Among the Islands : Adventures in the Pacific

Twenty-five years ago, a young curator of mammals from the Australian Museum in Sydney set out to research the fauna of the Pacific Islands.

Starting with a survey of one of the most inaccessible islands in Melanesia—Woodlark, in the Trobriands Group—that young scientist found himself ghost-whispering, snake wrestling, Quadoi hunting and plunged waist-deep into a sludge of maggot-infested faeces in search of a small bat that turned out not to be earth-shatteringly interesting.

With accounts of discovering, naming and sometimes eating new mammal species; being thwarted or aided by local customs; and historic scientific expeditions, Tim Flannery takes us on an enthralling journey through some of the most diverse and spectacular environments on earth.

Among the Islands is the third book in a loose trilogy of Flannery’s adventures, following on from Throwim Way Leg and Country.

Praise for Among the Islands:

‘A rollicking adventure story that will entertain amateur zoologists young and old. By populating the narrative with interesting characters as well as fascinating creatures and spectacular environments, Flannery also keeps the story interesting for those without a deep interest in science.’ **** (Four-star review)

Australian Bookseller + Publisher

‘Flannery’s own labours in exploring these exotic islands are recalled with the zest and enjoyment that attach to difficult and arduous circumstances overcome.’

Canberra Times

‘This is an entertaining and informative account of the author’s expeditions to research mammals of the Pacific islands. Writing in a witty, anecdotal, confessional style, Tim Flannery takes us with him on his search for elusive critters in exotic places, and along the way we learn a lot about nature, humankind’s devastating arrogance, the politics of the Pacific and, most surprisingly, ourselves. Flannery is about as close as you can get to a living national treasure …’

Courier Mail

‘One of the key assets of a good scientist, we are told, is a sense of wonder and Flannery demonstrates that in spades. To read his account of such encounters as having a huge horseshoe bat land just in front of him or of finding an undiscovered giant red tree-climbing rat, is to share the excitement that drives him.’

Weekend Herald (NZ)

‘Among the Islands is not a polemic about environmental destruction nor a dissertation on the discovery of hitherto unknown species. It is above all an easily read and often surprisingly funny recounting of Flannery’s early adventures. However it also provides the reader with insights into how Flannery developed the logic behind the theories he espoused in The Future Eaters and particularly The Weather Makers.’

Gippsland Times

‘Flannery is a gifted writer, able to bring the musty backrooms of museums to life. It will be a hardened reader who can finish the book and escape without a romantic appreciation for island life and the mysterious beauty of evolution.’

Dominion Post Weekend Press (NZ)

‘A ripping yarn.’

Sunday Tasmanian

‘There is an 18th or 19th century explorer inside Tim Flannery, trying to get out. And doing a damn fine job of it too in this rather ripping yarn, which combines a passion for science with a zeal for adventure…It’s all part of the rich tapestry of a lively book based on fairly vivid recollections, notebooks and Flannery’s scientific writings from the period. Like any decent colonial explorer Flannery (whom David Attenborough has compared to David Livingstone, no less) and his colleagues suffered privations and hardships along the way, although the arduous conditions were always rewarded with the wonders of the natural world, and few are better qualified to write about that.’

Weekend Australian