Tahiti and Its Islands (TIMES TRAVEL LIBRARY)

Tahiti lies in the heart of the immense Pacific Ocean, which covers almost two thirds of the world. This magical name Tahiti refers no only to that island, but the five archipelagos which form French Polynesia. Ever since the ships of Bougainville and Captain Cook returned to Europe bearing seemingly fantastic tales of the islands' people and splendour, Tahiti has come to symbolize a dream of island paradise. Even as its people are drawn into the modern world, the dream remains a reality for Tahitians as they live amid a landscape of dramatic beauty.