Aphrodite's island
Subtitle: the European discovery of Tahiti
By: Anne Salmond.
Publisher: Penguin/Viking
Published: 2009
Place of publication: North Shore, N.Z
Language: eng
Number of pages: 537
ISBN-13: 9780670073962
Subjects: Tahiti (French Polynesia : Island) -- Discovery and exploration; Tahiti (French Polynesia : Island) -- History; Tahiti (French Polynesia : Island) -- Civilization -- Foreign influences; Tahiti (French Polynesia : Island) -- Colonial influence
Description: 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.
Notes: First published by University of California Press, 2009.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [470]-517) and index.