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Tiki Central / General Tiki / Tiki Books, Common and Obscure

Post #497189 by Haole Jim on Thu, Dec 3, 2009 8:29 PM

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HJ

We all know about the Standards, but here are a few definitely Tiki books which are for sure, less well-known. Highly recommended.

Anyone else care to contribute your own favourites?

Adventure--Into The Neverland, James Hood, 2002

Fiction. Not exactly Tiki, more like modern Jules-Verne style "lite" sci-fi/adventure, but partly taking place in the South Pacific, circa 1972. Think, the British East India Company of the 18th century rises again in modern incarnation, to clandestinely exploit a parallel, alternate world. Very heavily researched, convincing, considering it's fiction.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun, Christopher Moore, 1997

Fiction in Moore's wacko-offbeat style, of a skilled but goof-off modern pilot getting involved on a tropical Pacific island with a leftover WW II cargo cult, an old cannibal and some very nasty criminals Including a temptress-extraordinaire, with some stuff so so stupid it will have you laughing aloud and other parts where you are on the edge of your seat chanting, Shid, shid, shid, how's he gonna possibly get out of this...?

March To The Sound Of The Drums, Colonel Harold Oppenheimer, USMC, 1966

Nonfiction. Memoirs of a once-young Marine officer sent to command native troops in Samoa in early WW II. Island culture, tribal life, island life, taboos, love's travails, remarkable characters, heroes, villians, military life, personal interactions are pondered and described in a remarkably readable manner.

A huge appendix discusses the intricacies of commanding native troops and Samoan grammar, from a US Marine officer's point of view.

(Edit 9-12-2010)

American Guerilla In the Philippines, Ira Wolfert, 1945

Nonfiction and strictly, non-Tiki, but definitely WW II and tropical Pacific Islands culture in detail. The wartime story of Lt I.R. Richardson's post-US/Philippine surrender to the Japanese, where he chose as did others, to fight on and hide in the many islands and among sympathetic poulation. Much period Islands detail and dramatic history of a time worth remembering and honoring.

The War Journal of Major Damon "Rocky" Gause, Foreward and Introduction by Stephen Ambrose and Damon Gause, Jr.

Nonfiction and strictly, non-Tiki. The story of an escapee from the Bataan Death March in the Philippines and the following 159-day escape to Australia. Much Philippine Islands culture and detail, plus the South Seas setting.

[ Edited by: Haole Jim 2010-09-11 22:08 ]

Rascals In Paradise, James A. Michener and A. Grove Day

Nonfiction, 1957. A history of 10 explorers/exploiters of the South Seas. Cook, Bligh, yeah, yeah...but also, fascinating chapters on Dona Isabel, The Lady Explorer and Louis Becke, Adventurer and Writer.

[ Edited by: Haole Jim 2010-10-08 09:25 ]

Kon-Tiki And I, Erik Hesselberg

Nonfiction, "Illustrations with text begun on the Pacific on the raft, 'Kon-Tiki' and completed at Solbakken on Borre (Norway)."
Amazing amateur pen and ink drawings of leaving for to finishing the Expedition. Erif drew and sketched while he was ABOARD Kon-Tiki!!!!!

Bradford & Dickens, London, 4th Impression, 1952

[ Edited by: Haole Jim 2012-04-21 22:41 ]