Curve of the Hook: An Archaeologist in Polynesia
by Yosihiko Sinoto
with Hiroshi Aramata

Series Editor Frank Stewart.
Translated by Frank Stewart and Madoka Nagadō.

A book-length interview of Dr. Yosihiko Sinoto by Hiroshi Aramata, Curve of the Hook contains over 100 illustrations — including unpublished photos from Dr. Sinoto’s private collection — plus notes and a list of references.

In the interview, Dr. Sinoto tells of unearthing the first ancient voyaging canoe found in Polynesia — one of his greatest accomplishments — and exploring some of the most remote islands and coral atolls of the Pacific. He also describes his efforts to conserve and preserve sites and structures for the benefit of future generations. Many people have now come to regard the voyages of the early Polynesians as among the great achievements in human history, thanks in part to his work. For such decades-long efforts, Dr. Sinoto has received numerous awards and been named a living treasure of Hawaiʻi.

Curve of the Hook was originally published in Japanese as Rakuen Kōkogaku (Archaeology in Paradise). In 1996, the book received the Yoshikawa Eiji Cultural Award, and in 1999, it was selected as one of the best 100 biographies of a Japanese in the twentieth century.

More information: Curve of the Hook website; KHPR interview with Akihiko Sinoto and Eric Komori.

236 pp., summer 2016 (28:1), $29.00
ISBN 978-0-8248-6623-5
Project Muse