A multitude of scholars have visited Tonga communities. They have come from different countries, worked at different times, had different disciplinary interests and theoretical agenda and published in different places. Many of these scholars have been the products of Zambian and Zimbabwean universities. The research presented in this volume gives some idea of the rich knowledge now available on the Tonga - a people remarkable for their egalitarian ethos, practice of participatory democracy and willingness to experiment with new possibilities.
"The book is a history of the founding and spectacular growth of the Christian Church in Tonga up to 1842 and contains as background to this traditions about events in Tonga prior to European contact, genealogies of prominent persons, and comprehensive accounts of the geography, mythology, gods and social structure of the country"--Publisher's website.
Uniquely among the nations of the Pacific Islands, Tonga was never subject to European rule at any point in its history. Since the original settlement of the islands by pottery-making, seafaring colonists about 1200 BC, Tongans have been the masters of their archipelago, developing a distinctive and elegant culture. Amid rapid modernisation, the ancient kingdom has survived, along with many of the traditional ways, giving rise to Tonga's claim that it alone offers today's tourist an authentic taste of ancient Polynesia. Ian Campbell's authoritative and readable account of Tongan history tells the entire story from first settlement to the present day. This new edition is a revision of the original 1992 book, incorporating the results of new research and with an additional chapter on the last decade.
Praise for the first edition: "Tonga is unique among bibliographies in its perception and understanding, and in its affection for Tonga and its people. . . . Daly’s work stands on exceptionally sound foundations. . . . His summaries are excellent, indeed, but Daly writes always with the authority of first-hand knowledge, with a keen eye for the essential, and the ability to interpret and clarify obscurities. . . . A trustworthy introduction to Tonga in all its diversity, a splendid point de départ for all, layman or scholar, needing a reliable guide to the essential literature about this remarkable Polynesian kingdom." —Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies "The book is so arranged that it is easy to locate any of the items listed. . . . I found myself spending pleasant hours perusing Daly’s comments on the different publications.. . . I hope the rumor of a second, revised edition of this bibliography is true." —Journal of the Polynesian Society Tonga is a fascinating and subtle combination of a traditional Polynesian kingdom—the only one to survive the impact of colonization in the nineteenth century and remain independent—and a thoroughly Christian country. This comprehensive bibliography is a selective guide to the most significant and accessible English-language books, papers, and articles on every aspect of the kingdom’s history, culture, arts, politics, environment, and economy. It is a much updated and expanded edition of the original version that was published in 1999 as part of the World Bibliographical Series, with the addition of more than 200 new entries. Each of the approximately 600 described and annotated items is organized under broad subject headings, and indexed by author, title, and subject. In addition—and new to this edition—all known Ph.D. theses, although not annotated, are shown within their appropriate subject categories and indexed. Also new is a section on the most important Tonga-related websites. A general introduction describes the Tongan kingdom, its history and society, and its current situation. Tonga: A New Bibliography will be an invaluable resource for anyone with a serious interest in Tonga and an indispensable volume for academic libraries, reference collections, and policy makers focused on the Pacific islands.
First published in 1974, Church and State in Tonga is a classic study of the formative period of modern Tongan history. The years covered are from the re-establishment of the Wesleyan Methodist mission in the 1820s until the promulgation of the Tongan constitution in 1875. The missionaries assumed the role of political advisors, but by the 1850s the missionary monopoly was undermined and what author Sione Latukefu calls a "marriage of convenience" and an "alliance" began. The king became selective in the advice he accepted and took his own initiatives. Much of the book deals with the development of kingship and the emergence of written codes of law and the constitution. The book is dedicated to Queen Salote Tupou III who passed the traditions of the royal family to Latukefu, determined to impart her wealth of knowledge of the Tongan traditional past. Church and State in Tonga was the first substantial study by a Tongan of the history of the Tongan monarchy and government, a rich documentary study reinforced by knowledge of local language, customs, and traditions.
