Copyright # 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst. 17: 217 (2007) BOOK REVIEW FLOATING ISLANDS: A GLOBAL BIBLIOGRAPHY; WITH AN EDITION AND TRANSLATION OF G.C. MUNZ’S EXERCITATIO ACADEMICA DE INSULIS NATANTIBUS (1711), by Chet Van Duzer. Cantor Press, California, 2004. 428pp. $44.95. ISBN 0-9755424-0-0 A fascinating and unusual book, although not one which I would choose for my holiday reading. It is exactly what the title says } a global bibliography about floating islands; mostly vegetation and mostly in fresh water. The timescale covered runs over the last two millennia. The book’s value comes in two parts. The obvious value is the bibliography of an unusual subject. It is a very thorough bibliography, with brief annotations on many of the references } especially useful for those that are not written in English. It includes newspaper reports as well as scientific articles and unpublished reports. References to the latter frequently include the location of rare copies or the internet address if available. The bibliography is in alphabetical order of first author; it occupies most of the book (pp. 69–353). It is followed by two valuable indices: the first is a subject index and the second a geography index. The subject index is helpful, but could be more extensive. It includes, for example, rivers and reservoirs but not lakes or wetlands. It includes formation, buoyancy and movements but not longevity or stability. Nevertheless, it includes conventional uses (control and management; human habitation; agriculture; artificial islands) as well as esoteric ones (holy; mythical). The geographic index is by country, organized by continent. Two appendices follow the themed indices: one, a list of other known islands not described in print, and the other a separate bibliography of early (mostly 18th and 19th century) accounts of new volcanic islands. The second value in this book, occupying the first 33 pages, is a literal translation of the 1711 treatise by the German priest Georg Christopher Munz on floating islands, together with its original Latin, page by page. This text is a prosaic review of the writings on floating islands from Greek literature up to the 17th century, examining origin, composition, reasons for their persistence, and uses. It also describes some islands in European locations that were well-known then but no longer exist today. The two sections are effectively linked by 32 pages of notes, in which the author expands upon parts of Munz’s text using other quotations from contemporary or more recent works, or explains geographic locations by accounts of their recent history (or explains their disappearance). Floating Islands has a short introduction, which explains the bibliography’s context and the reasons for the inclusion of Munz’s work. I personally would have liked to have read a concise review of the phenomenon, perhaps 20–30 pages, which I am certain the author could have written. That would have made the book appeal to a wider audience of ecologists, geographers and historians. As it is, the book deserves to be on the shelf of every relevant academic and research institution’s library. I do not think, however, that the publishers are looking forward to a paperback version soon! David Harper University of Leicester, UK Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/aqc.756

Floating islands: a global bibliography; with an edition and translation of G.C. Munz's exercitatio academica de insulis natantibus (1711), by Chet Van Duzer. Cantor Press, California,

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Page 1: Floating islands: a global bibliography; with an edition and translation of G.C. Munz's exercitatio academica de insulis natantibus (1711), by Chet Van Duzer. Cantor Press, California,

AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS

Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst. 17: 217 (2007)

BOOK REVIEW

FLOATING ISLANDS: AGLOBAL BIBLIOGRAPHY;WITH AN EDITION AND TRANSLATION OFG.C. MUNZ’S EXERCITATIO ACADEMICA DEINSULIS NATANTIBUS (1711), by Chet Van Duzer.Cantor Press, California, 2004. 428pp. $44.95. ISBN0-9755424-0-0

A fascinating and unusual book, although not onewhich I would choose for my holiday reading. It isexactly what the title says } a global bibliographyabout floating islands; mostly vegetation and mostlyin fresh water. The timescale covered runs over the lasttwo millennia.The book’s value comes in two parts. The obvious

value is the bibliography of an unusual subject. It is avery thorough bibliography, with brief annotations onmany of the references } especially useful for those thatare not written in English. It includes newspaper reportsas well as scientific articles and unpublished reports.References to the latter frequently include the locationof rare copies or the internet address if available. Thebibliography is in alphabetical order of first author;it occupies most of the book (pp. 69–353). It is followedby two valuable indices: the first is a subject indexand the second a geography index. The subject indexis helpful, but could be more extensive. It includes, forexample, rivers and reservoirs but not lakes or wetlands.It includes formation, buoyancy and movements butnot longevity or stability. Nevertheless, it includesconventional uses (control and management; humanhabitation; agriculture; artificial islands) as well asesoteric ones (holy; mythical). The geographic indexis by country, organized by continent. Two appendicesfollow the themed indices: one, a list of other knownislands not described in print, and the other a separate

bibliography of early (mostly 18th and 19th century)accounts of new volcanic islands.The second value in this book, occupying the first 33

pages, is a literal translation of the 1711 treatise by theGerman priest Georg Christopher Munz on floatingislands, together with its original Latin, page by page.This text is a prosaic review of the writings on floatingislands from Greek literature up to the 17th century,examining origin, composition, reasons for theirpersistence, and uses. It also describes some islands inEuropean locations that were well-known then butno longer exist today. The two sections are effectivelylinked by 32 pages of notes, in which the authorexpands upon parts of Munz’s text using otherquotations from contemporary or more recent works,or explains geographic locations by accounts of theirrecent history (or explains their disappearance).Floating Islands has a short introduction, which

explains the bibliography’s context and the reasons forthe inclusion of Munz’s work. I personally would haveliked to have read a concise review of the phenomenon,perhaps 20–30 pages, which I am certain the authorcould have written. That would have made the bookappeal to a wider audience of ecologists, geographers andhistorians. As it is, the book deserves to be on the shelfof every relevant academic and research institution’slibrary. I do not think, however, that the publishers arelooking forward to a paperback version soon!

David Harper

University of Leicester, UK

Published online in Wiley InterScience(www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/aqc.756