Oceania Books

Many non-Australians won't even have heard of Fremantle. Freo to the locals of Perth. Dowson must have expended much sweat in compiling this collection of old photos of the port of Perth. Especially impressive for the earliest photos around 1850. Daguerrotypes had only been recently invented. And Perth and Freo had so few people in the 1850s, that it is remarkable that any photos were taken, had survived, and been tracked down by the author.

It may not be readily apparent from the book, but Freo and Perth were different places, separated by undeveloped bushland, even up till World War 2. Most of the background and buildings in the photos are now absent. Except perhaps for a few buildings in the heart of Freo.

The book is also accurate in portraying the dominant Anglo-Irish background of Freo's inhabitants. Wasn't much diversity back then. The photos end in 1950. Just as a wave of immigration from southern and eastern Europe were to commence. Then, later, from Asia. Giving current Freo a strong multiethnic flavour. (Especially Italian.)

This is an exceptional book. It is a fine work of art as well as a serious photographic history of a "British empire" seaport. I would recommend it to anyone who is fascinated by the lives of people long gone and who also wants to marvel at some wonderful photography. Many thanks to the author, John Dowson, for providing such a treasure.

I gave this book five stars because I am the author. Looking at the fact that the book is rating just under the 3 millionth most popular book on Amazon, it seems like it needs some help. The problem with photographic books on small cities (Fremantle has only 30,000 people) is that it is very hard to get people outside the city interested. Pity, because any lover of old photographs would enjoy the 250 approx images in the book dating from 1850 to 1950. My favourite one is a 1919 one of an open truck full of cauliflowers, all stacked on top of each other with no net or cover. The truck has solid tyres and the driver (sitting calmly at the wheel in a coat and tie) has brought his load into town over rough limestone roads.

Cameras 100 years ago often produced better images than the technological marvels of today. This book was produced regardless of cost to the highest standards, though I did endure a struggle to get the publisher not to charge me an extra $30,000 for the special 170gsm cream paper I chose. The book won the Western Australian Premier's Prize for non fiction and the first edition sold out in weeks. What you are buying now is the revised edition, with the errors removed and 8 extra pages put in in a fit of generosity. Most of the errors were tiny ones, but there was a real beauty- one photo featured a hotel which is actually in Geraldton, not Fremantle. That was dumb, but then some clown had written Fremantle all over the bottom of the photograph and the hotel plans checked out.

The book is big and heavy- don't drop it on your toes. But still, I like it. I hope you do.

Horwitz does a wonderful job of depicting ordinary life in Australia. However, his sense of humour adds a brilliant quality to the essay which makes an ordinary account of his travels something far from mundane. I recommend this book for anyone interested in travel essays or a good laugh.

There are constraints to Australian road travel - the chief one being that the cities, hence, the roads, hug the coasts. There are dangers, desolation, loneliness, above all, heat. And flies. It takes some courage to face these conditions alone, even in modern times. Tony Horwitz faced them alone and on foot - some of the time. The result was a fantastic voyage and a superb account.

Horwitz is an unlikely prospect for an Australian adventurer. A transplanted Yank [Washington, DC to Sydney], urban [New York City to, again, Sydney] and Jewish [rather anomalous in the Outback]. These conditions might fatally impair the less adventurous, but Horwitz can "boldly go" [as he did in a later book] and so he does. With singular dedication, he even starts his trek heading West from Sydney past Dubbo to the Alice. With no direct Sydney to Alice route, the journey is circuitous, a fine introduction to the later expedition. Here, Horwitz encounters people and displays his talent at recording them. The limited number of roads implies limited options and few rides. It's a closed world and he becomes "the crazy Yank we heard about back in Nevertire."

Constricted view doesn't inhibit Horwitz' abilities. He has an advantage over many travel writers - he's a journalist first and a traveller after. A perceptive eye and a talented pen record his reaction to the land of Australia. And the people he encounters who become the focus of his attention. He's good with people, drawing them out - fulfilling the image of the chatty Yank, entertaining, but somehow provocative. The drivers, pub keepers and drinkers respond to his novelty. He records them with lively asides, keeping your interest with every page. 'Surely, these can't be real people,' you may think. No worries - Horwitz has captured them intimately, intruding only lightly as they respond to his queries.

A poignant chapter, describing his search for a Jewish family in Broome with whom to celebrate Passover, is the highlight of the book. Noting the town's multiracial population, he observes: "Australians . . . seem uncomfortable when the subject of Judaism is raised." He attributes the feeling purely to ignorance, not prejudice, a welcome change from attitudes toward the "Abos." Horowitz, although claiming atheism, remains drawn to the family assemblage of the seder. Alone in Broome, he discovers a new level of solitude - in this polyglot community, Jews are rarer than jewels. He pores over the telephone directory which only displays "an Anglo-Saxon litany of Browns, Harrisons and Smiths." A solution beckons in the guise of a local priest. "It is a common sort of misconception. If there's no rabbi about, well, try a priest. One religious ratbag's as good as another." The solution, however, lies elsewhere. The situation amply portrays Horwitz' humanity, absolving him of any stigma of the detached, unfeeling journalist. His roots are a significant element in his life, one that gently, but insistently, haunts him. This book can haunt you, as it does me.

Horwitz has captured the Outback and its weird bunch of denizens down to it's last blowfly and tortured vowel. His descriptions of unlikely places such as (the mostly underground) Coober Pedy and(unfortunately mostly above-ground) Mt. Isa are uncannily accurate and appropriately scathing. For all those about to travel the Outback; those who have been lucky enough to do so; or those who merely wish they were among the aformentioned. (Should be read along with the Lonely Planet Guide to Outback Australia.)

Overall the book is a great way to learn, or begin to learn, about the islands of the pacific. Although aimed at children it is still useful for readers of all ages.

i thought this was a good book for kids. it has the definition of some of the difficult words on the side of the text and has great art to complement the stories. but for someone from the islands, it was a bit dissappointing in that some of the legends were seriously augmented. granted, there are many versions of the same legends in the islands but not one that is so far from all the rest that they are hardly recognizable, save for the title. but overall, i found the book to be beautifully written and magical.

The legends and folk lore embodied in the culture and values of Pacific island peoples are showcased in Pacific Island Legends, a single, easy to read volume that is beautifully illustrated with the woodcut images of Connie J. Adams. Educators Bo Flood, Beret Strong, and William Flood have successfully collaborated to present forty-four legends from all over the Pacific, serving to provide cultural access that will be appreciated by scholars and non-specialist general readers alike. Pacific Island Legends is a highly recommended addition to any personal, academic, or public library multicultural myth, legend and folklore reference collection.

Frank Sherry works very hard to cover the first 250 years of European exploration of the Pacific and its lands, particularly the struggle to control the spice trade, the continual wars and battles fought over its control, the search for alternate passages from European waters to the Pacific, and the hunt for the mythical southern continent, Terra Australis Incognita. Chronicling Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, and English activities in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, it is ambitious and epic in scope.

Sherry paints a picture of continual hardship on the part of these sailors on voyages of exploration, trade, and warfare. Political infighting and miserly sovereigns delayed missions for years, or so underfunded them that they were doomed to failure thanks to decreipt ships, wormy food, or otherwise poor supplies. Leaders of expeditions were often chosen by the rulers of the various nations not because of sailing skill or some personal or professional trait that made them outstanding explorers, but because they were owed favors, were the darlings of various kings, or simply because they bought their way on. Time and again sailing expeditions broke down into infighting and sometimes outright mutiny when supplies ran low, there were disputes over leadership of a ship or expedition, when winds were poor, and/or when a mythical island failed to appear, either because it never existed in the first place or because the ships were woefully off course. Petty treachery and arrogance often poisoned relations with peaceful natives throughout the Pacific, resulting in suffering on both sides and inevitable European massacres of Polynesians, Melanesians, and Micronesians, or sometimes vice versa. Other times fairly peaceful European explorers and merchants were meant with extremely hostile natives and slaughtered, perhaps the legacy of previous visits, or in some cases due to local xenophobia and warlike ways. If one wanted to die old, exploring the Pacific was not recommended.

Sherry does a great job discussing the continual struggles to just get to the Pacific, of one nation trying to reach this world's largest ocean and its coasts and islands and avoid areas of Spanish, English, or other national domination. Much of these efforts relate to events and schemes in the Strait of Magellan and Tierra Del Fuego, and make for interesting though sometimes sad reading.

Much of the later parts of the book concern the struggle for finding and laying claim to the mythical southern continent, long thought to exist. It was almost painful to read about expeditons that either just missed Australia, or saw Australia and failed to realize it was the continent they were seeking. It appeared even when some did realize what it was, it wasn't the legendary paradise they hoped it would be.

My only real complaint about the book is that after a while reading about how so miserably so many explorers and expeditions turned about, about explorers languishing in port for years due to lack of funds, of ships stranded at sea with dwindling food and water thanks to lack of sufficient winds, of continual conflicts with islanders, it almost got depressing. One certainly can't acccuse Sherry of needlessly romanticizing the exploration of the Pacific. Perhaps it is just me though, but I found some of the continual hardship a bit tedious.

Still, this is a very good history book, one well worth buying.

Pacific Passions is a captivating story of the explorers who opened the Pacific Ocean to the western world. Frank Sherry paints a riveting experience as he puts the reader on the decks of Spanish, Portuguese, English, and Dutch ships on journeys to the Spice Islands, Australia, Tahiti, and countless other destinations. The author does a masterful job in recounting the human misery and self sacrifice associated with the age of exploration as well as the human triumph. By the last paragraph I was ready to set sail myself for my own adventure into the South Seas! I could not put the book down!

Frank Sherry's account of the European exploration and mastering of the Pacific Ocean is an excellent and well written work of history that has somehow been overlooked. Lovers of great tales of exploration and nautical history should seek out a copy. It is WELL worth the effort.

I have read a little on this subject but from what I see it is about the best now available. This book is about Pol Pot, the people, the events that affected Cambodia then.

More then Pol Pot, I found his discussions on Norodom Sihanouk (surely one of histories the great political survivors) fascinating. Sihanouk today after the Americans, Khmer Rouge, Vietnam and the so-called restoration of democracy is still king.

What stuck me was that unlike many other great mass murders Pol Pot and his people were not Marxist as such. They barely knew Marxism. It was almost an ad-hoc folk group in ideals. That is how the killings were done too. This is all different from what we saw in Stalin's Russia or Nazi Germany.

Rather then strengthening his country, Pol Pot weakened it. Add a foreign policy which his country was not strong enough to keep caused his defeat in a conflict with Vietnam. What is surprising is after this defeat how his party continued for some time as a resistance movement.

Pol Pot (a title rather than a name meaning brother number one) has the reputation of commiting genocide against his own people. After his overthrow museums were opened celebrating his infamy. This book gives his history against that of Cambodia and the region as a whole. The author Short makes the case that Pol Pot (real name Saloth Sar) rather than trying to commit genocide against his people introduced a slave state and the deaths were a side product.

Pol Pot was a person of medicore talents. He repeatedly failed his teacher training exams and came to run what became the Cambodian Communist Party because of the unexpected deaths of those above him.

His organisation was a small one which was run as a puppet organisation by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. The Vietnamese had a de-facto agreement with Shinouk the head of state of Cambodia that they could occupy parts of the eastern provinces of Cambodia so that they could supply their forces fighting in what was South Vietnam. For this freedom of movement the Vietnamese did not try to oust Shinouk.

Nixon the US president widened the war by bombing eastern Cambodia and then later invading it. The aim was to restrict the movement of arms and supplies to the Vietnamese forces fighting in the south and to prop up the American backed government. In addition the US supported a coup to oust Shinouk and he was replaced by Lon Nol who with US support started a campaing against the Vietnamese forces in Cambodia. The initial bombings and invasion by the American backed South Vietnamese forced the communist forces deep into Cambodia. The Vietnamese also had to fight against the attacks of Lon Nol.

The bombings led to plentiful recruits for the Cambodian Communists and the North Vietnamese armed them to safeguard their flank. Lon Nol was an incompetent leader and the Cambodian communists with huge numbers of recruits armed by the Vietnamese were able to achieve power.

Nothing in achieving power suggested that Pol Pot had any real ability. Once in power he started to show how stupid and how brutal he was. His first move was to empty the cities. Short suggests that this stupid move costs the deaths of around 20,000. This figure includes the killing of what could be seen as class enemies. Army officers, government officials. Whilst Pol Pot faced a real problem, Phnompen had been swelled by refugees and it would have been difficult to feed them his solution was moronic and the product of a simple ideology. He wanted everyone to become peasants. Short shows that aid would have been available and closing down the cities of Cambodia was simply lunacy. However lunacy followed lunacy. Money was abolished and a barter economy was put in place. All citizens were forced to work on the land and to produce rice. As there was no money this policy was backed up by brutality. If anyone disagreed they were killed. Very large numers of people died as a result.

In his second year in power Pol Pot decided to improve the rice production by a series of changes to the irrigation system. As a large percentage of the work force were digging ditches not enough rice was produced and another 500,000 or so starved to death.

Eventually Pol Pot attached the Vietnamese and they retaliated and overthrew him. It is from this time that the museums of genocide date from. Most were set up by the Vietnamese as propoganda to justify what they did. The torture centre S 21 used mainly to torture party members into making false confessions emerged as a genocide museum etc.

The Vietnamese invasion did not end Pol Pot's life. He went on to marry at 60 and to have a family dying of what could be described as natural causes. His army was supported by the United States, Thailand and China in their fight to regain power in Cambodia.

The book is one that is fascinating to read and one of its strengths is to put Pol Pot's career in the context of the history of Cambodia. Quite a lot of time is spent looking at Shinouk's career and the movement of Cambodia to indepenence. The book concludes by saying that the tragedy continues as Cambodia is now an autocracy ruled by a former Kymer Rouge deuputy governor and corruption is rife with the economy being a basket case.

This is a great book-- well researched and written by someone who has carefully studied his material. He details not only the history of Cambodia, the role of Buddhism, the influence of Cambodian culture and the impact of Marxism and anticommunism along with US and French imperialism in the rise and fall of Pol Pot, but also how useless it is to make all sorts of moral judgements about the man and his deeds (they were objectively terrible and criminal) without a great deal of knowledge about Cambodian society.Several things stand out: 1. Pol Pot and his followers had about as much to do with Marxism as Jesus had to do with the policies of Nero, 2. that both the US and China have dirty hands in all of this, 3. and that Pol Pot never thought he had ever done anything morally wrong. This book will tell you as much about the human condition as it will about Pol Pot. Read it and weep.

This book is greatly recommended for anyone who has some any remote interest in the personage of Queen Salote or who has any spark of interest in the region that she ruled.
The author, Elizabeth Wood- Ellem, takes an intricate look into the life of one of the world's last remaining monarchies. She further sheds more light on the decision making process that occurred during the late Queen's reign.
While the book is a comfortable read, it also gives the reader a glimpse into Tongan culture and the traditions that were so embellished by the Queen.

I sincerely recommend this book for all Tongans out there as well as those who are interested in discovering one of the most beloved Monarchs of our time. Queen Salote was not only a charismatic leader but also a progressive woman who brought Tonga to the forefront of the modern era by re-establishing its past. She restored the cultural pride of her people at a time when native cultures were suffering the ill-effects of Westernization.

This book will be a sweet recollection for those who were fortunate to witness her reign, and it will be a source of inspiration for younger generations who are seeking to learn about their themselves.

Truly, a remarkable book for a most remarkable person!

Tonga is a unique place in being the only Polynesian kingdom to maintain its culture and government through the colonial period that brought down similar cultures in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific. Queen Salote adds to this uniqueness by being the ruling queen of Tonga in the first half of the Twentieth Century, an era dominated by male chauvenism. This story of her life and reign provides a wonderful view into the culture and history of this island kingdom. For papalangi (the Tongan word for people of Western society) this is not an easy book because there is a lot of Tongan names, geneology, and customs necessarily involved in the biography of their queen. Yet the very things that make it difficult also make it a rewarding book to read. What makes the book most enjoyable is the portrayal of this marvelous woman who ruled Tonga for almost 50 years. She ruled without use of force during a time of dissent from rival nobles and emerged one of the most revered leaders in Tongan history. She convinced her British advisors of her ability to rule and her island adversaries that their independence depended on her rule. I can recommend this book without reservation to anyone interested in women's studies, international biography, Polynesian history, or British colonial history.

Purchased prior to our trip. Found it very helpful in planning, gave good idea what to expect esp. history on islands/traditions. Maps were accurate. Referenced many times while on vacation. Agree with other previous post...do not attempt to do cross island hike alone as it is not marked, Pa was an excellent guide. A visit to Atiutaki highly recommended. Spent 3 days at the Atuitaki Lagoon Resort...wish it would have been more.

Great little book. Lots of helpful info. Essential to really understand the islands. Arrived on time and lives up to the reputation of Lonely Planet.

My fiance and i were fortunate enough to holiday in the Cooks for 2 weeks in January 07. In the lead up to our trip i purchased this guide and studied it carefully. All the sections were well written and comprehensive. The history and environment section made for interesting background reading and helped to get an idea of life back in the old days as well as the current situation.
The section dealing with Rarotonga and its capital Avarua, as a whole was useful and the information (sights, accomodation, where to eat/drink and shop, other amenities) for the most part (95%) accurate - even prices more or less. We did a daytrip to Aitutaki and that section was also quite good. There were also sections on all the other Southern & Northern group islands but i cannot comment as we did not go to any of these. Still made interesting reading though. The maps were also accurate and well detailed.
One thing i would disagree with is attemting to do the main cross island hike on your own. It is possible but there are no signposts, and the trail itself is quite difficult to find and follow in places, not to mention quite treacherous and hard going in the wet season. We went with Pa a local guide and it was a wise decision as many people have been injured or worse attempting this hike.
Other than this, my main gripe is with actual construction of this book. The plastic coating on the cover started to peel soon after purchase and the pages are starting to come loose from the spine. All this without any heavy duty wear and tear. I think Lonely Planet need to increase their quality control and improve the construction of their guides so that they do stand up to more rigorous use, after all that's what they are for.

With a copy of this guide at hand, I've tried several times to read the whole thing front to back in order to digest all of the information and be able to come up with a coherent plan to visit New Zealand, but I find the writing dense and unentertaining. Perhaps the subject matter is difficult-- as a primarily outdoor destination, New Zealand may not lend itself easily to a list of places to see and things to do. Nevertheless, in despair at wading through this long but boring tome, I have ordered the Lonely Planet guides in the hopes that they will be more readable.

This first edition of the New Zealand Rough Guide has taken its place as the best overall travel book for the country. As with others in its series, this Rough Guide gives a thorough description of all the cultural and recreational aspects that a first time or a seasoned traveler "downunda" should know. For the basic information concerning accommodation or eating, the Rough Guide follows its practice of offering choices for every price level but it doesn't act as listing agent for each and every hostel, hotel, B & B or cafe. In that regard, the Rough Guides encourage the traveler to look for him or herself instead of following the standardized tourist formula.

But it's heavy on the activities for specific woderful areas like Kaikoura, the Otago Peninsula, Wanaka and many, many more. The color photographs are an appealing addition, also.

Just returned from a 21-day journey to Kiwi-country, and used the Rough Guide extensively. From Dunedin to Auckland, the book spells out excursions, accommodations and lifestyle samples in various price ranges better than most other guide books.

Format is simple to read, easy to find just what you need. We were turned on to some great motels and B&Bs, excellent eateries and a few adventure tours along the way. Maps of cities were quite helpful. Other books have prettier pictures, but this one does the best job of finding stuff to DO in NZ.

This review refers to the 2000 2nd Ed.

Like any international city,Sydney has a wealth of retail outlets, but it never struck me as an intriguing shopping town until I saw this engaging guide. Grouping stores by neighborhood, Ms Matthews steers buyers beyond the Benettons and other international chains so they can make a beeline for the most unusual wares Sydney has to offer. Complementing Ms Matthews's snappy writing style are the crisp, almost tactile photos by Rupert Lorhaldar.

Many of the products on offer here are indigenous to Australia. There is an espresso bar where the handmade furniture you sit on is for sale, and a store specializing in anything made from Australian cotton, for example. Yet the book also tells you where to find the best French imports, Soviet memorabilia and Swedish designs. Among the 113 rather esoteric businesses to choose from are an upscale sex shop; a boutique of unusual buttons; a lounge where you can go with friends and a bottle of wine to make your own pottery; a bottled-water purveyor with 100 varieties; and a consignment shop for recycyled designer clothes.

Information on each store includes address, telephone and fax numbers and hours, but does not include prices. The latter are apt to change; besides, as in a store window, a lack of price tag can draw you into the store to ask. For richer or, more likely, for poorer, this fashionably slim book should accompany the acquisative to Sydney.

This book breaks Sydney into shopping districts that can be covered in an afternoon or a day. Brief descriptions are sufficient to get a feel for whether you would be interested in visiting certain stores, or even whole districts, so that you can more efficiently plan your trip. Hours of operation are included. Colorful pictures of the interior of stores and their merchandise are helpful, but a relative indicator of prices (like a 1 to 5 dollar sign system) would be extremely helpful. Also, mileage indicators on the maps would be a big plus.

After the success of her foray into the clique that is Melbourne's shopping secrets, I was anxious to see how Michelle treated Sydney. Again, this formula delivers sensational results. Just how does she find these places? The little vignette on each store is certainly enough to get you through the door where the charm and uniqueness of the proprietor and her/his wares is sure to clinch the sale. Hot on the heels of the Melbourne edition, is this the niche retailer's answer to Lonely Planet? Like Steve Jobs and Apple, Michelle encourages you to think (and buy!) different. Even if you don't, she can take you to places you've never dreamed of. A great companion guide for Olympic visitors.

Slater's Field Guide to Australian Birds is one of the best Australian bird guides there are, running second only to the compact edition of Michael Morcombe's field guide with a similar title.

Strongly recommended for birders traveling to Australia who can only find this guide available from overseas.

I just returned from Australia and used this guide exclusively for bird watching in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne! It is easy to use, both logical and very informative. The paintings of each and every bird are exquisite and very, very accurate!

If you want a comprehensive and user friendly bird guide, this is THE ONE to get...It's lightweight, sturdy and an overall excellent source while out and about either in the city or in the Outback bush! FIVE STARS for this one...you will love it!!!

A really nice bird book. This is designed to be small enough to take around with you, and big enough that the pictures used for identification are actually usable for most people. In general, this field guide has struck a happy medium, and is quite a useful book to have for the bird fancier. A very handy publication.