More than two hundred years of volcano watching in Hawaii is captured in this pictorial history by three contemporary volcano watchers. Volcanoes have been observed and records have been made of their activity since the early Polynesians recognized the Hawaiian Islands as volcanic and incorporated their awareness of volcanic processes into legends and chants. This illustrated summary of eruptions and earthquakes on the island of Hawaii from the time of Captain Cook's voyage in the late eighteenth century to recent, on going events at Kilauea includes early maps, paintings, drawings, and photographs made by volcano watchers.

Lucid, thought provoking, and superbly illustrated, this work highlights the accomplishments of both scientists and lay observers: the Reverend Titus Coan, James D. Dana, Sarah Joiner Lyman, Thomas A. Jaggar, Jerry Eaton, and others. The authors describe the conditions under which the early observers worked, the methods available to them, and the insights they gained through observation. The book also traces the development of volcanology in Hawaii and the history of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. It concludes by discussing future challenges to coexistence with Hawaii's active volcanoes.