Oceania Books

I came across this book while looking to buy a Flicka sailboat...the type that Charles Dewell sailed from Ca to the South Pacific and Hawaii. I wanted a small, seaworthy, solo sailing vessel. Well, you can't get much smaller than a 20 footer!!! The book moved along a bit slowly for me, but I truely enjoyed the adventure. I don't think that I will be following in his footsteps across the Pacific any time soon...but I think I may just buy that Flicka because I have the confidence that it can get me through anything and get me anywhere I have the courage to go! Thanks, Charles, for an inspirational journey!!!

Grab a cup of tea, and find your favorite chair! This book reads as smooth as the tradewinds on a warm South Seas day. The Dewells have a writing style that makes you feel you have known them for a long time! And as most couples have a kitchen sink argument, the Dewells will make you laugh as they experience the "BLUE BUCKET" moment! Truly a story for anyone who has ever thought of escaping the grind of daily life, sailor or not. Simply a very nice read. Bring on another book Charlie!

I read the reviews of this book because I totally enjoyed this sailing romp through the south pacific and was curious as to others views.

I didnt understand the vitriolic ignorant coments of "roystr" so I visited his other reviews.....its weird. He notes repetedly that he is disabled and his reviews are of power tools boatbuilding cat tablets and a singer. All are misspelled and mostly negative.

His review of this book is so out of place with his other garbage that I just put it down to a bitter guy who denigrates anyone who does something he is incapable of but then....I received 2 trojan horse viruses (ajent bfj and ajent k) the next time I started my computer.

I tested it again by cleaning the virus and doing nothing but revisiting his site..same result. I have notified Amazon and while it may not be him (a virus can attach to any site and wait for you to come in) beware you will probably have to spend an hour fixing your comp if you go to his site.

If roystr sees this for your future reference : does not "dose": probably not "probly": feeling not "feelign": extreme not "extreem": which not "witch": phone not "phine"......also as you did not bother finishing the book a little help to save you time : War and Peace..the french lost : The Sixth Sense..hes dead: "Cujo'..dog gets rabies dies: Love Story..the chick dies. I could go on but you get the picture, just trying to save you time dude.

His remarks about the french are from someone in the safety of New York. I was in the French Pacific and Australia at the time the book was set and the French nuclear testing was going on. All pacific nations demanded that they be stopped and the French ignored all protests sent navy divers to blow up the Rainbow Warrior greenpeace protest ship in Aukland harbour killing two crew (they got caught). At that time the french were defensive, nasty and isolated with attitudes pretty much as portrayed in this book.

This book is not Nabakov Tolstoy or Fitzgerald..but those dudes did not sail across the largest expanse of open water in the world in a tiny sailboat with minimal experience either.

My sumary of this book would be that its a can do tale of an average joe who has a lifechanging adventure, it inspires us armchair critics to fantasise about doing more with our lives and is a thouroughly enjoyable read.

the story of this guy and his woman sailing off to the south seas ought be a good read. when im reading a book like this,i often wonder if id like the writer or get along with him or her.maybe id kinda wish i was along with him/her or them for the ride. with this guy,i wouldnt....... not even for free.

when ever he is describing anyone not white and a "cruiser" he resorts to "they are all" and "they do this" stuff like that. the people on the island,,hmmmm..For example, the trafic i guess is awfull, but he says the drivers are all drunk on something and wired with caffene and beer. or he mentions more than once about the island people "not eating him" and "well their not canniballs anymore..phew!" stuff like that. then once he says something like " the french are like..." . look, the service was bad at a restraunt,,no biggie,, but he has to say "well you know how french servers are....".. ummm, no, i dont. enlighten me.....jerk...he could have just said,, "the service was crummy and i wouldnt recommend it"...,,he dose this with everyone,,the idiot could have stayed at the yacht club in cali,, all without being bugged by the bad people,,but maybe he needs entertainment??( by mocking different kinds of people) well everyone except for people like him, sailing people. or people that always lived in a very small world.
you know,,if he knows all about everyone,, why would he want to visit their world?? i think he would like all his ports of call to empty of the natives,,except for the nahinnies,,he mentions them quite a bit.
one time he hit low water and breaks the sacrificial pin that holds the prop on the shaft of the engine for his dinghy, ,,while looking at a woman he sees on the dock,he askes her somthing,,the woman says nothing,but smiles and drops her robe,and is bare chested,,so his wife calls her "white euro trash"...i cant say if she is alot like him,kinda sounded like it,,but im not gonna finnish the book,so i wont guess nor ever know.. . this guy is a jerk.

then once he has the chance to drop hook in a nearby lagoon with the rest of the cruisers,,but he decides to stay put because ( he says )the rent is cheaper where he is. hey,id do the same thing.
but i got the feelign,, he wants to be a CRUISER (rich,snob,stuck-up ect), but he just has the "starter" kit, and cant quite measure up.
this guy strikes me as a person that went from highschool to college,then to work, he has no expeirence with the world or the people different from himself in it.. when he mentions people different than those like him or that might be in his group, he is derogatory about them. as i said,the only time he says anything nice about someone is when they are rich,white or beautifull.

blanket statements about entire groups of people make him come off as ignorant,not wise and knowing,witch he tries to do.i did try to think,"maybe its just the way im reading it,maybe its me and not him" but then id turn a page or two,,and he says something else stupid.

anyways,i just got to the part where he hooks up with his wife.

if anyone wants this book for free,,you pay postage,,and ill send it off to you.
and no,i dont need to finish this book, im sure some cool things will happen ,but there are more than enough books like this one out there, cool exciting storys and adverntures,,all without this guy in the story to ruin it.

roy
roystr @twcny.rr.com
e-me if you want this book.

This book was a great read on blue water sailing. If you have ever dreamed of doing it I would highly suggest reading this book. Many great illustrations and photos. Awesome south sea adventure and many words of wisdom in a 20 foot cruiser.

Excellent book to have with you as you tour the islands of the South Seas.

We bought 3 books and always seemed to rely on this one. Mr Kay gives great info on restaurants and hidden lodgings, which are the 2 most important topics for us. We actually stayed in one place that he labeled "hidden" and he was right! We could not find the entrance and when we did they were not open to the public, but they decided to let us stay and we were the only guests for a week. No other guide book listed this hidden lodging. Mr. Kay has a more personal approach and gives great descriptions, which the other guide books lack. And as far as not giving exact prices, it's useless to do so as these things change so much anyway. All you need to know is this: you stay in a big hotel where all the other tourists stay you will pay big money for not so much, if you venture out to where the real people live, you pay less and get better service, food, and memories.

My husband and I travelled to Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea and Bora Bora. This book was fantastic! I usually only use Lonely Planet tour books when we travel - but I have to say this book was 5 times better than the Lonely Planet Tahiti book! Every island we went to this book directed us to little travelled - non touristy places and we feel we really got to know the islands! I highly reccommend it!

I chose this book sight unseen because it included the Marquesas which weren't mentioned in the descriptions of most other guides. I cruised the islands on the Tahitian Princess. For each island stop this book was accurate. I followed several tips that maximized the onshore experience.

Most of the islands in French Polynesia are not heavily developed or populated. If you are thinking about a land based vacation I recommend this book because the description of each island and its facilities should give you a feeling of whether you will enjoy your vacation.

As a two time, three island visitor to the islands of Tahiti, I did not find this book helpful because it lacks prices and it focuses on upscale lodging/food. On both trips, I've found David Stanley's TAHITI (by Moon Pub.) to be the BEST guide, providing you purchase the most recent edition, as Tahiti's hotels change with the seasons. David Stanley's guides are full of detailed maps, reviews of hikes, beaches, accomodations (from hostels to resorts), food... His advice has never steered us wrong! We owe some great travel experiences to his guide book; TAHITI by D. Stanley is the only one that you will need.

This book is about Joel Kramer and Aaron Lippard's harrowing trip across Papua New Guinea. Aaron is my cousin, so that may contribute to a bias on my part.

I found this to be an enjoyable, gripping tale to augment what Aaron has told and shown me in slides from his trip. It was marred for me, however, by the preachiness and by what seemed to me arrogance and condescension on the part of the author, especially when writing about how various experiences would teach things to my cousin--while apparently the author had little to learn.

Someday this book will hit the silver screen and the publisher's weekly reviewer, who wrote in my opinion an unnecessarily negative review above, will eat his words. This is an excellently written book which adeptly combines adventure with deeper issues of the heart... endurance, comraderie, and faith. It definitely "took me away" from complacent suburbia.

While the writers are earnest and sincere, the evangelical overlay often gets in the way of a good adventure story. The fact that the somewhat hapless expedition didn't end in disaster is, in my mind, a shaky premise from which to deduce "God's will." Was impressed more by the compassion of those they happened to meet while off on their "vision quest."

I have the privlege of being married to one of the men in this book, but even that aside, I beleive this to be a book for everyone to read. We are used to living our lives in our "comfort zones" and it is amazing to read of people who go outside of that, whatever the risk, and how they are changed through it. I read this book before I married and I felt like I was right there in the middle of the jungle, meeting the people, eating the food and getting the illnesses. If you have ever wanted to leave your "cushey" life, but can't quite do it- this is the book for you!
The critics who say that Joel and Aaron are "outdated". I wonder if they have ever thrown themselves into such an uncomfortable place and lived to tell about it? Not a day goes by that Joel and Aaron do not think of this expedition and how much they are changed by it. They also know that whatever the circumstances, God will protect them if it is His will.

A story of two companions crossing 1700 miles of untamed territory? The premise alone intrigued me, sounding similar to some of the wild ideas that pass between my brother and me. Man versus nature. Man versus himself. Man versus God.

This book appeared unexpectedly on my doorstep, a gift from--who else?--my brother. Where he found it: I have no clue. Why he read it: an even bigger mystery. My brother rarely reads, and if he says a book grips him, my ears perk up.

"Beyond Fear" was beyond my expectations. I'm a fan of true-life adventures, such as "The Perfect Storm," "Into Thin Air," and "In the Heart of the Sea." This book may not live up to the sheer narrative power of those classics, but the writing sparkles, and the sheer staggering feat of the journey is unforgettable. I laughed out loud in parts, shuddered in others, and felt inspired overall. Not only is this a testament to human endurance, it's a great example of God's faithfulness in mankind's physical, spiritual, and emotional struggles.

For a book full of taut narrative, honest dialogue and interaction, and hair-raising accounts, "Beyond Fear" is beyond most of the books available.

Fifty years after the Guadalcanal campaign in 1942, deep diver Robert Ballard went to Iron Bottom Sound to find and photograph some of the ships sunk there in the night battles . Except for the Anglo-Dutch wars of the mid-17th century, there has probably never been a war in which naval fleets so evenly matched fought such ferocious battles.

Based on past experience, I had expected "The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal" to be more about Ballard and his diving than about the sailors and the ships, but this turned out not to be the case. Most of the book is a skillful narrative of the opening and culminating encounters, the Battle of Savo Island and the three-day Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

This combines a well-informed (though brief) analysis of the problems and opportunities confronting the two sides (three if we count the Australians), combined with personal narratives from several of the combatants. Some of the battles in ":the Slot" are still being fought out on paper today, but Ballard does a fair job of creating some of the immediacy of the conflict., which he calls a "crazed nightmare." Writing of his own feelings, working on a modern, peaceful ship, Ballard says, "It was at night that the battles for Guadalcanal became real, stood out in stark contrast to our daylight contest of modern technology versus the elements."

There is a good selection of historical photographs and on-the-scene combat paintings, and the pictures of the sunken ships -- the point of the book -- are adequate if not too exciting. There were no real mysteries that diving to the wrecks could have cleared up, the way there were when Ballard found RMS Titanic. This volume is more an homage to brave men and brave deeds.

Although I have not seen the National Geographic film that documented this expedition, others about Ballard's work that I have seen were offputting with their phony, Saturday matinee serial breathlessness and exaggerations. All that is pleasantly missing from this dignified book.

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

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

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

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

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

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

An excellent book by any standards.

NM

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

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

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

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

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

Gary Morris

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

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

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

Excellent guidebook. It covers everything from how to get there, accomodations and dining, maps, money exchange, and suggestions of things to see and do, to the history of the area, which will make what one sees more meaningful.

www.SouthSeasPhotography.com
uses all of David Stanley's South Pacific Moon guides.
The Tahiti book is exceptional in every way. Easy to carry, read and understand. Moon's books have traveled with us on every Polynesian adventure from surfing to reef explorations as well as land based excursions. Perfect book for the escapist in all of us.

Karl Meinhardt
South Seas Photography ( Hawaii )

Been using this guidebook and LP's for making reservations for my island-hopping September 2008 trip, and find the listed accommodation prices in the moon edition to be woefully out of date, even accounting for the change in exchange rates. How can the LP Tahiti book, which was released in 2006, have more up-to-date information? Incredible!

Given this, I found it puzzling that so many previous people have rated this book so highly. When you look at their review histories, many are for books by this author. Hmmm.

How can I describe how good this guidebook is? Well, I would assert, in the extreme, that it would be better to read this book without visiting Tahiti than to visit Tahiti without reading this book.

This book will double, triple, quadruple...the accomplishments and satisfaction of a trip to Tahiti.

Everything about the islands in French Polynesia is here, all the essential info, enabling a visitor to be knowledgeable, suave, and inefficient, rather than ignorant, bumbling, and frustrated.

I mean everything. Maps, a glossary, conversion tables, statistics, history, culture, arts, lodging and dining (of course, and in great detail for each establishment), transportation, sports, entertainment, flora and fauna, healthcare...all wonderfully indexed.

You must, I mean you MUST, take this perfect guidebook with you to French Polynesia.

And you MUST use it to prepare for your trip. It would take you thousands of hours in front of your online computer to attempt to recreate even a small segment of author David Stanley's research, available for a very modest sum in this book.

The only plan better than taking this book to Tahiti, I suppose, would be to take David Stanley, himself.

David Stanley's books are always a worthwhile read, and his latest edition of "Tahiti" is no exception. Differing from his earlier "Tahiti: Including the Cook Islands", this book narrows it's focus purely on the islands of French Polynesia - stepping through island group by island group (and within each group, island by island) David does his usual great job of laying out where to go, where to stay, what to see and what and where to eat. I especially like the suggested itineraries that appear near the front of the book, pointing out some of the "can't miss" highlights of a trip to the region. There are also a great collection of maps and (or course) some beautiful photos of the incredible scenery the region is so famous for (these ARE after all, the epitome of the perfect tropical island).

So, I say - buy this book and weep that you are not there yet - but do it with a smile, for the knowledge within is all you need to know to plan the vacation of a lifetime.

The guide was extremely informative about the important stuff like, how to bargain without getting ripped off, where to stay, and what to stay away from such as the no-metered taxi cabs, cane chairs, and tourist traps especially in the Kuta area. The Cd-Rom is more up-to-date than any book you could purchase in the bookstore because it is constantly being updated. My husband and I went to some of the restaurants that are recommended, and for the price the food was outstanding. This is for the person who wishes to travel to paradise on a budget, but who wishes to experience all that Bali has to offer.

I found the CD-ROM to be extremely informative in thinking about what to pack, what to expect in customs, where to eat, how to bargain and many more questions I had when considering a trip to Bali. I have actually used the information in this CD-ROM to prepare my "Bali travel book" that I can use as a quick reference while I'm there. It provides first hand practical information that most travel books do not, or would not include about how to travel on a budget. I would highly recommend this CD-ROM to anyone considering a trip to Bali.

As a professional woman in the international news business, I find myself flying to different countries on a minutes notice. I appreciated "The Beginners Guide to Bali" because of its no nonsense approach to the new arrivals need to become acclimated quickly upon arrival in Kuta. This guide did not waste any of my time. It also cd-rom size and easy to access. I'd recommend it.

look-it's simple- you don't go into a gunfight unarmed-you don't go into Bali for the first time without "The Beginners Guide to Bali". Trust me.

this guide is easy to read, easy to carry and easy on the pocketbook-it was everything i needed for my first time to bali.

"Let the Sea Make a Noise" forges historical scholarship with insightful notions about the realms encompassing the north Pacific Ocean. The author, Walter A. McDougall, spent untold hours researching and organizing minutia then interweaving vast history replete with sensory details; human and political failings, dreams, and successes; meteorological and geographic facts; and overlooked, obscure bits of history.

Consequently, the book itself is somewhat overwhelming for it is nearly impossible to absorb this level of detail or maintain a clear understanding of the myriad relationships and ideologies the author presents.

I suppose having too much detail is better than not enough in any book of this sort, and Mr. McDougall is never shy about throwing in what may be a touch of conjecture. One cannot really know what some of the many people profiled here might have been thinking, but ultimately the scope of the book prevails, and one must admire the tenacity and effort funneled in to this book.

Be prepared to invest some time reading this history but be forewarned that you may have to put the book down from time to time to let the facts and information swamp you like a big wave---and I found I wasn't always that eager to jump back in for more.

Walter McDougall has insightfully woven the history of the interactions of the nations surrounding the North Pacific in a manner that addresses the national interests of each and their attempts to protect those interests which unfortunately often created havoc. A splendid tapestry of successes and failures in statecraft. The author has done so in lively language as opposed to the usual dry presentation so often employed by academics. This work is entertaining and informative for everyone not just those with an interest in history and politics.

This is a terrific book. It is the history of the Pacific Ocean for the past 400 years. It is surprising what that involves because so many nations from all around the world made strenuous efforts to control, colonize, and conquer so many places along its continental coasts and its many islands. It also involves many different indigenous cultures and a hugely changing political scene.

One of the reasons I love the book is Walter McDougall's lively and engaging writing style. This is a book of solid scholarship, but it is full of art as well. One of the problems facing anyone who would write such a history is how to tell it in a coherent way. McDougall came up with a brilliant literary solution. He has the author dream the key characters in periodic conversations about the events under consideration with the Hawiian Kaahumanu as the central and governing center of the wheel. Reading this book was a real pleasure for me. I read a lot and widely, and this book was a special pleasure.

It begins in 1565 with early European exploration of the Pacific and ends just after the Second World War and ends with a bunch of questions, ponderables, the author calls them, about the 1990s. Some of them seem to have been acted on, but many issues continue to this day and some new ones could be added to the list. Along the way there is the settling of Alaska, of Russian ambition, of Japans rise from its isolation to become a military empire, of China, of Spain, of the rise of America and Canada. It is a story of commerce, religion, culture, and of great violence. Hugely dramatic and very informative.

I know it will seem unlike any other history you have ever read. And that is only one of its many virtues.

The best books are those so rich in character and content that you can revisit them time and again, certain that you will discover new layers of enjoyment and insight with each reading. Walter A. McDougall's "Let the Sea Make a Noise... : A History of the North Pacific from Magellan to MacArthur" is just such a book. How fortunate we are that Perennial has newly released this volume in paperback!

McDougall takes the reader on a glorious (though sometimes harrowing) journey through time. He has succeeded in combining painstaking research and carefully considered commentary with a wonderfully woven and witty narrative. This gripping tale of the North Pacific is a genuine page-turner: a rare treat on the menu of today's history books!

Contrary to the lone opinion of a Washington State Amazon reader, rest assured that "Let the Sea Make a Noise..." is a balanced and scholarly presentation of the complexities of international relations. Written in the early 1990s (when Japan's economic prominence in the midst of Soviet collapse was the source of widespread international concern), McDougall's insights in "Let the Sea Make a Noise..." are often profoundly visionary and always poignant and honest. He has done an outstanding job of crafting an entertaining, yet intricate examination of the motivating forces that have shaped a wondrous region of our planet.

Once you have enjoyed this book, be sure to seek out McDougall's just-published "Freedom Just Around the Corner: A New American History: 1585-1828".

This is one of those books that a) read really racist only a few years after they're written, and b)are really off when it comes to speculating about the future.

For example: this book rah-rah's the United States, glossing over ther racism experienced by Japanese, Chinese, and of course, the Hawaiians. The fact that Hawaiians got screwed out of most of their country, is ignored, as is the massive genocide of Californian Native Americans.

What's most striking to me, though, is the utter lack of vision- McDougall utterly doesn't anticipate the rapid rise of China, (who "always slays itself") nor the torpor of present day Japan.

McDougall's also quite ignorant about how things haven't really changed in Japan (the power centers are still pretty much what they were during the war, only now, they're just not militarisitc.)

NZ is relatively decent. Before anyone posts any "oh, isn't NZ awful" stories I would ask them to tell me what country doesn't have similar, if not worse, stories. If you want to compare NZ to your imaginary ideal that is fine but please stop confusing your fantasy with reality. Good lord whatever problems NZ has, and it has its share, it doesn't have armed federal agents attacking church groups and burning them to death, it doesn't have Janet Reno, it doesn't have all the problems we have in South Africa.

Wake up where the sun first greets the world each day... Where there's room to roam... Clean air to breathe... Where there are no capital gains taxes... a booming economy... and some of the best real estate and investment opportunities you'll find anywhere.

The world is getting smaller -- and New Zealand's profit potential is getting bigger.

The prospects for steady appreciation of land and investment values in New Zealand are excellent. However, it's very possible prices could rise much more sharply in a very short period of time. Here's a major reason why...

Aerospace technology is making the trip to New Zealand quicker and cheaper. Boeing 767s cost 50% less to operate than 727s. The new 777s are more efficient still. By the end of this decade, jet technology could cut travel time from California to New Zealand by as much as half -- from 11 hours to 5-1/2 hours!

Should that happen, property prices could double virtually overnight... and, over the longer run, multiply perhaps 10, 20 times or more, just as in Hawaii and California.

In the meantime, you can enjoy a bit of heaven on Earth with peaceful surroundings, friendly people, and great business and investment opportunities.

Exports are booming. With a cheaper currency, exports have grown at a 30% annual rate! However, that's not the whole story! Stronger commodity prices have helped. Remember New Zealand exports commodities like lumber, meat, dairy, wool, etc.

Business and consumer confidence is on the mend! Last year, consumer sentiment was at an all time low, which had more to do with the dissatisfaction the general population had with the newly elected Labor Government's policies than any dissatisfaction with the economic environment, but things are looking brighter on the political front these days.

Employment also chimes in as a contributing factor. The current unemployment rate stands at a 12-year low of 5.6% and the good news is that the trend upward in job postings is being driven by sectors outside agriculture and manufacturing.

So now may be the best time to read Adam Starchild's book and follow his advice, rather than waiting around to watch the economic meltdown in North America. NZ is a great place to set up your own Internet business!

New Zealand has always been a natural wonder. Sired by volcanoes in the middle of an emerald sea, the land is a mixture of pastures, jagged mountains, white beaches, and tropical forests. Economically, the country is no less a marvel. It's an excellent example of how free markets create prosperity.

In 1984, New Zealand voters booted a left-leaning government and brought in a free-market-oriented government. Immediately, finance minister Sir Roger Douglas began to implement some of the most important reforms in any country of the 20th century.

Sir Douglas floated the currency, revoked all farm subsidies, abolished all import tariffs, privatized 60% of state-owned companies, fired 55% of the government workforce, placed the central bank chairman on a performance contract, revoked capital gains and inheritance taxes, and refused to print money to save reckless banks and inefficient companies from bankruptcy.

The results have been astounding. New Zealand now has one of the lowest inflation rates in the world (1.3%), seven consecutive years of budget surpluses, 6.4% unemployment (down from 12%), and a resilient, entrepreneurial economy that soared 5.8% last year.

It's the kind of country, in other words, where you can build a second home to enjoy the good life -- and end up making a fortune almost by accident as the value of the property you buy rises amidst a booming economy.

While Professor Gannon (Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Florida) has now shifted his interest and research focus to the early history of Florida, he remains best known for his work on German U-boats of WWII (Operation Drumbeat), and investigating the issue of the effectiveness of aerial reconnaissance at Pearl Harbor (e.g., Dorn Report).

This book is a valuable addition to our better and fuller understanding of Pearl Harbor. Its logical structure, crisp writing, and expertisely developed train of citations offer the reader a journey that is rewarded by its "let you decide" conclusion.

Some of the more intrinsical materials Professor Gannon uses are from newly released documents; but much comes from the earlier Pearl Harbor investigations and documents from that period, particularly the Martin-Bellinger report.

For example, note 78 from "Chapter Six: War Warning" has Seth Richardson's comments:

"It was well known and recognized in Washington for at least a year prior to 7 December 1941 that adequate protection of the fleel in Hawaii, where Washington ordered it to base rather than on the west coast, depended on having an adequate number of patrol and bomber planes with which to maintain reconnaissanace and to defeat any approaching attacking force; that during the year 1941 there were manufactured in the United States a very large number of patrol and bomber planes, of which only a few were sent to Hawaii while a large and dispportionate number were diverted by Washington to Great Britain, in many instances under lend-lease; ..."

[N.B., Lend-Lease records show that over 200 PBYs went to Great Britain in 1941. Harry Hopkins, personal advisor to FDR, was the Director of the Lend-Lease Program at this time. Also, Great Britain received US built PURPLE machines and Pearl Harbor did not received a one.]

Another example, from the Epilogue, is note 56, of interest to the "pied piper" of Prange and associates and their ageing lemmings:

"Ibid., p. 344. Use of the language 'most dangerous sectors' reminds one of the historian Gordon W. Prange, on two counts. First, because, as Prange wrote, the Martin-Bellinger estimate of 31 March 1941 was an 'historic work' 'famous to all students of the Pacific war," At Dawn We Slept, p.93. Second, because he (or his two collaborators) wrote that the Martin-Bellinger estimate of 31 March 1941 postulated that the "most dangerous sectors" from which an air attack on Pearl might be mounted were "the north and northwest." Gordon W. Prange, with Donald M. Goldstein and Katherine V. Dillon, Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History (New York: McGraw-Hill Company, 1986), p.411. But Martin-Bellinger states no such thing; the text can be found in three places in the JCC record: Pt. 1, pp. 379-82; Pt. 22, pp. 349-54; and Pt. 33, pp. 1182-86. It appears that the 'famous historic' is also an unread work. ..."

As more Pearl Harbor material continue to be released, now even with some original documents coming from private hands, it is fitting to recognize Professor Gannon ending sentence.

"Truth is the daughter of time."

It's hard to tell from the title, but this is neither a conspiracy book nor (entirely) a whitewash of Adm. Kimmel but a fairly good overview. The book covers the comprehensive blind spots, especially those in Washington, that lead to the surprise at Pearl Harbor. Gannon writes entertainingly and covers detail well. However I think his (deserved) admiration for Kimmel leads him to soft-pedal the parts of the evidence that suggest his culpability. The admiral deserves, although not the whole blame for being unprepared, a sizeable amount of it. Gordon Prange's relatively hard to find "Pearl Harbor: the Verdict of History" covers much the same ground as Gannon but does not hesitate to point out Kimmel's and Short's mistakes alongside everyone else's. And Prange (himself a WWII vet) knew and liked Kimmel personally. I don't regret buying Gannon's book but I would hate to use it for my sole resource on the subject.

The theory that Roosevelt may have ordered a passive response to the attack by Japan on the Pearl Harbor Fleet is not to be found within this book. However, this book reinforces my opinion formed by reading other recent books on this subject, that Roosevelt did encourage a passive response to a pending Japanese attack. Gannon's knowledge of what took place in the Atlantic helps the reader understand the risks he placed on Kimmel, who fell into his job, because his predecessor spoke his mind about the grave risks to the Pacific Fleet.

As Gannon points out, Roosevelt replaced a permenent 4 star (Admiral Richardson) with Kimmel, who recieved a temporary 4 star as CinPac. It is not hard to believe that Roosevelt wanted someone who would be more pliable, and the leverage was the temporary jump in grade for Kimmel.

Gannon points out that eventually Kimmel came to the same conclusions as Richardson, but he never went personally to Roosevelt to complain. Roosevelt was an armchair admiral based on his previous service as Assitant Secretary of the Navy during WWI. He didn't like people who disagreed with him, even if that person had Richardson's experience and expertise.

It is not hard for me to believe that Roosevelt fired Richardson because he was standing in the way of his overall strategy to bring the US into the war with Germany.

A 1998 publication of Thomas E Mahl, Desparate Deception, which describes Roosevelt's cooperation with British Intelligence during this period depicts a President willing to participate in plots that are not covered in College History texts.

Gannon does provide enough information for the reader to realize that Kimmel was not the incompetent that was the fabricated judgement of the first "investigations" about Pearl Harbor.

Gannon does provide evidence that Kimmel and Short were among the first victims of the shooting war, as convenient scapecoats and provided political cover for a story that was too complex and emotional to be covered during and shortly after the war.

Dennis Sculimbrene

December 7, 1941-Who was to blame? This book attempts to answer this burning question and does a pretty good job. There are several different points that the author makes in this book, but his main thesis is that Admiral Kimmel, Commander-in Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet, was denied valuable information which, in his mind, could have prevented or in the least alerted the U.S. forces to the impending Japanese attack. The author brings up several points to prove his case. For instance, Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, chief of the war plans division, believed that Kimmel had in his possession a "Purple" machine, which could decipher the Japanese diplomatic code, and that Kimmel was reading all of the information that Washington was receiving. This was not true. The Purple machine that was supposed to go to Pearl Harbor was instead sent to the British. Admiral Stark and General Marshall are also singled out by the author. No "clear" war warning message was sent to Kimmel by Washington, and on the Day of the attack, Marshall was out horseback riding and did not arrive in his office until approximately an hour before the attack began. A warning was sent when he arrived, but it was delayed by atmospheric problems and could only be transmitted as a telegram. Kimmel received this message about an hour after the attack began. In retrospect, Washington must shoulder some of the blame for failing to keep its Hawaiian commanders informed, but Kimmel and his subordinates must share some of the blame as well. For example, the author tells of the story of the Japanese submarine that was spotted and sunk off the harbor entrance. Why was there no alert after this sinking? Also, two army privates spotted the Japanese attack planes on radar while they were still over 100 miles from Pearl Harbor. Still, no alert was issued. This book also has excellent excerpts from the Congressional Hearings held in 1945-46. Overall, I think this book is a excellent, although short, examination of Kimmel and Washington.

It's hard to decide which is more disturbing: the oversights, omissions, and bad decisions that led to America's unpreparedness in the face of Japan's devastating attack on Pearl Harbor ... or the desperation, speed, and skill with which senior military and political officials unjustly made Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and General Walter Short the scapegoats for what happened.

Both elements are exposed to view in Michael Gannon's excellent book -- a fine addition to the Pearl Harbor bookshelf.

Gannon does a very good job sorting out who was in possession of what intelligence information in the weeks and days leading up to the attack. The "betrayal" -- one of them, anyway -- was that, for a variety of reasons, much of that information never ended up in the hands of the on-scene commanders, who needed it most.

As Gannon summarizes, "An Army Chief of Staff orders that no operational intelligence drawn from Magic be sent to his menaced commander in Hawaii, then later states that he was unaware that enemy intelligence was denied him ... An Army intelligence chief, representing the service specifically charged with defending the fleet at Pearl, punts on the grounds that fleet ships, after all, belong to the Navy ... A Navy war plans chief states that any transmission of operational intelligence of this kind should have been sent out by ONI [office of naval intelligence], something he himself never permitted to happen ... A director of naval intelligence discerns in bomb plot messages no more than Japanese curiosity and 'nicety' of detail about the time required for ships to sortie from harbor ... and a CNO [chief of naval operations], as uninformed at the time on this espionage as was the Army Chief of Staff, states four years later that ONI should have sent the information to Kimmel -- in direct violation of restraints that his own OpNav office had placed on ONI ... Surely, if ever there was a "fog of pre-war," it hung over Washington in the fall of '41" (p. 195, ellipses in original).

(Gannon firmly rejects the "Roosevelt knew" hypothesis. He also treats Stinnett's Day Of Deceit: The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor to only a paragraph or so of scathing analysis, noting in italics, "It is important to recognize that no naval operational message text in JN-25B [code] was read by the United States prior to 7 December" [p. 206].)

But the intelligence failure was only part, albeit the largest part, of the "betrayal." Early in the book, Gannon lists a damning catalog of the ways higher-ups in D.C rejected Kimmel and Short's pleas for men and materiel. More patrol planes? Denied. More AA guns? Denied. Money for more airstrips, so planes could be dispersed more widely? Sorry. Not in the budget. More radar installations? Maybe in the future. More trained gunners and patrol pilots? Sorry. We need them elsewhere. And on, and on, and on. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, don't give us the tools and we can't do the job.

And yet, Kimmel and Short were scapegoated precisely for their alleged "failure" to do the job. In the end, Gannon explicitly declines to draw conclusions, leaving that, on his last page of text, to the reader. It may not be too much of a reach, though, to suggest that Gannon seems to agree with Admiral Raymond Spruance, whom Gannon quotes at the start of his final chapter: "I have always felt that Kimmel and Short were held responsible for Pearl Harbor in order that the American people might have no reason to lose confidence in their Government in Washington. This was probably justifiable under the circumstance at the time, but it does not justify forever damning these two fine officers" (p. 261).

Personally, I think losing confidence in the "Government in Washington" is precisely the conclusion that *should* be drawn from Gannon's analysis, "circumstance at the time" be damned. As an illustration of bureaucracy's ability to shift blame away from itself and sweep unpleasant facts under the rug, the story of Pearl Harbor is unsurpassed. And Gannon is an excellent and insightful storyteller. I recommend this book to any student of Pearl Harbor.

The definitive book on New Zealand travel-bar none. More than just a travel book, the Rough Guide also includes a somewhat balanced thumbnail sketch of the people and local issues. You end up with a Cliff Notes cultural 'feel' that I found very useful especially when reading their newspapers or speaking with the people. While the Rough Guide is based in backpacking and hostels and I am more of the room service in the hotel type, I wouldn't go to NZ without this book under my arm. The authors seem to know virtually every square meter of the country..what it is, what's it's history, and is it worth seeing. If there's a junction with 2 cottages and a petrol stop, they've been there and know where to stay and eat. There is a newer version of this book coming out in Oct. 2008. However,I used this edition on a North Island trip in late Sept. 2008 and can vouch for the continued accuracy of this version.In New Zealand hotels and restaurants change a little but the beauty of the country never changes. I've been to New Zealand many times,it's unthinkable not to have this book (and Jason's maps) with me. So, backpack or room service, don't leave home without it.

I had Rough Guides recommended to me but I am disappointed in the size of the print, I would have rather the book been larger that having to strain my eyesight to read. I'm sure the book is very informative & we will ready ourselves hopefully for a trip to NZ in late 2008.

I planned our entire trip using a good road map and the 4th addition of the Rough Guide. Everything regarding the locations we visited was amazingly accurate. There are good maps of all the cities as well as the areas of interest. I did not find particularly useful the recommendations for accommodations, which featured either places for backpackers or those at the higher end, with not much in between. I also did not agree with some of the restaurant recommendations. Nevertheless if you are looking for a great guide book for everything else, this one is a winner.

This book was awesome. I am going to NZ on my own, and this book provided all the information I would ever need to know about locations to visit, the people, and lodging. Great value.

After trying another guidebook, we purchased The Rough Guide shortly before we left for New Zealand. It was an invaluable companion during our travels. The reviews were spot-on, leading us to a number of excellent restaurants and good campgrounds. We even appreciated knowing that a restaurant was "somewhat overpriced but adequate" before we went in--and that description was completely accurate.

The Rough Guide covers a range of restaurants and accommodations, which is useful. Even budget travelers sometimes like to splurge (and know that the splurge is worth the money). Their evaluation of activities was also accurate.

This guide is well worth the price--and worth it's weight when traveling.