The Great Barrier Reef

'... a work of dazzling accomplishment, meticulously researched and scientifically accurate ... the Bowen's book is ...a classic, which will doubtless be referred to as long as interest in the Reef persists'. '... the book is full of facts and figures, the text is easy to read, the characters and issues come alive and it is altogether a fascinating account of an aspect of the Great Barrier Reef all too often forgotten. I recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone interested in the evolution of scientific inquiry, the role of the Great Barrier Reef in our past and present, or in the development of the conservation movement in Australia.' 'This book has delighted me. It is what the Great Barrier Reef has always needed; a comprehensive and scholarly history of European exploration and involvement with the Great Barrier Reef.' 'This book is comprehensive, scholarly and highly readable, and will be a key reference for the history, science and culture of the Great Barrier Reef for a long time to come.' 'The book is clearly written and well organised ... a very valuable synthesis for reef managers and scientists as well as for undergraduates studying the history of science and conservation. It would be a useful addition to a school library for teachers and a-level students.' 'I enjoyed reading this book ... it is a voyage of discovery that weaves coral reefs intricately into world history. Every few pages, through their detailed research. James and Margarita Bowen produce new insights into the role that coral reefs, particularly those of the Great Barrier Reef have played throughout history. This is not a dry historical study. It is interesting and enjoyable and has just won the New South Wales premier's prize for Australian history. It should appeal to science and history buffs, and is a well-documented source book for students of the environment and history, particularly in the management of a World Heritage Area.' '... a truly excellent book ... very reader friendly ... It is a must to be read by all who are concerned in its welfare ...'. '... an excellent, easy to read, all-embracing, and truly interdisciplinary account of the world's greatest reef system. They cover so much more than the biological and environmental aspects of the reef in the book ... this is a fascinating story of the reef and its impacts on human attitudes ... this is the first work to provide a fully comprehensive history of the 'European' impact over the time of the two centuries from Cook to the present. This remarkable book provides an interesting and detailed account of human involvement in, and influences upon, one of the world's greatest natural phenomena.' '... the first full history of the Reef ... The Bowens give a lively history of the exploring and mapping of the Reef ... scholarly, well-written ...'.