It was not until the eighteenth century that France began sending mariners to the southern oceans on a regular basis, and by that time a new maritime power had begun to emerge: Great Britain. Together, these two nations would play a decisive role in determining the configuration of these little known parts of the globe, and particularly of the Pacific, which had for so long been the almost exclusive preserve of Spain.

[T]his is a fine and useful volume, engaging and accessible, and available on free access from University of Adelaide Press. It offers extensive background and some innovative approaches to thinking about the French connection with the regions of the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean.'

Ian Coller Source: Australian Historical Studies, 46