Gavan Daws is an American historian, writer, and filmmaker specializing in the history of Hawaii, the Pacific, and Asia. Born in Australia in 1933, he earned a Ph.D. in Pacific History from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where he later served as a professor. His most renowned work, "Shoal of Time: A History of the Hawaiian Islands," remains the bestselling history of Hawaii since its publication in 1968. Other significant publications include "Holy Man: Father Damien of Molokai," a biography of the canonized missionary priest who served leprosy patients in Hawaii, and "Prisoners of the Japanese: POWs of World War II in the Pacific."
Daws' career extends beyond academia and literature into documentary filmmaking and the arts. He co-produced and co-directed "Angels of War: The People of Papua New Guinea and World War II," which earned the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Documentary. His creative endeavors also include writing song lyrics, a stage play with music and choreography, and an opera libretto. Recognized for his contributions to humanities, he was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Humanities in Australia and served on the UNESCO Commission on the Scientific and Cultural History of Humankind. Now retired, Daws resides in Honolulu with his wife.