Hawaii Books

This is a truly remarkable book and a delight to read. You feel as though you are right there as Terence Knapp reminisces about his life. In conversational detail Knapp tells of his intimate relationships with Britain's theater geniuses--Sirs Laurence Olivier, Derek Jacobi, Michael Redgrave, the irrepressible Judi Dench, and Lynn Redgrave and so many others.

But it is more than a book about stars. It is about a man's odyssey. He takes the reader from the hard times and poverty of wartime London, through the trials and triumphs of becoming an Actor; he shifts to the exotic orient in a quest to broaden his knowledge by learning about and contributing to theater in Japan. Finally, he realizes his second calling--teaching aspiring actors and bringing his love of Shakespeare and the theater to Hawaii.

In the Hawaiian Islands he has become a beloved and revered figure not only for his stunning Peabody award-winning portrayal of the leper priest, Father Damien, but for the countless other performances he has given for more than 30 years.

Knapp candidly reveals that although the dream of great stardom and great financial reward may have eluded him, he has found peace and satisfaction in touching the lives of so many in his beloved three islands--Britain, Japan and Hawaii. It is a story that helps us all in understanding and appreciating our own personal quest of peace and achievement.

This is a great tale of a life in the British Theatre during its mid-20th century Golden Era. Terry Knapp starts his story with his audition for the legendary actor-director,Sir Laurence Oliver when he created the inaugural company of the Chichester Festival Theatre and continues with a rare insider's view of the founding of the Royal National Theatre when its home was the historic Old Vic Theatre in London's Waterloo Road. Like a born story-teller Terry tells, in a well paced and charmingly informal way, the saga of the birth of what is now the theatrical pride of Great Britain. Terry traces its development during the first three years of artistic feuds and back-stage infighting and its Everestian peak of Olivier's magnificent OTHELLO in Moscow in the very heart of the Kremlin. Terry goes on to tell of being on tour in South East Asia, and his remarkable first visit to Japan which coincided with the visit of the Beatles to Tokyo. Awarded the first ever Churchill Fellowship to an actor Terry later returned to Japan to study its tradional performance arts encountering some remarkable theatre artists.His account makes informative reading about some of the world's most exotic Acting traditions which date back several centuries. He shares his experiences of working with Sir Yehudi Menuhin in Mozart's THE IMPRESSARIO and Dame Cleo Laine in a musical about the amours of George Bernard Shaw. These memoires have been praised for their style and content by the distinguished theatre biographer and critic, Sheridan Morley and by Gavan Daws, author oF HOLY MAN, the outstanding biography of Father Damien of Molokai. Terry was acclaimed internationally for his TV portrait of DAMIEN in a one man play by Aldyth Morris, (the title bestowed on him by the Hawaii State Legislature also being the title of his book.) This is first class, highly informative and very entertaining reading.

This is a truly remarkable book and a delight to read. You feel as though you are right there as Terence Knapp reminisces about his life. In conversational detail Knapp tells of his intimate relationships with Britain's theater geniuses--from Sirs Laurence Olivier, Derek Jacobi, Michael Redgrave, the irrepressible Judi Dench, and Lynn Redgrave and so many others.

But it is more than a book about stars. It is about a man's odyssey. He takes the reader from the hard times and poverty of wartime London, through the trials and triumphs of becoming an Actor; he shifts to the exotic orient in a quest to broaden his knowledge by learning about and contributing to theater in Japan. Finally, he realizes his second calling--teaching aspiring actors and bringing his love of Shakespeare and the theater to Hawaii.

In the Hawaiian Islands he has become a beloved and revered figure not only for his stunning Peabody award-winning portrayal of the leper priest, Father Damien, but for the countless other performances he has given for more than 30 years.

Knapp candidly reveals that although the dream of great stardom and great financial reward may have eluded him, he has found peace and satisfaction in touching the lives of so many in his beloved three islands--Britain, Japan and Hawaii. It is a story that helps us all in understanding and appreciating our own personal quest for peace and achievement.

Terence Knapp has lead a fascinating and truly inspiring life...and writes all about it with panache and style. The Farmer review gives you the details on the books contents, so just let me add that this breezy, lively read is a must for any theatre-lover, aspiring actor, Anglophile, or anyone who just wants to sit down and read something entertaining.

This is a jewel, an insider's view of the golden era of British theatre following World War II and the still-emerging synthesis of East and West aesthetic traditions. Terence Knapp has worked as an actor, director and sensei (master teacher) in Britain (as an inaugural player with Sir Laurence Olivier's fabled National Theatre), West Africa (on tour with Dame Judi Dench and others), the United States (especially Hawaii) and Japan. He has won accolades for his many memorable roles on stage and public television, most notably for his incarnation of Father Damien, the leper priest of Molokai.

Knapp tells of his day-to-day intimacy and friendships with some of the most celebrated productions and stellar performances of the 20th century: Olivier, Dench, Sir Michael Redgrave, Lynn Redgrave, Dame Maggie Smith, Peter O'Toole and Sir Derek Jacobi, among many others.

Knapp's great love of theatre, of the art of acting, and of the joy of mentoring illuminates this book with delicious candor and honesty. A must for any serious student of not only theatre, but also the arts and the spiritual life of the 20th Century.

This book has everything you need to know to make your first Hawaiian quilt - history, Hawaiian terminology, techniques from start to finish, and gorgeous patterns to choose from. Hawaiian quilts are a unique quilting tradition; appliques based on island nature, cut using a snowflake folding method and generally quilted with radiating "echo" lines. Books on this technique are few and far between, and this one is excellent. Aloha and happy quilting!

Havent done anything yet from this book but I will use it, either for the designs or just add information. This is quit a technique.

This book has very clear and easy directions and patterns for making Hawaiian or appliqued quilts. Well written and lots of ideas for projects large and small.

Looking for a quick reference on Hawaiian applique and quilting? This book is perfect, as well as providing background history of Hawaiian quilting and the traditions connected with Hawaii. Beautiful illustrations enliven this valuable resource.

This book is well written. Vicky Fleming tells us about the history of Hawaiian quilting. The rules, Hawaiian words and phrases, colors and symbols of Hawaiian quilting. She tells us how to plan a quilt and how to applique and how to quilt it. There are many patterns to choose from. I'd like to make them all. I highly recommend this book.

Alan C. Ziegler's Hawaiian Natural History, Ecology, and Evolution book is a rich source of detailed information on the physical, biological, and cultural evolution of the Hawaiian Islands. It begins, as expected, with chapters on the physical processes involving the formation of the islands. This is followed by a review of ocean-land interactions, and a discussion of the various ecosystems occurring on the islands and in the nearshore environments. Ziegler then discusses various taxa, from snails to birds to plants to flies. There is a discussion of how people arrived in Hawaii, and how they affected change in the islands. Finally, he has a chapter on the early naturalists in Hawaii, and notes on their contributions.

This book can serve as both a reference for anyone interested in Hawaiian natural history, or, I am certain, as a textbook in a course on this topic. It really is a book on ecology, using the Hawaiian Islands as the organizing theme.

I try to keep on top of natural history issues, and I was pleasantly surprised at the continual discovery of new information as I read the book. Ziegler writes well, and the illustrations, maps, and diagrams are used liberally and appropriately throughout.

Recommended for all with an interest in the Hawaiian Islands.

I hold this book to a somewhat higher level, being published by a University Press. It is quite good, but tends to be somewhat wordy in some parts of the text. I also note episodes of over-simplification in some areas (e.g. use of 'Basalt'). I would rather the author use Basalt where it is intended and Basalt-like or some similar term to distinguish the difference between the two in a text-like book. Some benefit could also be made of some larger degree of color plates.
All this aside, the text is quite balanced and has a variety of authorized illustrations that are pertinent, even when not of a higher quality. Some elements of less particular relevance to Hawai'i in particular might have been dispensed with. An example would be the chapter explaining Ecology concepts. A perfunctory paragraph or two might do with reference to standard texts or even an expanded discussion of the concepts, but using Hawai'in examples rather than more generic ones. Much of this is a criticism, and not overwhelming on the whole, inasmuch as no similar work of such broad breadth is known to me. A book trying to do this much has a tendency to turn 'off the path' at times.
In summation, this is a worthy book that might benefit from mild textual revisions and improved illustrations, but is a bargain anyway. I would clearly recommend it as an option to 6 or 7 books in the subspecialties it replaces: Geology, Ecology, Meteorology, Evolution, Botany, Marine Biology and Terestrial Vertebrate Biology.

It's been three decades since anyone has published a general survey of Hawaii's natural history.
A lot has happened since. Just on Maui, researchers have discovered po`ouli birds, happyface spiders and the fossils of extinct, flightless giant "geese."
And we now know more about what was already known here 30 years ago, like the fibropapilloma tumor disease of green sea turtles, which was present at least by the mid-'50s, though unrecognized. Today it is epidemic.
These islands are unique and so strange, biologically and geologically, that even a survey requires a thick book. Alan Ziegler says his "Hawaiian Natural History, Ecology, and Evolution" is "relatively condensed" and intended for the general reader or possibly as a college textbook.
For a condensed product, "Hawaiian Natural History" is pretty chewy. The book is filled with tables and charts. So if you want to know how many species of geckos live in Hawaii and when each was introduced, the answer is on page 238 -- seven species, four brought by ancient Polynesians and the most recent migrant, the orange-spotted day gecko, sometime in the 1980s.
Anyone in Hawaii with an interest in environmental issues needs to be familiar with what's in this book, which covers even more subjects than Sherwin Carlquist's standard text "Hawaii: A Natural History," which hasn't been updated since 1980.
For one thing, there are four myths about Hawaii that are found in almost every popular book and article, and even in some professional papers, and Ziegler explodes three of them.
It is not true that Hawaii enjoys "rich volcanic soil." That's Sicily. Hawaii's volcanos are different, and Ziegler explains why.
It is not true that Hawaii harbors an incredibly diverse biota. Like other isolated archipelagoes, it is missing a lot -- reptiles, amphibians, pines, oaks etc. Ziegler dislikes such terms as "depauperate," "impoverished" or "truncated," settling somewhat reluctantly for "disharmonic." Anyhow, Hawaii's flora and fauna demonstrate very high endemism but very low diversity.
It is not true that the ancient Hawaiians had some sort of mystical understanding that allowed (or required) them to live in harmony with nature in a way Westerners cannot.
It takes some courage for Ziegler to say it, but we know now that every human society -- Polynesians no less than any other -- altered its territory to suit its desires, to the limit of its technology.
Batting .750 is pretty good, but unfortunately Ziegler whiffs the fourth myth. It is not true that after Contact the Hawaiian population succumbed to exotic diseases for which they "had no natural immunity."
Neither did anybody else. Diseases such as smallpox were as deadly to Europeans as to Hawaiians.
The etiology of the disease played out differently, and more disastrously both individually and socially, for the Hawaiians. But it should have been clear from news reports current at the time this book was published (concerning the possibility that terrorists had somehow gotten hold of live smallpx virus) that Europeans and European Americans do not believe they enjoy natural immunity from smallpox.
That episode ought to have been enough to demolish the fantasy of haole (white) immunity, but the notion is so entrenched, it probably won't.
"Hawaiian Natural History" is not as graceful reading as some flossy "environmental" books about Hawaii, but it is much more reliable than most, and it lopes across more territory than any other.
Should a reader want to explore more deeply, Ziegler provides an extensive annotated bibliography.
"Hawaiian Natural History" will be indispensable.

Ziegler covers every topic in Hawaiian Natural History: Invertebrates, vertebrates and plants. Also there are interesting chapters on Geology as well. If you are wondering where the evolution is in the book, there is a nice chapter on evolution's history and concepts. It has been mentioned that Ziegler devotes particular care to the traditional Hawaiian names of animals and plants and that is the case. There is also a chapter on the history of the Polynesians and another on their ecology. There are separate chapters for birds, mammals and even snails. Nice tables list endemic species as well as indigenous and alien. I found the book rather boring to read cover to cover but that is my particular taste. I am a biology student but not working in the field. Perhaps this book would serve as a reference.

Many visitors arrive in Honolulu from Japan on planes decorated with one of the most exotic of Hawaiian birds, the scarlet i'iwi. But they will not see an i'iwi on Oahu. To see one they will have to treck to a remote tract of forest on one of the outer islands. Why are there almost no native Hawaiian birds left outside mountain forests? How did the i'iwi develop its spectacular shape? And what happened to the flightless birds whose remains have accumulated in lava tubes? To understand such things requires some understanding of the the geology, climate, and flora as well as the history of the islands. Ziegler's book makes all of these things accessible, especially to readers with some prior knowledge of one or more of these fields. It covers everything from the volcanic origins of the islands to the agricultural practices of the Polynesian settlers and the impact of alien species. It gains greatly from being written by a single author with a consistent, learned but readable style and format. As a linguist I was impressed by the care taken with the Hawaiian language: Hawaiian terms and names for species are provided and explained wherever possible. The book thus makes an unexpected but welcome contribution to the ongoing revival of the Hawaiian language, as well as to ecology and island biogeography. A paperback edition would help greatly to promote wider appreciation of the fragile natural world of the Hawaiian islands.

An exciting saga of the fear, thrills, and adventure of sailing the Hawaiian Islands. A delightful and fun read sweetened with delicious bits of local lore and history. The perfect read for ages 10-110 who love the ocean or who have a tropical island fantasy. It is an especially warm and wonderful treat for active sailors and those who dream of sailing the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian Voyages of The Ono Jimmy has 16 true sea adventure stories and 32 wonderful color pictures of sailing Hawaii.

1993-4 was a horrible year for Steve Dixon until a 1973 Morgan 27 sloop hove into view & enticed him into the clear & shining waters around the Hawaiian Islands. In this lively & eminently readable first effort, Steve Dixon skippers us on some of the grandest, wettest & funniest voyages around paradise.

With bright energetic writing, an addendum of navigation charts & a slew of vivid snapshots, this latter-day salty dog gives us a winter's worth of sailing yarns, geological & historical sightseeing tips & an invitation to come play around his necklace of tropical islands cast upon a fabulous sea.

This is a warm & personal account of the thrills, history & romance of sailing the Hawaiian passages with his spunky Commodorable Lila & about the lessons he learnt during his passage from despairing novice to joyous seasoned cruiser. Do check out my exhilarating eInterview Skipper Steve Dixon!

This book has it all adventure, romance, history and of course it is very informative for any one wanting to sail the Hawaiian Islands. The book includes many trial and error stories of sailing the Hawaiian Islands. This experienced sailor writes about many do and don't of the Islands. He also writes of some very exciting places to visit and tells of his stories there. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to sail the Hawaiian Islands. It is also very enjoyable to read as entertainment whether you are a sailor or not.

What a wonderful book for anyone interested in the islands of Hawaii. This is not just a book for the avid sailor. I have never been on a sailboat or even had the vaguest desire to do so, but I enjoyed this book because of its descriptions of Hawaii and I am still pondering the fact that geologists claim that the entire Sierra Nevada range could fit in the crater of the volcano Mauna Loa. Steve Dixon incorporates his sailing experiences with his own life experiences and also the history and culture of the islands. I read this book straight through at one sitting and then began to reread several passages that had intrigued me. I can't even imagine what a thrill it must be for someone who understands the intricacies of sailing to read a book like this one.

Don't be put off by the heavy self-promotion (you do what you got to do to survive both at sea and in the realm of publishing...) If you plan on cruising the Hawaiian islands there is much to learn from this book; in fact I would urge the first-time Hawaiian sailor to read this book as you go or before you leave. (We keep a copy on our Hawaii-based sailboat.) If you like a little human interest with your facts and helpful hints, this book has plenty of it. Dixon tells tales on himself and humbly admits when he screws up, which makes the book not only valuable but endearing. There is a little soul-searching done too, but that is one reason we go to sea, is it not? To discover who we are (and why the hell we are doing this!) Without a little humanity, self-effacing humour, and cockpit philosophy, one sea story is much like the next. If you don't like reading a little autobiography with your sailing books, skip this and get a how-to book. But if you want a sampling of one man's invaluable experiences and a taste of real life sailing -- philosophy and all -- by all means get this book.

I think that this book has a great variety of fellings. I belive that Tomi's life was hard for his age. I encourage people to read this book I am glad I did.

Graham Salisbury's HOUSE OF THE RED FISH provides a companion novel to UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN, so familiarity with the prior story will lend uniformity and smooth transition to this ongoing tale of Tomi Nakaji. Here it's a year after his father and grandfather were arrested after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and everyone's waiting for another attack. Japanese American Tomi and his family discover new enemies among old friends as they face new challenges.

THE HOUSE OF THE RED FISH pulses with energy, enthralling images, captivating narrative and most of all, empathy for the downtrodden.

THE HOUSE OF THE RED FISH is the house of Tomi, his little sister, Grand'pa Joji, his mom and dad. A flying red paper Fish on top of the house is a Japanese emblem for a happy family in times of peace. They live on the property of the Davis family, home also to Keen who is a bully. Keen also hates Tomi and his
family because they are Japanese.

The narrative takes place in Hawaii just before and after Pearl Harbour, when Japanese-Americans were perceived as the enemy.

After his dad and grand'pa Joji were incarcerated as prisoners of war, Tomi has one goal and that is to retrieve his fisherman father's sampan that was sunk because it was Japanese. A great deal of imagination and creativity must be used in order to bring it back to the surface. Without doubt, Keen will find ways to stop him from reaching his goal. Surprisingly, grand-pa Joji returns, as he was saved by Mrs. Davis and he secretly guides his grandson on how to save the sampan for Keen's dad, whom he hopes will soon be out of the concentration camps that were built for Japanese-Americans.

Tomi, his little sister and all his friends show a sense of camaraderie that one can really feel in Hawaii. In fact, Graham Salisbury's family has lived in Hawaii since the 1800 which makes him well versed in the lingo and the sense of friendship that exists among them.

THE HOUSE OF THE RED FISH conveys a message of understanding the perceived enemy in times of war. He also conveys a sense of pride in one's heritage.

The author's style is entertaining and endearing. We get to root for the good guys and boo for the bullies. Dialogue is fast and witty. Characters are so true to life that you will find yourself cheering for the winners.

Graham Salisbury's foray into a delicate subject is highly recommended.

Lily Azerad-Goldman, Artist and Bookreviewer for Bookpleasures

Here it is, HOUSE OF THE RED FISH, the eagerly awaited sequel to Graham Salisbury's UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN. Readers already acquainted with Tomi and Billy (and their neighbor but "enemy" Keet Wilson) will delight in renewing friendships and going on more adventures in Salisbury's newest novel. HOUSE OF THE RED FISH opens with a brief flashback to September 1941, but the next chapter takes us to March 1943. Tomi Nakaji and Billy Davis, still best friends, are now ninth graders at Roosevelt High. Salisbury makes readers very aware of the ravages of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the way life in Hawaii has changed in the interim for everyone, but especially for Japanese Americans like narrator Tomi and his family. The setting details subtly include many aspects of life in Hawaii during World War II: the boys get stopped, asked for their ID's, and warned that they should also have their gas masks with them; barbed wire fences stretch across the beaches; cardboard must cover the windows of their home each night; curfew is imposed on all residents. The World War II years in Hawaii were rife with prejudice against Japanese Americans--often suspected to be "enemy aliens" (43). However, Salisbury shows how Billy's haole family accept his friendship with Tomi and how Billy himself, paradoxically wise beyond his years yet still charmingly naïve, explains to Tomi why Keet is no longer his friend. Tomi tells us: "It took me a week to force it out of him [Billy]. Keet Wilson turned on me because I was Japanese, and he had been told by his friends at school that white guys weren't supposed to like Japanese guys" (17).

Early in the novel, the boys amble down to the nearby Ala Wai Canal where Papa's sampan, sunk by the U.S. Army one day after Pearl Harbor was attacked, is still visible just below the surface of the muddy water. The boat quickly becomes a symbol of the way life was before the attack ("in the before time"), when Tomi, Papa and Grampa Joji were together before the Army took Papa and Grampa away to U.S. Army prison camps. It also represents Tomi's personal war, which Salisbury adeptly counterpoints with the Big war of the real world. The novel follows Tomi engaging in his battles against the backdrop of the bigger war; we see the young dragon in the making carrying on the traditions of his ancestors; even at the end of the novel, Salisbury leaves Tomi still at war: "How many more battles stood between me and the day Papa would finally come home?" (287)

As Tomi and Billy battle to raise the Taiyo Maru from its muddy prison, their conflict with Keet Wilson and his blatant prejudice against the Japanese crescendos. Salisbury incorporates many details of Japanese culture and values. (Note: Salisbury includes a helpful glossary of Hawaiian and Japanese phrases and words at the end of the book.) The mantra Tomi remembers from his father, "Don't shame the family. Be helpful, be generous, be accepting," shows the importance of this and other values being passed from generation to generation (15). Family treasures such as the "family katana or samurai, symbol of our family's long history" had to be hidden to protect them from being confiscated by the government. Anything deemed "Japanese" could cast suspicion on the family's loyalty to America. Nevertheless, Keet seems to take every opportunity to cast aspersions on Tomi's family, culture, and values.

The title of the novel (and related title of Chapter 29 "The Red Fish") comes from another Japanese tradition: the "Koi-nobori. Carp made of paper looking like kites" hanging from a bamboo pole above Tomi's house for Boys' Day. Tomi tells us: "The four colorful fish streamers" represent the family: "Just below Papa's and Mama's blue and white ones was me--the red fish, a dragon in the making" (134). This tradition is vibrantly depicted on the novel's cover, too. The red splash of the third carp and the red letters of the last words of the title draw the reader's eye to this important part of the predominantly blue and green cover illustration.

HOUSE OF THE RED FISH focuses on themes and positive character traits in other novels by Salisbury: the relationship between father and son, the importance of tradition, and values such as integrity and perseverance. HOUSE OF THE RED FISH includes several father and son relationships; however, it is Salisbury's contrast of Keet and his father's relationship with that of Tomi and Papa that makes the strongest statement. Keet's father seems oblivious to even his most destructive acting out, but readers get strong sense that Tomi's father will someday be proud to see that his son's overriding motivation was to act as his missing father would want him to ("This is all for you, Papa, I thought. All for you.") (213).

Rich discussions could certainly flow in class or small reading groups from issues such as these in HOUSE OF THE RED FISH. Because Salisbury's characters are so believable, so human, middle school readers can relate to their conflicts and see similar situations in their own lives. I highly recommend this book not only to young readers who enjoyed UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN but also to parents and educators who want to point their charges to a well-written, engaging, inspiring, historical novel.

Sequels are tricky beasties and any author that attempts one is going to have to wrangle with a variety of problems. On the one hand, they have to satisfy their core fan base. The people who adored the earlier book and presumably clamored for a sequel in the first place. Then you have the new crop of readers. This is especially true with children's fiction. Kids grow up and often abandon the authors they loved when they were young (at least through adolescence). In 1994 Graham Salisbury wrote the award winning "Under the Blood-Red Sun". Now, twelve years later, he has come out with a long-awaited sequel, "House of the Red Fish". Fortunately, Salisbury's earlier title is so well-known that the requisite fan-base is already in place and ready. However, there's yet another problem with writing sequels. They have to be able to stand on their own. If you absolutely have to have read the previous book, then your sequel, nice as it is, is going to collapse under its own weight. And weighty books of this nature don't win awards. I, personally, had never read "Under the Blood-Red Sun", so I felt that I was in a pretty good position to determine how well "House of the Red Fish" stood on its own two feet. The advantage to having never read a work by an author like Graham Salisbury is that his talents have a tendency whop you upside the head and leave you wanting more. "House of the Red Fish" is everything an author would want out of a title. Consider this puppy a contender.

Tomi is still dealing with the fact that his father and grampa are interned far from home merely because they are of Japanese ancestry. It's 1943 and America is at war with Japan, many of its white citizens terrified of their Asian neighbors. Living on Honolulu, Tomi and his best friend Billy go to school and try to avoid the nasty bully Keet, who (by awful coincidence) just happens to be the son of his mother's employers. Then Tomi comes up with a crazy plan. It happens while he and Billy are staring at his father's underwater sampan fishing boat, sunk not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor. If Tomi can raise this boat and fix it up, he may have a chance at having it in working condition when his father is finally released from his internment. The only problem is that Keet knows of the plan and will do everything in his power to stop Tomi and his friends. Worse still, raising the boat might mean putting his family's home and livelihood in danger. But when Grampa Joji is released from his imprisonment, Tomi finds an unlikely ally in helping him achieve his goal.

The characters in this book are remarkable. And the best of these, without a doubt, is Grampa. He's a cranky crochety old man with a single-minded tenacity that the reader grows to adore. I personally am going to adopt his standard phrase of "Confonnit" into my own vocabulary. Grampa has a great sense of pride, worth, and history. Salisbury complicates things nicely, however, when he has Grampa repeatedly give some of the family's chickens, eggs, tomatoes, lettuce, string beans, and fish to their landowners, the nasty Wilsons. Salisbury doesn't shy away from complexity. I mean, Billy's pretty straightforwardly super. Ditto Billy's family. But Tomi has his doubts and requisite crises of faith once in a while. And as for villains, Keet is marvelous. By the end of the book you begin to think that if someone doesn't give that punk a swift kick in the butt then you're going to have to do it personally. I did find that the oddest thing about reading this book without having so much as glanced at its predecessor was that I had very little idea of who belonged to what race. Billy's white and Tomi's of Japanese ancestry. Check. Got it. But how about their friends Mose and Rico? Are they Filipino? Of Hawaiian ancestry? It didn't much matter to the story, but it would have been nice to get a little clarification.

As a writer, Salisbury seems to be utterly in control of each and every scene in this book. Yes, it's a little long, but I can't imagine removing so much as a sentence. Everything fits here. The people. The events. And definitely the climax. The tension really escalates by the end of the book too. I kept finding myself nervously counting the number of pages left against how far our heroes were in their plans. I actually found myself hoping that Keet and his lackeys wouldn't show up and that maybe if I read fast enough I could beat them to the end. Not to give anything away, but no such luck. Salisbury's grasp of Hawaiian Pidjin is also superb. I've a friend born and raised in Honolulu (she attended Punahou, Keet's school in this book) who once told me that her mother would severely punish her if she ever heard her daughter utter casual Pidjin words or phrases. I wonder what her mom would have thought of the Glossary of terms in the back then.

Works of historical fiction tend to suffer from a dire fate: They're humorless. Dry dull titles without a spark of wit or whimsy to save their soul. I expected this of "House of the Red Fish", frankly. Somehow 280-some page tomes always look like they'll be deadly serious. How wrong I was. Salisbury's a great writer, yes. But he's so great partly because he lets, for lack of a better term, his boys be boys. When Keet decides to invade Billy's bomb shelter there a wonderful moment where the reader knows what Keet doesn't... that the shelter is chock full of nasty centipedes. Oh, that's good stuff. And the nice thing is that even when the plot is turning dire and our heroes have to raise this boat as soon as they can, characters still play jokes on one another, laugh, and have a good time. The fact that you're having a good time right alongside them just happens to be a nice bonus.

So the good news is that I'm a Graham Salisbury convert. The bad news is that I don't want to wait another twelve years to continue Tomi's story. I comfort myself with knowing that since kids today still read and love "Under the Blood-Red Sun", I'm sure they'll love both this book and any others that Salisbury happens to come out with in the course of his lifetime. It will be worth the wait.

A great book for absolute beginners. It has many examples of sentences in Tongan which helps a lot. I wish I had such books for other languages too

This is an excellent introduction to Tongan when used with the tapes. It introduces grammatical points and vocabulary in a well ordered format. It's a great book to use when learning "fakaTonga", the beatiful Tongan language.

I found purchasing Eric B. Shumway's "Intensive Course in Tongan" tapes, very helpful as a student wanting to learn the Tongan language. Although buying the book with the tapes is a necessity. I found the readings on the tapes to be very clear and easy to follow along with. The reader gives you plenty of time to repeat after them, which is very effective in learning. Also the songs and readings are very entertaining. This is a good buy for a serious Tongan language learning student. Also these are the only Tongan language tapes I could find out there.

This Book and CD is the best way to Learn Tongan. It is straight forward and easy to study on your own. The CD allows the student to learn how to pronounce words and also be able to understand Tongan spoken at full speed. I would recommend then CD for anyone wishing to Learn Tongan!

I am so grateful for the book and audio cd's. I am now able to speak with those family members that were only able to speak Tongan. What a joy it is to be able to communicate in the native language of my ancestors and have a relationship with wonderful communication between so many more people now simply because of the tools I was given, The Intensive Course In Tongan book and audio cd's. A great investment!

Few people venture into the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands chain and fewer still get to land on these scraps of rock, coral or sand, which are protected by federal law. And since the first edition of this book was published, the chances of doing so have been further reduced by the declaration of a national marine refuge there.
But as a biogeographer, bird counter and habitat restorer, Mark Rauzon has been working in this bird (and now coral reef) refuge since the 1970s. So he has seen the green sea turtles sleeping on the sand, something they do nowhere else in the world. And the gooney birds courting. The waves and winds raising blistering sandstorms. The Laysan ducks teaching their ducklings how to stir up the brine flies to eat.
For places like French Frigate Shoals or Laysan or Kure (the northernmost atoll of living coral) we will have to rely on reporters like Rauzon.
The NWHI have a great deal of wildlife now and a surprising amount of history, considering how far away from anyplace they are and how few people ever went there, even when anybody who wanted to could go.
The old Hawaiians certainly went to the nearer rocks like Nihoa, where they left altars. Whether they reached the remoter islets is not certain.
After them came Russian explorers, Yankee sealers, whalers from several countries, representatives of the Hawaiian kings, guano diggers, Japanese feather poachers, naturalists, fishermen, pioneering aviators, sailors and Marines, Coast Guardmen and a few tourists.
These brought with them rats, dogs, cats, weeds, mosquitoes, oil, pesticides, ironwood trees, concrete, explosives, ants etc.
Rauzon says, "These small islands endured the worst we could dish out: war, murder, exploitation and pollution."
That may be an exaggeration -- we could have done more -- but man's footprint has not been light there. Yet animals that are scarce or missing now from the main Hawaiian islands either hang on or thrive in the NWHI.
Hawaiian monk seals, now seriously declining. Millions of seabirds. Hundreds of land birds. Turtles. Sharks. A few mostly humble but tough plants.
Considering that all these eroded islets started out much alike -- high, green remnants of volcanoes -- it is striking how different each one is from the other. Laysan has a saline lake, for example, the only lake out there. The ecological consequences of these minor differences have been considerable for the wildlife.
Rauzon describes the differences with a graceful touch. He loves these islands, though his memories of getting to them seem to linger on seasickness, perilous leaps onto wave-swept rocks, encounters with angry mother seals, fevers and other exciting but more or less unpleasant events.
This is a pretty book, with nice wildlife photographs by Rauzon (including one, on page 126, that is worth the price of the book all by itself), a number of historical photos, a few delicate line drawings of birds by Rauzon and a pleasant design.
The first edition had a number of errors which have been corrected in the second edition, which is preferable.

Who would have thought that a book about a series of tiny islands in the middle of the ocean could be so fascinating? Somehow, the author, Mark Rauzon, has crafted an extremely compelling book about these Northwestern Hawaiian islands. This book took me places I didn't expect, but surely enjoyed. Rauzon, with his expert story-telling and beautiful photography brings these islands to life. The reader comes to see each of these small islands - some hardly larger than a rock outcropping - as a unique entity with its own story to tell. And Rauzon, through his beautiful prose and eloquent style, speaks passionately for these islands, which he so clearly loves. The author, with his rich experience to draw from, as well as his obvious joy of discovery, has created a book filled with spirit and emotion. I learned so much from this book; but that's not the half of it. What's so special about this book is that I now feel as though I "know" these islands

This book has it all; it's educational, entertaining and thought provoking. Mark Rauzon has written a book that provides an understandable look at the natural history of the sea birds, mammals and sea turtles that thrive throughout the leeward islands. This is fascinating stuff and interesting in its own right--but wait there's more! He also has meticulously researched and reported on the human history of the area, including early Polynesian times, discovery and exploitation in the 1800's and early 1900's, world war drama, and recent attempts to recover the natural beauty of the area. This history documents the folly of man's attempt to intervene in natrual systems and the often catastrophic results.....but wait there's more! He also shares some of his personal journey as he spent much of his time over the past twenty years working in this remote area (he has visited all but one of the leeward islands). These personal stories are sometimes humorous, but always interesting. I've never been to these remote islands and probably never will be able to visit them. Rauzon took me there and I'm gald for the visit. Read this book, you won't regret it--it's wonderful!

Isles of Refuge is indeed a wonderful book that covers the history, ecology, and most important, the BIOLOGY of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands that stretch from Nihoa in the Southeast (approx. 150 miles northwest of Kauai) to Kure Atoll in the northwest (about 1000 miles northwest of Hawaii). Isles deals with an important topic, one never before covered so extensively in print: how these islands came to be, how they were first inhabited by humans, their role in armed conflicts (particularly Midway atoll), and their current status. This book is a lovely read, no question about it. But, let's get one thing straight: The primary focus of Isles of Refuge is BIOLOGY, pure and simple. The vast majority of the text deals with the area's status as a fragile ecosystem, and attempts (largely successful) to clean up debris and maintain ecological balance. Yes, the history and native folklore are dealt with (in fact, one of the best chapters concerns reinternment of ancestral remains on Nihoa), but the primary focus is biology in general and wildlife in particular. In fact, several of the more prominent species, such as Hawaiian monk seals, are covered in their own little sections. Most importantly, this is a BIRD book. There are more photos and printed text dealing with the native birds than any other subject of the book BY FAR. Whether terns or albatrosses or "goony birds" (as they are called on Midway, the only inhabited island), the reader had best be very, very interested in our feathered friends before deciding to read this text. Not that the book is dull, far from it. Rauzon's prose is easy to read, very untextbook-like, and his adventures, whether scaling peaks on Nihoa or trying to time a dangerous landing on Necker, are always fascinating. There are excellent photos; most readers would like to see more of them (although I think the reason there are so few photos is that the author has been allowed to make only a few trips to the refuge). Better and more specific maps would also be helpful. Finally, so much has happened in the last few years (in 2000, the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Refuge was officially established by executive order.) that an update is sorely needed. In sum, an excellent book, well written and documented, and one you will no doubt enjoy, particularly if you are a lover of birds and wildlife.

This is an amazing book on Hawaii, focusing on the less-well-known and less-traveled islands. Most of us only know Hawaii as a wonderful tourist destination, composed of a handful of islands fulfilling all of our vacation needs. In fact, Hawaii is much much more. The Hawaiian islands actually extend for many miles to the northwest, where the visitors are mostly only the native wildlife. These Northwestern Hawaiian islands comprise the "real" Hawaii: the Hawaii that is untouched by tourism; the Hawaii that gives us a glimpse back in time, allowing us to view the untarnished natural and cultural history of this unique archipelago. This is the Hawaii that the author focuses on, and he does it with great success.

Although the author is a biologist by trade -- and one might think from the title that this is basically a biology book -- it would be a big mistake to think that this book is limited to the biology of these islands. In fact, this book is much broader than that. What Mr. Rauzon does is integrate many aspects of the islands' life and history into an eminently readable story.

This book works on so many levels: a cultural narrative, a historical account, a description of the flora and fauna, a memoir of the author's experiences, a photographic essay. Take any one of these aspects alone, and the author succeeds admirably. But the real beauty of this book is the way that the author weaves all of these elements together into a rich and fascinating story of these enchanting islands. (Personally, I'm partial to the exceptional collection of high-quality photographs which add life to the text. But they could also easily stand alone as a coffee-table photography book in their own right.) One more bonus is the inclusion of artwork by the highly-skilled author -- beautiful watercolors and pen-and-ink drawings.

The author has an easy personal style which makes this book read like an unfolding story. It is not a text book. Sure you'll learn some interesting facts, but that's not the point of this book. Mr. Rauzon allows us to experience the joy and wonder of these islands just as he has in his explorations and adventures over years.

I completely agree with all other reviews. This book is a must! I bought it in Maui last summer, and now I am back for more. The colors of this book are so vivid that they tend to really capture your child's attention. If your child is easily distracted like my son, you have to buy this book. It will not only calm him/ or her for bed, but it has an amazing story that gravitates toward a child. My child has memorized the book's entirety, from not knowing how to read (he's only 3), but from the book's captivating pictures and message. There are also other great books from Island Heritage Publishing. Amazon has all!

This is a great book. I have a 5 & 2 1/2 year old who have enjoyed hearing it over and over. My 2 1/2 year old can practically recite the entire book. Definately a great buy for preschoolers.

I bought this for my daughter on Maui back in Oct.06 and she loves it(she is 2yrs old). Beautiful artwork,great characters,good message. acould be a cartoon or movie. Get this book for your little ones.They'll love it.

Beautifully illustrated with lots of creatures to show your child. The message of this book is one of friendship, kindness and inner beauty. Best of all, your kids will want to hear this story over and over. Buy this and you will not be disappointed.

He's three now, and he wants me to read it to him every night before he goes to sleep. It's a very nice little story about how a blue turtle gains friends and becomes happy because he is a good turtle on the inside, no matter how he looks on the outside. The other turtles don't like him because he isn't green, but the other animals do (including a whale he befriends). The pictures are all very bright and colorful.

Hawaii is one of the few of the fifty United States that I have not visited. This book of photographs, collected to commemorate the Maui News' 85th anniversary, is enough to convince me that I should go there soon. The pictures are stunning in their beauty; it truly appears to be an island paradise. You see tropical forests, pristine beaches, sugarcane fields, modern buildings, old buildings returned to their original states, beautiful tracts of ocean, fields of flowers, and beautiful people. Some of the people are doing Hawaiian activities such as surfing, snorkeling and sailing. Others are doing tourist-like activities such as playing tennis, golf, sitting or laying on the beach or walking down the street taking in the sights.
I don't know if the designers intended to create a tourist brochure, but they certainly succeeded in doing so. This is one of the most convincing arguments for visiting a place that I have ever seen.

This book captures all of the wonder and beauty of Maui! The artwork and photo on the dustjacket of this book makes it wonderful to display on your coffee table. Once you open this book you will want to look and read through it in one sitting. If you have never been to the Hawaiian Islands this book will definitely make you start to dream of those tropical islands and those shimmering beaches. From the top of Haleakala to the road to Hana this book has it all.

This book is the perfect example of the beautiful natural scenery and vacationing actvities that Maui has to offer, without getting commercial or advertising. The pictures are a beautiful descriptions themselves and each page provides a brief explanation of it. I also like the way the book is divided up into the main geographical areas of Maui and how it provides a bit of history of these areas. I didn't purchase any other souvenirs from Maui, but this book since it this was the perfect keepsake for me. I praise Rita Ariyoshi the author for bringing back to me such beautiful memories of Maui back to life and full color. This book brought on such nostalgia, that I vow to return to Maui someday and make this paradise displayed in the Maui on My Mind, my home. Mahalo...

This book is the perfect example of the beautiful natural scenery and vacationing actvities that Maui has to offer, without getting commercial or advertising. The pictures are a beautiful descriptions themselves and each page provides a brief explanation of it. I also like the way the book is divided up into the main geographical areas of Maui and how it provides a bit of history of these areas. I didn't purchase any other souvenirs from Maui, but this book since it this was the perfect keepsake for me. I praise Rita Ariyoshi the author for bringing back to me such beautiful memories of Maui back to life and full color. This book brought on such nostalgia, that I vow to return to Maui someday and make this paradise displayed in the Maui on My Mind, my home. Mahalo...

Beautiful book full of georgous photos, excellent narritives of the Island of Maui. Pretty much covers all the different areas of Maui. We read it before we went to Maui for the first time and used it as a travel guide of places we wanted to see while we were there. Couldn't resist reading it again after we got home! I'll never part with my copy of this outstanding book!

A beautifully realized novel which goes far beyond a voyeuristic account of the subjugation of the Marshallese by Americans and its use of the islanders as nuclear guinea pigs with its terrific characters, a terrifying plot and mythological monster gods who vie with Grendel in amusement and disgust.

Admittedly, I'm not 100% objective about Melal. I grew up on Kwajalein and attended high school with the author. However, Melal is an incredible work of fiction. It is part adventure, part mythology and part commentary on the human condition. One dimension of the story takes place in 1981 as Rujen Keju and his two sons confront that unique Marshallese heritage that includes the legacy of atomic testing and the relationship with the American community on Kwajalein. The other dimension is timeless, based on the complicated Marshallese mythology of dwarfs, spirits and demons.

Robert's descriptions of life on Kwajalein struck a cord within me - one I thought I had put to rest years ago. His descriptive prose will offer you an unique perspective on Pacific island life where the ocean is more prevelant and often more revelent than land.

My highest praise for a novel is that I "cannot stop reading" and that when I finish I immediately begin re-reading passages. Melal fulfilled both. It forced me to explore my perspective on the Marshallese people and to remember friends, both American and Marshallese.

If you enjoy myths, legends, adventure, fishing, travel or just want to read a book with incredible prose - try Melal!

Originally from California, I have lived in the Marshall Islands, and I speak the Marshallese language. L'etao and other demigods were familiar as names, but Barclay's novel drew me much deeper into the Marshallese psyche. Barclay also captures the personal side of the controversial use of Kwajalein Atoll as a US army missile testing -- "Star Wars" -- site. This should be required reading for anyone -- Peace Corps Volunteer, teacher, missionary, health worker, etc. -- who plans to live in the Marshall Islands.

Every morning, Rujen Keju takes the 3-mile ferry ride from his home on Ebeye in the Marshall islands where he lives in squalor, to his job at the sewage plant at Kwajalein, the American-run island which is off-limits to him after the workday. He's accepted this as his way of life, and his older teen-age son, Jebro, is supposed to start working there also after the weekend. By the end of the day, however, he and his two sons come face to face with challenges, which will change their outlook forever. It just happens to be Good Friday, 1981 and the symbolism of that day is one of the many intertwining themes in this novel by first-time author Robert Barclay.

Rujen encounters a series of mishaps that day, including having his work-boots stolen, and the reader is drawn into his story as he goes through the day, trying to conform to what is expected of him and looking forward to his volunteer job as an usher at the Catholic church later. In the meantime, his son Jebro and his younger brother Nuke, set out on a small boat to visit the homeland of their grandfather, a small island which has been declared off-limits to Marshallese people. To add another dimension to the story is the magical tale of mischief-making gods and demons appearing as characters who play tricks on each other.

The story is told through alternative chapters, turning a flashlight on one harsh reality after another as the characters struggle through their day. And yet, there is sense of humor throughout, as we see each character's strengths, weaknesses, complexity and growth. Everyone is breaking some sort of minor law, including three American teenagers who are cutting school and out fishing that day. Their encounter with the two young brothers is both frightening and inspiring as they, too, learn a lot from the day's events.

I was immediately drawn into the writing and couldn't put it down. I loved the characters and I loved the situation. I also gained understanding of the history as well as and myths and legends that define the Marshall Islanders as a people. I usually don't like books that include magical characters, but these were so outrageous that they held my attention completely. The author is great at description and he lets himself go really wild as he describes the demons. Another theme throughout is scatological which addresses the very real issue of sewage management on the islands. And then there are the themes of father and sons, and Good Friday suffering. But best of all is the theme of love and camaraderie and lessons learned.

This book is a small gem that not only taught me a lot, but also made me think. Even the conclusion, which is indeed satisfactory, is something that gave me even more food for thought. I hope to hear more about this author, who now lives on Hawaii. His is fresh clear voice brings reveals some universal themes. Highly recommended.

For me a great book is one where I keep going back and rereading to clarify or deepen my understanding of sections, and to put off starting another book because it was so fully satisfying. I have travelled may times to French Polynesia, Bali and Southeast Asia and somehow thought the Americans treated their "protectorates" somewhat better than the European countries--this book was a rude awakening to me. This is a part of our nuclear history I never gave much thought to, nor has there been adequate coverage of the evils of Nuclear Testing--I kept being shoked that these things were hapeening in the '60s and still in the '80s. Reading this was like a gunny sack to the head--hey, there were people on those island, DUH.
I liked the book from the start, but had some problems with all the names of gods and demons. At times the sheer ugliness of some of the images would overwhelm me, but then it would become clear what the author was trying to relate in a beautiful metaphor or a shocking parallel. These passages would be balanced by the many lyrical passages, compelling images and exciting story lines. I was left thinking about so many aspects of modern versus traditional life. There are almost too many images overlaping in layers to do a review service, but a couple of my favorites were the adventure with the dolphins in the fountain (with a whole other perspective about the use of dolphins opened to me), and the Good Friday incident with the statue of Jesus. By the end I kept jumping back to the mythological stories, very unlike any I have encountered before and was pbusy reviewong the many paradigm shifts I had to make during the reading. Satisfying and fulfilling on every level.