A Narrative of an 1823 Tour Through Hawaii: Journal of William Ellis [Mass Market Paperback]

William Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2004 | ISBN-10: 1566476054 | ISBN-13: 978-1566476058

Meet important historical figures, such as Liholiho, Kuakini and John Young. Witness, first hand, historical events, such as the death of Captain Cook, the battles of Kamehameha the Great and the explosive eruptions of Kîlauea. William Ellis’ classic of Pacific literature, A Narrative of a Tour Through Hawai‘i, stands unrivalled as an account of Hawaiian life in the early nineteenth century. With his close interest in native life, his sympathy for a people undergoing vast social change and his keen eye for accurate detail, Ellis was not the typical missionary of Western visitor to the islands. Always the ethnologist, Ellis packs his narrative with vital information for students of traditional Hawai‘i, and takes readers back in time to witness a vanished age.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 530 pages
• Publisher: Mutual Publishing (June 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566476054
• ISBN-13: 978-1566476058
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,913,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Americas > United States > State & Local > Hawaii

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Customer Reviews

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4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Missionary's View of Early Hawaii, October 8, 2006

By 

V. Vierra (Keaau, HI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Narrative of an 1823 Tour Through Hawaii: Journal of William Ellis (Mass Market Paperback)

I would like to comment on two facets of this work: the content itself, and the final proofing by the publisher.

First, we are able to see the island and its people from the viewpoint of someone who has come to save them from their lack of Christianity. His is the epitome of the "holier than thou" attitude. He and several missionary pals (most of whom later became big land owners in the islands) leave Oahu to walk around the Big Island preaching to the "natives". While his comments about the geology, flora, and fauna are interesting and innocuous, his general condemnation of the totality of the Hawaiian culture is nauseating. As he comments on how the Hawaiians treat each other, you are left to figure out, as it proceeds, that Ellis himself has left his own wife, who is extremely ill, with strangers on Oahu, feeling that it is more inportant to convert the "heathens" than to take care of his sick wife, left alone in a strange land, far from home. This is while he castigates the "natives" for not paying enough attention to their ill relatives.

Secondly, I have never in my life read a book with this many typographical errors, verging on the insane and ludicrous. I am not referring to Ellis' errors of spelling/usage which are consistent, but the really absurd ones, that made me wonder if the whole book had been typeset by someone who did not speak the English language. Sections of text were repeated, or just left trailing - and typos that I just couldn't figure out how they were made. It was so bad, I actually called Mutual Publishing to comment on it. I spoke to the production manager, who said she thought it had just been reprinted without re-setting the type. I hope someday, that they send this to a professional for typesetting and proofing.