Hawaii (On the Road Histories): On-the-Road Histories

by John H. Chambers

This reader-friendly Hawaiian history tells the islands’ story from the arrival of the very first Polynesian settlers in the 300s to the most recent strivings for native Hawaiian sovereignty. The harsh regime of Hawaii’s chiefs, the landing and death of Captain Cook, Kamehameha’s bloody conquests, the profound influence of American missionaries, the wild whaling days, French and British interventions, the sugar barons, the arrival of different ethnic groups to work the plantations, the coup d’etat , the demise of the native monarchy, the coming of US political control, the territorial years, World War I, Pearl Harbor and World War II, the striving for statehood, and the post-war tourist avalanche and economic doldrums—all are part of this history.

Hawaii features special sections on the birth and death of the islands, descriptions by famous writers such as Mark Twain, accounts of tsunamis, the great volcanoes, Jaws the wave, hula, Hawaiian cowboys, and the revival of ocean voyaging.

Genres: Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2006

Reviews

[C.S. Malerich · Rating 3 out of 5]

History of the islands, with a view to tourists and visitors understanding the social and political context of sovereignty struggles. Includes some guidebook type sections, like recommended sites to visit on each island, plus excerpts from primary sources, an extensive bibliography and other resources in the back, which alone make it worth a look. Not a people's history -- the historical narrative focuses on royals, officials, and the like -- but also feels like a solid grounding in the subject.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly succinct, workmanlike overview of Hawaii's history. Having been to the islands several times (and planning to return), I found the book helpful in putting what I was seeing in historical context. That being said, however, the book isn't written with much pizzazz--it's sort of like reading a long term paper. There are a number of sidebars scattered throughout the text to provide some "color," but they read pretty flat as well. Whenever the author cites a quote, it seems pretty arbitrary, as the quotes usually don't prove very enlightening. For instance, one sidebar features Mark Twain's Hawaiian sojourn. Twain had many clever and colorful things to say about his trip, but you'd never know it from the author's details.

Still, the book is helpful for its overview. Use it as a framework for understanding Hawaiian history and enhance it with further reading elsewhere.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read bits of this book preparing for a homeschool international night; we made a "Hawai'i-ology" book. I enjoyed the natural history, as well as the Hawai'ian people and their unification under King Kamehameha. He was a bit of a brute, but nothing to what happened to Hawai'ians when westerners showed up. Great overall history.