Books about Sumatra from Amazon.com

The islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and Bali are ecologically one of the richest, most biologically complex areas in the world, sought out by thousands of knowledgeable nature lovers every year for the spectacular variety of wildlife and beautiful vistas. This book provides the first complete identification guides to the birds of this teeming tropical paradise. It gives descriptions of 820 regional species, illustrated in 88 specially commissioned color plates accompanied by notes detailing distinctive features and habitats. Entries cover nomenclature, plumage, markings, voice, global range, distribution and regional status, habits, and diet. The main text gives practical information on where to find many exotic species, citing major birdwatching locations. Introductory chapters discuss habitats, climate, land-use, and conservation concerns. Professional ornithologists and amateur bird watchers alike will find this the indispensable bird guide for eastern Malaysia and western Indonesia for many years to come. It is also an unrivalled source of information for casual travellers and ecotourists..
Price: $59.42 [Notify me when price goes down.]

A swashbuckling tale of thievery and revenge

The Giant Rat of Sumatra is the most notorious pirate ship in the Pacific Its ferocious figurehead, a rat with crooked teeth and gouged-out eyes, strikes fear in the heart of every seafaring crew. Now the ship has dropped anchor in San Diego. Twelve-year-old cabin boy Shipwreck -- so named after he was rescued from the sea by the pirates -- is anxious to begin his long journey home to Boston. Instead, he finds himself swept up in a treacherous plot. It seems his adventure is only just beginning. . . .

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Price: $2.04 [Notify me when price goes down.]

A student of the renowned paleontologist Dr. Louis B. Leakey and a colleague of both Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall, Birute Galdikas is the world's foremost authority on the life and behavior of the orangutan. For more than twenty years she has lived in the jungles of Borneo, devoting her life to studying and preserving this endangered animal as well as its disappearing rain forest habitat. The informative text describes both the obstacles and adventures of Dr. Galdikas's explorations as well as her startling discoveries, and the full-color photographs brilliantly capture her life among the orangutans. Birute Galdikas is an impressive role model, and her inspiring story serves as a reminder that the future of our fragile world, as well as our understanding of it, lies in the dreams and determination of today's young naturalists.

Awards and honors for Among the Orangutans:
John Burrough's Nature Book Award
Nueva Award
Publisher's Weekly, starred review

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Price: $24.27 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In this rich account of a Muslim society in highland Sumatra, Indonesia, John Bowen describes how men and women debate among themselves ideas of what Islam is and should be--as it pertains to all areas of their lives, from work to worship. Whereas many previous anthropological studies have concentrated on the purely local aspects of culture, this book captures and analyzes the tension between the local and universal in everyday life. Current religious differences among the Gayo stem from debates between "traditionalist" and "modernist" scholars that began in the 1930s, and reveal themselves in the ways Gayo discuss and perform worship, sacrifice, healing, and rites of birth and death, all within an Islamic framework.

Bowen considers the power these debates accord to language, especially in arguments over spells, rites of farming, hunting, and healing. Moreover, he traces in these debates a general conception of transacting with spirits that has shaped Gayo practices of sacrifice, worship, and aiding the dead. Bowen concludes by examining the development of competing religious ideas in the highlands, the alternative ritual forms and ideas they have pro-mulgated, and the implications of this phenomenon for the emergence of an Islamic public sphere..
Price: $39.50 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Plunged into the dark waters off Sumatra when her ferry sinks, 14-year-old Emily fights to stay alive amid the chaos and horror of passengers drowning in the night. Striking out toward land, Emily finds a young Islamic Indonesian boy, Isman, floating in a life jacket. Hungry, thirsty, and exhausted, Emily realizes that their survival depends on her ability to keep her mind clear and her emotions in check. Testing the limits of their physical strength, she and Isman face a shark scare, a whirlpool, and other dangers. For emotional strength, Emily increasingly looks to Isman, who draws courage from his quiet but firm Islamic faith. Overboard is based on the true story of a young American woman who survived the sinking of an overloaded Indonesian ferry in January 1996. Of the more than 400 passengers aboard, only 40 people survived. .
Price: $5.79 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This is the story of the Allied air campaign across Australia, Sumatra, Java, the Philippines, Burma and Ceylon during World War II. It documents the Allied underestimation of Japanese ability, and ends with the Japanese at the extremities of their advance..
Price: $101.60 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Song Of Survival, Helen Colijn's account of her wartime experiences, is a window into a largely overlooked dimension of World War 2 -- the imprisonment of women and children in Southeast Asia by the Japanese and how these prisoners of war responded to their dire circumstances. Held in captivity for nearly four years, more then a third of the women in Helen's camp died of disease or starvation. Yet their courage, faith, resiliency, ingenuity, and camaraderie provide us with enduring lessons on living. Though they had no musical instruments, the women had their voices, and from memory scored classical works for symphony and piano to sing. The music that helped sustain them while in captivity is a lasting and precious gift from these women to a world that has witnessed far too much war. Helen's story reached a mass audience via the motion picture Paradise Road, which is based on the events chronicled in Song Of Survival..
Price: $37.08 [Notify me when price goes down.]

When Sherlock Holmes needs help solving some of London's greatest crimes, he calls on the Baker Street Brigade for assistance Danny Wiggins, P.T. "Peachy" Carnehan, and Duff Bernard are able to travel freely and without suspicion throughout the city providing Holmes with all the right information to catch the bad guys! From rescuing a kidnapped friend to uncovering the conspiracy trying to delay the construction of the Underground Railway, the Baker Street Detectives are on the job to uphold justice!

Features:

• "Words to Know" glossary of words and meanings from the time period
• "Did You Know?" section of intriguing facts from the time period
• "Want More?" information section that connects readers with the Website for the series
• Discussion questions available online
• Great for reading groups
• Helpful to those who homeschool

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Price: $8.49 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Periplus is a pioneer in mapping the cities and countries of Asia. Among its many "firsts" are maps of Phnom Penh and Angkor in Cambodia, Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysia, as well as the first map to cover all the major cities and tourist destinations in Vietnam A dozen new titles are produced annually and our goal is to publish accurate maps of every city and travel destination in the Asia-Pacific region.

Each Periplus map features: •Insets covering major places of interest with listing of useful tourist information •"Close-up" city plans shown at scales of 10K to 20K •A unique, easy-to-handle folding system that allows for viewing one panel at a time for quick reference.
Price: $7.54 [Notify me when price goes down.]