Hilo

9781467131261

$24.99

Explore the charming city with a timeless style and resilient population, ever-vigilant against the potential of another destructive wave.

Hilo (pronounced ""Hee-low"") is the second largest city in Hawai'i and the seat of government for the Big Island of Hawai'i. Giant trees shade its avenues, and a string of picturesque beach parks line the crescent-shaped shoreline of Hilo Bay. It was from here that King Kamehameha the Great launched his fleet of war canoes to conquer the Hawaiian Islands and, later, where whaling ships and schooners dropped their cargoes of sailors, missionaries, and sundry goods. The bay is still active with modern seafaring vessels enjoying the protected waters inside a famous stone breakwater. Two majestic and scenic mountains, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, overlook the city and the bay. Hilo itself holds many stories of ancient gods, kings and queens, the missionaries who came to challenge both, immigrants who came to work the sugar cane fields, and numerous destructive tsunamis that Mother Nature sent to challenge them. Century-old buildings remain, as do the descendants of merchants that prospered here.

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

9781467132947

$24.99

Located in one of the most isolated places on the earth, thousands of miles from the nearest landmass, the area surrounding the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park was created by violent earthquakes and fiery volcanic eruptions. Shrouded in ancient myth and legend, the park's history dates back to a time before the Hawaiians first arrived. It was a time when gods and goddesses roamed throughout these islands; the most famous, the fierce goddess of the volcanoes, Pele, is believed to live here still. It took a decade of lobbying efforts to finally preserve this unique area as Volcanoes National Park. Since 1916, not only has this area been a national park for all to experience, but also the scientific advances due to the ability to constantly monitor the volcanic activity here has had a huge impact on the science of volcanology, understanding earthquakes, and creating an early warning system for tsunamis.

Hawai'i Tsunamis

9781467132633

$24.99

This book's stories and images invite readers to honor and learn from those lost in tragic tsunami events. Each person has a history, an account of things said and done, and preserving these stories helps people to understand the past and make thoughtful decisions for the future. Many people believe that there is good in everything that happens; even tragedies can have positive outcomes. This is certainly true for Hilo, which has been shaped physically, culturally, and economically by the tsunamis of 1946 and 1960. In the waves' wake, lives and livelihoods were lost. Hilo would reel from the catastrophes, but the spirit of resilience would shine through, and Hilo would emerge not unscathed, but not undone. Strength and compassion emerge from the stories of fate in how people responded to one another and how they rebuilt.

The North Shore of O'ahu

9780738575254

$24.99

See how O'ahu's North Shore became and why it has been recognized as a special place for as long as people have inhabitated it.

Once the site of the largest heiau, or temple, the North Shore of O'ahu contained two large valleys and other things considered so valuable that bloody wars were fought over their control. Later, the North Shore became famous for sugar, pineapples, ranching and the plantation life that brought thousands of immigrants from all over the world to the most remote part of O'ahu. It was on the North Shore that Hawaiians mixed with Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Koreans, Filipinos, Puerto Ricans, Spaniards, Irish, Scots, English, and Americans to mold the rural yet cosmopolitan society for which Hawai'i is now famous.

Today, the Hawaiian temples are silent, sugar is gone, and only remnants of the old plantation buildings and ranches remain. But the North Shore's fame is now refocused, as it is recognized as the surfing capital of the world.

Kauai

9780738556444

$24.99

Explore the beautiful island of Kauai through this magnificent collection of photographs.

Capt. James Cook stood on his ship gazing at the coastline of Kauai and the Hawaiian village of Waimea in 1778. Kauai was its own kingdom then, and King Kaumualii - the king of Kauai who challenged Kamehameha and managed to keep Kauai from being conquered by him - would not be born for two more years. The oldest and northernmost of the main Hawaiian Islands, Kauai did not see well-meaning missionaries until 1820. From the moment Cook put Kauai on the map, it has gathered admirers from all over the world who come to experience its exquisite beauty and wonder. Fortunately, many photographers have had their own love affairs with Kauai, leaving a vast amount of documentation.

Waikiki

9780738548807

$24.99

Waikiki, literally ""spouting water,"" is the name of what was once a lush wetland area where three mountain streams met the Pacific Ocean.

With changes brought by American colonialism and the expansion of the United States to the Pacific Ocean, Waikiki was transformed into one of the most popular beachfront tourist destinations in the world. With a topography featuring Diamond Head, picturesque beach spots, and the expansive Kapi'olani Park, recreation has reigned in Waikiki for much of its contemporary history. However, it was once a place of small neighborhoods, family-owned shops, restaurants, and lei stands. As locals met foreigners, Waikiki's landscape changed from rural to urban, and today an estimated 65,000 tourists visit Waikiki each day. A big city or small town, Waikiki has become part of America's story.

Filipinos in Hawai'i

9780738576084

$24.99

Nearly one in four persons in Hawai'i is of Filipino heritage. Representing one-fifth of the state's workforce, Filipinos have been in Hawai'i for more than a century, turning the rough and raw materials of sugar and pineapple into billion-dollar commodities. This book traces a history from 1946--the last year that sakadas (plantation workers) were imported from the Philippines--to the centennial year of their settlement in Hawai'i. Filipinos are central to much that has been built and cherished in the state, including the agricultural industry, tourism, military presence, labor movements, community activism, politics, education, entertainment, and sports.

Lana'i

9781467134309

$24.99

Long before neatly cultivated rows of pineapple fields stretched out as far as one could see, demon spirits are said to have made Lāna'i uninhabitable for humans. The spirits were banished by a young man from Lāhaina who is credited with forming the first settlement on the island. Centuries later, in 1778, warriors battled on the island's steep cliffs and drove their enemies to their deaths. Every living thing was destroyed, all except for one man who saved himself by leaping off a cliff into the ocean and swimming to safety. Time heals, and the land endured. When winter storms turned barren slopes green again, the natives returned and were followed in later years by men who carved their names into the history of Lāna'i.

Surfing in Hawai'i

9780738574882

$24.99

When the early European explorers traversed the globe, their journals held numerous accounts of Hawaiians enjoying surfing. Since Europeans of that era were not accustomed to swimming in their own cold waters, it must have seemed like a dream to watch naked native Hawaiians riding the waves of a turbulent sea. Nowhere in the ancient world was surfing as ingrained into the culture as on the islands of Hawai'i. He'e nalu (wave sliding) was the national sport and enjoyed by all. When a swell was up, whole villages were deserted as everyone fled to the beach to test their surfing skills. Legends of famous surf riders were retold in mele (song/chant), and fortunes could be decided on the outcome of a surfing contest. From these shores, modern surfing was born, along with the iconic romantic images of bronzed surfers, grass shacks, and hula.

Honolulu Television

9781467127585

$24.99

Honolulu Television celebrates 65 years of local broadcasting in the islands. Test patterns first appeared on local station KONA, and soon after, KGMB broadcast Carl "Kini Popo" Hebenstreit's first words on air on December 1, 1952. Honolulu has had a wealth of colorful personalities grace its airwaves. Sheriff Ken, Lucky Luck, Chubby Roland, Captain Honolulu, and Checkers & Pogo are just some of the names and shows that entertained island viewers back in the day, when there were few choices on the dial. Some Honolulu television personalities would get their start here and move on to national and network television stardom, like famed sports broadcaster Al Michaels; Ken Kashiwahara, the last journalist remaining on scene at the Fall of Saigon; and Doug Bruckner, a longtime correspondent for Hard Copy, A Current Affair, and Extra syndicated entertainment and television news magazine shows.

Honolulu Town

9780738593005

$24.99

Before Honolulu became one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, there was a small Hawai'ian settlement at the edge of a natural harbor known as Kou.

Named Kou for the sheltering, orange-blossomed trees, the area was ideal for launching canoes for fishing and cultivating fields adjacent to the Nuuanu Stream. In 1845, King Kamehameha III moved the permanent capital of the Hawai'ian Kingdom from Lahaina to O'ahu, and the Honolulu we know today started to take shape. The name Honolulu means "protected harbor'? and that is what the tropic paradise must have felt like as the city began to grow in commerce and resources. Americans began to flock in from the mainland as tourists, businessmen, and missionaries, and immigrants from around the world traveled to this small island to begin a new life. Successive waves of immigrants came to this port town, bringing with them new religions, architecture, education, foods, and social mores. The small confines of this town encouraged cross-pollination of peoples and ideas that fostered the unique neighborhoods that give Honolulu its character.

Kapa'a

9781467133371

$24.99

Kapa'a, like most rural towns on Kaua'i and many in Hawai'i, got its start in the 19th century as a sugar town. But, within five years, Kapa'a's sugar mill was gone; the little village almost disappeared. By the early 20th century, Kapa'a was once again a thriving community. Self-reliant merchants and shopkeepers, first mostly Chinese and then Japanese, competed with the neighboring plantation store. Homesteaders populated the hills behind Kapa'a, and two pineapple canneries offered employment. Several movie theaters provided alternatives to the bars and taxi-dance halls. By the 1970s, pineapple, too, was gone, and Kapa'a faced new challenges. Today, new entrepreneurs working alongside the old provide entertainment for a new clientele of pleasure-seekers, tourists.

Ka'u District

9781467133340

$24.99

Ka'u is the largest district in Hawai'i and the southernmost. Historically, it is important as the most likely landing area for the first Hawaiians and the location of the first settlement. It was the location of some of the last battles for control of Hawai'i island, and the decision of Ka'u's last ali'i, Keoua Ku'ahu'ula, to agree to a meeting with Kamehameha, which he believed would lead to his death, was a crucial event in the creation of a unified Hawaiian kingdom. After Western contact, the sugar industry dominated the economy of Ka'u, and ranching was also important. Although the sugar industry closed in 1996, the rural character has been maintained, and Ka'u now enjoys some of the longest stretches of undeveloped highway and coastline in the state. The appeal of the district's natural beauty owes much to the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, and Ka'u has a unique location between the two segments of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

Honokaa Town

9781467133357

$24.99

Walk down Mamane Street, the heart of Honokaa Town, and step back into the late 19th and early 20th century. Honokaa's single-wall, wooden plantation-era buildings are as much a symbol of Hawaii to local people as Diamond Head is to tourists. The commercial buildings have their emblematic false fronts and totan (corrugated iron) cladding. They contained, and still contain, mom-and-pop businesses that were founded upon personal relationships, required the labor of whole families, and provided for the education of the next generation. The small size of the town encouraged cross-pollination of peoples. Sugar workers, paniolos (cowboys), coffee farmers, and homesteaders all came to Honokaa.

Theatres of Hawai'i

9780738581606

$24.99

Famous for its lush beauty and inviting beaches, Hawai'i also boasts a rich theatrical history dating back to the mid-19th century and spanning its years as a kingdom, U.S. territory, and a state. Its warm, tropical climate and social, cultural, and ethnic diversity contributed to the variety of theatres unique to the islands--from simple, rural plantation theatres on the neighbor islands, to neighborhood movie houses in exotic styles, to an incomparable tropical moderne jewel near the beach at Waikiki. Most of these theatres are now just a memory, except for those few saved by dedicated individuals and restored for another life. This book celebrates the rich history of these theatrical venues through rare archival photographs and little-known details.

African Americans in Hawai'i

9780738581163

$24.99

During the early 1800s, about two dozen men of African descent lived in Hawai'i. The most noteworthy was Anthony D. Allen, a businessman who had traveled around the world before making Hawai'i his home and starting a family there in 1810. The 25th Black Infantry Regiment, also known as the Buffalo Soldiers, arrived in Honolulu at the Schofield Barracks in 1913. They built an 18-mile trail to the summit of Mauna Loa, the world's largest shield volcano, and constructed a cabin there for research scientists. After World War II, the black population of Hawai'i increased dramatically as military families moved permanently to the island. Hawai'i has a diverse population, and today about 35,000 residents, approximately three percent, claim African ancestry.