Aphrodite’s Island

GENERAL NON-FICTION FINALIST

Aphrodite’s Island
Anne Salmond
Viking, Penguin Group (NZ)
ISBN 9780670073962
RRP $65.00

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'. The book explores these societies' shared history to furnish rich insights into Tahitian perceptions of the visitors while illuminating the full extent of European fascination with Tahiti.
 

Anne Salmond is a noted New Zealand historian, anthropologist and writer. She is currently Distinguished Professor of Maori Studies and Anthropology at the University of Auckland. Professor Salmond has been recognised for her contributions to the wider community in New Zealand, in 1988 receiving the CBE for services to literature and the Maori people. In 1995 she was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire for services to New Zealand history.  Dame Anne has also served as chair of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust Board.