We've all thought about getting off the treadmill, turning life on its head and doing something worthwhile. Philip Ells dreamed of turquoise seas, sandy beaches and palm trees, and he found these in the tiny Pacific island state of Tuvalu. But neither his Voluntary Service Overseas briefing pack nor his legal training could prepare him for what happened there.

This book is a history of Tuvalu written by Tuvaluans. It is intended both as a contribution to the knowledge of Pacific history and as an expression of Tuvalu's cultural identity, complementing the political identity officially born in 1978 when Tuvalu became an independent nation.