The History of Melanesian Society

William Halse Rivers (18641922) was a groundbreaking physician psychologist and anthropologist in the early twentieth century chiefly remembered for his work on the psychological disorders produced by the First World War. In this two-volume work from 1914 he presents his theory of the diffusion of culture in the south-west Pacific. Volume Two details the many similarities and differences among the societies of Melanesia and the possible ways in which these contrasts could have arisen. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of anthropology or the Pacific islands.