Among the Islands: Adventures in the Pacific

Description

Twenty-five years ago, a young curator of mammals from the Australian Museum in Sydney set out to research the fauna of the Pacific Islands. Starting with a survey of one of the most inaccessible islands in Melanesia - Woodlark, in the Trobriands Group - that young scientist found himself ghost-whispering, snake wrestling, Quadoi hunting and plunged waist-deep into a sludge of maggot-infested faeces in search of a small bat that turned out not to be earth-shatteringly interesting. With accounts of discovering, naming and sometimes eating new mammal species; being thwarted or aided by local customs; and historic scientific expeditions, Tim Flannery takes us on an enthralling journey through some of the most diverse and spectacular environments on Earth.

Tim Flannery is a writer, scientist and explorer. He has written many award-winning books including The Future Eaters and The Weather Makers. Among the Islands is the third book in a loose trilogy of Flannery's adventures, following on from the bestselling Throwim Way Leg (1998) and Country (2004).

'Among the Islands is not a polemic about environmental destruction nor a dissertation on the discovery of hitherto unknown species. It is above all an easily read and often surprisingly funny recounting of Flannery's early adventures. However, it also provides the reader with insights into how Flannery developed the logic behind the theories he espoused in The Future Eaters and particularly The Weather Makers.' - Gippsland Times