillusionment. But Conrad's return to this remote land provided an improved sense of self-identity. He returned to learn more of his natal surroundings than would have been possible had he not left. He demonstrates that all he learned during his journeys didn't require a comparison to his adopted land to be valuable. Every place he visited or researched provided new elements of his self-awareness in their own right. The book is an object lesson for anyone who has left home for other venues. Read it to learn of this faraway land, the brilliance of its re-discoverer, and perhaps some insight into your own outlook about where you are. It's a rewarding journey.

Behind the Mountain is a unique creation, more than a close, personal look at a most unusual place, Tasmania, "an appendix, an after thought" to the mainland of Australia. It is also the memoir of a brilliant, scholarly self-exile's return after twenty years and his coming-to-terms with the people and places that made him who he is.

Conrad had "escaped" from Tasmania at age twenty to attend university at Oxford and to start a new life. He had burned in the back yard all his diaries, exercise books, and "anything that might incriminate [him] by attaching an identity to [him]." He had left his home and family behind, intending never to return, believing that "Home was where you started from, not where you stayed." Twenty years older when he writes of revisiting Tasmania, he has discovered that despite his attempt to escape, "Tasmania had set the terms of [his] life. The home you cannot return to you carry off with you: it lies down the at the bottom of the world, and of the sleeping, imagining mind."

This search for identity and roots informs his travels within Tasmania and gives the book an immediacy and liveliness lacking in so many other studies of place. Tasmania, he explains, is "an offshore island off the shore of an offshore continent," its residents therefore the "victims of a twofold alienation," with nothing between them and Anarctica, the end of the world. Conrad turns his eagle eye, his thoughtful sensibility, his absolutely limitless vocabulary, and his extraordinary skills at description to the recreation of Tasmania from the air, from the water, from the farm, from the mountain, and even under the ground, all in vivid word pictures. You will travel with him, and experience the great good fortune of seeing the island through the eyes of a gifted and introspective native whose twenty-year absence has given him a perspective on life in Tasmania that enable him to communicate it with "outsiders."

Best of all, Conrad permits the reader to share his discovery that he had "placed [his] trust, mistakenly, in the myth of self-invention. You created yourself, and did so out of nothing." Instead, he finds, "we are all still pioneers, required to colonise the piece of ground which chance assigns us, to make it our own by shaping it into a small, autonomous intelligible world....[Tasmania] was the landscape inside me: the space where I spent my dreaming time....Tasmania had set the terms of my life."

Margaret Wild and Janine Dawson's BOBBIE DAZZLER tells of Bobbie, an energetic wallaby who jumps, skips and bounces. Her friends are impressed with her prowess, but she can't do the thing she most wishes to do - the splits. Only after much practice does she achieve her goal in this funny, satisfying story of determination.

Bobbie Dazzler by Margaret Wild and Janine Dawson is a fun look at four animal friends. Bobbie is a Red-Necked Wallaby and her friends are Koala, Wombat, and Possum. Bobbie has lots of talents like hopping and skipping, but she is sad that she cannot do the splits. After many tries and a lot of determination she and all of her fiends master the new skill. The illustrations are charming I really enjoyed the view of the Australian native plants such as bottlebrushes, eucalyptus, banksias, and kangaroo paws. Karen Woodworth-Roman, www.librarians.info

This is a really gorgeous book and is perfect for nap/bedtime with baby. My son, who is now 2yrs old, still enjoys looking through the illustrations.

Terrific if you have any Australian/New Zealand/Islander connection and want to share some of it with your kids.

These are original poems/lullabies from people living on the islands. My 7 year old loves this book. Even if you never read it all, the book is worth it for the fabulous artwork. This would be a great gift for anyone who has lived in the islands or feels connected to the sea.