Living in Samoa, Stevenson watched rival chiefs, German traders and the consuls of Germany, Britain and the United States turn the islands into a battleground. He explains the native and foreign sources of discord, the troubles of the king Laupepa, the German-backed regime of Brandeis, the fighting at Matautu and the intrigues of Becker, writing quickly in the hope of helping a distracted country.
Stevenson the reporter and advocate, plain-spoken about men he knew personally and sharply critical of colonial meddling. Download the free EPUB.