Several new Pacific
pp. 98-99 · Read in the full issue
books out soon
Several new books on the Pacific Islands are due to make their appearance in the next few months, and work is well in hand or is planned for two or three others.
A NOTABLE feature of the forth coming books is the large number emanating from the Depart ment of Pacific History at the Aus tralian National University, Canberra. • Mr. Kenneth Bain, a former Secretary to Government in Tonga, has written a new book on Tonga, which will be published by Hodder and Stoughton, London, on July 4 to coincide with the coronation of Tonga’s King Taufa’ahau in Nukua lofa. The book will be called The Friendly Islanders.
Advance publicity says it is “a delightful blend of fact, folklore and fantasy, through which runs a stimu lating vein of humour”.
The book will be illustrated mainly by photographs taken by Fiji’s PRO photographer, Rob Wright, and his son Rob Wright, Jr.
Mr. Bain, who is now head of the South Pacific Office in Fiji, was the author of the official record of the visit to Tonga in 1953 of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. • Jim Sinclair, whose Behind the Ranges has just been published by Melbourne University Press (PIM, Feb., p. 96), has recently completed a biography of the New Guinea explorer Jack Hides. • Angus and Robertson, Sydney, are to publish a paperback version of Eric Feldt’s classic of the Pacific war, The Coast Watchers. It will be the first Australian paperback edition. • A book on Western Samoa by Professor J. W. (Jim) Davidson, Professor of Pacific History at the Australian National University, Canberra, is due to be published by Oxford University Press, Melbourne, later this year. The book is entitled, Samoa mo Samoa, and sub-titled, “The Emergence of the Independent State of Western Samoa”.
Its theme is the changes in Western Samoa’s political structure, thought and activity as a result of contact with the Western world.
The author, besides being a historian, was a leading participant in many of the events leading up to
Western Samoa’s independence si years ago. Among other things, hi helped to frame the country’s presen constitution. • Two research fellows at thi ANU, Dr. Derek Scarr and Di< Dorothy Shineberg are to bring ou books based on their doctorate theses Dr, Scarr’s is a history of the Westen Pacific High Commission. Dr. Shin© berg’s concerns the sandalwood trad: of the New Hebrides. • The Australian National Unr versity Press will publish the firs books in its Pacific History series; Among the titles to appear soon an A Bibliography of Fiji, Tonga am Rotuma, compiled by P. A. Snovw and The Works of To’unga (a Coot Islander), edited by Dr. R. G. an* Marjorie Crocombe, of Port Moresby' • Another Pacific book to be puhf lished soon by Oxford University Press, Melbourne, is a collection co nine papers by Mr. H. E. Maude of Canberra.
Mr. Maude, is Professorial Fellow in Pacific History at the ANU. Beforn that he held several important postt;
Professor Davidson
the British Colonial Service in s South Pacific and was Executive Ticer for Social Development in the uth Pacific Commission.
The nine papers in Mr. Maude’s iok are all concerned with the scovery and development of the icific. They range in subject from 2 identification of the discoveries the 16th century Spanish explorers the Gilbertese resettlement scheme the Phoenix Islands in the ’thirties a scheme in which the author was rsonally involved. • The 10th edition of the Pacific lands Year Book will be published Pacific Publications Pty. Ltd. later is year. The new edition will corporate all the old features, bl ading the invaluable Who’s Who the Pacific Islands, which was pub hed for the first time in the ninth ition.
The Pacific Islands Year Book has en the only comprehensive guide all aspects of life in all the Pacific lands since the first edition was pub hed in 1932. • Another new book on New uinea, which will be out in a few jeks, is anthropologist Kenneth E. ;ad’s The High Valley. This is an itobiographical account of two ars in the Central Highlands. The iblishers are Allen and Unwin. • A new dictionary of the Gil rtese and Ellice Islands languages being prepared by Mr. Panapa mapa, formerly headmaster of the liriki Primary School, Tarawa, with e assistance of Mr. Kitiseni Lopati, the GEIC Secretariat. The ctionary is to be printed and pub ;hed by the Gilbert Islands ■otestant Church. • Mr. Austin Coates has been (mmissioned by the Corona Library write a book on the three Western icific High Commission territories— e BSIP, New Hebrides and Gilbert id Ellice Islands Colony. The book ill deal with the history, customs id traditions of the people, and will so be an up-to-date guide to the iree territories.
Mr. Coates is expected to visit the iree territories from Hong Kong be reen May and July. The cost of ie project will be met from Colonial evelopment and Welfare funds.