Research Catalog

Details

Description

1. 537 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps; 24 cm

Summary

1. Aphrodite's Island is a bold new account of the European discovery of Tahiti, the Pacific island of mythic status in Western imaginings about sexuality, the exotic, and the nobility or bestiality of "savages." In this groundbreaking book, Anne Salmond takes readers to the centre of these societies' shared history to furnish rich insights into Tahitian perceptions of the visitors while illuminating the full extent of European fascination with Tahiti. As she discerns the impact and meaning of the European effect on the island, she demonstrates how, during the early contact period, the mythologies of Europe and Tahiti intersected and became entwined. Drawing on Tahitian oral histories, European manuscripts and artworks, and collections of Tahitian artefacts, and illustrated with sketches, paintings, and engravings from the voyages, Aphrodite's Island provides a vivid account of the Europeans' Tahitian adventures. The book's many compelling insights into Tahitian life will significantly change the way we view the history of this small island during a period when it became a crossroads for Europe.

Subject

1. Pacific Islanders > First contact with other peoples > French Polynesia > Tahiti (Island)
2. Tahitians > Travel > History
3. Public opinion > Europe > History
4. Opinion publique > Europe > Histoire
5. Public opinion, European
6. Public opinion
7. Pacific Islanders > First contact with other peoples
8. Ethnic relations
9. Civilization > Foreign influences
10. Colonial influence
11. Discoveries in geography
12. Tahiti (French Polynesia : Island) > Discovery and exploration
13. Tahiti (French Polynesia : Island) > Ethnic relations
14. Tahiti (French Polynesia : Island) > History
15. Tahiti (French Polynesia : Island) > Civilization > Foreign influences
16. Tahiti (French Polynesia : Island) > Colonial influence
17. Tahiti (French Polynesia : Island) > Foreign public opinion, European
18. Tahiti (Polynésie française) > Découverte et exploration
19. Tahiti (Polynésie française) > Histoire
20. Tahiti (Polynésie française) > Civilisation > Influence étrangère
21. Tahiti (Polynésie française) > Influence coloniale
22. Tahiti (Polynésie française) > Relations interethniques
23. Europe
24. French Polynesia > Tahiti (Island)

Genre/Form

1. History

Contents

1. Introduction: Aphrodite's island -- Thunder in 'Opoa -- The glorious children of Tetumu -- Purea, 'Queen' of Tahiti -- Happy island of Cythera -- Ahutoru at the opéra -- A Polynesian Venus -- Captain Cook in Arcadia -- The transit of Venus -- Circling the land -- Tupaia's ship -- The viceroy of Peru -- Tute's return -- Hitihiti's odyssey -- The red feathers of 'Oro -- Three Tahitians in Lima -- Boenechea's burial -- Matimo and the friars -- Ma'i on ice skates -- A bare-chested captain -- Tute's portrait -- Conclusion: The angel of history -- Appendix 1: The seasons in Tahiti.

Owning institution

1. Harvard Library

Note

1. Originally published by University of California Press, 2009.

Bibliography (note)

1. Includes bibliographical references (pages 470-517) and index.

Processing action (note)

1. committed to retain

Awards (note)

1. New Zealand Post Book Awards 2010 Non-Fiction Finalist.