Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life is the first book by American literature & fiction writer Herman Melville, published first in London, then New York, in 1846. Considered a classic in travel and action & adventure literature, the narrative is partly based on the author's actual experiences on the island Nuku Hiva in the South Pacific Marquesas Islands in 1842, liberally supplemented with imaginative reconstruction and adaptation of material from other books. The title is taken from the province Tai Pi Vai. Typee was Herman Melville's most popular work during his lifetime. He is also the author of the classic book Moby Dick.