Australia & Oceania Books - Page 2

Eyewitness Travel Guide to Australia

DK Publishing

List Price: $29.95 By: DK Travel Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $0.34

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A Good Supplemental Reference 3 out of 5 stars.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.

The DK Eyewitness Travel book for Australia is a decent travel guide, which includes a lot of pictures to help the traveler see what the attraction is while doing their planning. This 2006 revised edition runs over 600 pages, and includes an introductory section as well as 8 sections on the various areas of Australia, including one for Sydney by itself. It also has a section for Travelers' needs, which include accommodations, restaurants, and shopping information, and a section titled "Survival Guide" which contains a lot of useful information for travelers.

While the pictures are quite striking, they do seem to come at a price of more information about each of the attractions as well as the general areas. For my trip, I found the section on Tasmania to be rather sparse. The section on Melbourne was significantly better, but even there it would have been nice to have more information. I also question the practice of grouping all the hotels and restaurants together in a single section for the entire country. It seems as if the traveler would be better served if information of that sort was included in each of the sections rather than all together. They do organize the items by region within those sections, but in a hurry one might not notice if they stray outside of their area.

This is a useful reference, but I think it works best as a supplemental reference along with other material. If one needs a single reference, you should look elsewhere.

Editorial Review:

Recognized the world over by frequent flyers and armchair travelers alike, Eyewitness Travel Guides are the most colorful and comprehensive guides on the market. With beautifully commissioned photographs and spectacular 3-D aerial views revealing the charm of each destination, these amazing travel guides show what others only tell.

Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer

Margot Morrell, Stephanie Capparell

List Price: $24.95 By: Viking Adult Amazon Marketplace: 60 new & used starting at $0.22

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Heroic. Courageous. Inspiring. 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

SHACKLETON'S WAY is an extraordinary tale of leadership, courage, and adventure. The leadership skills of this Antarctic explorer are as relevant today as they were nearly 100 years ago. This book is an insightful narrative of the challenges, tragedies and victories of a small group of resourceful men and a very special leader.

Sir Ernest Shackleton had participated in two explorations of the uncharted, barren continent known as Antarctica. He knew the dangers. Nonetheless in 1914, at the outset of WWI, he and a hand-picked band of courageous shipmates set out to conquer the unknown, chart the unexplored, and to meet the greatest test of their lifetimes. This small group of seamen, scientists, and officers would encounter the most extreme, deadly perils the cold wasteland could summon. They were pressed out of measure and in danger of their lives - for months!

The most inspiring aspect of this legendary tale lies in the singular leadership qualities and strength of character of their leader, Sir Ernest Shackleton. His thoughts, processes, and innate abilities are laid bare for the reader to examine and to profit from. There are lessons for business and in personal character development that bear study and meditation. "Shackleton failed only at the improbable; he succeeded at the unimaginable." Unimaginable, indeed. Few of us have overcome such odds at such peril.

At the time, much of the glorious recount of this miraculous expedition was overshadowed by World War I. Resurrected for us today, this book shines a light brightly on the timeless lessons of this remarkable leader.

Editorial Review:

Lessons in leadership, based on the leadership principles used by Sir Ernest Shackleton from 1914-1916 to preserve himself and the lives of his crew as they were stranded on an Arctic ice flow. Shows how to apply that kind of strength and endurance to being an effective leader in any field or activity. DLC: Leadership.

Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before

Tony Horwitz

Amazon Price: $10.88 List Price: $16.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Picador Amazon Marketplace: 164 new & used starting at $0.21

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 93 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Bad Day at Black Rock 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

In my research for Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawaii, I read a dozen accounts of Captain James Cook's deadly encounter with the natives of Hawaii in 1779. This included not only the Captains' journal, but that of seaman, John Ledyard, and that of first mate, Lt. King. When Tony Horwitz declared that in Blue Latitudes he would take us boldly where Captain Cook had gone before, I didn't expect to learn anything new. What I found was the most informative, well-researched, fun account of the famous explorer to date. Horwitz likens Cook's three voyages of discovery throughout Polynesia and the Northwest to that of the Startrek's explorations into deep space. His journalistic style and breezy sense of humor keep historical events fresh. I stuck closely to Horwitz account of the events in Kealakekua Bay in the telling of Wai-nani's story. Her first person narrative allows the reader to know what was happening in the Hawaiian culture on the fateful day the navigator lost his life. Controversy over the actual events that took place that week and why rages on, but Horwitz provides an even-handed,thoughtful point of view.

LindaBallouAuthor.com
Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawai'i-Her Epic Journey

Editorial Review:

Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone BeforeTwo centuries after James Cook's epic voyages of discovery, Tony Horwitz takes readers on a wild ride across hemispheres and centuries to recapture the Captain’s adventures and explore his embattled legacy in today’s Pacific. Horwitz, a Pulitzer Prize-winner and author of Confederates in the Attic, works as a sailor aboard a replica of Cook’s ship, meets island kings and beauty queens, and carouses the South Seas with a hilarious and disgraceful travel companion, an Aussie named Roger. He also creates a brilliant portrait of Cook: an impoverished farmboy who became the greatest navigator in British history and forever changed the lands he touched. Poignant, probing, antic, and exhilarating, Blue Latitudes brings to life a man who helped create the global village we inhabit today.

Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.s. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842

Nathaniel Philbrick

List Price: $25.69 By: Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $19.95

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 56 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Government Science! Read Carefully, Congress! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

A little crankish determination, a little sordid bickering, a heroic cruise on a sailing ship to the ends of the Earth, betrayal and exoneration - all elements of a great adventure book, written with verve and yet with careful scholarship. I'm amazed that so many other reviewers have given this eminently readable book only four stars. The publisher's marketing director made some terrible mistakes.

The saga of Captain Wilkes - his triumphs, his shortcomings, his political court-martial - form the narrative backbone of this book, but there's more to it. There's a lot of fascinating history of the paradigmatic changes in science and technology that occurred during the first half of the 19th Century, the era that Paul Johnson describes as The Birth of the Modern. There's also an insightful depiction of American politics in that period, focusing for a change not on the issues that led to the Civil War but on the still-urgent question of the role of the federal government in funding infrastructure and development, in this case of scientific knowledge.

The US Exploring Expedition was the federal government's largest investment of public money in scientific research before the space program, in adjusted dollars more expensive than the geological surveys after the Civil War - those of Clarence King and John Wesley Powell, which committed those fellows in Washington to subsidizing the "opening of the West" - and it was, though plagued with problems and disappointing to some of its advocates, a monumental success, an enormous contribution to the world's knowledge of itself. Without federal funding, it would never have occurred. That's the subtext to all the glory of exploration, isn't it? Without Isabela, no Columbus! The closest comparison to the US Exploring Expedition is the US Space Program, so fearfully politicized and handicapped by Republican administrations and congresses. Foresightful and generous support of the sciences is one of the justifying functions of government - democratic, oligarchic, monarchical - and since science, even as early as 1838, has become big and expensive, government can be of greatest value to humanity on a proportionate scale. The difficulty that its promoters had in getting the EE funded tells much about the inadequacy of capitalism, also; the "business" interests who insisted on immediate profitable returns from the scientific expedition came close to destroying the whole project.

Editorial Review:

America’s first frontier was not the West; it was the sea—and no one writes more eloquently about that watery wilderness than Nathaniel Philbrick. In his bestselling In the Heart of the Sea Philbrick probed the nightmarish dangers of the vast Pacific. Now, in an epic sea adventure, he writes about one of the most ambitious voyages of discovery the Western world has ever seen—the U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838– 1842. On a scale that dwarfed the journey of Lewis and Clark, six magnificent sailing vessels and a crew of hundreds set out to map the entire Pacific Ocean—and ended up naming the newly discovered continent of Antarctica, collecting what would become the basis of the Smithsonian Institution, and much more.

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded

Simon Winchester

List Price: $16.50 By: Penguin Books Ltd Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 214 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Thorough and interesting 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book because of a reference to it in an earth sciences lecture on iTunesU, expecting to learn all the details of the Krakatoa eruption. Simon Winchester fulfilled that expectation and gave me a detailed and interesting snapshot of the times as well. In that way it was reminiscent of William Manchester's excellent work, A World Lit Only By Fire. Winchester also covered the subsurface causes of the event in a substantial but readable way. I was pleased to find a very up to date account of the current geological state of the site. His ability to paint word pictures is obvious and enjoyable, and I'd recommend the book to anyone.

Exceptionally interesting, detailed account of the worst volcanic eruption in recorded history 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The first 90 pages of this book are boring, but after that point, the story picks up into a gripping, detailed account of the worst volcanic eruption in recorded history.
This book not only recounts the geology and history of the event, but aptly points out the complex interplay between natural events and people. Moreover, it shows how much the world had become a global village, even by 1883 and that politics and the environment are intertwined.
It is masterfully written (minus the first 90 pages) and is perhaps the best science related book I have read this year...and as a geologist I read quite a few.

Editorial Review:

In August 1883 there was a series of volcanic eruptions on the island of Krakatoa - these were so extreme that the effects were heard and felt over ten per cent of the Earth's surface. This text uses contemporary reports to recount the events leading up to and following the cataclysm.

The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban

Sarah Chayes

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Interesting but poorly written 1 out of 5 stars.
5 of 9 people found this review helpful.

An utterly confusing account of the war in Afghanistan. Its merit is that it gives the reader a probably realistic impression of the complexity and intransparency of Afghan politics and history...nothing is what it seems. Its flaws are chronological disorder, personal grudges and reporter-centrism...("look at me getting the real dope against all odds" and "look at me, the only sensitive observer").

Editorial Review:

As a former star reporter for NPR, Sarah Chayes developed a devoted listenership for her on-site reports on conflicts around the world. In The Punishment of Virtue, she reveals the misguided U.S. policy in Afghanistan in the wake of the defeat of the Taliban, which has severely undermined the effort to build democracy and allowed corrupt tribal warlords back into positions of power and the Taliban to re-infiltrate the country. This is an eyeopening chronicle that highlights the often infuriating realities of a vital front in the war on terror, exposing deeper, fundamental problems with current U.S. strategy.

The Brotherhoods: Inside the Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs

Arthur Veno

Amazon Price: $10.17 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Allen & Unwin Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $8.96

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Pretty darn good 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This book is one of the few that I have read that didn't have the sensationalistic jargon attached to it that so many other's of it's type often do. It was just a good, solid and informative read. Although I feel that the author defenitely has/had an agenda, it was, in my opinion still a well written tome. It was also refreshing to get the view from the other side. If you are interested in the outlaw motorcycle culture at all, I think it is a must read.

Editorial Review:

Now in a revised and updated edition, this vivid exploration of biker culture reveals the truth behind Australia's infamous motorcycle clubs through in-depth interviews, personal stories, and meticulous research. Included are the rules and rituals involved in becoming a club member, landmark incidents in biker folklore, and profiles of famous biker personalities. Unconstrained by the regulations that rule ordinary citizens, the notorious Gypsy Jokers are followed on their controversial New Year run in Western Australia. Written by an expert on biker culture, this book reveals the true picture of brotherhood among the clubs.

Koko's Kitten

Francine Patterson

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Animals -> Cats -> Fiction

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

koko 's kitten 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Koko is a gorilla and she like cats . She is good at sign language and she knows when is her

birthday. She knows how to read books about cats. If you give her a stuffed cat she will destroy it. She likes only real cats. So that's what the story is all about. I like this book because you can learn all about gorillas and how you can help them. I think that you should read this book because you can know about gorillas. by Edgard Walker

Cats 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Great book for any cat lover

author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

wonderful book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderful story about the love and kindness creatures, nonhuman and human, can show towards each other. It is touching and meaningful for all ages. The photos are exceptional and the writing is down to earth.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

Koko's Kitten 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Koko's Kitten, by Dr. Francine Patterson, is about a gorilla and a kitten. It's almost Koko's birthday. Penny helps Koko she wanted to give Koko a toy cat. But it didn't come in on time. So Penny gave it to Koko on Christmas. Koko didn't like the toy cat. So Penny gave her a real cat. Koko named the kitten Ball. Ball bit Koko and Koko called Ball obnoxious but Koko never hit back. Koko treated Ball like a baby. Koko combed Ball, and put him in her thigh like what a mother will do. Koko also painted Ball. Koko played games with Ball that Ball hated.

On a cloudy day Barbara told Penny that Ball got hit by a car and he was dead. Then Penny told Koko. And Koko was sad. Ten minutes later Penny heard Koko cry. Penny cried, too. Barbara asked Koko what she wanted for Christmas then Koko signs tiger cat. Then Penny shows Koko three drawings of cats. Koko picks a tailless Manx. On March 14 Koko got a red cat. Koko named it Lipstick. Koko was happy.

The theme about this book is about friendship. Koko always plays with Penny. And she always plays with Ball. Koko thought Ball was her baby so she put him in her thigh. They always played games. I like the way Koko didn't hurt Ball.

By Stephanie

Editorial Review:

The real life experience of Koko, a gorilla in California who uses sign language, with a young kitten whom she loved and grieved over when it died.

Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story

Christina Thompson

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Bloomsbury USA Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $9.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

An extraordinary love story between a Maori man and an American woman, that inspires a graceful, revelatory search for understanding about the centuries-old collision of two wildly different cultures.
Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All is the story of the cultural collision between Westerners and the Maoris of New Zealand, told partly as a history of the complex and bloody period of contact between Europeans and the Maoris in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and partly as the story of Christina Thompson’s marriage to a Maori man. As an American graduate student studying literature in Australia, Thompson traveled on vacation to New Zealand, where she met a Maori known as “Seven.” Their relationship was one of opposites: he was a tradesman, she an intellectual; he came from a background of rural poverty, she from one of middle-class privilege; he was a “native,” she descended directly from “colonizers.” Nevertheless, they shared a similar sense of adventure and a willingness to depart from the customs of their families and forge a life together on their own.
In this extraordinary book, which grows out of decades of research, Thompson explores the meaning of cross-cultural contact and the fascinating history of Europeans in the South Pacific, beginning with Abel Tasman’s discovery of New Zealand in 1642 and James Cook’s famous circumnavigations of 1769–79. Transporting us back and forth in time and around the world, from Australia to Hawaii to tribal NewZealand and finally to a house in New England that has ghosts of its own, Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All brings to life a lush variety of characters and settings. Yet at its core, it is the story of two
people who, in making a life and a family together, bridge the gap between two worlds.

Fields of Honor: Pivotal Battles of the Civil War

Edwin C. Bearss

Amazon Price: $18.48 List Price: $28.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: National Geographic Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $0.13

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Few historians have ever captured the drama, excitement, and tragedy of the War Between the States quite like Edwin Bearss. The acclaimed "Homer of the Civil War," has won a huge, devoted following with his extraordinary battlefield tours and eloquent soliloquies about the heroes, scoundrels, and little-known moments of a conflict that still fascinates America. Antietam, Shiloh, Chickamauga, Gettysburg: these hallowed battles and more than a dozen more come alive as never before, rich with human interest and colorful detail culled from a lifetime of study.

Illustrated with detailed maps and archival images, this 448-page volume commemorates the 140th anniversary of the war's end with a unique narrative of its most critical battles, translating Bearss' inimitable delivery into print. As he guides readers from the first shots at Fort Sumter to Gettysburg's bloody fields to the dignified surrender at Appomattox, his engagingly plainspoken but expert account demonstrates why he stands beside Shelby Foote, James McPherson, and Ken Burns in the front rank of modern chroniclers of the Civil War, as the Pulitzer Prize-winning McPherson himself points out in his admiring introduction.

A must for every one of America's countless Civil War and history buffs alike, this major work will stand as an important reference and enduring legacy of a great historian for generations to come.