A series on global exploration and discovery would not be complete without the Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Pacific Islands. It is ambitious and informative and includes the familiar names of Laperouse, Bougainville, Cook and Dampier as well as the intriguing stories of tranculturites, the Bounty Mutiny, scurvy and the mysterious Northwest Passage, Terra Australis Ignotia and Davis Land. There are entries on first contacts, ships and navigational instruments, mapping and botany. The scene is carefully set in the introduction, the chronology spans several centuries, and the extensive bibliography offers a guide to further reading.