Tiki Literature! What are you reading?

There are thousands of books linked with polynesia, whether they are history books, travel pamphlets, or early travel logs of explorers/adventurers. All of these are valuable resources for the tiki collector and anthropological enthusiast. What have you been reading? No doubt this will help those of us with decent pacific islander libraries to expand our collections and give those just starting their libraries, a place to start. Post away!

Like many other's. One of my first experiences with Polynesia was reading Kon-Tiki in early middle school. Like those living in the original "tiki era" this captivated my imagination and attention. It's books like these that got this crazy habit started. I have almost made it through the whole Thor Heyerdahl collection, but although being an avid reader, am still working at finishing Fatu-Hiva at the age of 28. I'm not giving up though. There are so many books and so little time.

I will try to post my collection soon. I left my camera at work, but wanted to start the post while I still remembered.

I have a book called "Cargo Cult: Strange Stories from Melanesia and Beyonf". It was good until it's pretentious, "we're the true cultists" college thesis ending.

Is that the one where the islanders started worshiping the pilots who landed on their islands with supplies?

Just scored a Kon Tiki book, now I understand where Tiki originated from. Wish I knew about Tiki history before a certain post I did!
Trader Bob

Many books have been discussed here at TC over the years. I finally picked up Tony Horwitz's Blue Latitudes and it's a "must read" and a fun read for all South Pacific island enthusiasts. Tony retraces Captain James Cooks explorations in a travelogue style. As he travels you learn all about Cook's adventures.

How have you liked Kon-Tiki? I found it a little too dry. But, Aku-Aku I loved. Thought it was a much more fascinating read.

As a book it is a little amateurish, but the historical Tiki value keeps you interested. I am enjoying it though, and I will get the other books authored by Thor.
Trader Bob....

Otto Von Stroheim's Tiki News !

Alright they're not "historic" tiki, but, during this crazy snow I went through Tiki Quest (one read through and the pages are falling out), Tiki Road Trip and Tiki Mugs. I had planned on reading a Kon Tiki that I got for Christmas, but it's a first ed. and after the Tiki Quest thing I was worried about cracking it open.

Here's the thread on that. Kon Tiki, Blue Latitudes and many others, must reads in "Beyond Tiki" forum. ALOHA!!! http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=17724&forum=6&hilite=BookReviewThread

On the nightstand at the moment. About an expedition to the interior of Dutch New Guinea in 1959. A good read so far.

Ooooh: "72 pages of superb photographs!" I like! ...sorry, this thread is about READING!

On 2010-02-11 02:17, Bongo Bungalow wrote:
Many books have been discussed here at TC over the years. I finally picked up Tony Horwitz's Blue Latitudes and it's a "must read" and a fun read for all South Pacific island enthusiasts. Tony retraces Captain James Cooks explorations in a travelogue style. As he travels you learn all about Cook's adventures.

I second that! I really liked Blue Latitudes. A couple others I just read:

Getting Stoned with Savages and The Sex Lives of Cannibals by Maartin Troost - Loved both of these.

Typee by Herman Melville - a great classic - need to pick up Oomo and Mardi next.

Hi! I just found this website. My father is Gardner Mckay of Adventures in Paradise (60's show). I see he has many fans here, and I thought I should let them know that his memoirs were recently published and are available on Amazon. The book is titled, "Journey Without a Map" and I think many of you would enjoy it.
Thank You so Much,
Liza Mckay Spera

On 2010-02-11 20:07, lizamckayspera wrote:
Hi! I just found this website. My father is Gardner Mckay of Adventures in Paradise (60's show). I see he has many fans here, and I thought I should let them know that his memoirs were recently published and are available on Amazon. The book is titled, "Journey Without a Map" and I think many of you would enjoy it.
Thank You so Much,
Liza Mckay Spera

Very cool! Come on, Liza, give us a story- just one! Wet our appetites!

Thanks for the head's up Liza. I have the full Adventures in Paradise series and from what I've read, he definitely had an interesting life after the series. So PLEASE do tell some stories.

Looking forward to picking up the book.

On 2010-02-11 12:37, Pittsburgh pauly wrote:
Alright they're not "historic" tiki, but, during this crazy snow I went through Tiki Quest (one read through and the pages are falling out), Tiki Road Trip and Tiki Mugs. I had planned on reading a Kon Tiki that I got for Christmas, but it's a first ed. and after the Tiki Quest thing I was worried about cracking it open.

You know, I just gotta' comment: I had the same problem with my Tiki Quest. It was literally the first time I flipped through it and pages started falling out. I consider it an indispensable resource, but it seems kind of cheaply made. Anyway, I have a book (fiction) that might appeal to some here called "A Cannibal in Manhattan" by Tama Janowitz (a contemporary of Bret Easton Ellis, among others). It's about a former cannibal chieftain on a fictitious Poly- or Melanesian island who's enticed to travel to New York by an heiress/peace corps volunteer and finds himself rubbing elbows with Manhattan's elite. Now that I think about it, it's opening premise is a bit like Crocodile Dundee. But it gets better. I just read some lack-luster reviews, but I liked it. This was back before I started reading up on actual Poly/Melanesian cultures, though. Aside from that, I really enjoyed Kon Tiki and Aku Aku. I found an old book called "The Rivers Ran East", which is kind of a sensationalist account of an explorer's adventures in South America searching for the lost tribes of the Amazon. It features run-ins with the Jivaro, among other "primitive" cultures. And, hey; old National Geographics are good for more than just pictures of boobs, you know...

On 2010-02-10 22:30, pali-uli wrote:
Is that the one where the islanders started worshiping the pilots who landed on their islands with supplies?

Actually it was the cargo itself, with the pilot and the military really just a steward. The logic is the 'cargo' (whatever it may be) is a gift from their gods to them. The military was simply an unwitting conveyor of what was always rightfully theirs. At least that's one of the thoughts on the subject the book talked about.

Or maybe you're thinking of The Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore, which was hilarious.

[ Edited by: Wayfarer 2010-02-13 08:09 ]

Here are a couple of other books some people might find fun to read and are fairly easy to get ahold of. Nothing like vintage photos.

Voyages of the South Seas - Exploring in the Wake of Captain Cook
By William R. Gray
Published by National Geographic

Some of the great color photos. Some vahines.

Some carved tikis.

Classic Rapa-nuian sunset.

A hefty read at 518 pages but filled with tons of information about the Kula people of New Guinea. The traditions and ceremony surrounding the building of a new canoe was fascinating.

In my late teens, back in the 70's, I read quite a few relevant works - let's see what I remember...
Kon-Tiki and Aku Aku (one vivid recollection of this book is feeling claustrophobic, reading about crawling through tight caves/tunnels to burial chambers). Then, went on to all the rest of Heyerdahl that I could find, at the time - 'Ra', 'Fatu-Hiva' (cured me of any interest in actually trying to "go native" in the Marquesas). Also, 'American Indians in the Pacific', which was Heyerdahl's more scholarly, interdisciplinary book about his theories on Polynesian origins. A few years ago, I bought a copy, and started re-reading it. Interesting, but also easy to put down.
'Raroria', by Bengt Danielsson (one of the Kon-Tiki crew).
Michener's 'Hawaii', 'Return to Paradise', and 'Rascals in Paradise'.
'South Seas Tales', and 'Stories of Hawaii', by Jack London (also, 'The Sea Wolf').
Somerset Maugham's 'Rain' (a classic short story), and 'The Moon and Sixpence' (novel, based on Gauguin)
Mark Twain's 'Letters from Hawaii'.
Melville's 'Typee' (all ready mentioned by Mo-Eye, but I'll second the recommendation; I re-read it, a year or two ago).
'The Far Lands', by James Norman Hall.
'White Shadows in the South Seas', by Frederick O'Brien (also wrote 'Mystic Isles of the South Seas', which I haven't read, yet).
'Best South Sea Stories', a collection, edited by A.Grove Day (read in hardback, from library, then, years later, found and bought at the library's old book sale).

I'm sure there were others... I was rather obsessed.

"The rum's the thing..."

[ Edited by: Limbo Lizard 2010-02-16 15:45 ]

Ive done Kon Tiki, Aku Aku, Hawaii,Voyages to Paradise,Within the sound of these waves,Tales of the South Pacific, Pitcairn Island and Typee in the past year and a half . Today the mail came with ebay finds:Born in Paradise,Stories of Hawaii and The Spell of the Pacific . I cant get enough .

[ Edited by: Tiki-Ray 2010-02-17 08:30 ]

Limbo Lizard,
I feel Aku-Aku grabbed my attention out of all the "tiki" books I have read too. I to felt claustrophobic during that part and was surprised how much Heyerdahl was able to draw you into the story. He did a very good job writing for the everyday guy rather than the anthropologist, which so happened to be his biggest judgement from his peers who thought he was to relaxed in his writing style. Good research. I just started a new book this past week. Very provocative. I'll see if I can post some pics.

Bedtime Stories For Surfers, by Greg Shmanske, 2009 Hula Tiki Publishing.

Kinda weird, sometimes detective / spy-oid violent, sometimes sad, sometimes kinda Twilight Zone.

Advertised in Tiki Magazine a couple issues ago. A definitely good read.

Lost In Shangri-La, by Mitchell Zuckoff

From the blurb of the UK edition:

"Three months before the end of WWII, a US Army transport plane flying over New Guinea's hidden Baliem Valley crashed into uncharted mountains inhabited by a Stone Age tribe. Nineteen passengers and crew were killed instantly. Two were mortally wounded. Somehow, three survived. [...] For seven weeks, they experience one adventure after another in this isolated paradise. [...] Rounding out the true-life cast is a rogue filmmaker who had left Hollywood after being exposed as a jewel-thief, a smart aleck pilot who flew best when his plane had no engine, and a cowboy colonel whose rescue plan seemed designed to increase the death toll."

Great reading!

CN

Toto, j'ai l'impression que nous ne sommes plus au Kansas !

[ Edited by: Club Nouméa 2011-06-09 19:47 ]