This handbook fills a gap in information about the German colonies in the Pacific: German New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomons, Marianas, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Caroline Islands, Palau, and Samoa. The editor Hermann Joseph Hiery, professor of modern history at the University of Bayreuth, has written extensively on this area (see Das deutsche Reich in der Südsee: 1900-1921 [The German Empire in the South Sea], Paderhorn, 1995, and other publications), and presents here 37 original articles by 29 contributors. The interdisciplinary scope, and the detailed treatment of each area, supported by quotations from sources, illustrations, maps, and annotated bibliographies, make this an indispensable reference work for those interested in this area. [wl/ab]