"A Geography of Islands" gives a comprehensive survey of 'islandness' and its defining features. Steve Royle has visited and studied 312 islands in 49 countries in all the worlds oceans. It is full of up to date global case studies, from Okinawa to Inishboffin, and Hawaii to Crete. In the final chapter, all the themes are brought together in a case study of the Atlantic island of St Helena. It is well illustrated with the authors own photographs and maps. This book will appeal to those studying islands as well as those with an interest in the topic, particularly those engaged in dealing with small island economies.

1 Islands: dreams and realities 2 Islands: their formation and nature 3 Insularity: processes and effects 4 Islands in the past 5 Islands: people and migration 6 Islands: communications and services 7 Politics and small islands 8 Making a living: island economies in the contemporary period 9 Islands of dreams: tourism, the universal panacea for island problems? 10 Conclusion: St Helena wins again

Stephen A.Royle is a Senior Lecturer in Geography at Queen's University, Belfast. He has researched on islands around the world, originally inspired by a holiday visit to Dursey Island, County Cork, Ireland.