The funny, charming, and self-deprecating adventure story of a young man in the Pacific. Living for thirty years in the Gilbert & Ellis Islands, Grimble was ultimately initiated and tattooed according to local tradition, but not before he was severely tested, as when he was used as human bait for a giant octopus. Beyond the hilarious and frightening adventure stories, A Pattern of Islands is also a true testament to the life of these Pacific islanders. Grimble collected stories from the last generation who could remember the full glory of the old pagan ways. This is anthropology with its hair down.

Grimble's ethnographic studies of the Gilbertese, prepared between 1916 and 1926, provide an excellent baseline account of a fundamentally pre-contact culture. This collection, edited and introduced by H.E. Maude, comprises essays on mythology, history, and dancing; four chapters on the Maneaba; and organized field notes.