This is the last of Westervelt's six books of Hawaiian lore. Starting in
mythological times, and retelling some of the migration legends, the book
primarily focuses on the period of European contact, Hawaiian Historical
Legends is of interest for anyone studying encounters between cultures,
particularly where one of the cultures has a technological advantage. The
core of the book is set against the background of consolidation of
political authority in the islands (which was already underway before
contact), the fall of the old tapu-bound absolute rule of the chiefs and
the priests, and finally the emergence of modern Hawaiian civil culture. Of
particular interest are Westervelt's speculations on early contacts, not
only between the Hawaiians and the Europeans, but other Pacific rim
cultures such as the Chinese, Japanese and Native Americans.