Pacific Rising: The Emergence of a New World Culture (Paperback)

by Simon Winchester (Author)

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 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #677,829 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 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] "teasdale3" (Navarre, FL, USA (panhandle section)) - See all my reviews

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.