Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
terested in Hawaii. The authors range from Hawaiian kings and queens to Hawaiian chefs
and commoners, including some well-known writers (translated from seven different lan-
guages)—all telling their own stories about Honolulu.
Flora & Fauna
Because Hawaii is so lush with nature and blessed with plants, animals, and reef fish seen
nowhere else on the planet, a few reference topics can help you identify what you're looking
at and make your trip more interesting. In the botanical world, Angela Kay Kepler's Hawaiian
Heritage Plants (1998) is the standard for plant reference. In a series of essays, Kepler weaves
culture, history, geography, botany, and even spirituality into her vivid descriptions of plants.
You'll never look at plants the same way. There are great color photos and drawings to
help you sort through the myriad species. Another great resource is Tropicals, by Gordon
Courtright (1988), which is filled with color photos identifying everything from hibiscus and
heliconia to trees and palms.
The other necessary reference to have in Hawaii is one that identifies the colorful reef
fish you will see snorkeling. The best of the bunch is John E. Randall's Shore Fishes of
Hawaii (1998). Two other topics on reef-ish identiication, with easy-to-use spiral bindings,
are Hawaiian Reef Fish: The Identification Book, by Casey Mahaney (1993), and Hawaiian Reef
Fish, by Astrid Witte and Casey Mahaney (1998).
To learn everything you need to identify Hawaii's unique birds, try H. Douglas Pratt's A
Pocket Guide to Hawaii's Birds (1996).
History
There are many great topics on Hawaii's history; best to start at the beginning with the form-
ation of the Hawaiian Islands, vividly described in David E. Eyre's By Wind, By Wave: An In-
troduction to Hawaii's Natural History (2000). In addition to chronicling the natural history of
Hawaii, Eyre describes the complex interrelationships among the plants, animals, ocean, and
people. He points out that Hawaii has become the “extinction capital of the world,” but rather
than dwelling on that fact, he urges readers to do something about it and carefully spells out
how.
For a history of “precontact” Hawaii (before Westerners arrived), David Malo's Hawaiian
Antiquities (1976) is the preeminent source. Malo was born around 1793 and wrote about the
Hawaiian lifestyle at that time, as well as the beliefs and religion of his people. It's an excellent
reference book, but not a fast read. For more readable topics on old Hawaii, try Stories of Old
Hawaii, by Roy Kakulu Alameida (1997), on myths and legends; Hawaiian Folk Tales, by Tho-
mas G. Thrum (1998); and The Legends and Myths of Hawaii, by His Hawaiian Majesty King
David Kalakaua (1992).
The best story of the 1893 overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy is told by Queen Lili-
uokalani, in her book Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani (1990). When it was writ-
ten in 1898, it was an international plea for justice for her people, but it is a poignant read even
today. It's also a must-read for people interested in current events and the recent rally for sov-
ereignty in the 50th state. Two contemporary topics on the question of Hawaii's sovereignty
are Tom Coffman's Nation Within: The Story of America's Annexation of the Nation of Hawaii
(1998) and Thurston Twigg-Smith's Hawaiian Sovereignty: Do the Facts Matter? (2000), which
