Archipelago: The Origins and Discovery of the Hawaiian Islands

by Richard W. Grigg

The Hawaiian archipelago is the oldest and longest chain of islands in the world. For over 70 million years, more than 100 Hawaiian volcanoes have erupted from a deep undersea hot spot on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. Over this time, slow drift of the Earth's crust has produced a trail or chain of volcanoes that stretches over 3,000 miles across the Pacific from the Big Island of Hawai'i to the edge of Kamchatka (Asia).
Through out "In the Archipelago" you will experience Hawai'i as you've never seen - from plumes of lava exploding under water to a plant in the cloud forests of Maui that blooms only once in thirty years. Learn of the origins and evolution of exotic tropical gardens, forests, and coral reefs. Join this exciting exploration of the islands as they were when first discovered by the Polynesians and the Western explorers, as well as, by all of us who live in Hawai'i today.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Science, Geology

111 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Marcelo Advíncula · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a fantastic reading!
I bought this book on a ABC store on my last day in Hawaii in 2019, started the reading on the plane back home, but only after 1 year I resumed reading and finished this book in my home in Brazil, 13500 km away.

It made me enjoy even more that vacation!

But let me say, the book’s title (and also the cover painting) might be misleading to the ones wondering about buying it. “The origin and discovery of the hawaiian islands”. At first I thought the book would describe the discovery and colonization of the Hawaiian Islands.

Matter fact it did, BUT, the book itself describes the GEOLOGICAL history on the physical formation of the islands. Explaining how every mountain in the Hawaiian Archipelago (they are 107 volcanoes/islands), has been originated in the same stationary hotspot of lava in the Pacific Ocean, how they are moving through the movement of the tectonic plates and how these gigantic 70 million years mountains are getting extinct one by one.

It makes you rethink time and your own ‘blink of an eye existence’.

[Anamar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this with the intention of learning about the origins of the Hawaiian Islands. It is very detailed and more geologically focused than historically. The first 5 chapters focus on everything from the creation to the island’s’ flora and fauna. Only the last chapter focuses on actual colonization and it tends to drift back into coral reef talk which I get it—the book is written by a geologist who studies coral reefs—but it just wasn’t what I wanted to learn about in so much detail.

If you’re someone who enjoys this subject, then this would definitely be the book for you but if you have no knowledge about oceanography subjects, then the book is going to be very confusing.

[Ben Boule · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unbalanced but interesting

I got this book after seeing it in a store in Hawaii. The book at quick glance looks like it's going to be a history of the islands, but that's not really what it is.

This book can really be divided into 3 sections:
- Geological history of the Hawaiian islands
- A section on the biology of the islands and surrounding ocean habitats
- A history of human civilization on the islands.

The issue with the book is more than 60% of the book is geology. The section on biology is thinner, and the section on human activity is very weak. There is a section on the destruction of Laysan island for guano mining that is detailed but there is very little information on the history of the Hawaiian people. For example there is no mention at all of the unification of the Islands at all. King Kamehameha I is mentioned once. Most of the information has to do with population growth and then contraction after Western contact.

In addition the book is not that well written for a book written by a college professor. The book lapses into first person perspective at times in a strange way as if the author wanted to write a memoir about his career. For example when discussing the formation of the new island of Lo'ihi he gives a breathless personal account of getting to visit the undersea thermal vents in the submersible Alvin. The book also has elements of an environmental treatise but that is also not well developed, instead seeming annoying in a book that is mostly geology and history. There is only one concrete example of environmental damage that is described in detail so the effort is weak.

So overall this book is worth reading, especially if you are just a visitor to Hawaii and haven't studied the islands, but it could have been a much better book if the section on human history was lengthened and the book had a stronger editor.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book on the natural history of the Hawaiian Archipelago, written by an experienced oceanographer and specialist on coral reef ecosystems. It was a good book to read while visiting the islands on holiday. The book is very nicely illustrated. My only complaint is that the book needs a good proof reading and editing.

[Koit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid overview of the geological factors which have created the Hawaiian Islands with the complimentary diversions into the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the Emperor Seamount Chain. I will start by stating my conclusion -- that overall, this book is well worth the time it takes to read it. The reader can also rest easy as the style is very accessible, and the science-y aspects are introduced with a lot of care.

As a downside, in some cases the author does not acknowledge very easily that we do not know everything yet (and probably never will about some things, such as the history before the 70 million year mark at which we are in the Pacific Ocean right now). Similarly, the constant use of non-SI units is a pain.

Biology and human history are both covered in less detail than the geological questions, but the author does try to describe both what we know and what we can guess about the species present on the islands. Lastly, a few more tables could have been useful in these chapters to delineate the differences between the islands in a more elaborate way.

This review was originally posted on my blog.

[Ruth Adar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book about the geological history of the Hawaiian Islands. Wonderful illustrations.

[Ron Sanderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and great illustrations. If you live in Hawaii and are literate you should read this book.

[Elon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this lucid, engaging history of the Hawaiian Islands, the synthesis of a fascinating surfer-scientist's lifelong experiences and scientific research. There is much to learn about science, history, and life from Dr. Grigg's narrative, beyond the specific Hawaiian subject matter. The figures are excellent and aid understanding of geography and geological history. Highly recommended!

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous photos and illustrations. Written by a scientist, oceanographer is an excellent geologic explanation of the formation of the Hawaiian Islands. Excellent information written in a scientific but interesting manner. Little on history after the islands were discovered by man.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Archipelago was sitting on a friend's coffee table and I read through it in one big gulp, much to her amusement. I'd forgotten that I almost switched to a geology major while studying at the University of Hawaii; this book reminded me why.

[Annie van Hilst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offered a fascinating scientific history of the Hawaiian Islands. It requires a little more concentration than your average novel, but worth it. I loved this book.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a plethora of data and information, but it is boring, boring, boring. How can it be possible to make learning about paradise boring?