Among the Islands: Adventures in the Pacific - Hardcover

Flannery, Tim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802120407 ISBN 13: 9780802120403

Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2012

Synopsis

Tim Flannery is one of the world’s most influential scientists, credited with discovering more species than Darwin. In Among the Islands Flannery recounts a series of expeditions he made at the dawn of his career to the strange tropical islands of the South Pacific, a great arc stretching nearly 4,000 miles from the postcard perfection of Polynesia to some of the largest, highest, ancient, and most rugged islands on earth.

Flannery was traveling in search of rare and undiscovered mammal species, but he found much more: wild, weird places where local taboos, foul weather, dense jungle, and sheer remoteness made for difficult and dramatic exploration. Among the Islands is full of fascinating creatures monkey faced bats, giant fats, gazelle-faced black wallabies, and more and the adventure of discovery. This is an idea read for anyone who has ever imagined voyaging to the ends of the earth to uncover and study the rare and the wonderful.

About this title

About the Author:

Professor TIM FLANNERY is a leading writer on climate change. A Scientist, an explorer and a conservationist, Flannery has held various academic positions including Professor at the University of Adelaide, Director of the South Australian Museum and Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Museum. A frequent presenter on ABC Radio, NPR and the BBC, he has also written and presented several series on the Documentary Channel. His books include Here on Earth and the international number one bestseller The Weather Makers. Flannery was named Australian of the Year in 2007.

Review:

In [Flannery’s] chest beats the wayfaring heart of a discoverer, and in this book, which details his colorful adventures among the flora and fauna of the South Pacific Islands, he reminds us that even right here on Earth, incredible things are waiting to be known.” -Newsweek

Flannery’s account pieces together the jigsaw puzzle of South Pacific geological, natural, and cultural history with well-grounded knowledge as well as respect and wonder for the natural world. We are lucky to have such an exuberant explorer to illuminate the intricate network of life in the South Pacific and the perils and possibilities that life embodies on this precious planet we share.” -National Geographic Traveler (Book of the Month)

Part travel diary and part field notebook, Among the Islands is a rollicking good adventure-science read something like what you’d get if Charles Darwin starred in an Indiana Jones flick.” -Audubon Magazine

"Flannery is not just an internationally acclaimed zoologist; he’s also an adventurer and storyteller who has discovered creatures no other human has seen. His latest record of exploration traces the beginnings of his career during the 1980s and takes him through more than a decade of study in remote islands of the South Pacific. Flannery’s writing is generous and exuberant. His enthusiasm is enough to infect even the least science-minded of readers A breathtaking, informative tour of faraway lands." Kirkus Reviews

"Tim Flannery is a crackerjack storyteller." Publishers Weekly

"Australian field zoologist and conservationist Flannery cements his reputation as a true descendant of the great nineteenth-century naturalists and explorers with this look back at his expeditions to southwest Pacific islands. Flannery’s prose is electric, aptly combining history, politics, and wide-eyed excitement as he recalls these experiences. Among the Islands exemplifies the sort of writing that was once commonplace, when adventure meant contributing to our knowledge of the world. Absolutely fantastic in every sense of the word." Booklist (starred review)

A story told with Flannery’s signature clarity and lively readability . this is scientific adventure-writing at its finest.” -Open Letters Monthly

About this edition

• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0802120407
• ISBN 13: 9780802120403
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288