30 Days in the South Pacific, True Stories of Escape to Paradise  •  James O'Reilly  •  Sean O'Reilly  •  Larry Habegger ANTHOLOGY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 226 PAGES This anthology, which presents its stories as a month-long journey, features 30 tales of visitors and vagabonds taken in by the South Pacific. (PAC159, $14.95)
The Art of Kula  •  Shirley F. Campbell ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES Campbell explores the cultural significance of Kula, the practice of the exchange of shell values in the Massim region of Papua New Guinea. (PAC198, $34.95)
Arts of the Pacific Islands  •  Anne D'Alleva ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 176 PAGES • COMING IN A brief overview of the well known textiles, sculptures, jewelry, paintings, architecture and dance of the Pacific Islands. Definitively written and thoroughly illustrated, this handsomely produced paperback covers the diversity of Polynesian and Micronesian art -- and the cultures that produce it. With color photographs, a timeline and a glossary. (PAC81, $18.95)
Australasia Map  •  Bartholomew Maps MAP A colorful map of the region from Australia to Samoa, including Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and many Pacific Islands. Shows relief on land, as well as ocean depth. Scale 1:8.5 Million. (AUS61, $13.95)
Captain James Cook  •  Richard Hough BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1997 •  PAPER  • 398 PAGES A vividly written narrative of the life and three great voyages of Captain Cook. This fine book includes a gripping account of his discoveries throughout the Pacific -- and his demise in the Sandwich Islands. (PAC24, $50.00)
Coming of Age in Samoa  •  Margaret Mead CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  PAPER  • 223 PAGES The original, much-debated account of life and development in America Samoa, originally published in 1928. Written when she was just 23 years old, it launched Meade's long career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Though her conclusions and methods may be in dispute, the book remains a compelling and popular story of the islands. (PAC12, $14.00)
The Cruise of the Snark  •  Jack London EXPLORATION •  2000 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Jack London's remarkable account of his ambitious 1906-7 cruise, in which he set out from San Francisco with his wife and two crew, and sailed to Hawaii, the Marquesas, and the Solomon Islands. It's largely a true adventure tale, richly evoking the islands he visits. This National Geographic Adventure Classics reprint includes selections from his wife's account of the voyage and a new map. (PAC17, $13.00)
Desolation Island  •  Patrick O'Brian LITERATURE •  1994 •  HARD COVER An Aubrey-Maturin adventure, set in the Pacific and Australia. (PAC57, $24.00)
The Diver's Handbook  •  Alan Mountain GUIDEBOOK •  1997 •  PAPER  • 160 PAGES • COMING IN Designed for beginning divers, this illustrated handbook covers everything from equipment and health to conservation. (DIV26, $24.95)
The Far Side of the World  •  Patrick O'Brian LITERATURE •  1994 •  HARD COVER  • 366 PAGES This tale, set in 1812, features a trip around Cape Horn, with Stephen Maturin, Patrick O'Brian's wonderful opium-addicted naturalist, exploring the new world with his pal Jack Aubrey. If you haven't yet been introduced to O'Brian's vivid portraits of Nelson's British Navy, here's your chance to dip into this fine series, with a book featuring evocative descriptions of Patagonian wildlife and natural features. A great read (and a great reread for O'Brian fans). (PAC55, $24.00)
Footprint Diving the World, A Guide to the World's Coral Seas  •  Beth Tierney  •  Shaun Tierney GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 350 PAGES An inviting, beautifully illustrated guide to 220 dive sites in 19 countries with chapters on Australia and the Pacific, Mexico and Honduras, Egypt, East Africa and the Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Micronesia. Featuring the diving couple's favorite destinations, the book includes a planning guide, practical tips, and listing of dive centers, hotels, restaurants and live-aboards. (OCE102, $29.95)
Footprint Diving the World, A Guide to the World's Coral Seas  •  Beth Tierney  •  Shaun Tierney GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 350 PAGES An inviting, beautifully illustrated guide to 220 dive sites in 19 countries with chapters on Australia and the Pacific, Mexico and Honduras, Egypt, East Africa and the Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Micronesia. Featuring the diving couple's favorite destinations, the book includes a planning guide, practical tips, and listing of dive centers, hotels, restaurants and live-aboards. (OCE102, $29.95)
French Polynesia Map  •  IGN MAP Published by the French Geographic Institute, this glossy map covers French Polynesia at a scale of 1:2,500,000. Without much detail on individual islands, it would be a good choice to keep track of a cruise through the islands. We also carry a detailed map of Tahiti and the Society Islands. (PAC32, $16.95)
Gauguin, The Quest for Paradise  •  Francoise Colchin BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1993 •  PAPER  • 195 PAGES Concise and beautifully illustrated, this overview of the artist, his work and life features a significant section on his time in Tahiti. The book includes many paintings as well as excerpts from his journals and other writings. Part of the acclaimed "Discoveries" series. (PAC27, $12.95)
Guadalcanal, The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle  •  Richard Frank HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 816 PAGES A comprehensive account of the battle, using a variety of primary sources to flesh out the story of one of the most important battles on the Pacific front during WWII. (PAC61, $22.00)
The Happy Isles of Oceania, Paddling the Pacific  •  Paul Theroux EXPLORATION •  2006 •  PAPER  • 480 PAGES • FAVORITE Here's Theroux at his best: wickedly funny, open-minded and enormously well informed. In this best-selling book, he flies off to Australia with a kayak and ends up exploring much of Melanesia and Polynesia as well. This book is a terrific introduction to the region, combining history, anecdote and acutely observed detail on people and place. (PAC03, $15.95)
Hidden Tahiti & French Polynesia  •  Robert F. Kay GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 520 PAGES An excellent, comprehensive guide to Tahiti and French Polynesia, geared for nature-oriented travelers. With chapters on Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, Raitea and Tahaa, Maupiti, the Tuomotos, Marquesas, Australs and Gambier Islands. It includes a survey of culture, history and activities, extensive travel information. Fifth Edition. (PAC22, $18.95)
A History of the Pacific Islands  •  Ian Campbell HISTORY •  1990 •  PAPER  • 239 PAGES • COMING IN A brief, authoritative history of the Pacific Islands from earliest habitation, through European influence, to the emergence of modern independent island nations by a professor at the University of Canterbury. (PAC04, $21.95)
In the Ring of Fire, A Pacific Basin Journey  •  James Houston CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1997 •  PAPER  • 224 PAGES A lyrical narrative of the author's journeys through Japan, Indonesia, Micronesia, Hawaii and California. From contemplating the Kilauea crater to watching a Ryukyuan dance at an Okinawa community center, Houston reveals the pan-Pacific identity that has emerged from the mixing of Eastern and Western cultures. From the author of "Farewell to Manzanar." (PAC45, $14.95)
Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide  •  Gerald Allen  •  Roger Steene FIELD GUIDE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 378 PAGES • COMING IN This comprehensive identification guide to coral reef fishes and invertebrates from Hawaii to the Red Sea features 1,800 color photographs. It also includes chapter on marine mammals, turtles and birds. The authors, Gerald Allen and Roger Steene are the reigning authorities on the region (and fine photographers). Highly recommended. (DIV48, $40.00)
Kon-Tiki, Across the Pacific by Raft  •  Thor Heyerdahl  •  F. H. Lyon EXPLORATION •  1995 •  PAPER  • 230 PAGES A hugely popular account of a 1947 raft sailing trip along the Humboldt and Equatorial currents from Peru to Tahiti, where the author set out to prove that early humans could have made the trip. Not just a great adventure story, the voyage and Heyerdahl's theories have been influential in the debate over settlement of the region. With photographs. (PAC10, $5.99)
Landfalls of Paradise  •  Earl R. Hinz GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 369 PAGES Aimed at the yachtsman and crammed with detailed information on officialdom in the region, this guide also a great sourcebook for the traveler. With a detailed overview of 75 ports and islands throughout Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. Fifth Edition. (PAC67, $44.95)
The Last Navigator: A Young Man, an Ancient Mariner, the Secrets of the Sea  •  Steve Thomas TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 307 PAGES • COMING IN In this travelogue, Thomas (best known as the host of This Old House), sailed by the stars throughout Micronesia with a master "palau" from the Caroline island of Satawal. (PAC39, $15.95)
The Life and Strange, Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe  •  Daniel Defoe LITERATURE •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 500 PAGES This edition of the classic story features reproductions of the original wood-cut illustrations and an introduction to the life and times of Defoe. Based on the story of Alexander Selkirk, who was abandoned on the island now named after him. (PAC29, $14.99)
Lonely Planet South Pacific  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 616 PAGES A comprehensive, detailed practical guide to travel in Micronesia and the South Pacific. (PAC120, $27.99)
Memories of War, Micronesians in the Pacific War  •  Suzanne Falgout HISTORY •  2007 •  PAPER  • 275 PAGES This account of the Pacific perspective on the Second World War relies heavily on the Micronesian oral tradition. Includes numerous inteviews and song lyrics. (PAC197, $25.00)
Micronesian Reef Fishes  •  Robert Myers FIELD GUIDE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 408 PAGES • COMING IN A photographic identification guide to the fishes of Micronesia, covering from Palau north to the Mariana Islands and east to the Gilbert Islands. With 196 color plates, it is certainly comprehensive, but its large size and scientific organization might make it difficult to use for the beginner. (PAC112, $49.95)
Moon and Sixpence  •  Somerset Maugham LITERATURE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 204 PAGES Maugham's well regarded 1919 novel, inspired by the life of Gauguin. It's the powerful story of a man who relinquishes his family to pursue his dream of becoming a painter, eventually moving to the South Pacific. Like Gauguin, his sensual paintings are never appreciated in his lifetime. (PAC16, $12.00)
Mr. Bligh's Bad Language: Passion, Power and Theatre on the "Bounty"  •  Greg Dening HISTORY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 445 PAGES It may have already inspired several movies and any number of books, but the story of Captain Bligh and his mutiny is still fertile ground for scholarship and debate. This book is an insightful, provocative review of events. (PAC42, $45.00)
Mutiny and Romance in the South Seas, A Companion to the Bounty Adventure  •  Sven Wahlroos  •  Rolf Du Rietz HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 639 PAGES • COMING IN A chronicle and gazetteer of the voyage of the Bounty, originally published in 1989. A print-on-demand edition (hence the hefty price). The book includes Bligh's second expedition (PAC109, $36.95)
Mutiny on the Bounty  •  James Norman Hall  •  Charles Nordhoff LITERATURE •  1989 •  PAPER  • 379 PAGES The well known fictional account of the famous voyage of the HMS Bounty, ending in mutiny. Apparently Bligh wasn't such a tyrant after all, but this book is still greatly enjoyable. (PAC11, $13.99)
Nan'Yo, The Rise and Fall of the Japanese in Micronesia, 1885-1945  •  Mark R. Peattie HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 382 PAGES A detailed account of Japan's involvement in Southeast Asia until the end of World War II. (PAC196, $25.00)
Native Cultures of the Pacific Islands  •  Douglas L. Oliver CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1989 •  PAPER  • 172 PAGES A digest of the author's scholarly work on the cultures of the Pacific before contact with Europeans. It's a brief and illuminating overview of native cultures, featuring good descriptions of family life, food, travel, and social relations. With line drawings and maps. (PAC08, $20.00)
The New Shape of Old Island Cultures, A Half Century of Social Change in Micronesia  •  Francis X. Hezel HISTORY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 216 PAGES Drawing on decades of experience in the region, Hezel assesses the most striking changes to have swept over the islands in the past fifty years. (PAC194, $22.00)
Noa Noa, The Tahiti Journal  •  Paul Gauguin  •  John Miller CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 168 PAGES Gauguin's journals from Tahiti, originally published by the author in 1919. His French publishers thought the material was too racy. With gorgeous reproductions of watercolors and etchings alongside the artist's impressions of two years in French Polynesia. (PAC13, $19.95)
Nutmeg of Consolation  •  Patrick O'Brian LITERATURE •  1991 •  HARD COVER  • 315 PAGES Further adventures of Captain Aubrey & Co., shipwrecked in the Dutch East Indies, and finding their way to the penal colony at Botany Bay in the early 19th Century. The passage on Botany Bay is one of the most evocative (and frightening) descriptions we know of the first European settlements in Australia. If you haven't yet been introduced to O'Brian's vivid portraits of Nelson's British Navy, here's your chance to dip into this fine series. (AUS69, $24.00)
The Ocean World  •  Jacques Cousteau NATURAL HISTORY •  1992 •  HARD COVER  • 446 PAGES • COMING IN The classic gorgeously illustrated overview of ocean life by Jacques Cousteau and his team. (OCE40, $34.98)
Okinawa, The Last Battle of World War II  •  Ross Leckie HISTORY •  1996 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A fast-paced history of the battle as witnessed by participants on both sides. (PAC60, $15.00)
Pacific Ocean Map  •  HEMA Maps MAP A map of the entire Pacific Ocean from the Aleutian and Kuril Islands to Australia and New Zealand at a scale of 1:24 million. The reverse features detailed maps of individual islands and island groups, including French Polynesia, Hawaii and the Solomons. Hema Maps also publishes separate relief maps of the Solomon Islands, Tahiti and the Society Islands, Western Samoa and Vanuatu. (PAC52, $8.95)
Pioneers of the Pacific, Voyages of Exploration, 1787-1810  •  Nigel Rigby EXPLORATION •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 144 PAGES (PAC166, $26.95)
Pouliuli  •  Albert Wendt LITERATURE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 147 PAGES A celebrated novel of village life and power and myth by the noted Samoan writer, a novelist, poet and short story writer from Western Samoa. (PAC19, $10.00)
Robinson Crusoe  •  Daniel Defoe LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES Inspired by the real-life mariner Alexander Selkirk, it's worth revisiting this classic before exploring the island named after him. Not just an adventure story, it reveals much about the life and times of Defoe. (PAC30, $8.00)
Serpent in Paradise  •  Dea Birkett CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1998 •  PAPER  • 296 PAGES Intrigued by legends and romance, journalist Dea Birkett gets herself to three-square-mile Pitcairn Island for a sojourn among the descendents of Captain Bligh's mutinous crew. Interweaving history and observation, Birkett has written a fascinating account of the island and its isolated population (who didn't like her much or appeciate a journalist in their midst). (PAC28, $12.95)
The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific  •  J. Maarten Troost TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES Dragged unwittingly with his wife to Kiribati, the author settled down to explore the island, its eccentric inhabitants, issues and challenges in this hilarious, disturbing first book. The account details his misadventures with pollution, angry dogs and other island disasters. It's hardly paradise. This isolated group of 33 atolls was known as the Gilbert Islands until independence from Britain in 1979. (PAC146, $12.95)
Song for the Blue Ocean, Encounters Along the World's Coasts and Beneath the Seas  •  Carl Safina NATURAL HISTORY •  1999 •  PAPER  • 458 PAGES A grand tour of our blue planet, divided geographically, this book is an excellent resource -- fascinating to read and full of hope. It combines a personal journey, hundreds of interviews with fisherman and scientists around the world, and a tour of important watery habitats. (OCE09, $18.00)
South Sea Tales  •  Robert Louis Stevenson LITERATURE •  2008 •  PAPER  • 289 PAGES Towards the end of his life in the late 19th century, Robert Louis Stevenson lived in Samoa and traveled widely around the South Pacific. These entertaining tales, set among both real and mythical islands, show Stevenson's keen observations of island life. They stand out among other early western fiction on the area because their heroes are islanders, not westerners, and they extend a critical eye to European influence in the islands. Moreover, they're a lot of fun. (PAC15, $14.95)
Stevenson Under the Palm Trees  •  Alberto Manguel LITERATURE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 112 PAGES Manguel (A History of Reading) evokes Robert Louis Stevenson and his years in the South Seas in this meditative story. Stevenson becomes introspective -- and a little homesick-- when he meets a man on Samoa from his home town of Edinburgh, and his quiet life takes a disturbing turn when the Samoan woman he loves is raped and murdered. (PAC158, $18.00)
Strangers in Their Own Land, A Century of Colonial Rule in the Caroline and Marshall Islands  •  Francis X. Hezel HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 473 PAGES (PAC195, $27.00)
Tales of the South Pacific  •  James A. Michener LITERATURE •  1989 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES This first of the big Michener novels, set in World War II Polynesia, won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1948. It's dated, certainly, but still a lot of fun. It was the basis for the Rogers & Hammerstein musical "South Pacific." (PAC18, $7.99)
Treasure Island  •  Robert Louis Stevenson LITERATURE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 298 PAGES The famous and fabulous adventure story of a boy who finds himself among pirates while searching for buried treasure. Inspired by the Isla de Coco. (PAC25, $8.95)
The Truelove  •  Patrick O'Brian LITERATURE •  1992 •  HARD COVER  • 256 PAGES More terrific Aubrey & Maturin, set in the Pacific. (PAC53, $24.00)
Typee, A Peep at Polynesian Life  •  Herman Melville LITERATURE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 328 PAGES The most popular of Melville's books during his lifetime, this partly autobiographical work first published in 1846 tells the story of Tommo, a Yankee sailor who jumps ship and enters the flawed Pacific paradise of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas. Controversial when first published because of its criticism of missionaries and its erotic content, the book holds up today both as a fine example of Melville's glorious prose, and as early quasi-anthropology in the Pacific Islands. (PAC14, $12.95)
Typee, Omoo, Mardi  •  Herman Melville LITERATURE •  1982 •  HARD COVER  • 1333 PAGES One of this trilogy, "Typee," was the most popular of Melville's books during his lifetime. It's a partly autobiographical work first published in 1846 which tells the story of Tommo, a Yankee sailor who jumps ship and enters the flawed Pacific paradise of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas. Controversial when first published because of its criticism of missionaries and its erotic content, the book holds up today both as a fine example of Melville's glorious prose, and as early quasi-anthropology in the Pacific Islands. (PAC62, $40.00)
We, the Navigators, The Ancient Art of Landfinding in the Pacific  •  David Lewis EXPLORATION •  1994 •  PAPER  • 464 PAGES A classic, this engaging book examines how Stone Age Polynesians may have navigated the Pacific. The scholarly volume, now in its second edition, will appeal to seafarers and modern Pacific travelers. More than just a history, it provides enough information that a reader could practically build a canoe and navigate the oceans using the stars as a guide. It includes a glossary of Polynesian terms, latitude and longitude of main island groups and a fairly mathematical essay on variation of star position with latitude. (PAC35, $29.95)
Where to Watch Birds in Australasia and Oceania  •  Nadia Wheatley REFERENCE •  1998 •  HARD COVER  • 464 PAGES A guide to 200 destinations throughout Australasia including checklists and descriptions of the avifauna. (PAC54, $62.50)
The Wine-Dark Sea  •  Patrick O'Brian LITERATURE •  1993 •  HARD COVER  • 261 PAGES Further adventures of Captain Aubrey and his friend Maturin, set in the Pacific. (PAC56, $24.00)