Sir Arthur Francis Grimble (Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, 11 June 1888 - London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, 13 December 1956) was a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 Civil Servant and writer

Writer

A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

.

After joining the Colonial Office

Colonial Office

Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...

, he became a cadet administrative officer in the Gilberts

Gilbert Islands

The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...

 (1914) and became Resident Commissioner of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands

Gilbert and Ellice Islands

The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were a British protectorate from 1892 and colony from 1916 until 1 January 1976, when the islands were divided into two different colonies which became independent nations shortly after...

 colony in 1926.

Specialist in the myths and oral traditions of Kiribati

Kiribati

Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...

 people, he learned the Gilbertese language.

He wrote A Pattern of Islands (London, John Murray 1952, published in US as We chose the Islands) and Return to the Islands (1957) which were best-sellers. In 1956 a film Pacific Destiny

Pacific Destiny

Pacific Destiny is a 1956 British drama film directed by Wolf Rilla and starring Denholm Elliott, Susan Stephen and Michael Horden. In the colonial era, a young British couple win the respect of the inhabitants of a South Pacific island. It was based on the memoirs of Sir Arthur Grimble.-Cast:*...

was based on his experiences. A Pattern of Islands was republished by Eland, London in 2011, ISBN 978-1906011-45-1

The best book on his scientific work on the Gilbertese Culture has been published by Henry Evans Maude

Henry Evans Maude

Henry "Harry" Evans Maude, OBE was a British civil servant and anthropologist. He was the husband of Honor Maude.Harry Maude was born 1 October 1906, in Bankipore, India....

, Tungaru Traditions: writings on the atoll culture of the Gilbert Islands, University of Hawaii

University of Hawaii

The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...

 Press, Honolulu, 1989, ISBN 0-8248-1217-4