Exploring Historic Lahaina (Small Town Series Maui)
These slim volumes in the "Small Town Series Maui" aren't so much written as assembled by the respective authors, but that doesn't mean they aren't useful works. They are particularly for those visiting these locations for the first times, or for regulars wanting to know more about local history.Each book is essentially an annotated photo album, and the casual nature of many of the images adds to that impression. Many are family snapshots.The captions, however, place the images in historic and cultural contexts. Even more useful, the back cover of each volume is a fold-out (and vastly simplified) "walking map," so that the book is a kind of field guide.There are many, many "then" photos, and no "now," so it's up to you to compare and contrast, confirming this is a book to be used on-site. The authors also chose colorful bits of oral history, and the volumes are well-printed and designed. If you're going to these locations, the books are recommended. And, oh, by the way, "historic" takes us into the 1970s. --Burl Burlingame, "Honolulu Star-Bulletin" (copyright 2002)