Fishing for Islands: Traditional Boats and Seafarers of the Pacific [Paperback]

John Nicholson (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

From bamboo rafts to the double-hulled voyaging canoe, this book is a celebration of the traditional boats of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The people of these island countries depend on the sea, and their ships reflect their mastery of sailing and shipbuilding. Early sailors built simple dugout canoes, but the invention of the outrigger and the double-hulled canoe allowed the Polynesians to navigate rough waters and sail thousands of miles more than 1,000 years before the Greeks and Romans mastered the Mediterranean. From New Zealand to Hawaii to Indonesia, this book discusses fishing techniques, navigational methods, and boat building facts.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Nicholson is the author of The Cruelest Place on Earth, Explorers of Australia, The First Fleet, and A Home Among the Gum Trees.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Allen & Unwin (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1864485876
• ISBN-13: 978-1864485875
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,735,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Traditional Boats and Seafarers of the Pacific, October 25, 2008

By 

Marco Antonio Abarca (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fishing for Islands: Traditional Boats and Seafarers of the Pacific (Paperback)

Thirty Thousand years ago, the first Melanesian sailors trusting in their abilities sailed beyond the horizon in search of new lands. They settled first in the Solomon Islands and then pushed into the South Pacific. Four thousand years ago, Polynesian sailors pushed the exploration envelope by sailing as far away as Easter Island and the Hawaiian Islands. They were able to make these extraordinary voyages without the benefit of navigation tools or sophisticated maps. These are major accompolishments that are often forgotten about in Western textbooks.

John Nicholson is fascinated by the traditional boats used by these early sailors. A first rate illustrator, Nicholson describes the building techniques and riggings used by these traditional sailors. This is a book meant for school aged children but as an adult, I still found "Fishing for Islands" a fun and worthwhile read. Highly recommended.