This collection of engaging short stories drawn from the television reports presented by Eric Campbell as part of the ABC TV’s Foreign Correspondent program.

The 16 case studies in human folly couldn’t be more diverse. There’s Iceland’s failed ambition to become a global financial hub that left the tiny country broke, the curious standoff between Russia and Japan (who are technically still at war) over the Kuril Islands, and the story of how Greenland is prospering from global warming as the permafrost recedes.

Told with a keen eye for the comic, the strange and the ridiculous, these tales are at once hilarious and tragic. Campbell reminds us of the senseless war over the Falkland Islands by quoting Jorge Luis Borges, who labelled it ‘a fight between two bald men over a comb’. This stands in stark contrast to the plight of those Argentinian servicemen who continue to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder decades after the conflict ended.

Silly Isles reminds me that television is about entertainment as well as information, and it often struggles to communicate much more than a brief survey of a situation illustrated with moving pictures. For that reason this book feels somewhat restricted by its origins as a series of television reports. I was often left wanting more: more detail, more background, more analysis and more reflection. It’s saved by Campbell’s quick wit and strong sense of the ironic. Enjoyable reading it is, but it’s not enough to keep me up half the night.

Reviewed by Gregory Dobbs