![]() ![]() Here then, are Ten Fun Facts About Islands: Wherever they occur, on oceans, lakes and rivers all over the world, islands have a special meaning as a land apart - an escape from our dreary continental lives. Yet, as Harvey' book reminds us, islands occur all over the world, from the balmy shores of Fuji or Tahiti to the wintry shores of Canada or Norway. Say the word "island", and many people instantly conjure up images of tropical paradise, perhaps on a Polynesian isle. Regardless of their length of stay, the lure of island life helped motivate both groups of people. James Strang, Harvey's "King of Confidence" led a band of Mormons to settle on Beaver Island, but he and the whole colony were gone within a decade. The Polynesian people settled and have occupied the islands of the central Pacific Ocean for over a thousand years, and understanding how they did it is part of what motivates Thompson's book. ![]() This week I reviewed Sea People, Christina Thompson's fantastic book on the history of the "puzzle of Polynesia", and Miles Harvey's The King of Confidence, a microshistory of the 19th century self-proclaimed "King James", who reigned on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan. Each week I set out to research and document ten "fun facts" on a topic loosely based on the two books I've reviewed that week. ![]()
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