This book ably tells the tale of the Hawaiian monarchy, and how it was overthrown, with the assistance of the United States. It is a fascinating story, and it is interesting to see how the power shifted between the different players and their various intrigues. It was a remarkable series of events, but the human nature that drove it is the same that we see over and over again, even in our own lives.

One negative point, is that although the author said he was writing an unbiased account, he is clearly pro Hawaiian, too much for my taste, and in a pretty weird prologue nearly says he is writing the book to bring peace to the ghost of the queen.