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| | Location: Home » Australia » Australia » We, the Navigators: The Ancient Art of Landfinding in the Pacific (Revised) | September 5, 2008 |
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| We, the Navigators: The Ancient Art of Landfinding in the Pacific (Revised) | 
 enlarge | Author: David Lewis
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Category: Book
List Price: $27.95
Buy New: $18.45
You Save: $9.50 (34%)
Buy New/Used from $17.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (9 reviews)
Sales Rank: 122351
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2 Sub
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 468
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 1.2
ISBN: 0824815823
Dewey Decimal Number: 623.89099
EAN: 9780824815820
ASIN: 0824815823
Publication Date: January 1, 1994
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Book Description
This new edition includes a discussion of theories about traditional methods of navigation developed during the past two decades, the story of the renaissance of star navigation throughout the Pacific, and material about navigation systems in Indonesia, Siberia, and the Indian Ocean.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
Classic August 8, 2008
The best treatment of traditional Pacific navigation practices, written by someone who actually could navigate.
Excellent May 17, 2008
This book is well-written, displels a lot of strange myths about native Pacific navigation, and provides a lot of interesting details useful to modern navigators when they run out of batteries in the middle of the ocean.
intriguing and eye-opening! December 24, 2007
For most of us, sailing across 2000+ miles of open ocean from Hawaii to Tahiti (or vice versa) would be daunting enough even with using every modern navigation device such as a GPS. Consider that in 1927 with compasses, sextants, radio, etc, in the Dole Air Race from Oakland to Honolulu (the same distance as Tahiti to Hawaii) 3 out of the 5 planes that started out were lost at sea. Then consider that a thousand years ago the Polynesians in 50-foot twin-hulled canoes were regularly making such voyages without any kind of instruments, and that crossing 50 or 100 miles of ocean was thought almost trivially easy.
That a primitive (by European or American standards) people were skilled at ocean navigation was thought absurd. Kon-Tiki was an attempt to show that Oceania could be populated from South America by drifting on rafts and sheer luck of landfall. But it is now established that there was skilled and purposeful exploration and colonization--including Rapa Nui (Easter Island) which is 1000 miles from the nearest other habitable island. We, the Navigators is a fascinating look at "primitive" navigation techniques, and the author himself sailed from Hawaii to Tahiti using only these ancient techniques.
So you'll see how the Polynesians used the sun, moon, and stars to achieve accurate navigation. They also used the ocean swells (as distinct from waves): islands reflect and deflect swells, so by careful observation, you can get a sense of direction to landfall. Land also changes cloud patterns. Birds were watched intently. New Zealand was one of the last places found and peopled--from 1600 miles away from the northeast, perhaps by watching birds migrate in that direction. Different kinds of birds travel different distances from land--some travel 40-50 miles, others 20-25 miles: by observing at dawn where the birds came from, and observing which direction they went towards sunset, and seeing what kind of bird it was, you could tell that there was land, and what direction it was, and how far away it was as well. On leaving land, backsights would be taken to help establish currents and drift. The book has lots of drawings and illustrations--it's a real treat!
Oceanic navigation classic July 27, 2004
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The most complete study of early navigation I have come across. The author does a fantastic job of comparing the different styles of landfinding as used by the Pacific islanders. Lewis brings the knowledge and experience of an accomplished western sailor and navigator to his studies, and in doing so is able compare and contrast ancient and modern techniques. A scholarly study of primitive navigation, the book is not always an easy read, however for the reader looking for a complete comparison this is the volume to have.
 An academic book by a knowledgable navigator April 23, 2002
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
This book is written by an academic. I don't necessarily mean this in a negative sense. The author has done a very thorough research on the topic and presented his findings. The effect is a book that can be called a comprehensive treatment as far as it can be done given that the practictioners are disappearing fast.
The downside is that it can send you to sleep as the author systematically compares how the navigational techniques are practiced in the various island groups.The strength of the book is not only its thoroughness but also the fact that the author is a skilled sailor who has gone on trips using these techniques. This makes the material so much more authentic, because the reader can relate how effective these skills are and yet how much practice they require. The author provides commentary on many practices and relates them to our modern day knowledge. An example was their ability to recognize the impact of sub surface currents, something that is today a rather specialist piece of knowledge not available to the everyday sailor.
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