Delight the Eye, Inform the Mind

Designed to appeal to both the serious student and the more casual reader, the Cultural Atlas series is written with authority and clarity. Panoramic in scope, these volumes provide an overview of places and peoples through the centuries and are illustrated throughout with hundreds of striking and informative photographs and drawings.

Each volume is divided into three key sections:
-- Geographical/ethnographic background
-- Cultural history
-- A tour of present-day regions.

This illuminating volume describes the complex societies and cultures that evolved in the Pacific in response to its diverse island environments. The specially compiled maps and richly illustrated features cover such diverse topics as Aboriginal art, body adornment in Papua New Guinea, Gauguin, the Maori meeting house, the forging of the Gallipoli legend, and much more.