Oceania Books

The overall descriptions of what to see and do in Perth and Freo are pretty accurate. It is all one contiguous metropolitan area, in case you are wondering. For decades, Fremantle, or Freo as locals call it, has been a suburb of Perth. (Though the people in Freo might take issue with the phrasing of that.)

The beaches are just as depicted in the book. If you are an American, and specifically if you grew up in California with the whole beach culture, then the beaches of Perth and their associated crowds will be very familiar. The beach scene throughout Australia tends to mimic or at least adore the southern California scene. One attraction about the local beaches is that there are fewer people than you'd see at Malibu or Santa Monica, and the water is much cleaner. Plus, in Perth, the beaches are NOT closed at night. Unlike Los Angeles.

The remarks in the book about getting around Perth underplay public transport. If you will be in Perth for several days or weeks, the bus and train systems are pretty efficient and reasonably priced. Much cheaper than renting a car. Though, if you are time-pressed, the latter is probably better.

Another aspect which the book does not get into, but which should be germane to American visitors is that Perth is much safer than any large American city. Homicide rates are typically half the US norm, aided by strict handgun laws.

In 1980 I proofread a magazine excerpt of a Paul Theroux book. It began with his getting up early to catch a train from Boston to begin a journey to Patagonia. Who cares how early this bloody New Englander had to get up or what he had for breakfast? I'd thought Patagonia was a mythical country. I guarantee you it wasn't in my geography book. Turns out it's part of Argentina. Big deal.

But the guy is a real writer. In The Happy Isles, he recounts the tale of how he brought a folding boat, about the size of a big suitcase, to every Pacific island you've ever dreamed about and paddled around them all. Forget those islands -- Theroux says they are mostly full of lazy, suspicious people who stuff themselves with imported junk food. Some are Christian religious fanatics, some are vicious pagans, and some are both.

The first two chapters are on New Zealand, and I imagine those folks would shoot Theroux on sight if he had the temerity to return. He was not complimentary.

Theroux is not Mr. Sweetness and Light, but that's all the more enjoyable as he demolishes the images of tropical paradises, whether in Meganesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, or Hawaii. Stay home! Stay home, pour a Mai Tai, and enjoy this delightful putdown.

Grass skirts, pineapples, Hawaii 5-O, poi, surfing, volcanoes... these are the things most people might think of when they think of Hawaii. However, there is more to this gorgeous cluster of islands than that.

The "Portrait of America" series is a wonderful introduction for pre-teens to the 50 states and to the places and events that shaped the history of the United States. This "Hawaii" installment is particularly good. The book is broken down into sections like "History", "Culture", "Economy" etc., and each section is thoughtfully written and edited. My only reservation is that the History section should have focused more attention on the ancient civilizations that flourished on the islands over the centuries.

This book, as well as the entire "Portrait of America" series, will prove to be a valuable teaching tool to all primary school educators.

"Hawaii: Facts and Symbols," by Emily McAuliffe, is a good reference book for both younger and older readers. It is divided into short, easy-to-read sections and is illustrated throughout with many colorful photos. Also included is a map.

The book covers a number of topics: population, crops, the state seal, state motto, state bird, etc. Included is a short list of places to visit (such as the USS Arizona memorial) and other supplements. The one thing that's missing, and which I think should have been included, is a list of famous people from Hawaii. But overall, a concise and interesting book.

Adorable pictures with cute storylines. This book makes a really nice gift!

I borrowed a copy of this via interlibrary loan while working on my own new book COOL MAPS OF INDONESIA (Nimble Books LLC 2007). The HISTORICAL ATLAS OF INDONESIA is a very useful scholarly compendium of hundreds if not thousands of maps developed using a very extensive GIS. Features I particularly liked were a list of islands over x size and a map that showed name changes next to islands. Most of the maps are based on modern era data. This would be an excellent reference for any library. Indeed, I might say it's a must purchase, given that Indonesia has the 4th largest population of any country in the world.

First of all, thank you to Scarecrow Press and its Asian historical dictionary series. These are superb resources. Yes, they are expensive, but for a student/scholar they are indispensable.

The main drawback of this historical dictionary is its 1993 publication. So much has happened in Malaysia and Southeast Asia since then: the "Asian Tiger" concept; the 1997 economic crisis; the Anwar crisis and subsequent Reformasi movement; the growth of Muslim fundamentalism and political Islam, and; Mahathir's and UMNO's flagging leadership. A new edition of this reference is imminent, and I trust it will address all of these issues.

There are a few disappointing aspects of this dictionary. First, the list of abbreviations/acronyms can be much more comprehensive. The chronology is a bit thin; there are many events in the post-colonial era, especially during the Emergency and the Indonesian Konfrontasi period that, alhtough somewhat minor, really would serve to flesh out the chronology. The maps are a big disappointment. No, this is not an historical atlas, but if the maps are to be included, they should be full-page (fold-out would be even better), full-color, better annotated, and much more detailed. Yes, such an improvement would raise the cost of the book somewhat, but if one is spending close to $50 on such a reference, a few more dollars would not be a budget-breaker.

The dictionary itself is fine, well cross-referenced. The bibliography is superior, an indispensable resource for further research. The bibliography is sub-divided into subject areas, which further aids in refining research. I am looking forward especially to the new edition's updated bibliography. The appendices and tables are also useful, albeit somewhat shallow and now dated.

Why am I the first reviewer of this? It has been out for 9 years, and the author is one of Australia's best known historians.

Anyway, this book covers the immediate pre-Federation years to after the Great War. It is in these years that we see the concept jelling of an Australian nation. Fighting against the centrifugal trends from outlying colonies of Queensland and Western Australia. The Federation events themselves are shown to be fairly low key. Nothing really controversial.

It is the Great War that really cemented the national identity. The bloody episode of Gallipoli of course. But also the more costly battles on the Western Front. Unlike the US, Australia never fought a war of independence to establish its own identity. Instead, the Great War took its place.

This is a very well-written introduction to South Pacific history, with the additional bonus of the author rejecting the 'politically correct' bias of more recent works which tend to demonize Europeans and sanctify the 'natives'. A must-read for anyone interested in the Pacific beyond the beaches and resorts.

Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders were commissioned by their respective governments to chart the unknown coastlines of Australia (then known as New Holland). Both did brilliantly well: Flinders making the first close circumnavigation of Terris Australis (or Australia, whose name he invented), and Baudin charting the the last unexplored slab of Western Australia, plus making numerous botanical and other scientific discoveries. Both captains, however, met with disaster: Baudin dying on his return (only to have his posthumous reputation sullied by a hostile biographer), and Flinders detained for five years by the notorious Governor Decaen, the Napoleonic commander at French Mauritius. This is the first book to chronicle their achievements along the same timeline, and naturally the narrative reaches a climax where they meet at South Australia's Encounter Bay.