In spite of the title of this book Sonnerat never got closer to New Guinea than Gebi Island, North Maluku, Indonesia and his descriptions of the natural world are mainly from the Philippines and Moluccas.
Born in Lyon in 1748 Sonnerat became secretary to his uncle the botanist Pierre Poivre and with him visited the Philippines and Moluccas in 1769 and 1772. He also worked briefly for the naturalist Philibert Commerson in 1767.
He then worked as a French naval attaché travelling to India and China from 1774-1781 while based in Pondicherry.
Throughout his travels he collected and described many specimens of birds, animals and plants. His name is honoured with the genus Sonneratia an example of which is the scientific title of the grey jungle fowl, Gallus sonneratii.
