Petroglyphs of Hawaii [Paperback]

L. R. McBride (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0912180498 | ISBN-13: 978-0912180496 | Edition: Revised Edition

This recently revised and updated book presents a summary of the information available on petroglyphs, how to view, clues to their meanings, where to find them, and taking photographs. Although this study is not intended as a definitive one, this book, with its many illustrations, provides petroglyph buffs with extensive information and a complete bibliography of the sources used in the research. New maps of the Island of Hawaii show the location of the vast petroglyph fields there, with detailed instructions on how to reach the most accessible sites.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The author and illustrator of Petroglyphs of Hawaiçi lived in Volcano, Hawaii for over 30 years until his death in October 1993. A student of Hawaiian tradition and culture, McBride also lectured on geology, botany, history and legends of Hawaii. His death has left a great void.

Of Irish and Iroquois Indian descent, McBride was born in Reading, Pennsylvania and grew up in Ohio. In 1943 he enlisted in the Navy and after basic training, was assigned to a ship stationed at Nawiliwili Harbor, Kauai. It was there that he fell in love with the Hawaiian Islands and people and started learning the Hawaiian language and about Hawaiian culture.

After service in World War II and the Korean conflict, McBride received a B.S. degree in geology from Ohio State University, with a minor in botany. After work in industrial research, he joined the National Park Service and was assigned to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. With his family, he made his home in the Volcano area. In an eleven year association with Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, McBride continued to add to his knowledge of all things Hawaiian.

Throughout much of his life McBride was a dedicated student of Hawaiian tradition and culture. He told Hawaiian stories in the old Hawaiian way for nearly thirty years and held a kauila dagger, the sign of a professional Hawaiian storyteller. A talented stoneworker and woodcarver, McBride crafted numerous museum-quality reproductions of Hawaiian tools and weapons.

The author wrote and illustrated four other outstanding original works: About Hawaii's Volcanoes; The Kahuna, Versatile Masters of Old Hawaii; Pele, Volcano Goddess of Hawaii (currently out of print); and Practical Folk Medicine of Hawaii. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Petroglyph Pr Ltd; Revised Edition edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0912180498
• ISBN-13: 978-0912180496
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,508,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor, promotes destruction of rock art, October 27, 1995

By A Customer

This review is from: Petroglyphs of Hawaii (Paperback)

Very simple intro to Hawaiian rock art.
Perhaps best suited for grade school level.
Inadvertently promotes destruction of rock art by "rubbings".
A better book would be Cox & Stasack's "Petroglyphs of Hawaii",
available from the Bishop Museum Press.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Questions and some answers, April 1, 2006

By 

Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Petroglyphs of Hawaii (Paperback)

This book provides a varied repository of information about the petroglyphs that can be seen on the island of Hawaii. Topics covered include: location, documentation, theories of who made them, when, and what they mean, and how to take rubbings. The book is illustrated with maps, reproductions of petroglyphs, and a few photographs.

For the most part, McBride doesn't definitively settle any questions about the mysteries of the petroglyphs. Instead, he carefully lays out the competing theories and leaves it up for the reader to decide which of these is more likely (although he does express some bias in some instances). One interesting theory that McBride attributes to Dr. Kenneth Emory is that when both simple and complex forms of a petroglyph shape are found, the simple one is presumably older. If this is so, it suggests that the petroglyph carving may be more likely to be art than a form of writing, since in ancient writing systems, symbols tend to become simpler and less concretely representational with time. The book can make an interesting record of a trip to see the petroglyphs, and it has some potential pointers for more information, but it is not likely to answer all the questions you might have about the petroglyphs.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Petroglyphs of Hawaii, February 1, 2003

By 

Peter G - See all my reviews

This review is from: Petroglyphs of Hawaii (Paperback)

This is a good introduction to the subject in Hawaii. Easy reading and informative. Not a good read for rabid conservationists. In addition I would recommend the Hawaiian Petroglyphs by Cox...