Description
Book Synopsis: A blend of Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel and Simon Winchester’s Pacific, a thrilling intellectual detective story that looks deep into the past to uncover who first settled the islands of the remote Pacific, where they came from, how they got there, and how we know. For more than a millennium, Polynesians have occupied the remotest islands in the Pacific Ocean, a vast triangle stretching from Hawaii to New Zealand to Easter Island. Until the arrival of European explorers they were the only people to have ever lived there. Both the most closely related and the most widely dispersed people in the world before the era of mass migration, Polynesians can trace their roots to a group of epic voyagers who ventured out into the unknown in one of the greatest adventures in human history. How did the earliest Polynesians find and colonize these far-flung islands? How did a people without writing or metal tools conquer the largest ocean in the world? This conundrum, which came to be known as the Problem of Polynesian Origins, emerged in the eighteenth century as one of the great geographical mysteries of mankind.
For Christina Thompson, this mystery is personal: her Maori husband and their sons descend directly from these ancient navigators. In Sea People, Thompson explores the fascinating story of these ancestors, as well as those of the many sailors, linguists, archaeologists, folklorists, biologists, and geographers who have puzzled over this history for three hundred years. A masterful mix of history, geography, anthropology, and the science of navigation, Sea People combines the thrill of exploration with the drama of discovery in a vivid tour of one of the most captivating regions in the world.
Sea People includes an 8-page photo insert, illustrations throughout, and 2 endpaper maps.
Details
Unlock the secrets of the remote Pacific with Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia. This gripping intellectual detective story takes you on a journey deep into the past, uncovering the origins of the Polynesians and their remarkable voyages across the vast Pacific Ocean. Inspired by Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel and Simon Winchester's Pacific, this book combines history, anthropology, geography, and the science of navigation to shed light on one of the greatest mysteries of mankind.
For over a thousand years, Polynesians have inhabited the most isolated islands in the Pacific, from Hawaii to New Zealand to Easter Island. They were the first and only people to have ever lived in these distant lands until the arrival of European explorers. Now, you have the opportunity to delve into their epic adventures and discover how they overcame the challenges of an unknown world without writing or metal tools.
As you embark on this captivating journey, you'll follow in the footsteps of ancient navigators, connecting with your own personal ties to Polynesia. The author, Christina Thompson, who is married to a Maori husband and has sons descended from these remarkable ancestors, weaves personal experiences with the insights of sailors, linguists, archaeologists, folklorists, biologists, and geographers who have dedicated their lives to unraveling the mystery of Polynesian origins.
Immerse yourself in the incredible history, geography, and culture of the Pacific as Sea People takes you on a vivid tour of this captivating region. With an 8-page photo insert, illustrations throughout, and 2 endpaper maps, you'll get a comprehensive understanding of the Polynesians' extraordinary accomplishments. Don't miss out on this thrilling exploration of the unknown - order your copy of Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia today!
Order your copy of Sea People: The Puzzle of Polynesia and embark on a captivating journey of exploration and discovery in the remote Pacific!
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