Publisher's Synopsis
New Guinea - after Greenland, the world's largest island - is one of the last remaining frontiers. The topography is so rugged that until the arrival of aircraft tribes in adjacent valleys were often completely isolated. The wildlife is rich and often unique: giant rats, tree-kangaroos, singing dogs, echidnas, sweat bees and birds of paradise. Conditions for research are often appalling and Flannery's health and life are threatened. The mountain peoples of New Guinea, whom Flannery gets to know well, are no longer cannibals, but until a generation ago they would mount raids on other villages, kidnapping the children and eating the adults. Magic and sorcery still play a role in their lives and Flannery observes as Catholic missionaries seek to reform traditional beliefs, and mining companies exploit the huge gold and copper resources of the island.
