Author Archives: ianburnet

Unknown's avatar

About ianburnet

Author of the book, Spice Islands. Which tells the History, Romance and Adventure of the spice trade from the Moluccas in Eastern Indonesia over a period of 2000 years. Author of the book, East Indies.Which tells the history of the struggle between the Portuguese Crown, the Dutch East India Company and the English East India Company for supremacy in the Eastern Seas. Author of the book 'Archipelago - A Journey Across Indonesia'. Author of the book 'Where Australia Collides with Asia' Author of the book 'The Tasman Map'. Author of the book 'Eastern Voyages'.

A Death in Paradise

Posted on April 24, 2014 by ianburnet

The whitewashed residence of the former Dutch Governor on the island of Banda has some classical architectural features. From the golden lions mounted on the entrance gates, to the now defunct fountain on the lawn in the forecourt, to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fort Revenge – A Mystery Solved

Posted on April 12, 2014 by ianburnet

Fort Revenge. Just the name conjures up boyhood images of the sound and fury of battle, with cannons booming, muskets firing, military flags waving, the clash of swords, and the sound of battle cries. Fort Revenge still stands on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

‘East Indies’ —- Book Reviews II

Posted on April 6, 2014 by ianburnet

Some more ‘East Indies’ book reviews have come in. Armed Enterprise – Competition and Monopoly in the East Burnet tells of the struggle between the Portuguese Crown, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the English East India Company for … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ambon Medley

Posted on April 6, 2014 by ianburnet

Time to have fun with some timeless classics. Join in with the audience —- clap your hands, stamp your feet, whistle, shout, and have fun with Keroncong Tugu Band

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The Manhattan Transfer

Posted on March 16, 2014 by ianburnet

Originally posted on spiceislandsblog:
This is a story that never ceases to fascinate. Whenever I give a ‘Spice Islands’ book talk, I am always asked “Is it true that the island of Run was exchanged for Manhattan?” Manhattan is often…

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The Manhattan Transfer

Posted on March 12, 2014 by ianburnet

  This is a story that never ceases to fascinate. Whenever I give a ‘Spice Islands’ book talk, I am always asked “Is it true that the island of Run was exchanged for Manhattan?” Manhattan is often referred to as … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Spice Islands Sailing Adventure 2014

Posted on February 28, 2014 by ianburnet

The Ombak Putih is sailing again to Ambon-Banda-Lease-Obliatu-Bacan-Makian-Tidore-Ternate from October 8-19, 2014. Nutmeg and clove plantations, historic forts, old VOC buildings, dive spots, remote villages, local markets, Sultan’s Palaces, and lazing on board, are all on the agenda. Follow our … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Nederlandsch Indische

Posted on February 23, 2014 by ianburnet

The Nederlandsch Indische is no longer with us, but more than fifty years after the end of that era there are still some visible remnants. These I found on a recent trip across Java and I am sure there are … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Oude Stad – ‘Old Town’ – Dutch Semarang

Posted on February 12, 2014 by ianburnet

The old Dutch part of Semarang is often referred to as the Oude Stad. Built close to the port and with access for small ships and barges up the Semarang River, the colonial buildings of the ‘Old Town’ stand sadly … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

e-books – love them or hate them?

Posted on February 6, 2014 by ianburnet

It doesn’t matter because their here to stay and everyone has their own preference according to the type of book. For book publishers it certainly overcomes all those intractable problems of trying to ship books to satisfy customers in many … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment