The political struggle lasted roughly between 1886 and 1894, primarily between Samoans contesting whether Malietoa Laupepa, Mata'afa Iosefo or a member of the Tupua Tamasese dynasty would be King of Samoa.

After the 1889 Apia cyclone destroyed six of the German and American ships stationed at Samoa, the three Western countries decided that the counterproductive fighting should cease, and that Laupepa would be restored to the kingship.

The structure of Samoan leadership in the late 19th century was one where the role of Tafa'ifa (interpreted as equivalent to "King of Samoa" by Europeans of the era) was contested.

Hostilities might have commenced in 1881, but an American warship, the USS Lackawanna, either imposed or negotiated a peace treaty, with the approval of the Western consuls.

[3] Captain Zembsch, the Imperial German Consul who had acquired a good reputation with the Samoans as someone willing to advocate for them even against his fellow countrymen running the plantations, was recalled in 1883.

Stuebel increased pressure on Laupepa, complaining of routine theft of food from the plantations, and demanding the right to imprison Samoans caught stealing in German-operated private jails.

The Americans weakly supported Laupepa, but counseled patience and largely waited on replies from their distant home governments.

A new wild card entered the fray in January 1887: the prime minister of the Kingdom of Hawaii, the adventurer Walter M. Gibson, had deployed a "homemade battleship" Kaimiloa on a friendship tour across the South Pacific looking for an alliance against colonial powers.

[4] The Germans brought in the engineer and artillerist Eugen Brandeis to strengthen their fortifications in Mulinuʻu and drill troops in early 1887.

Germany then issued an ultimatum to the nearly powerless Laupepa on August 23, accusing him of responsibility for trivial incidents such as the continuing occasional food theft from plantations (something nearly impossible to prevent, nor a major concern) and a supposed insult to the German Kaiser at a bar by a Samoan.

They possibly could have wiped them out entirely, but perhaps fearing repercussions if they struck too great an insult to Germany, withdrew and allowed the Germans to retreat back to their ship as well.

Chancellor Bismarck, upon learning of this, replied with emphatic orders not to cause an international incident with Germany's trading partner in the British Empire over what he considered an unimportant sideshow in German affairs.

While he soon returned to Apia, he advocated for his right to stand in an election for leadership as provided by the terms of the Berlin General Act, perhaps believing his popularity from his victories in the struggle against German influence would hold up.

In early 1892, the government apparently attacked villages known for supporting Mata'afa, forcing their inhabitants into exile in Maile, damaging their buildings, and killing their livestock.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court established by the Berlin General Act was expected to resolve the disputes, but he was apparently unable, and left Samoa for Europe in 1893.

On July 8, a government force of around 1,000 warriors attacked a smaller group of Mata'afa supporters at Vailele, and crushingly defeated them.

The rout was sufficiently severe that Mata'afa, his supporting chieftains, and a small remnant of his forces fled Maile for Manono Island.

[11] American warships during the Samoan crisis included the USS Vandalia, Trenton (captained by Lewis Kimberly), and Nipsic.

Hostilities soon resumed in the Second Samoan Civil War, with the returned Mata'afa quickly and easily defeating Tanumafili at the Siege of Apia.

The book includes his own experiences and a history of the turbulent decade based on direct interviews with Laupepa and others, and is considered one of the key primary sources chronicling the events.