We, the Navigators: The Ancient Art of Landfinding in the Pacific (Second Edition)

by David Lewis

Book Overview

This new edition includes a discussion of theories about traditional methods of navigation developed during recent decades, the story of the renaissance of star navigation throughout the Pacific, and material about navigation systems in Indonesia, Siberia, and the Indian Ocean.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0824815823
• ISBN13: 9780824815820
• Release Date: May 1994
• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Oceanic navigation classic

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.

Exellent on Pacific Voyaging

David Lewis has zig-zaged the Pacific in modern yachts and traditional canoes. His broad experience and long resarch, using his own and many schoolars data, has made this a good analysis and documentation of the extremly impressing and interesting phenomenon of ancient and present voyaging in the Pacific. Others, specially anthropologists fieldworking in the Central Carolines of Micronesia, had written about the presently used Micronesian voyaging system, others less throughly about the forgotten polynesian,but Lewis mangage to give a synthesis of the technologies and some of the social aspects of traditional voyaging in the Pacific

The Old Way of Navigation Preserved!

A triumph! Lewis's "hands-on" investigation of ancientsailing tchniques in the Pacific now includes a description of arenaissance in celestial navigation in Polynesia. The old way, the wayof passing on knowledge of sighting stars and zenith stars, is onceagain being passed on from one generation to another.

Polynesian navigation over great distances w/o instruments

"We, The Navigators" is one of the first books written about polynesian navigation over great distances without benefit of any instruments except the senses of the navigators. The polynesians steered by the stars, sun, swell patterns, wind, birds, clouds, phosphorescence in the sea. "The Navigators" began training as soon as they were weened and had to memorize thousands of factors to enable then to reach islands that their ancestors had been traveling to for generations. This book is a great source for both scholars and sailors. However; be warned that if you don't have some knowledge of sailing and navigation you may not fully appreciate "We, the Navigators"

A rare delight for a yachtsman....

.. this book tells you how the stone age polynesians navigated in the vast Pacific. The reseach is immaculate: Mr. Lewis found the last indigenous navigators, learned their techniques and sailed with them. This book is almost the sole document of the greatest navigators in history, and so wonderfully written that you forget it is a scientific work