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Kauai: The Separate Kingdom
Joesting, Edward, Kauai: The Separate Kingdom. University of Hawaii Press (2840 Kolowalu Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822), 1984. xiv, 299pp. ISBN 0-8248-1162-3 (pbk), $19.95. Illus (b&w). Index. Bib. Acid-Free.
Edward Joesting’s Kauai: The Separate Kingdom is a well-researched and documented history of the island (and kingdom) of Kauai. It begins with ancient Kauai, and leads through major events that shaped its growth as a kingdom and kept it a separate and distinct culture even after Kamehameha had conquered the other Hawaiian islands. This account brings us on a well-described journey from ancient times through western contact and into the industrial age until 1898 when the United States of America annexed Hawaii.
Edward Joesting came to Hawaii in 1951 to work as an officer for a large company, and served in that capacity for twenty years. He began publishing in 1972 when his book Hawaii: An Uncommon History came out. He was a past president of the Hawaiian Historical Society and a lecturer at the University of Hawaii. He has written several other books about Hawaii including, Tides of Commerce, An Introduction to Hawaii, The First Hawaiians: Polynesian Pioneers, and he wrote the text for Ansel Adams’ The Islands of Hawaii.
Kauai is written in a readable style, offering vivid descriptions of places and people, which make it possible for the reader to visualize the events, have a sense of the atmosphere, and understand the importance surrounding them. The culture of ancient Kauai, and the roles of the chiefs and people of descending rank are described alongside ancient stories of Hawaiian gods and demigods, as well as descriptions of the hiking trails and heiaus the people of the time used, which better helps bring the history to life. The story of Kauai is then traced through the time of western contact when Captain Cook (and other western explorers) came to the islands, and describes Kamehameha’s uniting of the islands into one kingdom. Joesting goes on to tell of the rise and fall of industries that followed, such as the devastating sandalwood trade, whaling, the silk trade, and the more successful ones, such as sugar cane, coffee, and rice. Along with the changing industries, Joesting describes the life of the working people and the changing immigrant populations that came in to work these different crops, including the Germans, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese workers. He is also careful to address the drastic social changes that industrialization brought on the Hawaiians as the Kapu system was abolished, Christianity gained strength, and the Hawaiian monarchy fell from power as Hawaii was annexed.
Included in this book is a map of Kauai, which the reader can refer to if needed, as well as photos of people and places of significance. Its historic content is well documented with a thorough bibliography and index. This book is remarkable, as it retains an impartial viewpoint in the retelling of the events and doesn’t really take sides or try to sensationalize an emotional or dramatic event such as the kidnapping of King Kaumualii or the death of Captain Cook. Rather, it presents the historic view. If emotional parts are presented, they are in the passages cited from original correspondences or writings of the times. Joesting does not embellish things or alter them to reflect our current social beliefs, but presents them as they were at the time.
The only troublesome features I found while reading the book were the hops back and forth in time which could be confusing while trying to follow the comings and goings of so many people in so many places. This, and the sometimes complete omission of significant people while discussing the time and place that they were a presence, such as the banishment of the lepers to the leper colony at Kalaupapa without any mention of Father Damien who was there at the time. I recognize though, that this is a history of Kauai, not the entire island chain, and it did need to be focused on Kauai particularly.
This book would be of interest not only to those interested in Hawaiian history, but also to those who plan to travel to Kauai, and who would like to be aware of the significance and sacredness of the sites they are visiting. It is not a light read, but it is well written and interesting. It would be valuable to a person researching Kauai. Public and academic libraries that offer books on Hawaiian history may be interested in considering this book.
Librarians might also consider some other books of interest; Shoal of Time a History of the Hawaiian Islands by Gavan Daws (University of Hawaii Press 1974), Kauai: As It Was In The 1940s And 1950s by Mike Ashman (University of Hawaii Press, 2004), The Story of Koloa: A Kauai Plantation Town by Donald Donohugh (Mutual Publishing, 2001), and Aloha Kauai: A Childhood by Waimea Williams (Island Heritage Publishing. 2004).
Edward Joesting’s Kauai: The Separate Kingdom is a well-researched and documented history of the island (and kingdom) of Kauai. It begins with ancient Kauai, and leads through major events that shaped its growth as a kingdom and kept it a separate and distinct culture even after Kamehameha had conquered the other Hawaiian islands. This account brings us on a well-described journey from ancient times through western contact and into the industrial age until 1898 when the United States of America annexed Hawaii.
Edward Joesting came to Hawaii in 1951 to work as an officer for a large company, and served in that capacity for twenty years. He began publishing in 1972 when his book Hawaii: An Uncommon History came out. He was a past president of the Hawaiian Historical Society and a lecturer at the University of Hawaii. He has written several other books about Hawaii including, Tides of Commerce, An Introduction to Hawaii, The First Hawaiians: Polynesian Pioneers, and he wrote the text for Ansel Adams’ The Islands of Hawaii.
Kauai is written in a readable style, offering vivid descriptions of places and people, which make it possible for the reader to visualize the events, have a sense of the atmosphere, and understand the importance surrounding them. The culture of ancient Kauai, and the roles of the chiefs and people of descending rank are described alongside ancient stories of Hawaiian gods and demigods, as well as descriptions of the hiking trails and heiaus the people of the time used, which better helps bring the history to life. The story of Kauai is then traced through the time of western contact when Captain Cook (and other western explorers) came to the islands, and describes Kamehameha’s uniting of the islands into one kingdom. Joesting goes on to tell of the rise and fall of industries that followed, such as the devastating sandalwood trade, whaling, the silk trade, and the more successful ones, such as sugar cane, coffee, and rice. Along with the changing industries, Joesting describes the life of the working people and the changing immigrant populations that came in to work these different crops, including the Germans, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese workers. He is also careful to address the drastic social changes that industrialization brought on the Hawaiians as the Kapu system was abolished, Christianity gained strength, and the Hawaiian monarchy fell from power as Hawaii was annexed.
Included in this book is a map of Kauai, which the reader can refer to if needed, as well as photos of people and places of significance. Its historic content is well documented with a thorough bibliography and index. This book is remarkable, as it retains an impartial viewpoint in the retelling of the events and doesn’t really take sides or try to sensationalize an emotional or dramatic event such as the kidnapping of King Kaumualii or the death of Captain Cook. Rather, it presents the historic view. If emotional parts are presented, they are in the passages cited from original correspondences or writings of the times. Joesting does not embellish things or alter them to reflect our current social beliefs, but presents them as they were at the time.
The only troublesome features I found while reading the book were the hops back and forth in time which could be confusing while trying to follow the comings and goings of so many people in so many places. This, and the sometimes complete omission of significant people while discussing the time and place that they were a presence, such as the banishment of the lepers to the leper colony at Kalaupapa without any mention of Father Damien who was there at the time. I recognize though, that this is a history of Kauai, not the entire island chain, and it did need to be focused on Kauai particularly.
This book would be of interest not only to those interested in Hawaiian history, but also to those who plan to travel to Kauai, and who would like to be aware of the significance and sacredness of the sites they are visiting. It is not a light read, but it is well written and interesting. It would be valuable to a person researching Kauai. Public and academic libraries that offer books on Hawaiian history may be interested in considering this book.
Librarians might also consider some other books of interest; Shoal of Time a History of the Hawaiian Islands by Gavan Daws (University of Hawaii Press 1974), Kauai: As It Was In The 1940s And 1950s by Mike Ashman (University of Hawaii Press, 2004), The Story of Koloa: A Kauai Plantation Town by Donald Donohugh (Mutual Publishing, 2001), and Aloha Kauai: A Childhood by Waimea Williams (Island Heritage Publishing. 2004).
Submitted in April 2006 by Mary Braffet, LIS Student, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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