World War II was a watershed event for the people of the former Japanese colonies of Micronesia. The Japanese military build-up, the conflict itself, and the American occupation and control of the conquered islands brought rapid and dramatic changes to Micronesian life. Whether they spent the war in caves and bomb shelters, in sweet potato fields under armed Japanese guard, or in their own homes, Micronesians who survived those years recognize that their peoples underwent a major historical transformation. Like a typhoon, the war swept away a former life. The Typhoon of War combines archival research and oral history culled from more than three hundred Micronesian survivors to offer a comparative history of the war in Micronesia. It is the first book to develop Islander perspectives on a topic still dominated by military histories that all but ignore the effects of wartime operations on indigenous populations. The authors explore the significant cultural meanings of the war for Island peoples, for the events of the war are the foundation on which Micronesians have constructed their modern view of themselves, their societies, and the wider world. Their recollections of those tumultuous years contain a wealth of detail about wartime activities, local conditions, and social change, making this an invaluable reference for anyone interested in twentieth-century Micronesia. Photographs, maps, and a detailed chronology will help readers situate Micronesian experiences within the broader context of the Pacific War.

American Anthropology in Micronesia: An Assessment evaluates how anthropological research in the Trust Territory has affected the Micronesian people, the U.S. colonial administration, and the discipline of anthropology itself. Contributors analyze the interplay between anthropology and history, in particular how American colonialism affected anthropologists' use of history, and examine the research that has been conducted by American anthropologists in specific topical areas of socio-cultural anthropology. Although concentrating largely on disciplinary concerns, the authors consider the connections between work done in the era of applied anthropology and that completed later when anthropology was pursued mainly for its own sake. The focus then returns to applied concerns in more recent years and issues pertaining to the relevance of anthropology for the world of practical affairs. It will be of essential interest to students and scholars of Pacific Islands studies and the history of anthropology.

Upon a Stone Altar tells the history of a remarkable people who inhabit the island of Pohnpei in the Eastern Caroline Islands of Micronesia. Since the beginnings of intensive foreign contact, Pohnpei has endured numerous disruptive conflicts as well as attempts at colonial domination. Pohnpeians creatively adapted to change and today live successfully in a modern world not totally of their own making. Hanlon uses the vast body of oral tradition to relate the early history of Pohnpei, including the story of the building of a huge complex of artificial stone islets, Nan Madol.

Highlights decisive WWII military operations in Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, and their effects on the islands. Illustrations, maps, and index.

Includes entries for maps and atlases.