Hawaii Books

This delightful book is more than just "facts" about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 DEC 1941. Besides presenting an almost "minute by minute" chronology of the attack, it advances several months ahead of Dec 7 in presenting various surveys and defense-planning conferences that noted the weaknesses of Pearl's defenses. It quotes Pearl's two main defenders ADM Kimmel (Navy) and GEN Short (Army) as to how well they thought they were ready to defend Pearl from unexpected attacks. Sadley, while these defenders were aware of their weaknesses, they seemed to do little to remedy the weaknesses, and seemed to fail to plan any effective drills to coordinate all their "alert" plans. This book is not meant to be any serious study of the battle; instead, it educates through 240 pages of trivia "snippets." It lists all major U.S. & Japanese ships involved in the attack. It details where the attacking Japanese warships (and their commanders) were sunk in later battles. It has FDR's full "Date which will live in infamy" speech. Lists all the names of those killed aboard the USS Arizona. Lists other WWII trivia, such as the top 50 fighter "aces" of WWII, names the fastest fighter planes, and the largest and heaviest tanks. Lists the current stateside bearthing sites of numerous WWII battleships. It has short biographies of the major participants in the battle, both U.S. and Japanese. It discusses the various "bomb plot" messages, and how some of the many important messages regarding the Japanese military's interest in the defenses of Pearl Harbor were not given to ADM Kimmel. It reveals how the U.S. was able to "break" and read the secret, coded Japanese political-messages being sent from Tokyo to its embassy in Washington, D.C. It highlights some of the anti-FDR "conspiracy" theories. (A nice companion paperback to this is "Pearl Harbor Fact & Reference Book" by T. McComas.) A very revealing, and easy reading trivia book.

I'm a WWII history buff.I think I have just about everything written on the subject.When I show my books to people who are not as excited about WWII as I am, they usually yawn. This book is different, although it is full of facts it is not wordy or dry.The hype from the new movie has got everyone very interested in Pearl Harbor. It has become my favorite book to introduce my grandchildren as well as friends to WWII.

Bought this book for both a birthday and a father's day present...big hit...great gift idea...lotsa photos and interesting tidbits.

I like trivia type books and I really enjoyed this book because it presented hundreds of very interesting facts in short, easy to read items. I never knew that President Roosevelt used Al Capone's bulletproof car for protection after the Pearl Harbor attack or that the first ship sunk was not an American ship, but a Japanese submarine. This book is the way they should teach history in school. More kids would pay attention. It is very interesting and entertaining at the same time.

You don't need to take time off work, pack a bunch of gear, get frustrated by red tape, or raise a bunch of money (never enough)... Just read Steve's book and experience what it takes to pedal a boat 111 days across the Atlantic, 53 days across the Pacific and some incredible stores about the land crossings on bikes, inline skates, or hike to get from the UK and across the Island of Hawaii. And, you get to stay tuned to the ongoing trek still underway! Even if all you read are these reviews, remember... they're telling kids around the world as they go about what they've done and what anyone can do if you just pick up your feet and do it. No massive advance or follwing team of supporters. Steve and Jason aren't mutant macho athletic thrill seekers. They're regular guys with a shared vision that Steve has splayed his soul in 'Pedalling to Hawaii' so we can all know what it takes, and dream about what is possible.

I am in awe over the accomplishment of Pedalling to Hawaii, not merely the challenges faced by Stevie Smith and Jason Lewis with the 360 Expedition, but the beauty of Stevie's writing. His mastery of language, human insight peppered with such an array of emotions spilling over the pages, yields such delicate and tender storytelling. It flows perfectly.

I thank Stevie for the experience the book has given me. An enlightening, heart warming and inspiring read.

Awesome, awesome book. This treasure joins about three dozen other adventure books in my library and is one of only a few that I have read twice. It's honest, funny, intense and thouroughly entertaining. Thank you for sharing your story Stevie!!

Greg K
[...]

Well Stevie Smith did, and his book describes the true story of how he and a friend set out on a seemingly impossible adventure to avoid the tedium of office life and do something truly unique. The book is a fantastic read, written from the heart and describing an adventure that no sane person would even dream about. A must read.

This is the best Private Eye novel I've read in a long time. I highly recommend it. Great story (kept me up late finishing it). It's set in Hawaii, and the author does a good job of incoprorating Hawaiian culture into the storyline.

Sparse words used wisely with GREAT dialogue, this book is a real page turner. It will satisfy every reader of hard core detective novels. Can't wait to read about what Val will be up to next in Hawaii.

Apparently nobody else out there has thought to use the Hawaiian word for trouble in a book title, because if you type just "pilikia" into the amazon search engine, it takes you straight to this book. And this title does make good use of the word. The story is set in Hawaii, and the protagonist, Val Lyon, is a private investigator who does indeed encounter her fair share (and then some) of pilikia in a day's work.

This particular pilikia begins when a lawyer from a prominent island family hires Val to find the adolescent son of his client, who is being jailed for contempt for failing to produce the boy during a messy custody battle. The mother claims that her ex-husband has abused the boy and that, although she sent him away for his safety, she doesn't know exactly who has him or where he is. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for Val, the mother lets slip the name Harriet, and the hunt is on. Before long, Val finds herself entangled in much more than the search for the missing child. For one thing, people start getting killed, and Val is almost one of them. Then she discovers that the family of the lawyer who hired her has a lot of connections (none of them very pleasant) to the case at hand. It doesn't help any that she also starts falling for her lawyer client.

This is some deep pilikia that Val has to wade out of, but she does so admirably, even if she becomes terribly wounded in the process. One of the most striking things about this book is Val's character, which is complex and intriguing and very realistic. If I didn't know Mark personally, I'd swear he was a woman writing under a male pseudonym, because he has a clear understanding of female characters. The male characters are good, too, but sometimes they seem a little limited by the roles they have to play in the story.

The story line is another of the book's strengths. It is suspenseful and manages to be complex without descending into the sort of confusion that happens when authors just dump cartloads of red herrings wherever they can. Just a tiny bit of what may be a spoiler, however: if you have any more than a passing interest in genetics, you will probably be a few steps ahead of Val once the clues start turning up. That doesn't detract from this great tropical thrill ride, though, and I look forward to reading more of Val's adventures. Before long, I suspect pilikia will be Val's middle name, not just her occupation.

**Adapted from a Skullduggery review**

Fans of the detective or private eye genre should read this book. Mark Troy has created an original and interesting character in Val Lyon, the woman who works as a private investigator in this novel. Many different and fascinating characters live in this story, which deals with serious issues of child abuse, and Church and corporate corruption. Val Lyon herself is an entertaining and very believable character, who spices up the book with salty dialogue that reminds me of the popular Stephanie Plum mysteries. This book was a fast, entertaining read. I highly recommend it to any mystery fan.

This book contains beautiful fullcolor, fullpage photos of Prince and the people around him. It gives a great inside view in this man's life that is at least very interesting for a longtime fan like me.
Both photos from his onstage and offstage life. Yes, some pictures are of instruments, but they are just as important to him as the musicians. The same goes for the crowd shots. After all: without a crowd, there's no show.
Some pictures are posed, others are (most likely) spontaneous shots. In some photos he looks like a Prince, perfectly groomed & dressed as most of us know him, in others he looks almost like any ordinary guy. One of my favourite photos is that of Prince on a scooter wearing an old t-shirt with cut-off sleeves. It could be anyone's vacation photo.
The short text phrases on the even pages are sometimes funny, sometimes touching. They add something extra to the book though.
Even though it's not a cheap book, I'm glad that I bought it and I will progably browse through it many times again.

I really enjoyed the beautiful pictures of Prince. They were very unique. They enable you to see a more personal side of Prince.

Prince in Hawaii is a well presented picture book. Beautiful candid photos of Prince on glossy pages. Accompanied by small phrases for the reader to reflect on. Makes a lovely book to have lying around to pick up and flick through at will. A must buy for all Prince fans. Worth evey penny. :)

This item only has photos on every other page and not all are of the artist. 19 of the 68 total photos are of instruments, band members, children and crowd shots. The pages without pictures have a small quote or song lyric. The photos are varied in style and very imaginative. I don't like my photo taken, but I wouldn't mind being photographed by this photographer. This one captured Prince as the larger than life performer and a very soft average Joe side of Prince. One of the most beautiful photos in the book shows an unmade-up, unshaven, relaxed man shadowed by his hammock. I've never seen Prince look more peaceful or handsome! This would be a good book for a student of photography or avid Prince fan.

This is one of the few history books that are as easy to read as fiction. You won't have to force yourself to read it - though you may have trouble putting it down! In spite of this, it is not fictionalized.

There are also many lovely photographs and illustrations of the princess and her family, others with whom she had contact, and Hawaii. It is a lovely book, and a sad and beautiful story.

This book is a joy to read for everyone who has ever fallen in love with Hawaii (and even those who haven't). This poignant story of the last Hawaiian princess will give you a much deeper view of Hawaii than ever before. Hawaii is a lovely vacation spot, but it also has a rich, unique history. I heartily recommend Princess Ka'iulani:Hope of a Nation, Heart of a People for all ages.

This book was written for young readers but adults can enjoy, too. The Princess Kaiulani's life story gave me deeper meaning for life, such as responsibility, role, and love for people and nation. The author succeeded to picture the far away ilands so vivid even though I have never visited. Anyway I strongly recommend this book for every school library to purchase this and also adults to read.

I am Native Hawaiian and was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii within minutes of Iolani Palace. Much of my culture was lost and our land taken away. Many books were written some accurate and some not so accurate. This book was wonderfully written and with love, as the author did her many years of research. I say this because the true essence of Princess Kaiulani was depicted, our people, and culture. But most of all, the tragic lost of our monarchy, our queen, and our princess. The pictures and writing is wonderful, it is a easy reader book for children but made for everyone. This book is the most accurate, most informative, and most compassionate book I have read by any author on this subject. To get a condensed version of our history this would be the book to share. I appreciate the authors writing and grace she took to write such a wonderful book on our beloved Princess Kaiulani and our people. The love and tragedies our people went through, however, will never take away our spirit. That is where the word "Aloha" came from. Love, compassion, and spirit. This is something our princess had for her culture and people. This is something shared amongst all Hawaiians today. We may be a culture that had lost a lot but we will never be forgotten. The pictures are wonderful and brings me back as a little girl visiting the palace on a school field trip. I felt lost and sadness as I walk thru the palace, the same way I felt as I read this book. I couldnt help but cry through most of this book, I felt the same sadness and lost. To the author.... Mahalo Nui Loa! Malama Pono!

Punia and the King of Sharks has received the following awards and honors: Annotation, The Big Book of Thematic Plays by Tracy West;
Treasure State (Montana) Young Reader Award 2000;
CBC/NCSS Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies;
Junior Library Guild Selection;
Reading Is Fundamental "100 of the Decade's Best Multicultural Read-Alouds";
Recommended Book, Hawaii Department of Education. Mahalo and Aloha! -Lee Wardlaw, author

I bought this book to read to my 5 year old before we went on our Hawaii vacation. She loved it! We must have read it a dozen times before we left for our vacation! I am not an expert on Hawaiian culture, but the story was entertaining and it discussed many things we experienced during our trip to Hawaii, for example, volcanoes, surfing, seafood, and more. It also has a glossary of common Hawaiian words which were a lot of fun to learn. I highly recommend it for any child who is interested in learning more about different cultures or stories from other lands.

This is a beautifully told Hawaiian tale. Ms. Warlaw knows the culture and it shows. This award-winning, kid-friendly book has something for everyone.

I have been using this book all semester with 4-7 year-olds in creative art and drama classes. My students rated it as the book they most wanted me to bring back for an encore. It is delightful to see kids' gears turning as they comprehend each of Punia's tricks and predict the outcomes. They charged into the related class projects, and discussed the story on their own. It was a teacher's dream come true.

As the author, I can certify that several of these reviews are spoofs and indicate that the review process is on computer auto control, unedited by human hand.

Not unlike Rousseau on the road to Vincennes, I found my waistcoat soaked with tears after I read this book. The poignant and heartwarming story of a young Finnish-American's experiences in the high-stakes, no-holds-barred world of competitive birding, this book recounts the author's battles against prejudice and how he prevailed despite all the odds against him. Buy this book right now, and feel your heart soar with the author's as he tells the heart-wrenching story of how, nearing the end of his resources, he found a wounded seabird and nursed it back to life, at one point even suckling it at his own bosom. A truly life-affirming reading experience!

After I read this book the first time I was so excited I had to be sedated. It's harder than you might think to spot Hawaiian seabirds where I live, which is in California, but I keep a pair of binoculars handy in the hopes that a Hawaiian sea bird will get confused and wander across the Pacific to my neighborhood. Once I thought I had actually spotted a Hawaiian seabird and, since I felt I should have proof, I set up an antique cannon I found in my grandfather's attic and loaded it with black powder and rock salt. The recoil from the gun, however, knocked it back three feet and smashed two of my toes, and I missed the bird to boot. So, while this book is excellent, I think it should include more practical tips about birding so that other people can avoid my mistake, and a section on first aid would be useful too.

. . . but I was wrong! This book, quite literally, took my breath away and changed my life. I used not to think much about birds, particularly not about seabirds of Hawaii. Now, having read this wonderful book, for the past four years I've spent virtually every waking hour of my day looking for seabirds of Hawaii -- in the skies around my home, on our pond out back, everywhere! I hope everyone will read this book, and will enjoy it as much as I have.

*****
This unusual and precious book is a story of wisdom from an ancestor of the authors, a very wise woman and Hawaiian elder. The book contains much of interest about Hawaiian culture, told through the eyes of the authors in a deeply personal way. It is a memoir in a way, including genealogies and historical perspectives, but it's so personal at the same time, and filled with insights and descriptions of the Hawaiian culture from a Hawaiian perspective that is rare. This wise woman (the ancestor who the book is about, and who is the "voice" of the story) lived for well over a hundred years and had the chance to see Hawaii change profoundly, so her insights are very special.

It is the memoir of a family, but the memoir of a culture as well, which to the Hawaiians is the same thing. It's hard to explain how the book is written, because it is written in a non-linear (but not confusing) manner, and the content is told through stories. It includes a glossary for the many unfamiliar Hawaiian words.

Reading this book, like Pali Jae Lee's other book, Ho`opono, felt like a gift and a privilege to me. Again, I felt like the author's culture was being shared with me in a vulnerable and gentle way that gave me so much insight and appreciation for her, for her special husband, and for the Hawaiian people.

Highly recommended.
*****

I am the owner of the copyrights to the book, if you want to purchase from me, my email is taysheart13@hotmail.com. Hurry this run is almost out. Next run wont be available until next year. Hurry ! Aloha!

I am the owner of the NR Publishing Co. for which this book comes from. My father is Koko Willis and stepmother is Pali Lee. I personally have more books in stock and will be reprinting more in June 2004. Need a book? email me at taysheart13@hotmail.com, Aloha and continue the support.

An interesting personal account of Hawaii family traditions that differ from other native traditions already well known or that have been mentioned in earlier works. This is a great book written by an extraordinary man from a wonderfully diverse culture.

This book has become indispensable for my work. Unlike most floras, it attempts to include propagation and cultivation information. George Staples is not only a terrific taxonomist, but, I suspect, a fine horticulturist, too. This work must be included in the canon of botanical reference works.

We have many plant books, but none is as comprehensive as this. It's a big chunk of money, but honestly, after buying FLOWERS AND PLANTS OF HAWAII (Wood), HAWAIIAN HERITAGE PLANTS (Kepler), GARDENING IN HAWAII (Hodge), HAWAIIAN ORGANIC GROWING GUIDE (Nirab - and that's if you can get this out-of-print book, which is good but limited in scope) - every time we bring plants home, we are frustrated in that we are only able to find a small percentage of them in these books.

THIS book, though technical and voluminous, does have most all the plants we are working with in landscaping and food production (fruit trees and the like). It gives information none of the others do about disease prone species and some historical data that is critical to one's decision in planting (where to plant and how it will fare at a given altitude and location. Also wind and exposure suggestions, insect vulnerability, etc.). True, there are no color photographs. But the in-depth information and sheer number of plants catalogued is found nowhere else that we know of.

FYI, we also purchased PLANTS FOR TROPICAL LANDSCAPES - A GARDENER'S GUIDE (Rauch & Weissich) - and this is a great one for photos both of the overall plant as well as a "close-up" of the flower or fruit or leaf it produces. Recommended to us by a grower here on the Big Island. But it does have its limits in the number of plants described.


Bela Johnson
http://www.belajohnson.com

I have just finished writing a review of this book for the West Hawaii Today newspaper. I've looked it over quite thoroughly. It's flawless! And I'm a very picky reviewer. It will be the authoritative classic for many years to come, and I predict it will garner some horticultural book awards during the coming year. The binding is real cloth, a rariety these days. Bishop Museum has produced a deluxe book. I know tropical horticulture books well and review them on my website.

Not full of flashy photos, so this won't be appealing to casual gardeners. If you have some education in botany and understand the taxonomy, this will be a reference book you will come back to time and again. Very comprehensive.

A great book about surfing, people, travel and polynesian history. It's both laid back and pumping at the same time and any kind of surfer would get a good feeling from reading it.

Andy Martin wrote a vey nice book, by interviewing all the world tour pros, you get more knowledge of what goes on On the North Shore of Oahu. I was stoked to see there also was a movie about it. Jeroen Mutsaars

I really enjoyed this book, it left me wanting much more. A well researched and descriptive look at the bizare world of big wave surfers. Particularly suited to those who have not and have no intention of surfing big waves themselves, but would like to get inside the head of the people who do. It has a travelogue style, I think it would appeal to readers of Eric Newby or even books like "A year in Provence". His other book "Coming down the Mountain", takes a similar approach, but to World cup Down Hill skiing. Again a good read, but for me not quite so riveting as this one. Give it a try

I really enjoyed this book, it left me wanting much more. A well researched and descriptive look at the bizare world of big wave surfers. Particularly suited to those who have not and have no intention of surfing big waves themselves, but would like to get inside the head of the people who do. It has a travelogue style, I think it would appeal to readers of Eric Newby or even books like "A year in Provence". His other book "Coming down the Mountain", takes a similar approach, but to World cup Down Hill skiing. Again a good read, but for me not quite so riveting as this one. Give it a try.