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Guide Books If you are thinking of visiting Samoa be sure to read one of these books before you leave. |
Impressions of Samoa Since the Europeans first encountered the islands, visitors have been recording details of their travels. |
| The Samoan Language Many visitors to these web pages have expressed an interest in learning Samoan. Here are some books that can help you. |
History For such a small country, Samoa held a remarkable position on the World stage. Why not find out about it. |
| Flora and Fauna A selection of books about the diversity of life in the rainforests and reefs of Samoa. |
Politics, Economics and Commerce Samoa is one of the poorest countries in the world. Learn more about the factors which contribute to this. |
| Fiction Choose from traditional Samoan stories or modern Samoan fiction. |
Robert Louis Stevenson Find out more about Samoa's most famous Scottish inhabitant. |
| Anthropology and Culture Samoa is refered to as the Heart of Polynesia, because of all the islands, it has retained the strongest links to its cultural heritage. |
Margaret Meade It was in Samoa that Margaret Meade made her reputation as an anthropologist, however some now think that her observations and methods were flawed. |
| Biography Find out more about some successful Samoans. |
Miscellaneous Books that we have been unable to classify. |
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This book covers much the some ground as the Lonely Planet guide and is written by a seasoned Pacific guidebook writer. The main advantage it has over the Lonely Planet book is the fact that it has been published more recently and so hotel, restaurant and bar reports are likely to be more reflective of the current situation and prices. The book also includes a 21 page section covering a wide range of additional resources for information about the islands, including a bibliography, periodicals and local and regional organisations. For a more detailed look at the book visit our review of this book.
Despite the erroneous title (Samoa lost the Western in 1997) this book provides a good source of information about hotels, bars and restaurants. As you would expect from a Lonely Planet guide, there is plenty of infomation for the indepedant or budget traveller, but the more expensive hotels and resorts are covered as well. For those of you that are visiting Samoa for the first time and know little about the islands, the history, culture and paces of interest are well documented, complete with samples of local folk stories. Although English is understood by most people, the selection of words and phrases could come in handy in some of the more remote parts of the islands.
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