Publisher Description
“Vowell makes an excellent travelling companion, what with her rare combination of erudition and cheek.”
—The New York Times Book Review
Many think of 1776 as the most defining year of American history, the year we became a nation devoted to the pursuit of happiness through self-government. In Unfamiliar Fishes, Sarah Vowell argues that 1898 might be a year just as crucial to our nation’s identity, when, in an orgy of imperialism, the United States annexed Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam, and invaded Cuba, and then the Philippines, becoming a meddling, self-serving, militaristic international superpower practically overnight.
Of all the countries the United States invaded or colonized in 1898, Vowell considers the story of the Americanization of Hawaii to be the most intriguing. From the arrival of the New England missionaries in 1820, who came to Christianize the local heathen, to the coup d’état led by the missionaries’ sons in 1893, overthrowing the Hawaiian queen, the events leading up to American annexation feature a cast of beguiling if often appalling or tragic characters. Whalers who will fire cannons at the Bible-thumpers denying them their god-given right to whores. An incestuous princess pulled between her new god and her brother-husband. Sugar barons, con men, Theodore Roosevelt, and the last Hawaiian queen, a songwriter whose sentimental ode “Aloha ‘Oe” serenaded the first Hawaii-born president of the United States during his 2009 inaugural parade.
With Vowell’s trademark wry insights and reporting, she lights out to discover the odd, emblematic, and exceptional history of the fiftieth state. In examining the place where Manifest Destiny got a sunburn, she finds America again, warts and all.
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"It's not my favorite that she's written, but it's excellent Vowell-style history. I am surprisingly ignorant about Hawaii, as it turns out.
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Kaia (4 out of 5 stars)
About Sarah Vowell
Sarah Vowell is a contributing editor for public radio’s This American Life and has written for Time, Esquire, GQ, Spin, Salon, and the Los Angeles Times, among others. She is the author of Radio On, Take the Cannoli, and The Partly Cloudy Patriot. She lives in New York City.
About the Narrators
John Hodgman is a writer, comedian, and actor.. He is the author of three New York Times bestselling books—The Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require, and That Is All. After an appearance to promote his books on The Daily Show, he was invited to return as a contributor, serving as the show’s “Resident Expert” and “Deranged Millionaire.” This led to an unexpected and, frankly, implausible career before the camera. He has performed comedy for the president of the United States, at a TED conference, and in a crypt in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Finally, he is the host of the popular Judge John Hodgman podcast, in which he settles serious disputes between real people, such as “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” and “Should we tell our children the TRUTH about Santa Claus?” He also contributes a weekly column under the same name for the New York Times Magazine.
Edward Norton is well-known for his role in the cult classic film Fight Club, based on the debut novel by Chuck Palanhiuk. Norton turned to acting two years after graduating from Yale University in 1991. He worked in theater before landing his first film role in 1996’s Primal Fear. Norton earned an Oscar nomination for that role and for 1998’s American History X. He continues to produce and star in movies that including the blockbuster The Incredible Hulk, Pride and Glory, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Birdman, earning his third Oscar nomination for the latter.
Keanu Reeves is a Canadian film actor known
for his roles in Bill & Ted’s Excellent
Adventure, Speed, Point Break, and
the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix. In addition to his film roles,
Reeves has also performed in theatre, and he
received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005.
Paul Rudd is an actor, comedian and screenwriter known for his roles in Clueless, The Cider House Rules, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Dinner for Schmucks, and I Love You, Man.
He has also appeared on the NBC sitcom Friends and is frequently
featured on the Tim and Eric show.
Maya Rudolph is an American actress,
comedienne, and singer who rose to prominence as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. She received an Emmy Award nomination for returning to
host a 2012 episode of SNL and is the costar of the NBC sitcom Up All Night.
Ron McLarty is a veteran actor of television, film, and stage as well as an award-winning audiobook narrator. He has more than 100 television appearances to his credit, including as a series regular on Spencer for Hire and Law & Order. His film career began in 1977 with a performance in The Sentinel and continued with such films as The Postman, Flamingo Kid, and, most recently, How Do You Know? His stage credits include Broadway and other productions. He has narrated more than 100 audiobooks, earning nine Earphones Awards and recognition by AudioFile magazine as a Best Voice in Mystery & Suspense in 2009 and 2010. He has twice been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Awards and then won the award in 2001 for Best Mystery Narration. He is also an accomplished playwright and an acclaimed novelist.