Polynesia, a vast region of manifold islands in the central Pacific Ocean, consists of more than a dozen political entities with various political statuses, including independent states, states in free association and dependent territories still awaiting decolonization.

While many of them are very small in terms of land surface and population (less so in ocean surface covered by their vast exclusive economic zones), each of them has a complex and fascinating history. This history includes usually well-preserved Indigenous traditions reaching back many generations, fateful early encounters with Europeans from the late 18th century onwards, an often traumatic colonial period during the late 19th and early 20th century, and various developments in the present, mostly post-colonial, era.

Historical Dictionary of Polynesia, Fourth Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section contains cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the country's politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Polynesia.

Lorenz Gonschor is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Affairs at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji. He holds a MA in Pacific Islands Studies and a PhD in political science, both from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. He previously also taught at universities in Tonga and Tahiti. His research interests include the history of diplomacy and regionalism as well as decolonization in the Pacific region.

Robert D. Craig is professor emeritus of Pacific history at Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, Alaska.