Oceania Books

Adolphus P. Elkin, in advance for his times, studied the native medicine of Australian aborigenes, and was very appreciated by them as a great shaman: he really tried to merge the two cultures!

Douglas Oliver's OCEANIA should be the foundation work for any collection on the South Seas. Forget the various short versions of Oliver's work (they have different titles so there is no problem with getting one of them by mistake). You wouldn't want a condensed version of WAR AND PEACE, and you won't want a shortened version of Oliver. This two volume work is the standard ethnography for Oceania. It is thorough, reliable, and has great illustrations. Like all highly inclusive works, it will not satisfy the specialist. If your interest is solely in the Maori, then you will need special works on the Maori. This work is where the collection starts, whether the collection is to be specialized or fairly general. Whether your interest is in Oceania itself, in Pohnpei alone, in ocean cultures anywhere, or in world history or anthropology, this work deserves shelf space. Does that make it sound difficult or boring? It's interesting to the general reader as well.

The book gives an excellent overview of the art in the Oceanic region with special emphasis on New Guinea.

The contributions are organised geographically and then by tribes. The book not only depicts extraordinary and seldom documented works of art from museums and private collections but also provides valuable information on the ethnological and social context of the works displayed.

Photographs and layout are outstanding and the printing is of the highest quality.

It is a must for all those interested in the art of the region or in tribal art in general.

I wrote this book so I might be a little partial.

It received a very good review in two local publications, one being the Staten Island Advance. Also, I received many compliments, one being that it should be required reading for ever young person in America. An exaggeration maybe, but still nice to hear.

Okinawan Diaspora, in a collection of illuminating essays, recounts lost and found Okinawan treasure: from ancient kingdom relics to a people's identity subsumed and redefined to their history largely under-known. It depicts the Okinawans persevering through the fall of their ancient kingdom, Japanese colonialism, the hardships of emigration, World War II internment, and U.S. military occupation of their homeland. Each contributor enlightens the reader regarding Okinawan perseverance. One uses oral history to describe, for example, how World War II internees made traditional instruments out of tin cans in the camps, creatively living their heritage with limited means in oppressive environments. Another focuses on the endurance of Okinawan culture and resistance through the eisaa dance. From the positive ramifications of Okinawan (Uchinanchu) spirit to the atrocity of World War II internees welcomed to America with insecticide, the Okinawan experience finds a riveting portrayal in this book.

As Okinawa held a unique place in the Asian Pacific as "the bridge to all nations," Nakasone and the book's contributors provide a bridge between the Okinawan experience and the disparate reader-the scholar, Okinawans scattered throughout the world seeking connection to their heritage, as well as any person interested in a fascinating account of an oppressed, resilient people. Okinawan Diaspora serves as a model of the fluidity of national identity and of how transnational forces affect the diasporic experience. It also emphasizes the importance of maintaining one's cultural identity through pilgrimage. Nakasone, in the final essay, takes the reader along with him and family elders to Okinawa's sacred sites. The reader finishes the book with a strong sense that Okinawans, with as much as they have lost throughout history, continue to maintain the ancient Uchinanchu spirit of helping others, living as a cooperative community, and sparking the greatness of their lost kingdom through remembrance of their diasporic story.

As the author states in the beginning of this book, it is not a historical account or individual memoir. Instead, it is a journey into the nucleus of the SAS. The PATROL is the tool used to propel this account, which is the basic SAS fighting element. This book takes you through selection and training of patrol members, preparation and execution of patrols in Borneo, New Guinea, and Vietnam. This book spares no detail of operational patrols, from the warning order to mission debrief, it is all covered here. The book reads more like a how-to book highlighted with actual accounts of mission debriefs, this is just a treasure of lessons learned, that still apply today. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Special Air Service (SAS), or anyone that is in the military field of Reconnaissance, scouting, sniping or special operations.

This fabulous book fills a hole in Australian Aboriginal history in the 1930's when Aboriginal girls were taken away from their families to be "integrated" into white society. The book tells the story of "Ming", a white lady who had several of these Aboriginal servants, and of her fight with the ruling white classes in Australia at the time, to give the women their money, their rights, their dignity etc.
WONDERFUL book indeed!
Anyone who is seriously interested in Aboriginal history and politics will find this book fascinating reading.

This excellent book relates the experiences of a sea-going Purser during the golden era of British passenger vessels, plying their trade between the UK, North America, Australia and the Far East.

It would be of great interest to anyone with connections to the sea and the P&O Line/Orient Line in particular.

This is a very important book which I will cherish and keep for my kids. I will always promote this book to people that are interested in the history of Japanese American's in America and Japan during WWII. The experiance that these seven families have gone through is unbelievible and could not be imagined. It makes me proud to be an American.

The Outback by the eleven--year-old author Annaliese Porter is enhanced with illustrations from Bronwyn Bancroft. The result is a beautiful and beautifully crafted picturebook tale set in the Australian Outback region and features a collection of diverse animals and strange critters. Captivating young readers with a text of lyrical poetry combined with vivid imagery, The Outback country of Australia is showcased in a manner that is ideal for children ages 5 through 8. The Outback is to be given very high praise and recommended for its outstanding authorship and memorable art providing American kids with an entertaining introduction to a landscape on the other side of the world.