Pacific Rising: The Emergence of a New World Culture [Paperback]

Simon Winchester (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1992

Why has the Pacific region reached such preeminence? What links its disparate cultures? In a provocative analysis that combines politics and culture as well as economics, Winchester gives readers a remarkable new look at the people of this region, from Japan to Australia, Korea to the west coasts of North and South America. 25 maps.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A delightful and informative look at the complicated mosaic of peoples, religions and histories of some of the countries in and around the world's largest ocean, and at the Pacific Ocean itself. Maps.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Winchester, author of Korea ( LJ 4/1/88) and The Sun Never Sets ( LJ 5/1/86), combines the best of travel writing, human-interest journalism, and history to produce a compelling account of the nations bordering the Pacific. His thesis, that these disparate peoples somehow constitute a distinct analytical subject, is hard to accept: Seattle, Sakhalin, Santiago, and Singapore truly do not have much in common. But that matters little. This is a collection of brilliant mini-essays on a score of topics: the geology of the Pacific, its early explorers, Chinese emigrants in North and South America, the Peruvian coolie trade, and the Tokyo yuppie lifestyle. Although the book may not hang together as well as Winchester would like, it is enriched by his keen eye for fascinating anecdotes and details. Highly recommended for general readers and undergraduates.
- John H. Boyle, California State Univ., Chico
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone Books (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671780042
• ISBN-13: 978-0671780043
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,998,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Simon Winchester studied geology at Oxford and has written for Condé Nast Traveler, Smithsonian, and National Geographic. Simon Winchester's many books include The Professor and the Madman ; The Map that Changed the World ; Krakatoa; and A Crack in the Edge of the World. Each of these have both been New York Times bestsellers and appeared on numerous best and notable lists. Mr. Winchester was made Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by HM The Queen in 2006. He lives in Massachusetts and in the Western Isles of Scotland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars somewhat dated (in 1999), but otherwise superb overview, May 25, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Navarre, FL, USA (panhandle section)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pacific Rising: The Emergence of a New World Culture (Paperback)

I first read PACIFIC RISING in 1991, the year of publication and felt it was the absolute best overview of the Pacific I'd ever read. I'm not sure I've changed my mind, despite the intervening years. Mr Winchester, who lived in Hong Kong, connects Peru with Indonesia; Korea with Seattle; Guam with Panama. The book is filled with anecdotes and factoids, all of them interesting and worth knowing, but he never loses an academic focus. This is an absolute must for anyone who wants to understand what "the Pacific" is all about.