Oceania Books

In an alternative modern day Indonesia, a young apprentice called Adi and his master Empu are attacked by bandits known as hantumu. Empu is kdnapped and Adi is left to find a way to save him. He meets a young girl called Dewi whose father is the village healer and when he too is kidnaped, the pair embark on a journey to resuce them and obtain snow, fire and sword in order to rid the land of the evil tat si thratening to destroy it.

This book is slow to get going. Although the story move along fast enough, it takes a long whilebefore the haracters really bein to shine which makes it difficult to care what happens to them next. The book picks up about halfway through and although it will never a classic, it's an enteraining read.

I enjoyed the author's use of Indonesian myths and legends to tell the story. They're well woven into a modern day scenario and are told with a sense of mystical wonder. I also really ked the glossary at the back. if you read this book, I suggest you have a look at that first because the book is so uch more entertaining with that knowledge under your belt.

I think that is one problem with the book. Masson doesn't really spend much time explaining each and every concept and seems to presume you'll check the glossary if you're confused. Some authors have managed to tell the reader nothing and still written an absorbing story in which the reader picks it all up for themselves. Ms Masson doesn't quite manage it. The lack of info does hinder the flow of the story at first, but not to the point that you'd give up on reading.

The characterisation fell a little flat, though there were some shining moments throughout the book and at least each character and their own distinct personality, save for a few spirits. Both Dewi and Adi were likeable protagonists, though Adi was slightly more so. I wsh tey'd spent more of he book together and had a bit more of an emotional reunion but in reality, they did barely know each other and didn't go through the hardest times together so it stands to reson their most emotionalreunion was not between them. The ending scene with all the main characters, however, was fairly moving.

In general, I would call this book flawed but a decent enough read. Sophie has written much better books but I don't regret this purchase nor feel sorry for the paper it was printed on.

Adi is an apprentice to a master craftsman who makes kris, traditional swords imbued with spiritual power. He and his master are on a journey to deliver a new kris to the Sultan when his master is taken by hantumu, evil beings garbed all in black who ride motorcycles. (Nazgul on motorbikes?) Lying bound in a rice field, Adi is rescued by Dewi, the daughter of a dukun, a kind of healer or shaman. Dewi's father is also taken by the hantumu, and Adi and Dewi are charged by the spirits to find Snow, Fire, Sword and defeat the evil sorcerer that is plaguing the land. The spirits don't know what Snow, Fire, and Sword are, nor do they know who the sorcerer is. Together, Adi and Dewi set off on a quest to find Snow, Fire, and Sword and save the land. They are helped along the way by various beings, both human and supernatural, but in the end, Adi and Dewi must find the courage to stand up for all that is right and true.

Snow, Fire, Sword is a beautiful and mythic journey through an Indonesia that is a little bit mythical, a little bit modern, and a little bit fantasy. It's a world where the ancient spirits of Indonesian and Arabic myths coexist with motorcycles, helicopters and an absolutely-adorable slightly-supernatural car. The cover of the book sports a blurb from Lloyd Alexander, which seems appropriate, since the book reminded me a lot of some of Alexander's best, such as The Iron Ring and The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen.

Adi and Dewi are interesting and likeable young people. Dewi longs for adventure, but finds that real adventure is much harder than she expected. Adi is content with his life and loves his master; he is driven by a sense of helplessness and shame that he couldn't help his master when the hantumu took him, and is determined to save him this time. The story is exciting and filled out with a rich cast of wonderfully-envisioned supporting characters. I can't say too much without giving things away, but suffice it to say that this is a story of personal heroism and sacrifice on many levels.

The Indonesian and Arabic names of people and places made the book a little difficult to read at first for someone who isn't used to them, but after a while you adjust and the reading gets easier. It's well worth taking the time to adjust to the differences and get into the book.

For readers who enjoy fast-paced and surprising fantasy fiction, SNOW FIRE SWORD is a treat. It's an exciting story with a mixture of fantasy and the modern day. Its two protagonists, Adi and Dewi, are brought together when dark forces begin to terrorize their country, taking Adi's teacher and Dewi's father. Armed only with the knowledge that they can defeat the evil with the powers of snow, fire, and sword, the two children struggle to save their world from tyranny.

The best thing about SNOW FIRE SWORD is the story itself. Masson sets a quick pace, her characters stumbling from one adventure into another chapter by chapter, keeping the reader glued to the page. There are enough twists and turns along the journey to keep readers guessing as to the ultimate outcome. Unpredictable and tightly plotted, it's a hard book to put down.

Making the story all the more engaging are the two main characters. Adi and Dewi are sympathetic and well-developed, with inner conflicts and emotional turmoil to deal with as well as their external problems. Their actions are believable for their age, but also admirable for their courage. They make mistakes as anyone would, but mistakes that fit their personalities. Young readers will find them easy to relate to despite the magical world they live in.

The world itself is another of SNOW FIRE SWORD's strengths. It is a world both intriguing and unlike any other. Adi and Dewi's country has modern elements like cars and radios, as well as fantastical aspects like communications with the spirit world and magical rings. It's all colored by a strong Asian influence, most likely based on the author's Indonesian heritage, which adds richness and a unique touch to the already fascinating society.

SNOW FIRE SWORD is a great read for fantasy lovers of all ages, and with its modern elements may appeal even to readers who shy away from traditional fantasy.

Reviewed by: Lynn Crow

I've been to French Polynesia using this LP. The guidebook was helpful (all places I've stayed in were found in LP). Contact information was correct and full. But somehow almost every emotion/opinion described in my LP never matched my own :) However, one would not invent a wheel by saying that French Polynesia is not a place where standard expectations for price/performance can be met.

All the information that you will need to travel through the South Pacific. Outstanding as usual.

I used this Guide to plan my travels in the Western Pacific and although it is a bit 'old' I found its information is still mostly up-to-date and really useful. Great tips that correspond to real places, foods and opportunities. Have already planned on several more Pacific islands using this guide's tips.

The Tiger's Whiskers and Other Tales from Asia and The Pacific is a great little book that I just accidently happened upon while browsing Amazon. The short stories are thought-provoking, dashed with some humor, universal themes, and intrigue. I like Courlander's easy-going, storytelling style. The black & white illustrations are excellent and well-placed within the text. The text print size is good---not too small for reading, which makes the experience more comfortable for eyeglass wearers.

This book would be appropriate for tweens, teens, and older---students who are studying humanities, cultures, folklore, mythology, etc. I'm hoping the publisher will reprint the book so that many more people can have access to it. Right now, it seems to be a product of resellers.

Here's a quick list of some of my favorite stories from the book:

The Scholar of Kosei (Korea) // This is my favorite story about a forgetful, but lovable scholar named Pak. I just love the bit where Pak leave his hat on the bush, then finds it later!

The Tiger's Whisker (Korea) // A young wife searches for a magic potion that will heal her war-worn husband.

The Tiger's Minister of State (Burma) // Politics makes for strange relationships!

The Trial of the Stone (Burma) // Oh that wicked thieving rock that "steals" a boy's money! :)

The Hidden Treasure of Khin (Burma) // Classic tale of "bloom where your planted" A young man goes a long way to realize his dream.

The King Who Ate Chaff (Burma) // Keeping a king's secret is ever so hard! But secrets have a way of getting out where you least expect them.

The Musician of Taguang (Burma) // Relics and time make musicians greater than they were in life.

Some other selections from this book that may appeal...

The Ambassador from Chi (China)
The Prince of the Six Weapons (India)
The Travelers and the Nut Tree (Kashmir)
The Counting of the Crocodiles (Japan)
Abunuwas the Trickster (Arabia)
The Philosophers of King Darius (Iran)
The War of the Plants (Malaysia)

**The book contains more stories than are listed in this review. :) Seems like there is 31 in all. Thus, the book definitely honors diversity.

Cool feature: the book contains a "Notes on the Stories" section that is very helpful in putting the stories in context of their home cultures and / or alerting one to translation information.

With tales stretching form Persia to Polynesia, this book is a nice, rich collection of Asian tales containing some well known folklore and a diverse mix of fairly obscure tales from exotic locales like Laos, Sri Lanka and Yap. With stylistic black and white illustration scattered throughout along w/Courlander's simplistically elegant prose this book makes for a nice, light read. Perfect for the discriminating reader of all ages.

Well I was first skeptical about this book. But all of a sudden I just began reading,reading,and reading until I read the whole book twice. The book can teach you about other cultures and their beliefs from the Far East. my favorite story is of course, the tiger's whisker. Theses stories will definitley "whisk" you away.

I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this book by Jennifer Fulton. I've read and enjoyed everything else she's written - under all three of her pen names. However, this older book has been sitting on my shelf as I've been reading new releases. Finally making time to read this one is one of the better decisions I've made in a while.

Similar to Saxon Bennet's style, Fulton brings a myriad of characters to the table. At first they are difficult to keep straight, but the story is well-written and is easy to follow.

A group of women get together to openly discuss their dating woes. They agree to always be honest and to never date each other. Of course, as they begin supporting each other in their failures, sub-relationships begin to form and that's where all the fun really begins.

A well-developed story with (mostly) likable characters, this not-so-recent release is sure to keep you entertained.

At first I thought this was simply a well-written entertaining look at lesbians on the prowl for love and sex. But Fulton really brings surprising challenges to the story and depth to the main character. I hope she writes a sequel.

I have read all of Fulton's books and I must say that I was a little bit disappointed that this was not the happily ever after that the previous ones were-however-once you get over that the book is a laugh out loud peak into the world of some kinda unhealthy lesbians.

Daniel Rodgers' thesis in Atlantic Crossings is simple and direct: "the reconstruction of American social politics was of a part with movements of politics and ideas throughout the North Atlantic world that trade and capitalism had tied together." (3) He concludes that from the 1870s through World War II, America was not an internalist or an imperialist nation, but instead these years saw an "opening" for social reformers in the U.S. to import foreign models and ideals from other North Atlantic countries. Furthermore, these imported policies and reforms (mostly from Britain and Germany) were not adopted in America (if at all) unchanged upon reaching the Atlantic's western shores, but instead were adapted to the peculiarities and idiosyncrasies of American society and political structure. Finally, Rodgers argues, the seeds of the New Deal can be found in the activities and positions of the social reform activists of the last two decades of the 19th century and the first thirty years of the 20th century.
Rodgers convincingly supports his thesis by describing "a largely forgotten world of transnational borrowings and imitation, adaptation and transformation" (7) from the 1870s through the 1940s, a time during which Americans had an abundance of solutions to the myriad social problems of their day. This "borrowing" was a process that changed significantly over time. Initially, Americans were primarily recipients of reform ideas from abroad. Later, during the prosperity of the 1920s, a more even exchange of social solutions took place among North Atlantic countries, which eventually led to "a great gathering...of proposals and ideas" in the New Deal. Finally, by the end of World War II, the differing experiences of the nations of the North Atlantic world and the varying effects suffered by each from the conflict largely ended the former transnational exchange, and saw the Cold War rise of American exceptionalism.
Rodgers provides numerous convincing examples of the cross-national exchange process of ideas and reforms to illustrate his arguments. Workmen's compensation insurance in America, for example, was based upon a pre-World War I British model, a "ready made solution with a history of success behind it" (248) that made similar acts in the U.S. possible. Additionally, housing, health and streetcars were a major concern of American social reformers in large cities, who often borrowed ideas about municipally-guided urban and industrial projects from experiments and visions in Berlin and London. As Rodgers notes regarding the new "self-owned" city, "municipalization was the first important Atlantic-wide progressive project...[that] borrowed experience and transnational example." (159) European precedents gave American progressives "a set of working, practical examples." (144) "He describes, however, in chapters 5 and 6, the impossibility of wholesale American import of strong European municipality due to the unique and equally strong traditions in the U.S. in favor of property rights, a tradition buttressed and maintained by legal tradition and the courts. One need only look at excess condemnation, widely practiced in Paris and London, to see an example of reforms disallowed by the courts, which held that public interests of taste and beauty did not surmount the rights of property owners. Housing in America "was a private matter," (196) unlike the European examples progressives saw.
Although some reviewers have taken exception with Rodgers' claim that within the progressive movement's ideology one can see the footers of the New Deal, his argument is convincing. What New Dealers "did best," he asserts, "was to throw in to the breach, with verve and imagination, schemes set in motion years or decades before." (415) A large number of New Deal projects came out of the old Atlantic progressive connection, and in "gathering in so much of the progressive agenda, the New Deal gathered in large chunks of European experience as well." (416)
Perhaps the weakness in Atlantic Crossings is that which is left out, not in the arguments Rodgers articulately presents. First, it is surprising that Rodgers presents no detailed discussion regarding education reform, particularly when this issue was so important to the Germans at the time. Second, one would never know that there was an American South during this time period, a region where progressives were active even despite a lack of urban areas there. Nevertheless, Rodgers has done a masterful job of comparative history by emphasizing trans-national borrowing and cooperation.

This is the policy-side answer to Kloppenberg's UNCERTAIN VICTORY. While that book focussed on intellectual links between European (esp. German or French) thought and early American pragmatism, Rodgers seeks more practical applications, well into the 20th century. He is so well versed in the literature that scant references are made to secondary sources. It is rich in the literature of the time, particularly journals, magazines, and newspapers from several different countries. Interestingly, unlike Kloppenberg this book examines England and Scotland which provide springboards for American reforms. Rodgers' thesis is that the Europeans tried numerous policies which Americans learned about and then implemented, almost always later than their counterparts across the Atlantic--and sometimes with very limited success. The book is also noteworthy for some of the most practical applications of MODERNISM yet seen in contemporary scholarship. This is a hot topic, largely seen in discussions of art or literature. Here Rodgers takes all that knowledge, absorbs it, and then demonstrates it in action across the POLITICAL spectrum. Despite the enormous research behind it, Rodgers has written an enjoyable, readable work that is of considerable importance. After all, this is the author of the famous article, "An Obituary for the Progressive Movement," (1970) which claimed that there NEVER WAS such a movement. Here Rodgers answers his own claim, saying that the American reform impulse built upon a European foundation and produced policies which survive to the present. My only complaint is that this book is slanted TOWARDS Europe, with maybe 60% of the discussion dwelling across the Atlantic ... the format gets a little tedious, with most chapters beginning in Europe, then the Americans pick up on the policy (welfare, municipal gas/water etc) and then they try it themselves. This is nitpicking, though, for such a substantive, well-researched, lucid work that defines this generation's scholarship on the Progressive Era.

This book isn't exactly what I was looking for, but it's a great childrens book! Lots of pictures, in fact, I think there are probably more pictures than actual sentences. If you're looking for serious information on Australia, just stick to Frommers.

I really appreciate this series and the way it allows emergent readers to access sophisticated information. Nice work.

"The best guidebook [about Lord Howe island] is Australia: An Ecotraveller's Guide by Hannah Robinson," Mark Rowe, Travel Overseas, November 2005.

This is an odd little hybrid, but quite useful. With beautiful photos, like a coffee table book, but small in size; with many maps, but none detailed enough to really use; with travel suggestions, but little "getting there" or "where to stay" information, it is a little bit of this and a little bit of that. What it does, more than say "Watching Wildlife," is put the flora and fauna in an ecological and evolutionary context, explaining why a particular species or area is unusual, and worth seeing. There are many sidebars with interesting natural history, and references to recent scientific studies along this line. But it is also a guide to the highlights of where to see nature in Australia.
Bottom line is, you will need other guides to fully plan an ecotourist trip to Oz, but you will get a lot more out of the trip if you read this book first.

Analysis of the Royal Australian Navy in the 20th century. Third volume in the Australian Centenary History of Defence series. Explores the effects of changing strategic circumstance, technological innovation, and differing national needs and expectations. Reviews Australia's naval involvement in operations that have ranged from global war through to peacekeeping and natural disaster. Includes illustrations, notes on contributors, notes, further reading and index. Editor served for 20 years with the Royal Australian Navy and became the inaugural Director of Naval Historical Studies within the Maritime Studies Program on retirement in 1994. He has authored or edited several books on maritime strategy and naval history. Series editors Professor Peter Dennis and Lieutenant-General John Coates are both connected with the Australian Defence Force Academy.

This is a well written book - Volume 3 of a series
"The Australian Centenary History of Defence Services". This volume is written by 6 contributors including the editor Dr D M Stevens.
All the contributors served in the Royal Australian Navy.
The first chapter deals with the formation of The Commonwealth
Naval Forces from five colonial naval forces and then the creation of the Royal Australian Navy in 1913.
The conflicts in which the navy was engaged are covered in some detail as well as the periods of peace with all the professional and political problems of how the navy should be developed.
There are good black and white photographs as well as fold-out plans of significant ships. There is a list of major ships giving the fate(i.e. sunk sold scuttled etc) of those no longer in service.
Also of value is a list of abbreviations for reference - for example
it may not be known to everyone that a DDG is a "Guided Missile
Destroyer"!

This book is a lot of fun! Our Australian friends really do talk like this.

This is an interesting book for someone who has not been to Australia. Although there are variations between Aussie English and Standard Australian English, visitors will mostly encounter SAE. "Aussie" English is used in informal settings and is useful to know - but it is not as common as this book would suggest. The Australian accent may be difficult for some visitors and the use of works describing local peculiarities (beer's, local areas, etc) may seem strange at first. The section on Aboriginal languages is extremely good and gives an accurate introduction to this unique field. However, again be aware that the majority of Australians have no knowledge of Aboriginal languages and very few white Australians actually speak an Aboriginal language. The Anangu languages of the central Australian Outback are spoken by people living in communities in areas that require a permit to visit. You will hear these languages in communities that are attached to visitor centers or by Aboriginal guides to these areas. But do not assume that because book devotes half its content to Aboriginal languages that you will hear these in every day speech. Overall a good introduction to Australian "culture" and speech, but too much emphasize for a book of this kind on Aboriginal languages.

This book has long been regarded as the ultimate on protocol and procedures in Australia. Sir Asher died some time ago but the book has been updated regularly. It is a pity that it is not so easily found in Australia. It is well written and clear. It also covers a myriad of areas that are so important. For me, particularly, it is important as I teach Meetings and Events. Protocal is one of the subjects in this discipline and therefore, particularly when managing a formal event, it is vital to understand all elements of the procedures involved as well as the general protocal. Our students handle events that could involve the Governor General of Australia (the Queen's representative) and the State governors, etc. It is very specific, especially with regard to flags that often cause major problems.

I like it!
Rgds
Gabrielle Cclara

This is the third edition of a book that is an invaluable source of information about Australian protocols and procedures, institutions and observances.

Much of the information contained here is available elsewhere. But in this handsome volume it is neatly presented in a form that invites browsing as much as it enables facts to be quickly ascertained.

Information about the Australian Parliament, and the parliaments of the states, the Constitution, flags and emblems is all included. As is information about life in Australia, the diplomatic service and a raft of other information which would be useful to those who need to work with (or to understand) Australia.

I'd recommend this book as useful addition to any library or organization that works with or has an interest in Australia. I'd also recommend it to those who like beautifully bound reference books.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith