Tides of History: Pacific Islands in the Twentieth Century by Kiste, Bob; Lal, Brij; Howe, Kerry - 1994

Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1994. Soft cover. Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. A very good clean copy with tiny amounts of shelf wear. This is the first detailed history of the Pacific Islands in the twentieth century. An innovative mixture of chronological, geographical and thematic approaches, it captures the state of the art of Pacific Islands research and scholarship and presents it in a clear and readable style which will be accessible not only to the students and specialists but to all those who retain a fascination for this huge and diverse region. Tides of History presents a critical analysis, from a variety of perspectives, of the nature of the social, political, economic and cultural experiences of the Pacific Islands peoples in colonial and contemporary times, and their varied attempts to come to terms with the forces of change introduced by outsiders. In recent times the Pacific Islands have increasingly become part of both Pacific Rim and world systems of investment, trade and defence, and the world of the Pacific Islands has become inextricably caught up with social, economic, military and political forces across a turbulent century. The book is divided into three parts. The first section examines the islands under colonial rule until the beginning of World War Two. Then follows an account of the processes of practical decolonisation until the present and the third section looks thematically at a range of postcolonial issues ranging from nuclear politics to cultural identity. The contributors to this authoritative and comprehensive book comprise leaders in Pacific studies from a wide range of disciplines - history, economics, political and social science, anthropology and literature. This interdisciplinary approach gives both a richness to the analysis and enhances an understanding of the complexities of the Pacific world, past and present.