Typee was Herman Melville's first book, recounting how he jumped ship in the Marquesas Islands in 1842, to become captive of a cannibal island tribe.  It was Melville's most popular work during his lifetime. The author was awed and charmed by the as-yet unspoiled beauty of the island and its people. At home, the story was provocative in its criticism of the corrosive influence of colonial civilization.  Many sought to discredit the work, calling it a mere fiction, but this criticism was rebutted when the events it described were corroborated by Melville's fellow castaway, Richard T. Greene, who appears in the story as the character Toby.

Solidtube microphone.