Star and Key

A lively history of an extraordinary island and the people who call it home.'Written with erudition, empathy and humour, it is an illuminating and im-portant book about a small island of global significance.' - Ananda Devi, au-thor of Eve Out of Her RuinsMany countries have an interesting tale to tell about their origins and evolution. But few are as exciting and adventurous as that of Mauritius- 'Star and Key' of the Indian Ocean.A tiny island of volcanos, dodos and lagoons, Mauritius remained untouched by humans until Arab sailors discovered it in the tenth century. Settled by the Portuguese, Dutch, French and then British, it was passed from one empire to another, each recognising its immense strategic importance, yet all struggling fully to control it.From a highly prized colonial chess piece to an independent success story, Mauritius has always been a place with outsized influence. This cultural melting- pot is home to peoples of Indian, Chinese, African and European descent, shaping the country's vibrant literature, music, language and art-as well as its ethnic tensions, which have always bubbled near the surface. Olivier Hein's sweeping history uncovers Mauritius's fascinating yet little-known past, exploring the age of pirates; the horrors of indentured labour; the 1810 Franco-British war; the transformations in economy, landscape and climate during the twenty-first century; and much more. From its geological origins to the present day, this is the story of an island nation quite unlike any other.The tiny island of Mauritius, once most famous for its now extinct dodo, is in the news with the Chagos Island dealMauritius is a melting pot of cultures from Asia, Africa and Europe with a fascinating historyA Mauritian-British writer, Olivier Hein is a well-travelled former diplomat