No comments about Fodor's Exploring Australia, 6th Edition (Exploring Guides).

2 comments about Fodor's Exploring New Zealand, 3rd Edition (Exploring Guides).

1. I bought this book since it seemed a comfortable size for traveling as compared with Lonely Planet. I think it had very little info however, and found that the free guides given by New Zealand Tourism were equally if not more useful. Wouldn't recommend it.



2. Welcome to New Zealand!
   Fodor's has offered some good travel books however they aren't my favourite, but considering price vs information offered it's not too bad. The book is just under 300 pages so it fits easily into your bag though honestly it doesn't offer nearly as much information on things to see and do etc as other travel guides. I lived in New Zealand for some time and I bought this book before moving to Aotearoa (Maori word for New Zealand) to get some useful information about the country and things it offered. I thought the book was very informative about the various regions covering the North and South Islands as well as offering photos as a visual appeal. The info is all very accurate when it comes to historical information as well as sights that the average tourist or even kiwi shouldn't miss when traveling. The book is broken into regions like other books and offers some info on the major cities like Queenstown, Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland, Wellington etc. and what they all have to offer. I would recommend this book as supplement to another travel book, though you can certainly get by with just this book, I did. It also helped that tourist/info centers are everywhere in the major cities and travel destinations and they offer maps info packets etc. Overall good book, affordable, gives useful info and can be used alone but I would recommend another travel guide of some kind. DK I found was very good and offered a bit more info, though honestly its better to just go and experience things and see what locals have to say because most of the time travel guides offer only so much and you'll find that you experience and enjoy a bit more of what the country has to offer when you do what the locals do and go off the beaten track so to speak. After living in Wellington I found that there was a lot of things I felt the book couldve covered or included but didnt. I suppose complaint would be that it has very limited amount of info which you could probably find in other books. Like I recommend going down to Courtney St. which is near Te Papa Museum and exploring the restaurants and clubs, it has a very good nightlife there, really when you travel you just have to find things out for yourself because the only people who really know where to go what to see and do are those living there, most travel books can't tell you all that because most weren't written by someone who lives there. The book does do a good job of giving a brief overview of Aotearoa or New Zealand's history, geography including flora and fauna, and culture of the Maori.

No comments about The Melbourne Dreaming: A Guide to the Aboriginal Places of Melbourne.

No comments about Globetrotter Travel Guide New Zealand.

1 comments about Maverick Guide to New Zealand.

1. I have travelled before using the "old standards" (Lonely Planet, Let's Go, etc), but I have never been fully statisfied by them. When I stumbled upon this series, I was amazed. They include so much information, it is like a god-send! It was a history lesson, language tutor, and travel guide all in one! Over half of the book was comprised of the history of the island, local slang, and the culture of the Kiwis. The travel section was not lacking by any means. It mentioned places other books did not, and give a through description of the listings, along with local signifigance. It had everything I'd ever dreamed a travel book would have. I'd recommend all the books in this series and I plan to use them exclusively for all my further travels.

3 comments about A Handful of Emeralds: On Patrol With the Hanna in the Postwar Pacific.

1. I ran across this book looking for information about the USS Hanna (DE 449), a WWII Destroyer Escort ship named after Private Billy T. Hanna USMC, who died on Guadalcanal in 1942.

   I highly recommend reading this to anyone interested in Micronesia and War in the Pacific. It is very readable and well worth the effort. Written by the USS Hanna's captain, Joseph C. Meredith, the book details the ship's patrols of Micronesia, and the Bonin and Volcano Islands in 1953-54.

   Captain Meredith describes the seven patrols he captained, giving intimate observations on the islands they visited, the people, history and geology. The stories of the attempts of foreigners to discover, exploit and dominate the islands, provide a real understanding of the islands and their people.

   His emphasis on Japanese influence on the islands gives a real understanding of WWII and the Pacific, of what it was like to be there, and of the reasons and strategy of the War in the Pacific.

   He researched the history of Micronesia in great detail, providing an accurate view of how Micronesia became what it is today.




2. World War II in Micronesia laid a foundation for hundreds of books and thousands were written. For those of us who were there right after the war few books have recorded what it was like. This author, a naval captain of a Destroyer Escort, told his story and wove in history and the continuing story of the people. And he told the story we lived. Casual inspection tours of twenty islands in fifteen days. Landings that started in a small boat and ended swimming in across a rocky beach. Local administrators who had shamefully little support from the US government and still carried on trying to do a decent job. Priest and missionaries who carried on in the wake of war, building communities with Navy discards. Hopeless ocean searches that sometimes were successful. And a little boredom. For those who were there, a very true book.



3. To me the amazing coincidence of the narrative by Joseph C. Meridith on the Patrols of the USS. Hanna DE449 in 1953-1954 is that it almost perfectly coincides with the time that I was a Radarman on the Hanna. It is like he wrote my history of that time in my Navy experience. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and it will be treasured by me and my family. The Patrols were a great experience with all the sailors on board wanting to be on the small parties that were able to go ashore to walk around the islands. The ones that I remember the most were Ponape, with its absolute breathtaking beauty and Truk with its abundant Japanese navy ships that had been damaged during World War II. The book is a great treasure of information on the islands written by a man who recorded his observations in a colorful and well written manner

2 comments about The Little Aussie Fact Book.

1. As an American journalist who has worked in Australia and the author of travel, language, and history books about Australia, I find this gem to be a wonderful resource. It has been updated several times, with my most recent copy dated 1995, purchased in Australia. Margaret Nicholson has filled a niche with a well-designed, easy-to-use concise guide to everything Australian. It is helpful for reasearchers, travelers, and ex-pats trying to keep up with info from home. Much easier to read than an almanac. Bright and cheery enough for school kids to find helpful as well.



2. As an American journalist who has worked in Australia and the author of travel, language, and history books about Australia, I find this gem to be a wonderful resource. It has been updated several times, with my most recent copy dated 1995, purchased in Australia. Margaret Nicholson has filled a niche with a well-designed, easy-to-use concise guide to everything Australian. It is helpful for reasearchers, travelers, and ex-pats trying to keep up with info from home. Much easier to read than an almanac. Bright and cheery enough for school kids to find helpful as well. I hope Ms. Nicholson is planning another update prior to 2000.

No comments about Frommer's Portable Australia's Great Barrier Reef (Frommer).

No comments about Successful Exploration Through the Interior of Australia.

No comments about Mawson's Antarctic Diaries.