The New York Timesâbestselling author delivers âa riveting saga about Big Sugar flexing its imperialist muscle in Hawaii . . . A real gem of a bookâ (Douglas Brinkley, author of American Moonshot).
Deftly weaving together a memorable cast of characters, Lost Kingdom brings to life the clash between a vulnerable Polynesian people and relentlessly expanding capitalist powers. Portraits of royalty and rogues, sugar barons, and missionaries combine into a sweeping tale of the Hawaiian Kingdomâs rise and fall.
At the center of the story is Liliâuokalani, the last queen of Hawaiâi. Born in 1838, she lived through the nearly complete economic transformation of the islands. Lucrative sugar plantations gradually subsumed the majority of the land, owned almost exclusively by white planters, dubbed the âSugar Kings.â Hawaiâi became a prize in the contest between America, Britain, and France, each seeking to expand their military and commercial influence in the Pacific.
The monarchy had become a figurehead, victim to manipulation from the wealthy sugar plantation owners. Liliâu was determined to enact a constitution to reinstate the monarchyâs power but was outmaneuvered by the United States. The annexation of Hawaiâi had begun, ushering in a new century of American imperialism.
âAn important chapter in our national history, one that most Americans donât know but should.â âThe New York Times Book Review
âSiler gives us a riveting and intimate look at the rise and tragic fall of Hawaiiâs royal family . . . A reminder that Hawaii remains one of the most breathtaking places in the world. Even if the kingdom is lost.â âFortune
â[A] well-researched, nicely contextualized history . . . [Indeed] âone of the most audacious land grabs of the Gilded Age.ââ âLos Angeles Times