A facsimile of the original 1924 edition, this book is an illustrated survey of ancient civilizations of the Pacific, written during a five-month stay on Easter Island. MacMillan Brown, a historian in Christchurch and an early proponent of the idea of a lost continent in the Pacific, isn't much of a writer; but if you can wade through his convoluted syntax and stilted prose, this book is a comprehensive portrait of Easter Island.  (EIL11, $16.95)

Ancient World