The origins of mountains and plains, the powers of wind and sea, the turbulent courses of the rivers, the mysteries of plant and animal life - these and other wonders of nature in an enthralling quarter of the globe are the subject of this new anthology. The theme develops progressively. Eachextract, short or long, itemizes some detail of wonder seen, heard or felt directly by the writer. Authenticity has been an important standard. Some well-known authors have met the test but, for comprehensive cover and reliability, many passages have been taken from specialist sources that thegeneral reader rarely encounters. In the commentary, Lord Cranbrook adds his own perspective, as a biologist with forty years' involvement in South-East Asia. The writings of his choice, from ancient classical times to the present, reveal wonders of the region that the reader can relish in thecomfort of an armchair as well as under the tropical sun.