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Kauai: The Separate Kingdom
Here finally is a readable, thoroughly researched, and generously illustrated history of the island of Kauai. Edward Joesting tells for the first time the story of one of the most intriguing and least known of the Hawaiian Islands. His account begins with the prehistoric origins of the island and concludes with the annexation of Hawaii in 1898.
Kauai describes the early emergence of Kauai as an island separate and distinctive from the other islands of Hawaii. It recounts the coming of Western man, the failure of King Kamehameha to conquer the island, and the ultimate incorporation of the island into the Hawaiian kingdom. Joesting also includes in his story the destructive impact of the sandalwood and whaling trades, and the subsequent rise of an economy based on sugar cultivation. His story comes to an end with the demise of the Hawaiian monarchy and the quiet revolution that occurred when Hawaii became a territory of the United States.
Historical documents not previously used bring new information and fresh perspectives to this book. The result is a level-headed, engaging look at Kauai. The Separate Kingdom is certain to become the authoritative history of the island long regarded by many as the most beautiful in the Hawaiian archipelago.
Kauai describes the early emergence of Kauai as an island separate and distinctive from the other islands of Hawaii. It recounts the coming of Western man, the failure of King Kamehameha to conquer the island, and the ultimate incorporation of the island into the Hawaiian kingdom. Joesting also includes in his story the destructive impact of the sandalwood and whaling trades, and the subsequent rise of an economy based on sugar cultivation. His story comes to an end with the demise of the Hawaiian monarchy and the quiet revolution that occurred when Hawaii became a territory of the United States.
Historical documents not previously used bring new information and fresh perspectives to this book. The result is a level-headed, engaging look at Kauai. The Separate Kingdom is certain to become the authoritative history of the island long regarded by many as the most beautiful in the Hawaiian archipelago.
- GenresHistoryNonfictionTravel
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 31, 2021
Have you noticed that when we read about the history of North America what we mostly get is the history that occurs after Europeans invaded the area? To look into the history prior to the arrival of Europeans takes some digging. True, the indigenous peoples didn’t have a written language, but every indigenous society on earth has an oral history that is handed down. Archaeological finds have helped to flesh out our understanding of what life was like.
Reading this book was hard for me. The writing was easy enough, but what was distressing was how, after the first 70 pages, the original inhabitants of Kauai (and Hawaii at large) largely disappeared off the pages. The remaining ~200 pages were mainly concerned with how the Europeans took over. Then began the usual story of trade, missionary missions, small farms becoming plantations of monoculture agricultural products, the loss of native villages and of the natives themselves to imported diseases. As the native Hawaiian population started shrinking, laborers were brought in under contracts that basically resembled slavery. There were floggings, prison for those who fled, bad food, long days and punishingly hard labor. Strikes frequently occurred but language barriers prevented adequate communication as to what the grievances were … and the owners and managers didn’t actually care anyway.
The Chinese were the first to be recruited, they came in large numbers, and they were deemed good workers. But there was prejudice against them for their close, inscrutable society and, once their contracted period of labor was completed and they could work for themselves, for their willingness to work under conditions not acceptable to their competitors. So plantation owners turned to recruiting German and Portuguese laborers whose cultures were understandable, but they wanted more money than the Chinese did. Next they tried the Japanese, and this proved more satisfactory for the hirers but the Japanese themselves were less happy and would leave the islands as soon as they could. I happen to know there were a lot of Filipinos who slaved in the sugarcane fields but there was no mention of them in this book.
This book was published in 1983, and although it’s an older book, it’s still recent enough that its political ‘incorrectness’ was offensive to me. For example, he writes that a certain son of American missionaries was so fluent in the Hawaiian language that he reached levels of understanding not often achieved by the natives themselves. Right. And he used the word ‘Oriental’ so often - and he wasn’t referring to rugs - I was gritting my teeth. It was clear that his was a Eurocentric view of Kauai. He provided minute details about the missionaries and their offspring, of the Sinclair-Gay-Robinson extended family, and many other European and American settlers, but he mentions only a very few of the Hawaiian kings and queens by name. His sympathies were decidedly one-sided: he wrote that the police had their hands full arresting the Chinese since there were certainly some dubious characters amongst them … and in the next sentence casually mentions how the selfsame police were chided by a judge for acts unbecoming of an officer.
The map in the front of the book and the first 70 pages were fine. I wish the rest of it measured up the beginning.
Reading this book was hard for me. The writing was easy enough, but what was distressing was how, after the first 70 pages, the original inhabitants of Kauai (and Hawaii at large) largely disappeared off the pages. The remaining ~200 pages were mainly concerned with how the Europeans took over. Then began the usual story of trade, missionary missions, small farms becoming plantations of monoculture agricultural products, the loss of native villages and of the natives themselves to imported diseases. As the native Hawaiian population started shrinking, laborers were brought in under contracts that basically resembled slavery. There were floggings, prison for those who fled, bad food, long days and punishingly hard labor. Strikes frequently occurred but language barriers prevented adequate communication as to what the grievances were … and the owners and managers didn’t actually care anyway.
The Chinese were the first to be recruited, they came in large numbers, and they were deemed good workers. But there was prejudice against them for their close, inscrutable society and, once their contracted period of labor was completed and they could work for themselves, for their willingness to work under conditions not acceptable to their competitors. So plantation owners turned to recruiting German and Portuguese laborers whose cultures were understandable, but they wanted more money than the Chinese did. Next they tried the Japanese, and this proved more satisfactory for the hirers but the Japanese themselves were less happy and would leave the islands as soon as they could. I happen to know there were a lot of Filipinos who slaved in the sugarcane fields but there was no mention of them in this book.
This book was published in 1983, and although it’s an older book, it’s still recent enough that its political ‘incorrectness’ was offensive to me. For example, he writes that a certain son of American missionaries was so fluent in the Hawaiian language that he reached levels of understanding not often achieved by the natives themselves. Right. And he used the word ‘Oriental’ so often - and he wasn’t referring to rugs - I was gritting my teeth. It was clear that his was a Eurocentric view of Kauai. He provided minute details about the missionaries and their offspring, of the Sinclair-Gay-Robinson extended family, and many other European and American settlers, but he mentions only a very few of the Hawaiian kings and queens by name. His sympathies were decidedly one-sided: he wrote that the police had their hands full arresting the Chinese since there were certainly some dubious characters amongst them … and in the next sentence casually mentions how the selfsame police were chided by a judge for acts unbecoming of an officer.
The map in the front of the book and the first 70 pages were fine. I wish the rest of it measured up the beginning.
March 23, 2012
I started this on a recent trip to Hawaii, and it was a great book for the vacation, with a lot of history and interesting facts, reminding me that there's a lot more to Hawaii than just the fancy resorts. While the book is dense, I got used to it and found it quite readable - I didn't stall part-way through. The reason for the lower rating is the writing. The author had a lot of facts and a lot to say, but I just don't think the book was organized well. There wasn't a consistent narritive, jumping forward 20 years, back 10, forward 5, back 15, etc. Mixing in overall Hawaii history was of course necessary even when you're focusing on just one island, and I liked the broader context, but jumping back and forth was difficult. Important people were introduced out of order, sometimes only talking about them in more depth later or sometimes not at all. It also seems like interesting tidbits pulled from the archives - letters and business documents, for example - were just thrown in here and there, with one-paragraph mentions of indivdiual cases without it fitting in nicely with the surrounding text. Of course the book covered the most important folks: the royalty, the missionaries, the plantation owners, and key businessmen. And of course it covered the main stages of the 100+ years it overs, from Cook's arrival, to Vancouver's influence, to Kamehameha's uniting of the kingdom, to the sandalwood trade, to the sugar industry, and finally to annexation by the US. And it covered all the unique things about Kauai - the geography and natural landscape in particular. So everything was there, I just would have preferred a more consistent narrative and a smoother flow to the book.
June 23, 2008
This book definitely succeeds as a readable, laymen introduction to Kauai history. Kauai and Niihau’s unique physical position has placed it ironically within relative easy reach of distant longitudinal voyages whereas the channel crossing to Oahu is comparatively treacherous. Joesting illustrates this separation by painting a chronological picture starting with ancient Polynesian visits to the “leeward islands,” Western contact first occurring at Waimea, strong missionary presence and influence, birth of Hawaii’s sugar industry, and concluding with prominent Kauai residents’ roles in the overthrow of the monarchy and eventual annexation of Hawaii by the U.S. Through all these periods Kauai generally maintained its own agendas apart from the dealings with the windward islands, and as Joesting shows, Kauai often served as refuge for Westerners or native Hawaiians out of favor with Oahu.
While anyone could read this book and come away with a greater appreciation for Kauai history, a general familiarity with major events in Hawaii history and the major players helps in appreciating the implications and significance of described events. In fact, one of the book’s major shortcomings is in failing to describe the effects of major events on the lives of those who do not happen to have a street named after them on Kauai. Most notably absent is the affect of the Great Mahele (land division granting private ownership to citizens) on Kauai. This seminal event in Hawaiian history has one passing mention in the whole book. On the other hand, Joesting tends to pepper the ceaseless parade of names and dates with disjointed anecdotes involving notable people or interesting happenings. Furthermore, Joesting’s inclusion of endnotes but failure to cite them in-text lends to the book’s readability but makes it virtually impossible to dig deeper into specific events or sources.
Despite these minor distractions, Kauai: the Separate Kingdom is a good read for anyone interested in the Hawaiian Islands. As Joesting points out, the history of Kauai becomes inseparably indistinguishable from the rest of Hawaii following annexation. Perhaps the most thought provoking sentiment comes at the close of the book from Kauai born Sanford Dole, President of the Republic of Hawaii and first Territorial Governor:
“What will be the result when the American comes as he is coming now, and faster? Will the Hawaiian community still continue to dominate the situation and assimilate the arrivals as fast as they come or will the newcomers, before they become Hawaiian assert themselves and be a law unto themselves and the old society, making their social sentiment and indifference toward the native Hawaiian to be the paramount unwritten code?”
While anyone could read this book and come away with a greater appreciation for Kauai history, a general familiarity with major events in Hawaii history and the major players helps in appreciating the implications and significance of described events. In fact, one of the book’s major shortcomings is in failing to describe the effects of major events on the lives of those who do not happen to have a street named after them on Kauai. Most notably absent is the affect of the Great Mahele (land division granting private ownership to citizens) on Kauai. This seminal event in Hawaiian history has one passing mention in the whole book. On the other hand, Joesting tends to pepper the ceaseless parade of names and dates with disjointed anecdotes involving notable people or interesting happenings. Furthermore, Joesting’s inclusion of endnotes but failure to cite them in-text lends to the book’s readability but makes it virtually impossible to dig deeper into specific events or sources.
Despite these minor distractions, Kauai: the Separate Kingdom is a good read for anyone interested in the Hawaiian Islands. As Joesting points out, the history of Kauai becomes inseparably indistinguishable from the rest of Hawaii following annexation. Perhaps the most thought provoking sentiment comes at the close of the book from Kauai born Sanford Dole, President of the Republic of Hawaii and first Territorial Governor:
“What will be the result when the American comes as he is coming now, and faster? Will the Hawaiian community still continue to dominate the situation and assimilate the arrivals as fast as they come or will the newcomers, before they become Hawaiian assert themselves and be a law unto themselves and the old society, making their social sentiment and indifference toward the native Hawaiian to be the paramount unwritten code?”
March 15, 2023
This book is really all about the colonizers who came to Kauai and the Hawaiian islands with sprinkles of information about the native culture/people here and there. I'm talking pages and pages about these individual white men and their day to day lives on the island vs generalizations/summaries of the native people's experiences.
December 7, 2019
Took me forever to read this. Very boring
February 13, 2023
I spent most of a week on Kauai in late January 2023, and reading this book was helpful to me. It reminded me of many things I had learned about its history, geology, and people. It also filled in the gaps: the story of the attempted takeover by the Russian-American Company (the Alaska-based equivalent of the British East India Company) is told here in more detail than I have heard elsewhere, for example. It also told me more about fascinating people like Queen Ka'ahumanu, who essentially ruled Kauai for years, nominally as regent for her sons, and Captain George Vancouver (who should be remembered as much more important than Captain Cook!)
The strength of the book is at the same time its most frustrating quality: that is, the variety of its contents. The author can go from a 30,000-foot look at the geography of the island to the biography of a king, to endless names of British and American settlers, to ship voyages, to insights into the economics of the sandalwood, whaling, sugar, and rice industries (including the daily life of a sailor on a whaling ship and the severe exploitation of contract laborers) with hardly any transition. You get astute observations about culture clashes juxtaposed to a list of the authors in a missionary's daughter's library. Sometimes, it reads like an essay; sometimes, it seems as if the author is determined to get every note he took in the Bishop Museum into the text of his book. And as you red the final chapters, you hear the same stories more than once.
As other reviewers have noted, even though the book was published forty years ago by an author who had grown up in the first half of the twentieth century, and even thought he clearly loves Kauai and had lived in Hawai'i since 1951, it is colonialist in its outlook. The bias against Queen Lili'uokalani is evident, and it is telling that he gives the last word in the book to Sanford Dole!
The book seems unique, and that is a pity. Someone else should write about Kauai with a less ethnocentric perspective and with a social history approach.
The strength of the book is at the same time its most frustrating quality: that is, the variety of its contents. The author can go from a 30,000-foot look at the geography of the island to the biography of a king, to endless names of British and American settlers, to ship voyages, to insights into the economics of the sandalwood, whaling, sugar, and rice industries (including the daily life of a sailor on a whaling ship and the severe exploitation of contract laborers) with hardly any transition. You get astute observations about culture clashes juxtaposed to a list of the authors in a missionary's daughter's library. Sometimes, it reads like an essay; sometimes, it seems as if the author is determined to get every note he took in the Bishop Museum into the text of his book. And as you red the final chapters, you hear the same stories more than once.
As other reviewers have noted, even though the book was published forty years ago by an author who had grown up in the first half of the twentieth century, and even thought he clearly loves Kauai and had lived in Hawai'i since 1951, it is colonialist in its outlook. The bias against Queen Lili'uokalani is evident, and it is telling that he gives the last word in the book to Sanford Dole!
The book seems unique, and that is a pity. Someone else should write about Kauai with a less ethnocentric perspective and with a social history approach.
January 28, 2023
Kauai the separate kingdom sheds light on the garden isle of Hawaii. I have traveled their many times and all throughout the islands and labored under the misconception that King Kamehameha conquered all the islands however Kauai was the lone hold out that did not submit to his rule. It would remain apart for quite some time and use trade to maintain its independence. This book covers the initial discovery by Polynesians and their settling on the islands. It looks at the rise of Kamehameha and the kings locally to resist him. This book follows the trade, immigration and development of the various parts of the island and how its organic growth occurred. If you are interested in Hawaiian history this is a great read with lots of good facts about the Island and how certain towns and cities came to be. It covers a wide range of topics and does so without getting to bogged down in the details.
July 10, 2022
Interesting and one of the only histories of Kaua'i. But like some others I found issue with the writing being dry and at times just lists of names and data. I also got bored with the focus on the Eurocentric population (and worldview) and wish to know more about the Native People of the island. I have read other History of Hawai'i books that do have that perspective so was disappointed that this rarely touched on them.
September 9, 2022
For a history book, it's fairly approachable. It was interesting to learn how the kindom worked throughout the island, considering what was going on in the rest of the world. I didn't realize there were so many origins of immigrants. I wish it went more into Hawaiian culture and went past 1898.
October 27, 2018
A really good history of the island. Well written; easy to read
February 20, 2014
We just got back from a wonderful vacation in Kauai where we spent a week doing all the expected touristy things: hiking, snorkeling, drinking too much, getting sunburned, seeing the sights and reading. One of the things I love the most about reading on vacation is the opportunity to learn about new places while I travel through them. It’s the opposite of escapist reading — it’s “anchoring” reading.
The only interesting history of Kauai I could find was Kauai: The Separate Kingdom. It’s a solid historical treatment of Hawaii’s oldest island, moving at a brisk clip from settlement by early Polynesians through the rise and fall of sugar plantations. Along the way, readers learn about the religion and customs of early natives, warfare and politics between the various island tribes, the “discovery” of the islands by westerners, the impact of the whaling industry, the arrival of missionaries, agricultural interests including doomed sandalwood ventures to raise silk worms — and more.
It’s an educational though not very lively look at a truly wonderful place rich in history. It was published 25 years ago and, while it serves its purpose ably, a more comprehensive history that does a better, deeper and more nuanced job would be welcome, especially one that talks about becoming a state.
Still, I will forever fondly remember reading it on Ke’e beach and slowly realizing the ancient, sacred temple used by hula dancers hundreds of years ago was literally yards away from us, hidden by brush. To celebrate the graduation of the class, those who made it through the rigors of training, everyone from nearby villages would gather on the beach for food and fun and dancing, and the bravest of the young men climbed to the tops of the jagged peaks behind us to hurl flaming spears out into the sea in what had to be a truly unforgettable pyrotechnic show.
If you get the chance, visit Kauai, and bring this book along with you.
The only interesting history of Kauai I could find was Kauai: The Separate Kingdom. It’s a solid historical treatment of Hawaii’s oldest island, moving at a brisk clip from settlement by early Polynesians through the rise and fall of sugar plantations. Along the way, readers learn about the religion and customs of early natives, warfare and politics between the various island tribes, the “discovery” of the islands by westerners, the impact of the whaling industry, the arrival of missionaries, agricultural interests including doomed sandalwood ventures to raise silk worms — and more.
It’s an educational though not very lively look at a truly wonderful place rich in history. It was published 25 years ago and, while it serves its purpose ably, a more comprehensive history that does a better, deeper and more nuanced job would be welcome, especially one that talks about becoming a state.
Still, I will forever fondly remember reading it on Ke’e beach and slowly realizing the ancient, sacred temple used by hula dancers hundreds of years ago was literally yards away from us, hidden by brush. To celebrate the graduation of the class, those who made it through the rigors of training, everyone from nearby villages would gather on the beach for food and fun and dancing, and the bravest of the young men climbed to the tops of the jagged peaks behind us to hurl flaming spears out into the sea in what had to be a truly unforgettable pyrotechnic show.
If you get the chance, visit Kauai, and bring this book along with you.
November 30, 2014
This is the only Kauai-specific history available as an ebook, and it did a competent enough job, but I couldn't help wanting something better.
As the other reviews say, the book's shortcomings:
* It's strangely, and confusingly, organised, so people are explained well after they are introduced, and the timelines jump around. I used the search function a lot to get around this.
* It focuses on Kauai-specific events. If you don't have much of an overview of Hawaii history, this is ridiculously confusing, as key events impacting on all the islands are often not explained. It is intended for an audience familiar with Hawaii history.
* It's out of date with contemporary understanding on some things, for example, Joesting takes the viewpoint of the white business elite by default, and relies heavily on such sources. There's little evidence of him consulting Hawaiian language sources.
With those weaknesses out of the way, I found the book really helpful in describing the very particular role of Kauai as an independent kingdom, and in explaining much of the background to the destruction of the original system of law on the island in particular. Joesting is interested in people, and his characters come off the page with life and passion, and contradictions and dilemmas.
As the other reviews say, the book's shortcomings:
* It's strangely, and confusingly, organised, so people are explained well after they are introduced, and the timelines jump around. I used the search function a lot to get around this.
* It focuses on Kauai-specific events. If you don't have much of an overview of Hawaii history, this is ridiculously confusing, as key events impacting on all the islands are often not explained. It is intended for an audience familiar with Hawaii history.
* It's out of date with contemporary understanding on some things, for example, Joesting takes the viewpoint of the white business elite by default, and relies heavily on such sources. There's little evidence of him consulting Hawaiian language sources.
With those weaknesses out of the way, I found the book really helpful in describing the very particular role of Kauai as an independent kingdom, and in explaining much of the background to the destruction of the original system of law on the island in particular. Joesting is interested in people, and his characters come off the page with life and passion, and contradictions and dilemmas.
January 30, 2015
Dry, but informational, I would think this book would mainly be of interest to someone who truly wants to learn more about the history of Kauai since it was visited by "Western" man. Sadly for me, the prior history of Kauai is very vague, as the Hawaiians apparently didn't have their own written language prior to westerners coming, so there is no written history of ancient time. But for the history from the 1700's with the visit by Captain Cook, this book is very detailed, even if it does tend to skip around a bit.
June 19, 2007
Have to really be interested in Hawaii to make it through this one.
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December 9, 2012good
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