A thoroughly fascinating work by a great Australian writer and scientist. Flannery examines the relationship of new arrivals to their land, with Australia as the useful test case. As a land that was populated in the last 100,000 years, but at a much earlier date than, for instance, the Americas, it presents an ideal site for a study of a) why its flora and fauna evolved the way they did, b) what impact the first Australians had on the landscape over their tens of thousands of years of ownership; c) what impact this "co-evolution" had on them, and d) what massive changes were wrought by colonists and conquerors, aka my ancestors, to this existing ecosystem. In contrast, Flannery uses our near neighbour New Zealand, which remained devoid of people until around 1,000 years ago, and so serves as the perfect antithesis.

Flannery deals in specific cases, but each chapter is manageable from a layperson's point of view. His tone is one of awe at nature, red in tooth and claw. His pedigree is exemplary, as Flannery is able to use examples of where he himself discovered fossils or evidence, so that's always a plus.

The downside of the book, inevitably, is that it's 25 years old. This doesn't invalidate the text, but it has an impact on the usefulness of the first two-thirds of the book. The first section, dealing in pre-human evolution in Australia and surrounds, is chock-full of discoveries just being made, or questioned, in the early 1990s. So much work has been done in this space, that Flannery's work serves more as a guide to other studies rather than a current scientific document. The second section focuses on Aboriginal Australians, and here Flannery was ahead of the curve. Analysis of the relationship of our first peoples to their land has spread and deepened considerably since then. But none of this is his fault. A solid read. ( )

An ecological history of the Australasian lands and people.

Flannery has a point (or several) to make and he makes and remakes them time and again to the point of (almost) screaming frustration or dull submission. What saves this book is the countless dips into prehistory and modern scientific analysis that he uses to illustrate his ideas. Essentially he suggests that Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia are all examples of populations of living creatures (including humans) that have developed in isolation and under pressure (usually lack of resources).

The deep question he poses is whether these examples have something to tell us about how we might live in the current world, and survive (collectively speaking) into the future. But on the way he also addresses (in a fairly rigorous way) questions of evolution, animal and plant extinction, the spread of human populations and the role of climate and fire in the environment. For anyone interested in the environment in this part of the world this is essential reading. Readers from other parts of the world might find the combination of a barrage of ideas and an avalanche of foreign examples just a little to much to take at one sitting, and might seek out a more 'local' story. However, this book does constitute an ideal introduction to the region for those with the interest to 'get to know it'. Flannery has impeccable credentials as a naturalist who has worked all over this region since the 1980's and has written some excellent books about those days, including 'Throwim Away Leg' and 'Among the Islands'. ( )

Read. ( )