Synopses & Reviews
Pulitzer Prize–winning author James A. Michener brings Hawaii’s epic history vividly to life in a classic saga that has captivated readers since its initial publication in 1959. As the volcanic Hawaiian Islands sprout from the ocean floor, the land remains untouched for centuries—until, little more than a thousand years ago, Polynesian seafarers make the perilous journey across the Pacific, flourishing in this tropical paradise according to their ancient traditions. Then, in the early nineteenth century, American missionaries arrive, bringing with them a new creed and a new way of life. Based on exhaustive research and told in Michener’s immersive prose,
Hawaii is the story of disparate peoples struggling to keep their identity, live in harmony, and, ultimately, join together.
Praise for Hawaii
“Wonderful . . . [a] mammoth epic of the islands.”—The Baltimore Sun
“One novel you must not miss! A tremendous work from every point of view—thrilling, exciting, lusty, vivid, stupendous.”—Chicago Tribune
“From Michener’s devotion to the islands, he has written a monumental chronicle of Hawaii, an extraordinary and fascinating novel.”—Saturday Review
“Memorable . . . a superb biography of a people.”—Houston Chronicle
About the Author
Universally revered novelist James A. Michener was forty before he decided on writing as a career. Prior to that, he had been an outstanding academic, an editor, and a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander in the Pacific Theater during World War II. His first book, Tales of the South Pacific, won a Pulitzer Prize and became the basis of the award-winning Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. In the course of the next forty years Mr. Michener wrote such monumental bestsellers as Sayonara, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Hawaii, The Source, Chesapeake, Centennial, Texas, Alaska, Caribbean, and Mexico.
Decorated with America's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Mr. Michener served on the Advisory Council to NASA, held honorary doctorates in five fields from thirty leading universities, and received an award from the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities for his continuing commitment to art in America. James A. Michener died on October 16, 1997.