'Although departing from classical narratives of migrations, [Crowe's] organisation remains compelling and surely succeeds in demonstrating the unrivalled voyaging capacities of Polynesians generally and Maori specifically. . . . Another noteworthy quality of the book lies in the exhaustive review of Polynesian places. Crowe does not omit archipelagos commonly left aside in the big narratives. . . . Chapter 10 remains in my view a tour de force of this volume. Crowe describes here what a voyage of settlement may have looked like in the most accurate and vivid way... I would, without a doubt, add this book to the list of readings for any students enrolled in an Introduction to Pacific Archaeology and Anthropology course alongside more specialised and topical volumes. But I would also surely recommend it to anyone curious about Polynesian peoples and their incredible achievements.'

'a highly readable and lucid account of the early Polynesians' epic saga... will appeal to both the general reader and the specialist'.

"I was impressed with how many different disciplines—scientific disciplines—are all threaded together in one book... It's beautifully researched, very in-depth... Crowe's linguistic knowledge is truly impressive... A beautiful, beautiful book." Lisa Matisoo-Smith, Head of the Department of Anatomy,University of Otago

An extraordinary, encyclopaedic account of the greatest maritime expansion in history... Andrew Crowe has assembled a stunning amount of evidence from archaeology, genetics, linguistics, meteorology, astronomy, zoology and tradition to show not only that the Polynesians knew how to navigate across the seemingly trackless waves but the paths they followed, their techniques for locating islands and how they adapted to so many different environments. Wonderfully informative and entertaining