If you center a globe on Kiritimati (Christmas Island), all you see around it is a vast expanse of ocean. Islands of various sizes float in view while glimpses of continents encroach on the fringes, but this is a view dominated by water. The immense stretch of the Pacific Ocean is inhabited by a diverse array of peoples and cultures bound by a common thread: their relationship with the sea.

In this volume, the rich history of the Pacific is explored through specific objects, each one beautifully illustrated, from the earliest human engagement with the Pacific through to the modern day. Entries cover mapping, trade, whaling, flora and fauna, and the myriad vessels used to traverse the ocean. This visually stunning publication highlights the importance of an ocean that covers very nearly a third of the surface of the globe, and which has dramatically shaped the world and people around it.

A new look at this fascinating ocean, considering the diversity of culture beyond the familiar viewpoint of colonial history.

• Fully illustrated with maps, paintings, artefacts and photographs, with some items from the Library collection reproduced for the very first time.

• Beautifully packaged in landscape format and cloth quarter-binding