The Melanesian World

"The most important and comprehensive reference published on this region in years, perfect for general orientation. Summing Up: Highly Recommended" - R. Scaglion in CHOICE

"This is the remarkable kind of book that, if we're lucky, comes around once in a generation and lays a whole new foundation for a venerable field of study. Creative in conception and comprehensive in coverage, this is now the first place to turn to for orientation in the study of Melanesia." - Joel Robbins, University of Cambridge, UK

"A marvellously eclectic, yet thoroughly comprehensive and readable collection, offering an invaluable source on past and present Melanesia. Its diverse chapters represent a valuable collection of interdisciplinary approaches that distil the wisdom, insights and collective expertise of the best scholars on this exciting region, as they trace the evolving and challenging relationships between land, people, culture and ideology." - John Connell, University of Sydney, Australia

"The Melanesian World is a real smorgasbord of enticing and distinctive perspectives on what it means to be Melanesian. The chapters range from up-to-date pieces of reference to thought provoking interventions. This makes the work unique and equally useful to those looking for detailed information about the region as much as those seeking theoretical inspiration for the study of human diversity." - Ton Otto, Aarhus University, Denmark

"The Melanesian World is encyclopaedic, cultural, historical, contemporary and reflective. It has been several decades since such an important book on Melanesia has been published." - Clive Moore, University of Queensland, Australia

"In the topography of Melanesian studies, this latest addition to the Routledge 'Worlds' series is a significant waypoint, an occasion to take stock of the current configuration of the field...The resulting collection is encyclopaedic, in the good sense of the term, and available online as individual chapters, which secures its future as an invaluable teaching resource." - Chris Ballard in Pacific Affairs