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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
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| Jan 1 2008, 8:00 PM EST (current) | DrDrewHonolulu | 687 words added |
| Jan 1 2008, 7:58 PM EST | DrDrewHonolulu |
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COLEMAN, Stuart Holmes, Eddie Would Go: The Story of Eddie Aikau Hawaiian Hero. Honolulu, Hawaii: MindRaising Press (P.O. Box 11391 Honolulu, Hawaii 96828), 2001. 271p. ISBN 0-9706213-7-x (hc), $19.95. Illus. (b&w). [16] p. of plates. Index. Bib.
Eddie Would Go: The Story of Eddie Aikau Hawaiian Hero starts with a brief history of Eddie Aikau’s family and their move from Maui to Oahu. The family moved into a graveyard in Pauoa Valley where Eddie’s father was the groundskeeper. Eddie began to surf in Waikiki but soon was enticed by the big waves of the North Shore. He dropped out of high school and started working as one of the first lifeguards at Waimea Bay, as well as competing in many surf competitions internationally and at home. He married Linda Crosswhite in 1972 and they were divorced six years later.
The book discusses the concept of a waterman and why watermen play such a big role in Hawaiian heritage. Water is an integral part of the native Hawaiians’ heritage because of their dependence on it for their livelihood. The book follows the beginnings of the Hokule’a, a boat that was recreated to be like the ancient Polynesian vessels that are thought to have brought the first settlers to Hawaii.
Eddie’s passion for the Hokule’a and what it stood for drove him to join as a member of its crew in 1978. On its second voyage to Tahiti the same year, just hours after leaving Oahu, due to bad weather the boat capsized, leaving its crew hanging on for their lives. Eddie insisted on taking his surfboard and paddling to land for help. Shortly thereafter the crew was rescued but Eddie was never found.
The book does what it sets out to do. It tells the reader about Eddie Aikau’s life and how he became the Hawaiian legend he is today. It definitely explains the “Eddie Would Go” t-shirts, bumper stickers, and posters seen on every street corner on Oahu. It is filled with black and white and color photographs that help to illustrate Eddie’s life. It delves equally into the personal life as well as professional life of Eddie. It weaves the current events of the day into the story and illuminates how those events affected the lives of Eddie and his friends and family.
Coleman’s writing style and organization skills leave something to be desired. Although the book starts at the beginning on Eddie’s life and ends at the end of his life, the interim events are jumbled and sporadic. The book skips around from competitions and conversations he had later in his life back to his life as a teenager. There is also quite a bit of repetition when it comes to descriptions of his family. The book is a quick read and is appropriate for adult and young adult reading levels.
The book has a good cloth binding and at least my copy has withheld sand, wind, and being dropped multiple times and still looks decent. It has quite a few resources in the back of the book including bibliographical references, index, two maps and lists of winners of two major surf competitions, the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational and the Quicksilver Eddie Aikau Memorial. The book also includes sixteen pages of color plates in the center. The plates consist of photographs of Eddie and his friends and family. They are a great addition to the book as they help bring the characters to life.
Eddie Would Go is Coleman’s first book although he has previously published many essays and poems. Originally from South Carolina, Coleman moved to Hawaii in 1993. He taught English at Iolani Schools and Punahou and currently works as a consultant at the East-West Center’s Asia Pacific Leadership Program. Despite the books shortcomings, it fills a gap in Hawaiian history as the only book expressively about Eddie Aikau. It is a worthwhile $19.95 spent to enhance any Hawaiiana culture or history collection as Eddie Aikau has become an icon of the Hawaiian way of life.
Eddie Would Go: The Story of Eddie Aikau Hawaiian Hero starts with a brief history of Eddie Aikau’s family and their move from Maui to Oahu. The family moved into a graveyard in Pauoa Valley where Eddie’s father was the groundskeeper. Eddie began to surf in Waikiki but soon was enticed by the big waves of the North Shore. He dropped out of high school and started working as one of the first lifeguards at Waimea Bay, as well as competing in many surf competitions internationally and at home. He married Linda Crosswhite in 1972 and they were divorced six years later.
The book discusses the concept of a waterman and why watermen play such a big role in Hawaiian heritage. Water is an integral part of the native Hawaiians’ heritage because of their dependence on it for their livelihood. The book follows the beginnings of the Hokule’a, a boat that was recreated to be like the ancient Polynesian vessels that are thought to have brought the first settlers to Hawaii.
Eddie’s passion for the Hokule’a and what it stood for drove him to join as a member of its crew in 1978. On its second voyage to Tahiti the same year, just hours after leaving Oahu, due to bad weather the boat capsized, leaving its crew hanging on for their lives. Eddie insisted on taking his surfboard and paddling to land for help. Shortly thereafter the crew was rescued but Eddie was never found.
The book does what it sets out to do. It tells the reader about Eddie Aikau’s life and how he became the Hawaiian legend he is today. It definitely explains the “Eddie Would Go” t-shirts, bumper stickers, and posters seen on every street corner on Oahu. It is filled with black and white and color photographs that help to illustrate Eddie’s life. It delves equally into the personal life as well as professional life of Eddie. It weaves the current events of the day into the story and illuminates how those events affected the lives of Eddie and his friends and family.
Coleman’s writing style and organization skills leave something to be desired. Although the book starts at the beginning on Eddie’s life and ends at the end of his life, the interim events are jumbled and sporadic. The book skips around from competitions and conversations he had later in his life back to his life as a teenager. There is also quite a bit of repetition when it comes to descriptions of his family. The book is a quick read and is appropriate for adult and young adult reading levels.
The book has a good cloth binding and at least my copy has withheld sand, wind, and being dropped multiple times and still looks decent. It has quite a few resources in the back of the book including bibliographical references, index, two maps and lists of winners of two major surf competitions, the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational and the Quicksilver Eddie Aikau Memorial. The book also includes sixteen pages of color plates in the center. The plates consist of photographs of Eddie and his friends and family. They are a great addition to the book as they help bring the characters to life.
Eddie Would Go is Coleman’s first book although he has previously published many essays and poems. Originally from South Carolina, Coleman moved to Hawaii in 1993. He taught English at Iolani Schools and Punahou and currently works as a consultant at the East-West Center’s Asia Pacific Leadership Program. Despite the books shortcomings, it fills a gap in Hawaiian history as the only book expressively about Eddie Aikau. It is a worthwhile $19.95 spent to enhance any Hawaiiana culture or history collection as Eddie Aikau has become an icon of the Hawaiian way of life.
Submitted in April 2006 by Dona Melissa Christensen Bossie, MLISc Student, University if Hawaii at Manoa.
