Gavan Daws
Autor/a de Shoal of Time: A History of the Hawaiian Islands
Sobre l'autor
Obres de Gavan Daws
Obres associades
Etiquetat
Coneixement comú
- Nom normalitzat
- Daws, Gavan
- Data de naixement
- 1933
- Gènere
- male
- Nacionalitat
- Australia
Membres
Ressenyes
Llistes
Premis
Potser també t'agrada
Autors associats
Estadístiques
- Obres
- 16
- També de
- 1
- Membres
- 1,021
- Popularitat
- #25,226
- Valoració
- 3.8
- Ressenyes
- 10
- ISBN
- 36
- Llengües
- 3
- Preferit
- 2
It starts with Captain Cook's arrival in 1778. The amazing history of the settlement of Hawaii by Polynesian mariners from Tahiti is not covered in any detail.
We then move on to the reign of Kamehameha, which is quite well covered, but again with a strong slant to the perspective of European traders, settlers and vagabonds. The crushing impact of alien diseases which decimated the original population is barely mentioned.
Then comes the missionaries. A sequence of events unfolds through to the late 1930s, told almost exclusively through the eyes of the missionaries, traders and business settlers. There seems to be no curiosity for the impact of the changes on the lives of the Hawaiian people. Missionaries and Consuls come and go, but it is almost impossible to gain and understanding of the massive social changes that the Hawaiians undergo.
And so on through the development of the sugar industry, with the sugar barons virtually capturing the state, the mass importation of labour from China, Japan, the Philippines and the consequent social issues, WW2, and Statehood.
But gradually through the book, the author finds his voice.
From the start, the author is absent. Documentary information is provided without comment. And as the average Hawaiians left no documents, they don't appear. But in telling the story of the early 20th century, the author increasingly inserts the occasional comment on the documents - and what a relief it is! He shows insight. The evidence might be bland, but with the author adding his views, the story becomes more real. One doesn't have to agree with the commentary to appreciate the author's presence - but I found the comments valid and insightful.
So, a good book. A thorough coverage of the post European contact history of Hawaii, but sadly missing the human story of the original Hawaiians.… (més)