It's always interesting to read books about people and places that you know and the late Stuart Kingan's 'Paradise? or Comic Opera?' is no exception. Subtitled '50 years in the tropical Pacific', it's an account of his time on Rarotonga, where he arrived towards the end of the Second World War aboard the MV Maui Pomare.

Stuart Kingan came to the Cook Islands as a radio communications engineer in November 1944, to set up an observatory in Rarotonga for investigating ionospheric conditions.

At that time the country was administered by New Zealand and Kingan, with his forthright opinions, rapidly became unpopular with the colonial rulers. His descriptions of the rules and attitudes of the time make sobering reading. Shipping was the lifeline of the islands back then and there are fascinating descriptions of shipping services, cut-throat competition, the heroes, the wrecks and the rogues.

Aviation too is covered, from the first plane to land on the island - an Air force Hudson, to the coming of the international airport and including such highlights as the pilot who tried to smuggle an island girl back home. Politics and politicians come under close scrutiny and once again Kingan's opinions are blunt and hard-hitting.

A chapter on disasters looks at tsunami, lightning and cyclones including one in 1889 in which 55 seamen perished in Avatiu harbour.

And of course Kingan's scientific loves are well covered: the two total eclipses visible from the Cook Islands in which he was involved, the ham radio exploits, nuclear testing in the Pacific, manganese nodules and energy, particularly solar energy.

This book spans a period when the country was undergoing massive changes both politically and technologically. It captures the events and the people involved in them and for anyone interested in the recent history of the Cook Islands is a valuable resource and an enjoyable read.

Stuart G Kingan passed away on Wednesday 12 January 2000 at 84 years of age. 'Paradise? or Comic Opera? is published by SOPAC with the agreement of his family that monies from its sale will be used to establish a trust fund. The proceeds will be used to award an annual Science Prize to high school students in the Cook Islands as a lasting tribute to Stuart G Kingan.

Copies of the book can be obtained directly from SOPAC [South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission]