Historical dictionary of the discovery and exploration of the Pacific islands / Max Quanchi, John Robson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Quanchi, Max.

Contributor:

Robson, John, 1949-

Series:

Historical dictionaries of discovery and exploration ; no. 2.

Historical dictionaries of discovery and exploration ; no. 2

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

History.

Discoveries in geography.

Oceania--Discovery and exploration--Dictionaries.

Oceania.

Pacific Area--Discovery and exploration--Dictionaries.

Pacific Area.

Oceania--History--Dictionaries.

Pacific Area--History--Dictionaries.

Oceania--Dictionaries.

Pacific Area--Dictionaries.

Oceania Region.

Genre:

Dictionaries.

Physical Description:

lxx, 297 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2005.

Summary:

The "South Seas," as this region used to be called, evokes images of adventure, belles and savages, romance, and fabulous fortunes, but the long voyages of discovery and exploration of the vast Pacific Ocean were really tests of amazing logistics, navigation, grit, shipwreck, and luck. The motivations were not only scientific and geographic, but also nationalistic and materialistic.

Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Pacific Islands presents the familiar names of Laperouse, Bougainville, Cook, and Dampier, as well as intriguing stories of The Bounty mutiny, scurvy, and the mysterious Northwest Passage, Terra Australis Ignotia, and Davis Land. Also included are entries on first contacts, ships, navigational instruments, mapping, and botany. The scene is carefully set in the introduction, the chronology spans several centuries, and the extensive bibliography offers a guide to further reading. This book is more than just dry facts; it has a whiff of salt air, the clash of empires, cross-cultural beach encounters, and personal adventure.

Contents:

Pacific Islands and Their First European Visitors xiii

Appendix Associations, Libraries, and Societies 295.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 183-297).

ISBN:

0810853957

OCLC:

59360156