Product Details

• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: DK VIDEO
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1997
• Run Time: 30 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0789421437
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #258,418 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Islands have long been places of mystery and adventure. From pirates hiding buried treasure to the giant stone heads of Easter Island, islands are rich with history and have captured our imagination for centuries. Native American mythology tells of a raven dropping pebbles into the sea to create islands. Eyewitness: Island takes a look at islands being birthed from volcanoes, living islands made of coral, and even bustling, urban islands like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manhattan.

Islands have also provided an insular habitat in which new species have adapted and evolved. The Tasmanian devil, the Komodo dragon, and the leaping lemur of Madagascar are just a few examples of the extraordinary life forms that live exclusively on islands. In this video you will learn how the first life forms come to populate a new island, and why there are no snakes on Ireland. Another fascinating and informative video from the Eyewitness series (especially relevant since 1 out of every 10 people lives on an island). --Michelle Riggen

Product Description

Everything on an island traveled there. It seems like a simple enough concept, islands are by definition a land mass surrounded by a fluid world, yet Dorling Kindersley's Eyewitness Video: Islands narrates in depth how many became densely inhabited with some of our planet's most unique plant and animal species. Beginning with ancient myths and lore (some Native Americans believed islands were created by a raven dropping pebbles in the water to land upon) through the modern densely populated islands of Manhattan, Hong Kong and Singapore, this thirty-minute video asks what makes an island an island? An island appears to float, however if you were to remove the surrounding water you would see an island has roots to the Earth's crust. Australia is technically an island, yet it is so big we call it a continent. That leaves Greenland as the Earth's largest; if it were its own nation and not part of Denmark it would be the 13th largest in the world. Other questions are answered as well: how are islands created; which nation has the most islands; what happened to the lost city of Atlantis; where is there most likely to be buried pirate treasure and does 'X' really mark the spot. Mysteries are often associated with islands most notably the giant statues that stand tall on Easter Island. Islands also provided the proof Darwin needed to gain acceptance for his theory of evolution. Today, one in ten people lives on an island and whether they are easily accessible or almost impossible to get to, this colorful video serves as your personal guide. You will learn about the different types of islands, their inhabitants and vegetation. More than half a million islands currently exist and more are in the making as we speak; it would be impossible to visit them all, but this Eyewitness video takes you a long way on the journey.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent Show..., June 25, 2003

By 

Serene (Marina, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eyewitness - Island [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I'm a big fan of the Eyewitness video series. Eyewitness - Island is no exception. It covers the origins of islands from the primeval rock in which they originate to the ancient and glorious rocky coastlines one sees today. Did you know that Greenland is the world's largest island? It's true. Australia is not considered an island, but is, actually, a continent. Learn these interesting facts & more in this series.

I particularly liked the discussion of Easter Island, and how the evolution of various species of birds and animals are altered by their isolation on islands. Also, how certain species can be endangered by the introduction of non-native species such as house cats and rats.

This is entertainment suitable for young and old. IF you like Eyewitness - Island, make sure to check out Eyewitness: Plant, Bird, and my favorite: Dog.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Succinct and beautiful, September 7, 2002

By 

Andrew Olivo Parodi (Oregon, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Eyewitness - Island [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Narrated by Martin Sheen, this video is great! It takes you from Hawaii, to Alcatraz, to Manhattan, to the Galapagos, to the biggest island in the world: Greenland. It explores the evolution of islands, and the creation myths that some cultures have about their formation. We learn that one in every ten people live on an island. Affects of evolution are also discussed. Gaugin's works, inspired by the beauty of Polynesia, are mentioned briefly. We are even introduced to the unusual "Tropic Bird," with courtship dance in which it flies backwards; a Polynesian group has a dance in tribute to it.

This video continues the trend found in all other Eyewitness productions: succinct information and beautiful, even sparse, art direction, with vivid colors everywhere. This is really an extraordinary series, and this particular episode is one of my favorites.