Synopses & Reviews
History of the Pacific Islands marks the first time in forty years that a balanced and succinct introduction to the peoples of the Pacific islands has been made avaliable to students, travellers, and scholars. Dr. Ian Campbell's informed and balanced perspective illuminates the development of the rich and fascinating variety of cultures of the Pacific islanders and their experience with intensive European contact during the last two hundred years. A History of the Pacific Islandsis a bright, lively survey of the kind not attempted since Douglas Oliver's celebrated The Pacific Islands was first published in 1951.
Synopsis
"Dr. Campbell's awareness of the importance of the active roles which Pacific islanders played in the shaping of the histories of their own countries is evident throughout: he has examined, whenever he could, historical events and processes from the point of view and interests of the islanders concerned. No other work has done this, and that in itself makes Dr. Campbell's book an important contribution to Pacific history."Dr. Malama Meleisea, Director of the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury
About the Author
Dr. Ian Campbell lectures in the History Department at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, where he teaches several courses in Pacific history. He has been interested in the Pacific islands since first going to live in Tonga at the age of seven.