Saguaro cacti, desert landscapes, and the Grand Canyon may stand out as prominent Arizona features, but this scorching state is also home to bizarre places, personalities, events, and phenomena. These unique and quirky aspects are humorously displayed in Arizona Curiosities, a cross between a wacky news gazette, an almanac, and a humorous travel guide.

Attuned to a world of natural signs-the stars, the winds, the curl of ocean swells-Polynesian explorers navigated for thousands of miles without charts or instruments. They sailed against prevailing winds and currents aboard powerful double canoes to settle the vast Pacific Ocean. And they did this when Greek mariners still hugged the coast of an inland sea, and Europe was populated by stone-age farmers. Yet by the turn of the twentieth century, this story had been lost and Polynesians had become an oppressed minority in their own land. Then, in 1975, a replica of an ancient Hawaiian canoe-Hokule'a-was launched to sail the ancient star paths, and help Hawaiians reclaim pride in the accomplishments of their ancestors. Hawaiki Rising tells this story in the words of the men and women who created and sailed aboard Hokule'a. They speak of growing up at a time when their Hawaiian culture was in danger of extinction; of their vision of sailing ancestral sea-routes; and of the heartbreaking loss of Eddie Aikau in a courageous effort to save his crewmates when Hokule'a capsized in a raging storm. We join a young Hawaiian, Nainoa Thompson, as he rediscovers the ancient star signs that guided his ancestors, navigates Hokule'a to Tahiti, and becomes the first Hawaiian to find distant landfall without charts or instruments in a thousand years. Hawaiki Rising is the saga of an astonishing revival of indigenous culture by voyagers who took hold of the old story and sailed deep into their ancestral past.

Each volume in this series features approximately fifteen short biographies of notorious bad guys, perpetrators of mischief, visionary if misunderstood thinkers, and other colorful antiheroes from the history of a given state. The villainous, the misguided, and the misunderstood all get their due in these entertaining yet informing books.

Arizona Myths and Legends explores unusual phenomena, strange events, and mysteries in Arizona's history. From strange Grand Canyon deaths, to ghosts at the Hotel Vendome, and the last stagecoach robbery, settle in to learn all the scintillating and unsettling details of the Grand Canyon State's mysterious history.

The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and the wide-open desert may stand out as prominent Southwest features, but this region is also home to bizarre places, personalities, events, and phenomena. These unique and quirky aspects are humorously displayed in Southwest Curiosities, a cross between a wacky news gazette, an almanac, and a humorous travel guide. Amusing stories and unique black and white photographs make this the perfect read for travelers, residents, and anyone interested in adventure and a good laugh. Southwest Curiosities is part of a GPP homegrown series of state-specific books that describe, with humor and affection-and a healthy dose of attitude-the oddest, quirkiest, and most outlandish places, personalities, events, and phenomena found within the state's borders and in the chronicles of its history. The series provides a fun and accessible read for travelers and non travelers alike-a great armchair book with quirky black and white photographs throughout and maps for each region.

Each volume in this series features approximately fifteen short biographies of notorious bad guys, perpetrators of mischief, visionary if misunderstood thinkers, and other colorful antiheroes from the history of a given state. The villainous, the misguided, and the misunderstood all get their due in these entertaining yet informing books.

Attuned to a world of natural signs—the stars, the winds, the curl of ocean swells—Polynesian explorers navigated for thousands of miles without charts or instruments. They sailed against prevailing winds and currents aboard powerful double canoes to settle the vast Pacific Ocean. And they did this when Greek mariners still hugged the coast of an inland sea, and Europe was populated by stone-age farmers. Yet by the turn of the twentieth century, this story had been lost and Polynesians had become an oppressed minority in their own land. Then, in 1975, a replica of an ancient Hawaiian canoe—Hokule‘a—was launched to sail the ancient star paths, and help Hawaiians reclaim pride in the accomplishments of their ancestors. Hawaiki Rising tells this story in the words of the men and women who created and sailed aboard Hokule‘a. They speak of growing up at a time when their Hawaiian culture was in danger of extinction; of their vision of sailing ancestral sea-routes; and of the heartbreaking loss of Eddie Aikau in a courageous effort to save his crewmates when Hokule‘a capsized in a raging storm. We join a young Hawaiian, Nainoa Thompson, as he rediscovers the ancient star signs that guided his ancestors, navigates Hokule‘a to Tahiti, and becomes the first Hawaiian to find distant landfall without charts or instruments in a thousand years. Hawaiki Rising is the saga of an astonishing revival of indigenous culture by voyagers who took hold of the old story and sailed deep into their ancestral past.