Mark Twain's Letters from Hawaii Book

It was a slow read, but worth it. My husband and I visited Hawaii in January and were surprised to find out about its disturbing history: American businessmen bought the land for pennies, took advantage of the natives, and then overthrew their legal government. Twain's book, actually a compilation of essays written for the Sacramento newspaper when he visited Hawaii as a young man, brings to life portions of this upsetting history. It is difficult to read this American literary hero encouraging businessmen to take advantage of the situation; he insults the natives regularly and paints a picture of a bigoted, arrogant imperialist. That said, there are also many sections describing both his adventures and the natural beauty with characteristic charm, humor and intelligence. A must-read for anyone interested in knowing more about Hawaii's history, but probably not worth the effort and upset otherwise.