During his lifetime, Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968), a full-blooded Hawaiian, was known worldwide simply as The Duke. His name was synonymous with Hawaiʻi. He is remembered today for his Olympic medals and as the Father of Modern Surfing. In 2002, the US Postal Service described him as the greatest aquatic athlete the world has ever seen. The thousands who place lei on his statue in Waikiki honor him as Hawaiʻi’s legendary Ambassador of Aloha for his strength of character and the Hawaiian ideals of humility and dignity he exemplified. In this moving tribute filled with photographs, his story and Hawaiʻi’s are intertwined.

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Author Sandra Hall grew up at the famous Australian beach where Hawaiʻi’s Duke Kahanamoku taught Aussies in 1914 how to ride the waves. Hall heard stories from childhood about "The Duke." She has written dozens of articles for newspapers and surfing magazines about Duke’s surfing history and Himalayan adventure travel.

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hardcover   |   photographs   |   120 pages   |   5.25" x 6.25"   |   sepia tone

REVIEWS:

“... the real strength of this spare but poignant little book is the humility with which it documents a lifetimes worth of events, milestones, and great achievements... an accessible, handy reference which reads less like a reference than an earnest memoir... fascinating historical photos, one for each page of text, reveal why Duke’s contemporaries were as apt to speak of his personality as they were to extol his accomplishments.”

—Longboard Magazine

“This keeper ought to be translated into several languages.”

—Honolulu Star-Bulletin

“The pictures that occupy every left-facing page in the book are the kind that you linger over and study... a beautiful gift.”

—Honolulu Advertiser

“Kimberley’s book is just right. She tells Dukes story smoothly and succinctly and with plenty of photos on every other page... This is the kind of book that visitors will want to take home and locals will want to keep sitting around for visitors and friends to read.”

—Hawaii Island Journal

“In a moving tribute filled with photos of Kahanamoku, Hall reveals how Kahanamoku remained true to his core values throughout his long life.”

—West Hawaii Today

“Duke: A Great Hawaiian by Sandra Kimberly Hall is a highly readable and enjoyable look at the Olympic gold medal swimmer, who many call the most famous Hawaiian of all time.”

—PW Daily for Booksellers

“... the book summarizes the considerable impact Duke Kahanamoku made on Hawaii and the world.”

—The Manly Daily