Synopses & Reviews
Islands are everywherein the oceans of the world, in the seas and sounds, and on lakes and rivers inlandand they have been at the heart of our desires, and our fears, forever. *Island* tells the groundbreaking story of humans and islands from the beginning of time to the present, and portrays islands where love flourishes, and islands that people have fought over; islands we escape to, and those we escape from; islands where curious things occur, or nothing at all happens; islands famous for pilgrimages or infamous for prisons; man-made islands and islands teeming with birds; as well as numerous other islands, both real and imagined.
Drawing on history, literature, art, anthropology, biology, and earth science, *Island* explores the human settlement of islandsincluding the seafaring skills required to cross the seasand describes in vivid detail the spectacular flora and fauna of islands as well as their earth-shattering geology. It shows that ever since humans have been traveling and telling tales, they have been fascinated by islands. Creation stories around the world speak of land rising out of the water, and there are many literary island encountersfrom Noah to Prospero and Gulliver, and from Ulysses to Robinson Crusoe and the Count of Monte Cristo. In real life, too, sailors and settlers, explorers and scientists, pirates and artists, have all been drawn to islands. The story of islands is also the story of our planet, from its beginning as an island in space to the contemporary appearance and disappearance of islands in the cycles of climate change and seismic upheavals.
One thing is certain: large or small, flat or mountainous, barren or beautiful, far out at sea or close to shore, islands are a central part of the world we live in. And since so many of our thoughts and feelings have an island counterpart, they may well define what it is to be human.
Review
"A delightful, enlightening book that employs islands as jumping-off points for essays on a wide range of topics from A(nthropology) to Z(oology)...A slim book that takes readers on a mind-expanding journey."--KIRKUS REVIEWS
"...Chamberlin approaches his vast subject, the islands of the world, from every angle...[a] wealth of information for island enthusiasts."--LIBRARY JOURNAL
"The wealth of fascinating detail makes for an instructive and entertaining read."--HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW
"Chamberlin's *Island* is an extremely pleasant read. Elegant...there are serendipitous delights..."--THE SPECTATOR (U.K.)
Praise for Chamberlin's *Horse*:
...a truly grand subject...a philosophical history and a lyrical essay.”THE WASHINGTON POST
Both as a genuine labor of love and awe and as a treasure trove of equinalia, Horse is bound to find many delighted fans.”LOS ANGELES TIMES
...a sweeping historical and cultural viewpoint.”SUN SENTINEL
...if you cant own a horse or ride one, reading this book is a good second best. In fact, it might get you riding, so be careful.”THE GLOBE AND MAIL
Synopsis
Islands have been at the heart of our desires, and our fears, forever. *Island* tells the groundbreaking story of humans and islands, and islands and nature, from the beginning of time to the present. Drawing on history, literature, art, anthropology, biology, and earth science, *Island* explores the human settlement of islands--including the seafaring skills required to cross the seas--and describes in vivid detail the spectacular flora and fauna of islands as well as their earth-shattering geology. It shows that ever since humans have been traveling and telling tales, they have been fascinated by islands. Creation stories around the world speak of land rising out of the water, and there are many literary island encounters--from Noah to Prospero and Gulliver, and from Ulysses to Robinson Crusoe and the Count of Monte Cristo. In real life, too, sailors and settlers, explorers and scientists, pirates and artists, have all been drawn to islands. The story of islands is also the story of our planet, from its beginning as an island in space to the contemporary appearance and disappearance of islands in the cycles of climate change and seismic upheavals.
About the Author
J. EDWARD CHAMBERLIN is University Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and was the Senior Research Associate with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. He has lectured around the world, was a visiting professor at the University of Michigan, and has received an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies. His books include *Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations*; *If This Is Your Land, Where Are Your Stories?*; and *Come Back to Me My
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Ch. 1: First Islanders: Settlers and Storytellers
Ch. 2: Islands on the Horizon: Crossing the Waters
Ch. 3: The Origin of Islands: Ocean Bottoms and Volcano Tops
Ch. 4: The Origin of Species: Island Plants and Animals
Ch. 5: Amazing Islands: Real, Imagined, and In Between
Afterword
Notes and Acknowledgments
Index