Book description
Attuned to a world of natural signs-the stars, the winds, the curl of ocean swells-Polynesian explorers navigated for thousands of miles without charts or instruments. They sailed against prevailing winds and currents aboard powerful double canoes to settle the vast Pacific Ocean. And they did this when Greek mariners still…
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Why read it?
2 authors picked Hawaiki Rising as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I love love loved learning the story of the resurrection of traditional Polynesian navigation in this book.
Sam Low does such an incredible job bringing together all the elements of the story, and made me feel like I was right there experiencing every challenge, every victory toward more understanding, every gust of wind, every windfall.
I loved how he developed each character involved, and I felt especially close to Nainoa Thompson through the journey and was moved by his dedication to uncovering this nearly lost art of navigating by the sun, stars, and signs from the sea.
From Captain's list on nonfiction books about ocean adventures.
How did Polynesians navigate without instruments in voyaging canoes made with stone-age tools to discover and settle an isolated island chain in the middle of the Pacific, over 2,000 miles from their ancestral homelands in Tahiti and the Marquesas? Their navigational practices are lost in time, but the Polynesian Voyaging Society was established in 1975 to explore how it might have been done. Low tells the story of the society’s early work, a marvelous combination of adventure, exploration, and research that contributed to the contemporary revival of the spirit, pride, values, and traditions of the ancient culture. Also highly recommended…
From Dennis' list on understanding Hawaiian culture before visiting.
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