The Vengeance of Kahekili: The Battle for O'ahu and the Decline of the Maui Brotherhood of Kings - Softcover

Muench, M. N.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1481822411 ISBN 13: 9781481822411

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013

Synopsis

This compelling and true tale is set in the 1790's Hawaiian Islands. Kamehameha the Great, having conquered the Island of Hawaii, is marshalling his forces for an attack on the leeward islands of Maui, Oahu and Kauai. His main rivals, the Maui Brotherhood of Chiefs, fight among themselves on the island of Oahu fully aware of the threat from the east, but unable to quell their bitter internal rivalries.When the English trading captain William Brown sails his ship Jackal into the harbor of what is now Honolulu in 1794 he could not have foreseen the terrible consequences. War had broken out among the ruling chiefs, and royal brothers battled for control of the island. Brown understands his peril, but his ships need refitting, and his plans require King Kalanikupule to confirm Brown's previous agreements with Kahekili, the king's father.If Brown achieves his goals, Hawaii is sure to become a British colony, possibly bringing the Crown into opposition with Kamehameha. However Brown misjudges the impact of the war chief Kamohomoho, uncle to the king, and one of the few Hawaiian chiefs of the time who understands the Englishman's mind set. Having fought a month long battle with his brother, Kamohomoho first maneuvers Brown into providing aid in the war, and when the battle is finally won, into an implicit statement of loyalty to the Oahu King. In due course Brown is called upon to demonstrate his loyalty, and when he waivers his plans are doomed.Adding to the intrigue is the arrival in Honolulu harbor of the American vessel, Lady Washington. Her captain, John Kendrick, is no fan of the Englishman Brown and his intrigues and threatens their success. Also on board the Lady is a Hawaiian passenger, a young man known to both the crews of the Lady and the Jackal. Kavaialii, a descendant of Oahu royalty, has sailed to China with the Chief Kaiana, and on his return again found refuge in the service of Kaiana, now allied with Kamehameha on Hawaii. Kavaialii has come to Oahu on the order of Kamehameha to gather intelligence on Kalanikupule's forces and armament, and to seek out Brown's rumored agreements with Kahekili.As the Oahu war ends, the fear of Kamehameha's invasion reignites among the Maui chiefs, and intrigue, murder, and plots form and unfold. The chaos of fear and uncertainty causes Kamohomoho to wonder if his brother, the dead King Kahekili, has not indeed cursed Oahu by seeking vengeance for past transgressions through curses against his own family and the people of Oahu.The Vengeance Kahekili is the complicated but true tale of the fall of the last major resistance to Kamehameha's dynastic ambitions. It is also the revealing story of the first European to anchor in Honolulu Harbor. Well researched, highly annotated, and historically revealing, The Vengeance of Kahekili weaves a dramatic and exciting tale from the long forgotten facts of this critical moment in Hawaiian history.

About this title

About the Author:

M.N. Muench has lived many years in the Pacific. He spent his early childhood in Hawaii on Oahu. After college he returned to the Pacific as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and remained for many years as an expatriate employee. He has lived in polynesian subsistence villages, worked with local farmers and fishermen, and served with the island government as an officer dedicated to improving people's lives. He returned to Hawaii, and obtained a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of Hawaii. In later years he returned again to Hawaii, and has dedicated a decade to researching the Hawaiian history of the turbulent era prior to the reign of Kamehameha the Great. His experiences and study give him a unique understanding of how life may have been in this post contact era when Hawaiians were at the cusp of great change.M.N. Muench has written two volumes of short stories about his Pacific experiences in addition to this novel. He currently lives near Kilauea. When not writing he volunteers in the Volcano National Park and often takes very long, sometimes epic walks.

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1481822411
• ISBN 13: 9781481822411
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 632