Pacific Island Books
New Guinea

New Guinea

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Handbooks of the Flora of Papua New Guinea: Vol. I. Edited by John S. Womersley. Published by Melbourne University Press. ISBN 0522840957. Recommended retail price. Unfortunately this is no longer available :-(

The Papuasian region was the last of the world's major areas to be explored botanically. Although a great deal yet remains to be done, a large body of knowledge has been accumulated since systematic botanical investigations began towards the end of the last century. This information is, however, scattered in a variety of scientific journals, not readily available to people who do not have access to some large institutional library. This present work, which is intended to be the first of a continuing series, aims to present information on the Papuasian flora in a concise and correlated form.

Accounts of families arc prepared not only by botanists at the Lae Herbarium but also by overseas workers with an interest in Papuasia. The work is copiously illustrated with line drawings, and the commercial and traditional uses of the plants are noted.

Mr Womersley, who initiated work on the series in 1970, retired at the end of 1975 after 27 years' service as a botanist in Papua New Guinea. Hard cover, 278 pages. Published in 1978, reprinted 1995.

Handbooks of the Flora of Papua New Guinea: Vol. II. Edited by E. E. Henty. Published by Melbourne University Press. ISBN 0522842046. Recommended retail price. Unfortunately this is no longer available :-(

This is the second volume of a series which began in 1978 with the aim, as stated then, of presenting information on the Papuasian flora in a concise and correlated form.

Many workers are now active in taxonomic work in the neighbouring Malesian region, mainly in connection with the Flora Malesiana project, in which the Rijksherbarium, Leiden, is involved. This assists the Flora project, since the regions overlap, but Papuasia includes the Bismarck Archipelago and Bougainville Island, which contain a number of species not found in Malesia.

A large part of this volume is devoted to an account of the Elaeocarpaceae, an important family of trees, widespread in the region, from low to high altitudes. The treatment of the difficult parasitic group Loranthaceae, which has associations with birds and butterflies, will be welcomed by naturalists.

The work is illustrated by line drawings, at least one of each genus; and, in the larger genera, one to each section. Hard cover, 276 pages. Published in 1981, reprinted 1995.

Handbooks of the Flora of Papua New Guinea: Vol. III. Edited by Barry J. Conn. Published by Melbourne University Press. ISBN 0522845827. Recommended retail price. Unfortunately this is no longer available :-(

This third volume of the Handbooks of the Flora of Papua New Guinea is an important contribution to documentation of the rich diversity of the Papuasian flora. Earlier volumes in the series were published in 1978 and 1981.

Like the previous volumes, this latest handbook enables readers and botanical workers to assess the rate of species extinction in the region, develop and maintain sound conservation strategies, and monitor their effectiveness. It features contributions from two PNG botanists at the Lae Herbarium, plus accounts by overseas experts, and is copiously illustrated by line drawings.

This handbook is an authoritative, practical guide to one of the most botanically fascinating regions in the world.

Dr Barry Conn has worked as a botanist and Lecturer in Botany in Papua New Guinea, specializing in the systematics of tropical genera of Loganiaceae and the aquatic flora, and is now a research Botanist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, specializing in the systematics of several Australasian plant families. Hard cover, 292 pages. Published 1995.

Kula: Myth and Magic in the Trobriand Islands by Jutta Malnic with John Kasaipwalova. ISBN 0-646-34617-2. Published by Cowrie Books. Recommended retail price $49.

Many times the Trobriand islanders have been studied and written about, but never before has their story being told this way, from the inside, through the voices of understanding and belonging. Never before has such a wealth of superlative photography presented the life of the Kula Ring, with all its joyful lessons, a rich heritage of practices for survival: for Trobrianders learn the secret of awareness and responsible management, of human encounter and relationship with the world around them. By this they traditionally harnessed positive energies for a spiritually healthy life, in an astounding culture of adventurous voyages to serve the competitive Kula Ring of exchanges. East of New Guinea, from the Coral to the Solomon Sea, throughout a chain of far-flung islands, this can truly be called civilisation.

Jutta Malnic has been documenting Kula trading in the Trobriand Islands with photography and tape recording for over a decade. She instigated, researched and was cultural advisor on the documentary film Kula, Ring of Power. Kula, Myth and Magic in the Trobriand Islands is her second extensive documentation of an indigenous culture.

John Kasaipwalova is a prominent Papua New Guinea poet and writer, known for his executive role in the Kabisawali movement at the time of Independence. His folk operas Sail the Midnight Sun, My Tide let me ride, The Dance of the Snail and Sana Sana have been performed to acclaim in the country and overseas. He succeeded Chief Nalubutau as head of the Kwenema clan. Hard cover, 222 pages. Published in 1998.

Girl in garden	Women playing cricket	Dugong dance

Mammals of New Guinea by Tim Flannery. Revised and Updated edition. Recommended retail price $70.

There is no competitor. This is THE book on the mammals of New Guinea. Tim Flannery won prizes for the first edition of this book. This new revised second edition is even better with 24 additional species. Mammals of New Guinea summarizes all that has been learned of the natural history and systematics of the mammals of the island of New Guinea (Offshore islands are covered in the companion volume Mammals of the South-West Pacific and Moluccan Islands). Introductory chapters present the geological history of new Guinea, zoogeography, climate and vegetation. Much more has recently been learned of the biology of many species, particularly the larger marsupials, and the fossil record is much improved.

The discovery and investigation of New Guinea’s mammal fauna began only relatively recently. In bringing all this previously scattered information together, Tim Flannery has provided a work which will greatly contribute to our knowledge of the mammalian fauna of a rapidly changing environment, making it accessible for the first time to both the professional scientist and amateur naturalist.

Having had the pleasure of communicating with, and finally meeting, Tim I can only report that his enthusiasm is infectious. I shall do my best to get the rest of his books onto the website as soon as possible. Hard cover, 568 pages.

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Papua New Guinea. Map. Recommended retail price $6.95

This full color 1:2,600,00 scale map covers this vast country in a useful over-view.

Papua New Guinea Yearbook 2003, edited by Brian Gomez.  ISBN 9980-85-407-3. Published by The National and Cassowary Books. Recommended retail price $40.

This book packs a huge amount of information into its 140 pages. There are maps of the major towns, discussions about PNG industry, graphs on population structure, and inofrmation about sport, tourism and agriculture. If you are planning to do business in PNG then this book is essential. Soft cvoer, 140 pages, published in 2003? Includes fold out map.

Snakes of Papua New Guinea, A Guide to The by Mark O'Shea. Published by National Library of Papua New Guinea. ISBN 9980916966. Recommended retail price $75. Currently unavailable sorry!

The first comprehensive guide to the snake fauna of Papua New Guinea, with a section on snakebite and its treatment in Papua New Guinea, by Prof David A. Warrell and Dr. David G. Lalloo. Mark has been interested in snakes since his earliest years and kept snakes from the age of nine. This interest soon grew into an abiding passion and now, in his early forties, he has sought out, collected and studied snakes and other reptiles from Brazil to Borneo, from Honduras to Cameroon and from Nepal to New Guinea. He has a particular interest in venomous snakes and is currently involved in research into the dangerous snakes of PNG, including the ecology of the little known small-eyed snake, for the Centre for Tropical Medicine at Oxford University and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a former recipient of a Fellowship from the Christensen Research Institute, Madang, PNG, an affiliate to the National Museum of Papua New Guinea, a former chairman of the international Herpetological Society and a former Council member of the British Herpetological Society, he plans to concentrate his attention on the herpetofauna of PNG for many years to come. In the United Kingdom he divides his time between his studies and working as Herpetologist and Curator of Reptiles at the West Midland Safari Park, where he is concerned with behavioral studies, captive breeding programs and education. Considerable time is also given over to lecturing around the United Kingdom on herpetological subjects, writing for magazines and journals and contributing to natural history films, television programs and children's books.

When he talks about snakebite he also appreciates the subject from the victim's point of view, having been the recipient of several very serious snakebites himself. Soft cover 239 pages. Published in 1996.

A Thrilling blend of scientific discovery and high adventure. Throwim Way Leg tells the story of internationally renowned mammologist Tim Flannery’s travels to the unexplored regions of New Buinea in search of species that science has yet to discover or classify. He finds mahy – from a community of giant cave bats that were supposedly extinct, to the elusive black-and-white tree-kangaroo – and along the way has a wealth of unforgettable adventures. Flannery scales cliffs, descends into caverns, and cheats death from both disease and local cannibals who wish to take revenge on his “clan” of wildlife scientists. He eventually befriends the tribespeople, who become companions in his quest, and whose contributions to his research prove invaluable.

In New Guinea pidgin, throwim way leg means to take the first step of a long journey. The journey in this book is a wild ride full of natural wonders and Flannery’s trademark wit, a tour de force of travelogue, anthropology, and natural history.

Tim Flannery is director of the South Australian Museum. He was previously the principal research scientist at the Australian Museum in Sydney and has also been visiting professor of Australian Studies at Harvard University. He is the author of eight books, including his award-winning history of Australian ecology, The Future Eaters. Soft cover, 326 pages. Published in 1998.

Click on thumbnail below for photo from The Traditional Pottery of Papua New Guinea

Click on the links below for these books.

Bamboo Leaves by Sam Ngwele

Last modified on Monday, December 27, 2010