German interest

still remains

Siidsee by Eberhard Stahn, published by Mai’s Reisefuhrer Verlag Frankfurt am Main.

1984. Isbn 3-87936-119-3.

... , .. , i Although the German stake in the South Pacific has d.sappeared many years ago from New Guinea, Nauru and Samoa many Germans still take a lively interest in Pacific a " a ' rs - Intended for the serious traveller, whether from Germany, Austria or Switzerland, Eberhard Stahn’s handbook Sudsee has rapidly reached its third edition.

Profiting from his four years based in Fiji as the representative of the European Economic Community, Dr Stahn travelled extensively throughout the region. His knowledge of the Pacific, its ways, history and traditions, comes across in the book, which is very accurate and factual.

From the first page Eberhard Stahn mounts an attack on all the wom-out cliches that are so often written about the Pacific, from palm-fringed beaches to blue lagoons. Although he admits that such beaches do exist in abundance, he also points out the other side of

present day life and the prob lems of pollution, unemploy ment, nuclear dumping and juvenile delinquency.

Dr Stahn does not try to bu( he does aim to present the Padfic as it is> both charms and its so a visitor can appredate its face , j be book is clearly laid out and each country has a sepa rate entry, which gives details of history, culture, economy as we ll as tourist attractions and facilities. The book is well illus trated with photographs, maps and town plans. The countries are grouped together not by political or colonial criteria, but under the three divisions of Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia, A surprising omission in the description of the Polynesian peoples is that there is no mention of the Maoris of New Zealand. Also Papua New Guinea merits only one page in the Melanesian section, The Siidsee guide is a handy little book, easily fitted into the pocket as a travelling compan ion, the type of small guide book on the Pacific that would be very welcome in English,

too.

Jimmy Cornell.