Shirley, Baker and the King Tonga (The Pasifika Library) - Softcover

Of all the Pacific nations only Tonga has retained a complete and lasting political independence. Find out how the shrewd, determined King of Tonga, Tupou I, teamed up with Wesleyan missionary and opportunist Shirley Baker to bring this about.

Of all the Pacific Islands nations only Tonga has retained a degree of lasting political independence. It was Tupou I, the first king of Tonga, who established an internationally recognised nation. A shrewd and determined politician, he enlisted the aid of a rebellious Wesleyan missionary. Noel Rutherford's book is an account of the life and times of this gruff, bewhiskered minister from London's East End, the Reverend Shirley Baker. A curious character often at odds with his peers, Baker's achievements, whether motivated by altruism or self-preservation, contributed greatly to the Tonga we know today.