AKU-AKU: The Secret of Easter Island

AKU-AKU: The Secret of Easter Island
Average customer rating:

Solving the mysteries of Easter Island

A must for archeology fans

Mysteries of Easter Island Explored

Great Illustrations and Well Written

AKU-AKU: The Secret of Easter Island
Thor Heyerdahl
Manufacturer: Rand McNally & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Chile | South America | Latin America | Travel | Subjects | Books
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The Mystery of Easter Island

ASIN: 0528818104

Customer Reviews:

Solving the mysteries of Easter Island.......2005-07-26

Near the end of "Aku-Aku," one of the archeologists working with Thor Heyerdahl admits to being astonished at yet another unexpected turn of events.

"I never knew archeology could produce so many surprises," he says.

Indeed, anyone who thinks that archeology is just about digging in the dirt will be surprised -- pleasantly -- by "Aku-Aku."

In this account of his 1955-56 expedition to Easter Island and other Polynesian islands, Heyerdahl presents a series of mysteries: Where did the great stone statues on Easter Island come from? Who made them? How did they move them? Where are the hidden caves of Easter Island and what secrets do they hold?

Heyerdahl is not a great writer, but he is usually good enough. His weakness lies in portraying people; even the most prominent character of the book -- Easter Island's mayor -- comes off as just a simplistic caricature. An odd quirk of the author is that he refers to some characters almost solely by their titles -- "the photographer," "the skipper," "the doctor." After awhile you begin to wonder if these people have names.

But Heyerdahl is passionate about his work and his enthusiams shows as he presents -- and, mostly, solves -- mystery after mystery. He is relentless, for instance, in trying to get the natives to reveal their secret caves, even when it means he has to eat a chicken tail, strip to his underwear, and climb down a sheer cliff without a rope.

(The caves are a curious form of secure storage on this island that seems to lack locks. Note to self: Open self-storage franchise on Easter Island.)

A couple ethical issues occur to me, although I can't claim to have the whole picture from just one book. Did Heyerdahl adequately reward the islanders for the artifacts they gave him? He mentions some gifts but it's unclear whether all of them received something and how much. Also, he resorts to some trickery to get the natives to give him things -- is this fair? (I'm sure Heyerdahl would argue that he had to immerse himself in the natives' world of superstition and ghosts to communicate with them successfully.)

The bulk of the book is about Easter Island but the last two chapters discuss the expedition's visits to other islands. The story of the dig on Rapa Iti is particularly good, and I would have enjoyed a bit more on these other islands.

A must for archeology fans.......2000-11-15

Though criticised as commercial and overexposed, Thor Heyerdahl must be considered as one of the first scientists in wide spreading his archeological knowledge in an amusing and understandable way to common readers. And this book is a clear example of his effort. After his scientific expedition to Easter Island in 1957, Thor Heyerdahl wrote this fascinating book of discoveries, new theories and adventures. It was such a pleasure for me reading it that I can only recommend it.

Mysteries of Easter Island Explored.......2000-02-02

A good book if your interested in Easter Island. It was not quite as interesting a read as Heyerdahl's "Kon-Tiki" however. It tends to focus on the natives currently living on the island more than those who created the statues the island is famous for. But, criticisms aside, Heyerdahl proved again to be a very adept writer.

Great Illustrations and Well Written.......1998-10-29

This book was very informative about the expedition to Easter Island by Thor Heyerdahl. While, at times, the writing was characteristic of a journal...it was nevertheless informative and a good read.

Average customer rating:

Easter Island or Bust
Great Guide To Cheap Accomodations
not so helpful after all
found it useful
One of the best guide books for Chile

Lonely Planet Chile & Easter Island
Charlotte Beech , Jolyon Attwooll , and Thomas Kohnstamm
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1740599977

Book Description

Climb the rocky spires of Torres del Paine, salsa all night in sizzling Santiago, explore the world's driest desert or follow Che's tracks through the Lakes District. Whether you're looking to brave the wilderness or wind through the wine country, our best-selling, opinion-packed Chile guide will take you to the end of the world...and back. HEAD SOUTH - expanded coverage of adventure paradise Patagonia, with side trips to Argentina RAISE A GLASS - discover Chilean wine with our intoxicating primer by a Colchagua Valley vintner PLAY HARD - sand-board desert dunes, paddle through ice-carved fjords or ski still-smoking volcanoes with our dedicated Outdoors chapter REST EASY - accommodations for every budget, from rustic mountain refugios and homey hospedajes to luxurious retreats and high-rise hotels LIVE IT UP - enjoy gourmet meals and top-notch culture in Santiago, uncover Valparaíso's bohemian charms or sunbathe on Arica's plentiful beaches

HEAD SOUTH - expanded coverage of adventura paradise Patagonia with a side trip to Argentina

RAISE A GLASS - Discover Chilean wine with our intoxicating primer by a Colchagua Valley vintner

PLAY HARD - sand board desert dunes, paddle through ice-carved fjords or ski still-smoking volcanoes with our dedicated Outdoors chapter

REST EASY- accomodation for every budget, from rustic mountain refugios and homey hospedajesto luxurious retreats and high-rise hotels

LIVE IT UP- enjoy gourmet meals and top-notch culture in Santiago, uncover Valparaiso's bohemian charms or sunbath on Arica's plentiful beaches.

Customer Reviews:

Easter Island or Bust.......2007-08-24

I usually don't like the LPs but this one worked out great. I left it in Santiago with my sister. The thing about travel books is that they are just guides to give you ideas. Never go by the book, it makes for a boring life. The best adventures I have every had in South America were the ones that were not planned that goes for life too. The Easter Island part was good because it gave alot of info about the history and culture and gave directions to the museum so that we could get even more info if needed. I also like the Spanish vocab in the back because my Spanish is Mexican border now and guess what a sopa in SA is a bread and here in border land it is a soup. winter in Santiago you want soup not bread. Buy it and see the world the best thing in life is to follow you heart and dreams.

Great Guide To Cheap Accomodations.......2007-08-12

thanks to lonely planet we found chilestay apartments at www.chilestay.com an inexpensive alternative to a hotel. also, lonely planet provides a comprehensive and updated information about places to visit and enjoy.

not so helpful after all.......2007-04-21

I have used LP guides all over the world, mostly for the maps and hostel listings...so when I went to Chile, I happily bought the Chile guide. I threw it out two weeks later. The maps were incorrect again and again, information was just plain wrong, the listings unhelpful. We ended up walking all over one town looking for a hostel that had been misplaced on a map, we missed buses, and were shocked at how horrible "the best hostel in [a certain town]" was. Fine adventure and all, but after I trashed the LP, we used my friends' Rough Guide instead (which thankfully had correct info) and we saved our time and enjoyed ourselves for the rest of our trip.

found it useful.......2007-03-11

We went on a Princess cruise, so only used the guite for Santiago, Chile, Valparaiso, Porte Montte, Punta Arenas, Ushuaia, Falklands, montevideo, and BA. Wew found it useful. Did not really use the hotel or restuarant guides.

One of the best guide books for Chile.......2007-03-06

I travel in Chile often and extensively and can vouch for the quality of this guide book, especially this new edition. There's a lot of good guide books out there and every one has a different perspective, but I find LP's to include the broadest spectrum of information, for people on all different budgets with all different types of travel tastes, styles, and expectations. This edition just came out so you can trust that the info is up to date, and I agree with a lot of their recommendations of special hotels, restaurants, and off the trail places to check out. The southern chapters are excellent, in particular.

If you are heading to Chile, I urge you to pick up a copy of the poetry of their national hero, the great Nobel Laureate pacifist Pablo Neruda, subject of Il Postino / Postman and so much more. The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems has been called by many as the best introductions and best books of his even if you already love and know him. Check it out. You will experience Chile differently after reading his words of passions. You will experience life differently. For more info, check out redpoppy dot net, a non-profit dedicated to furthering his commitment to humanitarianism and spreading his poetry around the globe.

Making a difference in this world, one poem at a time.

Paz y amor

Average customer rating:

This book is fantastic!

Easter Island: The Mystery Solved
Thor Heyerdahl
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0394579062
Release Date: 1989-12-03

Customer Reviews:

This book is fantastic!.......2001-11-15

This book, published in 1989, is a distillation of Thor Heyerdahl's research on Easter Island. It traces the history of Easter Island's interaction with the outside world, from Roggeveen's visit in 1722 up to the time of the book's writing. Along the way, Mr. Heyerdahl builds his case that two peoples, one from South America and one from Polynesia populated Easter Island.

This book is fantastic! I am not entirely convinced of Mr. Heyerdahl's case, but found his case compelling nonetheless. The book itself has many color pictures and maps, and is visually quite stunning. Now, not all of the book is about Mr. Heyerdahl's proposed history, so if you are merely interested in Easter Island, then you will still enjoy this book. This is a great book, one that you should read!

The Complete Guide To Easter Island
Average customer rating:

Great guide.

Not recommended

Dont go to Easter Island without this Book!

Marvelous guide on Easter island

Excellent. Don't leave home without it.

The Complete Guide To Easter Island
Shawn Mclaughlin
Manufacturer: Easter Island Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
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The Mystery of Easter Island

The Enigmas of Easter Island

ASIN: 1880636174

Product Description

The Complete Guide to Easter Island brings together the latest scientific and tourist information in a format designed to appeal to both researchers and lay readers alike: Sections on history, legends, conservation, island theories, antiquities, and culture complement detailed coverage of the village of Hanga Roa, accommodations, shopping, vehicle rental, entertainment, island sights, and more. The Guide also includes a chapter on the Rapanui language, an extensive glossary, a detailed chronology, a comprehensive bibliography, and updated island maps. Richly illustrated and featuring photographs by the author. Whether youve been on the island, are planning your first trip, or returning to this most enigmatic place, The Complete Guide is your indispensable Easter Island resource.

Customer Reviews:

Great guide........2007-02-18

One of the best guides we have used. Lots and lots of helpful information. Accurate. Good history. Made our week in Easter Island with a car and no guide a very rewarding experience.

Not recommended.......2006-09-24

I can not understand why anyone could be helped by this book. Most of the texts are an expression about how the author have problems with the results of the Heyerdahl expedition and researches . While not being an archaeologist himself Laughlin make statements what is the right thing of history and about all archaeological remains - absolutely questionable why anyone should read this. The counting of archaeological sites is without concern to the areas of the island - one have to investigate these on a map with tremendous work.
One big part of the book is due to the Island's language. What kind of traveller is learning Rapa nui? That is my question to the author.
Forget this book.

Dont go to Easter Island without this Book!.......2005-12-17

I traveled to Easter Island in November, 2005 and this book was essential for planning the trip. None of the major guidebooks such as Lonely Planet or Rough Guides devote more than a few pages to Easter Island, but The Complete Guide to Easter Island is as good as its name implies. The book has a section titled Practical Matters that lists hotels and guesthouses on the island. The guesthouses are not reviewed, but the addresses, websites and email addresses are listed which is helpful. Restaurants are listed as well, but the most helpful part of this section is the discussion of prices so that you know what to expect.

Buy this book for the section about the history of the island. The author is passionate about Easter Island and it shows in his writings about the history of the people and the Moai. If I had not read the history, I would have missed out on a lot while I was touring the island. The author goes as far as including appendices about the Rapanui language.

However, the most important section of the book is the description of the sites on the island. The descriptions are short, but are hugely beneficial if you are touring on your own. (I don't like tour groups and so I rented a jeep). Plus the book includes a map of the island and sites which proved to be more useful than the map we got on the island. The author even includes a suggestion for five days of touring on your own. Really good stuff.

Easter Island is an amazing place. Give it time so you can explore. We rented a car and had a tremendous experience during the seven days were on the island. But, I really believe that my experience on Easter Island would have been lessened if I had not had this book to help with the history and to understand what it was I was seeing.

If you are planning a trip to Easter Island, this book will be a very small part of the cost. It is an investment you wont regret.

Marvelous guide on Easter island.......2005-08-06

Together with Lonely Planets(LP) guide on Chile/Easter Island, this guide basically tells what you need to know about the island. (Reading Thor Heyerdahl books will of course be usefull supplements to these 2 books).

Very good description on the historical facts (not very up-dated on Thor Heyerdahls writings: the birdman and the DNA issue) and an extensive guide to the different sites on the island.

The coverage (about 20 pages) of the different hotels, car rentals etc. under "practical matters" is a bit useless. The book does not tell anything about how good/bad the different hotels, car rentals are. The LP guide is much better on this.
Have a very enjoyable reading.

Excellent. Don't leave home without it........2004-11-12

This guide book has it all. It is up to date, complete, comprehensive. There is a dictionary of the Rapanui language and fold out maps in color.
If you are planning a trip, it is indispensible.

Among Stone Giants: The Life of Katherine Routledge and Her Remarkable Expedition to Easter Island (Lisa Drew Books)

Average customer rating:

Thoughtful illuminating biography
Interesting and EXCITING!
Inspirational adventure
Elegant and Compelling!
Enjoy with care

Among Stone Giants: The Life of Katherine Routledge and Her Remarkable Expedition to Easter Island (Lisa Drew Books)
Jo Anne Van Tilburg
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Easter Island: Giant Stone Statues Tell of a Rich and Tragic Past

ASIN: 074324480X

Book Description

Katherine Routledge is a central figure in the history of Easter Island, one of the world's most remote and mysterious locales. Born to a wealthy and prestigious English Quaker family in 1866, Katherine rebelled against their strict Victorian values, becoming one of the first female graduates of Oxford University and the first woman archaeologist to work in Polynesia.

At the age of forty, Katherine married a charismatic Australian adventurer, William Scoresby Routledge, and they built a ninety-foot, state-of-the-art yacht, christening her Mana, the Polynesian word for "spiritual power." From 1913 to 1915, Katherine and Scoresby led the Mana Expedition to Easter Island, where Katherine conducted the first-ever excavations of the island's world-famous stone statues. Katherine collected vast quantities of new information, which she faithfully transcribed into her journals and field notebooks. Through interviews with dozens of elderly men and women, she was able to save the history of the island, whose population was struggling back from the brink of extinction. Without Katherine's extraordinary efforts, Easter Island's traditional beliefs and customs would have been forever lost.

Katherine's hard work came at a terrible price. A family history of schizophrenia and a deep sense of spiritualism brought her under the spell of an old mystic named Angata, who led an Easter Island rebellion in which Katherine played a central role. After her return to England, she heard "voices" that precipitated a separation from Scoresby and nearly destroyed her ability to write and to publish her fieldwork. Her family blamed Angata, the Easter Island "witch doctor," for driving Katherine insane. With Scoresby, they kidnapped Katherine from her lavish London home and isolated her in an asylum, where she died seven years later.

Many of Katherine's papers were thought to be lost until they were discovered by Jo Anne Van Tilburg, the contemporary world's leading authority on the Easter Island statues. In this compelling biography, Dr. Van Tilburg brings her unique expertise to Katherine Routledge's discoveries and to her turbulent life. The result is an exciting personal story, set against the drama of Katherine's remarkable exploration of one of the most intriguing archaeological sites in the world.

Customer Reviews:

Thoughtful illuminating biography.......2007-05-16

This is a thoughtful and revealing biography of the woman who did the first major study of Easter Island in the early 20th century. Van Tilburg gives us insight into Katherine Routledge's life, passion, and personal struggles as well as providing an indepth sequel to Routledge's own important book. Anyone who has read THE MYSTERY OF EASTER ISLAND, indeed anyone who has been thrilled to walk among the island's magical statues--as well as anyone who has done so in the pages of a book--will find this biography compelling.

Interesting and EXCITING!.......2004-06-11

This book should top your list of Summer reading. I found that I had to keep reminding myself that this was a true story- it is amazing that all of this actually took place in Victorian times. I commend the author for taking the time to do such in-depth research. I can't wait for Van Tilburg to come out with another book!

Inspirational adventure.......2004-05-26

This is a fascinating account not only of Katherine Routledge's journey to Easter Island, but her journey through life. For a Victorian woman to graduate from Oxford, live in Africa, organize an expedition to one of the most remote places on earth, and ultimately succumb to schizophrenia is truly a remarkable story. This is a compelling read, full of interesting facts, as well as wonderous parallels. It is a story of determination and frustration, success and failure, love and loss. Great summer read!

Elegant and Compelling!.......2004-05-10

This book is a MUST READ! It was very informative and well researched. I was impressed by the obvious depth and care the author took to portray her subjects in a fair and impartial light. She explored all her character's strengths and weaknesses equally, and this made for a compelling read. The author obviously had a great deal of empathy for her subject.

I would love to see this book made into a movie! The author's beautiful word pictures would translate VERY well to the big screen.

I would recommend this wonderful book to anyone who might be planning on traveling to Easter Island or who would like to learn more about this magnificent place!

Enjoy with care.......2004-04-26

This book scores highly for the length of its footnotes and its bibliographies - and van Tilburg is to be congratulated on bringing a great but overlooked story into print - but how much do you trust a biographer who mistakes the dates of both the birth and marriage of her subject?

Knowing a little of Katherine Routledge and her times, I found van Tilburg's narrative unconvincing. Perhaps it would be unfair to expect an author working from America to understand the absurd and divisive nuances of British notions of class, though class was a key factor in Routledge's life. I bridled, however, at the author's repeated insistence on Routledge's mental illness. Has van Tilburg seen evidence for this, perhaps from Routledge's surviving family (tracking down descendants, even establishing the fate of the ship Mana, is something van Tilburg does well) that she is not prepared to publish? The suggestion that Routledge's life and work were profoundly affected by schizophrenia is a major charge. It needs more substantiation than this book presents: what we have does not rise above gossip.

The book is also curiously thin, coming from an author with much experience of Easter Island archaeology, on what makes Routledge's Pacific work so special. There are many details here, and much useful material to inspire and aid further research. Too many minor errors, however, warn against taking it all on trust. Read and enjoy, but keep your critical faculties about you.

(For the record: Katherine Routledge was born on 11 March 1866 [not 11 August, though the author has corrected her previously published error over the year] and was married on 8 August [not 6 August] 1906 - she was over, not nearly, 40 on her wedding day. Nit picking? These dates are easy to check. The reader, though, cannot check facts that van Tilburg quotes from inaccessible or ungiven sources)

Trespassers on Easter Island
Average customer rating:
Trespassers on Easter Island
Hanns Ebensten
Manufacturer: Ketch & Yawl Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Australia | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books
General | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books
Chile | South America | Latin America | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Australia & South Pacific | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0964173514

Book Description

Explorers, whalers, slavers, adventurers, missionaries, scientists, and tourists, from 1722 to the present time.

Average customer rating:

Archetypal relevance, illusions of benevolence
A philosophical masterpiece - a must-have!
Poet in disguise

Dangerous Emotions
Alphonso Lingis
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Abuses
The Imperative (Studies in Continental Thought)
Foreign Bodies
The Community of Those Who Have Nothing in Common (Studies in Continental Thought)
Trust (Theory Out of Bounds, V. 25)

ASIN: 0520225597

Book Description

Alphonso Lingis is an original among American philosophers. An eloquent and insightful commentator on continental philosophers, he is also a phenomenologist who has gone to live in many lands. Dangerous Emotions continues the line of inquiry begun in Abuses, taking the reader to Easter Island, Japan, Java, and Brazil as Lingis poses a new range of questions and brings his extraordinary descriptive skills to bear on innocence and the love of crime, the relationships of beauty with lust and of joy with violence and violation. He explores the religion of animals, the force in blessings and in curses. When the sphere of work and reason breaks down, and in catastrophic events we catch sight of cosmic time, our anxiety is mixed with exhilaration and ecstasy. More than acceptance of death, can philosophy understand joy in dying? Haunting and courageous, Lingis's writing has generated intense interest and debate among gender and cultural theorists as well as philosophers, and Dangerous Emotions is certain to introduce his work to an ever broader circle of readers.

Customer Reviews:

Archetypal relevance, illusions of benevolence.......2003-10-26

Lingis is a writer of words that describe. That is to say that he writes words which describe places, events and things. When Lingis speaks you can hear the lie in his voice. He has heard that lie all his life and he has searched the world to confront it. This young farm boy who searches the world for his philosophy is a true champion of anti-nihilistic longing and flamboyant exuberance. He is a contriver of the way that words feel. He is a writer who became pre-occupied with philosophy at an early age and has not learned to escape that ordeal, but has learned to love it. This pomo Hemingway is too busy feeding his peacocks to script his own death.

A philosophical masterpiece - a must-have!.......2000-08-24

In this book, Lingis presents to us a searingly poetic phenomenalistic picture of the people of the world, and offers inspiration of the highest type.

Poet in disguise.......2000-06-26

Once again, professor of philosophy Lingis has written a book so rich in feeling and poetry that it's amazing the other academics let him into their cocktail parties. My guess is, he's not around often enough to attend them, anyway; Lingis is a sort of travel-mad anthropologist, too, and this book puts him in Easter Island, Japan and Brazil, among other places. Like the earlier "Abuses," though, the book's chapters use setting as a spark or introduction for the wanderer Lingis' thoughts, not unlike Krishnamurti did in his talks. Also like Krishnamurti, Lingis is worldly, large-hearted, and almost painfully incisive, in a much different way. "There is a health beyond health, triumphant in the quantity of onslaughts, contagions and corruptions it passes through, admits into itself, and overcomes," Lingis writes -- and the reader, recognizing a soul who knows, at once is bound to him for the remainder of this lovely, lovely book.

Average customer rating:

A struggle from start to finish
Best thing I've read in a long time
Easter Island was disappointing.
Fascinating book about a fascinating place
A tale of romance, heartbreak, and giant stone figurines

Easter Island
Jennifer Vanderbes
Manufacturer: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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March

ASIN: 0385336748
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Book Description

In this extraordinary fiction debut--rich with love and betrayal, history and intellectual passion--two remarkable narratives converge on Easter Island, one of the most remote places in the world.

It is 1913. Elsa Pendleton travels from England to Easter Island with her husband, an anthropologist sent by the Royal Geographical Society to study the colossal moai statues, and her younger sister. What begins as familial duty for Elsa becomes a grand adventure; on Easter Island she discovers her true calling. But, out of contact with the outside world, she is unaware that World War I has been declared and that a German naval squadron, fleeing the British across the South Pacific, is heading toward the island she now considers home.

Sixty years later, Dr. Greer Farraday, an American botanist, travels to Easter Island to research the island’s ancient pollen, but more important, to put back the pieces of her life after the death of her husband.

A series of brilliant revelations brings to life the parallel quests of these two intrepid young women as they delve into the centuries-old mysteries of Easter Island. Slowly unearthing the island’s haunting past, they are forced to confront turbulent discoveries about themselves and the people they love, changing their lives forever.

Easter Island is a tour de force of storytelling that will establish Jennifer Vanderbes as one of the most gifted writers of her generation.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

It is 1913. Elsa Pendleton travels from England to Easter Island with her husband, an anthropologist sent by the Royal Geographical Society to study the colossal moai statues, and her younger sister. What begins as familial duty for Elsa becomes a grand adventure; on Easter Island she discovers her true calling. But, out of contact with the outside world, she is unaware that World War I has been declared and that a German naval squadron, fleeing the British across the South Pacific, is heading toward the island she now considers home.

Sixty years later, Dr. Greer Farraday, an American botanist, travels to Easter Island to research the island's ancient pollen, but more important, to put back the pieces of her life after the death of her husband.

A series of brilliant revelations brings to life the parallel quests of these two intrepid young women as they delve into the centuries-old mysteries of Easter Island. Slowly unearthing the island's haunting past, they are forced to confront turbulent discoveries about themselves and the people they love, changing their lives forever.

Easter Island is a tour de force of storytelling that will establish Jennifer Vanderbes as one of the most gifted writers of her generation.

"One of the best novels of the year."
   ROBERT STONE, AUTHOR OF DOG SOLDIERS

"Splendid...captures in the intertwined stories of two women a passion for life and for science that transcends time."
   ANDREA BARRETT, AUTHOR OF SERVANTS OF THE MAP

"Recalling A.S. Byatt's Possession...weaves together history, science and romance, while maintaining an undercurrent of suspense."
   TIME OUT (NEW YORK)

"Captivating...one of those impressive debut novels that come along once a year...and demands that readers take notice of its existence."
   ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH

"A gorgeous debut."
   THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

"Intelligently conceived and elegantly written, Easter Island is a pleasure to read...combines gripping traditional storytelling with scientist-explorer protagonists...makes the quest for scientific breakthroughs both exciting and all too human."
   NEWSDAY

Customer Reviews:

A struggle from start to finish.......2007-10-10

I have just finished the book for our book club next month and I don't have anything good to say about it. It was far too much information on flora and fauna interspersed with Greek origins (gymnosperms - gymnos sperma - naked seeds). I felt as though I was in a botany class and it was too boring for me.
After finally getting through the book -- it took me about a week of perseverance -- I came to the conclusion that the author had a disdain for the male population and it came through with her treatment of Thomas and Beazley. Maybe it was just a feminist leaning, I don't know.
The one thing I got out of the book was an interest in Easter Island. I will read true accounts of the history of the island and hopefully get a better understanding of its geography and its stone statues (moai).
It certainly wouldn't be a book I would put on my shelf.

Best thing I've read in a long time.......2007-07-11

Wow, this was just an outstanding novel in every way. The writing was beautiful, the two stories perfectly blended together into a cohesive and perfectly constructed whole. I passed it along to my husband after I finished it and he also thought it was terrific. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about this book. Loved it!!

Easter Island was disappointing........2007-01-04

Some women in my book club found the story to be good. I was expecting more information on Easter Island itself and was let down. I was not captivated by the two main characters and did not finish the book.

Fascinating book about a fascinating place.......2006-06-26

This is a well-written and thoroughly researched book about a fascinating place. I've always been interested in Easter Island, and reading this novel gave me a lot of insight into the history and culture of the island and its people. The book is constructed around the stories of two women from different eras who travel there to study the unique characteristics of the island. Very well-written and very interesting.

A tale of romance, heartbreak, and giant stone figurines.......2006-05-12

Easter Island is surely the best work of historical fiction that I've ever read. The characters are real and sharp, and her language is precise and heartbreaking -- I could almost smell the salt of the sea. By the time I was done I found myself wanting to take a long voyage, though unfortunately I was landlocked in Pakistan at the time!

As someone who -- like the characters in Easter Island -- I spent years in a land and culture foreign to me, I can say with certainty that Ms. Vanderbes captures the loneliness of being a stranger in a strange land. I eagerly await her next novel...

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The Fascination of the Megaliths
The Final Enigma
Not what I expected........
A great read of a great place.

The Enigmas of Easter Island
Paul Bahn , and John Flenley
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Island at the End of the World: The Turbulent History of Easter Island
Among Stone Giants: The Life of Katherine Routledge and Her Remarkable Expedition to Easter Island (Lisa Drew Books)
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Easter Island: Giant Stone Statues Tell of a Rich and Tragic Past

ASIN: 0192803409

Book Description

Easter Island, an unimaginably remote volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean, produced one of the most fascinating and yet least understood prehistoric cultures. Who were its inhabitants, and where did they come from? Why, and equally intriguingly, how did they erect the giant stone statues found all over the island? Paul Bahn and John Flenley tackle these and a host of other questions, introducing us, along the way, to the bizarre birdman cult found in the island's art, and the only recently deciphered Rongorongo script engraved on wooden panels. The Enigmas of Easter Island combines a wealth of new archaeological evidence, intriguing folk memories and the records of Captain Cook and other early explorers, to reveal how the island's decline may stem from ecological catastrophe. The result is a fascinating portrait of a civilization which still retains many of its mysteries. This book, originally published in 1992, was hailed as the best account of Easter Island ever written. Now it has been brought substantially up to date with a wealth of new material.

Customer Reviews:

The Fascination of the Megaliths.......2005-07-12

Flenley and Bahn have created an incredibly comprehensive reconstruction of Easter Island's history. They cover the origins, flora, fauna, tides, culture, language, stone carving, etc. In fact, for a layman such as myself, the sheer volume of details is a bit overwhelming, and I frequently found myself skimming. (I really didn't want to know that much about Chilean palm tree nuts or pollen samples.)

The authors make their very plausible (and exhaustive) case that the Easter Islanders doomed themselves by invoking an ecological disaster, possibly compounded by drought, which led to starvation and internecine warfare.

The stone giants are the embodiment of some sort of archetypal figure from the human subconscious and have fascinated generations. I came away from the reading most impressed by the fact that every scientist, archaeologist, doctor, engineer, or assorted wing-nut who had seen the stones was compelled to try and figure out how they were carved or moved. The megaliths seem to cast a spell over the most sane and rational people. (I found myself telling my husband we should go there for our next vacation)

The Final Enigma.......2005-03-10

This is likely the most comprehensive and authoritative work available on the mysteries of Easter Island, concerning its unique culture and its famous statues. The writing here is rather dry, with only occasional glimmers of personality, though the knowledge presented is robust and is usually entirely readable for the interested layperson. The book gets off to a pretty slow start as Flenley and Bahn unnecessarily debunk the discredited theories of Thor Heyerdahl, while they seem to have a colonialist-style disdain for the memories of the present Easter Islanders. The book eventually improves, presenting a general history of the island and an overview of its isolated brand of Polynesian culture. Utilizing archeology, linguistics, botany, anthropology and other disciplines, we learn here that the Easter Island culture evolved out of a likely total isolation from their Polynesian kin (it's one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth), adapted to specific environmental challenges, and developed a highly unique society focused on building giant statues and monuments. But at some point the closed cultural and environmental system collapsed, probably with deforestation and soil erosion as the root causes, and the rich island culture broke down into mayhem and anarchy. This is a chilling lesson for humankind, though Flenley and Bahn wrap up the book with a pretty weak and predictable environmental message for the world. [~doomsdayer520~]

Not what I expected...............2004-06-11

While somewhat compelling, this book was really not what I expected. I found it to be basically a reiteration of the first edition published in 1992. Have the authors nothing new to say? I would skip this book- not worth the read- there is so much wonderful material out there on Easter Island. This seemed like a waste of good time. Next!

A great read of a great place........2004-01-20

This is an excellent, up-to date (2003), fairly easy read of an astounding place, Rapa Nui, the island in the South Pacific better known as Easter Island. This is in fact an updated edition of an earlier 1992 edition, that has been revised to incorporate new ideas and developments in research into a place which has seen quite a deal of academic interest and debate over the last few decades.

It is, as the title suggests, mostly a discussion of some of the more enigmatic and mysterious aspects of this small island at the 'edge of the world', so to speak. Discussions include how the Polynesians got there in the first place (several thousand kilometres from just about anywhere), what happened to the island's original flora and fauna, why there are now virtually no trees on the island, why and how they built and transported the enormous statues, why their culture seemingly underwent several periods of cultural implosion, and how they came to have their own system of rudimentary symbolic writing-no small thing incidentally- since it is only one of a handful of societies where a form of writing is thought to have arisen independently (although this is debated for Easter Island).

Rest assured, once one delves into the detail and human richness of the history and culture on Easter Island, (past what one hears via the grapevine or via populist travel articles), one begins to find things one did not quite expect. Put simply, it becomes a kind of mirror of the human psyche, of humans in close interaction with their primeval environment, with all its ghastliness and beauty, and their myriad inclinations towards both the tragic and the beautiful.

Take for example, the extreme feeling of isolation that a seafaring culture must have felt, of being stranded, once all the original tree species had been cut down and driven to extinction, and they couldn't make any more sea craft (something a number of environmentalists have pointed out). Imagine the keen loss of traditional values that must have been felt, once the statues were thrown down (in a probable revolution of some sort), or the desperate alternative worship of man-like birds, who could fly away into the sea and escape their lonely, now barren, isle. And what about the island's trees in the first place-there was a highly prized native palm on the island, that could be sourced to transport statues, make ropes, make sea craft, and provide an alcoholic sap amongst other things, which was driven to extinction by the islanders-whether by over-exploitation, neglect, or through an inability to adapt and change, or all of them. And there are even suggestions that is was in the making and transporting of the statues themselves which at least partially caused the islander's ultimate cultural downfall-the transport of the statues required the felling of timber, and if one of these two practices had to cease or change, it probably wasn't the felling of timber.

It is difficult to know for certain what variety of factors were responsible for the extinction of the prized trees, but no doubt isolation, neglect, and an inability to change must have been major factors. In addition, the Polynesian rat evidently had a big appetite for native palm nuts (teeth marks in nuts). Without the timber from the trees, soil erosion and degradation set in, and most importantly they couldn't make wooden boats to fish, and so they began to starve. Archaeological evidence also indicates an outbreak of warfare at about the same time as the trees became extinct. There is indeed a myriad of archaeological evidence here to delight anyone interested in the rise and fall of nations and cultures to be sure, scattered in caves, swamps, dwellings, quarries and various other places on the island.

Another interesting discovery is the preserved fossilised roots of native palm trees, which are almost identical to the modern day, very versatile Chilean species. Also of interest to me was the subtle development from religious ritual and symbolism, to depiction of the same on favourable rock outcrops, ultimately to communication of the same on wooden articles-the Rongorongo script. In short-'religious ritual' to 'writing'. Writing originating as art inspired by cultural isolation? There are suggestions here that it was the Spanish who influenced this trend towards writing, but after reading the debate here, I'm not convinced. The extreme isolation to me suggests a kind of inspired artistic innovation or expression. Readers might also be surprised to learn that the origin of the Polynesians themselves is from Taiwan in about 4000 BC-an island nation, that has frequent political troubles, and I presume also may have had, around 4000 BC??.

There are various other discussions on the geology, geography, climate, the infamous Kon Tiki expedition, genetic research into islander origins, Polynesian dispersal and seafaring, archaeological excavations (of course), agriculture, general ecology, statues and ceremonies, food issues, the western human impact from the 18th century onwards, the introduction of smallpox, western religion, slave trading from Peru in the 19th century, and revised views on issues concerning resource sustainability, and ultimate parallels with the rest of the world. It is worth mentioning here that the first edition received some criticism for failing to note differences in resource availability with continental landmasses (which have a larger degree of alternative resources, and further discoveries of eg minerals), and these issues have been incorporated in this revised edition. Comparisons are also made with two other pacific islands, although in somewhat limited detail, Mangaia and Tikopia, which experienced similar ecological and cultural crises, but apparently managed to 'see them through'. There are also a number of black and white and colour plates, and quite a few diagrams which provide good support to the discussions.

An excellent overview of a thoroughly fascinating, and always surprising place.

Island at the End of the World: The Turbulent History of Easter Island
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TRUST BUT VERIFY

Most recent account of the island

Island at the End of the World: The Turbulent History of Easter Island
Steven Roger Fischer
Manufacturer: Reaktion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books
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Easter Island Map by ITMB (Travel Reference Map)

The Enigmas of Easter Island

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The Complete Guide To Easter Island

ASIN: 1861892829

Book Description

On a long stretch of green coast in the South Pacific, hundreds of enormous, impassive stone heads stand guard against the ravages of time, war, and disease that have attempted over the centuries to conquer Easter Island. Steven Roger Fischer offers the first English-language history of Easter Island in Island at the End of the World, a fascinating chronicle of adversity, triumph, and the enduring monumentality of the island's stone guards.

A small canoe with Polynesians brought the first humans to Easter Island in 700 CE, and when boat travel in the South Pacific drastically decreased around 1500, the Easter Islanders were forced to adapt in order to survive their isolation. Adaptation, Fischer asserts, was a continuous thread in the life of Easter Island: the first European visitors, who viewed the awe-inspiring monolithic busts in 1722, set off hundreds of years of violent warfare, trade, and disease—from the smallpox, wars, and Great Death that decimated the island to the late nineteenth-century Catholic missionaries who tried to "save" it to a despotic Frenchman who declared sole claim of the island and was soon killed by the remaining 111 islanders. The rituals, leaders, and religions of the Easter Islanders evolved with all of these events, and Fischer is just as attentive to the island's cultural developments as he is to its foreign invasions.

Bringing his history into the modern era, Fischer examines the colonization and annexation of Easter Island by Chile, including the Rapanui people's push for civil rights in 1964 and 1965, by which they gained full citizenship and freedom of movement on the island. As travel to and interest in the island rapidly expand, Island at the End of the World is an essential history of this mysterious site.

Customer Reviews:

TRUST BUT VERIFY.......2005-08-29

As the author of "The Complete Guide to Easter Island" and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Easter Island Foundation, I believe I can state, with all due modesty, that I am duly qualified to evaluate Steven Roger Fischer's "Island at the End of the World" -- and my general view is that this is a valuable resource anyone interested in Easter Island should have on her or her bookshelf. Until now, the history of Easter Island has been featured as chapters in larger works or in highly abbreviated form. Worse, the history of Easter Island histories has been rife with inaccuracies that are largely the product of scholars and writers regurgitating past errors without any attempt to verify facts or to take the latest information in account. Nor is there any shortage of misinformation about Easter Island (and a lot fewer mysteries than most people understand), so it's good to see such a comprehensive work devoted to the subject.

Having said this, I must nevertheless express some reservations about a few things Fischer included because they are factually inaccurate or represent poor judgment on his part and may reflect other, more serious errors. In other words, while I wouldn't go to far as to say one or two blunders are representative of the whole work, the fact that they exist (and the fact that the book covers such extensive territory, where more arcane and obscure information may be buried in the wealth of data), is cause for some concern.

1) The Chincha Islands / guano mines story (page 89). It just won't die. It's one of many myths about Easter Island -- that Peruvian slave raids in 1862 brought Easter Islanders to mine guano on the Chincha Islands off the coast of Peru. Yes, Peruvian slavers captured hundreds of islanders and took them to work as indentured servants for rich Peruvian land owners -- but this was on coastal Peru, not the Chincha Islands, and certainly not in the guano mines. It's a legend that appears countlessly in Easter Island literature and has been resoundingly debunked by island researcher Grant McCall, who conducted extensive genealogical research into the matter and has revealed repeatedly that there is no evidence whatsoever to substantiate the claim that islanders were ever on the Chincha Islands. Amidst the many horrific things Europeans did to the early Easter Islanders, this legend is far from incredible. But it's simply not true. Of course, legends deserve their space in history, but Fischer fails to adequately qualify his statements in this regard. It's surprising. Wrong and surprising.

2) Fischer repeatedly refers to the Easter Island palm as "Jubaea chilensis" (the Chilean Wine Palm) -- see, for example, page 8 -- when in fact the Easter Island palm has its own name and scientific classification: "Paschalococos disperta" (a/k/a the Feather Palm). John Dransfield of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England, designated the Easter Island palm thus to specifically distinguish it from the Chilean Wine Palm. While there is some evidence to suggest these two palms were similar in size and possibly appearance, they are nevertheless distinct species. (Surviving, empty endocarps or seeds have been found on Easter Island -- and they are clearly not the same species as the endocarps of the Chilean Wine Palm; this was part of the basis upon which Dransfield developed a separate classification for the Easter Island palm.) Oddly enough, Fischer even cites the scientific literature in which Dransfield's classification is made but nevertheless fails to refer to the Easter Island palm correctly. Again, surprising. Wrong and surprising.

While a more detailed follow-up would be undeniably meritorious, these are but two points worth making initially. They may sound like picayune points, yes -- but, when it comes to Easter Island, it is my firm belief that there's more than enough misinformation out there already -- between the ridiculous "ancient astronaut" nonsense to the now defunct diffusionist theories of Heyerdahl. Therefore, the closer we can get to an accurate understanding of Easter Island, the better.

I would like to be able to recommend Fischer's "Island at the End of the World" without reservation but I can't. I do recommend it, however -- but with the qualification that should accompany anything written about Easter Island (including my own book): Trust but verify.

P.S.--
Another reviewer has mentioned that "Originally the island was forested and may have sopported [sic] larger mammals and other beasts". While the former is undeniably true, the latter is not. No evidence whatsoever has emerged to substantiate the notion that any land mammals or "other beasts" were on Easter Island before the colonists from eastern Polynesia arrived (unless by "other beasts" one means migratory sea birds!). And though the colonists may have brought with them the dog and the pig when they left their homeland, neither of these evidently survived the long ocean voyage to Easter Island. The chicken did, however -- and, together with the Polynesian rat, these represented the only land animals on Easter Island until the early European explorers arrived in the 18th century.

Most recent account of the island.......2005-08-19

This concise account of Easter Islan history presents some new scholarhsip and rehashes the same stories of the islands remarkable facts and people. Easter Island is known for its isolation and its statues, as well as its startling degree of population decline. Easter Island was discovered, forgotten and then rediscovered. Its people originally arrived on canoes as part of the Polynesian expansion and colonization of the Pacific. Originally the island was forested and may have sopported larger mammals and other beasts, however in short time the trees were cut down and only chickens, brought by the polynesians, remained. The population embarked on the construction of the great stone statues, and then proceeded to fight endless wars. The art of canoe building was forgotten. When Europeans arrived diseases decimated the population untill few remained. The few that did remain were interviewed about their naitonal myths but no information could be found on the giant stone structures, that the people then living seemed in no position to be able to create with the tools they had.

A good book.

Seth J. Frantzman

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