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"A spellbinding, richly descriptive, and deeply thought-provoking account of late 18th-century Tahitian life and cultural conflict." STARRED REVIEW--Library Journal "A gripping multidisciplinary history ... Salmond has mined an immense archive to create a brilliant picture of Tahiti, and also the Europe it fascinated."--Foreword "There is awe to be had in reading this blockbuster of a book. Salmond offers us the satisfying, readerly pleasure of realising a particular place and time." --Times Higher Education "An absorbing history of the European engagement with Tahiti."--Scotsman "The story is one that has been told many times, but Salmond's book offers new insights."--Times Literary Supplement (Tls)
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"Aphrodite's Island" is a bold new account of the European discovery of Tahiti, the Pacific island of mythic status that has figured so powerfully in European imaginings about sexuality, the exotic, and the nobility or bestiality of 'savages.' In this groundbreaking book, Anne Salmond takes readers to the center of the shared history to furnish rich insights into Tahitian perceptions of the visitors while illuminating the full extent of European fascination with Tahiti. As she discerns the impact and meaning of the European effect on the islands, she demonstrates how, during the early contact period, the mythologies of Europe and Tahiti intersected and became entwined. Drawing on Tahitian oral histories, European manuscripts and artworks, collections of Tahitian artifacts, and illustrated with contemporary sketches, paintings, and engravings from the voyages, "Aphrodite's Island" provides a vivid account of the Europeans' Tahitian adventures. At the same time, the book's compelling insights into Tahitian life significantly change the way we view the history of this small island during a period when it became a crossroads for Europe.
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Another sun rises over the Pacific and out of the east come sailing Wallis, Bougainville, Cook and the rest to encounter the enchanted isles. Salmond takes us there, on board the smelly, oaken castles; there, at the first sight of land; there, as European and Polynesian negotiate their encounters; there, as the dream turns sour; and there, as the first Polynesian navigators and ambassadors to the West make their presence felt on the world stage. This extraordinary book is a synthesis of the latest anthropological research and speculations woven into a beautifully paced, sparkling narrative. You would swear, at times, that you were on the beach with them, watching the events unfold. The assurance of Salmond's prose and her judicious use of background information to buttress the day by day account of these explorations place her among the best contemporary writers on Pacific history. See her 'The Trial of the Cannibal Dog' for a wonderful scholarly account of James Cook's adventures. There is a great deal of anthropological detail in this account. It may seem too much for some readers, put off by unfamiliar names and ideas. But this should not deter; skim these passages if necessary. The sum of the remainder is just too good to miss.
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