Lost Kingdom: Hawaii's Last Queen, the Sugar Kings, and America's First Imperial Venture

Lost Kingdom was the first book I read cover to cover on Hawaiian history and I truly enjoyed. It is a work of art that combines the rigorous analysis of primary and secondary sources with a fluent and entertaining narrative about the annexation of the Sandwich Islands to the United States. The book takes the reader from the early beginnings of the Kamehameha’s dynasty up to the United States’ manifest destiny that ended with the loss of the Kingdom after the dethronement of Queen Lili’u by her fellow countrymen influenced by the sugar barons and the military interests of the United States.The strongest part of the book is the articulated description of the house of Kalākaua. In particular, Julia Flynn Siler succeeds in reflecting the political history of Hawaii through the lenses of the personal life of Queen Lili’u since the times of her upbringing up to her imprisonment and later pardon. It is remarkable the countless details that the author provides, such as the involved system of news delivery wrapped in the flowers that Liliu’s received while confined in the same room at ‘Iolani Palace where today rests the quilt she knitted as an expression of the resistance of her spirit.After reading the book however one ends with a sensation that perhaps Lili’u’s life was not the critical element to understand the annexation of Hawaii to the United States and yet the book evolves around the life of the deposed Queen. Let me explain: She was in fact the last Queen of the monarchy and while she was in power the dethronement and later annexation did take place, but the books overlooks the political economy around the annexation while at the same time it over focuses on the personal details of Queen Lili’u. These two elements are not balanced in the narrative.As a thought experiment one can suggests that had Kalākaua being in power probably all the key elements of the annexation were still in place so one wonders if the life of Queen Lili’u is critical or just circumstantial to understand the annexation. I still have that unsettled question in my mind, and perhaps an additional detailed chapter describing the motives of the annexation pursued by the United States focusing on President McKinley and the Spanish-American War – instead of an unnecessary Epilogue listing the subsequent businesses related to Hawaii after the annexation – would enrich the arguments of the book and would put the reader in position to understand the role of sugar barons better if one takes the point of view of the United States into account. It takes two to tango.Overall, it is a great book, and it is a must read for someone interested in Queen Lili’u or in Hawaii during the reign of the short lived Kalākaua dynasty. The depth and scholarship of the author is unquestionable and the detailed and non-intrusive endnotes makes the book a mandatory reading for anyone who wants to start an educated journey through the history of the Sandwich Islands.

A chapter of how American and Hawaiian History become intertwined. Once upon a time there was a kingdom called Hawaii. Now many years later this kingdom is a distant part of history, and since 1959 Hawaii has been the 50th state added to the United States. In this book the reader learns of the downfall of the last queen of Hawaii, Queen Liliuokalani. By all means, it it not a pleasant topic of American History. It is a story of an American annexation of small kingdom in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.I myself visited Hawaii and needless to say I fell in love with Hawaii. So, I can see why many in the United States were so keen for the United States to claim Hawaii. For the most part, the reasons were an economic and strategic one. In a way Queen Liliuokalani's story is sad because she was deposed not only the the United States, but by some of the Hawaiian people themselves. Money talked even way back in the late 19th century. One reads of Queen Liliuokalani's upbringing, her royal ancestery, her rise to the throne of Queen of Hawaii, to her overthrow, and to her life afterward. Despite being betrayed by some of her own people Queen Liliuokalani has been given justice. She lived to an old woman, and was revered as a sacred link to Hawaii's past. She is still revered to this day. So much in fact that some native Hawaiians still feel bitterness over the overthrow of their kingdom.The Kingdom of Hawaii may be no more. Hawaii is now a state and part of the United States. However, Hawaii has its own history and this book is an excellent tool for one to come to grasp with Hawaii's sacred past.

Having had the privilege of living in Hawaii for several years, this book was very interesting to me. It brought back many lovely remembrances of the beauty of this state. One does get a bit bogged down with all the detail, however.

Great political history of Hawaii - well researched. I have a fuller understanding now about the cultural dynamics of the islands.

I usually have a hard time finishing anything historical. This made me want to learn how things happened. I had no trouble sympathizing with Lili’u’s predicament. This story was told very humanely.Pam Gibbs

While some individuals seem to be crying "foul", I believe this book was a balanced and objective presentation of the unfortunate history leading up to the over through of the Hawaiian monarchy. Was some history missing?- most probably. Yet Siler certainly seems to have done her homework related to the monarchy's over through, and presents it so the reader can understand the complicated background. Having lived in Hawaii for over 20 years, I appreciate what this book has taught me: The relentless drive for power and wealth (maintaining or gaining) has been universal in our world. In this case, the average Hawaiian citizen was the looser.

This book was recommended to me by a friend in Hawaii. It is about Hawaii's early years and its kings and queens that reigned over the island. It was a very informative book and written so well that I was able to picture life in Hawaii during those years. It was filled with fascinating items about the monarchy and the people who moved to Hawaii and how they influenced life on the island. I was enjoying it so much, that I was disappointed when I finished the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to know more about Hawaii and how it came to be our 50th state.

this is an amazing book about the history of Hawaii. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Fue un regalo, muy bien