Among The Islands

Book excerpt: Twenty-five years ago, a young Australian museum curator named Tim Flannery set out to research the fauna of the Pacific Islands. Starting with a survey of one of the most inaccessible islands in Melanesia, the young scientist found himself ghost whispering, snake wrestling and Quadoi hunting in search of a small bat that turned out not to be earthshatteringly interesting. With accounts of discovering, naming and sometimes eating new mammal species; being thwarted or aided by local customs; and historic scientific expeditions, Flannery, now one of the world’s top environmentalists, takes us on an enthralling journey through some of the most diverse and spectacular places on earth.