Recommended Books

Those planning an extended trip to other islands in Hawaii should check out Frommer's Hawaii; Frommer's Hawaii from $80 a Day; Frommer's Honolulu, Waikiki & Oahu; Frommer's Maui; and Frommer's Hawaii with Kids (Wiley Publishing, Inc.). For those travelers who like a more structured vacation, check out the complete itineraries in Frommer's Maui Day by Day and Frommer's Honolulu and Oahu Day by Day.

Fiction

The first Hawaii-related book people think about is James A. Michener's Hawaii (Fawcett Crest, 1974). This epic novel is a fictionalization of Hawaii's history. It manages to put the island's history into chronological order, but remember, it is still fiction, and very sanitized fiction, too. For a more contemporary look at life in Hawaii today, one of the best novels is Shark Dialogue by Kiana Davenport (Plume, 1995). The novel tells the story of Pono, the larger-than-life matriarch, and her four daughters of mixed races. Davenport skillfully weaves legends and myths of Hawaii into the "real life" reality that Pono and her family face in the complex Hawaii of today. Lois-Ann Yamanaka, a recent emerging writer from Hawaii, uses a very "local" voice and stark depictions of life in the islands in her fabulous novels Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers (Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1996), Blu's Hanging (Avon, 1997), and Heads by Harry (Avon, 1999).

Nonfiction

Mark Twain's writing on Hawaii in the 1860s offers a wonderful introduction to Hawaii's history. One of his best books is Mark Twain in Hawaii: Roughing It in the Sandwich Islands (Mutual Publishing, 1990). Another great depiction of the Hawaii of 1889 is Travels in Hawaii (University of Hawaii Press, 1973) by Robert Louis Stevenson. For contemporary voices on Hawaii's unique culture, one of the best books is Voices of Wisdom: Hawaiian Elders Speak by M. J. Harden (Aka Press, 1999), in which some 24 different kahuna (experts) in their fields were interviewed about their talent, skill, or artistic practice. These living treasures talk about how Hawaiians of yesteryear viewed nature, spirituality and healing, preservation and history, dance and music, arts and crafts, canoes, and the next generation.

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 books 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 (University of Hawaii Press, 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 thorough the myriad species. Another great plant book is Tropicals (Timber Press, 1988) by Gordon Courtright, which is filled with color photos identifying everything from hibiscus and heliconia to trees and palms. As Courtright puts it, "This book is intended to be a visual plant dictionary."

The other necessary reference guide to have in Hawaii is a book identifying the colorful reef fish you will see snorkeling. The best reference book is John E. Randall's Shore Fishes of Hawaii (University of Hawaii Press, 1998). Randall is the expert on everything that swims underwater, and his book is one of the best. Two other books on reef fish identification, with easy-to-use spiral bindings, are Hawaiian Reef Fish -- The Identification Book (Blue Kirio Publishing, 1993) by Casey Mahaney; and Hawaiian Reef Fish (Island Heritage, 1998) by Astrid Witte and Casey Mahaney.

For birders or for those who just wonder about Hawaii's unique birds, H. Douglas Pratt's A Pocket Guide to Hawaii's Birds (Mutual Publishing, 1996) gives you everything you need to identify Hawaii's birds.

History

There are many great books on Hawaii's history, but one of the best places to start is with the formation of the Hawaiian Islands, vividly described in David E. Eyre's By Wind, By Wave: An Introduction to Hawaii's Natural History (Bess Press, 2000). In addition to chronicling the natural history of Hawaii, Eyre describes the complex interrelationships among plants, animals, ocean, and people. Eyre points out that Hawaii has become the "extinction capital of the world," but rather than dwell on that fact, he urges readers to do something about it and carefully spells out how.

For history of "precontact" Hawaii (before Westerners arrived), David Malo's Hawaiian Antiquities (Bishop Museum Press, 1976) is the preeminent source. Malo, born around 1793, wrote about the Hawaiian lifestyle at that time as well as the beliefs and religion of his people. The book is an excellent reference but not a fast read. For more readable books on Old Hawaii, try Stories of Old Hawaii (Bess Press, 1997) by Roy Kakulu Alameide on myths and legends; Hawaiian Folk Tales (Mutual Publishing, 1998) by Thomas G. Thrum; and The Legends and Myths of Hawaii (Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1992) by His Hawaiian Majesty King David Kalakaua.

The best book on the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1898 is told by the woman who experienced it, Queen Liliuokalani, in her book Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani (Mutual Publishing, 1990). When it was written at the turn of the 20th century, 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 in the 50th state for sovereignty. Two contemporary books on the question of Hawaii's sovereignty are Tom Coffman's Nation Within -- The Story of America's Annexation of the Nation of Hawaii (Epicenter, 1998); and Hawaiian Sovereignty: Do the Facts Matter? (Goodale, 2000) by Thurston Twigg-Smith, which explores the opposite view. Twigg-Smith, former publisher of the statewide newspaper The Honolulu Advertiser, is the grandson of Lorrin A. Thurston, one of the architects of the 1893 overthrow of the monarchy. His so-called "politically incorrect" views present a different look on this hotly debated topic.

For more recent history, Lawrence H. Fuchs's Hawaii Pono (Bess Press, 1991) is a carefully researched tome on the contributions of each of Hawaii's main immigrant communities (Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino) between 1893 and 1959.

Specialty Vacations

If you are looking for a specific type of vacation experience, especially in the areas of health, wellness, or alternative healing, check out The Call to Hawaii: A Wellness Vacation Guidebook by Laura and Betsy Crites, published by Aloha Wellness Publishers, 2333 Kapiolani Blvd., no. 2108, Honolulu, HI 96826 (tel. 808/223-2533). This great resource details everything from Hawaiian sacred healing to psychospiritual therapy. Included are practitioners (listed by island) of massage, qigong, holistic medicine, kinesiology, acupuncture, ayurvedic medicine, naturopathy, homeopathy, craniosacral work, energy medicine, sound therapy, yoga, and many other modalities.

For language fans, a couple of books on Pidgin we recommend: Da Kine Dictionary and Pidgin To Da Max, both published by Bess Press (tel. 800/910-2377; www.besspress.com).