WOW !! Herb Kane has produced another incredible book.  Designed as a classroom book, anyone who reads this 110 page marvel will be VERY impressed with the "sweep, clarity and authority of the writing," in the words of Kalani Meinecke, Head of Hawaiian Studies at the Windward Community College on O`ahu.  Kane covers ALL of the major facets of Hawaiian civilization in a style that rivets your attention.  One of the most amazing things about it is the clarity of Kane's vision of what ancient Hawaii was really like.  He is a passionate supporter (and member of) the Hawaiian culture himself.  (Kane served as the first captain of the voyaging canoe replica Hokulea, which has logged over 60,000 miles in Polynesian oceans!)  Yet he manages to view the past of his own culture with a simultaneously sympathetic, realistic and honest view.  There is no attempt here to portray the culture through rose colored glasses, yet the brilliant accomplishments, beauty and dignity of the ancient culture shine through in this honest presentation of it.  There is a lot of unrealistic glorification of ancient Hawaii around these days - this book is a major milestone in painting an honest view in a totally absorbing fashion.  It's riveting, easy to read, scholarly and copiously illustrated with Kane's wonderful paintings.  You can also visit his web site !!

To give you an idea of the incredible scope of this book, here are the chapter headings: The Discoverers of Hawaii; Origins; Tahitian Conquest; Navigators; Polynesian Genesis; Worlds Apart; The Land; Chiefs; Mana and Rank; Kahuna; The Power of Words; Reciprocity; Makahiki; Warfare; Commoners; Untouchables; Food; The Ancient Landscape; Fishing; Planting; Kapa; Tools; Canoes; Performing Arts; Sports and Games.

This is a "must have."  No single book that I have ever seen will give you as complete and succinct an understanding of the Hawaiian culture as this one.

This is a WONDERFUL book !!  It's a compilation of stories about 12 modern Hawaiians trying to live their lives in accordance with and in honor of old Hawaiian traditions.  Each chapter is focused on a specific and critical aspect of the Hawaiian culture and way of life.  The chapters are:   1) Mahi`ai / Farming    2) Mele / Music     3) Hula / Dance    4) Olelo Hawai`i /  Hawaiian Language  5) Hoe Wa`a / Canoe Paddling    6) He`e Nalu / Surfing 7) Kapa / Tapa Cloth     8) Lapa`au / Healing  9) Pono / Righteousness    10) Ho`omana / Religion

Na Mamo also features 14 chants and songs written by Hawaiians and 60 images of native Hawaiians and their lives by award-winning native photographer Anne K. Landgraf.  "Tending the land, teaching, hula, creating cloth from bark, making medicine from plants; these Hawaiians and their families live in the modern world while honoring age-old traditions."   Jay's style is very engaging - you will find this book a very enlightening experience and very hard to put down! Na Mamo even has it's own web site !!

We like Bisignani's handbooks.  One of our reasons for this is that he is very sensitive to the Hawaiian culture and to the land itself, which is called ka `aina in Hawaiian (you will see this word in Hawaiian newspapers and writing constantly).  Basically, this THICK book (1004 pages !!), consists of all of the separate Chico Press Hawaiian Island handbooks combined into one, and without leaving much out!  One of the great things about is them is that they have special chapters on geography, climate, history, government, economy, culture, religion, arts and crafts and camping and hiking as well as the "normal" ones on transportation, accommodations and  "round the island" tours.  If you are going to be visiting two or more islands on the same trip, or you just want to be able to read about ALL of Hawaii in one place, then this book is perfect.  It's very comprehensive.  Read this one and you will know more than many people who live there!

David Malo was born in 1795, not far from Kealakekua Bay, where Captain Cook was killed sixteen years before.  In 1831 he started attending the mission high school at Lahainaluna, Maui (the first American school west of the Rockies).   He quickly learned to read and write Hawaiian.  Fortunately, one of the ministers at the school started a seminar in which students collected information about Hawaii's past.  David Malo wrote his own history of Hawaii in 1840, making it one of the earliest written accounts of Hawaii. What makes this work unique is that Malo actually grew up under the old kapu system and worshipped the old gods.  Malo's text wasn't even translated into English until 1903.  The current edition has been revised and corrected slightly.  Any serious study of the Hawaiian culture has to include this text, for there is no other text available written in Hawaiian by a Hawaiian who lived before the kapu system was overthrown.

You HAVE to have a Hawaiian dictionary if you are going to be at all serious about Hawai`i.  This is it, THE Hawaiian dictionary.  Mary Kawena Pukui was born and raised in the Ka`u district on the Big Island.  Samuel Elbert is a world-renowned expert on Hawaiian culture.  The contributions that these two people have made to the preservation of knowledge about the Hawaiian culture cannot be measured.   What make this dictionary so wonderful and so indispensable is that it continually gives examples of the use of Hawaiian words in context (LOTS of full sentences and phrases).  This is one of the most amazing dictionaries that I have ever seen, in ANY language; a "MUST HAVE!"

This is part two of a set of books that are quite remarkable.  Many people are not aware that Hawaii is a "stolen nation."  It has been stolen not once, but twice.  The British took the islands by force in 1843, but the British Crown restored the Hawaiian Kingdom almost immediately.  Then, in 1893, the United States also took the Kingdom by force.   But this time, it was not returned.  This event is known in Hawaii as simply, "The Overthrow."

This well-written book explains what happened, gives the text of President Cleveland's message to Congress recommending the restoration of the Kingdom, discusses the fate of Hawaii and Hawaiians under non-Hawaiian rule and explains the current sovereignty movement and what possible forms sovereignty could take.  An excellent book.

This little tome is a collaboration of two VERY distinguished Hawaiian scholars.  Mary Kawena Pukui was born and raised in the then-remote Ka`u district of the Big Island, so she writes from intimate, first-hand experience.  This is an absolutely fascinating cultural tour-de-force, and is essential for an understanding of old Hawaii.  A sampling of the subjects covered here are manners and customs relating to birth, death, marriage, sexual practices, religious beliefs and family relationships.  The material in this book is based on original field work and comes mainly from elderly (in 1958) Hawaiians.  There is no other book that will give you a better feel for what living in the Hawaiian culture was like.