The View From Diamond Head

Diamond Head’s stark silhouette stands as a symbolic sentinel over Waikīkī—one of the world’s most famous travel destination. This image evokes vision of adventure and romance for millions—those who have visted and those who have dreamed. For centuries, Hawaiian chiefs ruled Oʻahu from this beach—until the advent of European trade in the early 1800s. Waikīkī became an agricultural backwater when the center of commerce was moved to Honolulu where the deep harbor could accommodate European ships. During the Victorian era both Hawaiian royalty and haole society made Waikīkī a playground. Thus, began its gradual return to prominence in a new context—as a twentieth-century visitor destination. Waikīkī today is a magical metropolis that glitters with the glamour of an urban resort, while maintaining a casual tropical ambiance. And what might it become? The tale of Waikīkī is here told—the “has been,” the “is,” and the “could be”—a fascinating story wonderfully illustrated with photographs, historic and contemporary. _____ by Don Hibbard, David Franzen _____ hardcover   |   221 pages   |   11" x 8.5"   |   B&W and color photographs