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Island Edge of America
Coffman, Tom. The Island Edge of America: A Political History of Hawai'i. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press (2840 Kolowalu St.,Honolulu, HI 96822-1888), 2003. xv, 419p. ISBN 0-8248-2625-6 (hc), $42.00. 0-8248-2662-0 (pa), $18.95. Index. Bib. Illus (b&w). Acid-Free.
Coffman’s latest book attempts to explain the myriad influences that have shaped the dual identity of Hawaii over the 20th century as both one of the 50 United States of America and a special place (quasi-island nation) that bridges Eastern and Western cultures. It briefly covers annexation and the initial Japanese migration, but the focus of the book is on political developments during and after World War II, including the role of the labor movement, the campaign for statehood, and the events that shaped and sustained the Democratic Party machine in Hawai'i during the second half of the 20th century. Coffman also discusses the development of the unique role and power of the Governorship in Hawai'i.
Tom Coffman is a journalist who has been living in and writing about Hawai'i politics since 1965. He has written several books about Hawai'i’s political history, including Catch a Wave about the rise to power of iconic Governor John Burns. In 1999 he won the Hawai'i Book Publishers Association Po'okela award for nonfiction and the Hawai'i Award for Literature for Nation Within, his history of the annexation of Hawai'i.
The current book appears to be meticulously researched using primary sources and personal interviews with many of the key players or those close to them. It contains copious footnotes, an extensive bibliography and a detailed, comprehensive index. Dozens of black & white photographs of the main personalities discussed in the book provide the reader with some welcome visual context. Although I did find one date error, it appears to be an anomaly (a typo citing 1895 instead of 1795 on p.161).
The book is very well-written, and Coffman does an excellent job of synthesizing the information for the reader. Nevertheless, the topic is complex, so the book will likely appeal more to serious readers and historians. An organizational chart outlining the key relationships would be beneficial to any reader.
To a temporary transplant from the mainland, like this reviewer, Coffman offers a complex, nuanced analysis of the varied and multiple influences that have shaped contemporary Hawai'i. He succeeds in helping the reader understand the uniqueness of Hawai'i’s political situation. He also tries hard, but in this reviewer’s opinion, somewhat less successfully, to explain how developments in Hawai'i have influenced events on both the American mainland and in Asia.
The one serious criticism that may be leveled is that Coffman focuses overwhelmingly on the influences and contributions of the Japanese American ethnic group, and particularly the nisei. The main narrative describes how Japanese American values and ethnic character traits helped to dissuade the case for internment of Hawai'i’s nisei during World War II and ultimately led to their full engagement in Hawaiian politics and society. Coffman’s treatment of George Ariyoshi, Hawai'i’s first Japanese American governor, while carefully documented, verges on hero-worship. In contrast, the book appears to give relatively little attention to the stories of native Hawaiians. While not part of the main narrative (as Coffman would likely argue), other historians and native Hawaiian groups could justifiably counter that inclusion of these untold stories would provide a more balanced history of modern Hawai'i.
I reviewed the hardcover edition of this book. The type was attractively laid out and easy to read, and the text block had a sturdy sewn binding with good openability. However, I was disappointed that the cover binding was substandard. By the time I had finished the book, the hinge of the cover spine had separated from the front cover. Libraries and high use facilities should consider rebinding the book or monitor it carefully and perform hinge-tightening when necessary.
The amount of detailed information in this book is reason enough for this reviewer to highly recommend it for local history and political science collections, as well as any serious collection on modern Hawaiian history. The bibliography and index make it an ideal reference book for Hawai'i public and high school libraries. College professors should consider including it in their reading lists for courses on 20th century Hawaiian history. I also recommend it for ethnic history collections focusing on Japanese Americans.
Coffman’s latest book attempts to explain the myriad influences that have shaped the dual identity of Hawaii over the 20th century as both one of the 50 United States of America and a special place (quasi-island nation) that bridges Eastern and Western cultures. It briefly covers annexation and the initial Japanese migration, but the focus of the book is on political developments during and after World War II, including the role of the labor movement, the campaign for statehood, and the events that shaped and sustained the Democratic Party machine in Hawai'i during the second half of the 20th century. Coffman also discusses the development of the unique role and power of the Governorship in Hawai'i.
Tom Coffman is a journalist who has been living in and writing about Hawai'i politics since 1965. He has written several books about Hawai'i’s political history, including Catch a Wave about the rise to power of iconic Governor John Burns. In 1999 he won the Hawai'i Book Publishers Association Po'okela award for nonfiction and the Hawai'i Award for Literature for Nation Within, his history of the annexation of Hawai'i.
The current book appears to be meticulously researched using primary sources and personal interviews with many of the key players or those close to them. It contains copious footnotes, an extensive bibliography and a detailed, comprehensive index. Dozens of black & white photographs of the main personalities discussed in the book provide the reader with some welcome visual context. Although I did find one date error, it appears to be an anomaly (a typo citing 1895 instead of 1795 on p.161).
The book is very well-written, and Coffman does an excellent job of synthesizing the information for the reader. Nevertheless, the topic is complex, so the book will likely appeal more to serious readers and historians. An organizational chart outlining the key relationships would be beneficial to any reader.
To a temporary transplant from the mainland, like this reviewer, Coffman offers a complex, nuanced analysis of the varied and multiple influences that have shaped contemporary Hawai'i. He succeeds in helping the reader understand the uniqueness of Hawai'i’s political situation. He also tries hard, but in this reviewer’s opinion, somewhat less successfully, to explain how developments in Hawai'i have influenced events on both the American mainland and in Asia.
The one serious criticism that may be leveled is that Coffman focuses overwhelmingly on the influences and contributions of the Japanese American ethnic group, and particularly the nisei. The main narrative describes how Japanese American values and ethnic character traits helped to dissuade the case for internment of Hawai'i’s nisei during World War II and ultimately led to their full engagement in Hawaiian politics and society. Coffman’s treatment of George Ariyoshi, Hawai'i’s first Japanese American governor, while carefully documented, verges on hero-worship. In contrast, the book appears to give relatively little attention to the stories of native Hawaiians. While not part of the main narrative (as Coffman would likely argue), other historians and native Hawaiian groups could justifiably counter that inclusion of these untold stories would provide a more balanced history of modern Hawai'i.
I reviewed the hardcover edition of this book. The type was attractively laid out and easy to read, and the text block had a sturdy sewn binding with good openability. However, I was disappointed that the cover binding was substandard. By the time I had finished the book, the hinge of the cover spine had separated from the front cover. Libraries and high use facilities should consider rebinding the book or monitor it carefully and perform hinge-tightening when necessary.
The amount of detailed information in this book is reason enough for this reviewer to highly recommend it for local history and political science collections, as well as any serious collection on modern Hawaiian history. The bibliography and index make it an ideal reference book for Hawai'i public and high school libraries. College professors should consider including it in their reading lists for courses on 20th century Hawaiian history. I also recommend it for ethnic history collections focusing on Japanese Americans.
Submitted in May 2006 by Lillian Nicolich, LIS Student, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
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