The White Headhunter

Last night, we discussed The White Headhunter by Nigel Randell. It was a fairly rare foray into the non-fiction genre, but sometimes while reading it, you almost wonder how real it could be. It starts out recounting the adventures of Jack Renton, a white sailor shanghaied from San Francisco that through a series of misadventure (including mining a guano island) ends up on an island known for its "savagery" and headhunting. He starts as a slave and eventually leaves as a revered figure in the community.

Then the book zooms out a bit and begins to look at the overall relationships of the white man and his adventures in the South Seas and what impact that had on the civilizations there. Tipped power bases, extreme disease outbreaks, and missionaries completely changed the world of these islands. And that was all before Survivor: Vanuatu.

The book brought about questions of "absolute rights and truths" and ability to change civilizations without a thought if it was for the better or worse. Could Renton and a handful of other "beachcombers" maintain their "Western" ways and ideals and still not only survive but excel in the Headhunter's world? The survivors tend to be coy about how they fared. Possibly the most astonishing aspect is what remains of the Headhunter Civilization. Oral histories and man-made islands from the time period are still a central part of life in the islands.

Of course, we also wondered how you can drill holes in teeth with just stone and other equally important musings. Overall, it was a terrific trip into non-fiction and thanks to Jake for recommending it!