<p>&ldquo;Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life&rdquo; was Herman Melville&rsquo;s first novel and the work he was best known for during his own lifetime. Originally published in 1846, &ldquo;Typee&rdquo; was an immediate success and made Melville suddenly into a popular American author. The novel was partially based on Melville&rsquo;s own experiences as a beachcomber in the South Pacific Marquesas Islands in 1842. He combined actual details from his own one-month stay in the island paradise and embellished these events with thoughts from his imagination and inspiration found in numerous travel books. A romanticized travelogue of the Pacific island paradise Nuku Hiva, &ldquo;Typee&rdquo; is the story of Tommo, a Yankee sailor and his four-month stay on the island. Melville&rsquo;s work is notable for its sympathetic treatment of the Polynesian natives contrary to the popular view of them at the time as uncivilized savages. The novel is both a rousing and exciting adventure tale of capture and escape, as well as a provocative and sensual account of the native people of the islands and an examination of their society and rituals. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.</p>