Long before Magellan entered the Pacific in 1521 Westerners entertained ideas of undiscovered oceans, mighty continents, and paradisal islands at the far ends of the earth-such ideas would have a long life and a deep impact in both the Pacific and the West. With the discovery of Tahiti in 1767 another powerful myth was added to this collection: the noble savage. For the first time Westerners were confronted by a people who seemed happier than themselves. This revolution in the human sciences was accompanied by one in the natural sciences after Darwin's momentous visit to the Galapagos Islands. The Pacific produced other challenges for nineteenth-century researchers on race and culture, and for those intent on exporting their religions to this immense quarter of the globe. As the century wore on, the region presented opportunities and dilemmas for the imperial powers, a process was accelerated by the Pacific War between 1941 and 1945. Strangers in the South Seas recounts and illustrates this story using a wealth of primary texts. It includes generous excerpts from the work of explorers, soldiers, naturalists, anthropologists, artists, and writers--some famous, some obscure. It shows how "the Great South Sea" has been an irreplaceable "distant mirror" of the West and its intellectual obsessions since the Renaissance.

In 'Dave Porter in the South Seas; or, The Strange Cruise of the Stormy Petrel' by Edward Stratemeyer, readers are immersed in an adventurous tale set in the exotic South Seas. The book follows the journey of Dave Porter as he navigates through treacherous waters and encounters mysterious islands, all while facing thrilling challenges along the way. Stratemeyer's vivid descriptions and detailed storytelling transport readers into a world of danger and excitement, making it a captivating read for fans of adventure literature. The seamless blend of action and suspense keeps readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating the next twist in the plot. With its fast-paced narrative and engaging plot, this book is a perfect choice for those seeking an unforgettable literary escape. Edward Stratemeyer's expertise in crafting gripping stories for young readers shines through in this thrilling adventure, making 'Dave Porter in the South Seas' a must-read for anyone looking for an exhilarating journey through uncharted waters.

My South Seas Sleeping Beauty is a captivating coming-of-age tale set in the magical jungles of Borneo. Told through the vivid recollections of a Chinese-Malay youth, the novel recounts the life of Su Qi, a troubled, sensitive son of a wealthy family, and exemplifies the imaginative range of one of Taiwan's most innovative writers. "There were all sorts of stories about how my younger sister died," Su Qi begins, hinting at the power of memory to bend and refract truth. Yet whichever the real story may be, the fact is that the death of Su Qi's sister created an irrevocable rift in Su Qi's family, driving his father into the arms of aboriginal women and his mother into a world of her own invention. In an effort to escape the oppression of home, Su Qi loses himself in the surrounding jungle, full of Communist guerillas and strange tropical fauna. The jungle further blurs the line between fantasy and reality for Su Qi, until he meets Chunxi, the beautiful, frail daughter of his father's best friend. Chunxi is an oasis of kindness and honesty in an otherwise cruel and evasive world, but after a bizarre accident, Chunxi falls into a deep coma, and Su Qui flees to Taiwan. In college Su Qi meets Keyi, a vivacious siren who helps Su Qi forget not only his violent past but also the colorful tales of his youth. When a family member dies, however, Su Qi is pulled back to the jungles of Borneo where he begins to unravel the secrets of his family's past-a story stranger than any fairy tale-and learns that his cherished dream of awakening his beloved Chunxi may be more than just a fantasy. Influenced by the lyricism of William Faulkner and the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, My South Seas Sleeping Beauty is a deeply evocative exploration of sexuality and identity and a masterful reworking of Chinese and Western myth. Valerie Jaffee's careful translation retains all the tone and detail of the original work and provides rare access to a new and exciting generation of Chinese writers born in Southeast Asia.

The author of Treasure Island shares true stories of his travels in the Pacific in these portraits of nineteenth-century Tahiti, New Zealand, and beyond. Setting sail from San Francisco in June 1888, the author of Kidnapped and other classic adventure fiction embarked on a journey of his own. Having endured periods of illness and isolation in his earlier years, Robert Louis Stevenson was determined to see the far corners of the world. His extensive travels took him to the Hawaiian Islands, the Gilbert Islands, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Samoa, where he would eventually settle. This collection of Stevenson’s writings recounts these wondrous years of nineteenth-century South Seas exploration.