Customer Reviews

Fishing for Islands: Traditional Boats and Seafarers of the Pacific

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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.